Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium ruby garnet terracotta rim, slightly wider than the Lynch. This is cooler and slightly sterner in character than the Lynch. More mineral , with ash , cedar and grafite in character , cassis , blackberry , dark cherry fruits. On the palate this is denser with more tannin , and balanced acidity . Grafite , cassis , herbal cedar , menthol touch . Long fresh but densely fruited, grafite finish . This is younger and more serious than the Lynch, more austere . Probably deserves a little time in decanter, though this is probably in the middle of its drinking window . Certainly no rush here , can go on well for the next 10 if not more years . This shows a really good mix of St Estephe austerity , seriousness and the ripeness and generosity of 1990. A great bottle , showing very well. — 8 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Deep opaque core, thin ruby rim. Deep slightly spicy creme de cassis , blackberry , charcoal embers , grafite . On the palate this is quite intense but has good freshness , and ripe but firm , quite dry tannins . Creme de cassis , blackberry , grafite , crushed rocks , quite saline and fresh in style , oyster shell and sea breeze hints . Well balanced alcohol and good length grafite , saline tinged finish . This is actually quite enjoyable , though obviously way too young , fresh and detailed with cool fresh dark fruit and grafite nuance. Better in 10 years and will last well a further 10-15 maybe more . Really enjoyed the style and balance of this . — 9 months ago

Gor

9.3

Sweet nose of ripe blackberries, black cherries, plum, licorice and a hint of herbs. Not much complexity but what beautiful concentration and purity of expression against soft tannin structure and balanced acidity. Good stuff and will likely continue aging@for another decade,. — 5 years ago

Chris M

9.2

I grab my wines by random out of the fridge. I grabbed it from the cheap zone and we really pleased with the quality as it is excellent.

Turns out it is not cheap, it's like $35-40. It's still good just not a great value — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

I kid you not, Charles Hendricks is likely the most underrated & under known Winemaker in Napa Valley.

If you have not had his wines, you are missing out on great wines & relative real value for Napa. He makes his own private higher end label-Hendricks, Hope & Grace and midway through the 14 vintage for; James Cole, Regusci & T-Vine.

There are few Winemakers that can make wines that drink well young & some that will age two decades plus stored correctly.

This Santa Lucia Doctor’s Vineyard is really good but, his private label Hendricks Pinot from Santa Lucia is off the charts. His 2008 Hendricks Pinot Noir is the highest rating I have ever given a Ca Pinot Noir, 98.

The 13 Doctor’s Vineyard is better than his 12 & is still a little early right now. It will improve over the next 5 years & hold there a couple of years before its gentle decline.

The nose reveals, ripe, well extracted & slightly baked; blackberries, stewed, deep, dark, black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, dry pomegranate & cranberries with shades of blueberries. Dark spices, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, touch of savory meats, anise to black licorice, black tea, wet clay, steeped black tea, touch of herbs dominated with Rosemary, rich, black, earth, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, fresh tobacco, leather notes, volcanic minerals, limestone with bright, fresh & withering florals that are; dark, red, purple, blue mixed in violets and lavender.

The body is full, rich, lush and gorgeous. The structure, tension, length and balance are just hitting their good phase. It is simply a beautiful & complex Pinot Noir. Nicely extracted & slightly baked; blackberries, stewed, deep, dark, black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, baked strawberries, dry pomegranate & cranberries with more blueberries than the nose. Dark spices that bring palate heat, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanilla, touch of savory meats, peppery notes, anise to black licorice, black tea, wet clay, steeped black tea, touch of herbs dominated with Rosemary, rich, black, earth, dry stones, dry crushed rocks, fresh tobacco, leather notes, volcanic minerals, limestone with bright, fresh & withering florals that are; dark, red, purple, blue mixed in violets and lavender. The acidity is very good & excellent at containing the slightly higher ABV. The long, complex finish is, well balanced fruit & earth, polished and will persist until dawn.

Photos of; Their Doctor’s Vineyard, one of my favorite paintings that used to hang behind the bar in their tasting room & now hangs in Charles’ house (it reminds me of a Jackson Pollock), Winemaker-Charles Hendricks and the front of their tasting room in downtown Yountville.
— 6 years ago

Dean Erstad

9.2

Excellent smooth with good notes of charcoal and smoke. — 7 years ago

Scott Howard

9.5

Because one bottle of wine is not enough for turning 50. Heading into the old stuff for the next couple of weeks to celebrate. I hope to age as well as this wine. — 9 years ago

Randmaster Flash

9.2

Absolutely wonderful- rich and deep. Good for drinking alone or paired! — 10 years ago

Jimmy Hayes

Estate Director Mayacamas Vineyard

9.3

Sweet little half bottle. Lovely detailed nose from the beginning, but hard and metallic on the pallet out of the gate. Opened and softened considerably. Sweet tannins, nice plump middle. Red currant.. Was good in he glass for 2 hours. Pas mal for a 375. #bordeaux — 10 years ago

P A

9.2

Always a good bet — 12 years ago

Tom Garland

9.2

2 hour decant(little fine sediment). A splendid dark magenta with some bricking. On the nose: subdued but enticing notes of blackberry, cassis, cigar wrapper, clove, pine, maybe a touch of brett. Taste: silky, still youthful at 20 wine with blackberry, red fruit, graphite, spice, and a medium smokey licorice tar finish. YUM..good but expecting more for the year..will wait a few years for next attempt. — 9 months ago

with Brenda

Conrad Green

9.4

a touch of tang. Sour black cherry and good acidity — 3 years ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

Nathan Renfro

9.4

Dark inky black almost. Black fruit. First bottle of the Howell Mtn in a while. Just a quick open bottle decant, drinking incredible. Super smooth fine tannins. Lovely balance of ripe black fruit, black cherry. Toblerone. Great mouthfeel and lovely finish. The ‘14s are starting to hit their stride. Really good. — 4 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

#AgedWineTuesday

Celebrating our wedding anniversary, with a Vintage Champagne from the same year.

Light yellow in color with a golden hue.

Strong nose of bread, spices, earth, wet leaves, herbs, yeast, white pepper, lemons, yellow apples and river rocks.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and soft, small bubbles.

Dry on the palate with light citrus, over ripen apples, spices, yeast, bread, river rocks, herbs and white pepper.

Short finish with limes.

This 28 year old Champagne is still delicious, although probably on its last leg.

Showing great complexity with a nice mouthfeel. Soft and elegant.

Not much fruit is left, but enough to make it tangy and interesting.

Thank you Judy for sharing this with us.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with caviar and good friends. Very tasty, especially with the caviar.

12% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$550. — 5 years ago

Todd Stone

9.2

Very good Rosé champagne. Not as Brut as a typical white version- has a touch of sweetness but still dry. Very smooth, softer bubbles, strawberries & maybe even raspberries. — 7 years ago

with Gordon and Peggy

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Joseph Phelps Party and the 83 Insignia from magnum.

The nose reveals; floral liqueur notes, more mid red fruits; strawberries, cherries & dark cherries. Blackberries, black raspberries, rhubarb, soft, volcanic minerals, limestone, steeped fruit tea, cedar, old leather & tobacco, dry crushed rocks, dark spices, dry herbal notes, eucalyptus, dry stems with dry & withering dark, red florals.

The body is medium full with a fair amount of tannins in a wine with this age. The structure, tension, length and balance are still quite sound with harmony. Floral liqueur notes, more mid red fruits, strawberries, cherries & dark cherries. Blackberries, black raspberries, rhubarb, soft, volcanic minerals, limestone, steeped fruit tea, dark spice with some heat, cedar, old leather & tobacco, cedar, dry crushed rocks, dark spices, dry herbal notes, eucalyptus, dry stems with some funkiness. withering dark, red florals. The acidity is nice. The long finish still show ripeness, good balance but, has leaned and shows nice persistence. — 7 years ago

"Odedi"

8.9

Dark Inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose with black currants, blackberries, ripe figs, wood, spices, licorice, chocolates, mocha, caramel, light vanilla, tobacco, light alcohol and peppercorn.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, plums, cherries, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, coke, coffee and peppercorn.

Long finish with very soft tannins and tangy cranberries.

This California Red Blend is always enjoyable. Well balanced and enjoyable by itself or with food. Still showing nice acidity and complexity.

It's a non vintage, but I held it for a couple of years so it must be 4 or 5 years old by now.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up.

14.5% alcohol by volume.



$17. — 8 years ago

Steven K

9.3

Had at Christmas, the best rioja I've had. Plum and layers of flavor, the med+ tannins work fine to hold this together. Really good value still at $50. Rated #1wine of 2016 seems a little generous though. — 9 years ago

Charlie Beatty

Buyer wineworksonline.com

9.5

Awesome experience a 1991 Caymus Special Selection. Upon opening showing good fruit in the nose. Tannins have dissipated. Thought it might be over the hill? No Way! Tried with WW staff. A gift from Dr Bill! You know who you are. Great 25 yr old bottle of Cab! Big Wow! — 10 years ago

with Anca and Filippo

Magno González

9.2

'09 shed most of its baby fat and is at a good place right now. Pure Joy! — 12 years ago

Sean Townley

9.4

One of the last years Caymus made good wine — 9 months ago

with Mairead

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Something for my Wagyu Burger.

I do enjoy this producers style/craft. Also, enjoy the elegance of St. Julien. 2012 is a vintage Sofia & 1 worked harvest at Clerc Milon. So, the 2012 vintage will always be a special vintage for me, even if it was only one that was good to very good for the right terroirs and producers. Just wasn’t special like; 00, 05, 09, 10, 16 or 19 etc..

Having said all that, this Ducru is not the 2012 star of the region. It’s elegant but falls short on depth, character & umpf, which are things I have grown to expect and have experienced from this producer in many vintages.

The palate shows, soft, round & velvety M-M+ tannins. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, some of both plums, slightly baked strawberries & circling raspberries. Slightly dry tobacco w/ ash, soft leather, sandalwood, mid, dark, rounded spice, nutmeg, clove, some cinnamon & vanillin, dark most earth with clay & dry leaves, herbaceous notes, very soft & elegant graphite, a touch of of mid berry cola/licorice, dark withering flowers, red roses, nice acidity with nicely balance, good tension/structured, elegant finish that last nearly two minutes and long sets on rounded dark spice.

@EmiratesLoungeDubai — 9 months ago

Shay A

9.4

Last of a 3-pack I bought a few years ago. Should have bought more! Thankfully the ridiculous pricing for the 2008 keeps this 2007 an easy choice when looking for more great champagne.

Having had the 2006, 2007 and 2008 all within the last 6 months or so, it’s fun to see the differences. 2006 seems to be a bigger champagne in regards to richness, yet still has great structure…2008 is wound up crazy tight, extremely chiseled and age worthy…the 2007 is a more accessible version of the three with lots of similarities to 2006.

Right down the middle in terms of style (doesn’t come across reductive or oxidative in profile). Tart lemon, yeasty, chalk, and a hint of nuttiness on the nose. Comtes always has this kiss of freshly baked lemon scone note on the nose to me. Not as multidimensional as 2006, but tons of layers here both aromatically and on the palate. Continuously evolving revealing limestone, powder sugar dusted lemon bars, and roasted almonds. Lemon-lime mineral grip isn’t as prevalent as the 2008 on the finish. This can certainly age, but with how good it is now, pop and enjoy! — 4 years ago

Ken Z

9.0

Drank 9\20\20. Nice with a bacon cheeseburger.

Medium nose of black and blue fruits with some spice and a bit of herbaceousness as well. Big, but balanced with cassis, blueberry, and a bit of spice all backed by medium plus tannins. Long finish and great balance. I can't think of too many good cabs for under $20, and this one delivers for closer to $10. Incredible value.

3\21\8\4\4 +50 = 90 pts. — 6 years ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured out of a 1.5L and this was lights out good. I love the 2005 vintage in Barbaresco and this was a beautiful example and seemed to have so much left in the tank! The fruit was still bright and full of life. Tannins are still firm. Great acid for food and paired beautifully with frutta di mare fra diavolo. Secondary characteristics are just barely creeping into the fore. Wish I had another mag to drink in 2029. — 7 years ago

Madeline Warren

9.0

Watermelon aqua fresca, grassy, sour cherry on the finish. Nice minerality. — 7 years ago

Johnno Harris

9.4

At peak. Looking exactly as it should. Classic big Oz Cab Shiraz. Delicious ripe dark berries and Christmas cake spices. A touch of leathery development and dusty oak add to the complexity and satisfaction. An Oz, old school classic in a pretty good spot. — 8 years ago

Matt Lichtenberg

9.2

Out of Mag....shockingly good. — 9 years ago

Deni

9.4

Absolutely amazing. Lots of good brett. Balanced and delicious. Great dark fruit aromas and flavors. So smooth. Medium high tannins and acidity. Perfect silky texture. A little funk on the nose and palate (positive). Aroma and flavors are out of this world. Leather bag full of cherries and raspberries. Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carmenere. Complex. Delicious 13.5% abv — 10 years ago

Martin Frowde

9.2

Drinking the 1991 in 2016 after over 2 hours of decanting. Wonderful light sherry type nose with a hint of pepper and quite brick red colour around the edges. Such a soft texture on the tongue though still a little astringency on the finish. Very good. — 11 years ago

with Georgina