Bob McDonald

9.5

Classic Cabernet descriptors of Cedar, Tobacco, Red and black fruits and a herbal note. Lovely on the palate, drinking at its peak with excellent balance - smooth, fluid, resolved tannins. One could easily pick this as a Left Bank Bordeaux in a blind tasting. Shows more French restraint than the full blown Napa style for me. Medium + weight palate with balance and concentration. Probably my favourite Napa Valley Cabernet though admittedly I have not tried some of the big guns like Harlan. Post script: A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot. No Merlot was used in the blend for 2004. — 4 years ago

MaJ CappS

9.1

Even with some aging, the original notes are well on script. The only difference is a bit more dusty tannins grit in the back end. — 6 years ago

Eric Stravitz

9.0

Delicious, jammy, pretty well integrated, fruit bomb. Love this wine generally and especially for the price. Post-script: a bit on the sweet side. — 6 years ago

Clive McNish

9.0

California Cabernet as per the script. You can't go wrong but there's so much else to explore, a good banker. — 8 years ago

Erik Longabardi

9.3

Rewriting what Chablis is supposed to taste like. This just flips the script and sets your palette on electric minerality and freshness. — 8 years ago

Max Kelly

9.0

This delivers a heckuva a lot of Barolo character for a $30 wine. Beautiful high-toned cherries, roses, and gaminess on the nose. I can't stop smelling it. Only showing some of that on the palate with tons of grip on the backend. Very more-ish as Jancis Robinson would say. Serious value here - can't remember the last time something at this price point delivered this kind of magic. Post script - after about an hour, this sadly settles down into a smoother, but much less intriguing wine. Gaminess is almost gone. Still a good Nebbiolo, but not the specialness that was there before. Will it re-emerge with time? — 10 years ago

Yoon Ha

Master Sommelier/Wine Director Benu

9.9

The amount of pleasure this wine brought is so far beyond the script on the label. What makes wine so fun is the fact that you can, from time to time, find the extraordinary in the ordinary — 10 years ago

Jason Gelman

9.2

beautiful and rustic. red plum, rose petals and chalky earth on the nose. palate is very earthy, gravelly to go with the fruit notes and a touch of pepper. lovely texture and balance.

post script. pencil shavings. lots and lots of pencil shavings. big miss the first time around. — 4 years ago

Andrew Schirmer

9.0

Not a bit of Georgian script anywhere on the bottle, but a big square of marketing copy on the back label. Ok, great—these wines need more exposure! Medium amber (amber—so much nicer than “orange”), light tannin, apricot, great acidity, and refreshing in a brilliant way. Perfect with a range of foods. A stunning value. #georgianwine — 5 years ago

with Alsu

Paul B.

9.3

Deep red color, almost uniform. Really changed 30-45 minutes after decanting. Would recommend a sip or two at open and then waiting. Dark, fresh red fruits but I got this great woody mineral flourish immediately following the fruit. Like on top of it. Long and noisy finish. Great stuff. Plus acidity and medium-ish body. And a chewy tannin end that just hits so well. This is a gorgeous wine. Love this cru Beaujolais. Going to (try to) sit on what I have left for a year or more...yes I had to end with a joke. Post-script: first time understanding how tannin can be “chewy”. — 6 years ago

Peter Sultan

9.1

Leesy, crisp, & absolutely enticing— especially for a Jura geek. Slight viscosity, golden yellow hue. Had at friends party. Jenny & Francois states this is a Gruner But what do I know? Post script: this a white wine, not a red blend @Delectable Wine — 7 years ago

with John

Erik Nordman

9.1

Nice Saar Auslese Riesling. On the less viscous and sweet side as far as Auslese Rieslings go. Not too much botrytis character but I don't think it's completely botrytis-free either. On the nose, lots of wet stone minerality and a slightly VA tinged, almost paint-thinner-y petrol character (but not necessarily in a bad way) along with peach preserve, dried apricot, nutmeg and some dried floral character & molasses-y oxidative development. The palate flips the script and is much more focused on the fruit and spice, showing bruised peach and pear, ginger and nutmeg, dried white floral character and more molasses-y oxidative notes, while the minerality takes a backseat. Sweet with moderate viscosity but offset by great acidity, it's not cloying at all. It's developed and starting to get a little over the hill at as one might expect at almost 14 years old in demi (375 ml) format but far from dead and honestly a great value for sweet Saar riesling at 15 bucks a half-bottle. Plays nicely with Roquefort. — 8 years ago

Wesley McCorkle

9.1

2009 Very well balanced. Medium tannins with nice finish. Cherry tea with a hint of chocolate. Notes of vanilla and leather. Very nice with steak. Grilled asparagus and Parmesan risotto — 10 years ago

Evgenievna

9.7

I’ve been scripting the life philosophies of those closest to me:
1. My parents’ determinist universe: born into a predetermined script, Can’t veer too far from you class, status, culture, genetic talents. You still have to work hard to attain what can be yours. You can fail, become an alcoholic, waste your birth given place in life. But you can also ease in to life knowing things were meant to be certain ways for everyone.

2. I see life as a pinball game. You get spat out like a ball. Bump up against various circumstances. Some can keep the game going by feeding it more quarters. Others learn the rules or teqnique better. Some enjoy it. Some just float through. In the end we all end up in the same hole.

3. Ivison’s are in an action adventure. No plot. Typical characters. Loads of special effects and a ride.

4. Tim? He has a strong sense of right and wrong, fair and unfair. His life philosophy comes close to a balance board.
— 5 years ago

David Kline

9.4

Loud pouring and viscous. Lightest brown cover thick above actively churning reddish darkness. Bran muffin, chocolate malted milk balls, a candied beef jerky note, buckwheat, banana split with chocolate syrup, root beer, bakers chocolate, bourbon candies with cherry aromatics. Kabbalist script lacing. Vanilla black bread, honey-truffle butter, burnt cane, burnt brown sugar and cinnamon, darkest chocolate covering toffee, espresso bean, licorice, allspice, cardamom and anise seed, valerian root, chicory, whole bean vanilla. — 6 years ago

Ichiro Kawachi

9.0

Taut structure — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Cassis and Dust - Dusty dark fruit. Only medium weight- restrained, dare I say elegant. Correct to drink the first of the 6 I bought now / from the acclaimed 2009 vintage. Not as rich and full bodied as expected. A merlot dominant blend usually around 70%. This Vineyard sits next to Cheval Blanc. Post script - I found out that in 2009 the wine was 100% Merlot. — 8 years ago

Eln M

9.6

Smoky! Just right — 9 years ago

Adam Lechmere

Wine writer Wine Searcher, Decanter, World of Fine Wine, Food & Travel, Meininger's

9.2

Astonishing! Love the way it recognises a label with no script. Just a horny old devil. — 10 years ago

David Kline

9.2

Aged beef, smoke, dirty, earthy mushrooms, toasted sesame, lighter mouthfeel that gets downright twisted into a graphite and cran point to scrawl in a charred cedar script the graffiti of Gevry Chambertin. An underripe grape and almost lemon zest on lime and lemongrass with a minerally shale and chalky clay interplay. Much too young to enjoy now, but the seared tuna and marinated portobello mushroom with quinoa and heirloom beets was calling for an earth mama of just these proportions. Missed it by a few years. But gonna enjoy the next one profusely!! #burgundy #bourgogne #pinotnoir #GevryChambertin — 10 years ago