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 . — 2 years ago

Eric Naslund

9.3

I was given this bottle at a milestone birthday 10 years ago and drank it to celebrate another milestone birthday. Given that I rarely have the patience to wait for my wine to arrive at its next place, I was really looking forward to having this one. It was terrific. Deep integrated flavors and a softening tannin structure that has given way to a deeply satisfying experience. Very much enjoyed this and can see why this wine gets high marks year in and year out. — 5 years ago

Julian Gross

9.2

This is just a delicious brut rosé, really one of the best out there that isn’t four figures...beautiful fruit that melts on your tongue, just excellent — 7 years ago

Clive McNish

9.5

This is really good. Almost black with rich purple highlights. Limited fragrance out of the bottle but only 30 minutes in the decanter opens this right up and its delicious. Nose is dark fruit, earth, mushroom and vanilla. On the palate cassis, vanilla, spices, floral notes and an almost creamy finish with some dry tannins but also lasting sweetness and evolving fruit flavours, there’s even some delicate mint tea in there as well. Highly recommended. — 7 years ago

Jordan Kaufman

9.0

Good anise, forest floor, spices to round out the dark fruit. Love the rose petal notes. Tannins are elegant but would love to taste this again in a few years. — 8 years ago

Shay A

9.4

Another great Classic Wine Happy Hour in the books! Always a treat to have a designated day each month where guys can pull out some unique bottles!

Thanks @Will Adams for opening this! Gorgeous juice. A nod to how Caymus used to operate. Velvet like. Blue and blackberries, vanilla, cocoa, espresso. — 8 years ago

with Mark, Benjamin and 1 other

Patrick Derdeyn

9.3

I kept coming back to this wine. Usually stands out in a lineup like this because it's a BDB, but tonight it fits right in and is drinking beautifully. The best Comtes I've had to date, I need to find some of these with more age. — 9 years ago

Cian Riordan

10

Sort of a 'mic drop' kinda wine. Incredible life left in this. Tons of fruit, not stewed like you'd think, but very bright. Peppery nose. Really a treat. — 9 years ago

Ryan Carey

Founder Wine Confidential

9.6

Glorious. Worth bringing out the bad boy decanter for! This '96 Dunn is pure elegance. 19 years in, and it's singing right now. — 10 years ago

Rick VanSickle

9.3

A very solid Rioja, meaty, dripping in fruit and spice. Nicely balanced at this point with room to get better. Not sure it deserves the 97 points doled out by decanter, however. Pleasant and the right price. — 11 years ago

Jerry Raphael

9.2

What a wine and did not show it’s 43 year age at all. The color was very dark with no brick edge. The nose was a bit subdued but had the typical berries, herbs and meat notes that carried over to a very tasty wine. The finish was okay not super long but long enough.

I started buying Beaucastel maybe a few years before this 1978 vintage and in Parker’s reviews of the 1978 vintage was a consistent hold but he did change his mind years down the road and said it was over the hill; well not by a long shot. I constantly purchased 2 or 3 bottle of every vintage till the price was out on my reach in 2001. I also had visited the winery in about 1990. The real kicker with this vintage is the current price estimates of $150 to about $250, current vintages run $80+ and I purchased this bottle for $11.99.
— 4 years ago

with Matt and Barbara

Mike Saviage

9.3

Tasted blind. Dark reddish brown color, port-like in color and in the nose. Notes of raisins, molasses, tobacco. What is this? While it seems like it could be Madeira, the impact in the mouth and the tastes in no way resemble that. Someone threw out the guess that it could be really old Bordeaux. Yep. Drinking some history tonight! — 6 years ago

Shyla DeVeaux

9.7

This is really good almost immediately out of the bottle. Really nice full bodied and with a bit of fruity bites. Excellent by itself or with food. Buy loads because it will go quick! — 6 years ago

with Christian

jesus g

Hospitality Schramsberg Vineyards

9.6

I’m really beginning to see this transition where the 2013s-16s of Rhône and Burgundy are already so drinkable and showing ripe fruit. Like they are making them to drink now, this winemaking style is showing a little more fruit extraction and from what I’ve seen here in Napa, you’re sacrificing the ability to age there for the early drinkability. Hopefully I’m wrong and these are all just warmer vintages. I just wanna see these wines reach their potential 10/20 years out — 7 years ago

Scott Munro

9.6

We were worried this was gonna be cooked. But actually ended up being wonderful, tannins and acid mellowed out, still super balanced, slightly pyrazinic (tomato vine?), still has some leather and black currant. — 8 years ago

Daniel Steilen

9.1

Lots of color, but not inky, just dark red and the start of a lighter rim. Smells and tastes like black cherry or blackberries, and cedar, and also cocoa powder(?). Fruit is well integrated but a bit quieter at first. This is a more subtle wine, than expected. A little bit of tannin still that needs airing out. The longer it's open the more the fruit emerges, it's got a great body to it. It's delicious. — 9 years ago

DAG

9.5

Still a little tight and not yet rounded out. This genie need to stay in the bottle a few more years. — 9 years ago

Jonathan Wall

9.2

First night dark cherry and a bit too acidic. Second night balances out with layers of character... Spent more time smelling than sipping. So glad to get this piece of quintessential California in Hong Kong. 2012. — 10 years ago

Tim O'Rourke

9.0

Great story behind this vintage and fun wine to try. Madeira-like which helps balance out the va--but turning into a very interesting wine. — 11 years ago

Austin Blackwell

9.4

This was poured through a Zazzol aerator and just spilled out Cassis, black olive, cigar box and vanilla/brown sugar from the glass. Should she well for another 8-10 years. Delicious! — 11 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. — 4 years ago

Delectable Wine

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10

In my last sighted review of the 2016 Cos d’Estournel, I wrote: "I suspect it will close down for a period in its youth." Perhaps it is already beginning to shut down, because though this wine was deeply impressive, it fell just a notch short of ethereal previous bottles, despite its "pixelated black fruit" on the nose and "sublime balance" on the palate. I tasted the wine twice thereafter, though this time with a 4-6 hour decant, and this revealed the Cos d'Estournel that has amazed since I first tasted it out of barrel. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2020)
— 5 years ago

Kimberly Anderson

9.3

Jesus says this is the bomb. Tar and rose petals on the nose. Red fruit, bit of tobacco and graphite round it out. — 6 years ago

with Gregory, Chad and 1 other

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

The 88 out of 6 liter.

On the nose; sweet mid red fruit with a pruny character. Cooked blackberries, dark cherries, old plum, rhubarb, vanilla, stones, dry minerals and withering red florals.

On the palate, the body is lean and tannins well resolved. Fruits show a pruny quality. Blackberries, dark cherries, cherries, strawberries, rhubarb, cola, fine powdery minerals, used leather, underbrush, limestone, waterfall acidity and a leaner sort of water back fruit finish. Such a treat to drink these wines these old wines out of big formats.

Photos of the Phelps party.
— 7 years ago

Mono Head

9.0

Dry but flat. I think this wine is good to drink now ( not sure how much longer it would stay good). There is nothing that really stands out about this wine. Not very complex. — 8 years ago

Chris England

9.9

🇬🇧 Vivino London Dinner - 01 Apr 🇬🇧

Wine 1️⃣1️⃣

d'Yquem 99 from Mami

📝 What a perfect sexual climax to a stunning meal with fab folks 😍

Mami generously brought a 75cl bottle of this god nectar to wash down the cheeses 🧀 I died & went to heaven when I had this with blue Stilton cheese 😍

I think I had more than my fair share of this silky sweet seductive love juice 😎

Too busy enjoying for notes so check out others reviews 😜

Thank you Mami for sharing this superb treat 👍😘 — 9 years ago

Michael Meyer

9.2

Ok, I know the haters are out there. But seriously in a charming restaurant in a old Wyoming frontier town, and paired with world-class elk tenderloin, this Cab rocked. Or maybe it was the Wyoming Whisky warmup talking... — 9 years ago

Justin Ennis

9.8

This is the 1996. It was tasting great today. Had out of Magnum — 9 years ago

with MH and Will

Ira Schwartz

10

The essence of ripe cherries and strawberries invade every nook and cranny of this wine. Extremely silky and smooth in the mouth which produces a finish that reminded me of the horizon when you are looking out from the deck of a boat, just does not quit. — 10 years ago

Charles Antin

Senior Wine Specialist/Auctioneer Zachys

9.0

Perhaps I'm a philistine but this is preferable to the CdM 13 years out. But I'll take the latter when I'm 64. — 12 years ago

with Michael