Philip Deibel

9.1

Excellent example of a maturing left bank. Still plenty of dark ripe fruit but with evolving secondary notes of earth, graphite and licorice. Still with a tannic backbone but more plush in texture than a young Bordeaux. Very enjoyable. — 5 years ago

Al Shikoh

9.7

inky purple; cassis, plum, baking chocolate, vanilla, menthol; plush, round, dark fruit, very long; full bodied, lovely textured tannins, 14.6% ABV; blend of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon this year which is heavier on the Merlot than in the past; beautiful with a fatty ribeye, crafted for immediate drinking pleasure, up there with my favorite Cali Merlots Pride and Duckhorn — 6 years ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.4

This killed the 99 pichon lalande we had side by side. Much more fruit, very plush and full bodied. A touch riper than the lalande. Really screams st Julien. Drink this beauty now and over the next 5-10 years — 7 years ago

with Nathaniel

Dave Meyers

9.4

Supple, plush, complex, and totally open. Great showing. — 7 years ago

Eric L.

9.5

Gorgeous wine! Plush, beautiful structure and wonderful blueberry fruit framed by lovely sweet spices. — 7 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

9.4

Merlot... I had no idea... so plush. A chocolate and plum jacket that makes you feel safe. Lush, and like a silk pillow. I would pair this with Pink Floyd's comfortably numb. — 8 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.2

2003 vintage. Pale golden hue. Quite reductive on the nose - coffee bean, baked bread, citrus fruits. Smokey and toasty. Developing aromas. On the palate, medium plus acidity - quite round, plush and ripe, more developed than was expecting. Good complexity and some depth here. Medium body and alcohol. Good length. Not a blockbuster vintage by any means. But it is a very good effort. Arguably more enjoyable than the '04 at this stage of development, but suspect it won't age as well. Drink now until 2024+. — 9 years ago

Jörgen Lindström Carlvik

Owner, Brix Wine Consultants

9.3

Great purity of fruit with still tight tannins dominating the finish. Clever oak and lush fruit create a plush mouthfeel. Promising finish. Young. — 9 years ago

Andrea Mullineux

9.9

Plush because of bottle age, but the textural expression of Merlot still had so much tension. A treat of note! — 10 years ago

Joel Wachbrit

9.4

Lovely. Plush and very resolved. Like drinking velvet. — 11 years ago

Conrad Green

9.1

Quite fresh and lean (for CNdP) on the nose. Rounded plush cherry with some sour notes. Not to o intense and pretty. Good — 6 years ago

with Bex

Eric L.

9.4

This is extremely good. Lovely fruit and a plush velvet texture. Sadly my last bottle of the 16. — 6 years ago

Charles Ludwig

9.0

Black cherry, red and black plum compote. Dried Italian herbs and potpourri aromatics. Very plush with integrated alcohol and fine grained tannins. — 6 years ago

Ron R

9.4

Just stunning. Chappellet can do no wrong in our book. Tuck this away for a few years. We anticipate that this will “bulk up” over time. Suave tannins support subtle acid. On the palate, neutral oak treatment, with espresso notes and jet black fruits, front and center. Finishes plush and expansive. — 7 years ago

with Anne-marie

Ludovic Anacleto

9.6

Wasn’t expecting “much” of 88 Margaux but 😳 , it was a killer ! Plush, sexy, multilayered, everlasting finish, great oak integration and vivid acidity. Love the cedar-camphor- dry eucalyptus nose. This wine got it all right and had a truly great evolution. — 7 years ago

Max Reichwage

9.0

Great value red burgundy, plush, red fruited, simple, cuvée unique ftw — 8 years ago

John B

9.3

Wonderful. Plush blackberry, currant, anise, graphite and cedar. The finish markedly darker - mocha and espresso. Great balance after it gets a few hours of air. — 8 years ago

Paul Schmidt

9.7

In a perfect place right now. Plush berries, charcoal, cassis and an ashy minerality. So luscious and amazing. Probably has 10-20 more years, but why wait?? — 9 years ago

with Ashley

Jake Neustadt

9.6

2007 One of the best zin-blends I've ever had when I was drinking it out of a coffee mug outside. And it was even better once I got it into a glass.
Plush — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.3

2000 vintage. Deep ruby, edging to deep garnet around the rim, very bright. Plush on the nose. The black cassis notes from the Cab and the violets from the Cab Franc are very noticeable. The wine is developing with huge sweet spice, vanilla, smoke and leather. There's a bovril, meaty note here that's very attractive. On the palate, medium acidity, high tannin - grippy, but not coarse; well integrated. Alcohol is 13% and unobtrusive. Good concentration. Fruit is riper on palate than in the mouth, and a distinctive dark chocolate and cinnamon note. The finish is long and attractive. Hard to imagine this wine drinking any better from here. — 10 years ago

Mark Kaigas

9.5

Licorice. Savory. Plush. Round. Elevage. Beautiful aging characteristics. — 6 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.2

Bright, dark red with ruby highlights. Very dark aromas of black cherry, cassis, blueberry and licorice. Then rather plush, sweet and full for Opus One, conveying a chocolatey ripeness to its dark berry flavors. Finishes with smooth tannins that build without going dry. This wine was broad and smooth from the outset. Today it's a generous mouthful but a bit clunky compared to some more recent vintages. This was reportedly the first vintage to include a significant percentage of Petit Verdot, and that may explain the wine's emphasis on black and blue fruits. (14.5% alcohol) (Stephen Tanzer, Vinous, July 2019) — 6 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.5

Dark purplish ruby red and coats the glass. Plush nose with tons of spices, black fruits, dark spices, cinnamon and some vanilla. Rich palate with dark spices, black fruit and cassis. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2038. — 6 years ago

with Sean, India and 3 others

Michael B

9.2

Another tasting! 30-35 year old vines composed of 47% cab, 47% merlot, 5% cab franc, 2% petit verdot. Smells full of dark fruit, very plush.
Dark cherry notes predominate, with some black currant and blue berries. Appreciably greater complexity than Beychevelle’s second label. Very smooth. Hint of smokiness. Very well balanced. Nice mouthy feel. The tannins are strong and quite restricted at the back end. Slightly too acidic, it's a bit early for this one (but I’m nit picking) Overall Amazing. In 10 years or so this is going to be ridiculous. I’m finding it difficult to rate the wine I’m tasting in the current moment versus what it will become over the next 10 years. Either way, the experience was gold. — 7 years ago

Roslan Schofield

9.2

Bordeaux style blend from several vineyards - plush with dark fruit and supple tannins — 7 years ago

Kimberly Anderson

9.3

Blackish purple in color. Crazy legs. Black plum and a hint of meat in the nose. Black fruit, sage and cigar box. Plush finish. Wow. Loved this with prime ribeye and #Strauss Veal chops. — 7 years ago

with Chad

Ming L

9.4

Finesse, savory, plush, and elegant! Hard to find a better Napa cab at this price point. — 9 years ago

Amanda Yallop

9.2

Outstanding example from a difficult vintage, black spices, earth, plush brambles, fennel, clove, fine tannin and crunchy acidity — 9 years ago

Eric L.

9.0

Very nice Merlot. Plush texture with red fruits and cocoa powder. — 10 years ago

Kyle Groombridge

9.0

Very true to the style - chocolate covered raisins and a soft smoky mesquite on the nose. Ripe fruit but not overripe on the palate with cooked black plum and a touch of singed raspberry. Balancing acidity, more plush as it opens up. Nice bottle. — 10 years ago