Pat A

9.0

Pretty good actually for a Chardonnay. Steph didn't like. Had at Victoria's wine Wednesday. — 9 days ago

A. R.

9.2

Big and pretty and opened about 10-15 years too early. Second day was a huge improvement from the relatively closed nose on day 1. Can feel a bit of the alcohol on the finish. Modern and very well made - especially great Cab Sav on the finish. — 3 months ago

JKT

9.1

At Fung’s dinner with brothers, Duck, meatballs, and noodles. This was firm yet rounded with diary notes minerals and dart fruits well balanced and good with the 8 Treasure Duck — 5 months ago

Vasanth Balakrishnan

9.1

After 10 years in the bottle, a decidedly savory second wine from this storied Second Growth château. Meaty, almost Northern Rhône character after uncorking. After a day in wine fridge the charcuterie notes ease a bit, blackberry, stewed cassis start to edge forward, classic #pauillac graphite and mineral notes that carry through on palate. Lovely tension on the palate and persistent fine tannins through the finish. — 6 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Léoville Poyferré 2014
Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A distinguished Deuxième Cru Classé (Second Growth) from Saint-Julien, Château Léoville Poyferré has been elevated under the stewardship of the Cuvelier family and Michel Rolland’s consultancy. The 2014 vintage is a classic Bordeaux blend comprised of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. This cooler year yielded wines with notable polish, freshness, and age-worthy structure.  

Aromas & Flavors
Expressive and refined, the bouquet opens with blackcurrant, cassis, and plum, framed by cedar, graphite, violets, and aromatic spice. The palate is layered with ripe red and dark fruits, along with hints of tobacco, pepper, and soft oak—a harmonious reflection of balanced ripeness and terroir depth.  

Mouthfeel
Medium to full-bodied, with smooth yet structured tannins and vivid acidity. The finish is long and mineral-tinged, echoing Saint-Julien’s limestone terroir while expressing both strength and grace.

Winemaking Notes
Vinified traditionally and aged in French oak barrels (predominantly new), the 2014 benefits from meticulous attention to extraction and maturation, resulting in elegant concentration and finesse.  

Food Pairing
Wonderful with roast lamb, herb-crusted beef, or rich mushroom dishes. Decanting for an hour enhances its layered complexity.

Verdict
A classic expression of Left Bank finesse and depth, Château Léoville Poyferré 2014 strikes an artful balance between fruit, structure, and refinement. Enjoy now with decanter or cellar it to explore its evolution over the next decade.Cheers! — 10 months ago

Jeffro Beaudeen

9.5

One of the best second wines I've ever had the pleasure of consuming . .,this with a delicious smoked duck breast with a crispy charred skin . . and four days ago my tasting group did an event where all wines were Bordeaux between 82 and 2000 vintage and all had to be 98 to 100 points (wine advocate or JEFF Levy's most recent scores) and two of those wines were the 89 and 90 Montrose, both of which we're drinking fabulously . . in fact beat out the Haut Brion and Ch. Margaux . . the only wine that I liked better than those two was the 1982 Mouton and have to say the 1989 La Conseillante was showing very well too . . Back to the Dame de Montrose . .,Spicy earthy good layers of complexity and good length everything paralleling the Grand Vin just the volume turned down a few clicks . . and it can now be had for around $200 versus the 800 for its big brother😆 — 5 years ago

Tegan Marriott

9.1

Eric Sussman of radio coteaux produced this. He knows the drill. — 6 years ago

Pat A

9.1

Basic Cab, good finish. Steph didn't like. Had at Victoria's wine Wednesday. — 9 days ago

Lyn Farmer

9.3

This is a very well made wine drinking at its peak right now. It still has lovely primary aromas and flavors of cassis, black cherry and cedar but is now showing more tertiary notes of dried violet, forest floor, leather, mushroom and tobacco. Good balance of fruity with acidity, velvety medium tannin and full body framed by 13.5%abv. Very satisfying with beef tenderloin. — 2 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Pretty nose of black plums, currants, oak, licorice, spices, chocolates, tobacco leaf, herbs, cola, light earth, black tea and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, spices, chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs, peppercorn and licorice.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a delicious 14 year old second wine from this Second Growth château. Fruit forward and elegant. Rich and expressive.

Although not from a great vintage, it is drinking beautifully now, and will continue to age nicely in the next few years. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years.

Nicely balanced with a soft mouthfeel. Complex and interesting. Good by itself or with food.

A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Aged for 14 months in (15% new) French Oak barrels.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$55. — 5 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.1

1989 vintage. Last tasted 3 years ago (9.6). Nice fill. Durand used to open. Cork 95% saturated with extensive bottle rim cleaning involved before pouring. Not decanted. Tight, minty nose throughout along with a decided, lingering zinc note under the tongue at the finish line. Tasted 2 hours after opening. Power but without delineation. Just a consistent, forgettable push. Nothing wrong with the wine...it just needed more air/time and a decant but it wasn't my call. Feel like the zinc flavor would have dissipated/blown off with more time. Good but more memorable for what it wasn't vs what it was. Pity and an entire wasting of what could have been. 11.21.25. — 7 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Quite deep ruby and , garnet terracotta rim. Quite spicy nose , slightly green touches , mix of red and dark fruit . On the palate fills out quite well , good acidity , slightly gritty tannins still with mineral , tobacco notes on the finish . Ok reasonable length . This comes across a bit greener than I remember it , so not sure how representative this bottle is , fine to drink now and over the next 10 years . 91

Second bottle medium deep ruby with garnet rim . Took a bit of time to open up , but very good definition , red and dark fruits, truffle , undergrowth, cigar box and grafite. On the palate quite charming sweet red fruits, red plum, cassis , dried spices, undergrowth , elegant for las cases , grafite and tobacco stained finish . Well balanced acidity and quite gritty but ripe tannin . This is lovely now with time in the decanter and over the next 10 -15 years . Completely different from first bottle . — 3 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Been awhile since I pulled out an Insigna.

The 03 Pichon Lalande is the better wine and steak pairing. However, Napa Cabernet is the choice to finish steak and enjoy on its own after. You never want to do Napa before Bordeaux IMHO. It’s much harder to adjust from sweeter to something more earthy.

Enjoyed the 05 as my score reflects. I don’t remember it being as sweet as it was in previous tastings. Still quite good. It just tipped my sweet scale a little too much.

The body is, rich, lush & round. It’s achieved good evolution after 13 years in bottle and will continue to improve over the next 6-8 years and last another 15 years. As I mentioned, the fruit was ripe & sweet. Blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, plums, hints of blueberries and strawberries haunting the backend. Rich, dark earth, Rutherford dusty tannins and dry soils, purple cola, touch of fresh tobacco & graphite, light baking spices of; cinnamon, dash of clove, nutmeg and vanillin, anise to black licorice, saddle-wood, used leather, dry stems, some dry, crushed rocks/limestone with red, dark, purple and blue florals. The acidity round and nicely executed. The finish was similar wire to wire. It’s, lush, rich, elegant, touch too sweet, polished, well balanced & knitted with a soft, persistent, dark spice on the long set. Very enjoyable second bottle.

Photos of; Joseph Phelps Winery & sloping estate vines, inside lounge are with views of the back side, tasting terrace and front lobby/salon area upon entering past check in. — 6 years ago

with Christina and James

Ray Vanderhoff

9.3

Another excellent vintage of “Second Label Sassacaia.” Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Merlot (40%). Aromas of black fruit, baking spices and cedar wood. Flavors of black cherries and currants, woody herbs, black licorice and those sweet baking spices. Long finish highlighted by beautiful freshness. Well softened tannins, bright acidity and a silky texture. Simply elegant and at its peak. Part of a June 2026 KZ Tasting. — a month ago

Tom Garland

9.4

1.5 hour decant(little fine sediment). A striking dark magenta color. On the nose: Inviting notes of dark berries, sandalwood, herbaceous, smoked meat, potting soil. Taste: silky, layered, balanced wine with dark plum/cherry, dried herbs, spice, and a cedar/mocha java lingering long finish. YUM!! — 4 months ago

with Brenda

Nophakhit Khositchaiphithak

9.5

My second time drinking this vintage. The first time I had a small sip and absolute love it. This time I decided to have the whole bottle. It was gorgeous. Herbal, dried fruits and elegant like grass jelly. — 5 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

La Sirène de Giscours – Margaux 2015
Margaux, Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷

Overview
Second label of the prestigious 3rd Growth Château Giscours, this cuvée shows how even secondary bottlings from classified estates can age with grace. The 2015 blend is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, delivering structure, elegance, and finesse in perfect harmony.

Aromas & Flavors
Vivid layers of ripe blackcurrant, raspberry, and plum glide alongside subtle cedar, tobacco, and floral spice. Delicate hints of earth and minerality frame the fruit beautifully.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with polished tannins, silky texture, and a seamless balance between freshness and maturity. The finish is long, refined, and quietly powerful.

Food Pairing
Versatile with roast lamb, duck breast, or aged Comté. It also complements charcuterie or hard cheeses in a more casual setting.

Verdict
An elegant Margaux that proves second labels are no afterthought. Still very much alive, refined, and balanced—an absolute pleasure to drink.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
This wine reinforces my belief that second labels can often surprise and delight. The finesse and silkiness here rival many first labels—proof that patience rewards and that Margaux elegance never fails. — 10 months ago

K. Ross

8.9

14.8% abv. Tasty. Dark thick fruits taste. Intense but pleasant. — 4 years ago

Jake Hajer

9.1

Watermelon. Watermelon. Watermelon. And a touch of haze. Dry, clay, cherry. — 5 years ago

JJG

8.9

Solid foundation perhaps opened too soon. Not overwhelmed nor surprised (solid but lacked the wow effect I’ve gotten on premier crus or second growths that are a third or half the price) — 6 years ago