Marcio Morelli

8.9

Too much oak for my personal taste. — 7 years ago

Paul H

8.9

If you looking for something a bit different you might like to try this wine. This a really good wine for just plain enjoying a glass of wine. Aromas of of dark fruit and bell pepper greet you. This not a big massive cab that you would want with a premium steak but rather a delightful medium bodied Cabernet that drinks above its price point. Great for a nice afternoon drink and good conversation. Drinks well with a nice finish. Hints of nuts and tobacco interlace with the fruits. — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.3

Superb €38 now £65 personal fav from St Em in top year 👍 w/ fab QPR & a soft spot for me as I had this same vintage from the barrel 😍 93 going 95-96

🍇 71% Merlot & 29% Cab F

🍷Opaque ruby w/ purple hue

👃 Chocolate coated black cherry, berry & plum through smokey oak, liquorice & wet crushed mineral rock w/ violets

👄 Med+ creamy silky mocha dark berry plum bang w/ liquorice & minerals

🎯 Long mocha berry plum slight dry mineral linger purple teether — 7 years ago

admiral von schnauzer

9.3

Not my personal fave but still pretty darn good. — 8 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Domaine Carneros established in 1987 and belongs to Champagne Taittinger (a personal favorite) considered the concept in 1947 in the mind of Claude Taittinger. The 138 acre estate is situated in the Carneros appellation of CA. A blend of 58% Chardonnay & 42% Pinot Noir, crisp aromas of stone fruits and floral scents. Apple and pear flavors with citrus notes in a fine mousse with good bubble flow. Creamy texture, well structured, lingering finish ending with mineral tones. Will age!! Nice! — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Block 5 is now considered to be the equal of the fabled Block 3. I know Block 3 will cellar for 10 plus years from personal experience but have not done this with Block 5 yet, but am sure it will age effortlessly. — 8 years ago

Kieran Roberts

9.1

Excellent depth of palate, robust fruit and loads of white pepper. — 8 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.6

Mia Klein knocked this out of the park!
#howellmountain fruit at its best, a superb expression of terroir in Napa which to me is usually oversold (and over-oaked). #miaklein #cimarossa #rivadiponente
Vivid red currants, cassis, a touch of mint and graphite, the palate is juicy, loaded with perfect balance, acidity and ripe, firm tannins that have started to mellow. This is from the western facing terraced slope of the property and was my favorite of the tasting way back in 2012. The cooler effect of a western exposure seems perfect in this vintage. — 9 years ago

James Pendergrass

9.3

A personal favorite. Mike Brown and team make a great wine. Bright berry flavor. Could lay down a bit longer. Great none the less — 10 years ago

with Peter and Peter

Michael Hildbold

9.5

Almost Pinot-like Grenache. Lovely effort from this Rayas-owned property. — 11 years ago

with Kathy

Kristin Taylor

8.9

Love this one. It's easy for a date night, just something to unwind with. A personal favorite for the boyfriend and I. — 11 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

9.4

Founded in 1960 by Charles Bravay (although the property actually dates to at least 1760), Domaine de Ferrand didn’t produce its first estate wine until 1995 when Philippe Bravay took the reins from his father. It’s 90% Grenache from vines nearly a century old. It sees no oak, only a combination of stainless and concrete during fermentation followed by aging in concrete vats.

Initially austere, the 2015 Châteauneuf-du-Pape presents a rugged exterior. With time its layers start to peel back and it’s hard not to notice how intoxicatingly sexy it is.

The entire spectrum of red fruit is on display, including kirsch, supple raspberry, and even a savory, pickled strawberry. The fruit is equally matched with a mix of Provençal herbs, lavender, and mineral purity, leading you down the path to its lengthy finish. Only then do you realize how tight the grip is. I’m not the first to point out the notions of heat, but in the $30s, you’ll get nothing and like it. What an exceptional value! — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Had another bottle, aged well. A neighbor of Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion, Les Carmes is positioned on the same bank. The name derives from the friars, known as ";Les Carmes"; who owned the property between the 16th & 18th century. This estate has been under new ownership since 2010. Predominantly Merlot and Cabernet Franc, aged for 18 months in French oak, (33% new). Red fruit and currants on the nose. Raspberry and plum flavors fine tannins and lingering finish ending with mineral tones. Nice! — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

It's just one of the best evening starters unless your are going to bust out; Krug Rosé, vintage Krug & Salon or like's. The fruits are bright, delicious and leaner in style. Black cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, cherries, tangerine & watermelon near the rhine. Delicate, powdery chalkiness with a fine and slightly sharp edge that I love, baguette, beautiful saline & minerality. Fresh, crisp acidity and a delightful finish with long staying power. Photos of their beautifully manicured property, A frame racks waiting to be riddled, the grape press after first pressing and the best days in the vineyard...harvesting! Normally, I'm regularly a 9.3, but tonight it's showing me a little more. — 8 years ago

Linda Lamb

9.2

LL Birthday dinner at Bouche in Carmel....from our personal cellar! — 8 years ago

Roman Sukley

9.7

2012 CIRQ Estate Treehouse Pinot Noir. Michael Browne’s (of Kosta Browne) personal project which as I understand is an homage to the Summers he spent at a ‘Circus Camp’ in his youth. Treehouse is an amazing hilltop (stunning elevation) property in west Sonoma County with red, iron-rich soil surrounded by (say what?) coastal cypress trees. I had the pleasure of visiting, hosted by Damon Wong, and it's an amazing Vineyard. Unlike anything else I've ever seen. I can understand Michael's fascination with it. The wine: On the nose, red fruits, cedarbox, with notes of rhubarb and fennel. On the palate, pomegranate, kirsch, black tea, spices, roasted herbs along with hints of black truffles and white pepper. Beautiful texture. Lengthy finish. Classic expression of Pinot Noir. If I had to distinguish it from Kosta Browne from a flavor-perspective, I would say higher acidity and a bit of tannin give it a quality more accustom to Grand Cru Burgundy which is not bad company. I'm a fan. Congrats to Michael as well as his partner in this project, my friend Kenny Rochford, one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. — 8 years ago

Tyler Durham

9.5

Amazing family and cellar tour. A wine extremely well rated by Decanter, Wine Spectator and Parker all for good reason. Breathes of the live oaks and spices that are found on the property. — 9 years ago

with Anne

Glen Digwood

9.5

Personal favorite. Never disappoints. Bold with dark fruit. — 10 years ago

Henrik Poulsen

9.2

Typically "Napa cult" that should please all fans of the Bob-style (Foley and Parker).
Well-chilled I can appreciate it but served at room temperature it has "too much of everything" for my personal preference.
A solid wine nonetheless. — 10 years ago

with Kurt-Inge

Tim Herrmann

9.7

Is this the best cab I've ever tasted? Intensity, balance, and (this is my personal taste) darkness, it's all there. This is from their west-facing vineyard and is full of chocolate and coffee and blue fruits; their east-facing vineyard was full of orange zest and strawberries and raspberries and pine, and was just as good. Really cool tasting experience to compare terroirs on Howell mountain. — 11 years ago

Paco Suro

9.6

Gorgeous wine. Small producer in Rioja. Had this at El Portal which is a two star. Price.... 40eur so think less than 30eur retail. Come on at a two star! — 11 years ago

Chris Scanlan

Sales Amy Atwood Imports

9.3

Jou Jou Vin 2011 Mossik Cabernet Franc from White Rock Vineyard, Napa Valley. It's always difficult when tasting friends wines to remain objective, and while I want to shout this wine from the hilltops (Radio-Coteau style!) I also want to be I also aspire to eliminate personal biases - positive or negative. Jou Jou you should know your wine received much conversation towards a mostly positive frame. The touch of brettanomyces was dually noted, there were comments on carbonic maceration, but I found balance throughout. I jested about the wine being topped with Baudry La Croix Boissée but the fact is, this wine has a strain of brett that works well with the fruit. The brett adds a spicy, wet earth, or mulchy wet tobacco leaf component that lends itself to wines of Chinon or Bordeaux. Is that replicable? Future vintages will tell. Will it grow in bottle? I plan to drink many more for my own recognizance. First day had some notes of carbonic maceration and brighter red fruits, along with that leafy Cab Franc character, fine dense tannins and moderate acidity with a slight sour note likely a proponent of brett. Day 2: I'll be damned. This is some damn good shit. It's worth that $250 dollar price tag! ;) But truly, the leaf/mulch quality is intact and integral, the darker berry fruits come out but there is still a pleasant sour cherry mid-palate that combines with the albeit softer yet still dense/fine mouth filling tannins. I realize part of the reason this wine was the talk of the blind tasting was that the brett, while in balance, set it apart from every other wine tasted. It was unique, it spoke of an older world style, it crept up in conversation because it lent something else to talk about. Kudos Jou Jou. The wine was made from 12 year old CF vines farmed organically (uncertified) grown in a layer of white volcanic ash. Grapes are fermented WC with ambient yeast in open top macro-bins, gently foot tread, native ML, pressed dry into 75% neutral FO and 25% Stainless Steel. 50 ppm SO2 added post ML, 10-15ppm added before bottling, racked once to bottle in June 2012. 25 cases produced. Good luck finding some! — 12 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

M/M Paul Chaperon owned this estate in the mid-19th Century and their descendants, the Ducasse Family, have since kept the property in their able hands until 1990, Mrs. Luis Ducasse, brought in a partner, Les Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite), insuring L-T stability. Big fruit aromas with mineral & spice notes. Blackberry flavors, almost jammy, cacao & spice, rich and full. Smooth sweet tannins, great balance, lingering ending with soft earthy character. Pricey but great. Tasting Sample. — 7 years ago

Doctor No

9.5

An evening of Lynch-Bages with Stephen Bolger. Included 04 Dom Rose and a 95 Heidsieck Millenaires, ‘16 LB Blanc and the. A beautiful cascade of wines including 1961, 1970, 1975, 1986, 1989, 1996, 2000 and 2005. I would say the 1989 was surprisingly closed and primary and everything after, while still having a beautiful perfume, needed much time. Everything showed beautifully and my personal favorite was actually the 1975 because it was such a tough-as-nails vintage and yet showed a beautiful delicacy. Splitting hairs to pick a favorite. One of my favorite estates just jumped even higher in my estimation! — 7 years ago

Josh Shields

9.2

Cellared from the source, these are the wines you look forward to share the most. I can vaguely remember the terraced amphitheater Mourvèdre vineyards next to the estate but was such a beautiful property. It's beginning to turn the corner but has oomf left in the fruit. Graceful and subtle come to mind too. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Pichon Lalande is my favorite 2nd growth with a steak. Yup...it's #SteakandClaret night to quote my buddy Gary Westby. Further, it's certainly one of my favorite producers period. I've waited for this wine to be in the bottle for 10 years before finding out definitely how good it was or wasn't. You see, the 05 Bordeaux vintage was exceptional. It's drinking right now better than 00. 00 may turn out to be better, but not for some time. The real issue was the division of scores between RP & NM. Parker had this as low as an 86 and now has it at 89. Neil Martin has been consistently at 95-96. I found it simply inexplicable that Pichon Lalande could have bombed in such a great vintage. Tonight, I know they didn't. This wine is beautiful. Although, I don't believe it will cellar as long as their some of their very best vintages and many others I've enjoyed. On the nose, bramble, ripe blackberries, dark cherries, notes of blueberries, poached strawberries, graphite, baking spices, cedar, lightly perfumed violets and dark, fresh & dry red flowers. The body is medium-medium plus, tannins nicely resolved with 10 years to be completely resolved. Fruits of; ripe blackberries, dark cherries, notes of blueberries, poached strawberries and pomegranate with a whiff of spice. There's notes of dry bramble, soft leather, fresh violets, graphite, cedar, dry stones, dark rich earth, limestone, tobacco, spice-box, vanilla, very light cinnamon & nutmeg. The finish is very long, elegant, ripe, round, smooth, good acidity and beautifully elegant...50-50 earth & fruit. I bought more bottles of this at $85 after it's was first released in futures and I do not regret it. $85 is proving to be a steal for this wine when it normally sells for between $100-$150 a bottle and higher. Might heavy up further after tonight if I find more around the same price. Oh yes...I'm with NM on the scoring. Photos of the Chateau, estate vines, newer tasting room & the Virginie de Pichon-Longueville, Comtesse de Lalande. Forgive my long post, but my passion and love for this producer is profound. Producer history and notes...as I wrote in an earlier post for Pichon Baron, Pichon Baron and Lalande started as one entity. The first mention of what is now called Chateau Pichon Lalande was the creation of Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan. Pierre de Mazure de Rauzan is responsible for forming many of the top Bordeaux estates today. Pichon Lalande was given its name when Therse, the daughter of the founder received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville. Pichon Lalande was essentially managed by three women, Therese de Rauzan, Germaine de Lajus and Marie Branda de Terrefort. On the eve of his death in 1850, Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville divided the property between his five children. His three daughters received Pichon Lalande and his sons Pichon Baron. What happened next was Virginie, the wife of the Count of Lalande took over the management of the estate under the name of Comtesse de Lalande. In 1850 she commissioned the popular, architect Duphot to build a residence inspired by the Hotel de Lalande, located in Bordeaux. Without heirs, Pichon Lalande passed down from aunts to nieces. Following World War I, the Miailhe brothers, bought Pichon Lalande in 1925. They were the ones who planted even more Merlot. May-Eliane de Lencquesaing, the daughter of Edouard Miailhe became the new owner and general manager of Chateau Pichon Lalande in 1978. She expand the size of Chateau Pichon Lalande from 40 hectares to it's current 89 hectares. Chateau Pichon Lalande remained in the same family for more than 250 years! In fact, over three centuries, only two families have owned Pichon Lalande. May-Eliane de Lencquesaing sold Pichon Lalande to the owners of Roederer Champagnein in January 2007. This family-run company is managed by Frederic Rouzaud who owned several other wine estates in Bordeaux; Chateau Bernadotte, Chateau de Pez, Haut Beausejour and Chateau Reaut la Graviere. He sold Chateau Bernadotte in December 2012. In February, 2011, Sylvie Cazes was named the director of Chateau Pichon Lalande. She replaced Gildas d’Ollone. Sylvie Cazes was replaced in 2012 by current Director Nicolas Glumineau, who was previously at Chateau Montrose. In 2012, Pichon Lalande renovated the estate with a budget estimated at over 15 Million Euros. The new facilities included; building of a new underground barrel aging cellar and several new buildings...one that houses their new tasting room as shown. This renovation provided numerous improvements in their wine making. Most importantly, in the vinification. They created a new, triple tiered, cellar where everything moves by gravity. They also added numerous new, stainless steel, temperature controlled, double skinned vats. These new vats allow Pichon Lalande to vinify on a parcel by parcel basis as well as get much softer & gentle extractions. The 89 hectare vineyard of Chateau Pichon Lalande is located adjacent to Chateau Latour and and across the road from Pichon Baron. The terroir of Chateau Pichon Lalande is deep gravel with clay and limestone soil and is planted to; 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. — 8 years ago

Craig Wallace

9.1

Personal favourite — 10 years ago

Matt Baker

10

Z-Best!!! My personal fav of all time!!!! — 10 years ago

Pedro Rusk

Wine Educator Kendall Jackson

9.5

Out of mag from my personal stash — 11 years ago

Gilles de Chambure

Master Sommelier & Educator

9.6

a great historic estate where the marquis Segur who owned lafite and latour loved this property hence the heart soft and elegant drinking beautiful timeless tasted at the home in monaco of Arqana vp the Aga Kahn horse breeding and racing business — 12 years ago