Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.5

Auction bottle,
Wouldn’t pay release anymore, but auction price is worth it — 5 years ago

Jonathan Toobi

9.3

Love this unfiltered red blend, gallivanter, nice acidic start and berry finish, light to medium bodied, really tasty and easy drinking, — 6 years ago

Bloody Amateur

9.5

Not a “Bordeaux guy” but that may be because I don’t/can’t get my hands on the real stuff. This was pretty revelatory. More floral and delicate and sensuous than I could’ve imagined for a broad category our server called “cigar-box.” — 7 years ago

with Gaurav

Steve Messinger

10

1990, perfection. Wonderful boutique of cedar box, clay, and sage. Medium bodied evolved tannins great depth w long finish — 9 years ago

Laura Diefenderfer

9.0

Great taste. Not dry. Smooth with a hint of blackberry. Ideally paired with a medium rare steak. — 10 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Let's start with classic Haut Brion elegance. So soft, beautiful and understated. Black plum, black raspberries, dark cherries, cooked strawberries, even a touch of cooked rhubarb, suede leather, cedar, spice box, dried red roses, elegant wet black earth and a finish one never forgets. Perfect pair with the lamb chops. Out of 375ml. — 10 years ago

Jörgen Lindström Carlvik

Owner, Brix Wine Consultants

9.7

Brilliant and complex , caught at in a perfect spot, as this layered wine offers mature notes of dried flowers, leather and aged cigar box, but also incredible presence of red and dark fruits, framed by completely integrated oak spice and sweet, grainy tannins, all lengthened by juicy acidity. Brilliant! — 11 years ago

Helen M Gaydos

9.4

Aromas of briars black currant, lead pencil, meaty and cedar box. Med bodied, and structure overtakes fruit but let's see with a NY Strip! — 11 years ago

with Mark

Lisa Kinser

10

Great with Thanksgiving dinner! — 12 years ago

Rachel Hughes

9.0

Shiraz (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (23%), Merlot (7%)
2009
Padthaway, Australia — 14 years ago

Mattias Söderberg

9.2

Red fruit, lesthery nose!! — 6 years ago

with Andreas

Steve Messinger

9.6

1998 vintage. Wonderful cedar and cigar box aromas rich elegant flavors w long finish. Perfect way to ring in the new year — 7 years ago

Paul Koplitz

9.0

Best box wine I’ve had. Worth every penny. — 8 years ago

Matt McMonagle

9.0

Great value. Really really drinkable. — 8 years ago

Colin Cahoon

9.4

Classic Rioja. Dark cherry and blackberry nose with cigar box in the background. More dark cherry, plum, leather and mocha on the palate. Chewy tannins and lingering acid through the finish. Powerful but balanced from start to finish. — 9 years ago

David Annis

9.3

When drunk side by side with the 2001 Lafite Rothschild this seemed a little past due. The nose is incredible: cigar box, cedar and leather are predominant. The fruit is secondary but appeared more after a half hour. — 10 years ago

M

9.3

2003-From wine.com at 160. Perfect balance. Cigar box finish. No sweet aftertaste or dustiness. Slight bitterness. Llllong finish. The one issue is that the complexity is low and does not evolve either in the glass or the palate. — 10 years ago

Juan Munoz-Oca

8.9

Cigar box, a bit reduced at first but opens up to lovely dry fruits — 11 years ago

Sean Fischa

9.1

My new house wine — 12 years ago

Liz Weidner

9.9

Delicious but $16. — 13 years ago

Garen Staglin

9.5

Eucalyptus, and cigar box. Cellared direct from winery. Holding up extremely well. Last bottle. 🥵 — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

From magnum. Deep reddish tawny color. Almost opaque. Nice seductive nose. Notes of blackberries, cedar box, warm blueberries, a little currant and some tobacco leaf. Really nicely balanced with tannins fully resolved and integrated. In a great place and don’t think it will get much better from here, but clearly built to last. — 7 years ago

Guillermo Camacho

9.2

Wine held up extremely well for age, maintained concentration but still complexified. Dark blue/red fruit, spice box, and chocolate on the nose. An ensemble of fruit on the palate with an amazing acidity that continued to tease out nuances. Extra .1 for showing it’s ability to age gracefully. — 8 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.3

This wine had some tobacco and earth FUNK after it was opened up. The herbaceous and tobacco ash note on the nose was almost identical to the 1980 Beringer State Lane cab. This did blow off after an hour, but the wine was less fruit than I thought it would have been. Lots of dark figgy jam. Tobacco and cigar box. I'm sure the fruit came back after I left, but this would have been 2 hours after opening and just didn't have the time to see this one though, hence the "NR" rating. Impressed by this wine, and probably one of the older Monte Bello wines I've been able to drink. — 9 years ago

with Benjamin

Robert Cunningham

Wine Educator DeVinimus, Wine Workshop

9.2

Lovely secondary elements of sweaty saddle leather, cedar and later some cigar box. Soft, integrated tannins. Long finish and very nice nose. — 10 years ago

Phil Orlandini

9.1

This... doesn't make me feel drunk. This is gonna be my workin' wine. — 10 years ago

with Juliane

Laura Booras

9.5

Leather and mint on the finish. Tobacco, cigar box. — 11 years ago

PJ

9.5

Great way to warm up on a 20 degree night! 🍷 — 12 years ago

Lisa Burch

9.0

Tasty and inexpensive. — 12 years ago

Becky Larson

8.9

Black box merlot !! Yummy — 13 years ago