Andrew Schirmer

9.2

I first drank this wine in 2004 as a 22 year-old wine neophyte—with duck confit & spaetzle at the late great Earth & Ocean in Seattle—it blew my mind. As Swift said, “I drink no memories” so how does it hold up?

Quite respectably. Opening palate is fresh, mouthwatering, the memories of great Beaujolais crus past. Mid-palate with currant & slate. Excellent acid-tannin accord, cherry liqueur finish. Glorious with roast chicken & black trumpets. — 5 years ago

with Alsu

Mike Saviage

9.3

From a great old looking bottle with a top shoulder fill and solid cork. Old light brick color, translucent. Notes of tart cherry, cola, some wood and some dry earth. Rustic. Still has reasonable fruit and structure. This bottle was better than the last one. — 6 years ago

Paul T HB

9.3

Out of a Mag winery direct.
Prefer Heitz for 1990’s.
Takes awhile for the funk to blow off, good color no brick or brown edges, just not my favorite Old Napa — 6 years ago

Ned Gray Creed

9.1

I like this label design. I like Mourvèdre as well. You are smarter for reading this. — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.5

My 28th/29th/30th & 31st bottles of the beautiful 04 & @ £40 & they are still superb value for a stunning old world Rioja 👍 & keep getting better & better 😁

🍷 Garnet w/ brick edge

👃 Old world Seduction of soft smokey oak, leather, plum, spiced cherry, vanilla, red berry & fig jam w/ a balsamic prune tone

👄 Med body of silky creamy red cherry/berry driven earthy & oaky mashed fruits with cocoa, fig & thick balsamic

🎯 Long soft smooth oaky rich cherry fruit linger with earthy cocoa & balsamic
— 7 years ago

Kc Kinnings

9.1

great wine easy drinking — 8 years ago

Ryan Key

8.9

Old world, brick red color. Warm red pepper. Acid. Earth. Soft, warm, and coating yet still a bit shallow and acidic on the finish. — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.5

Stunning gorgeous old world Rioja in an awesome year @ £75 that's drinking just lovely in a Zalto Burg glass 👍

🍷 Garnet cherry red w/ brick wall

👃 Smokey burnt oak, old sweaty leather, crushed ripe black cherry, caramel, sherry, herbs, earth, dusty cellar, red currant, potpourri & cocoa dust w/ liquorice hint - I ❤️ the 💨

👄 Med smooth balanced body of slight tart & sweet bruised red cherry soaked in earth, oak, sweet liquorice & cocoa - happy mouth 😃

🎯 Long earthy oak cherry linger 👊💥 — 8 years ago

James

9.1

Good drop with pasta! — 10 years ago

doug williams

9.2

Bitter minerality. Old world. Great stuff. — 10 years ago

Adam Mahler

9.3

Almost has a Pinot blanc, old world nose. Slight funk and a touch vegetal. Absolutely no oak or butter on the nose. Bit of clove like spice. Great texture and mid palate. Nice spice on the palate with a really balanced fruit character. — 11 years ago

with Nicholas and Heather

Peter Sultan

9.2

Last of several bottles, 2005 vintage- still strong but perhaps some wear & tear. Still, an elegant (for Etna) wine, brick red in appearance, strong acidic backbone yet lithe in its medium body. Black fruits, no blueberries here, & the strong tannins are mostly integrated.I can imagine the Pinot comparisons, but feel this kind of Etna is even more unique. Has a slight petrol character, not unpleasant, reminds of a modern Alsatian Pinot noir. Nothing suave here either, but the in house aging & overall old school approach reminds too of old school Rioja like Lopez. Oh, & these sell for under 30$. Crazy. — 6 years ago

with Owen

"Odedi"

9.1

Time for my #MerlotThursday. Here's a great one from Napa Valley.

A nice color of dark ruby with a wide brick rim.

Fruity nose of blueberries, blackcurrants, plums, vanilla, cedar, licorice, spices, pencil lead, peppercorn, chocolates, dark coffee, earth and light vegetables.

Full bodied and bold with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with black plums, cherries, wood, cloves, vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, vegetables, leather, chocolates, tobacco, beef jerky and peppercorn.

Medium finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very enjoyable Merlot from Napa Valley. Well balanced and spicy. Fruit forward and big. Showing nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle, and better as it opens up and shows some tannins (1 hour).

This 6 year old is drinking very nicely now. From a great vintage, and is peaking now. Will be good in the next 5 years.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

100% Merlot grapes were aged in 50% New French oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$26. — 6 years ago

Chris England

9.5

Magnum of my favourite Rioja in a fab year & £145 - A guaranteed 98-99 given a few years 😎 Great now, fab in 5 more years!

🍷Garnet cherry red w/ brick edging

👃 Soft warming seductive smoked oak w/ dark stewed spiced cherry, cocoa, punchy balsamic, vanilla, nutmeg, coconut & light leather - old world Rioja 😍

👄 Med creamy body of super soft silky dark dirty cherry & vanilla cocoa w/ a balsamic undertone

🎯 Long oak filled cherry vanilla cocoa berry & balsamic linger - boom 💥 — 7 years ago

Martin Bergo

9.1

This wine is from NW Spain, just E of Rias Baixas, made predominantly of hand-picked mencia grapes of >50-year-old vines. The color is light purple with a brick tinge; nose is full and round with dark berries, a flinty salinity, mediterranean spices, and a hint of cabernet-like pyrazines; taste is also round with mild small tannins and medium alc. and acidity, dark fruits, no hint of new oak, and a pleasant elegant finish. Paired with spanish hams, dried pata negra filé, and French Beaufort ”gruyere-comté”-type cheese from the milk of high-altitude grazing cows. Yum! — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.3

Love this aged library release @ £32 that's fab value 👍

🍷 Garnet ruby w/ brick edge

👃 Gorgeous stewed spiced dark berries & plums through old leather, warm smokey oak, mushroom, red cherry potpourri, wet earth, liquorice, dates, prune & rich cocoa - it's sniffing oo la la 😍

👄 Med+ body of creamy silky dark fruits galore w/ an earthy liquorice & mocha gateaux backbone

🎯 Med+ deep earthy dark fruit mocha chewy gateaux finale

Recommended for sure 👍 — 8 years ago

Clarke Gasper

9.3

Beautiful pale brick red color, palate and nose were rustic and earthy. Mushrooms, leather, dried plums, clove, then took on an intense minerality towards the end of the bottle, almost like rust and crushed rocks. God, I love old wine! #popewine — 8 years ago

with Matthew

Matt Trader

9.2

If I had one sentence to describe this wine, it is this: "Ca' Togni is the definition of desire." The vintage was a 2006, and let me tell ya, have the years been great to this mistress! Showing a deep brick red color, and a wine still showing all its wonderful fruits, with an expected maturity thrusting forth delightful complexity, this wine will make you love Black Hamburg! (Black Muscat) On the nose, notes of dried figs, dried rose petals, old leather, strawberry-rubarb jam, followed by a pallet of racy dark maraschino cherries, brown spices, and a vanilla finish. Phillip Togni is a hell of a wine maker out of Spring Mountain! I highly recommend trying one of these, even if it is $50, it was most certainly worth it! On top of that, it is 1 of only three wines he crafts, still in his 80's, still the king of the mountain. — 9 years ago

Nick Wolfe

9.4

This is the amazing 2003 and is an OMG wine, expressing sweet vanilla over a beautiful silky texture. Color is moving towards brick. Muted nose has black fruit, leather, and a bit of toffee. Palate has hedonistic silky texture, black fruit, spice, espresso beans, and perfectly balanced fine tannins. Acidity is just strong enough to bring you back to the glass without pulling attention away from the silkiness. 120 second finish move from sweet to savory. Truly outstanding wine drinking amazingly well at 12 years old! — 10 years ago

Jesse Mallgren

9.3

Brick orange color, Cedar, old leather, minerals, Lincoln logs, dusty rocks, tart cherry, orange zest, green blueberries, vanilla, Thai market, refreshing acid, anise, fruit opened up after 30 minutes, — 11 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

Dark ruby in color with a wide brick /reddish rim.

Strong nose of over ripen blueberries, currants, light oak, spices, dark chocolates, vinaigrette, tar, forest floor, tobacco leaf, spices, black pepper, river rocks and earth.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with plums, black currants, oak, forest floor, plums, tobacco leaf, spices, graphite, bitter herbs, black tea, black pepper, earth and espresso.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a wonderful CDP. Well balanced and enjoyable by itself or with food. Showing nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

This was a great vintage in Southern Rhone and it is showing. I loved the tangy ending here too.

This 14 year old is drinking very nicely now, and will be good in the next 10 years. Gentle, delicious and elegant.

Needs 2 hours to open up properly and show some tannins.

I paired it with meats, cheeses and light appetizers.

Wine Advocate 93 points.

A blend of Mourvedre, Syrah Grenache, Cinsault and Counoise, each was vinified separately.

14% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$100. — 6 years ago

Ryan Flinn

9.1

Brick color. Nose is super ripe red berries. In the glass this wine has loads of sweet red fruit paired with bright acidity, even at 11 years old. — 6 years ago

Kristie M. Connor

9.0

Cherry pie with homemade whip and cinnamon. Red plums. — 7 years ago

Ted

9.3

I have a few bottles of this from ‘12 vintage. I was fortune enough that Elie Wine Company had a case of 2004 laying around. Since I am not a big consumer of these wines I thought it would be fun to try an older vintage and see what may be in store in the future. I tasted with @Todd Abrams. Old leather and cherry and starting to get some old cigar box/smoke. Old red brick in color. Threw it in the decanter for dinner so I am sure it may get more expressive as the day wears on. — 7 years ago

with Todd and Jeni

Chris England

9.2

1️⃣9️⃣7️⃣8️⃣

🗞 GPS, Mobile Phone, Space Invaders, Sony Walkman, Test Tube 👶, Ben & Jerry 🍦
🎵 Night Fever, You're the One That I Want
🎥 Grease, Animal House, Halloween, Superman
🗣 Nanoo Nanoo!, Za Plane! Za Plane!
🌍 4.223B

40yrs old & @ £105 & alive & kicking 👍

🍷 Dark ruby w/ brick edge

👃 Charred oak smoke, leather, herbs, faded blackcurrant, pencil lead, dates & minerals

👄 Med body of lively blackberry/currant w/ red berry, date & earthy liquorice dry tannins

🎯 Med dark fruit dry finish — 7 years ago

Steve Pacini

9.0

Jammy, Smooth, yummy — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.1

Starting off this birthday week celebration with some old school wines, this one was the first Cabernet up (rounding up to tasting note 1,000 on Delectable this weekend).

Seems like this had been stored very well, cork came out perfectly.

Deep brick red. Seemed like a touch of TCA on the nose that wore off with some time and added some layers of damp wood, forest floor, red cherries and violet. Moderate tannins (5.5/10) and medium to medium plus body. Tons of red fruits intermingled with some earthiness and woody notes. Long finish. Drink now. — 8 years ago

with Sean and India

Blair Ridder

9.3

Bright and lush for a 25 year old wine, soft tannins, herbaceous with a brick color on the rim. — 9 years ago

with Karyn and Tom

Andrew Fortgang

9.0

08 tasting great. — 10 years ago

Cuvée Corner

9.1

Digging this Syrah's suave sophisticated style, dry dusty tannins, black currant, nearly ripe blackberries, licorice and dusty earth. Abundant acid carries the abundant dark fruit. Planted in sandy loamy soils. 7000 case production. $20 SRP 60% new French Oak. 17 year old estate vines. — 11 years ago