Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

For steak dessert, 2007 Caymus Classic. Chuck, why oh why, did you change the original styling of this wine? 🤦‍♂️

I ran out of my cellared Caymus Classic. Classic is pre 2012 vintage. In 2012, it was changed to a highly marketable consumer friendly wine syrup that drinks well early for some. I can’t palate it.

I recently went to the secondary market and found some beautifully stored 2007. Missed it.

The nose reveals, stewed & candied; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, black cherries, poached strawberries, raspberries, boysenberries, full scorched earth, grey clay, potpourri, dark under stated ambers, dark, moist forrest floor, dry sage, notes of Worcestershire sauce, eucalyptus with withering; dark, red, purple flowers.

The mouthfeel is glorious with balance & length. Ripe fruits of; stewed & candied; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, black cherries, poached strawberries, raspberries, boysenberries, blueberries hovering over all the rest, scorched earth, dark spice with subtle yet punctuating heat, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & vanillin, dry crushed, limestone rocks, grey, mud clay, potpourri, dark under stated ambers, dark, moist forrest floor, oak char, expresso, black licorice, dry sage, notes of Worcestershire sauce hues, eucalyptus/mint with withering; dark, red, purple flowers. The acidity is a rushing, spring mountain river. The length, balance fruit & earth, elegance, polish would captivate most any discerning palate.

Chuck, I think you should make both Caymus Syrup & Caymus Classic again.

She is at the tail end of her precipice. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Mid Gold in colour - crystal clear. Kerosene/mineral notes with some chalky aromas. Pristine citrusy flavours coming into the stone fruit spectrum. Medium minus acid but medium plus intensity. (12.5% ABV). A well made Eden Valley Riesling drinking at its peak. — 6 years ago

Shun Kikuchi

8.9

Slight BlackBerry, Chocolate, woodforest, woody,
Dry. Mid+acidity, dissolved and small rest of tannin

Best time to drink, chateau person said.

I felt that acidity relatively stands out, and lack of concentration even if dense oak aroma filled in the blank instead. — 7 years ago

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.8

A blockbuster who needs a long rest in the cellar. Stellar wine by the way — 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.3

Third wine with Charles at De Toren. Set to be release in early 2018 similar to the Z.

Darker than the Z, deep and dark ruby red. Needed to open up a little bit on the nose. Gained some dark cocoa on the nose with minerality, pepper and dusty notes. Heavy tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Darker berries on the palate with some black cherries, cassis and a touch savory in the backend. Dry and long finish. Drink till 2030.

Made up of around 56% Cabernet Sauvignon and around 16% Malbec, the rest is made up of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. — 8 years ago

with Sean and India

Mike R

9.5

Key word is smiling - details - Boudreaux blend with 75% cab - Galloni and RP like it and thought I would procure and yes it is a baby but OMG it is damn good right now - I had Ric stuff before and it was good but this is his best of the four vintages I had

This is big bold and beautiful - it jumps at you with intensity and power and energy - and still smooth - please decant as I did for two hours

Dark purplish fruit is blowing away my nose and steering to happiness with the taste and finish - this is an old school taste I remember when I fell in love with Napa cabs - this baby will keep growing as it rest for a long time - bravo Mr Forman - and summing it up - all SMILES — 9 years ago

Dom Beveridge

9.5

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm rose garden on the nose. Bacon fat and a fruit which I can't quite pin down - could easily spend the rest of my life in this glass. — 9 years ago

with Dennis

Tom Kobylarz

9.6

The majority is Chardonnay 50-60%+, and the remainder a majority Pinot Noir and the rest Pinot Meunier. This is classic Champagne in the leasy, biscuit, brioche like way, with baked apples, baking spices and an excellent beam of acidity. Fresh, clean and full flavored on the finish. A great example of a grand Champagne. — 10 years ago

Bill Ward

9.9

Right in the zone, but probably good for rest of this decade. Just big enough all the way around. Refined and robust. Still tasting three minutes in. — 12 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Just opened another bottle! Founded in 1932 by Isaac Muga Martínez, now run by children Manuel, Isabel & Isaac Muga Caño. Deep Ruby, aromas of sweet red and black fruits with pepper spice and oak. 4 grape blend from the Haro district (70% Tempranillo, rest Garnacha, Mazuelo & Graciano), 36 months in oak, palate shows elegant flavors of cherry and currant with espresso, vanilla & toasty oak tones. Soft full ripe tannins, lively acidity on a long finish ending with an earthy mineral character. Great vintage! — 5 years ago

Andy Hall

9.2

This is a good wine with the potential to be even better. It needed a good 45 minutes to open up. Still was a little sharp around the edges. Made a note to let the rest bottle age for another 4-5 years to soften the tannins. Can’t wait to taste again in 2024. I expect it to score higher. I have ‘15’s and 16’s in the cellar as well. I will give them a taste test soon to develop an aging plan. — 5 years ago

Luciano Silva

9.3

Lovely Tannay from bodega Garzon, Uruguay. This is definitely a wine that need to rest in a decanter. When the bottle was opened it was live, with spicy notes and fresh red berries. However, after it rest a little it became a port wine without its sweetness, full body, smoked cinnamon/roasted nuts notes and velvety on the palate. I was grateful surprised by it. — 7 years ago

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.4

Wedged in between the monumental 2005 and 2007 this wine is more delicate but again a true Rayas. Perfect balance, strong kirsch tones and this endless perfume which comes with a sexy Rayas. Reynaud and Bonneau two opposite wines, both great, for me forget all the rest in red chateauneuf. What a joy and privilege to be allowed to drink this. — 7 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.0

Second wine with Charles at De Toren. Set to be released in January 2018.

Deep ruby red with notes of cassis, mushrooms and dust on the nose. A touch green as well. Medium tannins (6/10) and medium plus bodied. Excellent structure and finesse on the palate with dark cocoa, red cherries, pepper and minerality. Long and lingering finish. Still a baby that will need a nice decant to open up. Drink till 2027.

Merlot led blend with around 53% Merlot then around 25% Cabernet Franc and the rest made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot. — 8 years ago

with Sean and India

jesus g

Hospitality Schramsberg Vineyards

10

This was the wine served at the “toast to peace” when Richard Nixon opened trade relations with China in 1972. — 8 years ago

Mike R

9.3

First time with this wine - me likely - big bold beautiful - decanted for one hour - this does have a jimmy Durante nose on it - a real intoxicating one - drink the rest in another hour - i have to remember to breath as @Jody Scharf reminds me and remember the band Durant Durant as they say "Relax relax" - nice night for wine and smiles - love to 😁😬😬 — 9 years ago

Jiga Hitorn

9.3

Hello Provence. First Rosé of 2016. Happy I found Tessier in the local cavé. Rightly seen as the worlds best Rosé. Strawberries and way more structure than the rest. — 10 years ago

Charles Hetzel

9.7

Drinking this in honor of Barbara Richards may she rest in peace #paloma #merlot — 10 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Almost the anniversary of my first Delectable entry when sitting outdoors at a wonderful restaurant in Gigondas under a tree drinking the 2008 vintage of this wine with all the family. This is 70% Grenache with the rest made up of Cinsault Syrah and Mourvèdre. The further south the higher usage of Mouvedre until Bandol right on the Mediterranean coast where it can be 90 to 100 % because of its higher tolerance to hot conditions. Chateau de Beaucastel where I visited a year ago uses all 13 permitted varieties with the highest being Mourvèdre at 30 %. They have increased this % over the years because of warmer conditions at vintage lessening the Grenache % so alcohol levels do not get out of control. Love this very savoury style of wine. 18. — 11 years ago

Jane Day

9.8

Bought in 2005 at the bargain price of $22. I’d been saving it. Worth the wait. It was absolutely delicious, old school, refined, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon at its peak. If I could only drink one wine for the rest of my life, this would be it (assuming availability). — 5 years ago

Peter Wassam

9.3

Still has a lot left in the tank. After an hour it’s still opening up. Plum, blackberry, blueberry, black licorice, bittersweet cocoa powder, candied almond, kirsch. Silk jacket, refined tannins, an aorta of acidity giving life to the rest of the wine. Delicious burger wine, maybe the peak of the category. Wish I kept it til 2027. — 5 years ago

Justin

9.0

Bottle 1 turned. Bottle 2 was fine. I expected more complexity out of a Bordeaux with this age. I will happily drink the rest of my case but I’d pass on this vintage in the future. — 6 years ago

Patrick Derdeyn

9.0

The ‘17s just arrived so that means it was perfect timing to drink my last ‘16. @Morgan Twain-Peterson says these can age 5-10 yrs, but mine never seem to make it 5-10 months while I let all of the SVs rest in peace. A splash decant really helps the bouquet jump out on these. Rose petal, spice, and dark fruits balanced by wonderful acidity and some light tannin presence. A screaming value year in and year out. — 7 years ago

Ron from VA

9.0

After resting in my seller for a few years, I finally opened the 2013 vintage and I am not surprised it is the weakest of the vintage so far. Christine advised letting this rest for a while at release because she said it was too energetic… It seems to have rested nicely and found its way into the same groove as the ‘12. While not as cheerful as the 14, it had classic aromas and acidity for the terroir. Still Burgundian, it was a nice effort to pair with salmon ;) — 7 years ago

Jeff Collins

Owner Peabody's Wine & Beer Merchants and Benchmark Provisions

9.0

Rest In Peace Patty. — 8 years ago

Cody Short

9.5

Drank at Torc in Napa. A little tight upon opening but an hour in the decanter really woke this up. Still drinking very young and as good as it was I'm going to keep my hands off the rest for a few more years. — 9 years ago

Amr Elazhary

9.5

I am so biased.. for me this is the ideal wine... just hits all the notes on my taste buds.. fruity, acidic, light with a great breadth finish.. if I could choose a wine that I can drink for the rest of my life that would be it .. it is elegant, refined but still humble and fun.. goes with almost anything and or can simply quench your thirst in a hot day — 9 years ago

Eric Egan

9.5

Another level... Still dense at the core, with steady, attractive bricking: Wonderfully dense nose of blackcurrents, pencil shavings, fine tanned leather, and a hint of woodland floor (fine moss, leaves, and fresh soil after an autumn shower). Velvety tannins and great acidity. Along with the '66 this is one of my all-time favourite Bordeaux vintages. Seems to be keeping up better than the '61s I've had over the last few years!

We drank half of it from the coravin before waxing the top in case the cork had lost too much elasticity to self-seal. I'll have the rest with my brother in a few weeks' time! — 9 years ago

Ehren Jordan

Owner/Winemaker Failla Wines

9.5

Amazingly youthful. Rest in peace my friend. — 10 years ago

Jovica Micevski

9.8

Thank you Franco for all you did for Montalcino.... Rest in peace. — 13 years ago