Dean Quintal

9.5

Deep, dense red-purple hue. licorice, toasty oak, and subtle mocha notes. Dark fruits like blackberry and plum are noticeable, but it's more restrained than overtly fruity.
full-bodied, with sultry dark fruits (black cherry, plum), dark chocolate, licorice, and spice. Can’t wait for at least another 5 years before I try this again. Didn’t feel too you but feels like it will be better with age. — 7 months ago

Kristin the Wine Girl

9.2

Paired beautifully with Scallop Crudo and Tuna tataki! Provided by John Fanaris — 9 months ago

Blair Campomizzi

9.6

A surprise addition of the night. A great blend, about 75% Cab, 14% merlot with CF and PV filling in the remainder. Plum, blackberry and fig show through nicely. Touches of vanilla. — 4 years ago

with Marilea

Tom Garland

9.1

1/2 hour decant (decent chunky/fine sediment). An amazing still dark garnet with decent bricking. On the nose: some dark cherry, old worn leather, sweet mint, smoked meat, potpourri. Taste: soft, creamy, elegant, silky sweet tannins caress the palate with a little dark cherry, damp earth, herbal, and a spiced red plum pencil lead dry finish. A nice example of aged Napa cab. YUM. — 4 years ago

with Brenda

Peter Wassam

9.8

A softened ruby color. Beautiful balance, everything in harmony. Wet earth, raspberry, cinnamon, a whiff of truffle, intoxicating nose. So much ripe, fresh red fruit on the palate. Such soft tannins, damson plum, a mineral streak running through. Drinking a 15 year old wine for 15th anniversary of diabetes. This is splendid in the moment — 9 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

Andrew Goldstein

9.8

Black berries, plum, light, chocolate, spicy finish. — 13 years ago

Ericsson

9.3

Well. These vintages are becoming rarer and rarer now that Beyoncé and Jay Z popularize it. Plum, graphite, tobacco on the nose. Poised and elegant on the palate, with silky fruit, fine grain tannins and a minera edge to it 👌🏻 — 8 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Another great drinking older Cali showing red, black fruit, plum with cedar, leather, sweet, savory spice & tobacco leaf — 9 months ago

Her Mir Tage

9.2

Is the Parker 99-point 2009 VCC Worth Its Price?

From a scoring perspective, you might feel slightly disappointed upon opening it, but in terms of price, it likely aligns with expectations.

Having previously tasted a Parker 95-100-point Côte-Rôtie La Landonne, I found its complexity and aromatic depth more impressive than this wine—though the 99-point VCC is the highest score this estate has ever received from Parker.

After 30 minutes of decanting:
The wine showed dark fruit aromas (blackberry), along with primary, secondary, and tertiary notes—cigar box, leather, and truffle-but the tannins were still tight, indicating it wasn’t fully open.

After 2 hours of decanting:
The wine began to unfold, not with explosive aromas but with a refined, lingering profile.Beyond the initial notes, ripe plum, vanilla, and graphite emerged. However, compared to an older vintage of VCC I’ve tried (which had a rich dark chocolate character), this bottle lacked that particular depth.

The tannins turned silky and smooth, making it very approachable, while a savory umami note complemented the medium acidity. The body was beautifully clean and well-structured. — 10 months ago

KDU Wine Club

9.3

Earthy and berry aroma. Smooth and velvety with tastes of black currant, plum, and cherry. Dusty and chalky with a mouth coating feel. Slightly dry and spicy with a lingering finish. — 6 years ago

with KDU

Deborah Parker Wong

10

Umami, tea leaves, leather, bright and focused mid palate of umeboshi plum, celery salt and sweet pipe tobacco. Looong and memorable. — 9 years ago

Lily Mirabelle Freedman

9.3

1978: plum caramel, eucalyptus, dusty gravel, tobacco, and morels — 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

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! — 9 months ago

with Daniel and Michael

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Every time I have an older BV Tapestry, 15-25 yrs, I am always impressed with their better vintages. 2007 the rule rather than the exception. This when released in 2009-10 was between $35-$40 depending on when & where you purchased it. Having stated the above, these have proven to better than some to many Napa Cabernets costing $125 to $175 with the right long age. Bought in the last six months on the secondary market for $55 if my memory hasn’t failed me.

Tonight from a corvined bottle over the weekend still shows youthfulness but has excellent integration & evolution. Still has 12-15 years of good drinking ahead.

Ripe & lush, touch candied, dark currants, blackberries, black raspberries, the darkest cherries, black plum, baked strawberries & haunting blueberries/raspberries. Sweet tarriness, dry twig, powdery limestone, anise to some black licorice, soft, wet herbs, baking soda, dry top soil, nutmeg, soft clove, cinnamon, vanillin, dark spices, withering & candied flowers that are dark, red, blue framed in lavender & liquid violets.

The palate shows lush, ripe with M+ velvety rounded tannins. Lush dark currants, blackberries, black raspberries, the darkest cherries, black plum, baked strawberries & haunting blueberries/raspberries. Sweet tarriness, dry leather, used tobacco with ash, lead pencil shavings, dry twig, powdery limestone, anise to some black licorice, moist & dry herbs, baking soda, dry top soil, nutmeg, soft clove, cinnamon stick, vanillin, dark spices, withering & candied flowers that are dark, red, blue framed in lavender & liquid violets, pretty acidity and a finish that is; well balanced/structured/knitted, elegantly polished that last two-minutes and lands evenly on fruits, soft earth notes & deep spices as it sets. — 9 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Deep Ruby, aged for 18 months in French oak, about 25% new, aromas of red and blue fruits with spice and earthy scents. On the palate flavors of plum, cherry and blueberry with some spice and cacao. This full-body wine had velvety smooth tannins, well balanced, long finish ending with fruit, spice and earthy character. — 4 years ago

Manny Abascal

9.4

New leather, licorice, graphite on nose, juicy plum and black fruit on palate, velvet texture, integrated tannins, long finish, balance. — 7 years ago

Daron Watson

9.5

How'd the 375ml of '59 Chevy w mid-shoulder fill show?
#LIKEABOSS!
Nose of crushed leather furniture, cigar box, fig, Christmas cake, plum & hints of a red cherry cordial
Still a pop of acidity with the fruit, but richness dominated adding raisin to the flavors along w feral animale & shaved dark chocolate taking over on the lengthy finish — 9 years ago

Elizabeth McCrone

8.9

Tried this 2009 we got as a holiday gift ... Nicely balanced in terms of structure and fruit. Great plum flavors, smokey finish. We liked it a lot! — 11 years ago