Sipping Fine Wine

9.8

Blend of Cab Sauv, Petit Verdot, & splash of Merlot; estate-owned vineyards Rutherford, Napa, St. Helena & Stag's Leap District. Just opened, 14 years in the bottle after couple of years in the barrel! Still tasting well, young & juicy, should easily last another decade, but nice now. Deep Ruby, dark fruits, spice, complex nose. Palate reflects juicy rich berry fruits, well structured harmonious wine. Fine soft rich tannins, long finish ending with fruit, tobacco and earthy tones. Wow! — 7 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

No formal notes . Quite deep ruby , garnet , thin garnet rim . This is quite open and aromatic , with a spicy , herbaceous cassis , truffle , tobacco , grafite hints , very classic and serious but also really attention grabbing . On the palate this is quite rounded and juicy for Las Cases , good mineral , grafite tinged cassis , quite fine but present tannins , balanced acidity with a tobacco tinged finished and pretty good length . Drinking well now but also can go a while yet, perhaps over the next 10 or so years . — a month ago

Conrad Green

9.3

From Mac. An intense, savory, grapey fresh palate with some floral notes, roses, violets, a salinity and iron/Ferris notes. Some dried herbs. Savory and complex and drinking well now. Medium bodied with decent life ahead. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Decanted prior to service; enjoyed over the course of several hours. This bottle of the 1982 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core and some rim variation; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears and signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with a mix of tart, ripe and dried, mostly black fruits: cassis, blackberries, tobacco, dried flowers, grilled Poblano, leather, dry gravelly earth, and fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. One of the earliest vintages of Opus One, this is showing really well at the moment. Drink now through 2042. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

1990 vintage. Previously tasted 3x in the last 4+ years 01.20.23 (9.6), 05.16.21 (9.4) and 09.21.23 (9.5) Top shoulder fill. Excellent cork. Decanted and tasted immediately. Oodles of sediment as expected. Beguiling St. Estèphe nose. This. Was. Phenomenal. Best of the four horsemen/tastings. Enough structure to build the infrastructure for a new city along with a surprising amount of dark fruit. A well-stored, large format bottle of this might just show you the best time you’ve ever had. WoW. 08.14.25. — 10 days ago

Her Mir Tage

9.0

First Time Trying "Calon Segur" 1995 – Tasting Notes

Background:
- Wine:Château Calon-Ségur 1995 (Third Growth, Saint-Estèphe)
- Blend:Bordeaux Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot)

Tasting Notes
Appearance
- Color:Ruby-red with a "pigeon blood" hue, still vibrant for its age.

Nose (Aroma)
- Initially:Tight and powerful upon opening, dominated by cedar, oak, and smoky notes, with subtle earthy undertones. Fruit and floral aromas were restrained.
- After 30 mins of decanting:Began to open up—blackcurrant, raspberry, and a savory, almost "natural wine" minerality emerged.
- After 1 hour:Evolved further with liquorice, dark chocolate, and a touch of tobacco.

Palate (Taste)
- Tannins: Softened nicely but still present (typical of aged Bordeaux).
- Acidity:Noticeably high, giving freshness but slightly dominant early on.
- Flavor Profile:Balanced but not overly complex—black fruits, earthy notes, and oak spices in harmony.

Structure & Finish
- Body:Medium-full, elegant but not heavy.
- Finish:Moderate length, ending with lingering cedar and dark fruit.

Impressions & Comparisons
- Balance:Very well-integrated—no single element overpowers (aroma, flavor, acidity all upper-medium tier).
- Lacking Distinction? In a blind tasting of Bordeaux, this might blend in—no standout "wow" factor(e.g., missing the rose petal florality sometimes associated with "Calon’s romantic charm"). — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.0

This was a well-stored example and the cork was in pretty great shape; extracted with the aid of a Durand. Opened about an hour before service and poured into a decanter. Enjoyed over the course of a couple hours. The 1981 pours a garnet color with a slight orange-ish rim; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with mostly desiccated notes of dark and red fruit: red currants, confected cherry, organic earth, mushroom, leather, eucalyptus, baking spice. Umami AF. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium acid. While showing its age, this is very much alive. The entire bottle was enjoyed by all. Drink now. — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Pretty deep ruby , thin ruby rim . This is quite closed at first , but very focused mineral and grafite , oyster shell notes with dark blackcurrant and blackberry notes , spicy touches too . On the palate this is really focused and reserved , lots of mineral tinged black fruits , tobacco , oyster shell . Quite rich yet very good balance, fresh acidity . Ripe but gritty tannins , saline and really long finish . Accessible now , but really destined for the long term. Wait another 5-10 years , will drink well a further 20 . At Vinous Icons, Pier 60 NY, Feb 2025 — 16 days ago

Inseon Hwang

9.4

Always drinks well. Robust without being overpowering. Dark purple, blackberries, graphite and pencil lead. Fine minerals. A little pepper. — a month ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

From 375ml.

A very good Rhone producer visited in 2015.

At pop & pour, the fruits almost had a mid berry bubble gum character. That toned down almost immediately. Fruits are ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, baked plums, raspberries, dark cherries, juicy strawberries, chocolate bar to fudge, grilled, smoked meats, black pepper, dark spice, nutmeg, clove, iron pan, black tea, a touch of rubber toy, slight tarriness, dry herbs, roasted chestnuts, tobacco leaf, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, hints of mint, dark, red flowers, violet’s, nice acidity with a well balanced-structured, stiffly tensioned with a lush finish that lasts 90 seconds and lands on earthiness & spice.

Plenty of life left in this 2012, even in 375ml. — a month ago