Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

2005 vintage. From magnum. Open 3.5 hours. Top of the bell curve but years to go at that summit. Great, aged Bordeaux nose of leather, brick, earth and dried cherry. Medium body. All that along for the ride with some big cigar/tobacco notes on the expectedly lengthy finish. This will hold steady in this fantastic phase for at least a half-decade. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

The days when non Special Select Caymus was truly Caymus Classic.

The nose reveals, baked and slightly stewed, ruby, fruits of; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, dark cherries, boysenberries & blueberries over the top. Dark, melted chocolate bar, dark, Indian/Asian spices, dark fruit cola, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, phat vanilla, caramel, steeped, dark fruit tea, leather, tobacco, graphite, anise to black licorice, black, rich earth, dry, crushed rocks, dry stones, limestone/sandstone minerals, hints of rubber toy with dark, purple, red, blue candies flowers framed in violets & lavender.

The body is; thick, round, rich, ruby & lush. The tannins are round, sweet tarry, chewy and just starting the growth of adolescent teeth. The structure, tension, length and balance are in a near perfect place. This 08 has another 7-10 years left depending on how you like them and store wine. Baked and slightly stewed, ruby, fruits of; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, dark cherries, boysenberries, raspberries on the long open & blueberries over the top. Dark, melted chocolate bar, dark, Indian/Asian spices with deep palate heat, dark fruit cola, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, phat vanilla, caramel, steeped, dark fruit tea, dry & fresh herbs. leather, tobacco, graphite, anise to black licorice, black, light peppery notes, grilled meats, rich earth, dry, crushed rocks, dry stones, limestone/sandstone minerals, hints of rubber toy with dark, purple, red, blue candies flowers framed in violets & lavender. The acidity is round, nicely executed & holds the ABV of the last decade nicely. The very long finish is; round, elegant, ruby, ripe fruits that are well balanced fruit & earth, polish for days and sunsets in dusty tannins with a deep spice end which, is why I love Caymus Classic so much.

This is my 2nd to my last bottle of Caymus Classic (😔) unless I go search for more. Just misses 94.

Note: My definition of Caymus Classic is defined by vintages up to 2011. After the 2011 vintage, they changed the style of the wine with longer fruit hang time which, translated to more sugar in the grapes & a much sweeter wine.

Photos of; Caymus tasting bar/room, Owner- Chuck Wagner, the winery & photo signage and their garden tunnel at their tasting room. — 6 years ago

Kirk F

9.4

Amazing after 2 hour decant. @Stanley Barrios great recommendation. Stunning wine. — 6 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

Hannah DeYoung

9.0

Silky, fruity yet sophisticated in an unpretentious way — 8 years ago

Mark Howard

8.9

This vintage shows more oak than in prior vintages. Big, bold, version of California chardonnay. Missing the elegance of last year. Still enjoyable. Just me splitting hairs. — 9 years ago

with Elizabeth

George Chen

9.3

A shocker for a 94! Better than any Bordeaux 94 I can remember. Lush mouth feel of top Pomerol and sustained elegant richness throughout. Only slightly dried out after 2 hours and drank the bits of sediment. — 10 years ago

Ryan Mullins

9.4

2013 foillard morgon cote du py in 3liter. Top notch with some air. It also serves as a great tee-ball set up if your 2yr old is baseball obessed — 10 years ago

Scott Stephens

9.8

Ulee's Cabin, on top of the mountain in Crested Butte, only accessible by Snow-Cat. — 12 years ago

Eric

9.6

This is the Grenache Mouved. High end leather belts and bacon. — 4 years ago

Kirk F

9.4

Another spectacular effort from @Stanley Barrios thanks brother! So great to spend time with u and Elena tonight. Can’t wait to get into the new releases now and to visit again this summer. Bottle that Rosè!!! — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

When in doubt, a sure bet is a well aged, good vintage Heitz. @Eric Shanks

I intended to grab an 06 but, mistakenly grabbed an 07. I’ve not had one of my 06’s yet...next weekend.

The one thing I do every time I open one of my ten year or older Heitz Napa Cabernet’s is smile & think, this was sub $35 at Costco. It’s the wine feeling/definition of stealing candy from babies.

The nose is a beautiful harmony of fruit, earth and florals. Steeped, somewhat stewed, candied fruits of; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, mix of purple fruits; boysenberries, ollieberries, & mulberries. Dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, touch of incense, fire ambers, dark spices with violets palate heat, chocolate pudding, vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg, dark chocolate, caramel, sweet, soft, dark spice, dark berry cola, dark cherry kirsch, dark, rich earth, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dry top soil, moist clay, understated herbs & dry brush, brewed coffee, mint, some sage & bay leaf, tobacco, dry, old leather with amazing, fresh & slightly withering & candied; dark, red, blue, purple with a violet & lavender frame. The acidity is splendid. The long, ripe, ruby, lush, elegant, well crafted balance of fruit & earth is delicious and persists endlessly with a dark spice on the long set.

The body is; delightful, ripe, rich, lush & full. The structure, tension, length and balance are woven in a perfect tapestry. This 07 has another 10-15 years easily. The tannins are rounded, smooth but, still have a dark, chewy, tarriness with baby teeth. The beauty of the vintage is on full display. Steeped, somewhat stewed, candied fruits of; dark currants/cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, mix of purple fruits; boysenberries, ollieberries, & mulberries. Dark, sweet tarriness, anise to black licorice, touch of incense, fire ambers, chocolate pudding, vanilla, light; cinnamon, clove & nutmeg, dark & milk chocolate, caramel, sweet, soft, dark spice, dark berry cola, dark cherry kirsch, dark, rich earth, limestone, crushed, dry rocks, dry top soil, moist clay & dry brush, brewed coffee, mint, tobacco, dry, old leather with amazing, fresh & slightly withering & candied ; dark, red, blue, purple with a violet & lavender frame. The acidity is perfect. The finish is; rich, ripe, ruby, candied, well balanced fruit & earth, elegant and long sets into velvety, round tannins and mid dark spices.

Photos of; the winery, tasting patio, old basket press and wide shot of the winery & Estate vines. — 6 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.3

Fairly fruity on the nose. Hint of black pepper and something earthy/mineral. Flavor is very dry. Dried strawberries and red vines. Classic jammy Zin thing. Some pomegranate molasses perhaps. Fresh and zinfulliciuos. Plenty of tannin to give it more bite than Zin usually achieves. Complex. True. Enjoyable. — 7 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.2

Paired with 96 and 85 LB for fun. Dark, opaque and purple. Over the top with its fruit and teeth chattering tannins. Great to see what these start like and where they go in 20-40 years. — 8 years ago

Eric Egan

9.5

Another level... Still dense at the core, with steady, attractive bricking: Wonderfully dense nose of blackcurrents, pencil shavings, fine tanned leather, and a hint of woodland floor (fine moss, leaves, and fresh soil after an autumn shower). Velvety tannins and great acidity. Along with the '66 this is one of my all-time favourite Bordeaux vintages. Seems to be keeping up better than the '61s I've had over the last few years!

We drank half of it from the coravin before waxing the top in case the cork had lost too much elasticity to self-seal. I'll have the rest with my brother in a few weeks' time! — 9 years ago

Christopher Suarez

9.4

Worth the wait!! Top year 2007 consumed June 2016. Well worth packing for Arubs — 9 years ago

Mark Calkin

9.2

#wsetschool Deeply ruby coloured top level Rioja with large quantity of Graciano given it that deep intensity. Pronounced nose of black cherries, red currants and cranberries, with wet leaf notes. There are smoke and toast, cinnamon and cedar from its time in oak, and of course there are tertiary aromas from bottle ageing, like: tobacco, game, leather and dried fruits. This has medium (+) tannins and acidity and an excellent long finish. — 10 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.3

1999 vintage. Really good. Top form. — 11 years ago

Jonathan Hird

9.8

This is up there in the top 5 wines I've tasted. — 12 years ago

Delectable Wine

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10

The 1945 Haut-Brion is poured against the legendary 1945 Mouton and might just have come out on top. It is difficult to put this wine into words. Showing modest bricking, it presents a sublime bouquet of vibrant red fruit, warm gravel, wilted rose petals and a hint of earthenware. It is crystalline in terms of definition. The palate follows suit with pitch-perfect acidity, a very slight, refreshing hint of balsamic, and finely chiseled tannins. Beguiling in every way, this is a profound Haut-Brion that is absolutely flawless. Tasted at Koala's 1945 dinner. (Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2020)
— 5 years ago

barak heller hayun

9.0

🙈 tasting 6th wine
at wset level 2 course (5th meeting)

2nd of a tempranillo couple.

strawberry, blackcurrant and oak 👃

medium acidity.
medium tannins.
medium body.

rich 👄 of red and black fruit, spices and some oak.

long 🎯

great wine, not to my liking.

no wine in this class made me really happy...
the Rieslings weren't top class, the rest not specially made for me. — 6 years ago

Jeff Hasmann

9.5

As a Krug man, I can say this vintage DP rocks! Complex and layered notes of brioche, yeasty bread, flowers, and fresh apples. The list goes on. Trust me - the 2008 DP is to die for! Best I’ve had from DP for a very long time. Also, the final vintage of the current Chef de Cave. 2008 vintage on Jan 1, 2020 — 6 years ago

Andrew Anthony

10

Sharing some wonderful GSM with family! — 6 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

From a great old looking bottle with a top shoulder fill and solid cork. Old light brick color, translucent. Notes of tart cherry, cola, some wood and some dry earth. Rustic. Still has reasonable fruit and structure. This bottle was better than the last one. — 7 years ago

Bill Bender

9.6

A completely different wine than the Dominus. This was full throttle and slams you back in to your seat with its G forces. So ripe, almost over the top; but it decelerates just in time and the finish is so succulent it lingers in your mouth forever. Filled to the tip of the cork with graphite and teeth staining purple fruit. This is the malevolent bastard child of a young Colgin IX Syrah and 2000 Chateau Pavie. Gobsmacker. — 7 years ago

Greg Gregory

10

Spectacular! Mind blowing. One of my top 10 of all time. On every serious wine lover’s bucket list, and here we had a nigh perfect bottle. While aromatically a little recalcitrant, you still got some of the Margaux violets and potpourri on the nose, hints of clove, all trying to shake off their doldrums. But on the palate, it was timelessly ravishing. The finesse, richness, balance and smoothness, with an underlying, almost flabbergasting mixture of complexity and delicacy, was just astonishing. The finish is marvelously sweet and intense, with chocolate and cassis and utterly seamless tannins. This is a miracle of wine making and an exaltation of vintage and terroir besides. Wow! And bravo! We can only pray for an encore of such a wine. — 9 years ago

Doctor No

9.2

Everything a top Gamay should be. One of the world's great food wines. Will likely age effortlessly. — 10 years ago

James Hart

9.5

Spicy, liquorice plums, wrapped up in cedar wood. Very long finish. Top notch. — 11 years ago

Francesco Pilo

9.5

Really one of the top! Elegant, really long finish, well balanced tannins, fresh dark fruit, fragrant and sweet! — 12 years ago

Jose Merino

9.7

This was a vertical of 38 vintages to celebrate Joseph Phelps Insignia 40th anniversary! The 74' and 77' were the wines that came on top from the 70's vintage. — 12 years ago