Ted

9.1

Totally stumbled on this dudes wine. Although I did text him like the bottle says and he hasn’t responded yet. That’s ok. The wine is really good. — 8 months ago

with Jeni

Delectable Wine

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9.5

Brilliant ruby. Smoky, mineral-tinged aromas of raspberry, cherry preserves, garrigue and exotic spices show excellent clarity and acquire a gamy nuance as the wine opens up. At once rich and energetic in character, offering well-concentrated red berry, bitter cherry and spicecake flavors and a sweetening touch of candied lavender. Shows fine definition and finishes gently, spicy and impressively long, with repeating florality and steadily building tannins. (Josh Raynolds, Vinous, October 2021)
— 3 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. — 4 years ago

with Gordon and Peggy

Chris England

9.2

Fab 27yr Old Rioja @ £62 drinking like a Burgundy & perfect in a Zalto Burg glass

🏵 92 points

🍷 Garnet cherry w/ brown hue

👃 Leather & balsamic infused mulched spiced cherry w/ soft smoked oak, sherry, wet earth, cocoa, red berry, herbs & gooey date jam

👄 Med smooth, touch tart, red cherry & berry bathed in balsamic w/ a mocha touch

🎯 Med+ touch dry oaky driven red cherry & berry fruits w/ an earthy balsamic caramel figgy linger — 6 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

On the nose; the fruits are brambly wild dark berries. Warm soils, dark cherries, cherries, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, raspberries & boysenberries, baking spices, quince jelly and fresh dark floral bouquet. The body is full and luxurious. Ripe fruits that have a slight baked quality. Dark cherries, cherries, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, raspberries, strawberries, dry cranberries and boysenberries. Vanilla, clove, crushed dry rocks, leather, saddlewood, tobacco with ash, dry brush, cola, graphite, touch of light dry herbs, decent acidity and a dry tannin finish that is evenly balanced fruit & earth. Still needs a lot more time in the bottle. — 7 years ago

Pooneet K

9.3

Really, really nice. Decanted for 1.5 hours and this guy is ready to go. Definitely a touch more fruit forward than expected, but still an excellent core of acidity that keeps it super lively. Very silky tannins at this point, no point to wait longer but also not at all over the hill. — 8 years ago

A. Harrison

9.8

Hands down my favorite Cab. Excellent. Not too heavy. Received as a gift. — 9 years ago

Sarah Milsow-Guenther

9.6

Really good Pinot. Lots of flavor. Could drink now or lay it down for a few. I would recommend letting it breathe for a bit before you drink. — 9 years ago

Scott Shafto

9.2

Needed more time to lay down. — 9 years ago

James Parker Huston, CWE

Sommelier Charlie Palmer

8.9

Rolling down the hill quickly! Still fun to try. — 10 years ago

Conor White

9.7

Very good from would like to lay it down for a couple years and revisit. — 11 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Slightly deeper ruby garnet , narrower rim . Deeper and younger , touch of wood smoke then quite ripe black fruits , rounder with better definition on the nose than the 1994 . More degraded cassis and grafite noticeable than the wine before, tobacco , touch of seashell , marine influence comes though . On the palate the fruit fills out better than the 1994, quite dark and serious , grafite , tobacco and cedar , however the tannin is less rustic and better integrated . Nice balancing acidity. This has quite good length and is showing well now though could age a little longer. Probably is best drunk over the next few years — 9 months ago

Aravind A

9.2

Another excellent btl, a little more than a year since my last. On the nose, wild strawberry doused in sugar, cotton candy, lovely green stem notes bring this back down to earth, then nice earthy notes. On the palate, fantastic acidity, soft strawberry, herbal notes, dark cherry, some bark and earth notes, and attenuated tannin on the clean and slightly spicy finish. Yum. — 4 years ago

Shawn R

9.2

Such a fun bottle to enjoy with friends. While 77 is not the prized vintage this really shined. Fruit stills shines, touch of acid. Drink now. — 5 years ago

with David and Ron

John Haffey

9.0

Still alive but definitely over it’s peak. What a treat to get to try! Fresh turned earth and humus, little bit of green Cabernet characteristics coming through, and just a hint of sweet fruit and spice. Even a touch of tannin! — 6 years ago

with Montana

Robert Rothfield

9.2

Out of a magnum.....big and tannic, settled down with some air...nice wine — 7 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 — 7 years ago

Ken Kasner

9.0

Berries, currents, spice, and a touch of cinnamon. Nice. — 8 years ago

Justin Ennis

10

This is the 1985 Napa Cab and was tasted out of 5 liter. This wine was excellent! Herbal notes with a touch of saddle. I was so surprised by how much red fruit was on the pallet with a wine this old! Amazing! — 9 years ago

Lewis Chester

9.5

1998 vintage. Earthy and roasted almond. Ripe lemon rind. Full bodied. Rich mouth feel. Mocha. Acidity not overbearing - touch light? Long concentrated finish. Excellent — 9 years ago

V M

9.2

Beautiful purity of Howell Mountain from dark berries plums with tannins that have laid down if anyone doubts the age ability of California cabs drink this wine. This is simple purity Howell mountain fruit — 10 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Medium ruby still , with some light bricking on the rim . Surprisingly open when opened , tobacco with mixed red fruits , truffle , grafite , lovely definition , touch of blackcurrant and marine , oyster shell . On the palate good weight and mostly ripe red fruits , almost like a fruit jelly in style , but with great acidity and balance , noticeable rounded fine tannins on the finish . Good length , tobacco and mineral notes . Great now , gets better , really grows in the glass . Now and for the next 15 years I would imagine . — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.4

The 2014 vintage was the last harvest while Serge Hochar was still alive. He tragically drowned while on holiday, NYE in 2014. I have no logical reason to be wary of Musar’s future as the team involved in producing the wines have been in place for some time. However, Serge’s death was for me, the loss of an wine hero. This is my first experience with the 2014 and I can’t help but reflect on the unforgettable experiences I’ve had drinking wines that he produced.

Decanted for several hours prior to dinner, the wine appears a deep purple turning garnet after plenty of air with an opaque core. High intensity, medium+ viscosity, a touch of sediment. On the nose, this is a wild carnival for the senses with cherries, mulberries, rhubarb pie, Twin Bing, harissa, kofta, pipe tobacco, oud, teriyaki, and event canned peaches (though only after some time in the glass). On the palate, things are much more modest with a very compelling cherry compote and bright cranberry notes with some tobacco and baking spices. Very primary at this stage. Medium tannin with medium+ acid. The finish long…forever and a day with dried cherries and dates bringing me home. While still an infant, this is shaping up to be a lovely and long-lived vintage of Musar Rouge. Cheers, Serge. Your legacy lives on. — 3 years ago

Conrad Green

9.1

Marmalade colored and a touch cloudy. A slightly tangy nose with greasy notes, orange peel. A nice poised palate showing its age with spice. Interesting but I prefer a bit more sizzle — 6 years ago

with Matt and Paul

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.4

Deep garnet red, no bricking on the edges. Layered nose with a touch of brett, bright cherries, perfume and forest floor. Heavy tannins (7/10) and full bodied. Smooth and elegant attack with perfumed notes, crushed gravel and dried cherries. Excellent backbone and dry, long finish. Drink till 2032. — 7 years ago

with India

Conrad Green

9.5

Beautifully resolved with soft cherry and brambles. Gorgeous and long. A touch of rosemary and a tart quality. Delicious — 7 years ago

with Matt and Paul

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. — 8 years ago

Carolyn Vernick

9.1

Exquisite nose! Just keeps on giving...I would wear it as a perfume if I could! It's slightly sharper on the tongue than great pinots are. If it wasn't a screw cap it would be a good candidate for laying down a few bottles, no? — 9 years ago

Francis Wilden

Director Francis Wilden Food & Wine Consulting

9.0

2009: quite dense appearance; ripe black / red fruit w a faint touch of horse hair (Brett ); generously proportioned attack of ripe red and black fruit, leads onto medium weight palate which finishes fruitfully but without the verve of a "classic" vintage. A satisfying and quite delicious drink without being memorable. A lot of 09 burgundies would fit these descriptors. — 9 years ago

DAG

9.8

@Bill Bender @Roman Sukley @V M @Steve Swaney zigzag dot commerce at verizon dot net and we continue the conversation offline. — 11 years ago