Tom Garland

9.4

Decant and pour.  On the nose:  dark fruit, pencil shavings, green bell pepper, leather, mushrooms.   Taste:  a brooding, still austere, structured wine with dark fruit, cassis, smoked earth, cigar, minerals, crushed stone.  Some pronounced tannins want you to give it more time for a better score in the future.

At Cote, Last Vegas — 2 months ago

with Brenda and

Walter Fahr

9.1

Above average Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc. Rich, mild citrus flavor. Paired very well with shrimp. — 4 years ago

KD

9.0

Medium dark purple ruby. Cranberry, ligonberry, red cherry and blackberry on the nose with some bell pepper, smoke and tobacco. Medium body, acidity and tannins with chalky minerality and delicate notes of cherry, cranberry with pepper, smoke and discrete oak. Black licorice on the medium long finish. The nose is more intense than the palate which leads to a smooth, easy drinking wine. Coravined. — 4 years ago

Marc Melser

9.4

We had the 2013 Vintage on 5/2-3/21. This was a terrific full bodied, well balanced wine. Tastes of blackberry, plum, kirsch and vanilla on the palate. The tannins were smoothed out. A great example of the Napa floor. — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Just love this wine, great value, can’t get enough! Belle Pente (bell-pont') means "beautiful slope" - for their 70 acre hillside vineyard & winery site in Willamette Valley. Bright Ruby red with aromas of red fruits, herb spices and hints of blossom notes. On the palate strawberry and cherry flavors, slight sweet undertones, herb notes and smooth tannins. Well balanced on a long finish ending with mineral herb notes. Nice!! Great value. — 6 years ago

Jonathan McCarthy

9.1

Really needs some time in the decanter, wound up super tight. Funky earthy nose with sour cherry and topsoil, very fleshy, rustic body of blue and red fruits, a bit of red bell pepper, bakers chocolate, loads of pencil shavings, a faint suggestion of spruce. Really crunch skeleton with serious, almost saline minerality. Fruit fades before the minerals and earth. Really complex. Give it plenty of air and a long ponder. — 7 years ago

FinerTastes

9.4

Celebrating Christmas with our favorite red blend. — 8 years ago

with Sarah and Kristen

Veronica S

9.2

Pronounced nose of red fruits. Rose, strawberry, crush granite, black tea. Interesting pomegranate flavor on the palate. Beautifully balanced wine. Long finish.  — 7 months ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Double decant for sediment and pour(some fine sediment). A majestic still dark purplish garnet color. On the nose: beautiful notes of dark berries, planting soil, worn leather, dark chocolate, stewed meat. Taste: energetic, balanced, soft wine with red cherry/plum, clove, orange peel, spice, green bell pepper, and a smoked graphite medium plus finish. YUM! Nice aged old school Napa cab with time to go. — a year ago

with Brenda

Lee Lightfoot

9.1

Sweaty dried red fruit tobacco and bell pepper — 5 years ago

Janet Coleman

9.0

Structured dark fruit. Love it. 2017 vintage — 5 years ago

Emily Steedman

9.4

Beautiful wine for a beautiful day in Napa — 6 years ago

Michael Herzog

9.0

Glad to hear they are doing okay in Sonoma right now. Nice balance between the fruit and acidity. Great with potato leek soup. — 7 years ago

Severn G

9.0

On tap! Guess what State I'm in the second half of this week? It's colder and more snow than home too! — 7 years ago

Elizabeth Vecseri

9.0

Green grassy notes on the nose with grape peel. Bright taste with hint of dryness. Grass, apple, lemon, and pith/rind. Smooth for drinking, light and fresh without being too sharp. — 9 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

1989 vintage. WOTD! Funky, old grandparents nose for a spell, then blew off. Still a bit of the feminine (blueberries, raspberries, cocoa powder) characteristics evident. Better than the last bottle tasted (4.4.23 a 9.4) but not as good as another fairly recently (12.9.22 a 9.6). Still pretty damned delicious and still at the top of the bell curve for another half-decade or so. Hit. It. Now. Ain’t getting better. 5.5.23. — 3 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

This was in its prime, interesting nose with notes of dark fruits, berry, currant, leather, brambly, earth, animal, bell pepper & tobacco. — 5 years ago

Erik Reif

9.5

Fantastic nose, great balance of acidity and mouthfeel. — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Mmmm....better. 1999 was a meh vintage to most critics. I find it has evolved to better things with this much time in bottle.

The nose reveals, ruby and candied; blackberries, black cherries, black plum skin, black raspberries, raspberries, poached cherries & strawberries. Touch cooked green bell pepper, mixed berry licorice, anise to black licorice, used leather, saddle-wood to cedar, dark, moist, black earth, limestone, stones, graphite, vanilla, cinnamon stick, clove, nutmeg and dark spice, coffee, dark chocolate with fresh & withering, dark, red, blue and purple flowers.

The body is just full. The tannins are soft, round, chewy and tarry. The structure, tension, length and balance are pretty good for 99. ruby and candied; blackberries, black cherries, black plum skin, black raspberries, raspberries, poached cherries & strawberries. more cooked green bell pepper on the palate, mixed berry licorice, anise to black licorice, used leather, saddle-wood to cedar, dark, moist, black earth, limestone, stones, graphite, vanilla, cinnamon stick, clove, nutmeg and dark spice, coffee, dark chocolate with fresh & withering, dark, red, blue and purple flowers. The acidy is nice. The finish is elegant, well balanced but, not as rich as other good vintages Palmer. It is spicy and persists minutes on the palate.

Photos of; Chateau Palmer, their barrel room, a photo of their vineyard soil structure-if you didn’t know where all that earthiness comes from, a picture is worth a thousand words and their tasting room. — 7 years ago

Patrick

9.0

Nice bottle. Rounded out fruit and tannins, great pairing with Italian. — 7 years ago