Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1989 vintage. From a 375ml. Opened not decanted. Great top shoulder fill. Used a Durand. Pristine cork. Throwing slightly less sed than anticipated. Dusty and earthy nose. Tasted 30 minutes and 1 hour after opening. Light-medium body throughout. Front palate a bit thin and watery but back end had some gamey/meaty notes intertwined with dirt clods. Despite the descriptors, maintained elegance for the duration. Seems to be holding the line here for a spell in the 375ml format. 10.17.25. — 9 months ago

Brandon T

9.6

My favorite in the TOP lineup hands down. Always great and paired well with shrimp and grits. — 4 years ago

Skip Smyser

9.7

Haven’t had this top of class of 2000 in awhile. It so outperforms most of that vintage. Tannins are perfect. Lush red fruit that lingers forever. Spent a little time tending the vineyard and decided to treat myself. WOW!!! Only two bottles left. Boo🍷🍷🍷🍷 — 6 years ago

John Van Trijp

9.5

World greatest Chardonnay blind tasting — 7 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

9.3

Fairly fruity on the nose. Hint of black pepper and something earthy/mineral. Flavor is very dry. Dried strawberries and red vines. Classic jammy Zin thing. Some pomegranate molasses perhaps. Fresh and zinfulliciuos. Plenty of tannin to give it more bite than Zin usually achieves. Complex. True. Enjoyable. — 7 years ago

Clotaire Betremieux

9.5

1978 - top one — 9 years ago

Charlie Tapp

9.7

Where to begin. We ordered a bottle of 1982 Heitz Bella Oaks, which was corked. It was also their only bottle. We went back to the well and decided on this '83 Dunn HM, and we're not disappointed. All of the red fruit and cedar you expect, but tons of mint and cocoa as well. Really solid bottle. One of my top 5. — 10 years ago

Marshal White

8.9

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Vosges... It's a weird experience for me; it's like a hybrid of California and the old world. Seems high pH/soft and the oak is sweet, even if they are second fill barrels. Maybe the sandstone is a big part of it? Interesting and tasty wine for sure — 11 years ago

Sarah DeBusk

9.2

Much needed — 12 years ago

Gary Westby

Champagne & Sherry buyer K&L Wines

10

Three pounds of prime top sirloin and a mag of Montebello- report to follow. — 13 years ago

with Cleora

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

2002 vintage. Nice fill, good cork. Decanted with a respectable amount of powdery sed. Smelled great during decanting. Tasted 1.5 hours after opening/decanting. Expected light body with delicate tendrils. Medium body with a light palate footprint. Holy shazzbaat. This was absolutely firing. Like top of the pops, straight up to number one. Exceptional knitting and in a perfect spot now. Go all the way back to the inaugural 1982 vintage with this winery’s cabernet…thought my all-time fave was the 1991 altho the 1986 and 1987 were special. The 2020, picked early, thus avoiding the fires, is phenomenal as well. This was on another level and have had approx 150 bottles of Spottswoode Cab in the last three + decades. It was probably the best out of all of them. Difficult to imagine Napa Cab better than this. Power and finesse on display. Not improving but can hold this intensity for another 4-5 years. 12.24.24. — 2 years ago

Brandon T

9.3

Strawberries, plums, and a hint of orange. A Grenache worthy of the name. — 4 years ago

Andy Hall

9.5

Always strong! Old world nose, robust fruit and balanced acid. — 5 years ago

Delectable Wine

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10

The 1945 Haut-Brion is poured against the legendary 1945 Mouton and might just have come out on top. It is difficult to put this wine into words. Showing modest bricking, it presents a sublime bouquet of vibrant red fruit, warm gravel, wilted rose petals and a hint of earthenware. It is crystalline in terms of definition. The palate follows suit with pitch-perfect acidity, a very slight, refreshing hint of balsamic, and finely chiseled tannins. Beguiling in every way, this is a profound Haut-Brion that is absolutely flawless. Tasted at Koala's 1945 dinner. (Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2020)
— 6 years ago

tim heyman

9.0

very good 2001 aged surprisingly well for new world wine — 7 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2005 vintage. Fantastic leather, dark plum, cedar, tobacco and sawdust nose. Medium body. Superdry finish that just goes on and on and on. Close to the top of its’ particular bell curve. — 8 years ago

Jeff Loo

9.8

Barrel Sample. Absolutely stunning this vintage. Brilliant 2016, one of the top of the vintage. 97-99pts — 9 years ago

Adam Crane

9.6

One of the most intellectual white wines in the world! Starts out nutty and oxidized and gets fruitier and youthful as it opens up. Will always be my favorite Spanish producer! — 10 years ago

Can Huynh

9.1

The crushed herbs, cigar smoke tickle the top palate. Savoury dark chocolate intermingled dark fruits play around but the tannins are big and slide across your tongue like a thick leather belt. Needs time. With fillet mignon and mushroom sauce. — 12 years ago

James Bailey

9.7

Just won best Rioja in the world! — 12 years ago

Fiona Riley

10

Amazing wine — 2 years ago

Willie Carter

9.2

Probably my favorite and, in my mind, the most consistent Spanish wine out there. A deep dark plum color in the glass. The nose absolutely shines with cedar and plenty of spice. There’s a bit of smoke here along with cherry cola and a little more spice. Dried herbs and chocolate round things out.

A preponderance of Tempranillo with a nice chunk of Garnacha in the blend. Obviously still so young but readily approachable and enjoyable now. The extended aging makes a world of difference with this wine vintage in and vintage out. Rich and full of personality, this is a beautiful wine that’s just going to continue to grow with age. — 3 years ago

Mark Howard

9.6

Aged Cabernet from Napa is enjoyable. Aged Cabernet from one of the few New World Bordeaux producers can be a heavenly experience. This version is hitting all the notes in its solo performance. Blackberry, currant, leather, tobacco, smoke and a giant YUM! Deep thick rich elegant expressive. Yes, something to enjoy now and over the next 3-5 years. — 5 years ago

with Renegade and Elizabeth

Jon Bergqvist

9.7

Top shoulder. Got the cork out in one piece. Absolutely perfect bottle with a lot left to give. Thick balsamic fruit, soft tannins, integrated oak, fresh acidity, everything in absolute balance. In a way almost perfect on the verge of lacking a bit of personality, but only almost. This has 10 years of life ahead of it but No reason to wait. — 7 years ago

Benoit Duhamel

9.4

Demie bouteille pour finir la soirée. Que c’est bon. Une bouche enveloppante et caressante. Orange, zest d’orange, abricot, marmelade. Belle fraîcheur et top longueur — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.4

Top year 904 @ £75 that was drank in Zalto burg glass as its like an aged burgundy

🐽 Paired w/ Iberian Ham 😍

🍷 Garnet ruby w/ brick

👃 Smoked burnt oak, soggy earthy leaves, leather, dark cherry & figs w/ balsamic & damson

👄 Med body of creamy stewed cherry w/ earthy balsamic & slight mocha

🎯 Med finish of above w/ earthy balsamic linger

Reaching peak but I preferred the 95 904 over this but the 890 94 was better than the 95! — 9 years ago

Deni

9.4

Absolutely amazing. Lots of good brett. Balanced and delicious. Great dark fruit aromas and flavors. So smooth. Medium high tannins and acidity. Perfect silky texture. A little funk on the nose and palate (positive). Aroma and flavors are out of this world. Leather bag full of cherries and raspberries. Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carmenere. Complex. Delicious 13.5% abv — 10 years ago

Chris Buffum

9.1

Probably one of the top 3 Cabs — 11 years ago

Paco Suro

8.9

Rich and concentrated. New world (oaked). Violet in color. Young. Revisit in 5 years. — 12 years ago

Jose Merino

9.7

This was a vertical of 38 vintages to celebrate Joseph Phelps Insignia 40th anniversary! The 74' and 77' were the wines that came on top from the 70's vintage. — 13 years ago