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Inventory updated: Fri, Jan 16, 2026 04:00 PM cst
2014 Dom. Trimbach Pinot Gris Reserve
Vintage: 2014
Region: Alsace
Color/Type: White
Size: 750 ML
Tasting Notes:
VM 90+ (2/2016): Straw-green. Intriguing aromas of lemon, green apple, pear and smoke are lifted by notes of lavender and cinnamon. Supple yet quite bright in the mouth, showing good acid cut to the juicy flavors of ripe pear, baked apple and sweet spices. Finishes very dry and pure, with noteworthy persistence and an impression of high acidity. I found this to be extremely lemony ("at 2 g/l residual sugar and roughly 7 g/l total acidity, this is the driest Pinot Gris I have ever made,” admitted Pierre Trimbach), but as the estate holds onto its wines for at least a couple of years prior to releasing them, it's likely this will have rounded out considerably by the time you get a chance to taste it. A resolutely dry, food-friendly, very promising Alsace Pinot Gris. (Drink between 2018-2026). Ian D'Agata.
WA 89 (6/2017): The 2014 Pinot Gris Réserve offers a clear and aromatic bouquet of ripe and intense white fruits along with some white champignon aromas. Bottled with 2.5 grams of residual sugar, this is a very piquant and intense Pinot that is great to have with food thanks to its salinity and grip. It may not be fully ripe, but it's pretty functional. There is almost no hint of suzuki here, at maximum a very tiny bit.
| Producer |
Vint. |
Wine |
Price |
Qty |
Order |
| | Alsace |
| Dom. Trimbach |
2014 |
Pinot Gris Reserve  |
$25 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 90+ (2/2016): Straw-green. Intriguing aromas of lemon, green apple, pear and smoke are lifted by notes of lavender and cinnamon. Supple yet quite bright in the mouth, showing good acid cut to the juicy flavors of ripe pear, baked apple and sweet spices. Finishes very dry and pure, with noteworthy persistence and an impression of high acidity. I found this to be extremely lemony ("at 2 g/l residual sugar and roughly 7 g/l total acidity, this is the driest Pinot Gris I have ever made,” admitted Pierre Trimbach), but as the estate holds onto its wines for at least a couple of years prior to releasing them, it's likely this will have rounded out considerably by the time you get a chance to taste it. A resolutely dry, food-friendly, very promising Alsace Pinot Gris. (Drink between 2018-2026). Ian D'Agata.
WA 89 (6/2017): The 2014 Pinot Gris Réserve offers a clear and aromatic bouquet of ripe and intense white fruits along with some white champignon aromas. Bottled with 2.5 grams of residual sugar, this is a very piquant and intense Pinot that is great to have with food thanks to its salinity and grip. It may not be fully ripe, but it's pretty functional. There is almost no hint of suzuki here, at maximum a very tiny bit. |
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|
1990 |
Riesling Clos Ste. Hune Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$1,100 |
1 |
|
| |
| WS 92 (9/1996): Expressive aromas and flavors of pine, mineral and peach give this well-integrated wine good depth and length. A fine example of traditional Alsace Riesling that shows finesse and sophistication. Drinkable now, but it will hold for years to come. 700 cases made. |
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2004 |
Riesling Clos Ste. Hune (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,834.99 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 95 (12/2006): Pale, bright yellow. Ripe pineapple, liquid stone and exotic honey on the nose, with a spicy lift that suggests an oak influence this wine does not possess. On entry, this is sweeter and creamier than the Frederic Emile, but it livens up quickly in the middle, showing powerful minerality and sharply delineated flavors of liquid stone, pineapple and citrus peel. Still, this conveys a distinctly glyceral impression that suggests more sweetness than its 5 grams of residual sugar, no doubt a function of the 20% or so botrytized berries (in contrast to the Frederic Emile, which included no botrytis). Communicates an impression of power with elegance, finishing minerally and long but not austere. Pierre Trimbach compared this wine to the estate's great 1990. This is already showing more Rosacker terroir than riesling character. About 9,000 bottles were made from 1.5 hectares of vines.
WA 94 (2/2008): The 2004 Riesling Clos Ste-Hune smells deliciously, mysteriously and complexly of grapefruit, blood orange, sassafras, mirabelle distillate, licorice, truffle, musk, lily, and chalk. Creamy and much richer on the palate than its Frederic Emile counterpart, it displays no less sheer density, stony minerality, or penetration. The finish here is truly palate staining, and as multi-faceted as the aromas. It would probably be a shame to uncork a bottle (especially given the aftermarket prices I have been seeing on these wines!) for at least a couple of more years after it is released in 2009. |
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2006 |
Riesling Clos Ste. Hune (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$861.98 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 93 (4/2010): Fresh lime, yellow plum, musk, and intimations of chalk dust in the nose of Trimbach’s 2006 Riesling Clos Ste-Hune usher in a strikingly fresh, firm palate possessed of meat stock and game-like animal undertones. This bottling of barely over 12.5% in alcohol is much more tightly-stitched than the corresponding Frederic Emile, and finishes with penetrating, bright length, combined with overtly crushed stone minerality. No Alsace 2006 of my experience can top this for focus, clarity, or long-term (I would estimate 12-15 years’) aging potential, although the Frederic Emile is in its very different way more striking, as well as more fun to drink now.
WS 93 (10/2011): Bright and focused, with bracing acidity and a strong undercurrent of saline minerality. Flavors of quince, green pear, lemon verbena and dried apricot wrap around the minerally core, but it takes hold again on the finish with lots of lingering notes of white pepper, fleur de sel and hot stone. This purrs like a finely tuned Ferrari, combining both power and finesse. Drink now through 2030. 700 cases made.
VM 91 (12/2008): Good bright, pale yellow. Sexy aromas of pineapple, mint and crushed stone; seems purer than the Frederic Emile. Then more pristine in the mouth as well, with little sign of botrytis to the citrus, stone and mineral flavors. Fatter than the Fred. Finishes broad, juicy and quite dry, with light resiny and fusel hints. A lovely 2006 riesling. |
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2008 |
Riesling Clos Ste. Hune (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$995.99 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 95 (2/2016): Pale yellow-green. Vibrant aromas of mirabelle, lemon, crushed stone and fresh herbs, with a nuance of Chablis-like oyster shell. Densely packed and youthfully closed, even austere, but hints at lovely high notes of jasmine, lemon verbena and lichee. Wonderfully stylish and intense in the mouth, closing long and precise, with orange zest, mineral and spice notes. This will evolve gracefully for a long time. Ian D'Agata.
JS 95 (9/2015): Aromas of sliced apple, pear, lime rind and camembert. Full-bodied, dense and layered with so much ripe fruit and power. Then acidity takes off. Wow. Coming out next year.
WA 93 (5/2011): The combination of smoky pungency and citric brightness of Trimbach’s 2008 Riesling Clos Ste-Hune is almost eye-wateringly intense – and that’s just on inhaling! In the mouth, the dynamic interplay of energetic, efficacious citrus and white currant with chalk, salt, crushed stone, and apricot kernel will keep you stimulated and intrigued long after the flavors have faded, and that is already a long time. This buoyant, handsomely austere Ste-Hune will not require recharging over the next couple of decades, and in time should put on a truly spectacular display. |
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2011 |
Riesling Clos Ste. Hune (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$901.99 |
2 |
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| |
| VM 93 (11/2012): Deeper pale green than the Frederic Emile. Very spicy aromas of green apple, chlorophyll and thyme. Enters with lime and green apple notes, then turns riper and richer in the middle, showing more exotic banana and passion fruit qualities with air. Finishes very fleshy, saline and long. This is bigger but not obviously better than the 2011 Frederic Emile and struck me as a rather salty, chunky version of CSH. Ian d'Agata. |
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2015 |
Riesling Clos Ste. Hune (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$727.97 |
3 |
|
| |
| VM 97+ (3/2017): Bright golden-tinged straw-yellow. Enticing nose of yellow apple, mirabelle, crystallized ginger and white flowers, complicated by lemony minerality. Dense, fresh and juicy, displaying outstanding sugar-acid balance and an opulent mouthfeel that is nicely lifted by penetrating notes of mirabelle, lime, wet stones, lemon peel and almond. While this enters sweet, it finishes very clean and dry. Boasts one of the most fragrant, prettiest and most forward noses I recall in a young CSH. Ian d'Agata. |
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2015 |
Riesling Clos Ste. Hune (3x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,303.99 |
1 |
|
| |
| VM 97+ (3/2017): Bright golden-tinged straw-yellow. Enticing nose of yellow apple, mirabelle, crystallized ginger and white flowers, complicated by lemony minerality. Dense, fresh and juicy, displaying outstanding sugar-acid balance and an opulent mouthfeel that is nicely lifted by penetrating notes of mirabelle, lime, wet stones, lemon peel and almond. While this enters sweet, it finishes very clean and dry. Boasts one of the most fragrant, prettiest and most forward noses I recall in a young CSH. Ian d'Agata. |
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2018 |
Riesling Clos Ste. Hune (1.5 L)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$628.99 |
3 |
|
| |
| WA 93+ (3/2024): The bright-colored 2018 Clos Ste Hune Riesling shows an intense and very concentrated bouquet of ripe fruits and crushed stones. Muschelkalk limestone dominates the palate, which reveals a powerful, dense and still quite bitter Riesling whose compact phenols still cage this dormant Riesling on a stony and saline bed. The finish, however is very potent and long. A bigger glass and more time probably would have helped the wine significantly, because I believe it's greater than this score is suggesting. 13.3% stated alcohol plus four grams per liter of residual sugar. Tasted at the domaine in May 2022. |
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2016 |
Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$579.99 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 97+ (4/2018): Luminous straw-yellow. Complex, mint-accented aromas of nectarine, tangerine and powdered stone, plus a hint of licorice. Then bright, juicy and dense, showing outstanding acid-sugar balance and a penetrating juiciness to the stone fruit and herbal flavors. Finishes multilayered and very long, displaying noteworthy clarity and limy cut on the saline finish. Wine lovers everywhere know just how great Frédéric Emile Rieslings can be, but this looks to be a real knockout in the making; I absolutely love this wine’s mineral drive and precision. It pulls off the neat trick of being both very ageworthy and also lovely to drink right now. I was happy to know that my palate was still working after an extremely long day of tasting when I told Pierre that in this vintage of Frédéric Emile I found more of the Geisberg than the Osterberg (in most vintages, the wine is a blend of 60/40 Osterberg-Geisberg, at times even 70/30, but this year it’s more like 55/45). Ian d'Agata.
JS 96 (7/2019): The lemon-sherbet note here is really beautiful. Then comes a wealth of herbs, ranging from thyme to parsley, with a touch of sea salt, before turning to more floral nuances, such as cherries and almond blossom. The powerful acidity seems to surround the whole mouth and makes this almost like licking a lemon; the unmistakable dryness is all the more enjoyable because of it. Long and very elegant on the finish. Drink now. |
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2018 |
Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$502.98 |
2 |
|
| |
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| Producer |
Vint. |
Wine |
Price |
Qty |
Order |
| | Bordeaux Red |
| Ch. Cheval-Blanc |
2010 |
St. Emilion |
$999 |
5 |
|
| |
JD 100 (6/2019): Showing even better than a bottle a few years ago, the 2010 Chateau Cheval Blanc is perfection in a glass and wine doesn’t get any better. As with the 2009, it’s a powerful, concentrated Cheval Blanc, yet it has a slightly dark, cooler profile in its smoky black fruits, graphite, new leather, crushed rocks and cured meat aromas and flavors. Where the 2009 hits the palate with a sunny, sexy style, this stays more inward and masculine, yet it still has incredible sweetness of fruit, flawless integration of its fruit, tannins, and acidity, a great mid-palate, and a finish that goes on for over a minute. It opens up with time in the glass and offers incredible pleasure today, with an exotic masculine yet sexy style, but feel free to enjoy this legendary wine any time over the coming 3-4 decades.
WA 100 (3/2020): Deep garnet in color and made of 54% Cabernet Franc and 46% Merlot, the nose of the 2010 Cheval Blanc is a bit subdued to begin, measuredly opening out to reveal achingly provocative notions of molten chocolate, preserved Morello cherries, baked blackberries, boysenberries and blueberry compote with wafts of underbrush, cigar box, cumin seed and sandalwood. Full-bodied, the palate is a full-on atomic bomb waiting to go off, with very tightly coiled, slowly maturing black fruits eking out glimpses of a vast array of nuances. Still very youthful, it finishes with an incredibly persistent, jaw-dropping display of earth and mineral fireworks. I’d leave this one for another 5 years and drink it over the next 50.
JS 100 (11/2013): The aromas here are crazy with flowers, mushroom, forest floor, and fruit. It seems like I am walking through a row of the vines in Cheval Blanc when I have my nose in the glass. It's full-bodied, with fabulous layers of ultra-fine tannins and milk chocolate, raspberries, and a phenomenal finish. Truly one of the greatest Chevals ever. Better than 2009. Try in 2020.
WS 98 (3/2013): This is stone-cold shut down right now, but why worry? You'll want to wait at least a decade before breaching a bottle as massively endowed as this, with loads of loamy bass notes thumping along underneath a riveting track of licorice snap, pastis-steeped black currant fruit, maduro tobacco and espresso. And then there's an echo of petrichor at the very end that hints at the aromatic fireworks to come with cellaring. Should compete for wine of the vintage. Best from 2020 through 2040.
VM 95+ (7/2013): Good bright, deep red. Captivating scents of cassis, violet, minerals, bitter chocolate and wild herbs. Extremely fine-grained but also very dense and chewy for young Cheval Blanc, showing great cabernet franc lift and perfume and a downright velvety texture. This deep, multilayered wine was a bit dominated by its brooding tannins and big structure when first poured, but I found my score going steadily higher as the wine benefited from air. My rating may look too conservative a decade from now--or three or four decades hence. Stephen Tanzer. |
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| Ch. L' Eglise Clinet |
2022 |
Pomerol 2023 en Primeur Release |
$349.95 |
9 |
|
| |
JD 96-98+ (5/2023): Straight-up gorgeous, I'd put the 2022 Château L'Eglise-Clinet up with the top tier Pomerol in the vintage, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it surpass the 2020 as well. Ripe black cherries, violets, spring flowers, graphite, and tobacco all emerge on the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a layered, elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. Compared to the 2005 by owner Noëmie Durantou (who has done an incredible job taking over the estate after the loss of her father), this rich, concentrated, incredibly impressive Pomerol is going to need 7-8 years of bottle age but will evolve for 30 years in cold cellars.
VM 98-100 (5/2023): The 2022 L'Eglise-Clinet was picked from 3 to 9 September for the Merlot and the Cabernet Franc on 5 and 9 September, matured in 85% new oak. It has an exquisitely-defined bouquet with succinct floral, pressed iris and clay notes percolating through the black fruit. With breathtaking focus, these scents seem to cast a spell over you. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins that frame the mineral-laden, peppery black fruit. There's not a hair out of place, exuding the essence of this Pomerol estate with an exceptionally long, intense and paradoxically tender finish. It's a wine that may leave you spellbound...just like this barrel sample. Neal Martin. |
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| Ch. La Mission Haut Brion |
2019 |
Pessac Leognan ex-Negociant |
$289 |
4 |
|
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| JS 99-100 (6/2020): A tight and structured La Mission that takes you deep into the glass with super intensity and power. The tannins are omnipresent and envelop the palate. It’s full-bodied yet agile and complete. Iodine, sweet-tobacco and blackberry character. It seems never to finish. Another WOW wine that reminds me of some of the great classics of this estate, such as the 1955. |
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| Ch. Lafite Rothschild |
2000 |
Pauillac Very Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$1,100 |
1 |
|
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WS 100 (3/2003): Subtle aromas of currants, leather, tobacco and cedar. Classic cigar box nose, with fruit. Full-bodied, with an amazing texture of silky, ripe tannins. This wine completely coats your palate, but caresses it at the same time. This is the best young Lafite ever made. A triumph. Best after 2012. 18,000 cases made.
WA 98+ (6/2010): Since I gave this wine a perfect score, I suppose some could see this as a downgrade. I found everything still there for a perfect rating, but I was just struck by how tight and backward the wine was. A blend of 93.3% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot, the wine still has a dark ruby/purple color and an extraordinarily youthful nose of graphite, black currants, sweet, unsmoked cigar tobacco, and flowers. The wine is rich, medium to full-bodied, but has that ethereal elegance and purity that is always Lafite. I originally predicted that it would first reach maturity in 2011, but I would push that back by 5-7 years now, although it has 50-60 years of life in front of it. Owners of this beauty are probably best advised to forget it for 5 years. Tasted next to a 1996 several days after the 2000 tasting, the 1996, which is a perfect wine, was far closer to full maturity than the 2000.
VM 96 (6/2003): Full medium ruby. Flamboyantly perfumed aromas of cassis, graphite and tobacco, lifted by a floral nuance and stony minerality. Very young and precise but not austere or forbidding. A remarkably rich, silky, seamless Lafite with superb vibrancy for the vintage. Tannins are noble and the aristocratic finishing flavors go on and on. I tasted this from a 375 ml. bottle, but from all reports this wine is equally approachable right now from a standard bottle. Has more sheer density than the beautiful 2001 and may well soon shut down in the bottle. |
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| Ch. Latour |
2003 |
Pauillac Ex-Chateau 2025 |
$949 |
4 |
|
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WA 100 (4/2006): There are only 10,800 cases (rather than the normal 15,000-20,000) of the 2003 Latour, a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and 1% Petit Verdot (13.3% finished alcohol). A prodigious effort, it boasts a saturated purple color as well as a gorgeous perfume of smoke, cedar, creme de cassis, flowers, crushed rocks, and blackberries. Massive and multi-layered, with huge richness and low acidity, it is about as unctuous as a young Latour can be. It could be compared to the 1982, but it may be even more pure, at least at this early stage, than that monumental wine. The level of intensity builds prodigiously in the mouth, and the finish lasts nearly a minute. Disarmingly accessible (although analytically the tannin level is high), I suspect it will ultimately shut down, but it was performing impeccably when I tasted it. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2040+.
WS 98 (3/2006): Intense aromas of blackberry, licorice, currant and mineral. Full-bodied, with very well-integrated tannins and a long, long finish. Very refined and beautiful. Goes on for minutes. This reminds me of the fabulous 1996. But even better. Best after 2012. 10,000 cases made.
VM 97 (6/2006): Red-ruby. Explosive aromas of plum liqueur, currant, minerals and lead pencil. Huge, lush, sweet and utterly seamless; this has the palate-caressing texture of liquid velvet. About as deep as this extreme vintage gets. Finishes with noble, compellingly sweet tannins and great length. This is amazing wine, and only its exotic character prevented me from giving it an even higher score. Interestingly, the IPT here is 65, compared to 67 for the 2005. But this voluminous and powerful wine will be more fun to drink than the 2005 for many years simply due to its sensual appeal, even if the 2005 should ultimately surpass it in verve, minerality and overall aromatic complexity. (Incidentally, Latour's third wine, simply called Pauillac, is extremely good in both 2005 and 2003-the former vintage showing terrific energy and loads of early personality, and the latter fat, round and exotic, with what Engerer described as a "Napa nose.") |
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| Ch. Les Carmes Haut Brion |
2020 |
Pessac Leognan |
$148.99 |
8 |
|
| |
VM 100 (2/2023): The 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion is a total stunner. For the first time I can remember, Les Carmes Haut-Brion marries all of its elements so well that nothing stands out. In the past, the high percentage of Franc and/or the whole clusters were evident. The 2020 is the first modern vintage in which all the elements are so well balanced. Dark red/purplish fruit, rose petal, mint, lavender, dried herbs and incense all build in a ravishing Pessac-Léognan that will take your breath away. Antonio Galloni.
JS 97-98 (4/2021): Exotic fruit aromas of blackberry, blueberry, peach and orange peel. It’s full-bodied with a vertical flow of layered, chewy tannins that are integrated and intense. Extremely polished and focused. Crushed stone to the fruit in the aftertaste. Some bark and forest flowers, too. Great potential.
JD 96-98 (5/2021): On another level, the flagship 2020 Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion is one heck of a dense, backward, concentrated wine that’s going to require bottle age. Coming in with the same technical analysis (acidity and alcohol) as the 2018, this full-bodied beauty offers a thrilling nose of blackcurrants, smoked tobacco, charcoal, and gravelly earth. Full-bodied on the palate, with a terrific mid-palate and wonderful purity, it holds things close to its vest yet has flawless balance, impeccable purity, and just a great, lengthy finish. Nevertheless, this is one big bruiser of a wine that’s going to demand bottle age. Do your best to hide bottles for 7-8 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following three to four decades.
WA 95-97+ (5/2021): Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 Les Carmes Haut-Brion issues forth a beguiling array of savory scents—black olives, charcuterie, bouquet garni and Sichuan pepper—over a core of bright redcurrant jelly, black cherries and cassis scents, plus fragrant hints of rose petals and preserved mandarin peel. The medium-bodied palate is refreshing and elegantly styled yet with a rock-solid backbone of firm, finely grained tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and perfumed. This is a stunning expression of the vintage that should be long lived and age with fantastic grace. |
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| Ch. Mouton-Rothschild |
2022 |
Pauillac |
$679 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 98-100 (5/2023): Moving to the flagship, the 2022 Château Mouton Rothschild is a massive, full-bodied, incredibly powerful 2022 that takes no prisoners with its ripe black and blue fruits, chocolate, graphite, and smoked tobacco-driven aromas and flavors. Deep, unctuous, and concentrated, with velvety tannins, this legendary Mouton is based on 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that's still resting in new barrel. It will unquestionably play with the top wines in the vintage. Harvest here began the 1st of September and finished on the 26th, and the final wine hit 14% natural alcohol, with a pH of 3.89 and an IPT of 76.
VM 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Mouton Rothschild is a powerhouse. Inky, deep and explosive, the 2022 is a real head-turner. The combination of intense dark fruit, strong gravelly/mineral notes and imposing structure clearly bring to mind another great Mouton, and that is the 1986. In a word: magnificent. The blend is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot Antonio Galloni.
WA 96-99 (5/2023): A brilliant wine that likely sits somewhere between the 2019 and 2020 in quality, the 2022 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot. Unwinding in the glass with complex aromas of minty cassis, cigar wrapper, violets and subtle hints of loamy soil, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered core of fruit and a fleshy, elegantly muscular profile. Broad-shouldered and seamless, it concludes with a long, resonant finish. This year the grand vin represents some 49% of the estate's production. |
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|
2022 |
Pauillac (6.0 L) 2023 en Primeur Release |
$7,195 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 98-100 (5/2023): Moving to the flagship, the 2022 Château Mouton Rothschild is a massive, full-bodied, incredibly powerful 2022 that takes no prisoners with its ripe black and blue fruits, chocolate, graphite, and smoked tobacco-driven aromas and flavors. Deep, unctuous, and concentrated, with velvety tannins, this legendary Mouton is based on 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that's still resting in new barrel. It will unquestionably play with the top wines in the vintage. Harvest here began the 1st of September and finished on the 26th, and the final wine hit 14% natural alcohol, with a pH of 3.89 and an IPT of 76.
VM 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Mouton Rothschild is a powerhouse. Inky, deep and explosive, the 2022 is a real head-turner. The combination of intense dark fruit, strong gravelly/mineral notes and imposing structure clearly bring to mind another great Mouton, and that is the 1986. In a word: magnificent. The blend is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot Antonio Galloni.
WA 96-99 (5/2023): A brilliant wine that likely sits somewhere between the 2019 and 2020 in quality, the 2022 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot. Unwinding in the glass with complex aromas of minty cassis, cigar wrapper, violets and subtle hints of loamy soil, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered core of fruit and a fleshy, elegantly muscular profile. Broad-shouldered and seamless, it concludes with a long, resonant finish. This year the grand vin represents some 49% of the estate's production. |
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|
2022 |
Pauillac (1.5 L) 2023 en Primeur Release |
$1,425 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 98-100 (5/2023): Moving to the flagship, the 2022 Château Mouton Rothschild is a massive, full-bodied, incredibly powerful 2022 that takes no prisoners with its ripe black and blue fruits, chocolate, graphite, and smoked tobacco-driven aromas and flavors. Deep, unctuous, and concentrated, with velvety tannins, this legendary Mouton is based on 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot that's still resting in new barrel. It will unquestionably play with the top wines in the vintage. Harvest here began the 1st of September and finished on the 26th, and the final wine hit 14% natural alcohol, with a pH of 3.89 and an IPT of 76.
VM 96-98 (5/2023): The 2022 Mouton Rothschild is a powerhouse. Inky, deep and explosive, the 2022 is a real head-turner. The combination of intense dark fruit, strong gravelly/mineral notes and imposing structure clearly bring to mind another great Mouton, and that is the 1986. In a word: magnificent. The blend is 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot Antonio Galloni.
WA 96-99 (5/2023): A brilliant wine that likely sits somewhere between the 2019 and 2020 in quality, the 2022 Mouton Rothschild is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Merlot. Unwinding in the glass with complex aromas of minty cassis, cigar wrapper, violets and subtle hints of loamy soil, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a layered core of fruit and a fleshy, elegantly muscular profile. Broad-shouldered and seamless, it concludes with a long, resonant finish. This year the grand vin represents some 49% of the estate's production. |
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| Ch. Pavie |
2010 |
St. Emilion |
$419 |
3 |
|
| |
WA 100 (3/2020): Deep garnet in color, the 2010 Pavie delivers tantalizing suggestions of candied violets, star anise and tapenade over a core of prunes, blueberry compote, Morello cherries and fruitcake with touches of underbrush and bouquet garni. Full-bodied, rich and exotically opulent, the palate has a rock-solid texture of velvety tannins and bold freshness supporting the generous palate of black and blue berry preserves, finishing long and fragrant.
JD 100 (11/2019): The 2010 Château Pavie is straight-up magical, and while it matches the 2000, 2005, 2009, and 2015, it has a style all its own. (It’s probably most similar to the 2005, yet even more tannic and backward.) Checking in as blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon from tiny yields of 26 hectoliters per hectare, it’s still ruby/plum-colored and has a powerful, inward bouquet of blackcurrants, smoked earth, graphite, chocolate, and white truffle. Deep, powerful, and massive on the palate, yet also incredibly delineated and focused, it’s shed just a touch of the baby fat it had in its youth and still needs another 4-5 years to hit prime time. Given its depth of fruit, flawless balance, and both purity and freshness, it’s going to be a 75- to 100-year wine.
JS 99 (3/2018): This is really exceptional with such freshness, firmness and focus. Full body, incredibly tight tannins and a lengthy finish. Such power and elegance at the same time. The beginning of a new era of Pavie.
VM 96 (4/2020): The 2010 Pavie has a very generous bouquet with intense red cherries, cassis, orange essence and even a hint of dried honey. This is exuberant and very intense. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins, wonderful detail and precision. The energy in this Pomerol is palpable and it fans out gloriously towards the finish. This represents one of the best examples of the 2010 Pavie that I have tasted. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal. Neal Martin. |
|
| Ch. Petrus |
1990 |
Pomerol Slightly Depressed Cork |
$4,300 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (6/2009): The 1990 Petrus remains incredibly young, one of the least evolved wines of the vintage (along with Montrose and Beausejour-Duffau). This dense ruby/purple-colored effort is beginning to hint at the massive richness and full-bodied intensity lurking beneath its wall of tannin. The vintage’s sweetness, low acidity, and velvety tannins are present in abundance, and the wine is massive in the mouth as well as incredibly pure and well-delineated. I thought it would be drinkable by now, but it appears another 5-10 years will pass before it begins to reach its plateau of maturity. This wine is capable of lasting at least four more decades. An incredible achievement!
JS 100 (6/2016): This is a legend and lives up to it. Dense and opulent with layers of ripe, powerful, pure and rich fruit across the board. I have been lucky enough to drink this a number of times and it doesn't change.
NM 98 (10/2011): Tasted at Hof van Cleve in Belgium. The 1990 has one of those bouquets where a choir of angels seem to sing from heaven when you take you first sniff. It is utterly compelling, with crystalline dark fruits, truffle and even an outrageous hint of melted marshmallows. The palate possesses brilliant tension, quite edgy for a 1990 with ebullient dark fruits, Vervain tea, a touch of dark plum and something sweet like fresh fig. There is an effortless quality to the 1990 that is completely entrancing, and of course, a length that is longer than Southend Pier (the longest in the world.) Brilliant.
WS 98 (10/2004): That hasn't changed. A classy wine that's almost as great as the awesome '89. Expressive and sophisticated, with wonderful ripe fruit and vanilla aromas. The palate is extremely silky with superb flavor concentration. It's very muscular but refined and toned. Still too young to open.--Petrus non-blind vertical. Best after 2007. 3,700 cases made.
VM 97 (11/1993): Black-ruby to the rim. Remarkably vibrant red and black fruit, mineral, and licorice nose has an almost Chambolle-like framboise tang to it. Massive on the palate; tremendous extract. As dense as this is now, it already shows remarkable clarity and depth of flavor. Powerful structure and length, with extraordinary subtlety of flavor. Based on the bottle sampled, this is an early candidate for wine of the vintage.
MB [*[***]?] (6/2000): First tasted from cask in June 1991. Dense, full of fruit and flesh. Less tannic than the '89. Twelve months later, a week before bottling, a potential 5 stars. Next tasted blind, at the frequently mentioned Eigensatz tasting of 144 of the world's top '90s. It was in good company, including La Tache, Pavillon Ermitage, Latour, La Turque (eastily top of the 'flight') and so forth. It had nothing to be ashamed of. Coincidentally it was again set against La Turque in a Rodenstock 'flight' (also blind) of '90s in 1996. Only half a point separated them, the Petrus tough and tannic. The following year at the Union des Grands Crus dinner, before Christie's best-ever one-owner sale: deep and velvety; full of fruit and flesh. Very impressive, very tannic. Most recently, the last of Eddie Penning-Rowsell's '10-year' first growth tasting of the '90s: still very deep; thick, chunky, fleshy nose but one could smell the sweaty tannins; fairly sweet, full, rich, complete but with a dry, rather coarse finish. Well, I suppose it is gilt-edged and will soften with time. A matter of taste. Drink 2015-2025. |
|
| Ch. Pichon-Longueville Lalande |
1982 |
Pauillac Base Neck Fill; Signs of Old Seepage; Bin-Soiled Label |
$800 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (12/2022): Several years ago, I purchased a case of the 1982 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande from a frigid Alsatian cellar where it had lain undisturbed since release, and from these bottles, it continues to very much merit a three-digit score. One of the most flamboyant, sensual wines of the vintage, it offers up a sweet bouquet of blackcurrants and blackberries mingled with notions of orange rind, violets, licorice and pipe tobacco. Full-bodied, supple and enveloping, with melting tannins, ripe acids and a long, cedar-inflected finish, it continues to deliver magical drinking. Having drunk the 1982 six or seven times this year, however, I am forced to concede that bottles that show this level of vibrancy and flare aren't so easy to find, so now is a great time to start pulling corks in earnest. This may not prove to be the very longest-lived wine of the vintage, but its star certainly did burn bright!
NM 98 (11/2012): Tasted at Pebbles/Zachy’s 1982 dinner in Hong Kong. The Pichon-Lalande ’82 almost embarrasses the Pichon Baron ’82. It has a seamless nose of blackberry, cassis, graphite and cedar, again, with an almost sorbet-like freshness and vitality that you want to keep returning to repeatedly. The palate is beautifully defined with filigree tannins and so much freshness and poise, a citric theme from start to finish. There are notes of blackberry, cedar, graphite and a spray tan of glycerine. This is a Pauillac that challenges the First Growths and I would argue with the exception of Latour, is equal to them.
MB [*****] (4/2001): With and without food. Masses of notes - well, 20 to date, most over the past decade: prettily coloured, well-upholstered, delectable. Sweetness and fruit. Being an '82, dry finish. Last noted at the La Reserve tasting of '82's, Just tuck in.
WS 95 (11/1998): A voluptuous red. Very dark ruby-garnet. Aromas of currant, meat and berries. Full-bodied and velvety, with lovely ripe berry and earth and a long, ripe finish of caressing texture. This has always been a great wine. I marvel at it each time I taste it.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal. Drink now.
VM 95 (8/2002): Deep red-ruby color. Liqueur-like aromas of currant, cedar, lead pencil, truffle and smoked meat. Magically sweet and silky in the mouth, with superb depth of flavor and a complete absence of rough edges. A huge wine with utterly compelling sweetness and great terroir character. Powerful if somewhat unrestrained. Finishes ripely tannic, long and sweet. Many tasters still rank this among their two or three favorites of the vintage. Drink now to 2015. |
|
| | Bordeaux White |
| Ch. d' Yquem |
2015 |
Sauternes |
$400 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (4/2018): Following a very long harvest stretching nearly two months, the 2015 Château d'Yquem came in at 13.9% alcohol and 144 grams per liter of residual sugar, sporting a pH of 3.65 and six grams per liter of tartaric acid. None of these numbers, however, even remotely begin to tell you how profound this wine is. The nose opens with electric notes of ripe pineapples, green mango, orange blossoms and lemon tart with hints of fungi, lime zest, crushed rocks and jasmine. The freshness on the palate is just astonishing, permeating and lifting layer upon layer of tropical fruits and earthy notions, all encased in a sumptuous texture and culminating in a very, very long, mineral-tinged finish. Truly, this is a legendary vintage for d'Yquem. I've been conservative with my drinking window here, and I would not be at all surprised if our descendants are drinking this vintage well into the next century.
NM 98 (9/2017): The 2015 Château d'Yquem was scintillating when I tasted it at the property during en primeur last year. A blend of 75% Semillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc, it delivers 144 grams per liter of residual sugar. Now that the wine is in bottle, that original “show-stopping” bouquet has become more refined. In fact, you could almost describe it as laid back or genteel until it begins to magically unfold and deliver seductive scents of lemon curd, orange pith, freshly opened tins of apricot and wild honey. You would call the aromatics more “pretty” than “powerful,” but of course, it is beautifully defined. The palate is very well balanced with that electric line of acidity intact. It is a little spicier than I recall, with a fresh viscous finish. There is a persistent aftertaste whereby the mouth tingles some 60 seconds after the wine has departed. Maybe I was being optimistic when I suggested that it might rank alongside the regal 2001 and 2009. The 2015 Yquem does not belong in that hallowed company. But it is a prince to that king and that queen.
WS 98 (3/2018): Fresh-cut orange, peach and nectarine notes lead the way, followed by lightly singed almond and warm piecrust notes. Then another wave of green fig, warmed pear and coconut takes over on the finish. Rich and honeyed in feel, with obvious power, balanced by an energy in the inner core that should help this cruise in the cellar for some time. Best from 2020 through 2050. 8,333 cases made.
JS 99-100 (4/2016): This is an incredible young Yquem that is so vinous like a great vintage of Montrachet but then on the palate it turns to Yquem with spice, dried fruit and mushroom as well as sweet fruit. Last for minutes. Acidity is all there giving it a dynamic vibrance that jolts your senses. Special wine. It has a little more than than 140 grams of residual sugar, less than the legendary of 2001. But is very close in greatness. Let's wait and see.
VM 96-98 (4/2016): Stunning and utterly captivating, the 2015 d'Yquem is shaping up to be one of the truly epic wines of the vintage. All the elements are impeccably balanced, starting with the most captivating, alluring bouquet imaginable. The 2015 floats on the palate with grace and total finesse. What I like most about the 2015 is its airy, nuanced personality. Sweet floral notes, lemon confit, chamomile and acacia are some of the nuances that linger in this hauntingly beautiful d'Yquem. The 2015 was fermented in 100% new oak and residual sugar is 145 grams per liter, but none of that really matters. Readers who can find the 2015 should not hesitate, as it is truly magnificent! Antonio Galloni. |
|
| | Rhone Red |
| Jean-Louis Chave |
2009 |
Hermitage |
$519 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (12/2011): The greatest wines Chave has produced since 2003 are the two cuvees of 2009 Hermitage. The 2009 Hermitage exhibits a black/purple color along with a sumptuous nose of roasted meats, ground pepper, black currants, blackberry jam, and subtle smoke and licorice. The extraordinary bouquet is followed by a wine of extravagant intensity as well as tremendous focus and precision. While not as powerful as the blockbuster 2003, the amazing 2009 may turn out to be a modern day version of their magnificent 1990 (which is drinking incredibly well at present). Anyone who loves Hermitage and has a cold cellar should be lining up to get a few bottles of this beauty.
JLL ****** (7/2011): Various casks tasted from the different climats: Peleat (cask) ***** Full, bright robe; wide, expressive, waves of black cherry, griottes on nose. Clear tinkle on start of palate, with a muscular middle, has an aromatic, lasting finale. Lovely fruit, good balance. “this comes from the sand on Peleat, which means there is finesse," J-L Chave. Beaumes (cask) ****(*) Mainly dark robe; oily, rather reductive nose, with marked mineral influence, has tension. Dense, full palate - there is strength here, dark tannin, cocoa in the taste. Hermitage wanting to be southern, is a scaled, probing wine, really solid. Thorough is the word. Le Meal (cask) ****** Sweet notes on the nose, nutty, full red jam airs. Rich palate, a ball of gras richness with a cluster of tannin at the end, an aromatic aftertaste of red cherry , still tight. “a sunshine wine on limestone, so there is some tightness on the palate," J-L Chave. L`Hermite (cask) ****** Good, dark red colour; nutty, very careful, precise nose. Elegant red fruit within. Clear lines along the palate, glinting fruit: this is more Burgundian than the other climats, draws in tannins and chewy matter from half way. Offers fine fruit and tannin, finishes reserved, closed. Elegant wine that can become silky, excellent. The best of the bunch so far. Les Bessards (cask) ****** Full, dark red. Mineral, ripe red jam aroma, soft licorice notes, unusual bouquet. Pebbly black fruit with breathing intensity and fullness, muscled late stages; this is long and hermetic, complete wine. Licorice on the aftertaste. Just ahead of L`Hermite in quality. “Very lean, tight. Bessards is more pure, Meal more showy this year. Bessards has always been reserved like this," J-L Chave. OVERALL ****** Two key constituents this year for its class - L`Hermite and Les Bessards; their influence will drive the wine ultimately. At first the fat richness of Meal will show up strongly. Heading for a complex future.
VM 96 (4/2012): Tasted in four components that were to be blended at the end of November, 2011: #1: Deep cherry and dark berries on the nose and palate, with slow-mounting spiciness and serious finishing cling and power. #2: Wilder and more pungent, offering intense floral-accented red and dark berry qualities and notes of olive and candied licorice. This is mostly Meal, according to Chave. #3: Deep, smoky and aromatic, displaying an array of dark berry and spice qualities and a strong potpourri note. Juicy and focused on the finish, with the dark fruit note repeating. #4: Stunning aromas of violet, rose, black raspberry and cola, with a blast of Asian spices on the back. Juicy, mineral-driven and pure, with excellent finishing clarity and lingering sweetness. This should be a stunner. |
|
| | Champagne |
| Krug |
2002 |
Brut Champagne (3.0 L) |
$5,500 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 100 (10/2016): The much-anticipated 2002 has impeccable detail and depth with a lot of chalky, stony and flinty elements on the nose as well as a very fresh edge. The nose is very complex and wound up tight but presents itself as very integrated and compressed. There are aromas of lemon rind, lime juice and a lime custard all at once, complemented in turn by a super-restrained hazelnut-like edge. Undertones of brown mushrooms, chalky minerals and lemon leaf. The palate has a core of sizzlingly intense, concentrated chardonnay framed whitin a powerful phenolic structure that will underpin the future of this Champagne. Flawlessly fresh and as perfect as it gets. Give this time as it needs to settle: best from 2020 and then for another decade beyond.
WA 97+ (6/2018): Krug's 2002 Brut (ID 415064 – disgorged IV/2015) has an intense citrus color and opens with a generous, intense yet fine and precise bouquet that indicates great depth and elegance. Red fruit flavors on the nose lead to a generously rich yet pure, highly refined and elegant palate, with lots of ripe cherry fruits and delicious yeasty flavors. This is a highly complex and tensioned but beautifully balanced 2002 with a charming dosage that gives perfect roundness. The finish, however, is clear, fresh and well-structured, if not taut, and very mineral. Tasted in Reims in April 2018.
WS 96 (8/2016): Beautifully aromatic, this leads with aromas of ground clove, coffee liqueur and mandarin orange peel, adding crystallized honey, dried cherry, acacia blossom and toasted brioche notes on the expansive palate. Rich in flavor and broad in structure, with verve driving this through to the long, satiny finish. Drink now through 2027.
VM 94 (7/2017): This is perhaps the best bottle of Krug's 2002 Vintage I have tasted. Expansive and creamy on the palate, with lovely finesse and brightness, the 2002 is quite expressive today. I don't see the depth or pedigree that might place this wine among the best examples of the year. Instead, the 2002 Vintage continues to be an underwhelming wine by Krug standards. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| | USA Red |
| Abreu |
2010 |
Howell Mountain Proprietary Blend |
$349 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (11/2013): The 2010 Howell Mountain is simply magnificent. Inky, deep, and full-bodied to the core, the 2010 blasts out of the glass with graphite, pencil shavings, menthol, melted road tar, plum, cassis and licorice notes. The 2010 is an exciting, viscerally thrilling wine that takes hold of the sense and never lets up. Today, it is firing on all cylidners. The Howell Mountain is the only Abreu wine that incorporates Malbec, a variety that seems to work magic here. The 2010 is 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, 8% Malbec and 5% Merlot.
WA 94-97 (10/2013): An absolute blockbuster, the 2010 Howell Mountain includes Malbec and Petit Verdot blended with the Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It boasts an inky/blue/purple color as well as a sumptuous perfume of barbecue smoke, lead pencil shavings and wet rocks. This ripe, smoky, intense, full-bodied wine reveals a boatload of tannins, but also richer fruit and a deeper, multidimensional mouthfeel and finish than the 2009, which appears to be more broodingly backward and structured. This appears to be a great success. Consume it over the next 25-30 years. |
|
|
2013 |
Thorevilos Proprietary Blend Bin-Soiled Label |
$739 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (5/2024): The 2013 Thorevilos is a wild, exotic wine. Blueberry jam, crème de cassis, lavender, pencil shavings, cloves, licorice and dark chocolate all run through this potent, deep red. Young and vibrant, as all the 2013s are here, the Thorevilos possesses tremendous energy from start to finish. A whole range of savory and floral notes linger on the huge, tannic finish. This is sculpted and delicious, but it still needs time. Antonio Galloni.
WA 100 (10/2016): Probably one of my favorite vineyards in all of Napa Valley, even though it is not entitled to any particular AVA designation, is the steep hillside vineyard behind the luxury resort of Meadowood in St. Helena called Thorevilos. It is co-owned by David Abreu and Ric Forman. I have now tasted 16 vintages of this wine, and six and possibly seven (the 2015) have merited perfect scores, which is just mind-boggling even to someone who has been doing this for 38+ years. This wine contains a considerable quantity of Cabernet Franc (probably 30% or more, although Abreu and Grimes are never specific) and there may even be a small percentage of Petit Verdot included in the blend. This is always the most floral of the Abreu wines, but it also has what the French call je ne sais quoi, a quality that is hard to pin down. The 2013 defines what Thorevilos is all about, with copious quantities of blueberries, black raspberries, truffles, violets, crushed rock, forest floor notes and oodles of glycerin in its full-bodied, incredibly pure and amazing texture and length. It is a spectacular wine, with the cascade of fruit hiding what must be some considerable tannic clout. It’s not showing through just yet, but I suspect it will come as the wine closes down in bottle once it gets into a cold cellar. This is simply other-worldly and a tribute to all things Napa, California, and in a way, America. Drink it over the next 50+ years. |
|
|
2013 |
Thorevilos Proprietary Blend Lightly Bin-Soiled Label |
$739 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (5/2024): The 2013 Thorevilos is a wild, exotic wine. Blueberry jam, crème de cassis, lavender, pencil shavings, cloves, licorice and dark chocolate all run through this potent, deep red. Young and vibrant, as all the 2013s are here, the Thorevilos possesses tremendous energy from start to finish. A whole range of savory and floral notes linger on the huge, tannic finish. This is sculpted and delicious, but it still needs time. Antonio Galloni.
WA 100 (10/2016): Probably one of my favorite vineyards in all of Napa Valley, even though it is not entitled to any particular AVA designation, is the steep hillside vineyard behind the luxury resort of Meadowood in St. Helena called Thorevilos. It is co-owned by David Abreu and Ric Forman. I have now tasted 16 vintages of this wine, and six and possibly seven (the 2015) have merited perfect scores, which is just mind-boggling even to someone who has been doing this for 38+ years. This wine contains a considerable quantity of Cabernet Franc (probably 30% or more, although Abreu and Grimes are never specific) and there may even be a small percentage of Petit Verdot included in the blend. This is always the most floral of the Abreu wines, but it also has what the French call je ne sais quoi, a quality that is hard to pin down. The 2013 defines what Thorevilos is all about, with copious quantities of blueberries, black raspberries, truffles, violets, crushed rock, forest floor notes and oodles of glycerin in its full-bodied, incredibly pure and amazing texture and length. It is a spectacular wine, with the cascade of fruit hiding what must be some considerable tannic clout. It’s not showing through just yet, but I suspect it will come as the wine closes down in bottle once it gets into a cold cellar. This is simply other-worldly and a tribute to all things Napa, California, and in a way, America. Drink it over the next 50+ years. |
|
| Bevan Cellars |
2018 |
Dr. Crane Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$360 |
4 |
|
| |
JD 100 (1/2021): I always seem to compare great wines from this site with Haut-Brion, and I think the comparison holds here, although it’s a Haut-Brion on steroids! The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Dr. Crane Vineyard reveals a dense purple color as well as a powerful nose of ripe black fruits, tobacco leaf, earth, coffee beans, and gravelly earth. All of these carry over to the palate, where the wine is full-bodied and has a deep, layered mid-palate, sweet tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish. Hats off to the talented Russell Bevans for another brilliant, singular wine that’s going to keep for 20-25 years. (Drink between 2021-2046.)
WA 100 (2/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard was aged for 19 months in French oak barrels, 100% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with flamboyant scents of redcurrant jelly, Black Forest cake, blackcurrant pastilles and rose oil with suggestions of cast-iron pan, pencil lead and tilled soil plus a waft of fragrant earth. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated with firm, exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, it delivers an incredible mineral and perfumed red fruit firework display finish. Fans of Dr. Crane are going to LOVE this expression, masterfully crafted by Russell Bevan—an absolute must-try! |
|
| Bond Estates (Harlan) |
2015 |
St. Eden Proprietary Blend |
$569 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (1/2019): Moving to the 2015s tasted from bottle, this is an incredible vintage for this estate and there are two perfect wines in the lineup. First up, the 2015 St. Eden, from a hillside of red volcanic soils near Oakville, boasts a saturated purple color and heavenly notes of blackcurrants, scorched earth, lead pencil shavings, and huge crushed rock-like minerality. It’s full-bodied, deep, and layered on the palate, with incredible concentration, yet it stays seamless, pure, and perfectly balanced. It’s a magical wine to drink over the coming 2-3 decades. (Drink between 2019-2049).
WA 99 (10/2018): Bottled in early 2018, the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 St. Eden springs from the glass with exuberant blueberry pie, potpourri and spice cake scents followed by a black raspberry, cassis and preserved plums core plus a touch of wild sage. Full-bodied, plush and decadently fruited, it completely packs the palate with layer upon layer of black fruit preserves, finishing very long with those spices coming through.
VM 96 (12/2018): The 2015 St. Eden is another wine in this lineup that is not quite as expressive as it can be. Firm tannins dominate over softer contours that so often make St. Eden such an alluring wine. Time in the glass brings out an attractive set of dark cherry, plum, leather and tobacco notes. Even so, the 2015 is going to need a number of years to be at its very best. (Drink between 2022-2032). Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Cirq |
2019 |
Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (1.5 L) |
$359 |
2 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (7/2023): The 2019 Pinot Noir is a jeweled ruby hue and has layered aromas of pristine cherry, cardamom, rose petal, and sweet herbs. It has incredible clarity and focus, with and a silky texture in its notes of raspberry liqueur and violets, and somehow seems to have more depth after the wine is gone. It offers fantastic balance and a sunny feel, with great refinement that lasts for ages. This wine is outstanding. Drink 2023-2032.From winemaker Michael Browne, also of CHEV and co-founder of Kosta Browne, CIRQ only produces a single Pinot Noir wine from their home in the Russian River Valley. |
|
| Colgin |
2018 |
Cariad Proprietary Blend |
$425 |
5 |
|
| |
VM 100 (1/2022): What a thrill it is to taste the 2018 Cariad again. Last year the 2018 was magnificent. It is all that this year too. Powerful and explosive, the 2018 is captivating from the very first taste. Healthy dollops of Cabernet Franc and Merlot add layers to this deep, wonderfully vibrant Napa Valley red. In a big morning tasting at Colgin spanning more than a dozen wines, the 2018 Cariad was a stand out. Superb. (Drink between 2025-2043). Antonio Galloni.
JD 98 (1/2021): The 2018 Cariad isn’t far off and has a wealth of blue fruits, musky earth, spice, and floral notes as well as a deep, rich, layered style on the palate. As with all the 2018s here, the tannin quality is incredible, and it has a plush, sexy, already complex style that’s hard to resist. It’s going to evolve for 25+ years. The blend is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot. (Drink between 2021-2048)
WA 98 (3/2024): One thing the 2018s from Colgin have in common is a sense of greater tautness and freshness than the 2016s. The 2018 Cariad—a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot—adds dried sage and redcurrants to a base of black cherries on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is energetic, framed by fine-grained tannins and hints of pencil shavings on the long, elegant finish. |
|
|
2018 |
Cariad Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$1,050 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 100 (1/2022): What a thrill it is to taste the 2018 Cariad again. Last year the 2018 was magnificent. It is all that this year too. Powerful and explosive, the 2018 is captivating from the very first taste. Healthy dollops of Cabernet Franc and Merlot add layers to this deep, wonderfully vibrant Napa Valley red. In a big morning tasting at Colgin spanning more than a dozen wines, the 2018 Cariad was a stand out. Superb. (Drink between 2025-2043). Antonio Galloni.
JD 98 (1/2021): The 2018 Cariad isn’t far off and has a wealth of blue fruits, musky earth, spice, and floral notes as well as a deep, rich, layered style on the palate. As with all the 2018s here, the tannin quality is incredible, and it has a plush, sexy, already complex style that’s hard to resist. It’s going to evolve for 25+ years. The blend is 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot. (Drink between 2021-2048)
WA 98 (3/2024): One thing the 2018s from Colgin have in common is a sense of greater tautness and freshness than the 2016s. The 2018 Cariad—a blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot—adds dried sage and redcurrants to a base of black cherries on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is energetic, framed by fine-grained tannins and hints of pencil shavings on the long, elegant finish. |
|
|
2006 |
IX Estate Proprietary Blend |
$475 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 100 (12/2008): From the Pritchard Hill Vineyard, the 2006 IX Proprietary Red Estate is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. The good news is that there are 1,500 cases of this cuvee. It, too, reveals the noble sweetness of tannin, the extraordinary rich, intense mouthfeel, and sumptuous aromas of flowers, burning embers, blackberries, blueberries, spice box, and cedar. With extraordinary intensity, beautiful purity, a texture and flavors that build incrementally on the palate, and a significantly long finish, this is a perfect wine.
WS 97 (11/2009): A stunning effort that offers a rich, full-bodied, layered band of ripe currant and green and black olive, with hints of herb and spice. Expands into a long, deep, penetrating finish, echoing chocolate brownie. Best from 2010 through 2018. 1,500 cases made.
JS 97 (4/2011): What a nose on this wine, almost makes drinking it unnecessary. Layers of lead pencil, blackberries, licorice, asphalt, roses, and so much more. Full bodied and tight, with so much to give still. The best is yet to come for this wine. Keep your hands off of this until 2015.
VM 95 (6/2009): Bright ruby-red. Exhilarating nose of wild berries, wild sage, bay laurel and flowers. Wonderfully dense and sweet, but with an extraordinary light touch to the black fruit, floral and spice flavors. A terrific core of ripe acidity gives the wine Outstanding inner-mouth lift and extends the finish, which builds inexorably. The tannins are firm but fine-grained. The best vintage to date for the winery's estate vineyard overlooking Lake Hennessey, which was planted in 2000. In fact, this is extraordinary for five-year-old vines. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
|
2021 |
Tychson Hill Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$590 |
2 |
|
| |
| WA 100 (3/2024): Supremely rich and concentrated, Colgin's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill Vineyard nevertheless remains vibrant and energetic. Hints of bay leaf perk up scents of dark chocolate and black cherries on the nose, while the full-bodied, plushly textured palate glides easily into a prolonged finish redolent of loamy earth and red raspberries. Like so many of the world's greatest wines, it's a series of seeming paradoxes—in this case, ripeness and freshness, fruit and earth, density and vibrancy—that complement each other and emerge as an elegant, harmonious whole. |
|
| Fairchild Estate |
2016 |
Stones No. 3 Tench Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$586.95 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (1/2019): This full-bodied, remarkably pure, seamless Napa Cabernet comes from the Tench Vineyard outside St. Helena and reveals a saturated purple color as well as sensational notes of blueberries, currants, camphor, scorched earth, and hints of lavender and violets. Deep, layered, still tight and backward, yet with incredible purity and focus, it’s a monumental beauty that’s going to benefit from at least 4-5 years of bottle age and cruise for 2-3 decades. Hats off to winemaker Philippe Melka and the team at Fairchild Wines for this incredible wine.
VM 97 (12/2018): The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Stones No. 3 is another superb wine from Larry Fairchild. Dense, powerful and explosive, with tremendous depth, the 2016 captures all the magic of this Oakville site. Black cherry, bittersweet chocolate, licorice, spice and menthol infuse this sumptuous, extravagantly rich Cabernet Sauvignon. Sweet, ripe tannins add to the wine's considerable immediacy and sheer appeal. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Hundred Acre |
2019 |
Few and Far Between Cabernet Sauvignon |
$595 |
3 |
|
| |
JD 98 (12/2023): The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Few And Far Between Vineyard is another gem, with beautiful red and black fruits, exotic spices, new leather, and incense aromatics in its full-bodied, deep round, layered profile. The tannins here are sensational, and the wine has ample mid-palate depth, no hard edges, and just a multi-dimensional, incredibly impressive style that just begs to be drunk. Enjoy this beauty anytime over the coming 25+ years.
WA 100 (5/2023): My favorite of the extensive range of wines presented on this occasion, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between masterfully combines dusty loam notes with hints of sage and dark chocolate, then backs those savory nuances with layers of ripe cherries, black cherries and even something akin to boysenberries. It's a full-bodied, silky effort, tannic yet ripe, with a long, elegant finish. It's impressively complex, impeccably balanced and just a fantastic drink. |
|
| Kinsman Eades |
2021 |
Kaannos Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon |
$525 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 100 (12/2023): Coming from the northern end of Vine Hill Ranch, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Kaannos is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon raised in 70% new French oak. This deep purple-hued beauty offers a heavenly perfume of darker, almost blue fruits as well as leafy herbs, flowers, spice cabinet, camphor, and chocolate. I love its complexity on the nose, and it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a remarkable sense of refinement and elegance, fine yet building tannins, and an incredible finish. This magical, majestic, absolutely jaw-droppingly good Cabernet Sauvignon is a legend in the making. Hide bottles for 5-7 years if you can, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following 30-40 years. (Drink between 2028-2063).
VM 99 (12/2023): The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Kannos Vine Hill Ranch, 100% Clone 4, is rich, expansive and broad. Dark cherry, mocha, spice, leather and tobacco all wrap around the palate in a positively stunning Cabernet. Time in the glass brings out a whole range of earthy, floral and savory notes that add character. This fruit once went to one of the most pedigreed wineries in Napa Valley. This is extremely elegant, and the purity here is just unbelievable. (Drink between 2027-2041). Antonio Galloni.
WA 95+ (7/2024): The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Käännös is composed of Clone 4 from Vine Hill Ranch. Notes of ripe cherries and dried herbs dominate the complex, elegant nose, while the full-bodied wine flows easily across the mid-palate in gentle, rich waves of flavor, finishing long, velvety and tannic. |
|
|
2021 |
Kodo Cabernet Sauvignon |
$475 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 100 (12/2023): The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Kodo emerges from one of the top sites in southern Oakville—a site I consider as elite as it gets, but that can't be named for the time being. A sensational wine, the 2021 saturates the palate with dense dark fruit, spice, leather and tobacco. But, it’s the textural richness, resonance and persistence that impress most. This is a truly unforgettable wine. I would be thrilled to own it. (Drink between 2027-2041). Antonio Galloni.
WA 95+ (7/2024): Sourced from the M-Bar Ranch (western Oakville, across Hopper Creek from Vine Hill Ranch), the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Kodo offers up dusty earth notes, mixed red and black cherries, some cassis notes and a hint of dried herbs. It's full-bodied, ripe and rich without being heavy, and it's bright on the long, softly tannic finish. Is there just a touch of alcoholic warmth evident? |
|
| Lail Vineyards |
2018 |
J Daniel Cuvee Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$450.45 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 99 (1/2021): Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 J. Daniel Cuvée Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels, 75% new. Very deep garnet-purple in color, it soars out of the glass with seductive notes of crème de cassis, blueberry preserves and Black Forest cake, followed by suggestions of espresso, yeast extract, black truffles and charcoal plus a fragrant waft of violets. Full-bodied, rich and opulently fruited in the mouth, it has layer upon layer of black fruit preserves, earthy nuances and savory sparks, framed by firm, finely grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and fragrant. 1,290 cases were made.
JD 100 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvee comes from a mix of terroirs (Howell Mountain, Stags Leap, Oakville, Calistoga) and is brought up in 75% new French oak. Heavenly notes of red and black currants, dried tobacco, sandalwood, flowers, and spice give way to a full-bodied, concentrated, yet weightless texture that carries awesome tannins, no hard edges, and just flawless balance. This majestic, regal wine is going to drink brilliantly for 25 years or more.
VM 96 (1/2021): The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon J. Daniel Cuvée is quite restrained in this vintage. Silky and medium in body, with lovely red berry fruit character, the 2018 has a lot to offer. I would cellar it for a few years, as the tannins are pretty clamped down today. As always, the J. Daniel Cuvée is a blend taken from a handful of top sites in Napa Valley. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Next of Kyn |
2017 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 11 Proprietary Blend |
$275 |
5 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (8/2020): Pure perfection, the 2017 No 11 comes all from the estate Cumulus Vineyard around the estate in Oak View and is 48% Syrah, 24.8% Grenache, 12.7% Mourvèdre, 10.6% Petite Sirah, and the balance a mix of white varieties including Petit Manseng and Roussanne. Fermented with 23% whole clusters and aged 32 months in 68% new French oak, this incredible 2017 boasts a saturated purple hue to go with full-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe blackberries, bouquet garni, ground pepper, white chocolate, and cured meats. Incredibly complex, flawlessly balanced, and with a seamless texture that needs to be tasted to be believed, this is a magical blend from California that can be drunk today with incredible pleasure or cellared for 15-20 years. Hats off to the Krankl family for another truly special wine! |
|
|
2017 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 11 Proprietary Blend |
$449 |
8 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (8/2020): Pure perfection, the 2017 No 11 comes all from the estate Cumulus Vineyard around the estate in Oak View and is 48% Syrah, 24.8% Grenache, 12.7% Mourvèdre, 10.6% Petite Sirah, and the balance a mix of white varieties including Petit Manseng and Roussanne. Fermented with 23% whole clusters and aged 32 months in 68% new French oak, this incredible 2017 boasts a saturated purple hue to go with full-bodied aromas and flavors of ripe blackberries, bouquet garni, ground pepper, white chocolate, and cured meats. Incredibly complex, flawlessly balanced, and with a seamless texture that needs to be tasted to be believed, this is a magical blend from California that can be drunk today with incredible pleasure or cellared for 15-20 years. Hats off to the Krankl family for another truly special wine! |
|
|
2018 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 12 Proprietary Blend |
$395 |
3 |
|
| |
JD 100 (8/2021): As with the 2017, the 2018 No 12 Cumulus Vineyard is as good as wine gets. Based on 47.7% Syrah, 23.4% Grenache, 21.3% Petite Sirah, 5.6% Mourvèdre, and the remaining 2% a mix of white varieties, aged 32 months in 34% new barrels, its vivid purple hue gives way to a full-bodied blockbuster of a wine that’s loaded with cassis and blue fruits as well as notes of gravelly earth, graphite, ground pepper, and spring flowers. Flawlessly balanced, deep, super-rich, and unctuous, yet with incredible purity, give bottles a year of two and enjoy over the following 15 years or more.
WA 99 (8/2021): This cuvee comes entirely from the Krankl’s “home” vineyard—the Cumulus vineyard in Oak View, just south and inland from Santa Barbara, on the road to Ojai. There are now just over 12.5 acres planted at Cumulus. The first plantings of Syrah, Grenache and Roussanne took place in 2004. A little more Grenache was planted in 2005. Then in 2008, small blocks of Petite Manseng, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah were added, including 3.5 acres on its own roots.
VM 95 (10/2021): The 2018 No. 12 Cumulus Vineyard is a big wine. Black fruit, chocolate, spice, new leather and licorice are all dialed up. The tannins remain a bit coarse, which makes the wine feel not totally put together. Perhaps the brutal heat spikes in July caused a slight stoppage in ripening, or it could be the stems aren't totally integrated just yet. To be sure, the 2018 doesn't quite have the same textural lushness of most vintages. It will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming years. The 2018 was done with 41% whole clusters and spent 32 months in French oak, 34% new. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2018 |
Cumulus Vyd. No. 12 Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$585 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (8/2021): As with the 2017, the 2018 No 12 Cumulus Vineyard is as good as wine gets. Based on 47.7% Syrah, 23.4% Grenache, 21.3% Petite Sirah, 5.6% Mourvèdre, and the remaining 2% a mix of white varieties, aged 32 months in 34% new barrels, its vivid purple hue gives way to a full-bodied blockbuster of a wine that’s loaded with cassis and blue fruits as well as notes of gravelly earth, graphite, ground pepper, and spring flowers. Flawlessly balanced, deep, super-rich, and unctuous, yet with incredible purity, give bottles a year of two and enjoy over the following 15 years or more.
WA 99 (8/2021): This cuvee comes entirely from the Krankl’s “home” vineyard—the Cumulus vineyard in Oak View, just south and inland from Santa Barbara, on the road to Ojai. There are now just over 12.5 acres planted at Cumulus. The first plantings of Syrah, Grenache and Roussanne took place in 2004. A little more Grenache was planted in 2005. Then in 2008, small blocks of Petite Manseng, Syrah, Touriga Nacional, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah were added, including 3.5 acres on its own roots.
VM 95 (10/2021): The 2018 No. 12 Cumulus Vineyard is a big wine. Black fruit, chocolate, spice, new leather and licorice are all dialed up. The tannins remain a bit coarse, which makes the wine feel not totally put together. Perhaps the brutal heat spikes in July caused a slight stoppage in ripening, or it could be the stems aren't totally integrated just yet. To be sure, the 2018 doesn't quite have the same textural lushness of most vintages. It will be interesting to see how things develop in the coming years. The 2018 was done with 41% whole clusters and spent 32 months in French oak, 34% new. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Outpost |
2016 |
True Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$349 |
3 |
|
| |
WA 100 (7/2019): Coming from the nine-acre True Vineyard up on Howell Mountain and produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep purple-black colored 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard strides confidently out of the glass with incredible poise and pedigree: warm cassis, blackcurrant cordial, baker’s chocolate, licorice and truffles commingled with hints of underbrush, violets, woodsmoke and stewed plums plus a waft of fragrant earth. Full-bodied, concentrated and built like a brick house, it has wonderfully firm, ripe, grainy tannins with a fantastic line of seamless freshness and a powerful, multilayered expression of place coming through on the epically long finish. A decadent beauty right now, this is going to be even more mind-blowing in 15 to 20+ years, and it should go on for 40 or more.
JD 99 (1/2019): Another heavenly wine from this estate is the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard, 100% varietal from three blocks in the vineyard that was aged in 80% new French oak. Possessing truly thrilling purity in its crème de cassis and blueberry fruits, white flowers, and obvious minerality, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a layered, multi-dimensional texture, and building yet fine, polished tannins. This beauty has real Howell Mountain character, a complex, nuanced, yet powerful style, and a finish that won’t quit. Get it if you can. (Drink between 2019-2044).
VM 96 (12/2018): The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon True Vineyard is one of the most complete wines I have ever tasted from Outpost. Medium in body almost shockingly refined for a young Howell Mountain Cabernet, the True Vineyard has so much to offer. In the glass, the True presents a stunning combination of intense plush fruit and vertical structure. I imagine the 2016 will be even better in a few years' time, but it is super-impressive and inviting even in the early going. (Drink between 2021-2031). Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Realm |
2018 |
The Absurd Proprietary Blend |
$825 |
2 |
|
| |
JD 100 (1/2021): As always, the 2018 Absurd is a cellar selection of what the estate thinks is the absolute best they can do in the vintage, and in this reviewer’s opinion, they succeed brilliantly. (I’ve rated four of the five vintages I’ve tasted 100 points.) The 2018 reveals a dense purple/blue color to go with a monster bouquet of blackcurrants, scorched earth/burning embers, tobacco, lead pencil shavings, chocolate, and gravelly earth. I’ve often compared this wine to a great Pessac from Bordeaux given its incredible minerality and cold fireplace-like nuances, and the 2018 has these in spades. Concentrated, full-bodied, and built like a skyscraper, it builds beautifully with time in the glass and has incredible purity, silky, polished tannins, and a dense, layered mid-palate. As with the majority of Realm’s 2018s, the cellar is going to be your friend, since this needs a good 5-7 years of bottle age, but it will be incredibly long-lived. Hats off to winemaker Benoit Touquette and the entire team at Realm for yet another magical, legendary wine.
WA 99 (10/2020): The 2018 The Absurd—the estate's über-blend of the best elements from the vintage—displays a deep garnet-purple color, offering alluring notes of baked plums, crème de cassis and boysenberries with suggestions of chocolate box, aniseed, iron ore and candied violets plus a perfumed hint of Indian spices. The full-bodied palate is an exercise in decadence, coating the mouth in black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, supported by velvety tannins and beautifully integrated freshness, finishing epically long and fragrant. |
|
| Schrader |
2019 |
MMXIX "Old Sparky" Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$1,450 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (12/2021): A selection put together by winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Old Sparky is one of the true gems in the vintage, as well as a perfect wine. Thrilling black fruits, crème de cassis, tobacco, tapenade, and iron notes all emerge from the glass, and it's full-bodied and has a similar purity to the CCS release, with ultra-fine tannins and one hell of an incredible finish. Napa Valley Cabernet, or red wine for that matter, doesn't get any better. Give bottles 2-4 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following two decades or more. |
|
|
2018 |
MMXVIII "Old Sparky" Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5 L) |
$1,595 |
1 |
|
| |
| JD 100 (1/2021): There are few vintages of Old Sparky that don't merit a perfect rating, and the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Old Sparky isn't one of them. This flawless wine offers up a wild smorgasbord of aromas and flavors, with loads of crème de cassis, blueberries, scorched earth, lead pencil, violets, blood orange, tobacco, and flowery incense all developing with time in the glass. Deep purple-hued and incredibly full-bodied, it has ripe, silky tannins, perfect balance, and a finish that won't quit. This magical wine stays weightless and elegant on the palate, never seeming heavy, cumbersome, or over the top, and it's a wine that just begs to be drunk yet will evolve for decades. Hats off to winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown for yet another heavenly Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that could come from nowhere else in the world. Life is too short not to have experienced this cuvée! (Drink between 2021-2041) |
|
| Screaming Eagle |
1997 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$6,399 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 100 (1/2000): It doesn't get any better than 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon, a perfect wine. Representing the essence of cassis liqueur intermixed with blackberries, minerals, licorice, and toast, this full-bodied, multi-dimensional classic is fabulous, with extraordinary purity, symmetry, and a finish that lasts for nearly a minute. It has the overall equilibrium to evolve for nearly two decades, but it will be hard to resist upon release. Anticipated maturity: now-2020. |
|
|
2021 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$2,000 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 100 (12/2023): The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most brooding, explosive young wines I have ever tasted here. The natural concentration of this drought vintage comes through loud and clear. Huge, youthful tannins reinforce the wine’s potent feel. Waves of graphite, leather, licorice, grilled herbs and lavender saturate the palate, perfectly playing off a core of intense dark fruit. I usually have no issue drinking these wines on the younger side, but the 2021 really does need time. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98+ (2/2023): As with the Flight, I was able to taste through multiple barrels destined for the 2021 Screaming Eagle. Pure cassis and assorted dark fruits, some classic graphite and lead pencil notes, as well as a beautiful sense of minerality were present in all of the barrels, and this will be a medium to full-bodied, elegant expression of Screaming Eagle. I wouldn't expect too many fireworks right on release (although it will offer pleasure), but it should hit its stride about 7-8 years after release and have a long life. |
|
|
2021 |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
$2,400 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 100 (12/2023): The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most brooding, explosive young wines I have ever tasted here. The natural concentration of this drought vintage comes through loud and clear. Huge, youthful tannins reinforce the wine’s potent feel. Waves of graphite, leather, licorice, grilled herbs and lavender saturate the palate, perfectly playing off a core of intense dark fruit. I usually have no issue drinking these wines on the younger side, but the 2021 really does need time. Antonio Galloni.
JD 96-98+ (2/2023): As with the Flight, I was able to taste through multiple barrels destined for the 2021 Screaming Eagle. Pure cassis and assorted dark fruits, some classic graphite and lead pencil notes, as well as a beautiful sense of minerality were present in all of the barrels, and this will be a medium to full-bodied, elegant expression of Screaming Eagle. I wouldn't expect too many fireworks right on release (although it will offer pleasure), but it should hit its stride about 7-8 years after release and have a long life. |
|
| Sine Qua Non |
2004 |
Ode to E Grenache (1.5 L) |
$1,199 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (6/2014): Leading off with the Grenache-driven efforts, and easily the greatest expression of the variety I’ve ever tasted from California, the 2004 Ode to E (Grenache) is mind-blowing stuff that will stand toe-to-toe with the greatest Grenache-based wines ever made. Coming from Manfred’s Eleven Confessions Vineyard and comprised of 88% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 2% Viognier, it sports a still vibrant purple color to go with off-the-hook aromas and flavors of creme de cassis, melted licorice, graphite, smoked herbs and assorted meaty nuances. Full-bodied, seamless and elegant, with incredible purity and a perfect texture, it can be consumed anytime over the coming decade.
VM 97 (8/2015): The 2004 Grenache Ode to E is absolutely stellar. There's not too much more to say. Still young, fresh and vibrant, the 2004 is incredibly impressive. Exotic spice, rose petals, raspberry jam all open up in an effortless, nuanced wine bursting at the seams with personality. Exquisitely nuanced and balanced, the 2004 is a gem. Readers who own the 2004 should be thrilled; as it is a magnificent wine by any measure. My favorite age to drink Sine Qua Non wines is around ten years. The Ode to E Grenache delivers the goods, and then some. The blend is 88% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 2% Viognier, all from Eleven Confessions. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2014 |
Piranha Waterdance Syrah |
$329 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 100 (9/2017): Blended of 81% Syrah, 8% Petite Sirah, 6% Mourvèdre, 4% Touriga Nacional and 1% Graciano, sourced from 34% The Third Twin, 35% Eleven Confessions and 31% Cumulus (all estate vineyards), the provocative, inky purple colored 2014 Syrah Piranha Waterdance was made using 26% whole cluster and hits the scent scene with exuberant, pure crème de cassis, blackberry cordial and blueberry coulis notes with hints of espresso, licorice, garrigue and menthol, plus a gorgeous underlying perfume of red roses. The full-bodied palate is oh-so-elegant and pretty, revealing very finely pixelated tannins that beautifully frame the almost electric intensity, culminating in an epically long, licorice and chocolate-laced finish. Too stunning for mere words and rude to even try-just drink it. 1,839 cases and 600 magnums were produced.
VM 95-97 (9/2016): A striking, vibrant wine, the 2014 Syrah Piranha Waterdance is beautifully focused and energetic from start to finish. Plum, blueberry, lavender, mint, violet and sweet spices all take shape in the glass. This is an especially nuanced, sculpted Syrah long on class and personality. There is so much to like here. The 2014 is 81% Syrah, 8% Petite Sirah, 6% Mourvèdre, 4% Touriga Nacional and % Graciano, done with 26% whole clusters, all from Sine Qua Non's estate vineyards: 35% Eleven Confessions, 34% Third Twin and 31% Cumulus. Antonio Galloni.
WS 94 (9/2017): Rich, ripe and powerfully built, with deep and expressive smoky beef, cracked pepper and currant flavors that charge like a bull toward big but polished tannins. Best from 2019 through 2025. 1,800 cases made. |
|
|
2017 |
The Hated Hunter Syrah |
$219 |
1 |
|
| |
JD 100 (8/2020): Named after Manfred’s grandfather, the 2017 Syrah The Hated Hunter is 82.4% Syrah, 7.8% Petite Sirah, 5.2% Mourvèdre, 2% Grenache, and the rest a mix of white varieties that spent just over 23 months in 59% new French oak. A classic 2017, it has an incredible nose of spice red and black fruits, ground pepper, dried flowers, and sandalwood. With full-bodied richness, no hard edges, gorgeous purity of fruit, and a finish that won't quit, it has everything you could want from a bottle of wine. This cuvee comes from a mix of the The Twin, Eleven Confession, Cumulus, and Molly Aida vineyards, and was bottled in August of 2019, with 1821 cases produced.
WA 98+ (8/2020): The 2017 Syrah The Hated Hunter (first tasted last year as a barrel sample and before it had been named) is composed of 82.4% Syrah, 5.2% Mourvèdre, 7.8% Petite Sirah, 2% Grenache, 1.2% Petit Manseng and 1.4% Viognier that was fermented with 26% whole cluster. The vineyard sources are 32% Eleven Confessions, 41% The Third Twin, 25% Cumulus and 2% Molly Aida. It was aged for around 23 months in French oak, 59% new.
VM 96 (8/2020): The 2017 Syrah The Hated Hunter is a dense, powerful wine. Super-ripe black cherry, leather, spice and licorice are all amplified by the warmth of the year, which is very much felt. Unctuous, exotic and flamboyant to the core, the 2017 offers tons of immediacy if a bit less of the delineation found in more balanced years. Then again, that is 2017. The blend here is 82.4% Syrah, 7.8% Petite Sirah, 5.2% Mourvèdre, 2.0% Grenache, 1.4% Viognier and 1.2% Petit Manseng. Vineyard sites are The Third Twin Estate, Eleven Confessions, Cumulus and Molly Aïda. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| The Third Twin (Sine Qua Non) |
2021 |
Third Twin Vyd. Graciano |
$309 |
2 |
|
| |
| VM 100 (8/2024): What a wine. Vibrant and dense, with stunning balance, the 2021 is spectacularly vivid from start to finish. All the elements are so harmonious. Inky dark red/purplish fruit, pomegranate, spice, blood orange and leather saturate the palate while salivating acids extend the finish. I have tasted many magnificent wines with Elaine and Mnafred Krankl over the years- their 2021 Graciano is, without question, one of the most memorable. The blend is 87% Graciano, 10% Syrah, 3% Viognier, done with 48% stems and aged for around 33 months in French oak (36% new). Don't miss it! Drink between 2025-2036. Antonio Galloni. |
|
| Verite |
2014 |
La Muse Proprietary Blend (1.5 L) |
$632.45 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 100 (8/2016): The 2014 La Muse (2,800 cases ) is a legendary effort. The wine offers an opaque purple color and a gorgeous nose of lead pencil shavings, blackberry, incense, Asian spice, cocoa, plum, and a touch of chocolate and barrique. On the palate, more cassis and blackberry come to the forefront. The wine is unctuous, with adequate acidity and a stunning energy underneath the massive fruit and body. This is a spectacularly fragrant and, at the same time, dense wine, with enough structure (somewhat surprising in this vintage) to last 35-45+ years. The final blend was 88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec.
JD 97+ (12/2017): A gorgeous effort as well, the 2014 La Muse is a Merlot-dominated cuvee blended with 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. This deep ruby/purple-colored beauty boasts a terrific perfume of black raspberries, cassis, graphite, chocolate, and a beautiful earthy minerality. This isn’t your over the top, opulent Merlot and shows incredible class and purity, as well as full-bodied richness, high, yet integrated tannin, impeccable balance and a great finish. It’s not anywhere close to primetime (which is rare for a 2014) and needs 4-5 years at a minimum. It’s going to be incredibly long-lived.
VM 96 (3/2017): A huge, opulent wine, the 2014 La Muse wraps around the palate with tons of super-ripe dark red fruit, chocolate, spice and menthol. La Muse often shuts down after bottling, but the 2014 is still remarkably intense and voluptuous, with soft contours, silky tannins and exceptional balance. The purity of the flavors here is remarkable. Antonio Galloni. |
|
|
2007 |
Le Desir Proprietary Blend |
$300 |
2 |
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| WA 100 (6/2011): A profound blend of 44% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec, with 56% of the fruit from Chalk Hill, 26% from the Alexander Valley Mountain Estate, 14% from Knight’s Valley and 4% from Bennett Valley, the 2007 is a wine of unbelievable intensity. It boasts a deep blue/purple color as well as notes of acacia flowers, graphite, licorice, blackberries, blueberries and a hint of burning embers/charcoal, superb intensity and purity, and abundant tannin in the finish. This massive wine needs 5-6 more years of bottle age, and is meant for 35-40 years of cellaring. |
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| Vine Hill Ranch |
2016 |
VHR Cabernet Sauvignon |
$319 |
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VM 100 (12/2018): Vine Hill Ranch's 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is flat-out epic. Look for the 2016 VHR to be one of the benchmark wines of this great Napa Valley vintage. A year ago, the 2016 was powerful and dramatic. Today, the 2016 is super-polished and regal in bearing. Vertical and deep, with tremendous complexity, the 2016 has so much to offer. A rush of black cherry, plum, menthol, licorice, sage, dark spice and earthy notes build as this statuesque Cabernet Sauvignon shows off its magnificent pedigree. The 2016 is a monumental, towering wine. That's all there is to it. Antonio Galloni.
JD 98 (3/2019): Sporting a saturated purple color, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon VHR is a total blockbuster that spent 21 months in French oak. It knocks it out of the park with its Pauillac-like bouquet of blackcurrants, tobacco leaf, damp earth, lead pencil shavings, and cedarwood. Hitting the palate with a massive texture and full body, it’s a powerful, full throttle effort that has remarkable balance, ripe tannins, and an opulent, sexy texture that’s a joy to drink. Despite its flamboyant style, it’s perfectly balanced and is a sensational wine. Feel free to drink it any time over the coming 20-25 years. Bravo! |
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| | USA White |
| Aubert |
2023 |
Lauren Sonoma Coast Chardonnay |
$239 |
1 |
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| VM 97-100 (12/2024): The 2023 Chardonnay Lauren is the quintessential Mark Aubert wine. Rich, layered and wonderfully dynamic in the glass, the 2023 is another super-complete wine. The Lauren is marked by strong mineral, earthy and savory notes that require bottle age to be at their most expressive. (Drink between 2026-2035). Antonio Galloni. |
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| | Australia |
| Torbreck |
2005 |
The Laird Shiraz (1.5 L) Lightly Scuffed Label |
$1,800 |
3 |
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| WA 100 (12/2010): The Laird is Powell’s new baby, coming from a single 5 acre / 2 hectare vineyard of Shiraz in the Marananga sub-region planted in the 1960s that recently became available for contracting. This is a very different wine from Run Rig. What is most striking about it is the combination of power and elegance in this first vintage, coming from a very good year in the Barossa. Matured for 3 years in new Dominique Laurent “Magic Casks” (Troncais French oak barriques with thicker staves designed for the long aging of Shiraz), 2005 The Laird gives a deep garnet color and pronounced nose that shows savory and spice notes over the fruit, with aromas of hung meat, Peking duck, fertile loam, underbrush, tree bark, anise, cumin seed, menthol, dried roses and lavender over warm black cherries, crush blackberries and fruit cake. The tight-knit, full-bodied palate is very fine with a high level of silt-like tannins and crisp acid running through the concentrated fruit and savory flavors, finishing very long with lingering earth and spice notes. At 14.8% declared alcohol, this is by no means one of the biggest wines in the Barossa, but it is most certainly one of the best. It’s an absolute joy to drink now but it is recommended readers give it 4-5 years more in bottle to soften and marry and enjoy it to 2030+. |
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| | Bordeaux Red |
| Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte |
2020 |
Ch. Smith Haut Lafitte Pessac Leognan |
$139 |
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| | Bordeaux White |
| Ch. d' Yquem |
2001 |
Ch. d’ Yquem Sauternes (1.5 L) ex-Negociant |
$1,550 |
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| | Italy |
| Piero Antinori |
2021 |
Piero Antinori Solaia Ex-Negociant |
$350 |
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| | USA Red |
| Bella Oaks |
2021 |
Bella Oaks Proprietary Red |
$275 |
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| Hundred Acre |
2005 |
Hundred Acre Precious Cabernet Sauvignon |
$575 |
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| Ridge Vineyards |
2013 |
Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello (375 ML) |
$189 |
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| Schrader |
2008 |
Schrader CCS Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon |
$525 |
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2018 |
Schrader CCS Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vyd. Cabernet Sauvignon Bin-Soiled Label |
$339 |
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| Sine Qua Non |
2016 |
Sine Qua Non Dirt Vernacular Grenache Heavily Bin-Soiled Label |
$259 |
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