Delectable Wine

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10

The 2005 Cheval Blanc has been nothing less than magical on two separate occasions. A wine of breathtaking nuance and sophistication, the 2005 Cheval dazzles right out of the gate. With a few hours of aeration the aromatics blossom and the wine is explosive in every dimension. Espresso, rose petal, mint, blood orange and incense all open as the 2005 shows off its magnificence and pedigree. Bright saline underpinnings convey energy, tension and brilliance. Cheval Blanc is perhaps not as immediately seductive as some of the other top 2005s, but its all there. In spades. I would give it a few more years to unwind. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, April 2021)
— 5 years ago

LM Segal

9.5

An assault of dried bacon fat 🥓 and kirsch liqueur. Give this time in the glass or long decant, gets better and better, and there’s a hint of prune there that I ❤️ but may turn some people off. — 6 years ago

Susan Sangiacomo

9.4

Hands off! Let it rest for a while. It needs time. — 8 years ago

LM Segal

9.3

Fruit, acids and tannins faded into the background, initially lost (and thought off and nearly tossed!) due to extreme undergrowth funk. That blew off in 30 mins and what remained was Syrah turned all burgundy, fleshy but light. Not best example, but delicious. — 9 years ago

Craig Stanfield

9.5

Started wth a slight must on the nose, but that blew off. Opened to round and bright red and some blue fruit. Tobacco and wood (not lavish oak, maybe cedar) round it out. Fine grained tannins and a wonderful finish. Love the value of Rioja and hard to believe I just got some of these babies recently. This was the 125th vintage. — 9 years ago

Peter Wassam

9.4

Smell like fucking fried chicken grease. Light CO2. Definitely carbonic. Gamey but still has that gamay fruit purity thing. Gamey/Gamay. The most caressing of tannins. Licorice taste slightly off putting. Is it growing on me or am I just getting drunk? — 10 years ago

Alex Alan

Wine Director Hotel Delmano

9.1

2014. This wine is my jam. Energetic, with great clarity, and so joyful. Off-dry Kabinett that's only 9% alcohol. — 10 years ago

Joey Letchinger

8.9

Great for off vintage. On its last legs — 10 years ago

Joel Tan

9.1

Great great earthy tea dark fruits and meaty aromas. Started off thin and acidic on the palate but filled out nicely with air and great with lamb and Claypot rice — 11 years ago

Christopher Hoel

Sommelier/Senior Wine Advisor Soutirage

9.9

En magnum and off the hook!!! — 12 years ago

Pierre Gourinchas

8.9

A bit disappointing, for a Leoville Barton. Probably needs more time. I was also coming off tasting the 2009! — 5 years ago

Andrew Holod

National Sales Grapes of Spain

9.1

ID 314057 (just off one digit from pi)
Golrious balance. Cork was compressed and showing age, though I stored this in my cold cellar. Nose of yellow fruits and flowers. All of a piece, though feeling a bit spendy.
Happy Mother's day to my wife, paired w almond croissants and truffled eggs. — 6 years ago

Jonathan

9.3

Berry. Guessed this but was 2 years off. — 6 years ago

Neil Cornish

9.5

In a perfect place. The 15 years of age has taken the spikey edge off, and developed some nutty intensity. Power and grace. — 8 years ago

with Michael and Jon

William Cooper

9.5

Open for 3 hours so funk could blow off. Fantastic nose and brilliant fruit. — 9 years ago

Mark Lipton

9.4

If you have to drink a 2011 Napa Cabernet, this is the one. Overcomes the flimsiness and off-centered taste of many of its peers. Blueberry, suggestive of Alexander Valley cabs, is present in spades, and wonderful, smooth, and satisfying midpalate and finish. — 10 years ago

Bill Talarico

8.9

Kickin off 2016 right — 10 years ago

Jeffrey Lew

9.7

Ex-Chateau bottle. Testament to perfect storage. Light Amber edge with a darker core. Started off full of toast and just a whiff of brett. Slow ox for 2 hrs then poured. Amazing life for a 54yr old wine still in its stride. Light and dark fruit with seamless integrity and polish. Classic old BDX. After the initial funk blew off it kept developing in the glass. I could drink this all night long. Awesome — 10 years ago

Robert Bergstrom

8.9

A lovely DRC in the twilight of its drinking years. Upon opening we thought it would fall into the bitter tobacco and soy sauce category but it fell off the knife edge the other way and gave lovely rhubarb, tea notes and sweet tobacco. What a great experience. — 11 years ago

Patrick Knöfler

8.9

The wine was medium to dark garnet in colour. On day one it offered red fruit, cherry, balsamic vinegar, cola, leather, mushroom, earthy and vegetal notes and a wet sewer component on the nose. On the palate the the wine showed red fruit, cherry, blackberry, tobacco and earthy notes, the acidity was quite pronounced, the wine became slightly drying and even more acidic after some time in the glass, and the fruit faded a bit. Two days later, on day three, the medium-bodied wine was more balanced and showed red and dark fruit, some chocolate, some tobacco, spices and earthy notes on the nose, and red fruit, cherry, leather, tobacco, earthy and balsamic notes on the palate, with just a faint touch of greenness, paired with medium-plus well-integrated tannin, medium-plus acidity and very good length. I had almost written-off the wine on day one and then, surprisingly, it showed much better the third day. Holding-up well. 90 — 11 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Kicking the festivities off with some 1990 Champagne. This is medium gold with active bubble stream. Brioche toast nose. Also notes of citrus, apple juice and stones. Pleasant in the mouth but not overpowering. Decent showing but I expected (and wanted) more energy and mousse. (Bday 1 of 13) — 5 years ago

Rob Kiley

9.2

Maybe the best expression of Riesling I’ve had from Ovum, certainly Oregon. Off-dry, orchard fruit, tropical fruit, minerality and slight petrol — 6 years ago

Bret Barker

9.3

Off vintage but who cares? Tignanello is a personal favorite. Took a good hour to open up, this wine tastes surprisingly young. cherry, earthiness some mineral and a little smoke flavor as well. Very good — 8 years ago

Jordan Franceschini

9.5

And this is supposed to be an off vintage? — 9 years ago

Nick Davis

9.2

M+ acid, ripe tropical fruit, Mod alcohol, off-dry. Nice WA example. — 9 years ago

Justin Gilman CSW, CSS

9.3

Love this #Chinon. Ready to drink now!

Light color and beginning to brick. Watery hue. The nose is very green pepper upon opening and blows off to a stemmy, wet leaf. Lots of pink rose aromas and potpourri.

Flavor has lots of Ranier cherry. Fine and clean. Watery consistency. The acid is diminishing and tannins are falling off. The finish leaves a sense of roses. Opened 1/15/16 — 10 years ago

Louiza Collins

9.4

Velvety mouthfeel with medium tannins. Robust red and dried fruits, finish of vanilla and graphite. Quaffable af. Would pair with lamb, rabbit, pork, cheese, hummus. Versatile. Honestly not worth it's price point. An off vintage from a delicious vinyard. Would not be hard to find a bottle 1/5 of the price. — 10 years ago

Richard Young

Wine Specialist Christie's

9.2

"Off-vintage" Latour, always a pleasure — 10 years ago

with Christie's

Vino Kaela

8.9

The bottle was off. =( — 11 years ago

Pedro Rusk

Wine Educator Kendall Jackson

9.6

Sparkling Chasselas very limited and like many things that are hard to find the reward is great — 13 years ago