Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Pontet Canet tasting and dinner with Alfred Tesseron.

The 96 is a nice surprise add from Clyde’s cellar. Thank you Clyde.

This 96 is beautifully floral. The evolution is right around its peak. The body is medium full and the tannins soft. It’s an elegant beauty.

The fruits are ripe and delicious. Leaner blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries and shades of raspberries. Soft earth; dry top soil, dry rock, limestone minerals, old tobacco, soft leather, cedar with dry and withering red & dark florals. The acidity is like a waterfall. The long finish is well balanced fruit & earth and in a sweet spot.

Photos of; our dinner group, tasting room at Pontet Canet, the horse plows they still use in the fields and Chateau Pontet Canet. — 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. — 8 years ago

Rocket Rod

9.2

Was apprehensive at first as last time I had this (a year ago with Big Wave Dave) it was the cliche Oz Shiraz fruit bomb with high alcohol bordering on over extraction. On the second outing a lot more complex. Still classic cassis fruit and choc/tobacco overtones but not over the top and with some nice acidity still. Less spice than typical. Nice underlying tannin backbone. Lovely mouthfeel and medium body and finish. A little time has done its work nicely. — 10 years ago

with Big

Gary Westby

Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines

8.9

One of chef de cave Geoffroy's favorite vintages, but not mine. The heat of the year and lack of Chardonnay makes for a flatter than expected Champagne. At The Relais & Chateau vertical of Dom Perignon with chef de cave Richard Geoffroy. — 11 years ago

with Cleora

Scott Stephens

9.8

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

Jonathan Hird

9.8

This is up there in the top 5 wines I've tasted. — 13 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

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

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

Jeff Loo

9.8

Barrel Sample. Absolutely stunning this vintage. Brilliant 2016, one of the top of the vintage. 97-99pts — 9 years ago

Gary Westby

Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines

9.9

Date night with Cinnamon and steak & claret!!!! I bought this bottle on prearrival and tonight was a great night to open it. The wine had it all; animal earth, rich silky texture and no heaviness whatsoever. Paired with chef Marco's 16oz. Piemontese ribeye steak it was a great experience. — 11 years ago

with Cleora

Lewis Chester

9.3

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

Nicolas Ratsey

9.1

Wine spectator top 100 2013 — 12 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

Kelley Rochna

10

#1 top Wine Spectator! — 7 years ago

Clotaire Betremieux

9.5

1978 - top one — 8 years ago

Mark Raymond

9.2

Delightful, cleary at the top of its game and lucky to have it with its superb finish and classic Bordeaux structure — 9 years ago

with Marc

Chris Buffum

9.1

Probably one of the top 3 Cabs — 11 years ago

James Hart

9.5

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

Gary Westby

Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines

10

Three pounds of prime top sirloin and a mag of Montebello- report to follow. — 12 years ago

with Cleora

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. — 13 years ago