Tom Garland

9.3

Decant for sediment and pour(decent chunky/fine sediment). A striking dark ruby red color. On the nose: jumping from the glass are port drenched cherries, pencil shavings, tobacco, toffee, balsamic, and cinnamon. Taste: silky, balanced, still fresh wine with currants, little dried cherry, tobacco, earth, dried herbs, and a spicy saline graphite satisfying finish. YUM! In the home stretch, drink. — 7 months ago

with Brenda

"Odedi"

9.1

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Beautiful nose of black currants, plums, licorice, light oak, spices, chocolates, earth, eucalyptus and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with currants, plums, cooked cherries, spices, oak, licorice, tobacco, herbs, earth, dark chocolates, coffee and peppercorn.

Medium finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 7 year old Rioja is starting to drink very nicely now. Elegant and nicely balanced. Complex and entertaining.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food.

14% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$20. — 9 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Medium ruby garnet, quite thin garnet terracotta rim . Quite rich , with ripe red fruits , some tobacco , warm spiciness , cigar box , ripe cassis , sous bois , after a while touch of coffee. On the palate this also shows good roundness with ripe red and dark fruits, cassis , red plum , grafite , touch of earthiness . Balanced acidity and rounded sweet tannin . Quite juicy with a grafite edged finish . Pretty good length. This is at peak now . For now and over the next 5 -8 years. Quite generous and showy , ripe but balanced, a good showing. — 10 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Medium ruby garnet , narrow garnet rim . Quite deep spicy tobacco , cassis , redcurrant , grafite , smoky herbal notes on the nose. On the palate this is quite restrained and elegant , with a mix of red and dark fruits , cassis , blueberry , red currant , touch of menthol also . Good refreshing acidity and slightly gritty tannins , good length with grafite and tobacco stained finish . This is showing well and is probably at peak at the moment , no rush as it will stay here for another 8-10 years or so . — a year ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Quite deep ruby and , garnet terracotta rim. Quite spicy nose , slightly green touches , mix of red and dark fruit . On the palate fills out quite well , good acidity , slightly gritty tannins still with mineral , tobacco notes on the finish . Ok reasonable length . This comes across a bit greener than I remember it , so not sure how representative this bottle is , fine to drink now and over the next 10 years . 91

Second bottle medium deep ruby with garnet rim . Took a bit of time to open up , but very good definition , red and dark fruits, truffle , undergrowth, cigar box and grafite. On the palate quite charming sweet red fruits, red plum, cassis , dried spices, undergrowth , elegant for las cases , grafite and tobacco stained finish . Well balanced acidity and quite gritty but ripe tannin . This is lovely now with time in the decanter and over the next 10 -15 years . Completely different from first bottle . — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.6

1991 inaugural vintage by famous Vega Sicilia estate. Tried the ‘13 again and it doesn’t disappoint. Deep Ruby with an array of aromas, dark fruits, spice, floral and some oak. The palate shows strawberry, blackberry & plum flavors with hints of espresso and licorice encased in gentle oak. Firm tannins great balance with acidity, full body, long finish ends with fruit, oak, spice, and mineral character. Just starting to open now, will benefit from more time! — 5 years ago

Chris England

9.4

This is the first wine that made me fall in love with Chile 🇨🇱 wines back in early 2000 when it was around £25-£30 😍 Now at around £60-£65 does it still deliver? Oh yes baby this is delish now but in 5-8 years a 😈

Tomorrow I’ll post my newest love from Chile to wrap up a week of my 🇨🇱 favourites - darn I forgot Ocio Pinot Noir to 😊 Have you enjoyed my week of my personal Chile favourites ❓

📍 Concha Y Toro Don Melchor Puente Alto Vineyard - 2013

🏵 94 points w/ much more potential having had these aged 😉

🍇 91% Cabernet Sauvignon & 9% Cabernet Franc

🍷 Deep dark opaque ruby

👃 Dark smokey plum dragged through a dark berry bramble bush then swished into the soggy earth w/ lashings of melted cocoa & a dollop melted raspberry & blackcurrant liquorice

👄 Med+ body of creamy smooth rich dark berries, dark plum & raspberry w/ a touch of cherry all bathed in gloopy cocoa cream

🎯 Long ripe blackcurrant, dark plum & raspberry cocoa silky slight herby linger

— 8 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.3

Dark garnet red with a ruby hue. Aged characteristics on the nose with some tobacco leaves, anise, damp leaves and dark berries. Medium tannins (6/10) and full bodied. Quite earthy on the palate with some dried cherries, cigar box and some light leather. Long finish with solid acidity. Drink till 2023. — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.4

Taking one for the community & testing the latest release @ £115 - liking the newly embossed bottles 😁 Obviously don't drink until 2020+

🍇 85% Cab S & 15% Cab F

💨 10 hr

🍷 Dark ruby

👃 Finessed gorgeous aromas of violet, black berries, red cherry, smoke, sweet cedar & herbs w/ spice, earth, tea & minerals 😍

👄 Med body of black berry/current w/ fine dry tannins that need time w/ black tea

🎯 Med dry black/red fruits & black tea

Loaded w/ potential just lighter than the 09/11/12 more like 10/13 👍 — 9 years ago

Peter Wassam

9.8

A softened ruby color. Beautiful balance, everything in harmony. Wet earth, raspberry, cinnamon, a whiff of truffle, intoxicating nose. So much ripe, fresh red fruit on the palate. Such soft tannins, damson plum, a mineral streak running through. Drinking a 15 year old wine for 15th anniversary of diabetes. This is splendid in the moment — 9 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.6

This was a gift from a close friend who worked for Silver Oak as a garden manager until they eliminated that part of their business. Beautiful color in the glass. Ruby with a hint of rust on the edge. Aroma is complex with berries and flint. Also just a hint of pine needles. Christmas trees. Flavors are full and fine. This is BIG BOY wine. Delicious. — 7 months ago

Randy Fuller

9.8

This wine is dark ruby in color. The nose offers beautiful aromas of black fruit, cassis, earth, tobacco, and anise. It’s lush. The palate is exquisite, with blackberry, blueberry, and plum flavors. There is some minerality, but it's the fruit that shows out. It is a magnificent Bordeaux, of a vintage that I'm told is much better than previous years. The tannic grip is remarkable, and the finish leaves one wanting another glass. Steak, as fatty as you can get it, is the pairing for this wine. — 7 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Ruby with a rich bouquet of fruit, spices and floral notes. On the palate flavors of cherry and raspberry with notes of pepper, cinnamon and floral. Long finish, nice balance with fine soft tannins ending with earthy notes. Enjoyable now, a few more years will benefit. The ‘21 is a real insight for what the Riservas will taste like. Rated #7 wine of 2025 by spectator. — 9 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Medium deep garnet ruby , quite thin garnet terracotta rim . This is quite classic and more austere on the nose after the 1990s , grafite , cedar, sweet spice , earthiness and mint. More dry and four square on the palate compared to the 1990s but enough stuffing to fill out. Cassis , plum and blackberry , coffee , grafite . Refreshing acidity , slightly grippy drier tannin. Sous bois , grafite , herbal character with good length and earthy cassis finish . This got better with time in the glass and probably should have been decanted . This shows there is some upside , from now , with time in the glass, and over the next 10 years. The wine that improved the most during the dinner , quite impressive . — 10 months ago

Jess

9.3

Medium ruby color.
Aromas of baked black cherry, vanilla, oak spice.
Off-dry. Flavors of

Intensity: 4/5
Complexity: 3/5
Balance: 4/5
Finish: 5/5 — 3 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.7

Tasted twice! Blend of 71% Cab Sauv, 8% Cab Franc, 9% Petit Verdot, 11% Merlot & 1% Malbec, deep Ruby with aromas of ripe berry fruits, tobacco, herbs and licorice. On the palate black cherry, raspberry and blackberry flavors with espresso, mocha, oak and earthy tobacco notes. Well balanced, great mouthfeel, medium acidity, fine ripe silky tannins, long finish ending with fruit, cedar and toasty spice! Very Nice! Will age well for another decade! — 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. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have to say this is my favorite Chateau to stand in front of and gaze. On the nose, spice, wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, mint, tobacco leaf and dark fresh & dry flowers. It's drinking nicely with silty medium-medium + tannins & full bodied. Ruby, ripe wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, crushed dry minerals, mint, tobacco leaf and violets, dark fresh & dry flowers. The acidity is round and mouthwatering. The long finish has great elegance, beauty, length, tension & balance. It's just starting to hit it's stride and has plenty of life ahead of it. Another 15-20 years. Who said 04 was a difficult vintage? This will continue to improve and will stun with another 10 years in bottle. Photos of the the exterior Chateau front & side, tasting room and Christian Seely Managing Director. Chateau Pichon Baron and Chateau Pichon Lalande were originally part of the same estate. Pichon Baron got it's name when Therese, daughter of the founder, received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville the first President of the Bordeaux Parliament. Chateau Pichon Baron changed because of the Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville. He took over managing Pichon Baron when he was only 19 years old! When the Baron passed away at 90 in 1850, he divided his Pauillac estate. The sons were awarded what became Chateau Pichon Baron and the daughters were given what later became Chateau Pichon Lalande. Pichon Baron went through three rough decades in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Part of the issues were, lack of investment and they machine harvested. The first really great vintages for them were 89 & 90 after Jean Rene Matignon, Jean-Michel Cazes join them and AXA Insurance Company purchased them adding capital. The 73 hectare vineyard of Chateau Pichon Baron are planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. However, the Cabernet Franc and the Petit Verdot are reserved exclusively for the second wine. The terroir is mostly deep gravel, sand clay soils. Pichon Baron uses 80% new French oak and rests in barrel 18 months. @ FogoDeChao

— 9 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.5

Regrettably the one Bodega I missed from a stomach bug on my trip last week, though I still love love you Spain and look forward to going back. Now back to the wine....
A beautiful ruby core with some orange and pink at the edges.
The nose is elegantly fruited, with dry flowers, cherry and American oak notes of coconut, dill and toast.
The palate is elegant, refined, while masterfully complex and persistent at the same time. The finish is long and crazy silky. One of the few GR from a very older producer that uses only proprietary fruit.

— 11 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Pretty deep ruby garnet , medium wide garnet rim . Aromatic and really classic with a mix or red and dark fruits , tobacco , grafite and cedar . On the palate this is quite linear , again with the red and dark fruits from the nose, cedar and grafite and quite rounded resolved tannins . Fresh acidity , good cedar with grafite length , very classic in style . Enough density and fruit to cover the rest of the structure. In a perfect place now at least in this format , and probably will be over the next 10 years . This was from an Imperial , at BBR in London . — 7 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Dark Ruby color with aromas of berry fruits, herbs and earthy oak spice. On the palate flavors of black cherry, raspberry and currants with espresso, cacao and earthy notes. Well balanced, lively acidity, fine tannins long ending with fruit, oak, mineral and tobacco spice! Very Nice Napa Cab! — 8 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

From makers of Sassicaia, Deep Ruby color with aromas of fresh red & black fruits and earthy floral notes, 55% Cab Sauv, 27% Merlot & 18% Cab Franc. On the palate flavors of cherry, plum & blackberry with floral, licorice, cacao and earthy notes, well integrated. Fine tannins, a wine with a solid structure, elegant and smooth, long finish, great mouth feel ending with fruit and oak. Will age well over next 5+ years. Nice! — 10 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium ruby garnet terracotta rim, slightly wider than the Lynch. This is cooler and slightly sterner in character than the Lynch. More mineral , with ash , cedar and grafite in character , cassis , blackberry , dark cherry fruits. On the palate this is denser with more tannin , and balanced acidity . Grafite , cassis , herbal cedar , menthol touch . Long fresh but densely fruited, grafite finish . This is younger and more serious than the Lynch, more austere . Probably deserves a little time in decanter, though this is probably in the middle of its drinking window . Certainly no rush here , can go on well for the next 10 if not more years . This shows a really good mix of St Estephe austerity , seriousness and the ripeness and generosity of 1990. A great bottle , showing very well. — 10 months ago

Lyn Farmer

9.8

Exceptional wine - deep ruby color with a huge bouquet of violet, plum, black pepper, black cherry, licorice, vanilla, clove, prune and dried rose petal. Velvet tannins, the alcohol is well balanced with the fruit and full-bodied texture. Still in its infancy but already delicious, this wine has a stunning future — 2 years ago

Jess

9.6

Medium ruby color.
Aromas of red & black fruit, oak spice.
Dry. Flavors of blackberry, raspberry, black cherry, licorice, clove, black pepper.

Intensity: 4/5
Complexity: 4/5
Balance: 5/5
Finish: 4/5 — 3 years ago

Dawn Cole

9.5

2018 Deep Ruby in color, the 2018 Austin hope Cabernet Sauvignon expresses aromas a fresh black currents and cherries accompanied by Subtle smoky nose and dried spices on the pallet this lavish powerful wine is layered with juicy blackberry, ripe cherry, vanilla bean and brown butter. It’s full-bodied and rich, balanced by a touch of bright acidity and firm polish tenants number seven top 100 winds of 2020. — 6 years ago

Luca Lerario

8.9

4h decanting
Dark ruby color, creamy
Dark berries, leather, tobacco at nose. Earthy notes
Medium long at palate, good acidity, full body — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.4

Top year 904 @ £75 that was drank in Zalto burg glass as its like an aged burgundy

🐽 Paired w/ Iberian Ham 😍

🍷 Garnet ruby w/ brick

👃 Smoked burnt oak, soggy earthy leaves, leather, dark cherry & figs w/ balsamic & damson

👄 Med body of creamy stewed cherry w/ earthy balsamic & slight mocha

🎯 Med finish of above w/ earthy balsamic linger

Reaching peak but I preferred the 95 904 over this but the 890 94 was better than the 95! — 9 years ago

Chris England

9.2

Great Pomerol Chateau & @ £105 this 08 still needs more time to shine 😉 Good now, great in 5yrs 👍

🍇 70% Mer, 20% Cab F & 10% Cab S

🍷 Dark ruby

👃 Smokey oak through squished spiced dark plum w/ herbs, cocoa, minerals & red fruit tones

👄 Med body of creamy smooth dark plum & blackcurrant

🎯 Med dark fruit finish - a little short for VCC 🤔 — 9 years ago

Leslie Cole

10

Quite possibly my favorite wine ever!!! — 10 years ago