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. — 8 years ago

Rose’s Cafe

9.1

Nice! Juicy with notes of oak and vanilla. 😀🍷 — 8 years ago

Noel Touchette

9.0

Great tasting especially @$2.95 a bottle!! — 9 years ago

Kelsey Redd

9.0

Chardonnay: tropical fruit, butterscotch, pineapple, peach, nectarine. Oak character. Rich texture and a creamy mouth-feel. — 9 years ago

Kari Johnson

9.6

Smooth flavor, fruity, sweet but not too sweet — 9 years ago

Nathan Evans

9.0

Delicious! Very aromatic and sweet! — 10 years ago

Lily Mirabelle Freedman

9.0

Tomato leaf, leather, and cool funk — 10 years ago

Helen Keplinger

Owner/Winemaker Keplinger Wines

9.0

Ok not a great year but still beautiful - iodine, hibiscus, tobacco leaf, mortadella, red currant — 11 years ago

Rob Mayes

9.7

Outstanding. Winner of the weekend. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

The wine was double decanted and we tasted it after three hours later. On the nose, a touch of pepper, soft spices, blueberries, blackberries, dark cherries, cherries, black raspberries, black plums, rich dark soils, light vanilla and fresh and decayed dark soils. The 2011 is very lean. It tasted like it had 10-12 years of bottle age rather than it's 6. Not to say that the 11 is turning just yet, but I certainly don't believe this is going to be a long cellar vintage. Soft fruits of; blackberries, black cherries, blueberries, black raspberries, black plum, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, crushed dry rock powder, very soft leather, mid intensity volcanic minerals, lightly brewed coffee, strawberries come on later and acidity that could be better. The 2011 is not going to hold up as many of the other Insignia vintages do. It's already not as rich and full bodied as other vintages at 6 years of age. On the long finish, it's already showing some fig, date and prune qualities. Photos of their big dinning room and some wildly fragrant white roses on the back terrace. — 8 years ago

Lili Brock

10

Excellent. Sweet but not overbearing. — 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

Lesa Gough

9.1

Garnet with rim variation turning brick/terracota, corn on the cob, dill, molasses. — 10 years ago

Morgan Harris

Head Sommelier Aureole New York

9.4

2011. Blanc. No one drinks enough of this. That's because there are so few things to which its a good partner, but it would be an incredible cheese-and-charcuterie wine. Broad and oily, there's just enough acid to keep you coming back for more. Sun-baked yellow orchard fruits dominate, but there's more exotic fruits too (mango and dried pineapple) yellow flowers, tons of almond husk bitterness, green olives, bay leaf, oregano, tarragon, white cheddar. Oak is assertively present but not overwhelming. Place dominates over grapes here, as it's a mix of Clairette and Grenache Blanc and a hodge-podge of other things. — 10 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have to say this is my favorite Chateau to stand in front of and gaze. On the nose, spice, wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, mint, tobacco leaf and dark fresh & dry flowers. It's drinking nicely with silty medium-medium + tannins & full bodied. Ruby, ripe wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, crushed dry minerals, mint, tobacco leaf and violets, dark fresh & dry flowers. The acidity is round and mouthwatering. The long finish has great elegance, beauty, length, tension & balance. It's just starting to hit it's stride and has plenty of life ahead of it. Another 15-20 years. Who said 04 was a difficult vintage? This will continue to improve and will stun with another 10 years in bottle. Photos of the the exterior Chateau front & side, tasting room and Christian Seely Managing Director. Chateau Pichon Baron and Chateau Pichon Lalande were originally part of the same estate. Pichon Baron got it's name when Therese, daughter of the founder, received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville the first President of the Bordeaux Parliament. Chateau Pichon Baron changed because of the Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville. He took over managing Pichon Baron when he was only 19 years old! When the Baron passed away at 90 in 1850, he divided his Pauillac estate. The sons were awarded what became Chateau Pichon Baron and the daughters were given what later became Chateau Pichon Lalande. Pichon Baron went through three rough decades in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Part of the issues were, lack of investment and they machine harvested. The first really great vintages for them were 89 & 90 after Jean Rene Matignon, Jean-Michel Cazes join them and AXA Insurance Company purchased them adding capital. The 73 hectare vineyard of Chateau Pichon Baron are planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. However, the Cabernet Franc and the Petit Verdot are reserved exclusively for the second wine. The terroir is mostly deep gravel, sand clay soils. Pichon Baron uses 80% new French oak and rests in barrel 18 months. @ FogoDeChao

— 8 years ago

Christopher Legere

9.1

Good cab with fruit flavors — 9 years ago

Craig Williams

9.0

1.5 L bottle Other than a really poor quality cork that crumbled upon removal, this wine remains a youthful dark red with black currant, tobacco leaf-savory soy aromas. In good shape for such a modestly extracted wine. Demonstrates the strength of quality harvest conditions, which '94 was in many ways. — 9 years ago

Yoon Ha

Master Sommelier/Wine Director Benu

8.9

Nuanced fruit, dried tobacco leaf, over a sleek frame with powdery tannins. — 10 years ago

Tim Herrmann

9.7

Decanted for an hour, this was intensely aromatic with a complex melange of flavors--vanilla, figs, cherries, green olives, tobacco leaf, cinnamon, and chalky dust--while staying light on its feet with refreshing acidity, resolved, silky tannins, and medium body. Even at this price, I'd call this a value. — 10 years ago

DAL 9000

9.1

Very smooth initial flavor. Light bodied plummy that fills the nose with red berries after swallowing. More intense after it breathes. — 11 years ago