Robert Stackowiak

9.1

Cherry licorice nose. Cherry with a touch of spice on the palate. Tannins have smoothed but still present. Deserves the accolades that I have seen. February 2026. — 5 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Fruit is brighter, more brilliant than many other 21’s I’ve had. Texturally & fruit-wise senses more like the 23’s I’ve had. It’s gorgeous. Again, needs a decade or more in the cellar.

Round, lush, creamy blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, both plums, poached strawberries, dry, crushed rocks, limestone powder, nice balling spices, caramel, mocha, dry herbs, dry tobacco, lead pencil, dry river stone, leather, melted, dark chocolate, dark spice, fresh & withering dark flowers, red roses, nice round acidity, well balanced, bigger tension & structure, excellent round, excellent finish that last minutes and lands on spice, wet clay and Christmas cake. — 6 months ago

Conrad Green

9.8

Both intense and haunting at the same time. Lovely clear complex fruit with raspberry, deep cherry, a hint of orange rind. Spice and brooding dark gnarly fruit underneath but still light and deft. This is so complex and beautiful — 9 months ago

with Matt

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured from my cellar. The cork was absolutely perfect. The 2005 pours a rather turbid, deep garnet at nearly 17 years old. There's quite a bit of fine sediment that clings to the edge of the glass with each swirl. Medium+ viscosity. On the nose, this was initially a bit grumpy but within minutes, it relaxed and started to show some real charm. A fully developed wine, this is becoming a bit of a Leather Daddy, full of leather (obviously), bruised and desiccated red, black and blue fruits, Christmas spice fruit cake, coffee, damp earth, and candied nuts. On the palate, the fruit remains quite stunning and confirms the mix of bruised and desiccated fruit with a sort of sherried character. Loads of salmiakki (salted licorice), spiced nuts, pepper, coffee and, you guessed it, leather. The wine was dry, technically, but almost gives the sensation of some RS with all of the over-ripe fruits and the texture was almost sappy, in some ways. However, while this was absolutely rich and well-endowed, it was not cloying. Tannins have fully integrated (though still present) and the acid was like a girdle keeping everything held together. This remains a rather large personality even if it's showing its age. Definitely in a lovely spot...but how much longer will that last? If this wasn't my last bottle, I would probably be drinking these over the next five years unless you want the full Leather Daddy experience...which is okay if that's your thing. — 4 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.4

Shimmering ruby. Expansive aromas of fresh dark berries, cherry cola, potpourri and exotic spices; vanilla and espresso notes emerge as the wine opens up. Sweet, fleshy and seamless in texture, offering palate-staining black raspberry, cherry liqueur, vanilla and spicecake flavors and a sexy violet pastille nuance. Velvety tannins build slowly on the finish, which hangs on with impressive, floral- and spice-dominated persistence. (60% new French oak) (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, June 2019) — 7 years ago

Paul Masson

9.2

Charming, textbook mature Chinon with freshly ground black pepper and barely ripe raspberry. With air, a more exotic spice profile unfurls alongside earthy and floral flourishes. Fresh and lively in the mouth, with lightly gripping tannins promising another decade of aging potential. A compact wine, but complex, and complete from nose to finish. Imported by Louis Dressner, this vintage was purchased recently at Wine Warehouse in Charlottesville, VA. — 9 years ago

Greg Gregory

9.4

This was a beautiful wine that kept getting better, even with the impressive talent that was arrayed alongside it. Red berries, some olives and cedar on the nose, it opens with lovely spice notes, a layered richness that became ever more evident as it opened. The Lafite elegance was on prominent display at the mid palate, the fruit at the core of this wine has lovely perfume and still luscious appeal. This impressive wine continued to gain depth and kept blossoming as the night wore on. — 10 years ago

Jimmy Smith

Director, West and North London Wine School

9.2

2011: all varieties. Meaty, lavender, garden herbs, smoky, but still very vibrant red fruit. Lovely vibrancy of red fruit and all Mouvedre and Grenache aromatics. Sweet fruit, juicy acidity, hot indian spice and liquorice. Plum, cherry, spiced. Quite ready now. — 11 years ago

Courtney K

9.0

Rich...thick...wood & spice...this wine warms my toes! — 11 years ago

Alex in NYC

8.9

Barnyard, mulch on nose, pretty funky, sour cherry, blackberry, raisin, some spice, good, long, grippy finish — 12 years ago

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. — 5 months ago

Anthony Cammarata Jr.

9.4

What a great refined wine. The 2018 Insignia opens with aromas of dark fruit, florals, and spice. On the palate, blackberry, mocha, and plum come through with a nice texture and tannins. The finish is long, savory, and elegant. Wow! — 10 months ago

with Daniel and Michael

Henry Boshoff

9.3

Nice and spicy... — 5 years ago

Jesse d

10

Favorite red blend — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.5

Night 1 of the Fall WNH event in San Antonio. What a killer start to the extended weekend, all courtesy to Shawn and Jennifer for hosting! Tonight was Italian wines.

Another in the running for WOTN. Maple and rich! Cherry and vanilla tobacco on the nose with herbal spice and a strawberry tart finish. Young and acidic! There is a very underripe red fruit dominant profile here. Crazy how young it tastes for 23yrs old. Bravo @Shawn R ! — 8 years ago

with Mike, David and 5 others

Tom Kobylarz

9.8

If there were ever an archetypical Syrah, Jamet's Cote-Rotie would be a strong candidate. To me this is a pure expression of a classic Northern Rhone Syrah. It is not a single site, but a blend of terroirs, encompassing over 20 sites mostly from hard rock schist bedrock with little to no topsoil. There is NO Viognier in this wine like one might expect from most Cote-Rotie that might have 1-5% co-fermented.

Importantly, there is also a lot less of the oak character that can dominate and overwhelm many Northern Rhone wines. The oak maturation, while not short at 22 months, only uses 15% new oak with no trace of it on the palate as it is perfectly integrated. Grape bunches are whole cluster fermented and macerated for up to 3 weeks.

The 2007 we have here was drinking superbly for a young wine, showing lively and racy layers of peppercorn spice, roast beef, and warm blackberry and currant fruit from the hot 2007 vintage. While from a warm vintage, not a hair is out of place. Density and purity exude from the nose and hint at what a brilliant future this wine has. Perfect acidity and fleshy ripe tannin provide the backbone structure for father time to peel back the layers of this beauty. I will be chceking back in 5 years at the earliest. — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.1

2000 Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet Sauvignon:
From Jay. Dark ruby red in color. A preponderance of black forest fruits on the nose mixed with cedar and some menthol and a touch of spice. Rich blackcurrant, black cherries and traces of vanilla on the palette. This is a solid effort from Ridge and although it does not have the makings of an epic wine it will certainly improve with time. Drink 2017 to 2030. 91/100


— 11 years ago

Luis Arguero (@winefromAtoZ)

9.1

Amazing taste! Perfect color, perfect structure, great spice, love the fruit! Enjoy with my mochi ice cream dessert — 11 years ago

J Ham

10

Great. Rich. Complex. Perfect balance of spice, fruit, and mineral. — 13 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.3

Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz 2023
South Australia 🇦🇺

Overview
A more tightly wound and concentrated expression of Bin 389, showcasing the same Cabernet-Shiraz framework (Cabernet for backbone, Shiraz for richness) but delivered with greater tension, density, and youthful drive. This vintage leans more serious and structured than 2022, highlighting the fascinating impact vintage conditions have on balance, ripeness, and extraction in agricultural wines.

Aromas & Flavors
Intense blackcurrant, crushed blackberry, dark cherry, and graphite dominate the aromatics, layered with fresh cedar, cocoa nib, and subtle minty spice. The palate is compact and powerful, showing darker fruit concentration, savory spice, and tightly coiled oak structure that promises excellent evolution with time.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and more compact than the 2022. Tannins are firmer and more youthful, giving a punchier, more linear profile. The wine feels energetic and focused, with impressive density and length, clearly built for further integration.

Food Pairings
Char-grilled steak or venison. Slow-braised beef cheeks. Pepper-crusted lamb. Smoked meats and firm aged cheeses.

Verdict
A bolder, more muscular Bin 389 that trades immediate plushness for intensity and aging potential. A striking reminder of how vintage variation shapes personality, same blueprint, very different expression.

Did You Know?
Penfolds sources fruit for Bin 389 from multiple South Australian regions, blending different terroirs and climates to build complexity, consistency, and layered structure across vintages.

🍷 Personal Pick
If you enjoy tracking wine evolution, this is a fantastic candidate for short-to-mid-term cellaring, revisit in a few years to watch the structure melt into harmony. Also check my previous 2022 review!
— 5 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

Initially sooty, tarry notes with dried herbs and garrigue generally. The mid weight palate has sweet ripe red and black fruits typical of the 2015 vintage with spice and a little pepper. A lovely wine and a faithful rendition of a quality CdP. — 7 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Great vintage for GL that was fresh & drinking beautifully at 41 yrs showing red & black fruit, earth, cedar, leather with sweet, savory spice & cigar box — 2 years ago

Pat A

9.1

Nice easy drinking red. $9 a glass as victorias — 5 years ago

Peter Windred

9.0

3 yrs in oak,
C: garnacha, med in
A: strawberry, spice, coffee, mocha smoke, vanillin
Aroma int high, complex aroma,
P: at med +int, smooth tannins, med + finish, good bal, — 7 years ago

Andrea Watt

9.1

Full red fruit and spice with smoke and woody honey. Smooth as silk. — 8 years ago

Morgan Copeland

9.5

Easy drinking cab. Shared with Mom in SoHo — 9 years ago

Josh Brown

9.2

Strong but not too strong. So at first but then smooth. Full of flavor. Fruity with a touch of spice. — 10 years ago

mattswineworld

9.5

It's 18 months since I last tasted this, and it's developing very nicely. Dried strawberries, figs, prunes, and raisins, with fresh blackcurrants and blackberries. Very nice all-spice flavours too. Perfect with chicken and paprika. — 11 years ago

with Katie

Monica Gifford

9.1

2012 vintage. Spice, berry, and mineral driven flavors come together to create a juicy, full bodied wine with well integrated notes of oak. Bright nose with perfumed aromas of blackberry and cherry. Great balance of fruit, oak and tannins. I'll be adding this wine to my rotation. This wine is a real gem for the price and is comparable to pricier Spanish wines in my opinion. Cheers! — 11 years ago

Nick Boulas

9.0

Very nice pinot noir but not traditional by pinot standards. Very clean and complex. Layers of great berry fruit and spice. Interesting textures. Very pleasant finish. — 11 years ago