Phil

8.9

Nice organic earth lies beneath black and red fruit. The alcohol is restrained on the palate, despite being high on the label. Well balanced and enjoyable for the money. — 11 years ago

Ryan Thomas

9.0

Lots of Apple and pear. Exact opposite of a French Chardonnay which was what I wanted — 11 years ago

Bram Wessel

8.9

A LOT more austere than I expected, tastes almost young. Nose took time to develop, even with lots of air. I'm a little suspicious about how this bottle was stored. There's almost zero penetration of the cork suggesting lots of upright storage? The ulage was normal-seeming, just a small visible gap beneath the foil. What nose there is has hints of mint, cedar and something candied, like dates. On the palate, surprisingly moderate intensity (12.5% pre-fruit-bomb era), tannic structure still very evident at 24 years, but considerably softened down to fine grain. Plummy, black cherry flavored, with that confected undercurrent. Finishes long and tannic. Cut through very rich lamb shank stewed in red wine, caramelized onions, shallots, and rosemary. Still developing with dark chocolate dessert. — 12 years ago

Bram Wessel

9.3

Laser-like blue fruit. Like blueberry sherbet in intensity, but bottomless. Surrounded by smoke and brick. Just a little bit of something confected, like the baked blueberries on the edge of a cobbler. Outstanding with butter sautéed rib-eye. The depth really feels like a trap door has been pulled beneath you. This is what it's supposed to taste like! — 11 years ago

Ryan Wofford

9.4

Slightly cloudy in the glass with some sediment. Very delicate and soft expression of an otherwise quite fruity wine. Complexity lies beneath its soft top layer. — 11 years ago

Fabien Lainé

Blogger VinDeling.com

9.5

The wine is lifting with complexity, spicy notes, citrus focus and elegant subtle oak notes bringing light vanilla 👏😗
Wines produced from the land and Palace estate of Portugal’s last King.
The whole process of making the wine from the beginning to the finished product is just as it was from the first vintage. The grapes are from private vineyards planted close to the hotel, and complete the final touches to what lies on your table are hand-blown bottles with an old-fashioned wax seal.
A cathedral transformed in a palace - — 12 years ago

Erin Pooley

Owner/Winemaker Good Luck Wines

10

One from the archives. Lucky to have been graced with the presence of this great wine. 1968 vintage. The vineyard now lies beneath a multi million dollar housing estate. — 14 years ago

Keith Levenberg

9.2

One of my more recent realizations on Rhys is that when they shut down, they shut down hard, so I'm trying to enjoy some more of my stash in the early window of opportunity. This one is definitely still there, so rich at first that it's practically saucy though without any candied flavors. Rhys always benefits from a long decant but this one was so primary it needed even more time than most to show its underlying contours and reveal some of the rocks beneath the fruit. What I love about the house style is here even though this flirts with being too much of a good thing - for all that dense, saturating, luscious fruit, there is still a whole lot of energy and vibrancy here too. — 11 years ago

David Kline

8.9

I ain't proud. Yeah it is roughly that time of year again. A time of dread (why I don't know; after all it is only Gamay, unlikely to hurt you). This one is good, though. Showing a richness and depth unlikely in the typical corporate offering. Plum jam, and blueberry jelly, even a little strawberry, and toasted marshmallow nose. The palate is grapey with a tangerine note beneath; raspberry soda pervades. That signature Brouilly or Morgon powdered grape persistence. For what it is: a winner! What it tells us about Pinot, I have no f---ing idea! — 12 years ago

with Courtney

Jonathan Lipsmeyer

9.5

2005. What an amazing discovery. Agree it's Sangiovese-like. This wine is still stern but shows a sweet leathery core and some delicious unidentifiable jammy smoked plum and some red fruits hiding beneath tannins. — 12 years ago

with Zachary