Fruity, deep, dry, what I would hope for out of a wine. — 20 days ago
Pretty deep ruby , thin ruby rim . This is quite closed at first , but very focused mineral and grafite , oyster shell notes with dark blackcurrant and blackberry notes , spicy touches too . On the palate this is really focused and reserved , lots of mineral tinged black fruits , tobacco , oyster shell . Quite rich yet very good balance, fresh acidity . Ripe but gritty tannins , saline and really long finish . Accessible now , but really destined for the long term. Wait another 5-10 years , will drink well a further 20 . At Vinous Icons, Pier 60 NY, Feb 2025 — 24 days ago
We had the 2012 Vintage on 7/12-13/25. With 13 Years of aging, all the tannins have been smoothed out. Tastes of blueberry, plum, leather and spice. Medium to full bodied. Still fruit forward. Very good — 2 months ago
Medium ruby garnet , quite thin garnet rim , quite youthful in appearance. Quite exuberant and open from the off blackcurrant , cedar , tobacco , touch of earthy sous bois and grafite, still really quite alive . On the palate this is quite fine boned and elegant , cassis , cedar , blackberry and grafite notes . Refreshing acidity and resolved tannin , with quite reasonable length and good saline balance . Really quite classic , and though not a big , or intense wine , it is well balanced and at peak . Now and over the next 5 - 10 years. Surprises positively for a 1994. — 3 days ago
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. — 2 months ago
Medium yellow , touch of gold . Fine bubbles , though not a lot noticable in our wine glasses . Bit of development with brioche , orange rind , mocha , touch of honeysuckle and crushed stones . On the palate this is fine boned , elegant, lemon rind , baked pastry , fine chalky notes . Quite high grippy acidity , this is linear and quite direct in style , but enough volume on the palate to cover its bones . Good medium length mineral and crystallised lemon pith charged finish . This is drinking well now but will probably last well over the next 5-10 years. — 12 days ago
So for those who don’t know, this wine is a collaboration between one of the most famous California winemakers and one of the most famous Bordeaux wine makers (the grapes are from Napa).
The young expression when I first had it 10 years ago was big bold ripe fruit, probably the quintessential Napa cab.
The aged expression had more secondary and tertiary characteristics, terroir, and represented Baron Rothschild in respects of crafting a wine that could grow and develop and express the care that goes into winemaking as opposed to simply growing good fruit.
The young version of it perfectly expresses Mondavi and Napa. The aged version captures the elegance of Bordeaux winemaking and Rothschild’s fingerprints. You cannot fully experience this wine unless you’ve had it young and old. Unbelievable experience tonight. — 11 days ago
Clear, deep ruby in color; on the nose, it's clean with pronounced primary and secondary aromas of black currants, black plums, and cedar. On the palate, it's dry, medium acidity, high tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, and a pronounced intensity of primary and secondary flavors. It tastes like blackberries, eucalyptus, graphite, and black cherries with a long finish. This wine is a little off balanced (the eucalyptus flavor is a little too intense), complex, and intense. Overall, I would rate it as very good. Nellie liked it with steak. — a month ago
Ronald LaMascus
As good as advertised! The nose permeates the air immediately upon uncorking! And what a nose it is! The ripe fruits just burst out of the bottle before you finish pouring the first few ounces. Full bodied, great mouthfeel, mild tannins but enough to think it could age a bit very nicely. But, why wait when it’s drinking so well already. Even though it sells in the $65-70 range nationally, my local wine store has it for under $40 which makes it quite the bargain. Will definitely be stocking up!! — 4 days ago