Jay Kline

9.0

This was a well-stored example and the cork was in pretty great shape; extracted with the aid of a Durand. Opened about an hour before service and poured into a decanter. Enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 1981 pours a garnet color with a slight orange-ish rim; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with mostly desiccated notes of dark and red fruit: red currants, confected cherry, organic earth, mushroom, leather, eucalyptus, baking spice. Umami AF. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. While showing its age, this is very much alive. The entire bottle was enjoyed by all. Drink now. — 4 months ago

Rubychick

8.9

Cork giving out but why not after 19 years! Wine is escaping to fresh beauty with a little wet dog age that I like.
Holding her space in 2025
80% Zin, 16% Petite Syrah, 4% Carignane
14.7% is reigning it in on this varietal and well done! Doesn’t feel fire breathing at all 👏 — 6 months ago

with See and Erika

Conrad Green

9.3

Calm and precise. Soft plummy fruit with some contained and polished fruit. Very good. — 7 months ago

with Paul and Ara

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Flight 2 , wine 1 . Quite deep garnet , less terracotta rim . This had a whiff of oxidation about it at first which seemed to somewhat dissipate with time . Some dark spiced fruits , liquorice and menthol hints , cedar and sous bois . On the palate good ripeness and spiced dark cherry hints . Good acidity and rounded tannin . Nice length also , offering some spiced black fruits and menthol hints . Don’t think this is a pristine bottle but was enjoyable none the less , I was unsure at first if this was Napa , but coming back to it … and reading my notes , it became quite obvious . However I had this down as the Ch Montelena , not the Dominus — 9 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium lemon yellow , fine bubbles . Quite restrained and mineral focused on the nose , then lemon confit , quince, touch of orange flowers, with some pastry notes , white flowers , honeysuckle also . Quite intense and mineral on the palate , fills out well with some lemon oil and pastry notes also , but this is reserved and elegant in style , more mineral , chalky and more intense than the 2013 had last week. Really refreshing acidity . Long and complex on the finish , I would imagine this needs more time than the 2013 too. Come back in 5 years , will show well for a further 10-15 years , perhaps longer. Very promising . — 9 months ago

Neal Ferry

9.0

Classic; still only a sip — 6 years ago

with Tom

Patrick Bailey

10

Absolutely my favorite zin??? — 8 years ago

Mason Balistreri

Sommelier, International Wine Guild; Balistreri Vineyard; Sales, Joy Wine and Spirits

9.3

My mom is in town so I figured it was time to open some nice wine. Like others said here, the 1999 takes some time to open up. No fruit at all at first but then you get this beautiful strawberry and licorice and that beautiful aged subtle American Oak spice blend. Great body and deep dark color that doesn't suggest it's age. — 9 years ago

with Kate

Andy Cochran

9.1

Great bottle of Cab for Pam's 28th bday. Alex Valley is always one of my faves. Lots of depth and great with some steaks. Well balanced - 08 vintage — 11 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

From the Downs Club First Growth Lunch last Saturday. Very brief notes. Mid crimson in colour - some bricking at the rim. A meaty note - a lovely red fruited perfume - unmistakably first growth. Just medium weight - a lesser vintage. — 6 months ago

WC Fields

9.1

On target and in the window. What I have drank of Pauillac this was lighter in its feet but the blackberry tobacco cigar wrapper with some nice tannins and acid. This could probably go longer but glad I opened it. — 6 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Deep Ruby with aromas of berry fruits, savory oak and floral notes. On the palate blackberry and cherry currant flavors with hints of cedar and leather, adding some herb notes. Fine dusty tannins, good acidity, well balanced, ending with fruit and earthy mineral notes. Nice! Grab a filet! — 7 months ago

Steve Goore

9.2

Dark fruits, oak, and herbs combine in this zin forward red blend. Great upon opening and excellent day 2. Not familiar with Mataro (only 5%) but blended to perfection. — 8 months ago

Henry Fuseler

9.0

2/2025. #24 on WS Top 100 2024. A nice medium bodied Zin. Paired well with my grilled pork chops. — 9 months ago

Conrad Green

9.5

Soft fruit with some leather, dried cherry, pure plum. A slight sourness and length. Excellent, complex and full of character. — 9 months ago

with Chris, Matt and 2 others

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. — 6 years ago

Brandon Boesch

10

This is perfect for July 4th. Zin that tastes like zin but without the chocolate and oak. Could smell it for days. Palate is strawberry jam with stone, forest, and bright acidic fruit. If you like the minimalist wine movement, you must try this. Especially the 2016. — 7 years ago

Nic Anderson

9.5

Love this wine and at $8-$12 for a price point, it's pretty awesome! — 8 years ago

Mary

9.0

Go too reliable Zin for everyday enjoyment. — 10 years ago

Rhys Thomas

9.7

Really good reasonable wine- £12 at waitrose — 13 years ago

Conrad Green

9.4

So rounded and glossy. High toned with black cherry and some mocha and good acidity. Excellent stuff. — 6 months ago

with Rick

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Quite light spices , coffee , sous bois , herbal hints . On the palate this has good density and spicy , menthol , dark coffee stained fruit , some slightly gritty tannin . It comes across as quite ripe but with balanced acidity and quite good menthol tinged length . This was served blind from a half bottle . I was putting this in the 80s and Napa , not Bordeaux! This had to do with the texture and quite ripe , generous fruit profile . Drinking perfectly now , I wouldn’t wait any longer — 6 months ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1 hour decant(some chunky/fine sediment). A splendid dark medium garnet with little bricking. On the nose: expressive perfumed nose with dark plum/cherry, currants,milk chocolate, baking spice, floral, wet forest floor, touch of roasted meat. Taste: silky, balanced, elegant wine that is singing at 20 years with dried red fruit, earth, chocolate, cedar, minerals, saline, and a spiced-tobacco-green bell pepper long finish. YUM! — 7 months ago

with Brenda

Tom Barras

9.1

Considered by some to be the Wine of the Vintage, the 2005 Léoville-Barton
Is a full bodied mouthful of black currants, minerals, spices, grippy tannins and enough energy to evolve for another decade. — 8 months ago

Abbas Zand

9.2

Deep, dark red color. Jammy red fruit nose.
On the palate, it is not a jammy Zin. A very well balanced wine of dark red fruits, tannins, acidity, with a very long and complex finish. Great Zin.
$22 — 9 months ago

Claire Montgomery

9.1

Part of zin wine tasting. Fav one of the set — 5 years ago

JJ Lumia

9.1

Blackberry compote with some plum and vanilla flavors. Lush and full-bodied. It starts out with a bang but settles in nicely with a long, creamy finish. It’s Turley. Of course it’s going to be good. — 7 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 — 8 years ago

Robert McCall

8.9

P&P'd this and it paired perfectly with tonites homemade bolognese. A bit disjointed and funky at first but glass time rewarded with some black/red fruit, leather and spice, wrapped around a nice acid streak. — 10 years ago

Joseph Moss

9.3

Gamay all day, every day! With some aging on it. Good to drink, still good to keep. — 11 years ago