Jay Kline

9.4

Not to be outdone, the 1989 Chave Hermitage Rouge showed more brambles than the ’88 along with other desiccated blue and black fruits. Dried flowers, beef, blood, leather and mushrooms. Every time I have the pleasure of drinking old Chave, I’m reminded that these wines have so much character and there is a reason they are so adored. Lovely with grilled lamb and Moroccan spices. Drink now through 2040. — 2 years ago

Douglas Braun

9.1

2012 Vintage - berry, leather , a lot of other than fruit, orange zest,wood spice ,umami -red rim color — 4 years ago

Paul J

9.4

1hr+ decant. Dark purple color. Blackberries and chocolate on the nose. Wine is very fruit forward with cherries, blackberries, chocolate, and oak. Very deep wine. Not as refined as other vintages/bottles I’ve had. Medium plus finish. Big aging potential. — 5 years ago

with Brooke

Ellen Clifford

9.1

The juice, the energy, the dammit I don’t want it to be so tasty but...Artemis got you. Because she’s a goddess and says so. I mean, there are other deities. Ones more powerful or whatevs but I’ll run through the woods with this for a night — 6 years ago

Cameron Myhrvold

9.6

2011 Jamet Cote Rotie
Stunning wine with crazy flavors yet totally different from almost any other syrah I have had. Lean and austere yet very full flavored. A unique wine. The opposite end of the spectrum from a Saxum or Alban or Barossa Valley Syrah. — 8 years ago

Paul

10

Dry but balanced, really good. $14.24 from golden eagle — 8 years ago

Gregory Fulchiero

9.0

More fruit forward the other mid 90s bottles I have had of this wine - lacked the classic pepper of Syrah and had a strong bacon fat nose that took me further north...would’ve been interesting to enjoy the bottle over a longer period of time — 8 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

My first impressions of the 2020 Pégau “Cuvée Reservée”. I brought this bottle to Tasting Group and presented it double-blind to the crew, for science! The wine pours a deep ruby with a translucent core. Moderate staining of the tears; high viscosity. On the nose: the wine is moderate intensity; developing. Ripe cherry and bramble fruits with some strawberry, anise, exotic spices, garrigue, and lavender. On the palate, the wine is dry, medium+ tannin and medium+ acid and medium+ alcohol. The tannins are super grippy. The finish is long, herby and there is a streak of black pepper. Whoa…this is a gorgeously expressive wine! Some felt it was 1er cru Burg. Other thought something form Italy: Brunello or CCR. Only one, the only Advanced Somm in the group, called CdP, but he called 2016. Having had many 2016’s recently, I can see where he was coming from. But make no mistake, this will age well despite it’s current approachability. Drink now to enjoy its youth before it potentially (likely) shuts down. Otherwise, this will drink well for 10-15+ years. — 3 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.1

Another delicious and super approachable 100% mourvedre from Ryan Pease of Paix sur Terre. For those who don’t know, Ryan has a friend who does all of the original artwork for these labels. Great operation there - do yourself a favor and check them out! — 5 years ago

with Vanessa

Laura Churchill

10

Sue and Paul brought to Drews grad party. — 6 years ago

Bill Bender

9.2

Moving fuel. 42 year old Tempranillo and a uniquely American delicacy to celebrate Independence Day 🧀 🇺🇸 I’m unpacking boxes and listening to the Padres vs Dodgers so other than the wine I’m full throttle Americana today. The Vina Todonia cork dropped in to the bottle immediately upon contact from the Durand so I was not hopeful....but it’s totally intact and it presents with significant bricking in the decanter with expected brown and red tones and is chock full of secondary notes of burnt fig, savory smoke, cigar and soil. Soft tannins and waning acidity but it seems to be putting on “weight” as the afternoon progresses. Another solid showing from this producer at an advanced age. Great stuff. Happy 4th of July to all!! 🍎 ⚾️ 🍷 ☀️ — 6 years ago

Ken Jenkins

9.2

Not the best vintage, but a great house. A bit lighter body than some other Lynch-Bages vintages, but still beautifully layered and complex. — 8 years ago

Nena Widtfeldt

10

Smooth with some deep fruity notes — 8 years ago

Adam Gäfvert

9.5

Full bodied, dark and inky. Nice spicy and floral aromas. Very luxurious mouthfeel. Dark fruit, graphite, cardamom, roasted coffee beans. In compartment to other 2016 Napa Cabs I’ve tried of this dignity I would hold on to this a few more years if I could. — 3 years ago

Michael Greene

9.2

Balckberries, tobacco, green pepper. Almost syrah-like wildness. Painfully young. Not touching my other bottles for at least 5 years. — 4 years ago

Anthony Cammarata Jr.

9.0

Takes a while to open but when it does, classic Opus. Less tannin than other years with lots of dark berry flavors. — 5 years ago

with Daniel and Michael

Colin

9.2

Most interesting Sauternes I’ve tried. Started smooth with honey and then got more complex with a long finish that changed as it lingered, especially as the bottle got some air. Felt like it was maybe a little too powerful towards the end of my last glass, but I was maybe getting some sediment at that point. All in all an exciting tasting and it left me excited to try some of their other wines. — 6 years ago

Apocalypse Rex

9.1

This wine has a very nice fruity body with a bit of a dry finish. Currants come to mind. This is a wine best paired with a mind ready to transcend beyond this temporal realm, through the veil, and into the Void of Distortion! This wine is the palatable equivalent of a saw wave oscillating through the plenum cabling and into your grey matter. One day we will all be consumed by the cubular harbingers. But until that day consider Lodi’s plunger-head wine. On a Tuesday evening it is quite nice. — 7 years ago

Scott Rowe

9.2

The versatility of this Wine knows no bounds. Pairs with Chinese cuisine naturally. — 8 years ago

with Robert, Chris and 2 others

Patrick Derdeyn

9.4

At first i picked up a lot of acetyl in this relative to the other wines. After an hour that had blown off and this blossomed. Everything you hope for in Monte Bello. — 8 years ago