Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.1

1986 vintage. Tasted through 5 bottles for a Mister A's 1986 BDX dinner. Double decanted and tasted over the spell of 5 hours. Light-medium body. G-L always on the subtle side of things. All 5 bottles fairly light sediment. The mid-palate really shone throughout. No exemplary notes other than performing as G-L do. Cedar, Dust, Mushrooms. Dry Earth. Will likely hang out here for another 4-5 years. 3.14.24. — 2 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Deep, dark blackberry fruit with menthol, graphite, spice, cedar, mineral & tobacco notes. This seems to be fully mature that will hold for many years — 3 months ago

Conrad Green

9.3

Sift in the nose with light lime and limestone and floral notes. A nice integrated spine of acid. Great balance and delicious right now — 3 months ago

with Paul, BOT and 1 other

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Medium garnet ruby , with garnet rim . Quite ripe dark fruits , with cassis , tobacco , spicy dark chocolate and cedar notes . On the palate quite strict and delicate , cassis , sous bois , grafite and tobacco . Nice acidity and slightly gritty tannin . Nicely balanced and good to enjoy now and over the next 6-8 years — 4 months ago

Kyle

9.0

Vanilla and oak on the nose. Wet rock. Not as bright and fruity as other Pinot noirs. Would buy again. — 5 months ago

Victor Hsu

9.0

1949 vintage (!!!). Very special half bottle, but more than half the volume lost to evaporation. Opened this gem at Totoraku yesterday to go with two full bottles of Chateau Lafite Rothschild, 1996 and 1952 (!!). This Temple of Beef demands special occasion wines. Cork fell apart in the bottle so we poured it all in a decanter but did not wait to sip. Pale strawberry-orange color, surprising tart fruit nose, supremely delicate taste with just a bit of fruit and life left. Not the best bottle on the table but certainly not the undrinkable. Interesting experience. Would gladly do it again in the name of science. Oldest Red Bordeaux I have ever tasted. — 6 months ago

Kristen Grimes

9.3

Rich dark fruits, leather, vanilla/dark caramel. Light but rich, good acid for 16 years, strong but not overpowering tannins, balanced fruit and oak notes. — 7 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Blend of 99% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Merlot, aged in French oak for about 18 months, deep Ruby with aromas of dark fruit, sweet spice and herbs. On the palate flavors of cherry and blackberry with tobacco spice, toasty oak and floral notes. Fine tannins, long finish ending with fruit, spice, oak and mineral character, Nice, should age well. — 8 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Happy 4th of July everyone.

I can’t think of many other N/V Champagnes we’d rather kick-off the long 4th of July weekend.

Happy Birthday America & Cheers! 🍾🥂 🇺🇸 🧨

Numerous notes all apply. — 4 years ago

Deborah Nash

9.0

Still has good fruit forward. Soft and elegant. — 8 years ago

Colin Cahoon

9.3

Fabulous tertiary notes with dark cherry, medium plus tannins, and medium alcohol. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1995 vintage. Great fill, foil and label. Perfect cork. From a top-notch cellar. Decanted and tasted over the course of two hours. Volcanic ash-styled sed vs chunky-style. Big funk on the nose that resolved after 7-8 minutes. Wine was showing decently (in the 69-72 degree range) but lacking any tannic structure. Placed the decanter atop an ice bucket bath to drop the temp down to 60 degrees or so. Took about 20 minutes but the tannins kicked in the door to say hello. Fruit components stayed constant. Pauillac tendencies were all there. As is the case often with older BDX, the decaying matter/leaves at the onset transitioned to graphite/lead pencil and espresso flavors. This was a superior bottle in great shape. Top of this wine’s specific bell curve. Comparable bottles would look to be drinking this well for the next 5-7 years without dropoff. Out of larger format…could possibly push this into 9.4 status. 2.5.24. — 3 months ago

Mark Lee

9.4

Excellent notes. High complexity — 4 months ago

LM Segal

9.6

Still incredibly primary, as if just bottled, powerful nose dominated by classic cigar and cedar notes. Prominent, velvety oak led a rich, round palate of fine tannins and dark red cherry, baking chocolate. Tail went on forever. Give this 10 more years will be even better. — 5 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Blend of 69% Shiraz, 16% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from McLaren Vale, deep Ruby color with aromas of berry fruits and sweet spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry and cherry with notes of vanilla, spice, licorice and tobacco. Fine tannins, medium+ finish ending with fruit, sweet spice and earthy notes. — 6 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.2

The 1970 Palmer is a vintage that I have tasted on several occasions, although recently, I have encountered some variation, including a rather rum example in 2015. The most recent example has an attractive tobacco-infused nose, perhaps more akin to a Saint-Julien than a Margaux. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm backbone, a slight dryness around the edges and fine salinity with lightly-spiced cedar and tobacco notes on the finish. This is a solid 1970 Margaux, though I would not keep it long-term. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2023)
— 6 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Happy Anniversary Sofia. I miss you honey and will forever! Cortona calling. Cheers! 🍾🥂

I had this a few years ago and thought this needed another 3-4…apparently wasn’t wrong. Not as stellar as the 07. Starting come into its own. Golden apple, green apple, lime pulp, tropical melon, just ripe pineapple, ripe pear, vanillin, caramel, cream, sea spray, alluvial limestone minerals, beautiful mid grain chalkiness, brioche, baguette crust, nice, soft yeastiness, jasmine, yellow lilies, really nice acidity, well structured, balanced, delicious finish that lasts two-minutes. 🌹 — 7 months ago

William Feinstein

9.3

Every time I drink a Two Shepherds wine I wish I had more in my cellar. A true “Rhône ranger” producing some of the best rhône-style wines in California. We all need to drink more Two Shepherds and support innovative winemakers who think about product quality before profit and ratings. Thanks to my dear friend Bruce for introducing me to Two Shepherds and supplying me! — 4 years ago

with Maryalice

Jamie Michelson

9.7

Found cellar notes. Bought for $25 in 1990 in NY for New Years Eve dinner. Still memorable. — 7 years ago

Taft Morgan

9.0

Lovely noted of sweet strawberry jam and white pepper. The palate is a fantastic smoky beef jerky with floral perfume notes at the end — 9 years ago

with Ginette

Chase visser

9.7

Loved this wine. Would go great with gamey meats. — 3 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Leoville Barton is one of my favorite St. Julien producers and still one of the best values upon release of Left Bank Bordeaux’s. If my memory is correct, I think this was WS’s wine of the year a few years ago.

I haven’t had this since the release at UGC. It was so fresh then. It has definitely put on weight and showing some nice evolution. But, Anthony made his wines for the ages. This will rise 2-3 points with 20 years bottle age.

It is round and lush. Blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, purple fruits, blueberries, some creamy raspberries & dark cherries. Anise, light graphite, tobacco ash, leather, dark, rich earth with dry leaves, dry river stone, limestone marl, dark spice, dry herbaceous notes, hints of black olive, black licorice, dry stems, mix of dry & candied dark flowers, very nice round acidity and a well; balanced, structured, tensioned and polished finish that last minutes.

Would open this in 2032 and beyond. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Flight #2 of our 1997 Retrospective and these were the thoroughbreds. Presented single-blind; no formal notes. Wine #2 had great color, was developing, fresh, focused, balanced; great structure. One of those glasses of wine you didn’t want to end and, for me, a tough call for favorite of the flight along with Wine #1. I vacillated between this being Dominus or Monte Bello; ultimately calling the former. This is in a beautiful phase of life. Monte Bello is one of those wines that needs decades to show its best. Drink now through 2040. — 4 months ago

Neal Ferry

9.0

Thanks Tom; this is very nice, it’s been a while but it’s a great one — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

I’ve often struggled to appreciate Beaucastel, particularly when young. However, the more often I drink older Beaucastel, I find myself slowly starting to understand why these wines are so important.

Opened about two hours prior. The 2001 Beaucastel pours a pale, slightly hazy garnet with a watery rim. Medium+ viscosity with signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous. Strawberry preserves, leather, bacon fat, and some chicory. On the palate, medium tannin, medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Is this the most powerful expression of Chateauneuf du Pape? No. But it’s balanced, complex and it makes me think and I like that.

As a sort of epilogue, I was able to enjoy this bottle with someone who drinks old Beaucastel more regularly than I do. He described this bottle as being one that is in-between plentitudes; which makes sense as some of the tertiary characteristics are beginning to show themselves. Subsequently, you can drink now but this will likely enter a new dimension in the next few years. — 5 months ago

Blair Campomizzi

9.6

Yummy. Dark, Smokey but balanced with plum, currant and cherry notes. — 10 months ago

with Marilea

Sagee Aran

9.2

Never fails. A beautiful medium body Rioja with dark palm notes and matured cherries. Tanins already soft. — 8 months ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Decant for sediment and pour. Still a wondrous dark garnet with bricking. On the nose: beautiful gotta keep coming back notes of dark plum, smoked meat, cigar box, touch of barnyard funk, vanilla spice. Taste: silky smooth with brambly cherry, dirt, leather, cedar, grilled peppered meat with a medium plus finish. YUM! Still drinking well at 33 years old. — 10 months ago

with Brenda

Ron Siegel

9.3

Great vintage for DB that is still showing up at 65 yrs with notes of dried cherry, berry fruits, cedar, leather, savory spices, dried herbs, forest floor, lead pencil & tobacco leaf. — 4 years ago

Reid Robinson

9.2

Drinking very well deep rich cherry and like woodsy notes. — 9 years ago