Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Blend of 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Merlot, aged in French oak for about 18 months, deep Ruby with aromas of dark fruit, sweet spice and herbs. On the palate flavors of cherry and blackberry with tobacco spice, toasty oak and floral notes. Fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit, spice, oak and mineral character, Nice, should age well. — 8 months ago

Rana Sahni

9.7

A solid wine that is drinking so well with charcoal grilled ribeye steak — 10 months ago

Bruce Leboff

9.3

Elegant and polished. Drinking well. Hint of chocolate and black fruit. Lovely. — 2 years ago

with David

Michelle Baker

8.9

A great buy for the price, not a lot of length but tasty/slurp able. Pairs well with Presidential Debates — 8 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Served to me double-blind. The wine pours a deep ruby color with a slightly orange rim. Medium+ viscosity and some moderate staining of the tears. There appears to be some sign of sediment as well. On the nose, the wine was intense with notes of dark cherries, a mix of red and black bramble fruits, licorice, some leather and dried gravelly earth. I don’t detect any use of barrique but maybe some large format oak. This has an old world nose to it that was really lovely. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose and while the fruit had some power, it came in a body that was pretty fit and tidy. Alcohol is medium+. The finish is long and had some stoney minerals too. I called Brunello di Montalcino from a warmer vintage like 2009. Whoa…2007 Beaucastel! Damn, they hit so different than most other CdP’s. So much more restrained! But now that it has been revealed and I’ve allowed more time for it to breathe in my glass, I totally get its sense of place. One of my big takeaways is that I need more experience with these wines, particularly with age because that’s when they become more interesting to me. This is drinking well now but I expect it will continue to do so through 2032 with ease. — 10 months ago

Guillermo Camacho

9.1

Classic example. The oak is not as coconut and dill heavy and the fruit is a bit more forthright than some other Rioja producers. Nose of cigar red and blue berries. Palate of bright fruit with medium acid and tannin. Drinking well now, but this still has plenty, plenty of life. — 2 years ago

Clark Beaty

9.0

Second bottle of 78 I've had this year. The fruit is still present but soft, this wine has surprisingly held up beautifully and is drinking very well. — 8 years ago

Kevin Dale

9.6

Let it open up for about an hour and a half. Tasted well even out of the bottle, but the extra time made it worth it. — 10 months ago

Horacio Laredo

9.2

A rare dark berry color wine, well blended wine structure and with earth berry end taste that exposure it exquisite complexity of well done California wine. — 2 years ago

Adam Nesto

9.3

Took about 10 minutes to open up, but well worth the wait. Soft tannins, minimal res fruit, oak, and leather. -En Magnum — 5 years ago

with Douglas and Lee