Tom Garland

9.4

Decant for sediment(lots of fine/cloudy sediment) and pour. A majestic tawny dark red color. On the nose: sweet port like with dried plum/cherry, herbaceous, rich soil, mushroom, pepper. Taste: Amazing! juicy, refined, balanced, savory wine with dried cherry, black raspberry, earth, tobacco, mint, and a nice mocha baking spice medium plus finish. YUM! Still delivering at 44 years, and glad to have a few more bottles. — 8 months ago

with Brenda

Conrad Green

9.3

mint and plum. Lovely midpalate. Delicious — 2 years ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

Kimberly Anderson

9.3

Beautiful scents of black plum and a little vanilla. On the feminine side for a Napa Cab. Precise flavors of black fruit, tobacco, leather with an under layer of smoke. Nice smooth finish — 6 years ago

with Chad

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

The 88 out of 6 liter.

On the nose; sweet mid red fruit with a pruny character. Cooked blackberries, dark cherries, old plum, rhubarb, vanilla, stones, dry minerals and withering red florals.

On the palate, the body is lean and tannins well resolved. Fruits show a pruny quality. Blackberries, dark cherries, cherries, strawberries, rhubarb, cola, fine powdery minerals, used leather, underbrush, limestone, waterfall acidity and a leaner sort of water back fruit finish. Such a treat to drink these wines these old wines out of big formats.

Photos of the Phelps party.
— 7 years ago

Peter Wassam

9.8

A softened ruby color. Beautiful balance, everything in harmony. Wet earth, raspberry, cinnamon, a whiff of truffle, intoxicating nose. So much ripe, fresh red fruit on the palate. Such soft tannins, damson plum, a mineral streak running through. Drinking a 15 year old wine for 15th anniversary of diabetes. This is splendid in the moment — 8 years ago

David L

9.0

Medium body. Limited complexity, vanilla, ripened plum, chocolate, tannins have softened up. Predictable! — 10 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.3

The 2004 Vieux Château Certan was picked starting September 20. This is a little fuller on the nose compared to the 2002, with more fruit concentration, red plum and raspberry, wilted rose petals and a touch of thyme. This is very endearing and open, yet there is vigor. The palate is well-balanced with finely chiseled tannins. While not the most complex vintages of this decade, it is very well-balanced with a fine bead of acidity, lightly spiced with a dash of cracked black pepper on the finish. I have admired this Pomerol since first tasting it from barrel, and I still do. Drink now or over the next 12 to 15 years. Tasted at the VCC vertical in Etikhove, Belgium. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2024)
— 9 months ago

Hwee Ling Ho

9.4

Light red. Light wooden tannins. oak chocolate black fruit faint tobacco. Light meaty smelll. Taste of oak blackberry plum cherry chocolate raspberry black cherry licorice blackcurrant cedar strawberry fig light pepper Very deep I smell and taste. — a year ago

Collin Clark

9.7

Oh so smooth with mellow plum and wild grape but not too sweet. Just right, yes. — 4 years ago

with Joanna

Marc vanholst

9.3

Great nose - plum, forrest fruits, cedar, tobacco and earthy tones. Solid but slightly disappointing on the palatte. Good balance and for 2004 for sure a great performer but not a top Pontet. — 6 years ago

Chris England

9.1

An off vintage that shouldn't have improved! @ £47 this 07 is drinking lovely right now w/ all tannins soft & integrated 👍

🍇 70% Cab S, 27% Mer & 3% Cab F

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Mineral & pencil lead driven earthy spiced blackcurrant & dark plum w/ leather, wet leaves, mint & smokey cedar/oak

👄 Med+ body of creamy smooth blackcurrant & dark plum w/ mocha & minerals, all well integrated now

🎯 Med+ ripe dark fruit, mocha & mineral coating — 8 years ago

Pam Starr

Owner/Winemaker Crocker & Starr Wines

9.2

Good time to open! Graphite and plum — 9 years ago

with Norm and Greg

Jimmy Smith

Director, West and North London Wine School

9.2

2011: all varieties. Meaty, lavender, garden herbs, smoky, but still very vibrant red fruit. Lovely vibrancy of red fruit and all Mouvedre and Grenache aromatics. Sweet fruit, juicy acidity, hot indian spice and liquorice. Plum, cherry, spiced. Quite ready now. — 10 years ago

Marc Melser

9.1

We had the 2006 Vintage on 7/27-28/24. A nice Old World, medium to full bodied wine with a long finish. Scents and a palate of blackberry, black cherry, plum, graphite and camphor. The tannins were fine and smoothed out with aeration. A very good wine. — 9 months ago

Jeremiah Diaz

9.2

Deep ruby in color; black plum, blackberries, and strawberries on the nose; medium acidity; medium plus tannins; tastes just like it smells with some crushed gravel and a long finish. — 9 months ago

Conrad Green

9.6

Gorgeously pure. Damson, plum, blood, leather, garrigue. Light and clear. Awesome. — 3 years ago

with Paul and Ara

Tom Garland

9.1

Decant 1 hour (min sediment). Pulled from the crowded cellar ( I'm working on it!!). An engaging inky red/purple. On the nose: blackberry, dark plum, eucalyptus, cedar..all bursting from the glass. Taste: plum, chocolate, spice/cinnamon, blackberry, violet....finish with a little alcohol heat and slight tannic punch..drinking fine right now, no need to wait. — 6 years ago

with Brenda

Sabine Freire

9.3

Had the 1988 vintage fantastic mix of ripe plum with touches of prunes, a little green bell pepper on the nose and slight spicy note of black pepper. Well balanced tannins, garnet shade — 7 years ago

Kimberly Anderson

9.0

Dusty plum on the nose. Plum , blackberry, mint mid-palate. Decanted 30 min, but would do an hour+ in retrospect. Really complex wine. That got much better over time! — 8 years ago

with Chad

Matt Wilson

9.2

Deep concentration, dried cherries and plum. Licorice, leather and charcoal. An icon — 10 years ago

with Kyle