Jack Petras

9.2

Had zero expectations for this wine at a party featuring lost bottles from your cellar. It was like a raspberry preserve that you canned 10 years ago and still has the essence of that years growing season. An unexpected joy. — a month ago

Steve Ambrusko

9.0

Delicious berry with faintest hint of sweetness, but still gently robust. — 5 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.6

Moraga Estate – Sauvignon Blanc – Vintage 1999
Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A remarkable bottle of 100% Sauvignon Blanc from Moraga Estate, located in the rolling hills of Bel Air. Despite its 25+ years of age, this wine has defied time, showing incredible vitality and freshness. A rare showcase that Sauvignon Blanc, under the right terroir and winemaking, can achieve serious longevity.

Aromas & Flavors
Notes of preserved lemon, dried apricot, lanolin, and beeswax unfold gracefully, interlaced with hints of chamomile tea and subtle nutty oxidative tones. The acidity remains vibrant, keeping the palate lifted, with a saline, mineral edge that speaks of its unique site.

Mouthfeel
Still taut and structured, with an oily richness balanced by a linear, mouthwatering acidity. The texture is round yet precise, with a finish that lingers beautifully.

Food Pairings
Ideal with aged goat cheese, seared scallops, or roast chicken with lemon and herbs. A wine this nuanced also shines solo, worthy of quiet contemplation.

Verdict
Astonishing endurance from a varietal not usually associated with long-term cellaring. This is more than a wine, it’s history in a glass.

Did You Know?
Moraga Estate is one of the only commercial wineries operating within Los Angeles city limits, with vineyards planted in the limestone-rich canyons of Bel Air facing south west. Its wines have long been a hidden treasure, often snapped up by Hollywood insiders.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
This bottle was a revelation, proving that California Sauvignon Blanc, under the right conditions, can rival the ageability of Old World whites. A true collector’s gem and a memorable experience. — 7 months ago

David Valenti

9.0

This one's 11 old and still has it. Nose on the downside, but it still has it. Amazing palate, full of smoke, wood, meat and tobacco. Lingers playfully, with a pinch of acidity in the aftertaste. — 3 months ago

Lisa Gdowski

9.2

So tasty from Costco pack of Bordeaux. — 4 months ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.3

22’s are having a moment now. Ripping their shirts off like a WWF wrestler. Man the fruit on the nose is pungent. Dark cherry, black cherry, black plum skin, just amazing. And classic Girard sous bois. Mint, tree bark and more. Palate is decadent and juicy with lovely amplitude and richness but also sappy density and purity. Really elegant and just raring to go out of the bottle. Great energy and let’s see what air does. — 6 months ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

I love this vineyard and Girard’s interpretation of it. Generous and enveloping nose with gorgeous mid season cherry, spice, seaweed paper, tweed jacket and macerated mid to late season cherries. Really provocative and deep aromas. Palate is classic young Fichots. A wall of tannin and gorgeous dark fruits that echoe but are currently 90% covered by tannins. So dense and chewy with just awesome inner mouth aromas and dark black and blue fruits and. sinewy, foresty vibe that is so intriguing. This wine needs air but is shaping up to be a classic Fichots. Nose opening up with dark cranberry, spice, forest floor and more. The Fichots aromatic complexity is really here in spades. I love this wine. Loosening up and getting so juicy. So pure. Really nice inner mouth aromas and terrific energy and freshness. Awesome on day 2. Nose is brambly and nuanced. Palate is out of this world. Dense and opulent fruit. So fresh. Bursting. Sweet and tart. 9.4 to 9.5 overnight. — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.4

It’s been a couple years since I last enjoyed the 1996 and based off this experience, it’s continuing to age gracefully.

Double decanted the night before. The wine pours a garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of cassis, kirsch, purple flowers, tobacco, dried herbs, green pepper, old wood and gravelly earthy. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long and sanguine. So much soul, it could make Marvin Gaye blush. Drink now with patience (and a long decant) through 2041. Thanks for the assist @Lyle Fass — 4 months ago

Carter White

9.1

Pristine fruit 🍒 — 5 months ago

JKT

9.0

Balance and soft textures thirty years! Say ten years after acquiring from JR whose email says matriarch passing freed up this library holding back then. — 7 months ago