Shay A

9.5

Monthly WTF group recap. Theme this month was “bring something special”. Normally we taste all of the wines blind, but we decided to do a relaxed night with amazing wines at a great restaurant. Spectacular evening!

One of my favorite producers, and likely just entering its prime window (where I imagine it will hold for a decade or so). The profile here is dense yet soft and round. Gorgeous aromatics of baked fig and ripe blackberry with pencil shavings and cassis. Black cherry jam, graham cracker, violets and dusty traits on the palate. Such a delicious wine right now. Thanks @Michael Rariden . — 6 years ago

with Jack, Michael and 8 others

Shay A

9.5

Night 1 of the Fall WNH event in San Antonio. What a killer start to the extended weekend, all courtesy to Shawn and Jennifer for hosting! Tonight was Italian wines.

Another in the running for WOTN. Maple and rich! Cherry and vanilla tobacco on the nose with herbal spice and a strawberry tart finish. Young and acidic! There is a very underripe red fruit dominant profile here. Crazy how young it tastes for 23yrs old. Bravo @Shawn R ! — 7 years ago

with Mike, David and 5 others

Mike Saviage

9.0

Tasted blind. Deep dark scarlet. Opaque. Fruity nose with notes of black cherry, some wood and cocoa. Tannins completely integrated. Short finish. Younger profile and guessed it to be from an off vintage. — 8 years ago

Matt Waring

9.3

Absolutely lovely -- incredible herb profile -- peppy, in the best sense — 8 years ago

Eric Bennett

9.4

Exceptional. After 90 minutes to decant, the flavor profile hints at cranberry, vanilla, and very smooth tannins. — 9 years ago

George Chen

9.1

2001 in Mag...was RP 100 but really have no idea what that means now. Robust fruit lead profile but less pronounced than other RP100 Napa's. Guess good price for the points but I do generally like 2001 vintage. — 9 years ago

Seth Guiterman

9.0

Cut grass, earth. Medium Tannins, long finish. Pretty classic Chinon profile but with added elegance. — 10 years ago

John Osgood

8.9

Liked it but didn't love it. Flavor profile came off too sweet. — 10 years ago

with Stephen

Nik Darlington

9.2

Juicy yet earthy - brilliantly innovative — 11 years ago

Mike D

10

Wine of the night. Sneaky Burgundian profile and weight that might have been green once upon a time. Finished long, with lingering raspberry leaf tea notes and lip smacking stoniness. — 11 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.9

The 2013 Opus One is an absolute stunning release, and is certainly one of most impressive young wines I have ever tasted from this estate. This shows a darker, more forward profile from this warm vintage, and is clearly one to contemplate, as there are so many complexities and working parts to this compelling wine. This instantly impresses as it opens to intense aromatics of crème de cassis, black cherry, blackberry compote and black plum woven together with mocha, sandalwood. The mouthfeel is voluptuous and beautifully concenrated with deep and penetrating flavors of black cherry, créme de cassis, blackberry cobbler, anise, sage and anise, which all resonate beautifully across the palate. This is already extreamly appealing, but try to resist this hedonistic wine for at least another few years, as there is undoubtedly a long future ahead. Drink 2019-2035-99 — 6 years ago

Al Shikoh

9.3

Nearly opaque reddish purple hue. Raspberry, black cherry, leather, violets, and baking spices evident on the nose. On the palate its bold with a darker fruit profile offering impressive depth and concentration yet with nice balance and 14.1% alcohol. Long, somewhat spicy finish. Really nice value in California Pinot at $36. — 7 years ago

Bryce Wiatrak

9.2

Domaine Du Gros ‘Noré harvests some of the most pedigreed fruit in Bandol, for years selling their grapes to Domaine Ott and Château de Pibarnon. Today, they craft a Bandol Rouge of elegance and length. Its fruit profile in this vintage veers just a notch redder than many of its peers - tasting of red currants, plum and game. 80% Mourvèdre, 15% Grenache, 5% Cinsaut.
— 7 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

8.9

2011 vintage. Sandalwood and dark cherry in a light nose. Medium bodied with a slight candied cherry, tea and milk chocolate profile along with decent acidity/tannins. A polished, medium-length finish. Pretty but not a blockbuster as with the Montelena days of yore. Decanted for two hours. — 8 years ago

Matt

9.2

40 year old vines on river stones. Parallels S.Rhône Syrah somewhat, without the brooding weight, high alcohol, or tannic profile. Very fresh. Deeply hued, abundance of ripe black and blueberry fruit, roasted herbs, sweet umami notes like shiitake and candied olive, leather, baked earth minerality, smoke, sweet licorice, lavender and violets. So balanced and joyful, always a pleasure to taste wines from a true master. — 8 years ago

Kevin Ortzman

9.0

Silky smooth with a balsamic spicy profile — 9 years ago

with Rick, ADAM and 1 other

Tan Ernest

9.1

Started off with an oaky nose with a rather minty and rough palate. After breathing for about an hour, a different taste profile came together with pleasant black fruit notes. Smooth medium bodied texture of a medoc. — 10 years ago

Philippe Dupuis

8.9

Classic Bordeaux profile, balanced, ready to drink but will also age smoothly. — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.6

2000 vintage. Deep garnet. Medium plus intensity of wood polish, savoury spice, wet leaves and morelles. Slightly green blackberry and blueberry. On the palate, a wave of sweet fruit with great concentration. Good acidity and full body. Tobacco and cigar box. Savoury notes and concentrated black fruits. Good length - not quite as long as 2005. But this wine is more developed and complex at this stage of its development. Lovely. NB: with an hour in the glass, this wine is a different beast. Concentrated, the savoury flavours are broad and work very well with the black fruit profile. There's a persistency of flavour on the finish that is very appealing! I now prefer this to the '05. — 10 years ago

Ron Lacey

9.3

Just dusted of one; not the class act like the 05 but very well structured classic aged fruit profile with a gamey flavor lining. The tannins are soft but hold your attention. If you can fine it buy it this is well done drinking great but has a long life ahead. — 12 years ago

Dick Amundson

9.2

Classic LB profile. Some tannins initially that softened later. Black fruits, earth, cedar. Great with tenderloin roast. — 6 years ago

Yance Farney

9.5

Ultra smooth, good flavor profile, easy drinking — 7 years ago

WC Fields

9.2

Impressive structure and profile for a 27 year old wine. — 7 years ago

Kirk F

9.0

Open for 3 hours. Showed well though not as good as I’d hoped. Maybe too young. Classic Evenstad nose and flavor profile. Good Minnesota folk making Oregonian PN! — 8 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.2

2005 vintage. From magnum. The usual feminine/Margaux flavor & scent profile. Light bodied. Finished a little hot but not objectionably so. Sexy. At the top of its game. — 8 years ago

Mike Levin

9.3

Soft tannin. Blue and red fruit. Cigar box. Lot of life. — 9 years ago

Richard Steinberg

9.6

Young and vibrant. Great cherry profile with the expected eucalyptus. An amazing experience. — 9 years ago

with Howard, Mitchell and 2 others

JS

9.2

What a great vintage- a lot of sediment, so beware, but excellent living taste profile. — 10 years ago

with Tommy

Jeremy Giesbrecht

9.5

Um yeah... #BOOM status granted for this at the #yulwinethrowdown . 81 not the best of vintages and wines are reportedly past peak but this first growth was not. Very interesting flavour profile, certainly secondary characteristics but structurally still pretty sound. I was glad to find it still alive and in my opinion had many more years left before the big decline. Awesome privilege to have tasted. — 10 years ago

Fabien Lainé

Blogger VinDeling.com

9.2

1960 was for kind of forgotten close to the nice 1959 and 1961 vintages - but the wine still handle well, with a light profile, a nice experience from a nice gift, maybe 60 was better for the Beatles !? However it feels kind of younger than 1960 at first sight, an off vintage in good shape but will get soon enough to its peak 😐 — 11 years ago