Ray Vanderhoff

9.3

Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (91.3%) and Merlot (8.7%). A bit tight and unexpressive right out of the bottle. After a 45 minute decant, this wine was awake and very alive. Dark ruby color. Aromas of graphite, forest floor, wet gravel and dark black fruit. Flavors of black currant/cherry/berry/plum, tobacco, baking spices, dark chocolate and minerals. Distinct notes of smoky oak and wet earth on the long and lingering finish. Tannins were a bit lighter than expected at first but developed with aeration. Quite savory, rich, full bodied and powerful. Beautiful texture. Exceptional (once it opened up) but not the bottle of near perfection that I had heard so much about. Thanks for sharing, Petey and Happy Birthday, Kase! — 24 days ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1 hour decant(some chunky/fine sediment). A splendid dark medium garnet with little bricking. On the nose: expressive perfumed nose with dark plum/cherry, currants,milk chocolate, baking spice, floral, wet forest floor, touch of roasted meat. Taste: silky, balanced, elegant wine that is singing at 20 years with dried red fruit, earth, chocolate, cedar, minerals, saline, and a spiced-tobacco-green bell pepper long finish. YUM! — a month ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.5

1.5 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A remarkable purplish magenta color. On the nose: very aeromatic notes of black & red berries, truffles, loamy soil, worn leather, tobacco leaf, floral, herbaceous. Taste: soft, elegant, balanced, layered mouthfeel wine with blackberry, dark plum, leather, crushed granite, dried herbs, and a spiced cedar long finish with some dusty tannins. YUM! At the start of its drinking window with 20-30 years to go, so no rush. — 2 months ago

with Brenda

Tom Barras

9.1

It has a nearly opaque, dark fruited appearance that opens up to very appealing and persistent aromatics and flavors of blueberries and blackberries.

There is still a good amount of primary fruit; it is medium/full, well structured with a good balance of juicy acidity and refined tannins at the finish. New oak is there, but unobtrusive.

Overall, this 2010 is a reserved and savory St. Julien that doesn’t whack me over the head with gobs of oak and loads of sweet jammy fruit. It is definitely “worth a search” if you don’t have it. — 2 months ago

Alexander Bastian Nielsen

9.2

Obviously a great wine but also very hyped and maybe too highly regarded. Tasted at a 2022 Bordeaux Fair and it surely was delicous and quite mesmerising for what it was. But it just lacked that extra panache. — 3 months ago

David White

9.3

It’s 10 years since Serge. Hochar’s death whilst swimming in Acapulco on NYE 2014 and I think it’s appropriate to celebrate his legacy that is the modern Chateau Musar.
I first tasted Lebanese wines in London circa 1986 when I used to go to a couple of Lebanese restaurants in Shepherds Market near Mayfair in London
Al Hamra is still in business
I’ve been to Beirut several times and always stock up at the airport duty free
So a toast to a departed icon of the wine world
Since my last 2011 4.5 years ago (see note) this has aged wonderfully and I’ve up my rating several points
Another few years and it will be further improved
Optimal decant time was around 3.5 to 4 hours
Ethereal stuff — 4 months ago

Tom Garland

9.2

Double decant and pour (lots of sediment). A splendid medium tawny red color. On the nose: stewed black plum, nutmeg, forest floor, worn leather, vanilla oak. Taste: soft, lively wine with dried candied cherries, currants, loamy soil, toasty oak, and a spiced mocha medium finish. YUM at 28 years! — 4 months ago

with Brenda

Ally Wolf

9.2

Cork fell in at some point, but can it drink any better than this still? I don’t think — a month ago

Bob McDonald

9.0

90% Tempranillo; 10% Graciano. Red fruited perfume, earthy with medium plus intensity. Palate at 21 years is developed, balanced and soft with fully integrated tannins. Medium weight with declining strength to its inner core. Not near as good on the 2nd night. This aged overnight and finishes a little sour. I was going to give it 94 points but will now give 90 points. — a month ago

Ravinder Singh

9.2

Dinner at home 3/13/2025 — 2 months ago

Ericsson

9.4

Tasting notes during visit to the winery where absolutely everything is done in-house by hand; preserving centuries old winemaking traditions. In the Tondonia offering one can really appreciate the time and patience dedicated to crafting this wine. The wine evolves to a rustic yet graceful profile with strong notes of dark berries with slight oak and dark chocolate. On the palate the wine is bliss, medium bodied, fully integrated, with balanced acidity and a long finish.

The juice is fermented in old large wooden “tinas,” then transferred to American oak barrels (made in house to medium toast specifications), stored underground in their +100 year old cellars for at least a year. After that it is bottled and stored in the same underground cellars and finally released about ten years later. Learning about their curated winemaking process was inspiring. — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Flight 2 , wine 1 . Quite deep garnet , less terracotta rim . This had a whiff of oxidation about it at first which seemed to somewhat dissipate with time . Some dark spiced fruits , liquorice and menthol hints , cedar and sous bois . On the palate good ripeness and spiced dark cherry hints . Good acidity and rounded tannin . Nice length also , offering some spiced black fruits and menthol hints . Don’t think this is a pristine bottle but was enjoyable none the less , I was unsure at first if this was Napa , but coming back to it … and reading my notes , it became quite obvious . However I had this down as the Ch Montelena , not the Dominus — 3 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

No formal notes . medium deep ruby , medium bright ruby rim. Quite spicy a little oak noticeable at first . Mixed dark fruits . A bit more round and juicy on the palate , good acidity , slightly grippy but polished tannins . This becomes a bit more restrained and reserved after a while. Served blind , I actually put this as Haut Brion , due to its generous personality, and polished tannins. Overall showed well in the flight was my top wine (though the Cheval Blanc may well be better in absolute terms) . Can be enjoyed now , though has the substance to last a further decade or so, a good showing for the Mouton. — 3 months ago

Vino Joe

9.3

Tight as a drum at open. Loosened to trampoline tension after 2 hours. Finally was loose after 4. Spicy and hefty. More inward. A sophisticated mix and quite good but as with most Leoville Las Cases it needs to sit longer for the next iteration. — 4 months ago

Ericsson

9.8

New vintage release tasting at Vega Sicilia in Ribera del Duero. The 2015 Unico presented an elegant profile, while the 2020 Valbuena showcased a bolder character. Traditionally, Unico is known for its power and structure, whereas Valbuena tends to be the more refined and elegant wine. Staff assured me it is not a reversal in winemaking techniques but rather a juxtaposition of their respective vintages. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course two days. Consistent throughout but the rotundone seemed most prominent on the nose, Day 1. The 2022 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe red and black fruits: mixed brambles, grilled meat, black pepper, garrigue, red and purple flowers, a touch of barnyard and a balanced mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long, rich and spicy. My early assessments indicated this 2020 vintage to be a banger. It’s still early days and checking in at year five seems to confirm the trajectory. A wine of distinction. Drink now (and best with time to enjoy the transformation in the glass) and through 2050. — a month ago

Alan Weinberg

9.2

At first underwhelming, started to gain after 30 minutes and was a fine bottle. Never became amazing. Drink up. — 2 months ago

Joe Fischer

9.2

Our last meal at the Lone Eagle Grill in Tahoe as it is closing at the end of the month! A great wine with my Blueberry Thyme Elk! Nice berry aromas with a rich long smooth finish. Will miss the restaurant! I’ve not had a bad Produttori wine. — 2 months ago

Shay A

9.3

(Two previous 1983 wine reviews never made it on here, so copying from my CT).

Continuing a run of ‘83s over the last 3-6 months, this not only showed quite well, but it was at its best after almost two hours in the bottle. Whereas the ‘83 Pichon was clean and elegant, this was a bit more dense and powerful. Beautifully expressive aromatics of potpourri, espresso, fig and leather with a flavor profile mostly on the red/black fruit side of the spectrum. The mid-palate showed good weight and continued to bulk-up during the evening. Old cherry-tobacco note at the finish. Honestly, this drank like it was more early ‘90s than it was early ‘80s. Good. — 3 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

No formal notes . Pretty deep Amber , copper colour . Intense marmalade , saffron , creme caramel . Rich on the palate with rich marmalade , saffron notes . Good acidity , but rich. Good length . This is drinkable now and shows quite an advanced colour , though due to its richness will probably carry on delivering for another 20 years , perhaps longer .

This was a rather fascinating evening put together by our incredibly generous host. All 2007 reds were served blind in two flights: 1st Mouton, Haut Brion, Cheval Blanc , La Mission Haut Brion then Latour , Lafite , Petrus and Margaux . Overall the wines showed well , and were mostly enjoyable to drink now , though there is no rush . This somewhat maligned vintage can give a lot of enjoyment in the right environment, I certainly wouldn’t hold back from opening or purchasing any of these wines . They mostly show good density of fruit , personality and elegance , with good freshness. These are not powerful wines , and at times perhaps the fruit can be a little cooler or greener but I was pleasantly surprised by the way they performed , just goes to show you should never write off a vintage without trying the wines ! — 3 months ago