Andrew Cullimore

9.2

1st wine. Medium garnet with quite thin , garnet rim . Some herbal touches , with earthy terracotta note , touches of dry spices, grafite . On the palate this has good freshness and of tobacco and earthy cassis , quite grippy, dry tannin. A bit foursquare , but quite good length and balance . This probably needs a bit more time , 5 -8 years and will last well a further decade . Had this down as the Haut Brion. — 5 months ago

Mary H

9.3

The definition of aging gracefully; astoundingly lifted and perfectly clean flavor. The weight is extraordinarily light for rioja, solid but not rough, with delicate dried fruit, raisin, spice, leather. No harshness or bitterness, not overtly acidic but enough that just disappears into the background. Medium-long finish. Decanted rapidly for ~30 minutes allowed some of the cellar funk to blow off. — 7 months ago

Donald Williams

9.6

Wonderful. Of course, it’s a Turley Zin. — 7 months ago

with Bonnie

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I’ve had a number of PC 96’s over time, none quite this good. The fill line & cork perfect. Very little sediment. Some bottle neck tannin burn. For me, Pontet Canet didn’t really hit its consistent, quality stride until 2005. Doesn’t mean they didn’t make a few beauties before then. Pontet Canet is proof that the 1855 Bordeaux Classification needs to be redone. Unlikely it will in my lifetime.

This 96 maybe just short of its precipice. Stylistically a little better than 94.

The nose reminds me of everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola. Sweet forest floor w/ leaves, sweet mushrooms, sweet led pencil shavings, steeped tea w/ hints of fruit, charcoal, dry tobacco/leather, some dry herbs, withering dark, red flowers, red roses with violets.

The palate is also everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola/red vines. Everything I understood the first time standing in the estate vineyard of Pichon Baron. Tasting limestone, dry river stone, dark, rich soils with dry leaves, dry stems. In fact, I’ve tasted vineyards soils everywhere I have been in every world wine region. Basically, everywhere in the wine world that has reliance. Many multiple times. Sweet graphite, steeped tea w/ hints of dark fruit, understated, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanillin, dark cocoa, dark exotic spices, some anise to black licorice, charcoal, dry tobacco with ash/leather, some dry herbs-safe/bay leaf, limestone, dry river stone, dry crushed rocks, dark, rich, earth with dry leaves, dry topsoils, dry stems, withering/dry dark, red flowers, red roses with violets, excellent, rainfall acidity with an extremely well balanced/structured/tensioned, great length and an elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls nicely on dry earth and dark spices.

A very, very slow roll with my Ribcap. Definitely better with the steak than on its own.

This bottle tells me this 96 has plenty of good drinking ahead, another 8-10 yrs+.

ABV is 13%. Disappointing it ever changed. — 7 months ago

Claire Montgomery

9.1

Part of zin wine tasting. Fav one of the set — 6 years ago

Lenny Joseph

9.0

Bold, jammy California Zin. — 6 years ago

Jon Ruyle

9.3

This is absolutely beautiful. Haven’t enjoyed a zin this much in a long time. — 7 years ago

Patrick Bailey

10

Absolutely my favorite zin??? — 9 years ago

Nick Barry

9.2

Nice, quaffable red with some pasta and red sauce. — 10 years ago

Michael McCloskey

10

Good stuff, putting some flames out... — 11 years ago

ESF

8.9

solid Zin - bit too fruit focused & manipulated for my taste, plus it's expensive ($30) for what it is, prolly a crowd pleaser — 5 months ago

Collin Clark

9.3

It’s a winner? Yea — 6 months ago

Dave

9.0

Solid Sonoma Cab that tastes like Left Bank Bordeaux. Supple feel, dark berries, cedar, graphite, tobacco. A little eucalyptus and a little espresso. Lengthy tannins. Drinkable now and will age for some time.
Listening to Radiohead — 7 months ago

Doug Powers

9.4

[En Magnum] This is absolutely a beautiful, 30-year-old, Beaucastel Rouge in large format, mostly clean (just a trace of Brett), red fruits, still some structure, but not tannic, balanced, complex layers of flavors, long finish, really a top-notch Beaucastel with old school ABV (13.5%)!, lovely!!! — 10 months ago

with Jim

Brandon Boesch

9.5

Love it. The standard for Napa zin. Plums, prunes, earth, cocoa, acid, well balanced, crowd pleaser, but still interesting. So good — 5 years ago

Henry Fuseler

9.0

8/2021. Nice Zin. Smooth and full of flavor. Never been disappointed by a Turley Zin. — 5 years ago

Paul T, Missing My Beautiful Wife 24/7

9.6

Turned out great with some center cut Ribeye 🥩, — 6 years ago

Meg Herring

9.0

Zin, Petite Sirah, and Carignan. High yum factor! Wanted to try this before I visit the winery in 2 weeks. Needless to say I’m even more excited now. — 8 years ago

Matthew Mountford

10

Pretty good. Got me drunk. — 9 years ago

Mary

9.0

Go too reliable Zin for everyday enjoyment. — 11 years ago

Rhys Thomas

9.7

Really good reasonable wine- £12 at waitrose — 14 years ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1 hour decant(some chunky sediment). A striking deep garnet color with some bricking. On the nose: exquisite notes of dark fruit, herbaceous, cedar lined cigar box, floral, pencil shavings. Taste: silky, brooding, balanced wine with blackberry/dark cherry, loamy soil, graphite, tobacco, licorice and a minerally roasted coffee persistent finish. YUM!! — 5 months ago

with Brenda

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I remember when the 2005 Pichon Lalande was reviewed by RP, 89. I saw that & said, you would have to get in the way of the 2005 Bordeaux vintage to be that sad. I still bought 6 at a bargain basement price. A very good idea post 20 yrs+. Both Pichon’s don’t have a modern day history of getting in the way of a good vintage.

I also bought this one. 18 yrs in bottle and still acending. This will hold 5 more yrs and will last another 10 yrs properly stored.

I have visited Bordeaux 11 times. This chateau visually is still my favorite. It was showing a picture of this chateau to Sofia that launched our first visit. Sofia loved it and we have stared at it multiple times on every visit.

It was in our visit in 2007, I stood in the estate vineyard, looked & tasted their soils. After doing so, I said, “I get it.” I understood everything about what I was tasting in Left Bank Bordeaux’s early in my wine journey.

Sofia and I had dinner w/ Christian Moueix not long after the 2005 vintage was hyped/released. She asked him, when did you know you had something special?” He said, “as soon as I tasted the fruit at harvest.”

Tonight, it shows that it is a close relative, a sibling to Pichon Longueville. Cork, perfect.

The nose shows; classic left bank traits. Ripe, dark, brooding fruits, bright, mid berries, red cola, leather, tobacco, sandalwood, leather, led pencil, dark rich earth, limestone, dry river stone, hint of mushrooms, dark, red, fresh & withering florals.

The fruits on the palate show everything outstanding from the 2005 growing season. Ripe, juicy, brilliant; dark currants, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, black cherries, baked/poached strawberries & some hovering raspberries. Dark chocolate bar to pudding, red cola, anise, dark spices w/ palate heat, dark, rich earth w/ dry leaves, pronounced graphite, dry tobacco, leather, limestone, dry twig, dry river stone, moist clays, moist herbs, cedar to sandalwood, withering & dry, dark flowers, red roses, some lavender & violets, beautiful rainfall acidity, excellent; balance, tension, structure, length w/ an elegant finish that lasts minutes and lands on spice & earth.

13.4 ABV. Nice.

#TheTwoHourRibcap

This held up vacuumed sealed the same night, refrigerated & enjoyed exactly a week later. — 7 months ago

ESF

9.0

So solid, year in year out - I know they make a ton of this, and yes it’s at Costco, but when you’re looking for a reliable Zin, this is it. Bordering on being too fruit forward - this barely checks the box for secondary aromas & flavors. Balanced harmonious with intermediate aging potential. Try to find their single vineyard offerings. — 2 years ago

Jonathan Wall

9.1

2003. Last bottle was 3 years ago, and this one I liked better. Starts out austere with evidence of a difficult hot year. But after hours in the decanter it cycled thru some almost port like caramelized tapenades and ended the evening with a somewhat strange but delicious red crème brûlée thing. So if you have one… I suggest patience thru the awkward opening hours to get to the awkward good part. Cheers. — 5 years ago

Nic Anderson

9.4

We enjoyed this Zin a lot. Tasting notes include all spice, floral, and strawberries. It’s potent with 15% alcohol. Paired well with dark chocolate and honey/garlic pork chops. — 7 years ago

Johan Bogaert

9.2

Like always a true gentleman, somewhat lean but very sophisticated. Silky wine with fruit preserved. Very little signs of evolution. Very aristocratic but lacks some flesh. Still very enjoyable. — 8 years ago

Lyn Farmer

9.0

100% Zin. Rich with plum, mocha and blackberry notes. Classic style of Zin with high alcohol but enough fruit and acidity to keep from going over the top — 9 years ago

Ashley Giler

10

Has a really great flavor and is very smooth on the finish — 10 years ago

Charles Antin

Senior Wine Specialist/Auctioneer Zachys

9.0

Some of my favorite wines recently have been 80s Cali. — 12 years ago

with Christie's