Josh Morgenthau

9.3

Very grassy. Key lime pie, green apple, and a load of primary yeast flavor. This is beautifully balanced and I think it will benefit from some time in bottle. Disgorged 2019 — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.2

BBQ & Zin night!

This surprised me. The fruit here wasn’t as sweet as expected. Black peppercorn spice and tart black cherry pie. I think this is actually young and could go quite the distance. — 7 years ago

with Dan, Clare and 1 other

Bill Bender

9.3

After a spirited tussle between myself and the Durand vs a dry and crumbly cork I was able to double decant this and segregate away the remnants of floating debris. I was immediately struck by the bouquet which was unmistakably borne from Cabernet Franc (and I believe this blend is less than 10%). It was a positive sign. The wine is completely intact and boasts ample fruit albeit waning acidity. Simple Concord grape, bruised black plum and sweet oak flavors are holding on 2 hours in. This has some time left, but not much. This is a testament to Opus One quality in the early days (I believe this was the 3rd or 4th vintage) and while I think the ‘87-‘97 era was their best, this is an profound example of an exemplary wine at age 37! — 8 years ago

Michael Meyer

9.3

2001 SuperTuscan heavyweight match with Tignanello vs Flaccianello. This one got off to a slow start in the early rounds with a muted nose and flat palate, but after a couple hours was sparring vigorously with its dark well-extracted fruit, tobacco, and suede. Was it enough to take the title? Perhaps not, as I think the aromatics were never quite up to the task - but bravo ragazzo! — 9 years ago

Patrick Derdeyn

9.3

You can smell Bolli in the glass from across the table. I called this one "honey buttered chicken biscuits" I think that about sums it up. Unabashedly huge wine, and thats ok. Delicious. — 9 years ago

Kristi

9.1

Drinking better overall than the last time. Still a little acidic and the tannins are rough but I think this one is going to improve with more time. — 10 years ago

Cian Riordan

10

Sort of a 'mic drop' kinda wine. Incredible life left in this. Tons of fruit, not stewed like you'd think, but very bright. Peppery nose. Really a treat. — 10 years ago

Rajiv Ayyangar

9.8

Perfectly integrated, well-ahead of the 1999 (still disjointed a few months ago). Supple, not powerful. Just an absolute pleasure. Red cherries, dried strawberries, rye, subdued tamari with slight balsamic prickle, browned liquorice. This isn't arresting as the '95, but rather it's a quieter, equally thoughtful companion. Effortlessly transportive. With it's constant shifting and ease, it makes me think of friendships. Of the people I've met and the conversations I've loved. Of my friend, Tim, who shared the bottle with me. Of friendships born out of music, climbing, work, school, wine - friendships that transcended the genre in which they emerged.
I wouldn't change anything about this wine. — 10 years ago

with Tim

Nestor Tsioustas

9.3

Massive is an under-statement. This wine was a Puppy. Many more years of enjoyment left in this wine, I think a minimum of 20 years. Top class Grange and worth the money! 94+ points. — 11 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

Delectable Wine

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9.7

The 1990 Cristal is remarkable. Polished, nuanced and light on its feet, the 1990 is all class. Citrus, orchard fruit and floral notes are wonderfully lifted throughout. A slight reductive note adds character on the finely knit finish. I can’t think of a better way to start this tasting. Simply put, the 1990 is a total rock star. Moreover, it is much more delicate than most wines from this ripe vintage. Amazingly, the 1990 tastes like it is still not ready! “Nineteen ninety was my second vintage here,” says Chef de Caves Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon. “It was ideal. The fruit was just perfect. We blocked the malolactic fermentation completely and only fermented 6-7% of our lots in oak, as opposed to the more typical 20%, in order to preserve as much freshness as possible. The wine was made by my predecessor, Michel Pansu, but I was learning. This was the first year I started working with oxygen by reducing sulfites in vinification to pre-oxidize the Chardonnay musts, as I do know, which allows me to get rid of all the unstable, oxidative compounds. With Pinot, on the other hand, you need a little bit of sulfur at crush or you lose the brilliant fruit. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, December 2018) — 7 years ago

Jody Scharf

10

Musty basement. Loved it. History. Not many around. Like 10 bottles I think. — 8 years ago

J PF

8.9

Nice blend.
Jammy, strawberry, blueberry
Savory finish
I think 2015 — 8 years ago

Chris England

8.9

£99 Magnum that RP said "one of the most disappointing St.-Juliens I tasted 84pts" well I think he should retry the great numpty 😜 Still could do w/ 2-5yrs 👍 Great nose but palate still a little tight

🍇 63% Cab S, 25% Mer, 9% Cab F & 3% Pet V

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Smokey oaky earthy farmyard through shy blackcurrant & spiced plum w/ minerals, leather, musky cellar & wet leaves - fab nose 👍

👄 Med earthy mocha blackcurrant body w/ dry tannins & touch of tart cherry

🎯 Med dry earthy blackcurrant finish — 9 years ago

Ashlee Howarth

9.5

One of my favs. Light. Citrus. Floral. — 10 years ago

Amy Huson

9.3

Pretty amazing although we drank the 2012 and I think it is still a bit young. Decanted it was better and the tannins mellowed some. Will age for many, many years! — 10 years ago

Matt Trader

8.9

I've always been a big fan of Ridge. I absolutely love the bottles from Lytton Springs and this was my first time to try the Three Valleys. It had a deep concentration in color, and medium width legs. The aromas were pleasant, reminiscent of coconut oil, vanilla bean extract, nutmeg, dusty dessert soil, and oripe raspberries. The pallet was concentrated as well, layered with youthful red fruit, milk chocolate, coffee bean, and a velvety finish. The structure was round, but soft, and didn't scream Zinfandel the whole time. I still think I'm more a fan of the Lytton Springs.. but this was a nice wine as well; a good example of the use of air dried American oak barrels. — 10 years ago

Daniel Park

9.0

Great fruity nose. Think fruit roll up. But a little too muted for my taste. — 10 years ago

Aran Healy

Partner Ruby WIne, Carlotta Cellars, Thistle Cellars

10

I don't think I can drink another Napa wine after this...wow. Absolutely brilliant. — 12 years ago

Greg Sorensen

9.5

Showed very well. Classic and balanced. Drink up though not improving I think. — 13 years ago

Victor Hwang

9.2

88 mouton with Keith harding art work. The nose upon opening was sublime. As it decanted and opened, it was a bit disjointed. Has a lot of potential but at this age I think it’s not going to come together. The nose weakened, and the body to finish is a bit jarred. — 7 years ago

Justin Wade

8.9

Not bad, only a little bit sweet. Good mouth feel and flavor. — 7 years ago

with Matt and Camilla

Randy Fuller

9.8

I love smelling the wines of Randall Grahm. He makes savory walk and talk and jump through hoops. This wine, the 30th anniversary vintage of Cigare, brings it home like it always does. It shows a medium dark color in the glass and on the nose. There is cassis and licorice, but the savory notes carry the load. Black olive is the first smell I get, followed by a bit of tar and a whiff of smoke. Cigar box, leather and bacon fat finish out a complex aroma package. The palate is delicious as always. Grahm says the ‘13 is “less muscular” than the ‘12, but I think there's more to it. This Cigare drinks with the weight and elegance of a Pinot Noir. Black fruit is forward, while more savory aspects of sage and mint come in to join it. The tannins are gentle, the acidity fresh and the finish long. — 8 years ago

Bret Barker

9.2

One of the first bottles I bought when I started collecting. Sat in the back of my closet for 6 months- that was my wine locker back then! Huge fan of this producer. Don’t get sucked into epic vintages solid producers make great wine in any vintage. 01 wasn’t anything to write home about but when you drink this, you think otherwise. — 8 years ago

Marshal White

9.6

I unabashedly love this wine. Night one was all hedonism, with sappy fresh dark fruit, ripe to bursting and currant liqueur. A real celebration of fruit. On the second night it's much firmer, suggesting this could last longer than one might think — 9 years ago

Brandon Boesch

9.0

It was too young and overall very tight even with 5 hours of decanting. I think we opened this at an awkward time in its evolution. — 10 years ago

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

Eric L.

9.8

I think this one was my favorite of last night's Oakville tasting. — 10 years ago

Jay Svoboda

8.9

I'm going to come clean, I'm not a huge Caymus fan. It's by no means a bad wine - far from it - but I've always felt they blend their Cab with too much Zin. I could be wrong on that account, but I don't think I am. Still, a nice brooding nose of dark red and blue fruit, with a touch of candied fruit and wet earth. — 11 years ago

Marshal White

9.2

Very nebb-like. Darker, richer fruit than in '10, and I think the tannins are a bit riper, with lower acid. — 12 years ago