Kevin Dale

9.5

Good color and nose. Needing some time to open up. — 9 months ago

Peter Isacksen

9.2

Just wow! Let it open, and then drink! — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

This bottle of 1976 Chateau Lafite Rothschild was cellared in a wine cave part of its life and a modern cellar the more recent part of its life. The fill for this bottle was mid-shoulder and the label had been tattered from back when it was in the cave. Using a Durand, I was able to pull the cork intact and it was saturated but seemed to have done its job. The color was good and the wine was sound; in fact, it was very much alive and full of character! Opened about four hours prior to service and decanted for sediment (of which there was plenty). No formal notes. At this stage in its life, the 1976 Lafite pours a garnet color with an orange rim. The nose is straight up old-money. Classy aromas of desiccated red cherries & red currants, dried tobacco leaf, graphite, a mix of organic and inorganic earth, leather and dried baking spices. On the palate, the structure was still quite palpable with tannins till present and acid doing its job with aplomb. Confirming the notes on the nose. The finish is long and graceful with some nice stoney minerals. Drink now but well cellared examples could hold longer if you wanted…but if you’re even thinking about it, just open it! — 2 years ago

Philip Deibel

9.3

Home alone for 24 hrs! The perfect time to open something older. Fully mature Bordeaux... I mean Napa! Dried fruit and tobacco, there is still a frame of tannins but they are well integrated and slightly chalky in texture. Enjoyable but more mature than I prefer. — 5 years ago

Matt

9.3

Surprised by the generosity, drinking quite well for how young it is. Open-knit, true to place, moderately framed with some true charm to it. Really enjoyed over a few days. Deep red fruit, almost succulent, soaked cherries and lots of licorice root, cedar, cinnamon, flowers and tar. There’s a undertone of earth. From a tannin perspective these appear ripe, with moderate intensity relatively speaking. — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.6

Had to open this after the 92 Verget Montrachet the night before pushing me this way. Deep yellow gold color from bottle with a high fill. Nose suggests immediately this is the real deal. Notes of apricot, lemon, clay soil and some brown spice. Incredible impact in the mouth. Lucious fruit battling fine grain acidity that makes your face flush. This always performs and is one of my all time fave white burgs. — 7 years ago

Andrew Lubeck

8.9

Rich though lacked some oomph. May have been open awhile (by the glass) — 8 years ago

Pam Starr

Owner/Winemaker Crocker & Starr Wines

9.2

Good time to open! Graphite and plum — 10 years ago

with Norm and Greg

Brian Bell

9.0

Way too early to open, but it's Christmas, so why not. — 11 years ago

Jamie Prettitore

9.5

Perfect Christmas wine with a few hours to open up — 12 years ago

Nagib Nasr

9.3

Incredible. Open it and decant it. — 10 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2013 vintage. Both excellent fill and cork. Decanted with infinitesimal sed. Slightly silvery color. Tasted after 1.5 and 2.5 hours open. Medium body. Nose slightly reticent during both tastes. Black tea and eucalyptus prominent first go round with both those still present but minimized second pass. Sprinkle in some cracked black pepper and white sage for round two and we have a winner. Finish lasted over a minute and the concentration was as expected given the decent street cred. No rush to crush but open waay early/decant this if enjoying in the next handful of years. 10.24.24. — a year ago

Christian Fischer

9.4

After a coffee chat at work yesterday that ended discussing Hillside Select I was motivated to open one for the holiday weekend. Initially I was very disappointed as the wine was flat and uninspiring considering the pedigree and price tag. Read some reviews that this 2013 needs A LOT of air and sure enough after hours the wine began to evolve and markedly improve. It is an intense wine that lingers in the mouth for a long time. Smooth tannins, red fruit and tobacco flavors. Not my most favorite wine and not at the $229 I paid, but nonetheless a very good wine once it had the chance to get some air for a few hours — 4 years ago

GaryWEdwards

9.3

Agree with those who describe the finesse in this reserve. Long open but worth the wait every time. apparently higher in sangiovese than other vintages and it works just fine. Really nice Antinori offering! — 5 years ago

with Logan

Daniel McCullough

9.5

Full-bodied with acerbic bite, beginning to open up splendidly. — 6 years ago

Alex Jones

Marketing/Development Kunni/Westerly Wines

9.0

Was tight and needed at least an hour to begin to open, dried cherry, strawberry and good acid. Initially was high toned but as opened became very elegant and wish had more in the bottle when finished. — 7 years ago

Niels Busschots

9.3

Always a little bit risky to open a 90's but this one is right on top!! — 8 years ago

Spinning_spins

9.6

This red took a full 2 hours to open up, but the cedar, spice, raspberry and young leather aromas are growing, gradually, in intensity. Now (2 hrs later) the spice and vivacity are off the freakin chart! Very youthful, well-balanced, nuanced. Old school Bordeaux-like, but seems higher in acidity. However, while the acidity is medium+, it is tempered by full, red fruit, 13.5% abv, present but non-intrusive tannins, and a medium-bodied texture with excellent length (over 1 minute). The other factor is the one that says "Wow!", and that is definitely true here. Memorable and unique, I must get more for the wine fridge. — 9 years ago

Robert Rothfield

9.2

What a difference a day makes...initially barnyard funk, tight and unapproachable. Next day open for business with kirsch and dark cherries with a long finish. A baby that has a great future — 10 years ago

Sam Coturri

Winery Sixteen 600, Enterprise Vineyards and the Moon Mountain District

9.5

That perfect balance between bright red fruit and dark aromatic herbs. Ready to drink now (after being open for an hour or so) — 11 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

No formal notes . Medium deep ruby . This seems a bit more advanced . This is a bit harder and more structured on the palate , more tannin , less velvety and a bit more astringent . More spicy , drier on the palate . This needed more time to open . This was quite difficult to judge , I wasn’t 100% convinced about this bottle as it just seemed a little oxidative, however it did actually seemed to come together better after an hour or so , but still quite hard and astringent in comparison to the others (especially La Mission) . Showed a touch more mineral and grafite on the finish too after a while. This needed time , and I would imagine another bottle might tell a different story . — 10 months ago

AEL

9.0

If you're going to open the 2018 in 2023, you have to at least let it breathe. Nose is light but well defined, with sour cherries, a metallic note, and a hint of earth. Palate silky, with a smokey note. Classy. A gift from Doug B. at year end. — 2 years ago

Joe DAscoli

9.4

Seemed like the right time to open this. The candy like flavor that I see people complain about had blown off this wine and it just had this incredible purple inky color and rim to it. Very enjoyable. Still had good fruit and sweetness without losing too much luster. Caymus used to age forever but I would drink these up by 10th bday. — 5 years ago

Rob Sternthal

9.2

Those who follow me will know that this is a rare one for me, but I don’t have too many half bottles and my alcoholism took over late tonight and made me open something. This is one of the lightest Cabernet Merlot blends I’ve ever had. It’s still quite tannic but the winemaking is there. Seems to open a little over time and you can taste the French terroir. — 5 years ago

Chip Habegger

9.4

Fantastic. Lots of structure that benefits from time open. Packed with fruit and depth. — 6 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

A very enjoyable Zinfandel from Sonoma County, California.

Showing dark berries with earth, spices, peppercorn, chocolates, graphite, dark coffee, tobacco and beef jerky.

A long tangy finish with firm tannins and tangy cranberries.

This still has 5 to 10 years in it.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly and show tannins. Wasn't that great right out of the bottle, so be patient.

A blend of 79% Zinfandel, 18% Petite Sirah and 3% Carignan. All from Dry Creek Valley. Aged for 13 months in American oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points. — 7 years ago

Michael Genn

9.3

Took a really long time to open up, but ended up being pretty damn good. Not as good as some late 80s/early 90s Dunns I've had though. — 9 years ago

N M

9.2

Needed about 2.5 hours in decanter to open up. Could use more time in bottle. A classic big, bold, chewy California Cab. — 10 years ago

Zachary Zerbe

9.5

Birth Year wine, so I'm a bit biased. Took about an hour to open up. Great cherry and floral notes. Wish I had another. — 11 years ago

Astrid Lewis

10

1947. Can't actually believe I have rated this in my lifetime. Although it had a significant amount of leakage and oxidisation, it was still bright, still had bags of fruit, tannins, acidity. What am incredibly generous wine to open to celebrate our new little company. Thx guys xxx — 11 years ago

with Pierpaolo and Chris