Tom Garland

9.1

Double decant and pour(lots of sediment). A splendid medium ruby red color. On the nose: a little stewed red fruit, herbaceous, worn leather, mint, sweet smokey oak, loamy soil. Taste: smooth, elegant, savory wine with a touch of dried red fruit, dried herbs, cocoa, damp earth, minerals, and a spiced iron/meaty medium finish. YUM! Mature and on the long downside, but still drinks nicely at 28 years. — 14 days ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.6

Happy Mother's Day...from MAG...go big or go home.

1 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A marvelous medium dark ruby red color with some bricking. On the nose: subtle notes of black cherry, cinnamon, sweet aged cab perfume, vanilla, eucalyptus. Taste: silky smooth, soft, juicy wine with dark cherry/plum, currants, milk chocolate, little spiced herbs, and a earthy espresso long finish. It's the entire package! Big YUM tonight. — 3 years ago

with Brenda

Frank Kuo

9.2

Color of purple , just a bit cloudy. Nose of blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, a bit honey and spice, a bit hickory, and a bit bourbon note indeed. Taste is quite sweet from dark fruits, with some zest and warm peppery feeling. A bit grassy tobacco and bourbon woody note again. Aftertaste shows some more ripe grapes. Quite interesting. — 3 years ago

Tom Garland

9.4

+2 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). An amazing dark garnet color. On the nose: You must breathe in this captivating nose of dark red fruit, herbaceous, smoke, sweet florals, worn leather, licorice. Taste: layered, balanced, silky wine with brambly raspberry/cherry, peppery tobacco, gravel, smoked leather, tar, and a long drying finish. YUM! No need to hurry plenty of time to go. — 3 months ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.4

1 hour decant(lots of chunky/fine sediment). A fabulous dark crimson color with just a hint of bricking. On the nose: subtle notes of dark cherry, smokey oak, vanilla toast, sweet tobacco, cedar and green veggie. Taste: smooth, layered, dense wine with a hint of blackberry, smokey, pencil lead, mocha, pepper, and a earthy cedar finish. — 3 years ago

with Brenda

Jeroen Koenen

9.6

Stupendous stuff. Soft, sweet and sexy in the nose. Structured, sultry and cedary on the palate.
Black cherries, Crème de Cassis, vanilla-caramel-mocha swirls. Topped off by some whiffs of earth, ink and soysauce.
Spectacular.
Dive in now or any time in the next decade. — 3 years ago

John Bratincevic

8.9

Nose: sweet baking spices, vanilla. Plum and dark berries - but the aforementioned flavors much more prominent than fruit. Taste: Amber herbs, distinct tobacco (it distinctly tastes the way tobacco smells, I can almost picture loose tobacco), the tannins add a nice bitterness to balance the sweet impression of the spices - bitter plum. I am having trouble picking out a lot of distinct flavors, but “simple” doesn’t seem like the right word - more subtle than simple. This seems very well made for the price ($10). Not my preferred style, but may buy again - worth it. 89. EDIT: black pepper and a lot more fruit (very ripe raspberry) shows as it gets air. I may have liked it better right out of the bottle. — 4 years ago

Tom Garland

9.4

1 hour decant(lots chunky/fine sediment). A wondrous still dark garnet color with some bricking. On the nose: beautiful savory notes of black cherry, graphite, sandalwood, chocolate, pine. Taste: elegant, polished, layered wine with dark plum/cherry, dark chocolate, dusty earth, sweet spice, leather and a nice long finish. YUM! Drinking well now with some time to go(unlike the 02s which seem to be fading faster). — 2 years ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland

9.3

A rustic tawny color. Nose - initial aroma of cherry and funky earth followed by a musty herbaceous, and vanilla nutmeg. Taste - elegant and juicy coating the mouth with dark cherry, pepper spice, wet earth and crushed rock. Secondary notes of orange peel, cedar and sweet currants. Is still drinking well indicating it’s aging ability. Could lay down for a few more years, — 2 years ago

with Leslie, Karin and 1 other

Tom Garland

9.3

1 hour decant (lots of very fine sediment). A fabulous tawny ruby red color with decent bricking. On the nose: expressive aromatics of cassis/currants, forest floor, delicate aged Bordeaux perfume, sweet spice, tobacco, touch of creme brulee. Taste: A soft, smooth, delicate, refined, supple tannin wine with savory notes of pencil lead, crushed gravel, leather, brambly red berries, touch of cinnamon. Interesting to see where it goes over the next couple hours. Wonderful bottle for a celebration tonight, and then onto Napa for an event filled weekend. — 3 years ago

with Brenda