Lewis Chester

9.6

1997 vintage. At Salon. Pale golden hue. Recently disgorged for a new release. Stunning nose - lemon curd, toasty, vanilla pod, stone fruit, chalky minerality - layers of complexity. On the palate, stunning - laser sharpness, high but soft acidity, great concentration and broad on the mid palate. The length is exceptional. This wine is in a great place right now. Drink it! Although will last for a very long time still. — 9 years ago

Dave Meyers

9.4

In a perfect place. — 9 years ago

Jordan Gianelli

9.5

Loved it at Press in St Helena after Albariño and Pinot Noir. Strong but soft, my happy place when one begins to describe older characteristics in a wine without the wine becoming a dead piece of acid without elegance and all you are left with is a sharp sensation and a longing to have opened the wine 10 years ago. Anyhow- beautiful wine and definitely the time to drink it!! — 10 years ago

Chris MacLean

9.3

In a nice place right now. Chalky, herbal and refreshing. — 10 years ago

with Marta, Federico and 4 others

Joe Paradise

9.5

This wine reminds me why i fell in love with wine in the first place. Developed dried fruit and leathery aromas. Cherry and subtle perfectly integrated oak on the palate. Deliberate, careful oxidation adds layers to it. This ultra traditional rioja has the finesse and nuance of a great piece of art. One of my favorite producers — 10 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.9

My 4th bottle, the best and my last, this absolutely killed it and is why I love Napa Valley Cabernet, especially #Spottswoode. 12 years old this easily has another 10 to go but is in a beautiful place right now. Open or decant for 30 minutes, though I did not decant. A deep resold color, not a sign of brick as one would expect. Shows the importance of provenance (bought from winery). A complex set or aromas and flavors of creme d'cassis, currants, sweet and sour cherries, sweet cedar, and graphite. Palate wise the textures are all in alignment, with medium to full body, ample acidity and medium grain slightly chewy tannins that may be it's only flaw. #2002 — 11 years ago

Todd Alexander

9.2

In a great place now. Not the longest drinking window but very nice. — 12 years ago

Mark Rosse

9.3

In a good place right now. — 9 years ago

Gil Krakowsky

9.7

Can't say enough about a wine this serious at this price point. Absolutely stunning, elegant, and even (in a chinon way) powerful. Floral aromatic dominate - lavender and a bit of rose. Graphite, dusty chalk, red pepper, some raspberry. Fresh yet not primary. Hints of savory notes as well. Incredible spine of minerality runs through the palate. Great acidity and structure. Coiler and energetic. Finishes long and bright with refreshing pyrazines for days. In an incredible place now, so no fault in drinking but has a long, long life ahead. One of the best values in the wine world. Just exceptional — 9 years ago

James Parker Huston, CWE

Sommelier Charlie Palmer

9.5

This wine was singing tonight! In a great place. 1994 is a classic vintage for me. — 10 years ago

Christian Barion

9.0

In a good place right now — 10 years ago

Jaume

9.4

29 years old and drank incredibly well. What a treat. The big fruits have softened but in their place is now a brooding torrent of notes which evolved from sip to sip. Quite a remarkable wine. — 10 years ago

Bethany D'Meza

9.4

1999 cdc is just in a great place ... bright and lemony... just hitting all spots — 11 years ago

Amy Morgan

9.1

A medium + intensity of Black fruits (black cherry, black currants) dark chocolate, mint, tobacco and cedar. Nose and palate matching in flavor profile and complexity. Still tight and will just get better with age. — 11 years ago

Evan Malik

9.0

Young vibrant and in the right place — 12 years ago

Marc Stubblefield

Wine Sales at Vino Carta and Kogod Wine Merchant

9.2

Released in 2013. This is still so young and forward, I can barely understand. Sure, I suppose there was development here, but I keep chasing these wines backwards in time, and they never seem to reach that place that my vinous instincts suggest they're headed. I mean, this was really tasty - maybe my expectations are the problem... — 9 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.8

If there were ever an archetypical Syrah, Jamet's Cote-Rotie would be a strong candidate. To me this is a pure expression of a classic Northern Rhone Syrah. It is not a single site, but a blend of terroirs, encompassing over 20 sites mostly from hard rock schist bedrock with little to no topsoil. There is NO Viognier in this wine like one might expect from most Cote-Rotie that might have 1-5% co-fermented.

Importantly, there is also a lot less of the oak character that can dominate and overwhelm many Northern Rhone wines. The oak maturation, while not short at 22 months, only uses 15% new oak with no trace of it on the palate as it is perfectly integrated. Grape bunches are whole cluster fermented and macerated for up to 3 weeks.

The 2007 we have here was drinking superbly for a young wine, showing lively and racy layers of peppercorn spice, roast beef, and warm blackberry and currant fruit from the hot 2007 vintage. While from a warm vintage, not a hair is out of place. Density and purity exude from the nose and hint at what a brilliant future this wine has. Perfect acidity and fleshy ripe tannin provide the backbone structure for father time to peel back the layers of this beauty. I will be chceking back in 5 years at the earliest. — 9 years ago

Sasha Agapov

9.7

This is sun trapped in a bottle. Pure joy and deliciousness. Lesser vintage and still unbeatable quality. — 10 years ago

Vic Petroff

9.2

Wow. In a good place. So smooth & silky, balanced, soft tannins. Just nice. — 11 years ago

Morgan Harris

Head Sommelier Aureole New York

9.4

2011. Blanc. No one drinks enough of this. That's because there are so few things to which its a good partner, but it would be an incredible cheese-and-charcuterie wine. Broad and oily, there's just enough acid to keep you coming back for more. Sun-baked yellow orchard fruits dominate, but there's more exotic fruits too (mango and dried pineapple) yellow flowers, tons of almond husk bitterness, green olives, bay leaf, oregano, tarragon, white cheddar. Oak is assertively present but not overwhelming. Place dominates over grapes here, as it's a mix of Clairette and Grenache Blanc and a hodge-podge of other things. — 11 years ago