Candide Politik

8.9

Forward first nose. Supple smooth feel with notes of plum and blackberry. Rustic but neither earthy nor leathery -idk but I know what I mean. Medium-high tannin. — 9 years ago

Cyrus Kay

8.9

Stylistically very Italian, little resemblance to Californian Zin. Warm nose has kirsch cherry, damson, marzipan and smooth oak. Thoughtful wine lacking the classic hefty whack of fruit. Smokey notes and oak ('Slovanic' oak, whatever that is) are powerful, and along with slightly granular tannins they work to add subtlety to the powerful red cherry fruit. Finish is neither short nor long, but is merely satisfactory in terms of length - although the final notes of fruit are its best. Close to peak now I'd wager. — 9 years ago

Kevin Bohlin

9.6

Nor sure how to judge a wine in its infancy created for 20 years from now but wow, you sure can taste greatness — 9 years ago

Brian Murphy

9.0

crisp, dry rose. neither heavy nor light. — 10 years ago

Hannes Huefken

9.0

Had to aerate for 10 minutes only for the woody stinkiness to disappear.
Brownish ruby red.
Prunes, raisins, maybe overripe strawberries on the nose, next to cognac, black pepper.
On the palate, it's pretty intense: Rather watery than viscous, sweet on attack and finish, low tannin, distinct licorice on mid-palate, acidity neither firm nor flabby.
Medium-short finish, but the mild tannin lingers for quite a while.
Might be time to drink up, for this is pretty ripe already. I wouldn't want this to disintegrate more. Fun to drink. I'm happy to notice that, while I like this mature thing, I really also want to drink younger reds with a more velvety texture and firmer tannin and taste profiles.
50+5+11+17+7=90 — 10 years ago

with Immo Philipp

Jim Wagonfeld

9.2

Dark almost purple. Nose of smoke, pepper, leather. Palate of dark fruit, olive, meat. Full bodied, smooth but not over Oaked. Not elegant nor complex but fun to drink. — 10 years ago

with Judy

Christine Havens

9.3

We paired this with country ribs drenched in a smoky BBQ sauce. And while I've never made ribs nor tasted this wine, all I can say is...I was transported to scenes From House of Cards, where Kevin Spacey plays the excellent, if slightly sociopathic character of Frank Underwood, Democratic Majority Whip. This wine is brazen, ballsy and complex, with notes of eucalyptus, smoke, preserved meat, asphalt, ox blood, grit and conspiracy. Rich, brooding and as well-developed as a riveting story, the Cimicky will suck you in. — 11 years ago

Andy Hall

9.6

Okay, call me a baby killer if you want but I needed to crack one of these open so that I could monitor its progression. Another phenomenal Knight's Valley Cab. This will be better tomorrow as it opens and the other 11 will sit in the cellar for at least another 5 years. Just Terrific. Great nose, inky purple color but not overly complex nor contrived, just plain good from start to finish. — 9 years ago

Gregory Knaps

9.0

Not laser-like nor lush but right smack in the middle. — 9 years ago

Matt

9.0

I feel like the "value" Rhône wines perform better than almost any other wines of the same category from other regions. This is great, classic N. Rhône character on a moderate frame. At first funk, red plums, wild berries and violets filled the glass, evolving into grilled bacon, beef blood, black licorice, and peppery olive character. While it doesn't have the density nor weight of some Syrah it still is lovely and engaging to drink. — 9 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.0

Read the worrisome note from Ms. Larner in TWA#211 today. Decided to pop a bottle and I was happy to conclude that this wine wasn't "tight and astringent" nor "a skeleton of wood". Sure, the nose is slightly rustic showing cinnamon spice, iron, grilled meat and dried flower potpourri. On the palate there's still sufficient juicy plummy fruit and vanilla cream. Dark notes of ash, fur, chestnuts and leather provide depth and interest. It's a good Brunello, with modernistic concentration. Prime drinking for those who like their wines mature. Drink now or within 3 years, I'd say. — 10 years ago

Chris McDonald

9.1

Soft tannins. A hint of garrigue. Nicely not over extracted nor caramelly. Finesse over power. Elegant. — 10 years ago

Ludovic Anacleto

9.4

I was scared at first. Vintage isn't the best one, tough conditions, rain close to harvest date.
Then I popped it and suddenly That happened. Definitely, Lafite is another breed of wine. I must admit that this is a rather austere Lafite but fruit is there, topical Bordeaux nose, very "Old School". mint, pudding and confit fruit (not dry nor overripe, rather mature I must admit).
Give Bordeaux best properties some bottle age then you understand why all the buzz. Loved it! — 11 years ago

Diana Cohen

9.1

Smooth , nor tangy fruit forward,
Easy to drink
— 9 years ago

"Odedi"

9.0

Purple in color, with a wide purplish rim and medium intensity.

Fruity nose with blackberries, blueberries, plums, cherries, cooked cherries, light wood, vanilla, dirt, licorice, spices, earth, tobacco, chocolates, peppercorn and herbs.

Medium plus in body, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and lemony on the attack yet still fruity on the palate, with red currants, cherries, strawberries, licorice, oak, vanilla, leather, earth, sage, herbs, spices and peppercorn.

Long finish with elegant tannins and tart raspberries.

This is a unique Zinfandel from Sonoma County. Not very bold nor jammy, but has nice acidity that complements the fruits. Balanced enough to drink by itself, and even better with food, like lamb chops on the grill.

Nice complexity with a lemony feel, which I never encountered in a California Zinfandel.

Good right out of the bottle, and improved a little within an hour in a decanter. After 2 hours, alcohol and brandy notes show up on the palate.

This 100% Zinfandel from old vines (some older than 100 years), displays good quality.

14.7% alcohol by volume. — 9 years ago

Jennifer Segal

Editor "Reds, Whites & Varsity Blues: 60 Years of Oxford & Cambridge Blind Wine-tasting Competition"

9.0

#wine Eric Rodez Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs #Champagne (Ambonnay): Sprightly and sophisticated. Fresh & dried red fruit on the nose; beautifully balanced (100% Pinot Noir across 5 to 6 vintages in 70% small barrels/no malolactic: bright, neither tart nor heavy cream on the palate - Goldilocks 'just right'). 12.0% abv. Shared on Easter Monday in good company, inclusive of Carthusian wine cellar chair, emeritus;). Thank you, Sophie x — 10 years ago

C Schulte

8.9

Very enjoyable. Not fruity nor super spicy. — 10 years ago

Chris MacLean

9.7

I want to rate this lower because I had just one glass, but this was transcendent aged Burgundy. Truly memorable. I might have gone 9.9 if drinking it alone. — 10 years ago

with Tim

Alejandro Artigas

9.5

Dehlinger = aromatic nose and perfume on the palette. I love these wines. They are superb, offering big flavors in the palette and nose yet not over the topic too concentrated nor overly ripe. Incredibly perfumed on the palette and enchanting on the nose. — 11 years ago

Peter Tripp

9.0

Nothing super distinctively amazing nor negative, just a good glass that I would definitely drink again. $10 at Martin Bros. — 13 years ago