Kyle Groombridge

9.3

I'll be the first to admit - Pessac-Leognan, with its pompous little history, gets overlooked and passed by in my drinking rotation way too easily. Perhaps not on purpose, but ultimately being deemed "not as exciting" as other left bank names like Margaux, Pauillac, and St. Julien.. but it's bottles like this that remind me why good Pessac is worth the time and effort to track down too.

After a couple hours of decanting, the nose is dark and haunting, with notes of sweet, smoky oak, blackberries, blueberries, violet, and black licorice. The tannins are present but not too astringent at all. Smooth and inviting, dark and perfectly balanced, this drinks beautifully right now but will have the stuffing to age at least 10-20 more years.. This is easily a standout of the oft-disparaged 2012 vintage and well deserving of Parker's 96-point rating. — 8 years ago

Courtney Cochran

Sommelier/Host hiptastes.com

8.9

Note: for v13 Brut ***
Champagne-lively bubbles, white peach cobbler character (topped with marzipan crust, natch), pear skin, pastry and beauty.
Classy Champagne-Method style aligns with prettiness of label (Art Nouveau awesome, *nice*). Lingering finish, mellow, fabulous and closing with biscuit notes and a soupçon of clementine. Serve with a smile 💋 — 9 years ago

with Ronald and Jayme

Cary Palmer

9.0

Anise, leather, menthol, tar, red fruits. Great structure. Acidity was singing. Tons of life left. 1999 vintage tasted June 16, 2015. — 10 years ago

Jonathan Steeves

9.0

The 2009 vintage of Quinta Ferreira estate winery Obra-Prima is garnet colored and packed with dense aromatics and flavors. This wine yields from the BC VQA Okanagan Valley. Tasted in early 2015, on first impression, it is packed with Cocoa, ripe plum, ripe blackberry, vanilla bean, and a hint of Black sage, slight anise and umami. On the palate, this wine mirrors it's aromatics. With a mouth feel which is smooth and velvety, it has medium tenants, medium acidity, dry, only slightly grippy, medium fruit and is well-balanced. This wine comes from a Portuguese wine maker and the name of this blend "obra – prima" is Portuguese for "masterpiece" or "work of art". Well integrated and medium plus bodied, this wine pairs well with grilled, barbecued or roasted chicken, mildly spiced Italian barbecued sausage, or fig infused goats cheese on garlic crustinis. This wine is ready for consumption presently and recommend drink 2015-2018. — 10 years ago

Jordan Moore

9.1

Now this was very impressive coming from a great vintage. Candied orange peel and dried rose pedals. Tight as a tiger and such a long lasting finish! Opened up tremendously over the course of the night. A bit of tar and cranberry at the beginning and just softened into a work of art. — 10 years ago

Nick Apone

9.4

2012 vintage. Beautiful nose smells of cherry blossom, and spice box, Volnay like. The mid palate is strikingly fresh, and pure offering tart cherry, candied orange peel, and cranberry. The wine has power and finesse in perfect unison. The fruit tones are very fine tune on the long finish. This is the art of balance. — 10 years ago

Emily Kresie-Harrington

9.2

2006 vintage. Look at what I found buried at the bottom of a wine rack at another store with no facing! Very smoky, but in a clean and un-obnoxious sort of way. Lime, dried lemon, birch, blanched almonds, black rocks, dried white flowers. What a great find and good example of dry Riesling! — 8 years ago

Katharine Neville

9.5

Easy to drink, lot of flavor; 2012 vintage — 9 years ago

Rich

9.2

Well-knit and balanced, with vibrant acidity framing hints of blackberry, white cherry, biscuit, honey and candied lemon zest. Offers a lightly smoky finish.

A Champagne House is eventually judged on the quality of its Brut Non Vintage. It is in the making of such a wine that the true Art of Champagne blending reveals itself.
This is an art in which the House of Veuve Clicquot excels. Our Brut Yellow Label reflects the superb vineyards we own and the consistent nature of our House style.

The predominance of Pinot Noir provides the structure that is so typically Clicquot, while a touch of Pinot Meunier rounds out the blend. Chardonnay adds the elegance and finesse essential in a perfectly balanced wine. — 10 years ago

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! — 10 years ago

Spinning_spins

9.6

This wine just never ceases to amaze me. The 2012 vintage, which I've had before and loved, continues to evolve. The nose is tighter now, but is opening as I write. Brooding black fruit wrapped in rosemary and sage cocoon. Similar flavors backed by acidity and tannin deliver a work of art, with a lingering, contemplative finish. Yes. — 10 years ago

MaJ CappS

9.3

A long deep inhale of adult nose candy opens up to a fresh bunch of Thai mint. A little "wineado" and you have got yourself dark cherry wood lightly smoked-aerating in mouth, leads way to medium tannins, structured like a work of art.
Truly great for the price.
Vintage 09'
Bought a case. — 10 years ago

Fabien Lainé

Blogger VinDeling.com

10

Niepoort 1952 Garrafeira - It could be Van Gogh, Rembrandt or Michelangelo - it is Niepoort Vinhos & Adegga that made my weekend an epic experience of art and senses #winelover - Garrafeira wines are a Niepoort speciality, a signature. They are ports from a single harvest that has then been aged for in special glass containers rather than wood. These demijons were made in the 18th century and Niepoort uses these ‘estate heirlooms’ to create a special wine that sets Niepoort apart. This 1952 was set in demijon in 1955 and then decanted in 1974. - Cheers :) — 11 years ago

Michael Meagher MS

Chairman/Founder Boston Sommelier Society, Beverage Director Cafe Escadrille

9.3

Tight, sinewy and packed in tight. Would love to see this wine with a few years of bottle age. Really not fair to show it after just a year and a half past vintage, but I'm not complaining! — 9 years ago

Richard Macleod

President MacLeod Family Vineyard

9.7

This vintage still going strong. Plenty of berry fruit and exceptional balance. Delicate mouth feel. Not over the top jammy. My last bottle. This would have held up for another 10 years. Makes me think we have lost the art of balanced cabs in recent years. — 9 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

New release of the Prelude. 2nd wine to the famous Art Series. The 2014 Prelude is in excellent form striking the right balance between lush fruit and struck match leanness. Oak a little prominent at this point. Yet another good vintage in Marg River. — 10 years ago

Lincoln Shurtz

9.4

Really fruit forward, jammy, truly unfiltered wine. Excellent vintage. Fun vineyard with plenty of collectables and art — 10 years ago

David Beaton

9.4

Leeuwin Estate Shiraz getting better & better each vintage! Great grapes in 2012 that went into both Art Series. & Siblings Shiraz- smooth, easy drinking, medium bodied Shiraz wonderful smells of ripe red plums Excellent value-for-money Shiraz - share a bottle today with friends , family, siblings!! — 10 years ago

Jonathan Steeves

9.1

The 2010 vintage shows well. It's ruby red and well balanced. Medium high acidity, medium red fruit, full bodied and voluptuous with tangy and well rounded, well integrated mouthfeel. Just enough oak to complement the structured presence of fruit, tannins, and acidity without taking away from any of the components. Chewy cherry, tart red berries, dark chocolate and ripe plums on the nose and palate. Enjoyed with a California salad of baby spinach, fresh strawberries, fig-infused goats cheese, balsamic reduction and slightly toasted almonds or with your favourite cheese plate. Also enjoyed a red pepper and wild rice stuffed Tuscan chicken main which paired well. A wonderful expression of amarone at 15% alc without feeling heavy or excessive. — 10 years ago

Christine Havens

9.9

Appreciating a great estate like Leoville-Las Cases is like appreciating a great work of art. It's done slowly, thoughtfully and with profound pleasure. While 1997 wasn't a profound vintage in and of itself, Cab-dominant Leoville sings. It's still fresh and elegant with notes of steeped blackberry, black currant, graphite and violets. Medium-bodied with well-integrated, caressing tannins, notes of iodine and forest floor. The finish is lengthy, stately and graceful. — 11 years ago