Joe Campanale

Beverage Director/Partner dell’anima, L’Artusi, Anfora, and L’Apicio

9.4

I love it. Carnal, wild - my favorite of Bea’s reds as the alcohol is balanced. VA is present and borders on too much but doesn’t get there — 6 years ago

Sean Grullon

9.4

Exotic nose of saffron, flowers, and honey. Quite a full mouthfeel with enough acidity to carry a nice finish with some citrus rind. It’s unfortunately discontinued at the winery, this is a killer wine. — 6 years ago

Joyce Lin

9.0

Slightly VA on the nose, orange rim and cloudy orange ruby red, raisin, black cherry, dried rose petals, dusty, cinnamon, clove with straw mat, savory on the nose, too. Med body with meditate tannin. Drink now! — 7 years ago

Raj Harb

9.1

A lesson in VA. Full and deep notes of aged balsamic and dark cherry — 8 years ago

Michael Piaker

9.3

15 April 2018. Chambers Street Wines, New York, NY. — 8 years ago

Raj Harb

8.9

Earthy and gamey. A bit of VA. Better on day 2. Like do not love — 9 years ago

Erik Nordman

9.0

First time trying the '15s and it's as great as always. This is definitely a decent amount more brawny and ripe than the '14s but still identifiable as a Lapierre wine. That said, I'm still not the biggest fan of most of these '15's so far, they are too hot and ripe and don't really fit the profile of what I want from most Beaujolais. This is still pretty good on its own merits though. Day 1 it was closed and not giving up very much but on this morning, Day 2, it's come around and opened up quite a bit. Ripe, juicy strawberry and raspberry red fruit, tart rhubarb, wild violet, smoky gravel minerality, with a nice briny, almost gamey salinity underscoring things a bit. Nice medium (+) acid, medium (-) body with a great, soft texture. Just a touch of fine, supple tannic grip. There a bit of brett and VA but they're in balance rather than being a faulty distraction; the VA helps give a little extra lift, if anything. Will try another bottle after some more time has passed because even though it's good now it honestly still needs to come together a bit more; it seemed almost still slightly bottle shocked when I first opened it yesterday. If you're opening one soon I'd recommend giving it a little air to let it unfurl. — 9 years ago

Cameron Parry

9.0

Caught it at a good time in its life. A little reluctant at first, but opened up beautifully. Good structure, still plenty of fruit left, and nice oak spice. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Masterclass in San Francisco with Saskia De Rothschild, Chairwoman DBR Lafite.

Saskia told me they are buying an existing property or starting one in China.

The nose reveals; ripe and slight stewed fruits. Blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, dark plum skin, dry cranberries & poached strawberries. Dark, dry soils, limestone minerals, touch of bandaid=VA, saddle-wood, steeped black tea, dry river stone, dark rich & dry soils, crushed rocks, dry underbrush, cherry cola with dry and fresh dark and red flowers.

The body is full and thick. This wine is just coming out of its infant stage and just starting to stretch it arms & legs. The tannins are firm, rounded and powdery. The structure, tension, length and balance show the beauty of the vintage but, the drinking window on their 2000 is somewhere between 2035-2080. Blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, dark plum skin, dry cranberries & poached strawberries. Dark, dry soils, limestone minerals, touch of bandaid, saddle-wood, steeped black tea, dry river stone, dark rich & dry soils, lots of graphite, crushed rocks, limestone, dry crushed rocks, gritty volcanic minerals, dry herbs, dry underbrush, cherry cola with dry and fresh dark and red flowers. The acidity is round and beautiful. The finish is very good now but, if you don’t cellar it 35 years from birth, you are cheating yourself out of something truly special. Its well balanced, rich, ripe and persists for days. 95 now with more to come in 16-25 plus years.

All wines arrived weeks ago directly from the Chateau.

Photos of; the Crown Room on the 23rd floor of the Fairmont where the Masterclass was held, tasting set up, Saskia De Rothschild, Chairwoman DBR Lafite presenting and another view of the city of San Francisco/Bay and the Golden Gate Bride in the background.
— 7 years ago

Sarah Milsow-Guenther

9.1

Pepper forward — 8 years ago

Al Doyle

8.9

Juicy. Slight effervescence. — 8 years ago

Joe Geadrities

9.2

Easily one of the best wines produced in VA! — 9 years ago

Gene Bodemer

8.9

Holy VA batman! Still a very intriguing wine..This one is not for Meomi drinkers! — 9 years ago

Brandon Thiessen

9.2

Out there. Like, really far. But also so incredibly interesting, in a difficult-to-describe way. Smells like sour cherry kirsch moonshine, thyme and bay leaf, some kind of polish, and intensely floral. Initial VA chills out to intense perfumey florals, forest and wet rock. — 6 years ago

Anastasia Leyden

9.0

Really interesting and... fizzy! — 7 years ago

Michael Chelus

9.0

Blackberry, cherry, raspberry preserves, smoke, vanilla tobacco and oak. Good structure and soft tannins. — 7 years ago

Michael Piaker

9.1

24 April 2018. Ops, Brooklyn, NY. — 8 years ago

Luke Kilcup

9.4

Personal favorite...dark fruits with an oaky finish. — 8 years ago

Luke Kilcup

9.3

Memories of Walla Walla, earthy simple red. — 9 years ago

Rob Wilder

9.3

Lovely. Still evolving but amazing Va achievement ! — 9 years ago