Mike Saviage

9.7

From a great old looking bottle with a mid shoulder fill. Cork is fully saturated and the crud under the capsule had formed a strong seal. Slow-ox’d for a few hours, then decanted for an hour or two before taken to L’Escargot in Carmel. Amber tawny rims with a reddish tawny core. Crazy nose right from the start. Notes of sweet black cherries, tobacco leaf, plums, black pepper, ash and crusty wood, pencil shavings, some just unwrapped cigar and some menthol. Silky in the mouth with firm structure and soft but present acidity. Long and memorable finish. Outstanding performance over several hours. — 6 years ago

Rhonely Boy

9.1

The mineral is amazing, fruit is bump’n. Recommend multi-bottle purchase. It takes a while to start deciphering the complexities, then it runs out. — 6 years ago

Rick Baraff

9.1

That’s some nice drinkin’ stuff (circa 2017). Thanks to the local somm, Steve, at our Whole Foods for the recom... it was their last bottle and he sacrificed. — 7 years ago

Amanda Thomas

9.1

Mineral and floral notes. Not very much fruit. Super refreshing! — 7 years ago

with Tim

Katie Wilson

9.3

Orange and amazing — 8 years ago

Luke Stanko

9.2

Merlot the way it’s supposed to be made. Fruit with balanced structure — 8 years ago

Glenn Nick

9.3

On the high chair. — 9 years ago

Vic Petroff

9.4

Disgustingly yummy! Beautiful deep red fruit, tons of life & structure. 12.5% alcohol. Touchdown! Thank you, Russ. — 10 years ago

Eric Belling

9.2

Surprisingly good — 11 years ago

Ricky Calonita

9.3

1994 vintage. Excellent complex earthy Cabernet. Needs some time in the decanter to appreciate the complexity. — 11 years ago

Gareth Tilley

9.1

Just beginning to drink well, but would still wait a couple of years. Classy, black fruit core with liquorice, prune, coffee, mint. Supple, elegant, pure. — 12 years ago

Ryan Stewart

8.9

Golden amber color. Briny, diluted iodine, smoky, red fruit, floral and herbal notes on the nose. Warm mouthfeel. Hints of sherry and stewed fruits on the palate. — 6 years ago

Frank Kuo

9.2

Color of dull ruby with shades of purple and brown on the rim, a bit cloudy. Nose of cocoa, spice, burning sensation in the nose, fermented cabbage, carbonated water, and a bit berries. Taste basically follows the nose with quite good tannins and slightly sweet, some tobacco leaves, and some bitter tangerine zest. Aftertaste is medium with some more sweet ripe grape and peppery note. A bit light yet on par. — 6 years ago

Mike R

9.0

Drink them if you got them — 6 years ago

James Webb

9.1

Lemon and apple crisp. Great full smooth body with enough acid holding everything in the right spot. — 7 years ago

Pat Carroll

9.7

A new favorite. Great tobacco and spice flavors play off the blackberry. Medium body, very low acid. — 8 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Brownish tawny. Regal, clear and almost opaque. Sweet old Bordeaux nose. Notes of cola, cranberry, plums, dried fig, earth, spice and some wood. A bit thin in the mouth at the start but with air it firms up. Decent finish. Grows nicely in volume and impact. The fragrant nose is what you remember. — 8 years ago

Craig Stanfield

9.5

Started wth a slight must on the nose, but that blew off. Opened to round and bright red and some blue fruit. Tobacco and wood (not lavish oak, maybe cedar) round it out. Fine grained tannins and a wonderful finish. Love the value of Rioja and hard to believe I just got some of these babies recently. This was the 125th vintage. — 9 years ago

Mindy Arbaugh

9.5

Lovely, smooth and rich. — 10 years ago

with Stuart

Michelle Kendrick

9.2

Total Wine - $13.50 — 12 years ago

Nate Rose

Wine Director Specs

10

That shot glows... — 13 years ago

Scott Petrus

9.2

This natty Willamette Pinot is Burgundian in style and better than most. Austere and earthy this baby has enough zip to hold the finish. — 6 years ago

Erin Joyce

9.2

Waited a few years to drink the 2017 and it’s even better than I remembered. In times like these it’s important to savor the floral bouquet and stone fruit deliciousness of this wine and essentials like Clorox bleach. — 6 years ago

with Sandra

Serena Peters

9.2

@pacific standard time in chicago. Best orange I’ve had in a while, oxidized on the nose, immediately salty in the palette almost like a pecorino cheese and then a smooth sweet finish like apple cider. Infinitely complex and interesting. Love — 7 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

Dark ruby, bright, doesn’t look it’s age. Awesome funky old Cal Cab nose. Notes of cherry, cranberry sauce, dirt and some balsa wood. Some steminess. Great perfume. Nice in the mouth but missing just a little bit in the mid palate. Really enjoyed this. — 8 years ago

Ira Schwartz

9.0

A grab bag of floral and citrus aromatics. Given how young this wine is the palate does not have the same openness that the nose has. Bright acidity and excellent balance. — 8 years ago

Peter Radics

9.5

Oaky, fresh, and delicious! — 9 years ago

Stuart Scheff

9.0

Complex perfumed Oregon — 9 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.1

Surprise bottle at the end of the tasting. A real treat. Garnet red with medium intensity and quite a bit of sediment. Layered nose with soft blackberries, soft black cherries, and a soft undertone of provenance herbs (lavender). Palate floats right across your tongue with some light red cherries, some toasted wood and a little leather. Still solid moderate tannins (5.5/10) and well integrated with the solid acidity. Medium to light bodied with great structure and texture. Moderate plus finish with a dryness to it. Drink till 2020. — 10 years ago

with Sean and India

Colin McCartney

9.5

Deep, inky purple in the glass with generous blackberry flavors and a spicy, tannic finish. Never met a Hartford Zin I didnt like... — 11 years ago