Chris England

9.4

I 💗 Figeac & this 06 @ £90 is a beauty drinking lovely but will still improve 😉 Very underrated by the “professionals”

📍 Chateau Figeac 2006

🏵 94 points

🍇 Equal Merlot, Cabernet Franc & Cabernet Sauvignon

🍷 Derp dark ruby

👃 Smokey oaky plumpy plum & bursting blackcurrant w/ blushing blackberry, lashing leather, loving liquorice, marvellous minerals, happy herbs & macho mocha 😍

👄 Silky smooth med body of creamy black berry fruits & dark plum bathed in rock minerals w/ a mocha liquorice lashing

🎯 Long mineral infused dark fruit dirty earthy kiss
— 7 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

P&H was founded in 1988 by industry professionals Donald Patz, James Hall, Anne Moses and Heather Patz. This is my second try of the 2015, just wonderful! Aromas of fresh ripe stone fruits and flinty and floral notes. On the palate fresh fruit flavors of apple, pear and sweet pineapple with savory toasty oak tones. Lingering finish ends with tangy citrus and smoky mineral notes. Outstanding. — 8 years ago

Ted Napolitano

9.5

Fantastic wine of the region! Similar to the Riserva of the Contucci Family of Wines, this full-bodied (yet lighter) Nobile has an aromatic nose but not overpowering. A smooth and drier finish rounds out the taste! ... when did we start talking like we were professionals at this? (Maybe that's only in my mind...) — 8 years ago

with Kat

TheSkip

9.2

This wine represents the death of the wine critic. On one hand, this was rated 91+ by WA but 86 by WS. On the other, the overall cuvée has higher impressions here.

Personally, and I suspect many of you are with me, the critic score has lessened significantly over the last couple of years. I would much rather buy a wine based on your reviews than what the professionals have to say.

Overall, this had great acidity. Wonderfully balanced with toasted oak and brambleberry. A lingering finish. A great job for a challenging vintage. — 8 years ago

Laura Maguire

9.3

What happens when you run into professionals at the bar. — 9 years ago

with Kyle

Shochuman

9.8

I visited Kenzo Estate with a group of friends and purchased Ai and Murasaki Cabernet Sauvignon after the tour and wine tasting. Asatsuyu was not available at that time. If you have not visited Kenzo Estate, I recommend everyone to do so to truly appreciate what they go through to make their wines. The estate is so beautiful it will blow you away. Kenzo Estate conducts wine event every year at the Halekulani Hotel which I attend and have bought cases of Asatsuyu, Aiko, and Murasaki set. You cannot purchase Kenzo wines at the wine stores. Some select restaurants carry them but the prices are extremely high due to difficulty in buying these wines. In Japan's high-end restaurants like Oak Door at Grand Hyatt in Roppongi, Kenzo wines like Ai and Murasaki were $900+. It's not every day wine but if you appreciate what went in to making these wine with the professionals Kenzo Tsujimura hired (Heide Barrett, Winemaker and David Abreu, Vinyard Manager), you know he hired the best in business to "create the greatest, most elegant wines."
Today is my birthday and celebrating this occasion with friend by sharing my Asatsuyu, Ai, and Murasaki. — 9 years ago

Ray

9.4

Damn The torpedoes, full speed ahead. Sometimes I don't care with the professionals think. I just care what I like and this one was awesome. — 10 years ago

Max Jewell

9.5

Seriously impressive. I think professionals would have a hard time distinguishing this form a good quality Barolo. Very complex and sophisticated. — 10 years ago

Robert Branden Shine

9.1

Writing on the bottle is a bit over dramatic. But... A ruination that is accompanied by a full rich aroma with the look of a rose, count me in!!! Hit's ya like a freight train and cradles you like a baby letting you off from a punch in the mouth. I thank you for this double IPA... Professionals Only Apply!!!!!!!!! — 10 years ago

Arash Tafakor

9.5

The professionals are clowns rating this wine under a 9. — 10 years ago

Jake Hajer

8.9

Muddy truck tire. Baked blueberries and blackberries. Green peppercorn. Opaque almost black in the middle with a mm of dried blood red at the edge. Dirty. Huge. Full bodied. The densest 2011 I've had. low acid, really high alc (16.1%!). Extracted, astringent and tannic. A little Brett and a little VA. Note: I tasted with 5 other professionals and none of them came close to liking it. The in-your-face and rustic-ness gives the wine an unmistakable charm. — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.5

One of my favourite St Juliens in great vintage @ £75-£110 and very underrated by professionals bizarrely!

📍 Chateau Talbot 2005

🏵 94-95 points

🍇 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot & 4% Petit Verdot

🍷Dark opaque ruby

👃 Earthy wet leaves & smoked oak through dark stewed dark berries w/ farmyard, lead pencil. gravel, liquorice, minerals, fig, date, soot & dark cherry

👄 Med silky smooth body of earthy dark berries, plum galore w/ mocha, liquorice, minerals, cherry & prune

🎯 Long dark fruit earthy mocha liquorice mineral munchy mouthful w/ a light red fruit, prune & fig kick — 7 years ago

Veronica Castro

8.9

My apologies for not using a white background for the photo. But we're all pretty much professionals here, right?
Fresh blueberries and pink lemonade. All-up in-yo-face. There is probably 1 gram of RS, but this is a totally lovable rose with a Txakoli-like edge to it. All in all, completely charming. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Always delicately beautiful and one of the best values in Champagne. I have poured this for many professionals and most have never had it. However, they are always amazed by it's quality. Further, by it's jaw dropping value for Grand Cru Champagne. Absolutely a great pair with the vinaigrette Endive salad with apples & walnuts. — 8 years ago

TheSkip

9.1

Rave reviews from the professionals. On the nose, there is kirsch, deep forest fruits and a note that I have a hard time describing other than "old". there are ripe blackberries and an intense mouthfeel. Despite this, the tannins remain well integrated. Nevertheless, I was expecting more. — 8 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.5

This wine is like the rebellious teen who grew up and got a MacArthur genius grant for Juan Darian. I had it young and it was discombobulated on open. Even now it took a while to settle down. It's genius wine. Genius. Unlike anything I've ever had. Smoky and mineral on the Nose. Just all over crazy on the palate. Acid. Minerals. Menthol or something. Finish is great. Like sucking on a rock drawn from a mountain spring and dipped in lemon. Totally for wine geeks. Will be the best wine of the night at a tasting for professionals. Bought from Fass selections. — 9 years ago

with Lyle

Vanessa Justice

9.0

Seven dimensions of flavor. Wow, this wine is a favorite with professionals and aficionados alike. It may not be appropriate for the novice but I'm not the wino to ever restrict the luscious from the thirsty. Drunk in good health. Dried jasmine enzymatic papaya nose, mellows out the taste with Meyer lemon watermelon seed with a hint of dried grass, lime peel. Pour with pretension or to let go of tension. Xoxoxo Vanessa — 9 years ago

Dana Thompson

9.0

Always a good question when rehabbing a new knee: "what Spanish Monstant goes best with a mixture of Oxycodone and brutal physical therapy?" While admittedly it's doubtful that my Orthopedic Surgeon or Cardiologist would be the ideal professionals to answer this question or would find it either entertaining or healthy I'm just the guy that can now answer it; Val De Calas '07! Sure it might be the Oxy talking but the nice balance of wood, blackberry and gravel keeps this deep but accessible Monstant right down my alley. I like the little note of almost Boudeaux funk that keeps it from being "just another good Spanish red". So if you're rehabbing or just sitting down to a meal of Albondigas try it out! — 10 years ago

Pascal Levensohn

9.9

This is a totally unique blend of Gewurtztraminer, Chardonnay, and Colombard. This is what can make Israeli winemaking both different and distinctive in its own right. This will stump professionals in blind tastings. — 10 years ago

Rob Moose

9.6

The wine professionals preferred the 89. I liked this one with the food at L'Arpege. — 11 years ago

with Edward

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

This is Gaston’s Special Club. What does it mean when a Champagne is labeled as Special Club?

The Special Club, or Club Trésors de Champagne, was originally founded in 1971 by 12 of the oldest families of the Champagne region. Since then, the club has grown to include 29 producers committed to excellence in all aspects of production. This exclusive membership is only open to Recoltant Manipulants (a French designation for a producer of grower Champagne). Champagnes must be produced, bottled and aged at the member’s estate. The Special Club Champagnes represent the tête de cuvée (a premier bottling often carrying a vintage date) selection for each member.

Special Club Champagne designation means they are only made in outstanding vintages from grapes harvested from member’s own vineyards. Each producer must submit his wine to two blind tastings panels of esteemed oenologists and wine professionals. The still wines (vins clairs) are tasted first and if approved may be bottled in the uniquely-shaped Special Club bottle before undergoing secondary fermentation.

After a minimum of three years aging on lees, the wines are tasted again for final approval.

On the nose; green apple, bruised Bosc pear, touch of golden apple, pineapple, cream soda, light citrus, sea shells/spray, brioche, gray volcanic minerals, soft chalk, spring flowers & citrus blossoms.

The palate is soft, delicate, subtly rich with micro oxygenation. Green apple, bruised Bosc pear, bruised golden apple, pineapple, cream soda, light citrus, sea shells/spray, brioche, gray volcanic minerals that have teeth and dig deep into your palate, soft powdery chalk, spring flowers & citrus blossoms.

Photos of; the house of Gaston Chiquet, cellar-hand hand riddling bottles, Owner/Winemaker Nicolas Chiquet inspecting bottles and one of their Grand Cru Vineyard.

Producer notes...Nicolas farms 23 heactares in the Valle de la Marne in the villages of Ay, Dizy, Hautvillers and Mareuil-sur-Ay. All of the fruit (including that which is used in the non-vintage cuvee) comes from premier and grand cru grapes. Nicolas does not employ any oak aging at Gaston Chiquet; he believes that concentration, fruit maturity and malolactic fermentation impart enough body and texture to make aging in barrel unnecessary.

The vineyards are planted to equal (forty percent each) parts chardonnay, pinot meunier and twenty percent are planted to pinot noir. Gaston-Chiquet. He also produces a vintage dated chardonnay from 5 parcels on the western side of the grand cru village of Ay. Usually recognized as a grand cru village for pinot noir, these vines of chardonnay were planted in Ay in the 1930s.

In 1919, two brothers, Fernand and Gaston Chiquet winemakers came together to create their house Chiquet Brothers. They were ‘pioneers’ in Champagne, the very first winemakers to take the initiative, bold at the time, to keep their grapes, turn them into Champagne and sell their own wine. Nicolas Chiquet planted his first vines in 1746, and since then eight generations have have managed their house. Gaston Chiquet registered the company in 1935 and expanded the property with land in Aÿ, Cumières and Hautvillers. Gaston Chiquet is best known for making the only blanc de blancs from the Pinot village of Aÿ. Aÿ was the big name in the area long before wines became sparkling, and many were the kings and popes who counted Vin d’Aÿ as their favorite wine. The vineyards slope down steeply to the village by the Marne River, and the best locations are just over the town, sheltered from the wind and with maximum exposure to the sun. — 7 years ago

Kevin Woods

8.9

One of the recommendations at Stew Leonard's. Even gets good ratings from the professionals. Works for me — 8 years ago

with Ali

Tracey LaPointe

9.5

Regarded as some professionals as the best Chardonnay coming out of the valley. I don't think I disagree. Fabulous wine, oak aged with beautiful fruit. Loved it $55 before tax — 9 years ago

Tamara

9.4

This is a delightful wine produced by local couple with a passion for wine. Successful professionals pursuing a dream. They used grapes from Paso Robles. It was sold at our local Whole Foods but sadly they gave up their dream and closed. We are sad and will miss drinking this wonderful Zinfandel from Benito Dusi vineyards by Patty & Chris Connolly. RIP — 9 years ago

Elizabeth Rice

9.1

Fresh tart fruits, bread, and herbs which was perfect on a warm night socializing with very savvy wine professionals/educators from around the world while discovering Napa's new "hot spot" which has a fantastic wine list! — 9 years ago

Steve Gulden

8.9

10 wine professionals blind tasting this wine and 1 called Cru Beaujolais. Fooled almost everyone, with textured and layered complexity. 2009! — 9 years ago

Morgan Harris

Head Sommelier Aureole New York

9.0

I'm posting this at the risk of losing all credibility, but beverage professionals need to take a second look at Chilean carménere. The quality is great here (although it's very "made") and should be considered for anyone who's buying domestic Zin or Merlot and is looking for value for their guests. We may not want to drink them all the time, but these wines have a place of our lists. — 10 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Rich full silky with plum notes. Long and intense. Many of these premium Barossa shirazes have a sameness about them. I would love to see a group of professionals taste say this Amon Ra, stonewell, Hanisch and Rockford Basket Press and talk about the differences? Many others could be added to this list with a similar flavour profile. 18. — 10 years ago

with Georgina

Yoon Ha

Master Sommelier/Wine Director Benu

9.3

A very adult RRV Pinot Noir made by one of the most insightful wine professionals of today. — 12 years ago