Christian Fischer

9.8

So what to post here. This has a 3x100 rating and I am always suspicious when I see it. 97 to 98 for me. The way this wine is integrated is stunning. Multiple layers of flavors and mellowed tannins with alcohol that is muted in the background. A spectacular rendition and no doubt one of the nicest vintages I have had. Glad we had it together with the other wines and champagnes tonight. — 7 months ago

with Fischer,

Matt Waring

9.2

Grassy Sancerre with pineapple notes and an incredible sense of weight (from the ABV no doubt) but still graceful. Just great — 3 years ago

Shay A

9.5

When I purchased this five years ago, it was without a doubt the nicest bottle of Bordeaux I owned. 2001 was a good vintage for certain producers, and with Haut Brion being my favorite first growth, I wanted to have one of these with some age to see how they evolve. I slow ox’ed for 1-2hrs, consumed from bottle over the next three hours, and saved the last quarter for the next day.

Amongst quite a few first growths (and a ‘94 and ‘04 Haut Brion) this held its own. Compared to HB, it doesn’t have that brooding power and deep fruit core as intensely, but it wasn’t too far behind. More red fruit/black cherry than the dominant black I normally get with HB. Potpourri, baked black cherries, and cherry pipe tobacco showed strong on both days. No reductive funk to blow off. Faint notes of mocha, scorched earth and peppered strip, but it meshes with the cassis and grippy herbal tannic finish. What I didn’t expect was how vibrant the acidity was on both days. A beautiful example of high quality Bordeaux, and one I wish I had more of. — 4 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.3

Brownish tawny color, a bit murky. High pitched nose. Notes of bing cherry, sweet menthol, moist dark soil and some green tea. Tannins fully resolved as the sweet fruit stands above the structure. Medium plus finish. Showing pretty well. Doubt it gets a whole lot better from here so likely in a good spot to and I’ll drink these up over the next 5 years. — 5 years ago

LM Segal

9.5

Sublime. Iron fist, velvet glove and all that. Beyond doubt that this cuvée rocks when Capo not made. Decant briefly and sip away slowly. — 6 years ago

Will Stanley

9.5

Arghh, wow. Staggeringly youthful. Hits you with a bright, orange zesty palate with fresh acidity and dusty tannin. Very smokey on the nose, with a hint of lavender by the second day. There’s a lot of dried red fruit. Long finish that - surely the sign of any great wine - seems to lengthen with every sip.

Rich, lively and no doubt at the early stage of a long life ahead. Completely different to the 2002 I tasted last, more so than merely the four years between them - if anything, this is somewhat less elegant and more robust. All in good time... — 6 years ago

Anthony De Blasi

8.9

Nice wine without a doubt but too much power, sun, too jammy. QPR not in balance — 7 years ago

David L

9.5

09’ Corra Cabernet.
100% Cabernet From Rutherford,Oakville, Pritchard Hill. Decant for at least an hour! Blowing off a bit of sediment.
Without a doubt one my favorite Napa 2009’s.
Color-Dark ruby red/purple.
Just quite expressive from the very fist sip. Dark black fruits, dark chocolate flavors. Violet, tobacco leaf, tar.
Medium body, with silky tannins & nice length. 10 years in it. I do love Celia Welch wines! — 8 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.5

From one of the absolute best sites in Chassagne, the ‘22 vintage and third vintage from Theo Dancer is expectedly superb, and the sunny and impeccably located La Romanée vineyard is profoundly textural, satiny and incisive with a particularly citrusy profile with freshly baked bread and chalky minerality. This is of course, still very young and is without a doubt built to age. — a year ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.4

The first couple times I tried 08 I was definitely too quick to judge. It needs a ton of air, and it’s different from the rich, oxidative, nutty house style of the past, particularly the warm and ultra forward 2006, the previous release. 2008 is indeed young, tightly wound with a pulsating core of energy.

The first glass offers very little. Subdued, austere and youthfully reserved. But ensuing pours eventually unleash its core of powerful clean orchard fruit, coffee bean and grilled nuts. On the palate it continues to become so much more textural with crazy gains in weight, depth and fruit intensity as the night goes on. It really fills the mouth, saturating the palate with a satin-like texture, ripping citrusy acids and saline laced minerals that follow deep into its finish. Enjoyable now with enough air (needs 2 hours), but no doubt one to hold. To live forever. — 3 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.8

Only pale to mid crimson in colour with a tawny edge at 26 years of age. Black and blue fruits with game and a coffee bean note. The medium bodied yet rich palate is savoury and earthy with blackberry and just so so silky with resolved tannins and low acid. Not sure that I agree totally with Bob Campbell MW’s description - “like getting into an old Jag on a hot day”, but I love the imagery and can see where he’s coming from. Jancis said “pure hedonism “ and gave it 19/20. The latest iteration of H of G (2017) is selling for around $950 a bottle in Brisbane. No doubt brilliant but too expensive for me. I remember paying $12.50 for the 1982 vintage on release. There is a certain H of G character that is recognisable over many vintages over the years. Must be one of the most unique Shiraz vineyards in the world with vines up to a 150 years old. A privilege to drink this wine and close to perfection with 98 points. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

Saturday lunch with friends. Aromas of white flowers and bath talcum powder. Amazingly youthful for a 9 year old Riesling - a long future ahead of at least another 10 to 15 years. Vibrant acidity will nurture this going forward. Considered by many to be Australia’s premium Riesling. A class act which will no doubt put on weight in the coming 10 years. Had another bottle 42 weeks later on 17th April 2022 with consistent notes. Very contained and youthful. Not a hint of kerosene. Leave the remaining 2? bottles for a couple of years at least. — 5 years ago

Will Stanley

9.5

Second time trying this and more time on this occasion to study it.

In short, this is an exceptional traditional style Rioja that has a long life ahead.

How it looks - deep ruby red but hints of brick orange at edge already.

How it sniffs - leaping out of the glass. This is an unmistakably traditional rioja with plenty of oxidative oaky aroma married with dried red fruit and savoury meat.

How it tastes - oddly, this tasted more youthful and vivacious on the second night, whereas on the first (with no decant) it seemed slightly more mellow and reserved. No doubt, this is more towards the traditional side of Rioja with ten years of age and not dissimilar in style to a Tondonia. I have more hope this time however for the longevity of the wine. This has acidity to last years. Tannins are fine grained and in some sense mellow, but there’s so much going on with the palate to make this well worthy of extended cellar time. It is racy, vivacious and exceptionally well put together with plenty of red fruit, dried meat, savoury and vanilla notes. The finish is long, dry and exemplary of a harmonious, perfect Rioja.

Will leave now for a few years! — 6 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.7

Pretty deep garnet core , showing a little age as expected , the rim is quite thin and with a light garnet hue. Impressive aromatic nose straight from opening , leather , grafite , creme de cassis, truffle. Very masculine and aristocratic! Still holding a lot back and developing in the glass. In the mouth , quite dry and grippy tannins , the fruit is sweeter , very long on the palate nicely balanced acidity . Blackcurrant , coffee , mineral , creme de cassis . A very big wine , drinkable now though will no doubt improve over many years . Barely changed a day later after a night in the vacuvin . More spicy tobacco and soy showing , still marvelous length, showing there is still so much to give. — 8 years ago

Vanessa

9.6

😍😍😍

This wine has a gorgeously golden hue. 👁️

On the nose 👃🏻 and palate 👄 are pronounced notes of ripe peach, nectarine, apricot, papaya, white blossom, mandarin pith, kumquat, gardenia, honeysuckle, wet slate, petrol, lanolin, honey, smoke, beeswax, saline, saffron, and flint.

This wine is dry with racy acidity, a textured and mouth-filling quality, and complexity for days. As this wine warms in the glass, we keep uncovering layers! The finish lingers. This wine hits the spot! 🎯

Yet we have no doubt it has runway to age gaining more dried fruit characteristics and added complexity.

— a year ago

with Deked1

Jay Kline

9.4

Something quite magical often happens to Rafanelli Zinfandel after 10+ years of bottle age. I can’t explain it…but these wines begin to take on a more rustic, Old World feel. It’s as if they shift into an overdrive. The fruit is still big, beautiful and pure (no-doubt a testament to their rigorous selection) and yet they can often display a new energy about them which give them remarkable longevity. This bottle is perfectly representative.

Opened to celebrate my daughter’s 14th birthday, the 2009 Rafanelli Zinfandel pours a deep, practically opaque garnet that becomes more turbid the further we delved into the bottle (in typical fashion, this Rafanelli full of sediment). Medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, bright cherry and bramble-like fruits, Asian spices, espresso and some black pepper. I do sense a touch of VA. On the palate, the wine is dry and with medium tannin and medium+ acid. The notes from the nose are confirmed…with a bit of added emphasis, it should be noted. There’s almost a Pop Rocks experience too…with the slightest effervescence pricking the tongue. And again, this is something that I would more expect from a non-interventionalist wine from Italy…certainly not from Sonoma. Hot take here…but this bottle reminded me of something from Paolo Bea (San Valentino) more than anything from Sonoma, let alone California. It’s just so wonderful. The finish is long and delivers minutes of pleasure.

As far as I’m concerned, nobody is making Zinfandel with the soul that Rafanelli does and the proof is in the bottle each and every time. Of course, they are delicious when young but with age, these wines become something else. Drink now with a decant (for sediment only) and through 2034. — 3 years ago

Kevin Burton

9.1

This is a neat, fruit Zinfandel. Dark colour and well worth a try. — 5 years ago

Michael Coscetta

9.1

No doubt my favorite appellation in Bordeaux. Excellent value at 38€ — 5 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

We opened this bottle late on Friday night and poured off a small glass to see what we were working with. As I suspected, far too young with loads of energy, rolls of baby fat and frankly, not very well behaved. So we pressed the cork back in the bottle and figured we would try our luck the next day when my parents stopped by for a socially distant glass of wine to “celebrate” Easter together. I’m so glad we waited. Twelve or so hours of slow-ox made a huge difference. While it was still very primary, it was much more enjoyable showing a strong core of dark berries, tobacco, leather, coffee and baking spices. But again, where Seavey really excels is texture and sense of place. To be expected for mountain fruit at this age, the tannins are firm but reasonable and there is such lovely acid that screams Howell Mountain. I have no doubt this will have a very bright future! In my mind, Caravina is probably the greatest “second” wine in Napa. This is Seavey’s 19th and latest vintage of Caravina. After an extended drought, 2017 began with torrential rain that flooded the valley. The fruit comes entirely from steep hillside blocks on the estate and is otherwise made in the same fashion as the Grand Vin. If you’re going to drink one now, I highly recommend a lengthy decant as these are easily 10 years away from their best. — 6 years ago

Dylan Pecchenino

9.5

If you want a wine with tannin that reels you in, this is it. Dark fruits with sharp spice and acid to back it up. Wood mellows and sweaters this wine but with out a doubt a show stopper. Howell mountain classic! — 8 years ago