Tom Garland

9.7

Double decant and pour(decent sediment).  A remarkable still murky dark garnet with bricking.  On the nose:  Intoxicating perfumed notes of dark fruit, worn leather, smoked meat, touch of barnyard, tobacco leaf, mushrooms, mint.  Taste:  silky, fresh, regal, powerful wine with sweet red fruit, meaty, dried herbs, tobacco, mineral, and a earthy orange rind lingering finish with a slight tannic kick.  Amazing!!! YUM! — a month ago

Tom Garland

9.4

+2 hour decant(some chunky/fine sediment). A remarkable purplish dark garnet with a little bricking. On the nose: perfumed notes of dark fruit, eucalyptus, spice, herbaceous, floral, just a hint of funky earth. Taste: silky smooth, chalky, savory wine with dark cherry, cloves, pepper, leather, and a cedar-mineral medium plus finish. YUM! — 3 years ago

with Brenda

Joe Weinberger

9.3

This is quite a wine—fruit is so pure it gives the impression of ripe sweetness. Some green elements that should integrate with time. I think this will be truly remarkable with some more time in the cellar. — 3 years ago

Tom Garland

9.3

1 hour decant(decent fine/cloudy sediment). A remarkable dark purplish magenta color. On the nose: certain vintages really embrace the brett on the property, this is on the milder side. Notes of red plum, nutty vanilla, pine, funky wet earth, old leather, some cherry. Taste: smooth, delicate, silky wine with savory notes of cigar box, currants, wet dirt, peppery, little dark plum, cedar, slightly meaty. YUM! A very good vintage for Cain, a little more intensity could have increased the score even more. — 4 years ago

with Brenda

Delectable Wine

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9.2

The 2011 Pinot Bianco Riserva Vorberg is wonderfully fresh and perfumed, with hints of custard giving way to pretty yellow flowers, nuances of chamomile and citrus-tinged apple. This is soft and round on the palate, with lifting acids and sweet inner herbal tones coming across as fully resolved and giving, yet also finessed. It tapers off with a lemony concentration that lingers long. The 2011 is gorgeous today, and it shows remarkable lift for being the result of a warm vintage. (Eric Guido, Vinous, June 2022)
— 4 years ago

Ian Hamel

9.6

2020/8/10 at Sant Pau in Tokyo. The bouquet on opening was something else - I haven’t had a wine, and certainly not an old bottle, with such an intense perfume in a long time. The palate followed - still very rich and balanced. It had that slightly cheesy old classic Rioja note, but with more depth and freshness than is common. Over time, it lightened a bit, but was still a remarkable bottle - about as good a Rioja as anyone could hope to meet. — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.6

The 2017 ‘Foothills Reserve’ Syrah is a simply magical new wine by Matt Reynvaan. The nose takes on highly hedonistic tones, showing beautiful range from orange zest to Umami to bacon fat and roasted dates with fresh sage that all collide in the glass. Silky smooth on the mid-palate the wine unveils a remarkable depth and salinity. The elegance here is extraordinary with a sensational mouthfeel. Hoisin sauce, blood orange, bulls blood and Umami with wild blackberry cobbler flavors all combine marvelously in the glass. The exceedingly long finish lingers long on the palate. Drink 2019-2033- 96 — 7 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.6

Chappellet – Signature Cabernet Sauvignon – 2022 🇺🇸
Pritchard Hill (Mountain Fruit) – Napa Valley AVA – California, USA

Overview
A cornerstone of Chappellet for over three decades, the Signature Cabernet Sauvignon continues to define what Napa Valley mountain Cabernet is all about: power, elegance, and longevity.
The 2022 vintage carries a subtly adjusted blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 7% Malbec, 2% Merlot, featuring a touch more Cabernet Sauvignon and slightly less Petit Verdot and Malbec compared to the 2021 (see my v2021 notes).
This shift gives the 2022 an extra dimension of muscle and purity, heightening its mountain-driven character.

Aromas & Flavors
Undeniably dark and expressive. Notes of blackcurrant, dark cherry, plum, and cassis rise first, followed by cedar, sage, aged tobacco, thyme, and beautifully integrated toasted oak.
As it opens, deeper nuances emerge, espresso bean, cocoa, graphite, and subtle mountain herbs.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and impeccably structured.
The increase in Cabernet Sauvignon amplifies its power and linearity, while polished tannins deliver a glowing richness across the palate.
Flavors of black cherry, currant, chocolate, espresso, and warm spice saturate the mid-palate. The finish is long, confident, and built for aging.

Food Pairings
Prime rib, grilled ribeye, lamb with rosemary, venison, black-truffle dishes, or aged gouda/cheddar.

Verdict
A formidable yet seductively elegant expression of Pritchard Hill. The 2022 is slightly more commanding than the 2021, with enhanced Cabernet purity and structural depth. A true benchmark in Napa’s hillside Cabernets, age-worthy, expressive, and unmistakably Chappellet. Cheers!

Did You Know?
Pritchard Hill’s volcanic, iron-rich soils and elevation create Cabernets known for density, refinement, and remarkable longevity, which is why so many iconic Napa producers source or plant here.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
Among my personal favorites in the mountain Cabernet category. The 2022 delivers that unmistakable “whoa” moment, especially when shared with friends and family. — 8 months ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Happy fourth! Burgers and Realm tonight.

2.5 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A remarkable dark ruby red color. On the nose: blackberry, cassis, floral, vanilla chocolate, eucalyptus. Taste: smooth,plush, teeth staining wine with black cherry, sweet spice, graphite, slight tar, and a long chocolate espresso finish with just a touch of heat. — 3 years ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.4

1 hour decant (little fine/cloudy sediment). A remarkable dark purplish magenta color. On the nose: tart cherry, creme de cassis, eucalyptus, orange rind, cinnamon. Taste: smooth, soft, rich, juicy wine with cherry/raspberry, leather, herbaceous, graphite, little spiced chocolate espresso and a nice medium plus finish. YUM! Bodes well for the 2015 Scarecrow wine, and I should pop one to check it out. — 3 years ago

with Brenda

Jay Kline

9.4

When you see Bérêche on the list, you feel like you entered a cheat code and this bottle, disgorged 11/2021, underscores yet again the incredible value presented by the “Brut Réserve”. It’s a beautiful golden color in the glass with persistent mousse and lovely weight and viscosity in the palate. This is so rich with an abundance of fruit and yet so balanced with remarkable acidity. It’s a perfect aperitif but would play an excellent partner to any meal as well. These wines are truly special and becoming more and more elusive. I’m taking advantage while I can. — 4 years ago

Martijn

9.5

Simply one of the best champagnes out there. Brioche, lime zest, wood. Firm. From a for us remarkable year on a for us remarkable day.
— 7 years ago

Richard Portes

9.1

17+ another proof that Gamay can be very serious indeed. Remarkable nose, complex and expressive. Great fruit, of course, M+ length. Nice on back palate. Finish good, not exceptional. — 2 years ago

Tom Garland

9.4

1.5 hour decant(decent cloudy/fine sediment). A remarkable dark murky garnet color at 15 years. On the nose: perfumed notes of blackberry, herbaceous, burnt wood, sweet vanilla, leather. Taste: concentrated, layered, balanced mouthcoating wine with dark cherry, cedar, currants, mocha espresso, tobacco, spiced oak, and a earthy-leather long dry finish with just a slight tannic kick....has time to go. YUM!! — 2 years ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.3

Decant for sediment and pour(decent chunky/fine sediment). A remarkable dark purplish magenta with some bricking. On the nose: some plum, currants, herbaceous, baking spice, touch of tobacco and milk chocolate. Taste: creamy, balanced, savory wine with currants, tobacco, green bell pepper, spiced dark cherry, clove. YUM! — 3 years ago

with Brenda

Jim Wagonfeld

9.3

Had this wine 6+ years ago and the improvement has been remarkable. Now showing notes of dark cherry, plum, earth and spice. Tannins completely integrated with a supportive acid spine. Would not have predicted this evolution. Incredibly smooth and layered. — 3 years ago

with Judy

Stuart Pollack

9.1

Good Saint-Julien with a typical flavor profile for that appellation. Nothing remarkable but definitely a good value. — 4 years ago

Matt Duncan

9.3

Remarkable how this has held together considering the abuse the bottle when through. A light green quality runs through suggesting it may have been quite angular in its youth. A very delicate black fruit quality and rich tannins still running through. — 4 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.4

What a nose. Also what a color. Watermelon licorice. Stunning cherry perfume. Early to mid season cherries. Amazing finesse and refinement. Gorgeous minerality. Smells like a Chambolle. Woodsy spices. So complex. Palate is energetic and so deep. Really incredible for an “entry level” wine. Even though it’s not priced like that. Stunning pure cherry fruit with a citrusy tang. Superbly elegant and intensely structured with terrific linearity and freshness. Long sappy finish. In need of a few years but the sap and length of the finish make me think this might be a long distance runner. Really long. So so well made. Awesome concentration. Sappy and so dense. Just remarkable. Score may go up with air.

9.3 to 9.4. Gets more integrated and velvety after 3 or 4 hours. Stunning texture and freshness and pure sweet and tart fruit. So velvety. — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.8

The 2008 ‘Cristal’ Champagne is a magical effort from this storied vintage in Champagne. Roederer cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon has crafted a simply magnificent wine here. The nose is highly perfumed and very musty with earthy tones showing front and center. White truffle shavings and peat moss with egg yolk infused brioche and bright pear flavors fill this exotic nose. Streamlined throughout, there is a seamless quality to this wine. With racy acidity and a remarkable salinity the wine shines through on the palate delivering a delightful combination of serious weight and effervescence. Saline infused Japanese pear, marzipan, Marcona almond and kumquat flavors all delight the senses. Truly one of the best from this house that I’ve ever sampled, the 2008 ‘Cristal’ needs more time in the bottle to develop — that said, this wine is scintillating in its youth. Drink 2022-2050- 98 — 7 years ago