Paul H

9.4

When they say bring your A game you can think of this bottle. This is an amazing glass of wine. It benefits from decanting for a good bit. Upon opening I thought of dusty plum and cedar on the nose. Tasting brought plum, currant, blackberries, vintage leather plus an array of other items indicative of this style of big wine. There is a good mix of tannins and acid that makes this a classic great glass of wine. I want to try it again in a few years to see how much better it may get. — 3 years ago

Adam Beasley

9.5

This has been on my bucket list for a while, and we just got a few bottles in my area. I went in to this with high expectations and it totally delivered. One of the most complex wines I’ve had - there is just so much going on here. The nose on this just doesn’t stop evolving. Beautiful oxidation and so many distinct aromas that I’m not going to rattle them off. Texture, flavor, this has everything to offer for my palate. Need to hunt down an older bottle next time. For me, this lived up to the hype. — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

A fav, Pale yellow with pleasing aromas of citrus and peaches. One of the few barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc's which adds a wonderful toasty oak flavor setting this wine apart from the rest. Complex palate of flavors, fresh fruit, lemons, grapefruit, peaches and Asian pears. Slight earthiness with a smooth and creamy well balanced finish ending with a gentle sweet character. Very nice! — 5 years ago

Rob Russell

9.0

Just had this in Bordeaux a few weeks ago. Like most wines of this vintage it took a bit of imagination to fully appreciate. It is clearly time to drink this wine, it may be on the downhill side of life. Overall a good experience for what was not noted as a premium vintage, but is a very solid wine. — 6 years ago

Daniel Porter

9.3

Very young. Needs 3-5 years to round the tannins. High acidity. Fruit is very nice. Lots if bing cherries. Will be very good in a few years or with a long decant. — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

It always amazes me how approachable the current vintage of Caymus Cab is year after year. One of a few Cabs that you can drink now as well as put some age on it. Dark Ruby with rich ripe berry aromas. Flavors of cherry and raspberry with cinnamon and cacao notes. Very soft tannins on lingering finish ending with some earthy spice tones. A Fav! — 8 years ago

Craig Stanfield

9.6

Just a baby, but that's the beauty of having a few on hand to see the evolution. This is round, lush, but not sweet. It has blue fruit and plum along with a floral and almost yeasty note. Delicious and I can't wait to see this develop over the night and the years. — 8 years ago

Sean Johnson

9.4

One of my favorite chateaus when we were in Bordeaux and the first that we visited. Still lots of layers to this beautiful Paulliac gem but it leans just enough towards the earthy notes of truffle and tobacco in addition to the typical wet rock and licorice. Just paired this with a truffle smoked ribeye, roasted carrots, and smashed cauliflower with a light gravy. Wishing this was a 3-liter and the weekend had a few more days. — 9 years ago

Sarah Milsow-Guenther

9.6

Really good Pinot. Lots of flavor. Could drink now or lay it down for a few. I would recommend letting it breathe for a bit before you drink. — 10 years ago

Christopher

9.0

2009, Very nice full bodied Cabernet. Could age a few more years. — 10 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.3

2 hrs in the decanter.
Coolish and classic nose. Kinda smooth.
On the palate sturdy tannines! Lots of minerality, yet very soft acidity. Black fruit, cloves, coffee, smoke, leather and graphite.
Give these bottles a few more years in the cellar to smoothen out the tannines. Potential plus. — 3 years ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.1

🚨WINE HACK🚨 If you 1) own a sodastream, but no expensive wine gadgets 2) have a wine which needs to come off sediment but you don’t want to expose to oxygen [eg low/no so2 gamay], try decanting the wine carefully into a clean empty bottle pre-flooded with a few gentle pumps of co2 from your sodastream. Co2 is heavier than air. This works and I swear by it!

The Foillard was beautiful. Licorice, black raspberries, purity and poise that reminds me why I fell in love with Beaujolais in the first place, and affirms what has been an oft-times rocky love affair ever since. — 4 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Bordeaux styled that is still mostly primary that will need a few more years to develop showing notes of red & black fruits, currant, cedar, leather, graphite, spice & tobacco that feels seamless on the palate. — 4 years ago

Laith A

9.5

This is so good but will be better in a few more years! Blue and red fruits, a little leather, slight oak.. medium tannins! Wine spectator’s 2018 wine of the year!! — 6 years ago

with Mark and Kelley

Ian Staub

8.9

Profoundly earthy, with a great helping of pyrazine. Restrained fruit- blackberry and raspberry, and a garden-full of freshly turned soil, herbs and spices. Great balance of acid and tannin. Rustic and compelling - curious to see where this goes in a few more years. — 6 years ago

Jordan Kaufman

9.0

Good anise, forest floor, spices to round out the dark fruit. Love the rose petal notes. Tannins are elegant but would love to taste this again in a few years. — 7 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Tasted blind. Tawny brownish red color with amber rims. Huge bouquet in the nose of roses, berries, pencil lead, minerals and some dusty dirt. Light on its feet in the mouth. Round soft fruit. Better than the last bottle of this a few months ago. — 8 years ago

Brian Nickerson

9.0

Sweetness that doesn't completely agree with me. Maybe this will balance out in a few more years — 9 years ago

Jerry Raphael

9.3

Excellent Cab; mint, herbs, pepper and berries on the nose. Big Cab integrated taste, just loaded and drinking great. Last bottle, had one on release which seemed all veg and they just got better with time allowing other elements to come out. Very few Napa Cabs left, too costly to replace. — 10 years ago

with Barbara

Dave Wismer

9.3

Thumbs up. Always consistent. One of the smoothest drinkable wines. Still young. His brothers will lay down for a few more years. — 10 years ago

with Kim

Nick McGlaun

9.0

Great blend! Tried it a few times - pairs well w/ steak & also went well with Italian dishes (pizza, veal or meat based pasta dishes w/ red sauce). Tried 2011 and 12: I prefer the 11 but both are great! — 11 years ago

Christian Fischer

9.4

After a coffee chat at work yesterday that ended discussing Hillside Select I was motivated to open one for the holiday weekend. Initially I was very disappointed as the wine was flat and uninspiring considering the pedigree and price tag. Read some reviews that this 2013 needs A LOT of air and sure enough after hours the wine began to evolve and markedly improve. It is an intense wine that lingers in the mouth for a long time. Smooth tannins, red fruit and tobacco flavors. Not my most favorite wine and not at the $229 I paid, but nonetheless a very good wine once it had the chance to get some air for a few hours — 4 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

One of the few producers that I purchase each and every vintage. I find that Laurence Feraud’s wines are consistently some of the more interesting and enjoyable wines made in all of Chateauneuf du Pape; particularly when value comes into play. This bottle is my first experience with her 2018 vintage and the first bottle of a small tranche that I swooped up upon release. Popped and poured; consumed over 5 hours. The color is deep ruby with a near opaque core; glossy and gorgeous to behold. Medium+ viscosity. On the nose, this is classic Pegaü with loads of dark cherry and bramble fruit, a veritable hillside full of garrigue, lavender, black pepper, and something that reminds me of old books. On that palate, the fruit is equally generous, brambles and cherries, exotic spices, Herbs de Provence and a somewhat sanguine-like character to it. Substantial structure, though it seems to be a notch lower than the previous three vintages at this point in its young life. The tannins are very sneaky. Almost imperceptible for the first hour and yet, by hour four, they were very much making themselves known (in the Medium+ range). Acid is also Medium+ indicating these have an exciting life ahead. The finish lasts for well over a minute. All in all, another lovely Pegaü that will likely live in the shadow of some of the more heralded vintages in the last ten years however, that doesn’t mean this isn’t a stunner. Absolutely lovely stuff and I very much look forward to enjoying these well into the 2030’s. — 4 years ago

Shay A

9.4

Monthly WTF wine group night. Our theme was American oak vs French oak. All wines tasted blind. We started off with two bottles of bubbly and finished with two non-themed reds.

My contribution for the evening. I’m posting my previous review of this wine below as it’s been consistent the few times I’ve had it over the last 12-18 months. Love these wines!

Youthful. Icredibly perfumed with typical sweet dill and coconut American oak on the nose. Gosh, I could smell this stuff all day. Aside from needing time away, it needs roughly an hour of decanting to hit stride. Tobacco, cherry tart, and great herbal nuances on the finish. — 6 years ago

with Jack, Ryan and 4 others

Brian R

9.3

Starting to find that good California pinots are better after a few years or a few days after opening or both. — 7 years ago

Raj Harb

9.3

2012, very enjoyable if very young. Dark inky purple. Black olive tapenade, tomato, and beefy iron. Will try to wait a few year to have another — 8 years ago

J Mcconeg

9.5

This is still a pretty young wine at ten years in. We opened this and decanters for a few hours and it still displays a lot of youth. The big fruit flavored come out with a little swirling. Enjoy, but be patient if you can. — 9 years ago

Fred Calatayud

9.2

Still good after all these years - perhaps lost a little over time as it moved through a few cellars, but still an outstanding wine. Cedar, tar, a little licorice, berry fruit, earth - all discernible through nose and finish. — 9 years ago

Marc Stubblefield

Wine Sales at Vino Carta and Kogod Wine Merchant

9.0

So much more giving them just a few months ago. This is perfect, ready to drink crunchy Morgon. #kogodwinemerchant — 10 years ago

Patrick Derdeyn

9.0

Wait a few more years on these. Plenty of acid plenty of tannin. — 10 years ago