Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

1989 vintage. Decanted and tasted over the course of two hours. Expected sed. Nice fill and one of the better corks I've seen in the last few years on a 1989 BDX. This is, by far, the oldest CLG I’ve had. The first few years are always filled with tons of fruit, richness, a rounded mouthfeel and very supple. This was tasting more like an 80’s vintage of Pichon-Lalande with the feminine characteristics except for a little beefiness around the 1.25 hours, post-decant, mark. Consistently delicious throughout the 2 hour experience. Not improving and semi-delicate but seems like it’s got 3-5 years left in this room before strolling into another. 12.15.23. — 2 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

One of my favorite go to wines for a grilled steak & a great vintage for GL that is drinking beautifully. Perfectly stored btls match my more than 2 dozen tasting notes listed below. — 6 years ago

Donald Williams

9.0

Holding up very well. Magnum helps. Keeps getting better with time. Not even beginning to fade. Wine Tasting at Andy and Elaine’s. — 6 years ago

with Bonnie

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9.5

The 1989 Pichon-Baron repeats its performance from the vertical tasting in May 2018. It storms from the glass, bearing copious blackberry, cedar and perhaps a little more mint than I noticed on the previous bottle. There is so much youthful zeal to this harmonious, refined Pauillac that you would barely guess it is 30 years old. Long and tender with a graphite-infused finish, this bottle might be even better than the ex-château example. Tasted at the 1989 Bordeaux dinner at Hatched in London. (Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2019) — 7 years ago

Ken Z

9.5

Drank 1/18/19 at the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux event in Miami.  All wines from the 2016 Vintage.

Tasting pour, no formal notes taken.  Most of these wines are very tight, and will require 5-15 years to really come together.  Many will likely improve a few points with time.

Delicious black fruit. More complexity and depth than the Grand Puy Ducasse. — 7 years ago

with JT

Martin G Rivard

10

Quick funny story:
Christine & I are LUCKY to have Kelly work in our office but we are BLESSED to be able to consider her and Darryl as dear friends.
We recommended to Kelly, prior to her going on vacation in Charleston SC, that they should stop by the Belmont hotel. They have a bar and restaurant that is 2nd to none in that area. Christine & I LOVE it!!!! Kelly sent me a quick text to say “hey, we’re at the Belmont! And about to have dinner!”
Being the goof ball that I am..... .....I called the Somm and said “I don’t care what they ordered, bring them a Shafer Hillside Select with some age on it!!!”. 10 minutes later he was decanting a 2003 Hillside Select table side! I love that hotel! Incredible service, incredible food and always a phenomenal experience! The only thing better are-our friends that are there right now!!!!

I didn’t Have a drop of this wine but I am scoring it a 10 based on experience alone!! It must have been “Badass in a Glass” as I always say!
I’ll let Kelly and Darryl fill in the official tasting notes!
by the way Kelly: don’t love SC tooooooo much, Christine & I can’t operate that place without you! See you next week! 👍👏👏👏👏👍
— 8 years ago

with Christine

Courtney B

9.7

CA winery tastings — 9 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.1

Surprise bottle at the end of the tasting. A real treat. Garnet red with medium intensity and quite a bit of sediment. Layered nose with soft blackberries, soft black cherries, and a soft undertone of provenance herbs (lavender). Palate floats right across your tongue with some light red cherries, some toasted wood and a little leather. Still solid moderate tannins (5.5/10) and well integrated with the solid acidity. Medium to light bodied with great structure and texture. Moderate plus finish with a dryness to it. Drink till 2020. — 10 years ago

with Sean and India

Albert Camilleri

9.1

The other wine of note from Spanish Tasting line up. Drinking very well atm but will get better too I think. Medium bodied with dusty tannins, cherries, oak and liquorice. — 11 years ago

Cathy Corison

Owner/Winemaker Corison Winery

9.1

Rioja tasting 6/21/23!! — 3 years ago

David Leiman

9.4

1984, surprisingly tanic, acidic, and Heavy dried fruit, prunes and dried figs. over oxidized tasting at first but interesting. From producer to cellar at breakers in palm beach. Small leak out the bottle on one side of the cork. Over time it settles and the dried fruit subsides and then the lighter acidic flavors of fresh berries comes forward. — 4 years ago

Grant Simpson

9.6

2000 first growth tasting w a couple right bankers. Mouton edges out the others today.... — 6 years ago

Eric Urbani

9.5

My #1 in our Kosta Browne 2006-2015 tasting — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.4

Had friends over for lunch on Saturday and had a match off with this 1997 Dominus with a 1997 Wynns John Riddoch - both from magnum. This Dominus I first tried at TriBeCa Grill in New York about 8 years ago and it was a wow wine for me. In fact the best Cabernet I had ever had outside of Bordeaux. No detailed notes but this was more savoury and less fruit driven than I remember. The consensus around the table was in favour of the Riddoch with me as the sole vote for the Dominus. No detailed tasting notes. — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

The community of Saint-Estèphe has it roots in the Gallo-Roman origins of this chateau. A blend of 78% Cab Sauv, 20% Merlot & 2% Petit Verdot. Deep Ruby with aromas of dense sweet black fruits with herb and earthy spice. On the palate flavors of black cherry and blackberry, currant like, with tobacco, tar and hints of vanilla exposing mushroom notes. Well balanced, ripe textured tannins, long finish ending with earthy character. Nice, has plenty of room to develop. — 7 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.3

Chateau palmer tasting dinner @ little nell — 8 years ago

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9.7

The 2014 d'Yquem has a complex bouquet with buttered toast, almond, honey and peach skin aromas. It opens with greater zeal than its peers, there is more immediacy here. The palate is very well balanced with crisp acidity, a finely tuned and satisfying Sauternes with style and grace, evincing great tension and mineral drive towards the finish. Superb. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, March 2018) — 8 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.6

2010 vintage. Tasting at Magill Estate with Peter Gago. The star of the show. Blockbuster that has everything. Complex and balanced nose of a great Grange. Black fruited, some leather and spice. Savoury. On the palate, great concentration while not being too big. Medium plus body and alcohol. Medium acidity. Long finish. Exceptional. I enjoyed it now. But best to wait for another decade and enjoy for a further 20 years plus. — 9 years ago

Frank Zbignewich

9.0

Young Caymus wine so some of the comments are interesting. Great dark berry flavors and much room to develop. Not the toasty oak of the 2012 but still needs some time to evaluate over the next 4 years. Still a fun wine to drink. — 10 years ago

Chris Bensick

9.2

Its always a surprise to open one of these old Montebellos and encounter what seems to be a much younger tasting wine. This one was about mid-shoulder and the cork although intact was pretty spongy. Nevertheless -- no browning, no hint of oxidation, just a very robust and savory mouthful from first to last. Very heavy sediment but the color in the upper glass was still intense. Getting a bit dry but by no means over the hill. 12.8% abv. — 10 years ago

The Savory

10

Oh my gawd dawg! I tried this at the California Wine Festival and loved it so much that I took it away from the crowd and had a quiet moment and a wee whisper with it. It's really wonderful when you drink some average to decent wines and suddenly throw an absolute stoater in there for perspective.

I can't really do it justice with my ham-fisted tasting notes, but believe me when I say that this is a delightful wine that reminds you how wonderful Napa can be. - Ross Gardiner — 12 years ago

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9.4

The 2012 Montrose has a taut and focused bouquet with crisp blackberry, tobacco and light earthy scents on the nose. Fine vigour and class evident here. The palate is medium-bodied with chewy tannins on the entry, fine acidity, lightly spiced with a nicely proportioned and focused finish. This is a solid, almost swarthy Montrose, though it is surpassed by more recent vintages. Tasted twice at Bordeaux Index's Ten Year-On tasting and blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting. (Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2022)
— 4 years ago

David Nicewicz

9.8

Truly a memorable wine experience for this perfectly stored Sassicaia. The perfume on this wine was mesmerizing - Licorice, old library, tobacco leaves, leather and spice with a touch of cassis. I nosed it for 10 min before even tasting it (praying to the wine gods that the wine was intact) - perfection on the nose in my book. The palate lived up to the nose and perfectly reflected the notes with an added touch of dried roses and a hint of graphite. Why not a 10? The finish was a tad short, but I’m splitting hairs - I bought two more bottles of this from the amazing restaurant we ate at - La Caravella - in Amalfi. An outstanding restaurant, rich history (including a 1000 year old wine cellar with 20k bottles of wine which the staff graciously offered for me to tour) and lovely chef. A must visit for any wine/food geek if you’re on the Amalfi Coast. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

When in doubt, a sure bet is a well aged, good vintage Heitz. @Eric Shanks

I intended to grab an 06 but, mistakenly grabbed an 07. I’ve not had one of my 06’s yet...next weekend.

The one thing I do every time I open one of my ten year or older Heitz Napa Cabernet’s is smile & think, this was sub $35 at Costco. It’s the wine feeling/definition of stealing candy from babies.

The nose is a beautiful harmony of fruit, earth and florals. Steeped, somewhat stewed, candied fruits of; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, mix of purple fruits; boysenberries, ollieberries, & mulberries. Dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, touch of incense, fire ambers, dark spices with violets palate heat, chocolate pudding, vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg, dark chocolate, caramel, sweet, soft, dark spice, dark berry cola, dark cherry kirsch, dark, rich earth, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dry top soil, moist clay, understated herbs & dry brush, brewed coffee, mint, some sage & bay leaf, tobacco, dry, old leather with amazing, fresh & slightly withering & candied; dark, red, blue, purple with a violet & lavender frame. The acidity is splendid. The long, ripe, ruby, lush, elegant, well crafted balance of fruit & earth is delicious and persists endlessly with a dark spice on the long set.

The body is; delightful, ripe, rich, lush & full. The structure, tension, length and balance are woven in a perfect tapestry. This 07 has another 10-15 years easily. The tannins are rounded, smooth but, still have a dark, chewy, tarriness with baby teeth. The beauty of the vintage is on full display. Steeped, somewhat stewed, candied fruits of; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, mix of purple fruits; boysenberries, ollieberries, & mulberries. Dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, touch of incense, fire ambers, chocolate pudding, vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg, dark & milk chocolate, caramel, sweet, soft, dark spice, dark berry cola, dark cherry kirsch, dark, rich earth, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dry top soil, moist clay & dry brush, brewed coffee, mint, tobacco, dry, old leather with amazing, fresh & slightly withering & candied ; dark, red, blue, purple with a violet & lavender frame. The acidity is perfect. The finish is; rich, ripe, ruby, candied, well balanced fruit & earth, elegant and long sets into velvety, round tannins and mid dark spices.

Photos of; the winery, tasting patio, old basket press and wide shot of the winery & Estate vines. — 6 years ago

Jack Petras

9.8

Fortunate enough to have tasted this along with 6 other stunning wines last night during a cellar tasting. This 36 year old 2nd growth was nearly perfect, unusual but very pleasant mint, camphor, crushed sage and rosemary aromas with the same cooling delicate herbal initial palate. Dried but expressive red fruits mid- palate with a great structural graphite element throughout. Whiff of new leather. Changed in the glass showing different mellow facets. Pretty much intercepted at the exact right time. A real privilege to taste such a renowned vintage with folks who appreciates what was in front of them. — 7 years ago

Zack Hall

9.5

Horizontal tasting veritas nyc — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

On the nose, dark sour cherries, dates, burnt figs, grilled meats, burnt ambers, liquid smoke & dark dry florals. The core color is dark with garnet edges. The palate is; slightly sour but mostly sweet dark cherries, stewed plum, cooked strawberries, rhubarb, dates, figs, tomatoes, smoke, grilled meats, brewed coffee, light tarry notes, dry crushed rock powder, volcanic minerals, dark rich earth, dusty tannins, dry dark florals, soft chewy leather, nice round acidity with a decent, soft, elegant finish...50-50 fruit & earth. This is the largest co-op producer in Europe with 50 members. They collectively have 250 acres; which is about 1/6 of the total under vine. Photos of; the town of Barbaresco (their tasting room near the tower), Produttori cellar and their tasting bar. No appointment necessary. Close to Gaja and the town has one of the best one star Michelin lunches as well as the best service we've experienced. Just right of Gaja. Good with our Veal Bolognese. — 9 years ago

Nate Redner

9.5

Crushable. Great summertime wine. — 10 years ago

with Michael

Marty Winters

9.2

Pleasantly surprised everyone seemed to really feel like these wines were never going to age, but here we are and they are tasting great. Wonder what another 10-15 will show. — 11 years ago

Mitchell Bennett

9.5

The Prisoner from Napa Valley is excellent--second time tasting, but first time with the bottle. Delicious both times. — 12 years ago