Matti Jokelainen

8.9

Dark purple. On the nose there is ripe plums, blueberry, pepper and wiff of oak. On the palate it's full of sweet dark fruits, some vanilla, pepper and mix of granberry and lingonberry that comws up towards the end. Tannins are fine if a bit drying and wine has nice structure and acidity that keeps it fresh. This could be from southern france. Great qpr — 3 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Rich & dense showing black berry, graphite, crushed rock, mocha & forest floor. — 4 years ago

Lyn Farmer

9.2

Pale ruby color, with Pronounced aromas of ripe, jammy strawberry, cherry tobacco and forest floor. Some vanilla comes out along with some tertiary notes. High acidity, medium + body, medium alcohol (13.5%) with the palate mirroring the nose, adding to strawberry and cherry some mineral and earthy graphite notes. Fine grained tannins with a medium finish. complex, with very good quality lacking only a longer finish to bring it up to par with the finest examples from Walker Bay. — 5 years ago

John Willison

9.2

Cherry and strawberry juice, a bit of menthol, forest floor. Deep berry undertones. — 5 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Since this is the last Friday of the year, my Cabernet fix is going to be a little different this time.

Dark ruby in color with a short brick /orange rim.

Earthy nose of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, earth, wood, light vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, forest floor, leather, pencil lead, light barnyard, licorice, light vanilla, bell pepper and vegetables.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and nice legs.

Dry and earthy on the palate with blueberries, cherries, oak, licorice, cloves, earth, wet leaves, vegetables, herbs, beef jerky, spices, dark coffee, pencil lead, green pepper, black tea and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

What a wonderful Cabernet based red from Saint Estephe. Nicely balanced and very complex with a great mouthfeel. Earthy and still young, but drinking very nicely now.

Not a great vintage, but so enjoyable by itself or with food. The nose is so complex, that it's so nice just to sniff on.

Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show some tannins.

I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers.

13% alcohol by volume. — 6 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.3

Old school...talk about label wear!

"1989...the number, another summer...get down...
Sound of the funky drummer!"

Still in the driver seat, this is gorgeous and yes it's old but the wine blossomed after 30 minutes and now at 2 hours open its singing and going strong.

1989 Joseph Phelps "Insignia", Napa Valley

Ruby-garnet edges, a deep core of red color.

The nose started out super funky, but blew off to a nose of mature cedar, forest floor, dried red cherry and cassis. The palate is old, but like the nose gained strength with air, it gained depth and concentration. Mulled spices, red fruits, plum, cedar and red fruit skin.
#josephphelps #insignia #napavalley — 7 years ago

Eric Egan

9.5

Another level... Still dense at the core, with steady, attractive bricking: Wonderfully dense nose of blackcurrents, pencil shavings, fine tanned leather, and a hint of woodland floor (fine moss, leaves, and fresh soil after an autumn shower). Velvety tannins and great acidity. Along with the '66 this is one of my all-time favourite Bordeaux vintages. Seems to be keeping up better than the '61s I've had over the last few years!

We drank half of it from the coravin before waxing the top in case the cork had lost too much elasticity to self-seal. I'll have the rest with my brother in a few weeks' time! — 8 years ago

Jon Ruyle

9.3

Beautiful!
Edit: Had a glass with leftover turkey. Even better than I remember. Forest floor mixed into the fruit, really nice complexity. Mmmm! — 9 years ago

with Eugene

Devin Bray

9.3

Gamey and peppery! The nose smells like fennel and clove lain across a moist bearskin rug. The wine has a speckled, sedimented appearance that sits like raspberry jam in a glass. The flavors are of blackberry, garrigue, licorice, truffle, loads of pepper, game, and clove, with a long-lasting kirsch and mushroomy forest floor finish. Very interesting. Not quite like any wine I've had. Could have more fruit - perhaps a product of the "off" vintage. — 9 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.2

This was medium bodied showing good balance that was still youthful & slightly closed that needed some air in the glass to open with notes of black fruits, cedar, leather, earth, forest floor, licorice & tobacco. — 3 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.2

This 41 yr old LLC was still fresh & drinking well showing a little funk in the beginning that quickly blew off with notes of red & black fruits, currant, cedar, leather, forest floor & tobacco leaf. — 4 years ago

"Odedi"

9.4

A very enjoyable, and very complex, 21 year old red blend from Pessac Léognan, Bordeaux.

Showing red and black fruits with earth, chocolates, tobacco, dark peppercorn, dark coffee, forest floor, green vegetables, graphites, vinaigrette and spices.

Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show the complexity.

Peaking now, and will be good in the next few years. What a treat. This is so delicious.

Wine Advocate 93 points.

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

13% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$200. — 5 years ago

JJ Lumia

9.1

A semi vertical comparison. Found a few 2012s at the store. Need to buy a couple more. Lots of forest floor, leather, and cherry. Clearly a bordeaux and you could confidently cellar this for a while. — 6 years ago

Cathy Corison

Owner/Winemaker Corison Winery

9.4

Cedar, black cherries, mushrooms, forest floor, tabacco, lovely perfume — 7 years ago

with William

Eric Egan

9.2

Double decanted for three hours.

In excellent shape, though perhaps a little numb. Beef tomatoes, with a hint of forest floor, and bacon fat. Good length! — 7 years ago

WC Fields

9.1

Smooth with great stem treatment. Raspberry, red cherries and forest floor. Lacking a little acidity on the finish but good stuff. Alpine is more complex and layered but this is another winner from Rhys just different. — 8 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

From magnum with low shoulder fill. Dark ruby and opaque. Black cherries, forest floor, warm berry pie fruit in the nose. Very heavy and rich in the mouth. Everyone guessed 82 Bordeaux. If I'm judging, the perfectly balanced 55 Mouton tonite gets the slight edge because the fruit in the 59 Margaux was a bit more dominant than the less evident tannins, structure and acidity. Really good wine experience. — 8 years ago

Giancarlo Cicero

9.3

2012 vintage - huge, forrest floor on the nose, earthy — 9 years ago

with Heath

Brian Casey

9.5

Showing well, mushrooom and forest floor on the nose, beautiful balance and structure on the palate.. — 9 years ago

Robert Rothfield

9.2

Lead pencil and dark fruits with tertiary forest floor notes...still with plenty of life — 4 years ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland

9.1

An early Saturday evening happy hour with a Marcassin Pinot in our lovely backyard. Cloudy garnet in color. Strawberry-cherry hits the nose with a funky forest floor, mushroom pop and caramel-vanilla cinnamon lingering. Strawberry-cherry subtly sweet on the front of tongue; spicy mineral and pencil lead gives a soft bitter on the mid to back pallet—finish is medium to long. The tannins are not completely resolved but have integrated since the last time we opened a bottle a year ago. Definitely improving and becoming a soft elegant wine; should drink well in a few years. — 4 years ago

with Tom, Karin and 1 other

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.3

The 2012 Evenstad Reserve Pinot Noir is a gorgeous showing. Upon opening, this was initially a bit restrained, but after a few hours of air contact it blossomed with aromas of mushroom, forest floor and red cherry. The palate yields delicious flavors of red cherry, pomegranate, and raspberry, with nice depth and minerality. This rock solid Pinot has the richness and balance of a great vintage, but should really be held in the cellar for two years before opening. Aged 16 months in French oak, 63% new. Drink 2019-2030- 93 — 5 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Dark purple plum skin color from center to the rim’s edge where some scarlet also appears. Opaque. Great fruit forward nose that grabs your attention. Notes of blackberries, ripe plums, violets, tobacco, forest floor and some crushed walnuts. Rich and silky in the mouth. Great balance and texture. Tannins perfectly integrated. Long finish. If a Cal Cab can be seductive, this is it. Still youthful but in a great zone tonight. — 6 years ago

Kevin Ortzman

9.3

A lot going on the nose: dark fruits, olive, meaty, forest floor, cigar box. Silky smooth tannins with a fruity spice finish. I think she is still young. — 7 years ago

Dave Kluz

9.1

Blackberry and meaty, soy with bay leaf and forest floor. Deep, dark, evolved, tannic but not mind bending. — 7 years ago

James Gordon

9.4

Man. This stuff is so alive at 20+ years. Mushrooms and forest floor. — 8 years ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.4

Medium ruby with a coffee stain, this wine smells of carob and sweet cherry. In the mouth, aromatically sweet cherry, cedar, and forest floor has a wonderful smooth nutmeg and camphor finish that is killer. — 8 years ago

John Skupny - Lang & Reed Wine Company

9.3

1983 - holding much better than equivalent Bordeaux. Rich, torrefaction - deep layers of fruit emerging through heaps of forest floor. — 8 years ago

Robert Baxter

9.0

Too young. Promising. — 9 years ago

Rob Mondavi

Owner/President of Winemaking Folio Fine Wine Partners

9.9

Drank with my buddies Geoff and Danny. It's amazing. Here is the thing when drinking next to a 70 R Mondavi CS you really see the Bordeaux wooly aromatic thing. Napa is so clean and offering of florals and fruits, yet the Bordeaux had the forest floor and wooly thing. Both awesome but night and day. — 10 years ago