Mark S.

9.0

After one hour, vanilla, black currant.blue and black berries. Red flower. Juicy. Concentration. Sweet with elegancy Caymus 21 @, 240118 — 3 months ago

Scott Kahn

9.5

Beautiful wine - one that has improved with age! Deep and rich color with a bouquet of cedar in the glass. Dark and plentiful fruit, integrated albeit present tannins, and a long finish. This is best Estournel that I have sampled! — 4 months ago

LM Segal

9.7

My crazy BIL did it again. Same rating with one add’l thought: 20+ years to go but divine now with decant.
“Lithe, feminine nose led a nicely delineated palate of dark red fruit, cigar box and velvety tannins. Wonderful.” — 4 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Brief , informal notes . Medium garnet , garnet terracotta rim . Quite mature and tertiary with coffee , cacau , dark cassis and smoky notes . On the palate there are some sweet ripe dark fruits, meaty notes and a tobacco , soy tinged finish . Quite rounded sweet tannins and balanced acidity . Medium length finish , though just a little one dimensional , this shows pretty well overall . Drink now and over the next 5 years . — 6 months ago

Adolf Kristjansson

9.6

One of our all time favorite reds, Vanilla, red fruits, and lots of love. Celebrating our anniversary tonight. — 8 months ago

with Charlotte

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1995 vintage. High fill and great cork. Used a Durand. Opened but not decanted. Throwing slightly less sediment than expected. Tasted one hour after opening. Medium body. Cassis, graphite, dark plum and spring mud in the nose. All this plus an appearance of cedar and relatively fresh tobacco notes in the tasting profile. Tapered and muscular with zero fat. No flighty components evident so nothing to wax/wane over the next decade. Fairly unified now and for the foreseeable future. 8.16.24. — 9 months ago

Amit Kumar

9.5

like a neighbor with a seductive surprise...
like strawberry on a summer evening...
its like wow, where did you come from...
is that juniper is smell...oh who cares?
great wine... — 5 years ago

Andrea Watt

9.5

I love this wine. Crisp citrus and oak with round pear and vanilla. Holds up well to food but enjoyable on its own. — 4 months ago

Jan de Weerd

9.6

Highlight of the night! And a surprise to some degree. I kind off had given up on Lynch Bages. Given the high price, to me, the 2015 and 2016 were below expectation. But, boy, this 2018 rung all bells. Super concentrated, layers of evolving dark cherry, blueberry, current flavors and a superb balanced finish. All one could wish for. — 4 months ago

with Tammy

Lee Pitofsky

9.5

When the weather gets colder sometimes I drink Bordeaux. Probably one of the best vintages for the Château along with ‘82, and it’s in a great spot. Classic mature Paulliac with terrific complexity, an alluring sweetness and long, balanced finish with fully resolved, silky tannins. Fully open and giving. — 5 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

Love this vintage for Yquem, one of my favorites in this time period along with 88, 90 and 01. Halfsie tonight to pair with the foie gras and then dessert! Nectar of the gods 😚 — 6 months ago

Kurt Schuster

9.6

One of our absolute favorites. Light and living and just effervescent with lemon curd and clean starfruit and just enough acid to keep the structure together. Incredibly delicate and a well done balancing act to get these flavors to exist with just enough yeast to reflect the lees. Absolutely delightful.  — 6 months ago

with Denise

Brandi Bratek

9.2

Love this vineyard and their Pinots. Not a bad one in the bunch. Looking for a worthy splurge? Look no further! — 10 months ago

Benny

9.2

One of my favorites. — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.7

Of all the American red wines that participated in the Judgement of Paris, it could be argued that Monte Bello has shown the greatest propensity to age. In fact, I would go as far as it requires lengthy cellaring to extract its best. I’ve had the good fortune to drink a number of tremendous vintages of Monte Bello over the last several years and this one has got to be at or near the top of the lot.

Opened and poured into a decanter about an hour prior to service and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1991 Monte Bello pours a deep ruby/purple color with an opaque core moving out towards a light ruby rim; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing (still!) with gorgeous notes of ripe and tart black currants, mixed bramble fruit, tobacco, some purple flowers, dill, mint, leather, earth, vanilla and associated baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. The structure remains tremendous which again, seems to indicate youth. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is super long and immensely satisfying. This is one of those wines that will outlive most humans. Drinking well now with a short decant but this has the gas to see 2061 with ease. — 3 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

A wonderfully balanced Cabinet blend from Bolgheri. Definitely Cabernet notes but so balanced that nothing stands out. Sassicaia is definitely Bordeaux First or Second Growth standard. Understated but irresistible nonetheless. 85% Cabernet Sauvignon; 15% Cabernet Franc. Probably one of the best non Bordeaux Cabernet blends. — 4 months ago

LM Segal

9.7

Earthy and not giving away much initially, was worried after 20 mins. By 30 it blossomed, full on cassis and vanilla tannins, undergrowth. Dark red fruit, Rutherford dust. Notwithstanding a Bordeaux vibe there was no mistaking this for anything but a high-end Napa cab. Awesome one at that. I wouldn’t wait much longer… — 6 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

It’s a night of consecutive first year decades, 90 & 80. Enjoyed in reverse order.

I had an 80 from Andy Beckstoffer’s cellar at Pebble Beach Food & Wine in April 24 with Andy & Tor Kenward. This library bottle I bought recently at K&L is better than what I had a Pebble. Just look at the cork!

Glorious mouth entry. Juicy, perfect, ripe fruit that shows age but it is not missing a step. Blackberries, black raspberries, dark, juicy, poached strawberries, baked rhubarb mid, dark cherries, candied raspberries to raspberry pudding. Just a touch of v/a, chocolate pudding/fudge, mocha, caramel, light, soft, sun tea, softened baking spices- cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanillin, some fresh & dry herbs, dark, rich soils with dry leaves, evolved, dark spices w/ some palate heat, dry top soil, limestone powder, hint of mint, with & fresh florals that are; dark, red, blue & liquid violets and lavender sprinkled in, perfect acidity and perfectly balanced, softly tensioned, knitted and a refined finish that lasts two-minutes.

This bottle is in a perfect spot & as good as it gets. Perfectly stored. It has another 5 years. Liquid, velvety tannins. One of the more perfect bottles I’ve had in 5-10 years.

Photos of, my tasting at Pebble Beach Food & Wine. The retail wine shop at Spanish Bay, Andy Beckstoffer & Tor Kenward. — 8 months ago

Pooneet K

9.1

In a very nice place. Unique merlot Syrah blend by a producer we have a fondness for. The fruit is between primary and secondary at this point, but still very fresh. Balanced and delicious. Decanted an hour and doesn’t need more than that. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

It has been a great day hanging out with my love & best friend for Valentines Day. If I could give anyone young enough advise on selecting partner, marry your best friend you love. Greater degree of happiness & success. ❤️😍😘🥰

Love you Sofia and raise a glass of one of our favorite N/V Rosé Bubbles in celebration. Cheers! 🍾🥂

Happy Valentines Days everyone. Hope you are with the wine & one you love the most.

@Oswald — 5 years ago