Grant Everett

9.0

Came across a little overly sweet tonight — 7 years ago

with Ashleigh

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.7

Way too soon for this stud of a wine, but I needed to compare it side by side with Cristal 08. Big, bold, in your face... lots of structure and acidity... notes of Apple core and lemon pith...best Dom I’ve had... but only showing glimpses of future glory. Sharing lots of nuance and notes with the Cristal... on this day the brooding power of the Dom came across a bit more dumb and slumbering. Patience required! — 8 years ago

Andrew Willingham

9.2

One of my favorite Syrah’s, especially considering how reasonably it’s priced. Beautiful dark magenta color and texture, medium staining with some small sediment. Nose sees tight, dried blue and black berries, funky cured meat, maybe some wet rocks. Palette sees more jammy blue and red berries, medium tannins, medium acid, medium+ alcohol. Nice WA Syrah (with 5% Grenache) made in an old world style. — 8 years ago

Roy Goble

9.4

Went through the whole Wagner Family tasting and was impressed with the consistent quality across so many brands. — 9 years ago

Kate Whitney

9.2

Drinking with some serious wine lovers in Westchester. This one rocks as hard as the crust across the top. — 9 years ago

Doctor No

9.3

A great wine in an underappreciated vintage. This hits all the classic high end Bordelaise notes of clean cassis fruit, bits of graphite and a light and almost imperceptible bit of green pepper. The nose is complex and lush and beginning to reach maturity but quite a bit of fruit still remains. Decent core of acidity and tannins still not fully resolved suggest this will continue to age well, but this comes across really well for 12y old. — 9 years ago

Anthony Lombardi

9.6

2007- polarizing vintage & yes, this is ripe and juicy raspberry dancing across the nose & palate. Once it breathes it shows some smoke & pine-like herbal notes which add complexity. Structured, but wonderfully approachable. Great producers manage all vintages and this reflects the best part of 2007. Happy Christmas Eve & Happy Hanukkah to everyone! — 10 years ago

Greg Gregory

9.9

Now we're talking! A vintage lost by following the monumental 1971. This was truly spectacular and one of the most complete wines, not just Burgundy, I've had in awhile. Amazing length, gobs of wet earth and crushed ripe raspberries and black cherries, and that wonderful hint of salinity you get as you swirl the wine across your tongue. — 10 years ago

Caitlin Perlman

9.7

Soooo enjoyable. NZ may get on board with this wine — 11 years ago

R. Addison Wehrfritz

9.5

Dark cherry and pomegranate across the palate with a beautifully silky texture. #carmenere #colchaguavalley — 11 years ago

with Melissa

Eric Hwang

9.0

Rich and savory. Smoked meat and blackberries. Quite nice. — 12 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

This iconic wine is always enjoyable at this age. Showing great complexity and mouthfeel.

Dry on the palate with black fruits, earth, chocolates, tobacco, spices, mocha, coke, vegetables, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

This 8 year old is drinking very nicely now and will age nicely in the next decade.

Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show some tannins.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

A great wine to have with good friends. Thank you David for sharing.

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses. Delicious.

Robert Parker 93 points.

A blend of 80% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$120. — 7 years ago

Mike Murphy

9.0

2016 vintage. Amazing. Beautiful fruit. Soft tannins and great depth. — 8 years ago

Bob Yoon

9.5

Might have opened this 2-3 years too early. Opened it on the advice of a former distributor of this wine and the fact that it was poorly stored before I came across it. Drank over three days. Still a fantastic reminder of how great and complex a Napa Cab can be. This is also the last of my Krannert wines if that means anything to anyone. @Jacob Emberton, CSW — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Is there any meal better than steak (Ribeye) and well aged Claret? This is another 1991 Bordeaux experiment of mine. 1991 was a vintage with horrible frosts and a less than favorable growing season, right? A vintage critically panned. This is my 3rd recent 91 from a good producer. And again, it didn’t disappoint. Like 97 and 07, it’s better with the right bottle age than young. Magic evolution happened in the bottle way down the road. This 91 is in great form with a fair amount of life ahead of it. On the nose; a little ripe fruit funk, wonderful dark & lighter red cassis, ripe blackberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, plums, hues of blueberries, black raspberries, dry cranberries, vanilla, light cinnamon, rich, black turned earth, cedar, soft leather, dry stones, dry top soil, notes of dry herbs and fresh & dry red flowers. The body/palate is medium, round, ripe & still fresh. The tannins nearly completely resolved. Ripe, floral fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, poached strawberries, plums, hues of blueberries, black raspberries, dry cranberries & half cooked rhubarb. Vanilla, light cinnamon, touch of clove & nutmeg, rich, black turned earth, cedar, soft leather, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, notes of dry herbs, a little band-aid and fresh & dry red flowers. The acidity drips over the palate and the long, well balanced, still structured, nice tension, good length finish lasts over a minute. Again, love & appreciate the 12.5% alcohol. What a beauty with and without the steak. Next time you’re in your fine wine retail shop and see a quality producers 91 that’s been well stored, buy it and have it with a Ribeye. Photos of; their exotic Estate, Chateau interior, newer barrel room and their vines as viewed from the front of the Chateau that are across the road. Producer notes and history...Cos d’Estournel has a long distinguished history in the St. Estephe. Louis Gaspard d’Estournel, gave his name to the estate after founding in 1811. It did not take long before Cos d’Estournel became famous with wine lovers and royalty all over the world. In those early days, Cos d’Estournel did not sell through Negociants. The owner preferred selling his wine directly to his customers. In fact, Cos d’Estournel was exported to numerous countries across the globe, with a large portion of the production being sold to India. It was that connection to India that inspired much of the unique, east Indian design we see at Cos d’Estournel today. Cos d’Estournel was one of the first Bordeaux Chateaux’s to bottle, label and sell their own wine. This practice continued until the death of Louis Gaspard d’Estournel in 1852. If you’re at the property, the statue on the bench in the front courtyard is of the founder, Louis Gaspard d’Estournel. The Estate was then purchased by an owner that sold their wines on the Place de Bordeaux using the negociant system. If the Chateau was not selling their wines through the negociant system, it would never have been included in the 1855 Classification. Imagine that! So, it turned out to be a fortuitous decision. Cos d’Estournel was sold to the Charmolue family owners of the neighboring Estate of Chateau Montrose. They continued to own the estate until 1917, when it was bought by Fernand Ginestet. This purchase was the beginning of the next major step in the development of Cos d’Estournel. Decades later, the grandchildren of Fernand Ginestet, Jean-Marie Prats, Yves Prats and Bruno Prats took over ownership and management of Cos d’Estournel. In 1995, Bruno Prats sold the property to the Merlaut family, owners of the Taillan Group. The next era in the development of Cos d’Estournel took place in 2000, when Cos d’Estournel was bought by the industrious and wealthy Michel Reybier, who earned his fortune in the food industry. Michel Reybier hired the son of Bruno Prats, Jean-Guillaume Prats to manage Cos d’Estournel. Things further improved with the efforts of Jean-Guillaume Prats who helped design the most modern wine making at that time. A complete renovation of Cos d’Estournel took place in not only the wine making facilities and cellars, but in parts of the Chateau as well. While the wine making facilities are completely modern with their 100% gravity design, the outward appearance retained the original design and feeling that has always been a part of Cos d’Estournel. On October 15, 2012, Jean Guillaume Prats announced he was leaving Cos d’Estournel to join LVMH (Pichon Baron). Jean Guillaume Prats was replaced by Aymeric de Gironde. Following the departure of Aymeric de Gironde in 2017, the owner, Michel Reybier took over managing the Estate. What makes the remodel special is that the cellars of Cos d’Estournel are entirely operated by gravity. There are no pumps of any kind to force the wine. The purpose is to allow a gentleness to the wine and improve its purity and allow for the expression of their terroir. It set a new benchmark for cellars not only in the Left Bank, but in all of Bordeaux. Perhaps, the most inventive part of the cellars is the four 100 hectoliter lift tanks or wine elevators that replace the pumps used in the traditional pumping over and the racking off processes, which introduce air and often destabilize the marc. From the moment the grapes arrive, everything travels by the flow of gravity. Jean Guillaume Prats called this process a “pumpless pump over.” The 91 hectare vineyard of Cos d’Estournel is planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. The vineyard is located extremely close to the border between Pauillac and Saint Estephe at the southern tip of the Saint Estephe. The Estate has very old Merlot vines as well, which date back more than 100 years. Part of the terroir is situated on the hill of Cos, which is at a high elevation for the Medoc at 20 meters. They also make a second wine called Pagodes de Cos. This is a great wine to buy in very good vintages. Especially, if your budget prohibits you from purchasing their first wine. — 9 years ago

Anya Spethmann

9.1

It was worth getting lost on the way home to stumble across a sign that said "vins d'ailleurs." — 11 years ago

Kate Fitzmaurice

8.9

Delicious summer Pinot — 11 years ago

with Kelly

Doctor No

9.4

Elegant, rich, poised and open for business. Held up quite well to the La Mouline across the table for a fraction of the tariff. — 11 years ago

David Kline

9.1

Red Kool-Ade and burnt plum skins with toasty citrus notes and sherry trifle aromas. Also, hints of cherry blossom. Medium mouthfeel with chewy tannins emerge behind a curtain of said Kool-Ade and smoked citrus peel laden bitters in flat cola, Pure cocoa, clove and and cinnamon bark. Remember "suicide sodas"? Strap on your oral roller skates while this lovely wine aims it's tannic lasers right at the disco ball you call your heart, and while the flickering flavor bubbles of your taste buds alternate to the rhythmic complexities watch in awe as it gyrates suggestively across your amazed mouth. — 13 years ago

with Courtney

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.9

The 2013 Opus One is an absolute stunning release, and is certainly one of most impressive young wines I have ever tasted from this estate. This shows a darker, more forward profile from this warm vintage, and is clearly one to contemplate, as there are so many complexities and working parts to this compelling wine. This instantly impresses as it opens to intense aromatics of crème de cassis, black cherry, blackberry compote and black plum woven together with mocha, sandalwood. The mouthfeel is voluptuous and beautifully concenrated with deep and penetrating flavors of black cherry, créme de cassis, blackberry cobbler, anise, sage and anise, which all resonate beautifully across the palate. This is already extreamly appealing, but try to resist this hedonistic wine for at least another few years, as there is undoubtedly a long future ahead. Drink 2019-2035-99 — 8 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.2

An unusual incarnation of Pisoni’s flagship wine, the 2009 is a bit more austere than what one typically sees from this producer. Maybe 2009 was a cooler vintage - not sure - but both the nose and palate is almost like a cross between a Central Coast and Oregon pinot. Still has the tell-tale richness of a Santa Lucia Highlands pinot, but with higher levels of acidity and less opulance across the mid-palate. Definitely opened up and improved with time in the glass, all of which suggests that this might be one to let sit for a few more years. Still a terrific wine! — 8 years ago

with Vanessa

Bryce Wiatrak

9.2

From vines just across the Châteauneuf border. Beautiful concentration, with a hearty, broad inkiness. Blueberry, plum, leather - long and slow. — 9 years ago

Andrew Lubeck

9.1

Solid lineup across the range -- '11 fav -- had a brightness and minerality almost restrained compared to the '09 — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Oz. for oz. one of the best Rosé champagnes for the 💰. The fruits just a touch tart. Black cherries, black raspberries, raspberries, strawberries, tangerine and baguette. The fine yet grippy chalkiness & minerality cuts razor sharp across the palate. The acidity is brilliant and the perfectly rich finish is so delicious. My go to Rosé champagne! Loving it. — 9 years ago

Kelly Wilson

9.0

Fruity and caramel. It is good if you want a light white with my favorite flavors of a Chardonnay. Great for a cheap wine. — 10 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.3

A great offering from Adam Tolmach, this 2005 is drinking beautifully. A great balance between primary and secondary aromas, the nose comes across with layers of violet, spice, and boysenberry. The palate is medium-plus bodied and has the terrific acidity characteristic of Adam's wines. I always like to give his wines a few years in bottle to integrate: for this Melville Vineyard offering, 10 years was just about perfect! — 10 years ago

with Vanessa

Loren Larson

9.3

Complex and opens into a spectacular wine with richness across fruit balance and depth of body including a tannic edge. Wish I had a few more in the cellar. — 11 years ago

Jim Westby

9.0

Quite earthy and her all. A touch of greenness, but at the same time comes across as ripe--a characteristic of the '96 Bordeaux. I like this, but it's probably not everybody's cup of tea. — 11 years ago

E Alvelais

9.6

This is just fantastic 12 years in. The complexity, structure, elegance are there to last many more. Phenomenal across all the senses, this is a masterpiece of Margaux. The fruits are gorgeous and silky and the earthy and herbaceous elements are so harmonious. The finish is lengthy and glorious. Outstanding! 2003 vintage — 11 years ago

Christine Havens

9.4

This is one of those life-altering, once-in-a-lifetime bottles; the 1989 Montrose is about beauty and perfection, with restraint. A blend 65% Cabernet, 25% Merlot, 10% Cab Franc, much like a great Burgundy, it's multi-faceted without being the least bit heavy. Perfumy, ethereal aromas of back currant, blueberries, mint, truffle, leather and earth. Silky on entry, with ultra fine tannins that glide across the palate, only to gracefully crescendo in a seemingly endless arc of minerals, cedar and fruit. — 12 years ago