Mark Farrell

9.5

Lighter in color for a 2019, more of a medium ruby. Nose is cherry pie, not tart cherries but sweet black cherry. A bit of dust and a lot of cedar chest. Great structure, smooth tannins, and medium to full-bodied. The lighter color fooled me into thinking this would be a lighter cab, but it packs plenty of punch. The finish lingers especially pumping those cedar notes throughout. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Mmmm....better. 1999 was a meh vintage to most critics. I find it has evolved to better things with this much time in bottle.

The nose reveals, ruby and candied; blackberries, black cherries, black plum skin, black raspberries, raspberries, poached cherries & strawberries. Touch cooked green bell pepper, mixed berry licorice, anise to black licorice, used leather, saddle-wood to cedar, dark, moist, black earth, limestone, stones, graphite, vanilla, cinnamon stick, clove, nutmeg and dark spice, coffee, dark chocolate with fresh & withering, dark, red, blue and purple flowers.

The body is just full. The tannins are soft, round, chewy and tarry. The structure, tension, length and balance are pretty good for 99. ruby and candied; blackberries, black cherries, black plum skin, black raspberries, raspberries, poached cherries & strawberries. more cooked green bell pepper on the palate, mixed berry licorice, anise to black licorice, used leather, saddle-wood to cedar, dark, moist, black earth, limestone, stones, graphite, vanilla, cinnamon stick, clove, nutmeg and dark spice, coffee, dark chocolate with fresh & withering, dark, red, blue and purple flowers. The acidy is nice. The finish is elegant, well balanced but, not as rich as other good vintages Palmer. It is spicy and persists minutes on the palate.

Photos of; Chateau Palmer, their barrel room, a photo of their vineyard soil structure-if you didn’t know where all that earthiness comes from, a picture is worth a thousand words and their tasting room. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Château is named after the beautiful, large stones found in its unique wine-growing terroir. Enticing aromas of complex fruits with flinty floral herb cedar scents. On the palate, this blend of 91% Cab Sauv & 9% Merlot shows big berry fruit flavors with smoky tones and underlying sweet notes. Fine tannins, balanced acidity, lingering big finish ending with round fruit and mineral notes. Tasting Sample. — 7 years ago

Rick Jordan

9.0

VINTAGE: 2004
BOTTLE: 375ml
APPEARANCE: Deep red, garnet meniscus, viscous legs.
NOSE: Allspice, white pepper, bell pepper, dark fruits.
MOUTHFEEL: Round, medium - acidity, medium + tannins.
PALATE: Cinnamon, tomato leaf, leather, hints of vanilla.
FINISH: Long with sandalwood throughout and some cocoa at the very end.
NOTES: Picked this up in December of 2017, thinking the 375 bottle will have made this ready to drink immediately. Was not wrong, it is drinking well, but there is sufficient backbone left in this wine to age for many more years to come, even in a 375. Nice layers of complexity that were fun to tease out, but still many notes that I don’t yet have the ability to properly identify. I look forward to trying again with more years under its belt. — 8 years ago

Hao Feng

9.1

Creamy, full, round, concentrated, well structured, oaky, long finish — 9 years ago

William Lauder

9.2

Round and warm California Pinot Noir — 9 years ago

Meghan Hamilton

Wine Educator Joseph Phelps Vineyards

9.8

Very young but lovely fresh apricots, peaches and pineapple. Honeysuckle and white flowers. What really makes this wine amazing though is the body. It's big and round the whole way through where so many Sauternes fall either in the middle or finish. Lovely. — 9 years ago

Neal Dessouky

9.4

Friend brought a mag over and this was about the best burger wine anyone could pull from any cellar. Low acid but restrained fruit. I don't drink CA wines often enough, this was a hit. Chocolate, raspberry, very smooth and round mouthfeel. — 10 years ago

BurgundyFan

9.3

Jamet 1997, perfect, flavors of bacon, fresh leather, lavanda, so round, delicious wine — 10 years ago

Scorewine

Wine writer http://www.israelwines.co.il

9.1

1996, This 1996 blend of 61% CS and 39% merlot, showed beautifully and justifying the 19 years of cellaring.
A truly deep rich and elegant wine. Lavish red appealing color, lovely nose, leather, black cherries, black current, wet soil, mineral, medium to full body, with soft round tannins, smooth, deep, complex, lovely acidity to balance, and a delicious finish, with hint of sweetness. A truly lovely wine. My score 91, drink to 2019. — 10 years ago

Steve Anderson

9.1

Flight 2, same wines but 1994 vintage. A little lighter color, more barnyard on the nose. Beaucastel takes round 2. — 12 years ago

Leo Gentile

9.4

Deep purple without a hint of any other suggesting improper storage. Classic if a bit understated Napa nose. Soft yet appropriately firm tannins. Ripe black fruits. Luscious wine. Suggest drinking sooner rather than later owing to fruit ripeness. — 4 years ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.3

So happy that I got a chance to try this legendary Super Tuscan wine. Primarily Sangiovese with some Cab Sauv and Cab Franc. Deep Garnet color and aromas of iodine and purple flowers. Black cherry and currant fruit. Hints of chocolate and baking spices. Touch of vanilla. Smooth tannins and nice and round. Beautiful! — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Pontet Canet tasting and dinner with Alfred Tesseron.

The fruits are dark & muted. Blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, blue fruits, plums with strawberries come on late. Lots of moist clay, dry soils, deep dark spice, crushed, rock powder, graphite, black, dry soils, hints of green bell pepper, dry herbs with blue, dark withering flowers. The acidity is round but could be better. The long finish is balanced but, for me, comes up short and a little flat.

Photos of; our dinner group, The K&L Bordeaux Buyer-Ralph Sands and Alfred talking about the wines, Clyde Beffa Jr. -Owner of K&L Wine Merchants and Chateau Pontet Canet. — 6 years ago

Tom Lin

9.4

Elegantly balanced all round red. Great to go with meal or savor alone. — 7 years ago

Jordan Kaufman

9.0

Good anise, forest floor, spices to round out the dark fruit. Love the rose petal notes. Tannins are elegant but would love to taste this again in a few years. — 8 years ago

Conrad Green

9.7

A gorgeous, soft rose petal nose. Delicate, deep, pretty with hints of orange blossom, tea and all kinds of resolved cherry fruit. Light, but beautifully deep. There’s a plush, haunting quality to this wine but it is light, translucent and ethereal. This is exquisite. — 8 years ago

with Matt and Paul

Craig Stanfield

9.5

Started wth a slight must on the nose, but that blew off. Opened to round and bright red and some blue fruit. Tobacco and wood (not lavish oak, maybe cedar) round it out. Fine grained tannins and a wonderful finish. Love the value of Rioja and hard to believe I just got some of these babies recently. This was the 125th vintage. — 9 years ago

Victor Hwang

9.2

2005 vintage. Seductive nose, much lighter body in color and in the mouth, acidity higher. Tons of rose petal and tar. Finish was only weak point - thought it was a bit too tannic and spicy — 10 years ago

Yoon Ha

Master Sommelier/Wine Director Benu

9.5

Like a grandfather - round, inviting, approachable with stories to spare. — 10 years ago

Joe Boudreau

8.9

Not the best year for Bordeaux's but this one continues to hold up well albeit a bit dirty....round structure easy to drink, but drink now, don't hold on to this vintage too much longer. — 10 years ago

David Wanek

9.2

Great food wine. Wish I had more. — 10 years ago

Rob Moose

9.2

2009. Shy! Cream to drink, iodine to smell. Became more expressive after about an hour in the decanter. Very pretty, without angles but not quite round either. Curious. Cull&Pistol in Chelsea Mkt — 11 years ago

Andrew Holod

National Sales Grapes of Spain

9.3

Drunk w Christmas Eve dinner 2020 of roasted eye of round, porcini gravy, mash etc.
Medium plus ruby. Forest-y aromas of almond tinged cherry, violets. Wife claims noticable Am oak, but I don't really feel it here (bottle age?) Acidity is high. This feels like it could easily go another 20 years. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Four day weekend. Gotta get it off to a good start. Been awhile since we had our 375ml of Ruinart.

The nose shows, ripe, slightly candied; black cherries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals.

The palate is full & touch gummy/candied. Fruits are well extracted, deep, ruby; black cherries, blackberries, strawberries, kirsch cherries, rich, summertime watermelon, touch of orange citrus family blend, pomegranate juice, hints of fruit roll up & haunting apricots. Ghostly, not quite fruit brandy or fruit liqueur character, sea fossils & spray, a little bread dough, not quite medium, white spice with hints of palate heat, grainy, grey volcanics, chalky powder, orange, spring flowers with fresh & withering, red & pink rose pedals. The acidity lively and crisp. The round, well balanced & polish finish is always consistently satisfying and lingers for minutes.

Photos of; the House of Ruinart, Dom Thierry Ruinart, nicely light caves and rolling, hillside, Grand Cru Vineyard.

Not quite sure where “D” gets $83 when you can buy this all day at just under $65. — 6 years ago

Daniel Porter

9.3

Very young. Needs 3-5 years to round the tannins. High acidity. Fruit is very nice. Lots if bing cherries. Will be very good in a few years or with a long decant. — 7 years ago

Matt Duncan

9.4

Lemon curd, a bit lactic but round with good weight. — 8 years ago

Steve Pollack

9.3

A mature, round Champagne. Delicious. Not sure it will get much better, but no rush. At its best with rich, creamy dishes. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Is there any meal better than steak (Ribeye) and well aged Claret? This is another 1991 Bordeaux experiment of mine. 1991 was a vintage with horrible frosts and a less than favorable growing season, right? A vintage critically panned. This is my 3rd recent 91 from a good producer. And again, it didn’t disappoint. Like 97 and 07, it’s better with the right bottle age than young. Magic evolution happened in the bottle way down the road. This 91 is in great form with a fair amount of life ahead of it. On the nose; a little ripe fruit funk, wonderful dark & lighter red cassis, ripe blackberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, plums, hues of blueberries, black raspberries, dry cranberries, vanilla, light cinnamon, rich, black turned earth, cedar, soft leather, dry stones, dry top soil, notes of dry herbs and fresh & dry red flowers. The body/palate is medium, round, ripe & still fresh. The tannins nearly completely resolved. Ripe, floral fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, plums, hues of blueberries, black raspberries, dry cranberries & half cooked rhubarb. Vanilla, light cinnamon, touch of clove & nutmeg, rich, black turned earth, cedar, soft leather, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, notes of dry herbs, a little band-aid and fresh & dry red flowers. The acidity drips over the palate and the long, well balanced, still structured, nice tension, good length finish lasts over a minute. Again, love & appreciate the 12.5% alcohol. What a beauty with and without the steak. Next time you’re in your fine wine retail shop and see a quality producers 91 that’s been well stored, buy it and have it with a Ribeye. Photos of; their exotic Estate, Chateau interior, newer barrel room and their vines as viewed from the front of the Chateau that are across the road. Producer notes and history...Cos d’Estournel has a long distinguished history in the St. Estephe. Louis Gaspard d’Estournel, gave his name to the estate after founding in 1811. It did not take long before Cos d’Estournel became famous with wine lovers and royalty all over the world. In those early days, Cos d’Estournel did not sell through Negociants. The owner preferred selling his wine directly to his customers. In fact, Cos d’Estournel was exported to numerous countries across the globe, with a large portion of the production being sold to India. It was that connection to India that inspired much of the unique, east Indian design we see at Cos d’Estournel today. Cos d’Estournel was one of the first Bordeaux Chateaux’s to bottle, label and sell their own wine. This practice continued until the death of Louis Gaspard d’Estournel in 1852. If you’re at the property, the statue on the bench in the front courtyard is of the founder, Louis Gaspard d’Estournel. The Estate was then purchased by an owner that sold their wines on the Place de Bordeaux using the negociant system. If the Chateau was not selling their wines through the negociant system, it would never have been included in the 1855 Classification. Imagine that! So, it turned out to be a fortuitous decision. Cos d’Estournel was sold to the Charmolue family owners of the neighboring Estate of Chateau Montrose. They continued to own the estate until 1917, when it was bought by Fernand Ginestet. This purchase was the beginning of the next major step in the development of Cos d’Estournel. Decades later, the grandchildren of Fernand Ginestet, Jean-Marie Prats, Yves Prats and Bruno Prats took over ownership and management of Cos d’Estournel. In 1995, Bruno Prats sold the property to the Merlaut family, owners of the Taillan Group. The next era in the development of Cos d’Estournel took place in 2000, when Cos d’Estournel was bought by the industrious and wealthy Michel Reybier, who earned his fortune in the food industry. Michel Reybier hired the son of Bruno Prats, Jean-Guillaume Prats to manage Cos d’Estournel. Things further improved with the efforts of Jean-Guillaume Prats who helped design the most modern wine making at that time. A complete renovation of Cos d’Estournel took place in not only the wine making facilities and cellars, but in parts of the Chateau as well. While the wine making facilities are completely modern with their 100% gravity design, the outward appearance retained the original design and feeling that has always been a part of Cos d’Estournel. On October 15, 2012, Jean Guillaume Prats announced he was leaving Cos d’Estournel to join LVMH (Pichon Baron). Jean Guillaume Prats was replaced by Aymeric de Gironde. Following the departure of Aymeric de Gironde in 2017, the owner, Michel Reybier took over managing the Estate. What makes the remodel special is that the cellars of Cos d’Estournel are entirely operated by gravity. There are no pumps of any kind to force the wine. The purpose is to allow a gentleness to the wine and improve its purity and allow for the expression of their terroir. It set a new benchmark for cellars not only in the Left Bank, but in all of Bordeaux. Perhaps, the most inventive part of the cellars is the four 100 hectoliter lift tanks or wine elevators that replace the pumps used in the traditional pumping over and the racking off processes, which introduce air and often destabilize the marc. From the moment the grapes arrive, everything travels by the flow of gravity. Jean Guillaume Prats called this process a “pumpless pump over.” The 91 hectare vineyard of Cos d’Estournel is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The vineyard is located extremely close to the border between Pauillac and Saint Estephe at the southern tip of the Saint Estephe. The Estate has very old Merlot vines as well, which date back more than 100 years. Part of the terroir is situated on the hill of Cos, which is at a high elevation for the Medoc at 20 meters. They also make a second wine called Pagodes de Cos. This is a great wine to buy in very good vintages. Especially, if your budget prohibits you from purchasing their first wine. — 8 years ago

Christine Havens

9.5

The 1995 Shafer Hillside Select is still youthful, and would benefit from further another 10-20 years of cellaring. Saturating aromas of burnt brown sugar, toffee, cherry liqueur, blackberries, blueberries, graphite and dark chocolate round out the nose. In the mouth, its big and brawny, endowed with firm, ripe tannins, and vibrant acidity—that narrowly prevents a total plunge into velvety darkness. The intensity and concentration of fruit is over the top. A powerhouse from start to finish. 14.1% ABV — 11 years ago