Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

From 375ml.

A very good Rhone producer visited in 2015.

At pop & pour, the fruits almost had a mid berry bubble gum character. That toned down almost immediately. Fruits are ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, baked plums, raspberries, dark cherries, juicy strawberries, chocolate bar to fudge, grilled, smoked meats, black pepper, dark spice, nutmeg, clove, iron pan, black tea, a touch of rubber toy, slight tarriness, dry herbs, roasted chestnuts, tobacco leaf, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, hints of mint, dark, red flowers, violet’s, nice acidity with a well balanced-structured, stiffly tensioned with a lush finish that lasts 90 seconds and lands on earthiness & spice.

Plenty of life left in this 2012, even in 375ml. — 3 months ago

edward Simpson

9.4

We had the double magnum of this at Xmas, it's smaller brother is wow...rocks all the boxes and more... subtle, tabac, berries, yup yup and yup W64 40 yo yos — 4 months ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Double decant for sediment and pour. A splendid still dark tawny red color. On the nose: expressive notes of stewed blackberry/plum, worn leather, musty forest floor, truffles, mint. Taste: silky, elegant, savory wine with dried strawberries, leather, cedar, earth, and a peppery chocolate espresso medium plus finish. YUM! Still delivering like a champ at 45 years and glad to have a couple more bottles — 5 months ago

with Brenda

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.5

This is always a beautiful. At this stage it’s quite complex to understand. But it’s clear that with the time it’ll turn onto a special wine. — 6 months 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. — 7 months ago

Alan Weinberg

9.2

At first underwhelming, started to gain after 30 minutes and was a fine bottle. Never became amazing. Drink up. — 8 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. — 9 months ago

George Hesse

9.2

Another amazing bottle. At the Ken Wegner Hunt 2019. — 7 years ago

Narun P

9.0

Funky at first but subsequently blown away. Fresh, leathery, flowery, with some structure. Can tell it was once a great bottling. A bit long over due. — 9 years ago

Michael Mathews

9.1

At Redstone w/Shelly. Just back from Orlando w/Rettke. #pro — 10 years ago

with Rick, Jeff and 2 others

Peter van den Besselaar

9.7

Vintage 2001 | Sheer perfection, meditation wine with awesome balance | at restaurant Monarh Tilburg — 4 months ago

Jay Kline

8.9

Decanted prior to service; enjoyed over the course of several hours. This bottle of the 1964 pours a garnet color with significant rim variation; medium viscosity with light staining and significant signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with mostly tertiary notes at this point: cherry fruit leather, actual leather, decomposing log. On the palate, the wine is dry with tannin fully integrated and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. Alive…but this bottle is old and tired. Drink now. — 4 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.1

This was actually the first wine we had at the Bordeaux first growth lunch last Saturday (which wasn’t a First Growth). No notes taken but it did show the quality of the 1982 vintage particularly from Paulliac, and was still going strong. — 5 months ago

Austin Hohnke

9.1

Trivia at Aldo Sohm wine bar. Our team lost by one point. This wine won by many points. I blind tasted my staff and they converged around Rhone. Great stuff! — 6 months ago

Tyler Felous

9.5

Absolutely singing at 10 yrs. Beautiful weight. Age coming thru with beeswax and acacia with plenty of acidity to back it up. — 7 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. — 8 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 — 10 months ago

Mike Saviage

9.2

Dark ruby. Opaque. Notes of dark plums, cassis, rhubarb, tobacco. Has a green element to it. At first it’s very linear and one dimensional in the mouth but rounds out with air. Nice for the vintage. — 7 years ago

Lexi

9.1

Bright acidity. More raspberry than cherry on the nose. Tannins stick primarily to the tip of the tongue and dies quickly at the back. — 10 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

Beautifully aged, drunk this at restaurant Air Accueil in Brebieres. — 11 years ago

Gabby

10

Opened this when mark was in town, as kenlee had been keeping the bottle. Had at Ma cuisine — 4 months ago

Pooneet K

9.2

Last had this vintage a couple years ago. These obviously have a long life ahead of them. With some nice air, this does open up. Wonderful dark fruit and earth aromas. Tannins are quite present and a bit bitter (not in a bad way at all). Excellent acid on the finish. Delicious pairing with kinderhook pork chops with tutto porchetta seasoning. — 4 months ago

Vinny Brooklyn

9.2

At Smith & Wollensky, New York. Very nice — 5 months ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.4

Always hits the spot at Disneyland 😄 — 6 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

The last of the 2002 in mags brought from the property. Delicious. I would have thought these would have been saved for their member parties. So, a nice surprise.

From The Cellar event at Pebble Beach Food & Wine. — 6 months ago

Ravinder Singh

9.2

Dinner at home 3/13/2025 — 7 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 — 8 months ago

Wine Dad

8.9

Had at Smith & Wollensky. — 2 years ago

Benjamin Keator

9.7

Fuck me! I have never had a Leoville Barton at this level! The nose actually made me hard. Probably smelled it for 15 minutes before my wife told me to eat my damn dinner. This is one sexy bitch. Total balance. Great complexity. Wanting for nothing. Give it a 30 minute decant and sit back and enjoy. I'd happily trade a 2010 Hundred Acre for another one of these. Not going to bullshit you with hints of truffle and smoke and other bullshit...this is just damn fine wine...thy I have had way too much of tonight😳 — 9 years ago

Peter Marks

Master of Wine, Educator Constellation Brands

9.3

At the peak of perfection. — 11 years ago