Mike Saviage

9.8

Tasted blind. Dark amber/tawny color. Notes of brown sugar, hickory, earth, saddle leather and some cola. Sweet to the taste with lots of complexity. Fruit is still present, with tannins fully resolved of course. Guesses by the boyz are 50’s Bordeaux, but I think it’s older. I’ve had two really old bottles of Chateau Margaux from the 20s and 30s, and I think it’s in that camp so I go with a guess of Margaux from the 20’s. Bingo. We’re told this was given many hours in the decanter and then we consumed it over 3 hours… it was alive from start to the last drop. What a great experience to drink grape juice that is nearly 100 years old. Bravo and thanks Stan! — 4 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Tried 6mos ago. Began 1916, Juan Gil Giménez, great-grandfather of present generation, built winery in heart of Jumilla. Blue label spent 18 months in new oak (wine formally known as 18 mos representing time in bottle, now “Blue Label.” Monastrell, Cab Sauv & Syrah blend (60/30/10), low yield, aromas of red berry and toasty oak. Palate shows flavors of dark berry fruits, espresso, cacao and hints of sweet spice. Big dusty tannins, well integrated with oak, lingering, well balanced. Aged well, still going! — 5 years ago

Tobin Trevarthen

9.2

A wonderful soft delivery of blackberry and cherry. Tannins are still present, but background noise to the fruit that is pushing forward to say hello. Delicious. — 6 years ago

Rick Baumgarten

9.3

From Magnum. Surprised this was so good. Lascombe was have some issues back then, but this certainly matured well. Smokey and earthy with some forest floor, but fruit still present. — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.6

Day 2 of Napa in the books!

We were told that we were the first non-employees to taste the ‘16 Continuum. Only decanted an hour or so prior to arrival. Very young. Highlights Pritchard Hill/Sage Canyon wonderfully. The depth here is what is special...heavy/baked black cherry, surrounded by mineral & herbal notes. Ripe and sweet red, blue and black fruits present. Massive in structure to go on for years. Loved this. — 6 years ago

Mark Grammer

9.3

Excellent nose with a lot of fruit on the palate. Long finish with firm tannins still present. Could cellar at least 5-10 years before peaking. — 7 years ago

Tony Capone

9.5

Wow, this wine was fabulous, Dark rich color, black plums, licorice and some light tobacco, a very dense wine, tannins are still present, this wine is still aging beautifully, the finish was long and elegant. Only two left. — 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Domaine de Mondot belonged to Father de Seze, who had the present-day chateau built in 1745. Very much taken by the estate, Raymond Troplong purchased it in 1850 and constituted the vineyard as we know it today. Dark Ruby with black fruit aromas and floral aromas. On the palate cherry and ripe blackberry with oak, coffee and earthy notes. Fine tannins with, long finish ending with fresh fruit, mineral and an earthy character. — 4 years ago

DAD Wine Lover

9.5

My Birthday Present...... 🍷 — 5 years ago

with Daniela and FEFI

Greg Gregory

9.8

Wow. I think this was many people wine of the night and with all the incredible somms present that’s saying something. Alive, fresh, focused, elegant, bright. Blockbuster. — 5 years ago

Andrew S

9.4

Nice deep fruit. Tannins are evolving but certainly still present. Some dirt/gravel, hints of leather and cedar. Nice acidity and length. Better several hours after opening. — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.5

Day 2 of Napa in the books!

20yrs young! This was also served to us blind and we all guessed it was mid-late 2000s Seavey Cab. All the red and black fruit notes are still present with mellowed out tannin. Very smooth and polished. Big note of baked mixed berry (cherry, blackberry) pie that is covered in a cloud of sweet vanilla pipe tobacco. Ripe & rich up front, savory in the middle, balanced finish. Incredible for its age. — 6 years ago

Jörgen Lindström Carlvik

Owner, Brix Wine Consultants

9.3

A bit angular a first. Needed lots of time. Obvious oak even after 4 hours, shading its powerful fruits and serious minerality. At present, it lacks details. The ugly duckling of the 3 today... heat on the finish too. 93+ — 7 years ago

Eldon Sproule

9.2

Black liquorice on the nose is delightful. Spicy black fruit, very present tannins and huge body. Inky, deep purple colour. The finish is exceptionally long, where many of the secondary flavours appear (cedar, caramel, hot apple cider). Unbelievable for a young wine, and will get better and better with age. — 8 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

From a great old looking bottle with a mid shoulder fill. Cork is fully saturated and the crud under the capsule had formed a strong seal. Slow-ox’d for a few hours, then decanted for an hour or two before taken to L’Escargot in Carmel. Amber tawny rims with a reddish tawny core. Crazy nose right from the start. Notes of sweet black cherries, tobacco leaf, plums, black pepper, ash and crusty wood, pencil shavings, some just unwrapped cigar and some menthol. Silky in the mouth with firm structure and soft but present acidity. Long and memorable finish. Outstanding performance over several hours. — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Tawny with reddish amber rims. Dark yet translucent. Great old Chave nose. Black cherry, wet forest floor, smoked meats, menthol, slate stone and rhubarb notes. Vibrant in the mouth right out of the gate. Lots of structure and pucker. Fruit present but starting to fade. This was at peak first two hours and then started slowing down, opposite of the Trimbach CSH next to it. Still this was really good ~37 yr old grape juice. — 5 years ago

Scott Kahn

9.5

This wine has reached a new peak; fully integrated tannins alongside chocolate that melds away to review a long finish of vanilla cream. The earthier profile of red fruit is present as is a nice complement of peppery spice. If you can access a bottle this is a must drink wine that will carry the night. — 5 years ago

Connor Smith

9.2

With the Wine Blight laying waste to her vineyards, France went from 8:1 exporter in 1870 to 6:1 importer in 1887. Legions of wine farmers faced total financial ruin. With no cure - or even a proper diagnosis - in sight, many saw no option but to flee to lands not yet affected.

The influx of institutional knowledge that flooded into former backwater wine regions like Rioja catapulted them into relevance, and soon matured into a world-class standard. The farmers had found respite, but couldn't run forever. By the time Phylloxera crossed the Pyrenees, however, there would be new ways to fight back.

French botanist Jules-Emile Planchon had a theory. If the blight was caused by a microscopic American insect as he suspected, perhaps grafted European varieties on American rootstock would be resistant. This would be confirmed by Missouri entomologist Charles Riley, and with millions of rootstocks supplied by Texas horticulturalist T.V. Munson, the Wine Blight was soon in remission.

(This is adapted from notes for Le Dû’s Wines ‘History of Wine 1453AD-Present’ seminar, where this wine was poured) — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

I haven’t had the 2005 Chateau Musar Rouge since it was released whilst living in the Middle East. Recently, I picked up a half case each of the 2005 Rouge and Blanc since it’s an anniversary wine for Holly and I. One thing is certain, no one could ever accuse Serge (and now Gaston) for making boring wines. Decanted for five hours prior to drinking. This had a crazy bouquet of grapefruit, brambles and strawberries, pipe tobacco, wild flowers, horse blanket. Delicious red fruit, spices and earth on the palate. Tannins are still present but much more integrated than when I had this on release. Examples like this bottle will continue to age gracefully for years to come. QPR is through the freaking roof. — 7 years ago

Ashwin Muthiah

9.5

The first thing that grabs you about this beauty is the lively acidity - still present and poignant many years after bottling. Candied plums, blackberries, dark cherry, toast, tobacco, and some leather on the nose. Light body with supple, delicate tannins. Hints of baking spices and cured meat in the finish. — 7 years ago