Conrad Green

9.5

Soft lemon and lime with a slate minerality on the nose. Beautiful intensity and focus on the palate. Salinity and a touch of sweetness — 2 days ago

with Bex

Conrad Green

9.2

A touch dusty on the nose with gnarly dark fruit and some spices and wood notes. Soft on the palate and fully resolved. Pretty and lightly inky — 19 days ago

with Paul and Ara

Jay Kline

9.1

Poured into a decanter to remove sediment prior to service; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 1986 pours a garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of cassis, dried blackberries, green bell pepper, tobacco, dried purple flowers, earth and fine cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium (integrated) tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. A solid but somewhat demure showing, particularly in the midpalate. Drink now. — 17 days ago

Tom Garland

9.1

Double decant and pour(some fine/cloudy sediment).  A striking still dark magenta color with bricking.   On the nose:  subtle perfumed notes of dark fruit, pencil shavings, smoked meat, worn leather, tobacco leaf, eucalyptus.  Taste:  silky, balanced wine with some dried dark fruit, currants, earth, asian spice, dried herbs, and a graphite/dried cherry/coffee ground medium plus finish...lacks some depth and some still there sharp tannins gonna knock the score down.  — 16 days ago

Ming L

9.1

Aromas of strawberry, pomelo, watermelon, rose petal, sea breeze, and hint of thyme. The palate adds additional red berries, citrus, and faint earthy notes. Medium body that is nicely textured. Fresh yet round acidity. There is off-dry sensation on the otherwise slightly savory medium finish.

Lovely but pricy rose. — a month ago

GaryWEdwards

9.4

Perfumed and floral with a nice earthy blackberry thing going on. Slow bloomer drinking beautifully. Compares to ‘09 — a month ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.6

Slight younger looking , a little more ruby both in the core but still mostly garnet rim.
This is high toned slightly redder fruit , less dense than the preceding 3 . Cherry , red plum , cedar, seaspray . On the palate this is again quite elegant and refined , cherry , red plum some cassis , red plum , cigar box . Not overly weighty with perhaps a little less noticeable tannin than some of the others . Long vibrant , spicy grafite tinged finish . Very elegant , reserved and I suppose very Lafite , this grows during the experience but was actually voted in last place by the group , that somehow doesn’t surprise me, at the end of the day one wine did have to come last, and this was relatively discreet only showing its real breeding and class with time in the glass. Needs time , but is very promising , probably another 5-10 years (as with almost all the others ) , will last well a further 20 if not more . The elegance and style of this wine is fantastic , this really grows in the glass . Had to be Lafite for me . Bronze medal here . — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a two days. Better on Day 2. On the pop and pour, this bottle was backward and really seemed resistant to show much. I didn’t detect any real flaws or faults…just sort of, “meh”. On Day 2, it had opened considerably. The 2017 pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of tart and ripe blackberries, currants, mixed flowers, black tea, ferrous earth and a mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Drink now with patience and through 2042. — 5 days ago

Conrad Green

9.3

Soft and pretty. Plum and cherry and lighter notes. Medium bodied and bright on the palate — 19 days ago

with Paul and Ara

Jay Kline

9.2

From magnum. Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2012 pours a garnet color with a translucent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with punchy notes of Morello cherry, raspberry, pomegranate, orange rind, red flowers, and a mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and the texture is almost chewy. The 2012 is still an awesome value; really tasty stuff. Drink now through 2042. — 17 days ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.4

When I’m not drinking a Napa Cab, and I’m having a fillet mignon, I reach for a Jordon. Blend of 87% Cab Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot & 1% Malbec, aged 13 months in 100% French oak (35% new). Deep Ruby red color with aromas of red fruit, floral and an array of herb spices. On the palate flavors of blackberry and raspberry with oak, vanilla spice, leather and cacao notes. Rich fine tannins, well balanced and integrated with fruit and oak. Very Nice! Will age well. Just had this at a chophouse, Nice! — a month ago

Doug Powers

9.4

Another absolutely fabulous older CdP, I saw @Jay Kline’s excellent tasting note from a few years ago on the 1990 (thanks for the info, @Jay Kline!!), this is amazing, amazingly a little better than the 1989 Beaucastel, what a trio of 1988-1990 CdPs!!! — a month ago

with Jim

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

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Medium lemon straw , some fine lightly persistent perlage . Quite steely and minerally on the nose , some lemon pith , orange rind , white flowers , buttered brioche . Quite classic and lean in style. This has drive and persistence on the palate , electric acidity , with intense mineral , lemon rind , chalky depth . Still pretty young , taught , with good freshness and long length . With time drinking well but will improve over at least the next 5 years and last well a further 5 - 10 — 2 months ago

romo

9.2

Yes. Very correct and young. Error on the side of age-ing. - at AR Valentien — 8 days ago

Tom Garland

9.7

Double decant and pour(decent sediment).  A remarkable still murky dark garnet with bricking.  On the nose:  Intoxicating perfumed notes of dark fruit, worn leather, smoked meat, touch of barnyard, tobacco leaf, mushrooms, mint.  Taste:  silky, fresh, regal, powerful wine with sweet red fruit, meaty, dried herbs, tobacco, mineral, and a earthy orange rind lingering finish with a slight tannic kick.  Amazing!!! YUM! — 9 days ago

Conrad Green

9.7

This is all it’s meant to be. Great deep fruit. Some tar and tobacco and iron and gnarly pure fruit. So complex and involved. A punch of salinity and iodine on the finish. Great — 20 days ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

This 2006 was a tale of 1/2 of the bottle decanted in a wide decanter and the other 1/2 left in bottle. The bottom 1/2 bottle better than the 2 hour decant. The decanted part lost complete Bordeaux character, mid palate and depth. A shorter decant was in order, but that doesn’t mean this 06 is waning. It has another 7–10 yrs from bottle.

2006 was the vintage that followed the grand 2005 vintage, not an entirely fair growing seasons. Based on the 2005 vintage, the Bordelaise overpriced the 2006 vintage. The Bordelaise disappointed in the price they sold 2005’s looked to make up their perceived losses in 2006. Except, the quality wasn’t the same. Not even close.

The nose shows brambly, ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, dark cherries and lean raspberry edges. Dark, rich earth with dry leaves, dark chocolate bar, mid berry cola. steeped black tea, charcoal, graphite, soft, fresh tobacco, used leather,. softy layered baking spices, black licorice-tarriness, dry river stones, dry limestone powder/bits, dark, red florals with fresh, blooming violets & understated lavender.

The palate is ripe, juicy w/ medium, rounded tannins. Ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, dark cherries, strawberries and lean raspberry. Dark, rich earth with dry leaves, dark & slightly melted chocolate, mid berry cola. steeped black tea, charcoal, graphite, soft, fresh tobacco, used leather, softy layered baking spices-nutmeg, clove, cinnamon & vanillin, mid dark spices w/ some palate heat, black licorice-tarriness, dry herbs, dry river stones, dry limestone powder/bits, dry top soil, moist, grey, volcanic clay, dark, red florals with fresh, blooming violets & understated lavender, very nice acidity, nicely balanced, well structured/tensioned w/ an elegant finish that lasts a minute plus and lands on earth & spice with mid intensity palate heat.

92 decanted. 93 the bottom 1/2 of the bottle, not decanted. — a month ago

Stephen Fitzpatrick

9.1

2023 Vintage. A very pleasant and easy drinking Napa Cab up front. Decent aroma on the nose, vibrant notes of cherry and blackberry, delicately structured tannins, with a very smooth finish. Not chewy or viscous, but still a bold Cab flavor that resonates with the right amount of spice. Would gladly enjoy again. — a month ago

Adam

9.0

My review may not be beneficial to all because of my drinking style. I drink the bottle myself over the course of a week. With this Freakshow Cab Sauv, my review changed from the first to last glass. The first glass was strong, thin, and barely enjoyable. With subsequent glasses tasted a developing sweetness and thickness. I realize this is counter intuitive to wines normally being best when being allowed to breathe a bit after opening. Just wasn’t the case for me with this one. Rating was a 6.5 to start and a 9.5 at the end I’m grading with a curve to give it an overall 9. Will buy again based on Freakshow reputation and hope for a better early result. — 2 months ago