Pooneet K

9.4

A marvelous wine in an absolutely beautiful place. The first sip gave me goose bumps. Just such a classic Bordeaux in the best sense. No decant, slight chill, this is ready to go and fully integrated. Blackcurrant on the nose and palate. Incredible freshness and acid. Completely mouth filling and balanced. Certainly one of the best Bordeaux’s I’ve had in a long time. Amazing with grilled dry aged ribeyes. — 6 years ago

Bill Bender

9.5

Few wines are as near and dear to my heart as Montelena estate. My birthday eve dinner with my daughters and we had my daughter Bailey’s birth year to celebrate. Delicious mature cab, saddle leather, cherry tobacco and stewed plum. — 7 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.8

From a pristine bottle with a 4cm fill and an appropriate cork. Reddish tawny color with reddish amber rims. Barely translucent. Looks young for its age. Notes of rich warm fruit, cassis, smoke, some cedar planks, and a whole lot of leather saddle. Incredibly rich in the mouth. Silky. Long impactful finish. This wine appears to have no end of life in sight for it. Guesses were all in the 1980’s. Amazing wine. BDay dinner 10/12. — 8 years ago

Chris C.

9.0

Soooo good, especially for the money! — 8 years ago

Lori Pulvino

9.1

Great summer wine. — 9 years ago

Jenks

9.4

Favorite of all the sisters. Posting beers to wine apps isn't my thing, but this is very much a wine like beer. Saison, Brett C, peaches, white wine barrels. Tastes as such- white peach, grapefruit, restrained acid, mild funk, champagne like carbonation, drying finish. Stellar. — 9 years ago

Carlos Cabrera Zambrana

9.0

Excelente cerveza, con notas de naranja y un retrogusto dulce. — 10 years ago

Jonas Johansson

9.1

Great with Calamari — 6 years ago

Chase Jordan

9.4

Delicious red wine mix. Subtle tannins. Flavor with hints of plum, blackberry & coffee. Bland smell, but made up of in terms of taste and finish. — 7 years ago

Shay A

9.4

Impromptu meet up at Classic!

Young. Almost truffled mushroom alongside ripe red and black fruit with saddle leather on the nose. The aromatics are powerful, but also soft. Very smooth with perfect balance on the palate. Kirsch, cassis, and underbrush/wood mixed with black cherry medley. Decant at this age (which is just so crazy/impressive to me) or this will go for 10+yrs easily. — 8 years ago

with Mark

Mike Saviage

9.7

Tasted blind. Reddish tawny, translucent and old looking. Awesome nose. Notes of leather saddle, pencil lead, currants, cherry, soil, and some toasted hickory. All guessed 61 Bordeaux. This got better through the night and was at its best in the last glass. — 8 years ago

Antoine Cauchard

8.9

IPA américaine très légère et très bonne, approche prononcée mais peu de profondeur. Bref idéale pour une bière de soif l'été — 9 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.0

Pretty shocked to see a decent beer onthe list of an airport restaurant. Must be a good omen for the next 2 weeks in Australia! — 9 years ago

with Vanessa

Robert Cunningham

Wine Educator DeVinimus, Wine Workshop

9.2

Lovely secondary elements of sweaty saddle leather, cedar and later some cigar box. Soft, integrated tannins. Long finish and very nice nose. — 10 years ago

Jason Miller

9.0

Amy likes it but may have been influenced by prior wine taster. — 7 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Last night in MT at the lake. Gave this several hours of air. Nice dark tawny color. Vibrant in the glass. The nose is great right away and stayed on point through the evening. Notes of black cherries, warm raspberries, old cedar, some plums and a little leather saddle. Rich and silky in the mouth. Velvet glove. Long finish. Great wine. — 7 years ago

Michael Seely

9.4

Enjoy the cool yrs, this 2011 is well structured — 8 years ago

with Joe

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

From magnum and paired well with three different Tri-tip steaks sources and marinades.

On the nose, sweet & sour, ripe dark cherries, cherries, blackberries, strawberries, some ripe, slightly rustic rhubarb with just a hint of blue fruits. Glycerin, touch of fruit liqueur, vanilla, dry stones, crushed rocks, hints of dry herbs, used leather, saddle-wood, dark rich soils, soft dark spice, underlying white pepper and dark red fresh and slightly withering florals with a touch of violets.

The palate is med and beautiful. The length, structure, tension and balance are at its peak harmony from magnum. Sweet & sour, ripe dark cherries, cherries, blackberries, strawberries, pomegranate, some ripe, slightly rustic rhubarb, burnt orange, with just a hint of blue fruits. Glycerin, touch of fruit liqueur, vanilla, dry river stones, crushed rocks, hints of dry herbs, used leather, saddle-wood, dark rich soils, limestone minerals, dry stems, more presence, soft dark spice, underlying white pepper and dark red fresh and slightly withering florals with a touch of violets and blue flowers. The acidity is waterfall perfect. The rich, ripe, fresh fruit, well balanced finish is simply beauty on steroids.

Photos of, Lopez de Heredia, Vat fermenters that are still in use and somewhere between 100-200 years of age (they repair them as needed to keep them tight), their cooperage and Maria José López de Heredia who now runs the family business. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

A redo after that disappointing 2002 Pichon Lalande two weeks ago on #steakandclaret night. While this is not again what I expect from this producer, it is better than the 02. Nose of cedar, fresh tobacco, stones and dry soil, quiet baking baking spices, ripe & lean; blackberries, dark cherries, cherries, strawberries, pomegranate, hues of blueberries, light mushroom, soft leather, black licorice cola and fresh red florals. The body is leaner to medium and well resolved. The fruits are fresh & bright. Dark cherries, cherries, lean blackberries, strawberries, cherries, pomegranate & cranberry juice, hues of blue fruits, saddle-wood, sweet suede leather, fresh tobacco leaf, cedar, dry stones, top soil & rich turned dark earth, limestone minerals, dry stems, slight touch of dry herbs, round, mouthwatering acidity and lean, long, well balanced fruit & earth, good structured finish with length. Finish lasts a full minute. Still 8-10 years of good drinking ahead. 9.3 with the ribeye. — 9 years ago

Natalie Wallace

9.5

My new favorite Pinot Grigio. — 10 years ago