Ron Lear

9.1

Spectacular fruity back finish with lovely tannins. Soft and velvety throughout! — 7 years ago

Keith Herrick

9.6

I guess the wine’s lighter body is the one thing that separates it from one of the more prestigious appellations, but this wine is on 🔥🔥🔥! Loads of smoke, meat and olive tapenade, and concentrated and savage, yet elegant. Punching way above its weight class — 8 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.3

This wine had some tobacco and earth FUNK after it was opened up. The herbaceous and tobacco ash note on the nose was almost identical to the 1980 Beringer State Lane cab. This did blow off after an hour, but the wine was less fruit than I thought it would have been. Lots of dark figgy jam. Tobacco and cigar box. I'm sure the fruit came back after I left, but this would have been 2 hours after opening and just didn't have the time to see this one though, hence the "NR" rating. Impressed by this wine, and probably one of the older Monte Bello wines I've been able to drink. — 9 years ago

with Benjamin

Lauren Ross

9.0

Nice way to ring in the new year! — 10 years ago

Michael Horkay

10

Perfect. Sweetness layer and integrated. The wine was out of bounds with great length and it's clear this can go another 30 years. Orange marmalade with penetrating silky mineralty this wine was perfect in any way we measure greatness. — 10 years ago

Thomas Hughes

9.5

I was disappointed with my last Caymus Special Selection vintage, but this beauty brought me back to a bottle that won Wine Spectator's #1 Wine of the Year ... Twice!! Incredible fruit and balance. This can be cellared and enjoyed for years to come. Cheers!! — 11 years ago

Mike Mighetto Hoefling

9.4

Way too young! Big tannin structure — 13 years ago

K Frech

8.9

Picked up in auction. Label is trashed but decent fill. So deceiving. Nose from bottle yuck. Nose from glass oh my. This is beautiful. Soft. Some tobacco. Some fruit like an old blackberry but not in a bad way. Giving no it a 8.9 bit could move it up a notch. — 8 years ago

Dave Wood

9.0

Still with some life after 50 years. Nice with hazelnut espresso chocolate pot de creame. Nice way to end the 50th birthday dinner. — 8 years ago

with David

Ned Gray Creed

9.2

Hep! Step up to the value plate and come back for seconds. — 9 years ago

with Mark

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

The nose on this wine is stunning baring the alcohol heat. Perfumed red florals and candied dark and lighter red fruits. While the wine is truly elegant, the alcohol is seriously burning the back of my throat. The bottle reads 14.1 but I think over 15 degrees. Maybe, they wanted to save on the higher alcohol tax. The wine starts so beautifully only to burn the back of my throat. The fruits are ripe, elegant and beautifully soft. Blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, raspberries, faint back palate of strawberries, sweet/soft leather, black licorice, violets & roses, rich delicate & sweet wet black earth, soft light baking spices, caramel, milk chocolate, figs & dates, amazingly sweet dark minerals, touch of black tar, touch of spice and a rich long elegant dark fruit liqueur finish. I would score this wine higher if it didn't punish my palate and throat with the burning alcohol finish. — 10 years ago

Michael Mathews

9.1

At Redstone w/Shelly. Just back from Orlando w/Rettke. #pro — 11 years ago

with Rick, Jeff and 2 others

Alejandro Lopez

9.8

Atractive nose of spices, candied cherries, marzipan and leather. A mushroomy background makes it way up along with an intriguing minerality. The length is medium -, a real shame for such a promising nose! — 11 years ago

LM Segal

9.5

Leathery and red floral nose. After 1 hour decant, opulent, lightly spiced and earthy-red palate infused with dried mushrooms, iron and throughout with notes of garrigue. Punching way above its weight in a meh vintage...just entering a window that will last 10+ years. — 8 years ago

Steve Haro

9.5

Hints of menthol and eucalyptus on the nose. Loads of anise and black tea flavors with portobello and grilled game. Fruit flavors taking a back seat to earth but wow, does it have life. Forrest floor and tobacco on the finish. — 9 years ago

Jeff Wheatley

9.5

What a way to celebrate a 25th wedding anniversary - with a 25 year old cab! — 10 years ago

P Plusquellec

9.4

Very good now, what a fun way to end the week. I feel likely to improve to excellent over next 5-10 yrs. — 10 years ago

Fabien Lainé

Blogger VinDeling.com

9.1

Mature and very pleasant, it has way time to get even better, complex, fruity light notes with tobacco, olives and oaky notes - keep on evolving a great way — 11 years ago

Alexis A

9.4

1996. Boom. Amazing. Full on. A wine. Way heavier than the Dom 1996. — 11 years ago

Austin Ferrari

Wine Director Hillside Supper Club

9.6

Real wine! Lapierre takes me back to the chez days! — 12 years ago

with Aran