Bob McDonald

9.2

Dense Ruby with hints of purple. This wine is well named - very spicy on the nose with nutmeg, pepper and lavender in the aromatics. A medium bodied Syrah with fruit sourced from McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and Langhorne Creek. Only 90 dozen made. 30% new and 70% used French Barriques. Excellent balance. I’ve not had much experience with this producer but very impressed with this wine and good value at only $35 AUD. — 8 months ago

Jason

9.5

Smooth and tasty — 3 years ago

Sharon B

9.0

I love a 100% Cab Franc; however, maybe this one needs to age more? It’s good, but not great. Coates my palate but not with fruit, nice color, medium body, just lacking in fruit. — 4 years ago

Jeff Orlowski

9.4

Nose has notes of strong blue cheese. Copper color. Medium body, dry, a bit of tartness. Rhubarb and tangerine notes on plate. Quite nice! Thanks @Michael Seely! — 6 years ago

with Joe and Michael

Bob McDonald

9.9

The commune we have all been waiting for - Vosne Romanee. The first of 6 Grand Crus tasted blind. In 2 of the 3 previous tastings the first wine in this group has been the DRC RC and when I sampled the breathtaking quality of this wine I was thinking they have done it again. A couple of experts in the group felt the 2 DRC wines were at #1 and #4 This proved to be correct. My notes - Perfume of violets, pepper and Asian Spices. A perfect palate of both feminine charm and latent power ... unbelievable. The La Tache usually shows as more voluptuous in these tastings but not in 2016. I normally don’t have this much left in my glass after the wine has been identified so this was quite a luxury. Just wonderful. As Clive Coates MW said - the yardstick with which to judge all other Burgundies. It is easy to think with the 1000 year history, and the stone cross that there is something spiritual and other worldly about this wine. The consensus from all 12 tasters was that this was the best of the Vosne Romanee tasting and therefore of the whole 34 Grand Crus tasted. Only 440 dozen produced for the world. — 6 years ago

speedy duncan

9.1

Clive Coates nailed this: ripe rich and balanced with a lovely finish — 9 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have to say this is my favorite Chateau to stand in front of and gaze. On the nose, spice, wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, mint, tobacco leaf and dark fresh & dry flowers. It's drinking nicely with silty medium-medium + tannins & full bodied. Ruby, ripe wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, crushed dry minerals, mint, tobacco leaf and violets, dark fresh & dry flowers. The acidity is round and mouthwatering. The long finish has great elegance, beauty, length, tension & balance. It's just starting to hit it's stride and has plenty of life ahead of it. Another 15-20 years. Who said 04 was a difficult vintage? This will continue to improve and will stun with another 10 years in bottle. Photos of the the exterior Chateau front & side, tasting room and Christian Seely Managing Director. Chateau Pichon Baron and Chateau Pichon Lalande were originally part of the same estate. Pichon Baron got it's name when Therese, daughter of the founder, received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville the first President of the Bordeaux Parliament. Chateau Pichon Baron changed because of the Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville. He took over managing Pichon Baron when he was only 19 years old! When the Baron passed away at 90 in 1850, he divided his Pauillac estate. The sons were awarded what became Chateau Pichon Baron and the daughters were given what later became Chateau Pichon Lalande. Pichon Baron went through three rough decades in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Part of the issues were, lack of investment and they machine harvested. The first really great vintages for them were 89 & 90 after Jean Rene Matignon, Jean-Michel Cazes join them and AXA Insurance Company purchased them adding capital. The 73 hectare vineyard of Chateau Pichon Baron are planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. However, the Cabernet Franc and the Petit Verdot are reserved exclusively for the second wine. The terroir is mostly deep gravel, sand clay soils. Pichon Baron uses 80% new French oak and rests in barrel 18 months. @ FogoDeChao

— 9 years ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.8

Amazing mazon sbiatti This bottling is from the British wine merchant Avery's. who bought barrels of wine and brought them to England for bottling until the practice was banned. The wine would have been labeled Domaine René Engel in France, but it was under the stewardship of his son Pierre at the time of this bottling. The wines under his reign were quite notable through the 1969 vintage. Pierre fell ill in 1970, and the estate was neglected until Pierre's son Philippe took over after wine school. The vintage was very good in Burgundy, though it is often overlooked because it was such a disaster in Bordeaux, says K&L's Burgundy buyer Keith Wollenberg. In 1999, the critic Clive Coates of the Vine wrote of this wine: "Full, very vigorous colour. Hardly any sign of age. Full, ample and spicy. Fat and Plump. Very good grip. This has length and quality and richness...Yet it has the fat, succulence, intensity and vigour. Fine Plus." — a year ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Delectable - this is the Mourvèdre - not in your Database. Requested an expert review. Notes of plum and black to blue fruits - spicy, umami - finishing with a touch of tar. Easy to drink. I have always thought that McLaren Vale does Mourvèdre well. Also some old vineyards in the Clare Valley as with Wendouree (Mataro). Although one must acknowledge the Old Garden from Hewitson in the Barossa, planted in 1853 and reputedly the oldest Mourvèdre vines in the world. — 3 years ago

Aravind A

9.4

Pop and pour. Far and away my favorite rendition of this wine so far, if this bottle is representive. On the nose, only the slightest hint of struck match, then waves of lemon, lime, soft vanilla, loads of minerality. On the palate: this just absolutely coates the palate with waves of lemon and soft wet stone, then the acidity kicks in to give this some drive as the lime and vanilla join the party, and then it just lingers and ever so slowly dissipates. Unbelievably good for a bourg blanc. — 5 years ago

Joe Roth

9.4

I agree with Seely and Orlowski! — 6 years ago

with Jeff and Michael

Matt Sterr

8.9

Batch #147 80 Corn/20 UK Malt. Rich mouthfeel coates the palate. Powerfully flavorful. — 7 years ago

Sean Lyons

9.3

Pretty great. The one that turned me on to navy strength gins. Good in martins or with soda. Great with a splash of water, but really shows it’s colors straight out of the (cold) bottle. Juniper, orange, thyme, a little sweetness. — 8 years ago

Paul J

9.1

1hr+ decant. Dark purple color. Dark fruit and cough medicine, with hints of prunes and baking spices on the nose. Cough medicine and more alcohol than I expected on the palate. Zero oak and lacks structure. Medium depth and the wine really coates the palate and sticks to your teeth. Medium plus finish. Good, just not my style.

Downgrading from 93 as this has become very harsh in the palate and fruit is gone. — 2 years ago

with Brooke

Sharon B

9.5

I love 100% Cabernet Franc but not sure if I’ve had one from Argentina. This wine is delicious! Full bodied, coates your mouth with dark red fruit and has a very smooth finish. — 3 years ago

Jeff Orlowski

9.6

Dear friend @Michael Seely shared this with me. Beautiful, well aged Napa Cab. Big, dry, balanced. Outstanding! — 5 years ago

with Michael and Joe

Justin Hansohn

9.5

On Clive Coates recommendation of Pommard vineyard specifically for this producer purchased from Benchmark Wine Group received February 2020 drank April 2020. Fruit still accessible but completely integrated into the fully electric energy that this wine has become. Aromatics are beguiling and potent. Finish seems to go on for minutes. So much energy. Concentration of fruit in perfect harmony. Ready to go now and still could probably hold and evolve for a bit longer I suspect. The energy is unreal. — 6 years ago

Justin Hansohn

9.4

Yep that’s definitely nuit st. Georges. Clive Coates acclaimed 2 star producer deserves it. No manipulation here. Terroir shining. Taste that chalk. Love it. Rating corresponds to value. — 6 years ago

Tim Bakker

9.2

This producer is mental... over delivers time after time — 8 years ago

Andrew Keenan

9.2

Pa state store. $28. I like gin. This is a good one. — 9 years ago