Roberto Carli

9.3

Lots going on here as the nose unwinds but unfortunately in a tasting scenario it's hard to see it evolve. There's a surprising amount of red fruit and subtle florals that are fully enveloped in sandalwood and cigar box. The oak shows up prominently but elegantly, like smelling the inside of a very nice guitar. On the palate, acidity and red fruit dominate with plenty of freshness, signaling longevity and less velvety tannins than I expected. They still hit the side of the mouth. — 16 days ago

Ericsson

9.3

The pinnacle of Syrah.

It opens with smoked meat, dried black olive, leather, and stone.

The palate is graceful and savory, where fading dark fruit, iron, and earth glide on silken, fully melted tannins.

Legendary Hermitage! — 4 months ago

Eldon Sproule

10

So for those who don’t know, this wine is a collaboration between one of the most famous California winemakers and one of the most famous Bordeaux wine makers (the grapes are from Napa).

The young expression when I first had it 10 years ago was big bold ripe fruit, probably the quintessential Napa cab.

The aged expression had more secondary and tertiary characteristics, terroir, and represented Baron Rothschild in respects of crafting a wine that could grow and develop and express the care that goes into winemaking as opposed to simply growing good fruit.

The young version of it perfectly expresses Mondavi and Napa. The aged version captures the elegance of Bordeaux winemaking and Rothschild’s fingerprints. You cannot fully experience this wine unless you’ve had it young and old. Unbelievable experience tonight. — 9 months ago

Matt Perlman

9.4

Finished our tondonia mini-vertical with this gorgeous fully mature ‘02 — 3 years ago

Tom Garland

9.4

1 hour decant(decent chunky sediment). A striking medium purplish garnet color with bricking. On the nose: Inviting notes of dried red fruit, currants, pencil shavings, floral, stewed meat, milk chocolate. Taste: fully mature, savory, silky wine with dried plum, ground coffee, earth, minerals, tobacco, and a sour cherry/green bell pepper/graphite long finish. YUM!! Drink em if you got em. — 2 months ago

with Brenda

Vin d’Ottawa

9.2

I have FINALLY tried wine from the rare Humange Rouge grape, grown deep in the Swiss Alps, and it did not disappoint.

Black cherry and Cranberry to start before settling into a herbal and lightly mineral finish. The way it twists from one into the other is beautiful. — 7 months ago

with Gillian

Lolis Elie

9.1

Light. Hints of Riesling petroleum notes. — 3 years ago

Zach D

8.9

Pours a lemon yellow with slight effervescence which dissipated quickly. Aromas of tart lemon, salt spray, alpine wildflowers. Body on the lighter side of medium, tart citric fruit and saline finish. Somewhat simple, finish is medium. A nice wine, but could do better for the price. — 3 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.7

One of the legendary vintages for the Château, 1986 is drinking beautifully with a captivating and ultra complex bouquet and a seductive, detailed palate with killer concentration, Paulliac power and melting tannins. Stunning wine and fully on brand for dinner at The Eighty Six! — 3 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.3

The bottle of 2014 Pontet-Canet showed better than the previous one at the 10-Year-On tasting in London. This offers much more restraint on the nose. It's quite precise, with greater mineralité seeping through the black cherry and cassis fruit. The palate has a sorbet-fresh entry, fine tannins and a silky sheen. The oak is fully subsumed after a decade, plus there is a little more depth on the finish compared to previous showings. This is a fine example of the vintage, and bottles should drink well over the next 12 to 15 years. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the Pontet-Canet dinner in Washington DC. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 2 years ago