Jeroen Koenen

9.8

A ringer in our 100PP-tasting tonight….
And it performed, big time. Again.
Fantastic wine. — a day ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Delicious throughout. The 2021 pours a bright garnet color with transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of Morello cherry, raspberry, cranberry, red flowers, orange zest, some tar, talcum powder, dried herbs and dry, organic earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is about as sapid of a young Classico I’ve had from Produttori. It’s a bold wine right now but some time on its side will bring more into balance. Drink now with some patience through 2051. — 9 days ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish/ brick rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with a beautiful nose.

Showing black plums, black currants, cedar, dried figs, licorice, dark chocolates, earth, rhubarb, tobacco leaf, light black tea and black pepper.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy cherries.

This 32 year old Pauillac is still drinking beautifully, but a bit past its prime. Rich and elegant. Very complex and spicy.

This Second Growth Bordeaux needed 5 hours to open up properly, and was not that special right out of the bottle.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel, and still showing enough fruits to balance the earth notes.

Robert Parker 91 points.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, and with food.

A blend of 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 8% Petit Verdot.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$200. — 20 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium ruby garnet with quite wide garnet rim . Still quite youthful for age . Aromatic from the off, with red plum , cherry , hedgerow fruit , cigar box , scorched earth , dried flowers . On the palate this is medium bodied , with lots of herbal tinged red fruits , tobacco , grafite, with good volume. Perfectly balanced acidity and suave resolved tannins . Long tobacco edged , red fruit finish . Very detailed and aromatic, no need to decant , really pretty and in a lovely spot though don’t see this improving further, as after about 2 hours this particular bottle starts to fade a little , loosing its aroma and showing a touch of rain water and wet rock hints on the nose, and fading a little on the palate . Drink now and over the next 5 years or so to get the best of this . At Restaurante Fasano , Jardins , São Paulo — a month ago

Brandon Boesch

9.5

Bought at auction. First bottle awful. This one is lovely. Needed two hours of air to settle and integrate. Freeze dried strawberries, dried cherries, plum, dust, herbs like tarragon and thyme on nose. I could smell for hours. Palate is bigger than I expected more game and herbs than fruit. Leather with dried cherries. There’s more herbs and plums and cooked/reduced berries but not super sweet. Good tannin still. Pretty good and fun to try at 26 years. I am guessing warm vintage based on abv. — a month ago

Robert Swart

9.0

45 years on, and still singing. Our friends’ wedding anniversary year. Classic tertiary Saint-Julien: cedar, forest floor, dried cherry, tobacco, pencil shavings — fruit fully resolved into savory complexity. Silky, perfumed, no rough edges. Need time to breathe for nose to be appealing. — a month ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

I recently had a conversation with a few Joseph Phelps Ambassador’s at Pebble Beach Food & Wine in April. I said, I had every vintage of Insignia back to 2006 in storage. They said, “you should really drink up the 2006.” So, I coravined an 06 last weekend, a taste. I agreed then. But tonight not the case, it shows it still has a fair amount of life. Another 5-8 yrs and perhaps plus.

My Ribcap, a definition of Medium Rare Plus.

The nose reveals floral; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, dark cherries and blue fruit notes. Melted dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, softly layered baking spices, very underrated graphite, steeped tea, mid berry cola, red licorice, limestone powder, dry top soil, dry twig, red, dark candied to slightly withering florals w/ liquid violet cola.

The palate shows well resolved, rounded, velvety M+ tannins. Nicely ripe fruits that are floral; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, dark cherries and blue fruit notes. Melted dark chocolate, mocha, caramel river, softly layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanillin, warm caramel, dark Asian spices with palate burrowing heat, dry tobacco/ leather, cedar, grilled meats, very underrated graphite, sweet tarriness, black licorice, steeped tea, mid berry cola, red licorice, limestone powder, dry top soil, dry twig, red, dark candied to slightly withering florals w/ liquid violet cola, candied to withering; dark, red, blue florals wrapped in liquid violets, epic rainfall acidity, well balanced-structured-toned, elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls on earth & heated spice.

95-96 peaking. — 2 months ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.5

Great wine. Only letdown is the slightly murky, outdoorsey nose. — 2 days ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Dark ruby in color with a wide purplish rim.

Earthy nose and medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing red and black fruits with cedar, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs, peppercorn, mediterranean spices and chocolate notes.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and raspberries.

This Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is extremely young and needs 10 years in the bottle to mature properly. Elegant and fruit forward, yet restrained.

I've had many different vintages of this wine, but never had it so young. Not as powerful as some other vintages, but already complex and nicely balanced.

Feels like a good quality Left Bank Bordeaux, and will continue to age nicely, and get better in the next 20 years.

Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 92 points.

A good sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 1% Malbec. Aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months.

14% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$490. — a month ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Tasted Blind. Again very similar appearance with ruby centre still , slightly thinner garnet rim . Different on the nose and on the palate to the others . Sweeter more toasty notes , earthy also , tobacco touches , bonfire , fire side hints. On the palate this has a spicy note , with a mix of red and black fruits , that earthy fireside hint . Good tobacco tinged finish . Juicier tannins , and balanced acidity . Really poised and pretty , spiced fruits, perfectly balanced . Lovely to drink now , though will give another decade of enjoyment . Haut Brion ? — 4 days ago

GaryWEdwards

9.5

I kinda forgot about this one that I bought for great value at auction. It’s actually drinking nicely with big wine attitude. Tobacco, earth but still has some brightness in color. Gonna share the 11 bottles with folks during holiday season. 1982 — a month ago

Tom Garland

9.4

+1 hour decant(modest sediment). A striking still dark purplish crimson color with bricking. On the nose: Seductive notes of dark fruit, sandalwood, cigar wrapper, herbaceous, stewed meat, pencil lead, worn leather. Taste: silky, layered, vibrant wine with dried plum/cherry, cigar leaf, graphite, that Cos spice, crushed gravel, hint of chocolate, and a hauntingly long dry finish. YUM! Terrific old school Bordeaux. — a month ago

with Brenda

Jay Kline

9.5

Opened about 90min prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2001 Monte Bello pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with lovely notes of black currants, blackberries, plum, tobacco, purple flowers, an intoxicating mix of exotic Eastern spices, some cocoa, inorganic earth and minerals. On the palate? The wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long and impeccably balanced. To my palate, this bottle has reached the age when Monte Bello starts to really become interesting. What a delight! Drink now with some air, through 2051. — a month ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1/2 hour decant(decent fine sediment). A striking dark ruby red with bricking. On the nose: Captivating notes of dark fruit, forest floor, worn leather, mushroom, cigar, smoked meat, some bandaid(brett). Taste: silky, classic, elegant wine with dried red berries, currants, tobacco, saline, minerals and a cedar graphite long dry finish. YUM! What a thrill to drink tonight! — 2 months ago

with Brenda

Jon Tate

9.1

Beautiful wine had at Isidore San Antonio with clients. Great big bold cab had with steak. — 12 days ago

Tom Garland

9.4

+1 hour decant(some sediment). A gorgeous dark garnet with bricking. On the nose: mesmerizing areomatic notes of dark red fruit, currants, forest floor, floral, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings. Taste: velvety, vibrant, fresh wine with brambly dried blackberry/cherry, earth, graphite, wet stones, and a cedar gamey raspberry long finish. YUM! What a treat to drink, and a success for 03...not too ripe, hot, or roasted. — a day ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Again quite deep ruby , with a wider garnet rim , slightly cloudy appearance. This is a little more smudged on the nose with , earthy , slightly swimming pool note , tobacco and some dried flowers . However with time this starts to gain stature and complexity with cigar box , cedar and grafite notes . On the palate this is a little rounder and deeper in style , a bit more generous . More cassis and blackberry , along with some cherry . Herbal tobacco notes , fresh acidity and more rounded tannins , perhaps better length that the Ducru too. This also is showing well , if not as young as the Ducru , from now and over the next 10 years in this format. — 4 days ago

"Odedi"

9.3

Light golden in color.

Beautiful nose of honeydew, apples, honeysuckle, tropical fruits, spices and melons.

Full-bodied with high acidity and long legs.

Sweet on the palate with apples, citrus, mangoes, spices, honeysuckle, herbs, honey and light earth.

Long finish with sweet honey notes.

This delicious 9 year old Sauternes is drinking beautifully now. Complex and interesting. Elegant and fruit forward. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Feels very fresh, but a bit subdued and earthier right now, compared to other vintages. Will continue to age nicely in the next 40 years.

Loved the nose more than the palate here. So expressive.

Wine Spectator 96 points. Robert Parker 99 points.

A blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 24 months. Drank from a 750ml bottle.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$450. — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Opened about two hours prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 1985 pours a deep garnet color with an orange rim and a slightly hazy, near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of dried, desiccated blackberries, pipe tobacco, leather, organic earth and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. A lovely, mature wine that should be enjoyed over the next several years. Drink now through 2030. — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.6

At this point, with this group, a Legends dinner simply wouldn’t be appropriate without at least one bottle of Chave Hermitage.

Opened about 90min prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1994 Hermitage pours a slightly hazy garnet with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with perfumed notes of dried brambles, dried blueberry, dried purple flowers, black olive, mushroom, espresso, leather, stony earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and slightly sanguine. Delicious with the 5 Spice Cured Duck prepared with marinated Bing cherries, crispy shallot and Olathe corn polenta. It was such a pleasure to taste the ‘94 Chave next to the ‘85 Gentaz. Two Northern Rhône Legends working with their respective terroirs. Where the Gentaz was all about the aromatics of Côte Rôtie, the Chave was brought more of the power from the Hill of Hermitage. Drink now through 2056. — 2 months ago