Frank Fahs

9.1

Really liked this. simple jammy easy. — 5 months ago

Ira Schwartz

9.1

Stopped off at a lifelong friends apartment. He likes wine but it does not go beyond that. Says to me after pulling several bottles ( including 2 Rockford BP) from the corner of a very warm room, “What should I do with these wines?” Trying to remain calm, I said , “I think you need to open one.”
Surprisingly, the cork was intact, but totally soaked to the top. What we encountered was a red/purple wine that looked like it was bottled a few years ago. The nose was big and full of dark fruit along with some oak but zero alcohol Taking a small taste I was absolutely taken back by the juiciness & deep plummy flavors swirling around my mouth. I noted very little secondary flavors but the level of acidity shocked me. Tannins were soft and the fish was modest. — 2 years ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.4

Great wine. Dark, inky and concentrated. Definately in the Modern Corner of the Brunello-ring. Wonderful tannines, lovely acidic core to keep it palatable, versatile and interesting.
To drink now and in the next 5 years. — 6 years ago

Ira Schwartz

10

Flashback 20+ years ago to the Wine Library in New Jersey. Walking with my 14-year-old niece she was drawn to a double magnum sitting in the corner of the cold room. She exclaimed, “ Uncle Ira , that is the biggest bottle of wine I have ever seen.” Excited by her enthusiasm I told her I would buy it and we would drink it at her wedding. That opportunity presented itself this weekend. I decided this was best consumed at the rehearsal dinner. As one would expect the bottle drew its share of oohs & aahs. The cork was pristine. I should have decanted as the bottle had a ton of sediment. On the nose; earth, hints of leather, and tobacco. In the mouth a textbook example of an aged California Bordeaux blend. Concentrated flavors of red and dark fruit, herbs, vanilla, and graphite flow into a stunning finish that still has a tannic structure. An elegant and seamless wine that has years of life remaining . I have been fortunate to taste wines that could bring you to tears. This bottle brought me to tears before a drop of wine touched my lips — 6 years ago

with Randy, Monica and 1 other

Jan de Weerd

9.8

The stage was set. Pontet Canet in the left corner, Leonetti reserve in the right corner. Leonetti came in strong, intense, rich, powerful with strong dry blue berry, dark cherry fruit and a well integrated tannins with hints of oak and tobacco. Broad on the pallet, all in. Who won? Almost too close to call. Such different style. Broad and bold verse intense and deep. Check the ratings! — 7 years ago

with Tammy

James Gerhart

9.1

Delicious mid priced Bordeaux. Second wine of Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Lucky enough to find this gem in my otherwise boring corner wine shop. Restrained but elegant dark fruit overlaid with the graphite and leather aromas I crave in an old world blend. Will certainly return for another bottle. — 7 years ago

Peter Sultan

9.1

Sure, it’s from Tuscany, but this is really an alpine wine, because it’s from the NW corner of Tuscany. Not often I taste a new varietal, but here it is from minuscule hectares. An hour or two decant + really lets it shine: small dark berries, currants, marble notes. 12.5% abv. My kind of wine. A 9.4 on the last glass with a moderately more voluptuous body & the small berry thing more of a thing. — 6 months ago

Jamie Lauder

9.0

2016 vintage…a warm, well balanced vintage in the Okanagan Valley.
Ruby red in the glass.
Dark red fruit…plums and raspberries with milk chocolate, tobacco and fine grained tannins, This wine spent 14 months in French oak.
Absolutely beautiful with grilled lamb on the BBQ.
— 5 years ago

Brenda Terzich-Garland

9.5

Bond 2001 Cab. The color shows little age —a bright dark red crimson. Nose floats with dark black and red berries, wet earth cedar and sweet honey spices; a minty menthol lingers filling the senses with utter satisfaction. OMG! a very sensual experience in the mouth —full body flavors coat every corner of the tongue with raspberry and blackberry flavors. A minerally, pencil lead, caramel mocha sweetness follows ending with a grippy tannin long finish. Can definitely age another 10-15 years. What can I say, WOW! — 6 years ago

with Karin and Jill

Bob McDonald

9.5

A complex nose of red and black berries (raspberry) with mocha, dark chocolate and coffee beans. Medium to full bodied rich earthy and berry flavours on the palate with soft yet persistent tannins. An amazing inner core strength even at 18 years which will go on for at least another decade. Richard Hemming MW had a drinking window of 2010 to 2042!! He could well be right. I have been collecting Penfolds Bin 389 for many years and the best practice is to buy at least a dozen, put it in a cool dark corner of your cellar for at least 15 years. I have 8 bottles of this 2002 left. This was a cool vintage with a long hang time for the grapes making it exceptional. 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Shiraz. — 6 years ago

M. Christopher Roebuck

9.3

Rich crimson with clear-pink-oranging rim. It's turning the corner. Deep muddled red fruits on the nose. On tasting, I find a nutty green light olive (I wish I could better describe this note as I get it a lot and it's a muddled thing with olives and a wood or nut). Over the 1.5 hour decant, this note has subsided a bit. Nice full bodied sphere in the mouth, with medium plus tannins that linger--with the nuttiness that is perhaps pecan. Enough sting and dryness to suggest that this bottle should be rested in the deep dark corners of your mind.

93+ points — 7 years ago

Tom Philbrick

9.3

Thick, strong blueberry flavors and a bit savory. Opening a bit after 5 hour decant. Seems like it has great potential. Will put in a dark corner of the cellar and check in again in 10 years. This is not even close to being ready. — 7 years ago

with Dario

Kurt Schuster

8.9

Drinking this dark fruit and tannin heavy wine at a bar open since 1864. Pairs well with the loma de bief and helps cut through any fat. Sitting on a street corner in San Telmo you can taste the history and see the ruby red rich beauty. — 8 years ago

Samuel Wong

9.0

Love this 10 years single malt Scotch Whisky from Jura. It has a smoky and fruity aroma, with a taste of dark chocolate, nectarines, ginger, and cracked pepper.

The finish is perfect because it has a rich and balanced with the flavour of sweet sherry cask.

Wonderful whisky to enjoy with families and friends at social settings. — 2 years ago

Adam Baker

9.5

Very smooth. Caramelized pear, plum, marzipan, dark chocolate - according to the bottle. I get all but the chocolate. Long finish. — 4 years ago

with Brud

Fredrik Finn

9.5

Holy sweet mother of Moses. The 2016 Royal City is a truly spectacular wine. Full speed on all cylinders with a broad and evolving complexity with new features found in every crook and corner. 
Dark concentrated, ripe but fresh fruit profile, cassis, blackberries, blueberries, plenty of lavender followed by meat, iron and a very integrated oak spice and a pronounced crushed stone minerility that gives further dimension to the nose. There is of course a bit of resistance on the palate with its pronounced tannins, but it manage to shake it with its intense concentration on the palate with an expansive mid palate and bottomless finish. Outstanding.
Please give me a napkin and a bloody steak, sorry vegetarians but you could always pair it with a bearnaise only, accompanied by a large spoon.
27 months French oak (65% new) — 6 years ago

AEL

9.0

Textbook wine from this corner of Burgundy. Outstanding nose, featuring earth, mushroom, dark fruit, and a peppery/brackish note. Satisfying on the palate. Good stuff. Bottle #2 (and #3) at Asta. — 6 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Smoky Peaty and spirity aromas Also Iodine and Briny notes showing its maritime location. A single malt matured in charred oak casks. There is some conjecture as to whether Talisker is classified as Island or Islay but suffice to say it is the only Distillery on the Isle of Skye. Had a tour of Talisker many years ago after going to the HQ of the MacDonald Clan on Skye. I bought this 1 Litre bottle at Gatwick Airport about 2 months ago before we headed up to Inverness and the Highlands. — 7 years ago

Pinotman /// Andreas

8.9

From the 3rd Corner in Encinitas. Dark fruit, green peppercorns hint of bacon on the nose. Quite dark. Low 13.2% for Napa. A beauty a little closed. Very nicely balanced plenty of acid. Dry farmed at 1500 feet. Dark cherries very 🥵 spicy. — 7 years ago

Benjamin Hall Jr

9.3

Found this in a dark corner of my cellar... I wondered if it could still be good. I was wrong... it was great. The color almost immediately turned a deep golden color moments after we decanted it... rather than waiting we wanted to see if it had become sherry... it was still robust and had softened beautifully! The fruit was barely present but the tonal notes of this well crafted wine were all still present... still good structure but tannins played out ... it shows distinctly how a well made wine from this region handled properly by a known negociant can thrive beautifully in aging glory! — 7 years ago