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. — 3 years ago

with Brenda

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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

Hum

9.2

Simply the purest and superlative gamay. Structured but buoyant, bright and serious; red fruit with earthy guidelines... soft, remarkable, delicious. — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.5

The 2009 Dom Pérignon is a simply fabulous effort from a challenging vintage in Champagne. The musty and earthy aromatics grab you straight away followed by wild mushrooms, brioche, poached pear and toasted hazelnut aromatics that impress. Incredibly balanced and with remarkable finesse, this shows off flavors of lemon zest, baked apple and marzipan with hints of biscuit. Today this is just a touch youthful, needing some additinonal time to develop. Nonetheless this it is a simply gorgeous Champagne with marvelous cellaring potential. Try to hold off on this stunner for at least two years. Drink 2021-2040- 95 — 7 years ago

Mike

9.5

A remarkable drop of grape juice. 100% Cabernet from a small plot in Coombsville in Napa. Black currant, rocks and jammy. Delicious. — 7 years ago

Gerardo Suro

9.2

This is evolving nicely. Flowers, mint, bright cherries, minerals and silky tannins. Would’ve guessed red Burgundy if tasted blindly. Truly remarkable. — 7 years ago

Trevor Maskell

9.6

1998. Great bottle. Still fresh. Sublime texture and flavour. Still has remarkable acid. Brûlée and zest flavoured. Superb length. — 8 years ago

Stuart Pollack

9.1

Good Saint-Julien with a typical flavor profile for that appellation. Nothing remarkable but definitely a good value. — 3 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. — 3 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

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.1

Love this wine. Best value. Mulberry, spice, cinnamon, red fruits, sour cherry, rustic yet complex. Complex and silky with lovely tart cherry fruit and terrific freshness. Very linear and lovely mineral finish. Vibrant velvety tannins and as it opens up the depth is remarkable for such a value wine. Nice deep plummy mid. — 7 years ago

Steven Gullo

9.2

Not a solid vintage but this is remarkable. Notes of menthol, eucalyptus, dried currants and a textural, lengthy finish. Could still see a few more years. — 8 years ago

Roy Bennett

9.6

Straight out the bottle it showed remarkable freshness. Everything exactly how'd you'd like it - the nose immediately grabs you, with a herbal perfume intertwined with dark fruits. Mid palette offering a refreshing hint of graphite and a nice long 60 second finish. For a US Strip bottle this has been stored remarkably well. Excellent for the vintage. Love it. — 9 years ago

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. — 3 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. — 5 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

Joe D'Angelo

9.9

Following last year's sensational vintage, 2016 was another stellar growing season in Bolgheri and expectations were once again set high for Sassicaia. The 2016 Sassicaia certainly does not disappoint, as it is an absolutely monumental effort that completely delivers, and in some aspects even looks to be more compelling than last years brilliant wine. Composed of primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Cabernet Franc, the 2016 is all about elegance, class and purity. It begins to impress with its striking aromas of fresh blackberries, dark cherries, fresh florals, exotic spices and wild herbs along with a touch of licorice and mineral characteristics all coming together to complete the seductive nose. On the palate this is nothing short of extraordinary, as it displays outstanding overall structure and balance along with remarkable clarity and precision. This continues to dazzle with its beautiful expression of incredibly pure red and dark fruits, along with exotic spices and floral characteristics which all work their way seamlessly across the palate before leaving a lasting impression on the gorgeous finish. The 2016 is without question another all-time classic vintage for Sassicaia, as it clearly possesses the elements that indicate an extremely bright future ahead, with the potential to evolve into a perfect wine over time. — 7 years ago

Ryan Mullins

9.7

In such a fantastic spot with decades ahead. Taunt and wide. A remarkable wine — 7 years ago

Antonio Galloni

Founder, Vinous

9.4

Exotic, deep bouquet of mulling spices, orange peel, sweet pipe tobacco and rose petal. Beautifully layered on the palate, with remarkable persistence and balance. Superb! 1947 Pontet Canet (recorked in 1986). — 8 years ago