Bill Bender

9.2

Moving fuel. 42 year old Tempranillo and a uniquely American delicacy to celebrate Independence Day 🧀 🇺🇸 I’m unpacking boxes and listening to the Padres vs Dodgers so other than the wine I’m full throttle Americana today. The Vina Todonia cork dropped in to the bottle immediately upon contact from the Durand so I was not hopeful....but it’s totally intact and it presents with significant bricking in the decanter with expected brown and red tones and is chock full of secondary notes of burnt fig, savory smoke, cigar and soil. Soft tannins and waning acidity but it seems to be putting on “weight” as the afternoon progresses. Another solid showing from this producer at an advanced age. Great stuff. Happy 4th of July to all!! 🍎 ⚾️ 🍷 ☀️ — 7 years ago

Mark Turner

8.9

This old girl is still drinking well. Took about 45 minutes to open up after 52 years in the bottle. Drank nicely for about an hour with good expression of flavors then went south fast. — 8 years ago

Steve Bozich

9.2

I did not realize I had a Sea Smoke Pinot this old sitting about. Not sure if the addition few years of age added much to it. I have to admit I love their Chard/Sparkling much more than their Pinots. Bright cherry, a little smoke, hints of minerality. All in all, I do enjoy these, just not in love with them. 9.2 — 8 years ago

Liz O'Neal

9.1

Just opened in 2017 - was tight the first evening and definitely needed time to open up. Earthy, mushroom/forest floor notes on the palate, despite bright acidic nose. Crowd pleaser - happy I saved this.

Purchased w/ dad in 2014 - industry price $55 — 10 years ago

with Hannah

Matthew Denci

9.3

Heitz has still got it baby, 1998 Napa cab standing up nicely at 18 years old. The color is only just showing signs of age. The nose is full of mint and lamb. In a strange spot since its not especially lush or fruity and yet hasn't fully developed the tertiary notes you would expect. But has the bones to go longer still. — 10 years ago

Madey Adams

9.6

1966 vintage - light in color, almost Sangiovese-like. Sweet red fruits. Acid holds up — 10 years ago

Mo Hassankhani

9.2

An absolute gem. It was great initially but just kept on getting better and better as it opened up. Definitely a wine that I need to keep on hand at home. Especially since it comes in half bottles. Tastes like it's in its prime. — 10 years ago

Guy Davies

9.8

Everything I could possibly want it to be at this age. Damsons and blackcurrant, meat, smoke, earth. Depth, power, complexity. Packs a huge punch (I laughed when I first put my nose in it) yet stays dainty and elegant. A hippo in a tutu doing a startlingly good pirouette, a wild animal and an aristocrat. Am almost frightened by how good this will be when fully mature. — 10 years ago

N M

9.2

Needed about 2.5 hours in decanter to open up. Could use more time in bottle. A classic big, bold, chewy California Cab. — 11 years ago

James Hart

9.5

Spicy, liquorice plums, wrapped up in cedar wood. Very long finish. Top notch. — 12 years ago

Peter Mansell

9.6

In magnum. Took a while to open up but outstanding — 13 years ago

Keith Lite

9.5

A big bold plumy purple bomb As dense and luscious as a wine can get in a glass. Decanted for 2 hrs and its still a baby with blackberry, dark chocolate licorice and pepper on the nose and on the palate. A long long finish and loads of tannins to sum it all up — 7 years ago

with Bruce

GaryWEdwards

9.2

In the name of research, a quick test to mark this young Super Tuscsan. I must say the first sip after decant is promising. I believe in time, this will be a great Tig that will show well. Nice dark currant with hint of smoke. Will lay the others down 5-7 more years. — 7 years ago

with Logan

Daniel Kozaczuk

9.5

Wow, incredible, and still holding up after all these years. Upon opening, basically no fruit, all secondary characteristics, especially on the nose. As it opened up, some dark cherry appeared and eventually the nose and palate came together. A sensory journey 48 Years in the making and a pleasure to partake. — 8 years ago

with John, Spencer and 1 other

Mike Cleland

9.6

Surprisingly fruit forward for 25 years. Dark fruit and plum flavors with smoothed tannins. Good bottle bouquet. Cork fell apart but there was no taint to the bottle. Bottle well kept for at least the last 15 years - and supposedly the first 10 before I got it from a private buyer. I would not believe this review if I had not done the tasting myself. I had an 88 and a 90 in recent years that had not held up - flat flavors and thin color — 9 years ago

Zack Sweeney

8.9

Gamey on the nose, tart fruit, earthy, would have benefited from decanting. opened up nicely in the glass when slowly sipped over the course of several hours. Smooth and complex. — 10 years ago

Kyle Groombridge

9.3

"I make wine at Lafite and Latour, but my heart is at Calon"... I can see why Nicolas Alexandre Marquis de Segur said these iconic words after having this wine in my glass. The nose is so inviting with warm spice, cigar smoke, embers, and toast. Raspberry syrup, plums, vanilla, and toffee on the palate. Nice thread of smoke throughout with nice balancing fresh fruit. What an enjoyable wine! 20 months in new oak - obviously the more accessible style the new owners are going for... the Pinot the other night gave an experience, this one tells a story. — 10 years ago

Steve Shepherd

9.1

Excellant with ahi tuna served at Cetrella in Los Altos. — 10 years ago

Rafael Landestoy

9.1

Bordeaux in style, but apparently my wife disagrees so not sure if I had the right wine. Didn't pick up on much fruit on this one but heck maybe i grabbed one of the Bordeauxs. — 11 years ago

with Janet, Jorge and 1 other

Ken Kodger

9.2

2012 opened up very well in decanter — 11 years ago

Darren Delmore

10

Where do I even begin? I was the winemaker's assistant this vintage for a very stressed and haunted man. David Hirsch didn't believe in air pumps then, and the press that was installed at the winery wasn't quite high enough to press into barrel with Gravity.... So I can honestly claim that I punched down every lot everyday every time, and I hand bucketed every drop of wine in paint buckets out of the press and up into barrel. Still I never got a bottle of the stuff until I bought it recently for 35 off Benchmark. As dangerous and chaotic of a harvest gig it was, the wine now sure tastes worth all the hellfire. — 12 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.0

Really interesting to drink this one at 16 years old. And although I think this was on the back side of the hill, it was still very much in the game. Lost lots of its sweet fruit cham. More linear. Mulberry and some fig and clove. Can definitely taste the age. If cellared well, I actually think this has a couple of years but I don't think it has more than that. — 7 years ago

with Dan and Shay

K Frech

8.9

Picked up in auction. Label is trashed but decent fill. So deceiving. Nose from bottle yuck. Nose from glass oh my. This is beautiful. Soft. Some tobacco. Some fruit like an old blackberry but not in a bad way. Giving no it a 8.9 bit could move it up a notch. — 8 years ago

David Wanek

9.8

Need to try this in a line up of other HS. The nose seems to be bigger and more aromatic on this one versus past vintages (from memory). As always super smooth, concentrated and exceedingly well made. — 9 years ago

Stuart Sutton

9.6

This tastes more like a Bordeaux to me than a Cab from Napa, but it is so excellent that I'll let it slide. This is a full bodied wine with strong oak, leather, smoke, and honestly a hint of tree bark (in a wonderful way!) This is close to a perfect wine. Buy all you can. — 9 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.8

If there were ever an archetypical Syrah, Jamet's Cote-Rotie would be a strong candidate. To me this is a pure expression of a classic Northern Rhone Syrah. It is not a single site, but a blend of terroirs, encompassing over 20 sites mostly from hard rock schist bedrock with little to no topsoil. There is NO Viognier in this wine like one might expect from most Cote-Rotie that might have 1-5% co-fermented.

Importantly, there is also a lot less of the oak character that can dominate and overwhelm many Northern Rhone wines. The oak maturation, while not short at 22 months, only uses 15% new oak with no trace of it on the palate as it is perfectly integrated. Grape bunches are whole cluster fermented and macerated for up to 3 weeks.

The 2007 we have here was drinking superbly for a young wine, showing lively and racy layers of peppercorn spice, roast beef, and warm blackberry and currant fruit from the hot 2007 vintage. While from a warm vintage, not a hair is out of place. Density and purity exude from the nose and hint at what a brilliant future this wine has. Perfect acidity and fleshy ripe tannin provide the backbone structure for father time to peel back the layers of this beauty. I will be chceking back in 5 years at the earliest. — 10 years ago

Richard Steinberg

9.5

Up there for wine of the night in blind old v new world. Great well integrated fruit. Grenache fruit was so pure and well balanced. — 10 years ago

with Mike, Howard and 1 other

Ed Chang

9.4

After a couple hours began to open up. Chateauneuf-du-pape is becoming a fav in this house 2012 vintage. — 11 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.1

3 hrs in the decanter. Pencil shavings, earth, leather, cool cassis notes. Medium body, good freshness, the initial poopy notes dissipate slowly. Rustic tannines, classically built, very good.
Happy b-day, L.
Even better on day 3!! Saved half a bottle in the fridge. Tannines have softened, fruit is more prominent and darker in aspect. Up 1 point. — 11 years ago

Ted Armbrecht

9.6

1983 vintage. Wasn't sure what to expect and was thoroughly surprised and taken with how well this was drinking. Aromas of mushroom and graphite. Plenty of fruit still here with good tannic grip. Held up in the glass to the last drop! — 12 years ago