David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

The best Phelps Napa I’ve had & had a ton. This 97 was stored perfectly & still just the other side of its peak. Balanced, lovely w/ nothing that bites back. Well worth the $75 or so that I paid. Likely around $25 on release. Now, 24 yrs in bottle better than some other Napa wines I’ve paid $150. The nose is also one of the better Napa Cabernet’s I’ve inhaled. Ruby; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, poached, dark cherries, spiced strawberries with raspberries hovering. Anise to black licorice, dark Indian/Asian spices, slightly dry tobacco, nutmeg, cinnamon, sandalwood, hints of sweet lead pencil shavings, dry & fresh herbaceousiness, charcoal, black tea, hints of menthol, dark, slightly withering florals, framed in lavender & violets.

The palate is lush, ruby, juicy fruits. Those that think fruit is lost at this age, not the case here and in many of the well stored wines I’ve had. Ripe & juicy; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, black plum, plum, poached, dark cherries, spiced strawberries with raspberries hovering. Anise to black licorice, tarry notes, some fig & dates, dark Indian/Asian spices, slightly dry tobacco, dry brush/twig, nutmeg, cinnamon, sandalwood, hints of sweet lead pencil shavings, dry & fresh herbaceousiness, charcoal, black tea, hints of menthol, moist volcanic clay, very fine, dry, crushed rocks, dark, slightly withering florals framed in lavender & violets, perfect acidity. The finish is outstandingly; knitted, tensioned, structured, layered, balanced for days that lasts minutes. Outstanding!!!

What a treat. The integration & evolution is epic & everything you hope for in every wine you open. You’ve heard of a velvet wine wrap in an iron fist. This is a velvet wine wrapped in a velvet glove. — 24 days ago

Adam Gäfvert

9.9

Delectable tells me I had this exact wine 205 weeks ago. I liked it a lot then and even more now. The wine is dialed up on all levels from perfumes, intensity, mouthfeel, texture and freshness. The core has this magical vibrancy that is so hard to desribe. It is a very noble. But it is unfiltered and there is some texture here and a mouth coating feeling that I love and i don’t remember from last time. Overall it is really impressive. One of the great wines of the world. — 12 days ago

Pooneet K

9.1

First opened a bottle of 2005 Darius II which was unfortunately corked. This was on the shelf next to it so we tried it. Neither are my typical style of wine but can’t deny the pleasure of the higher octane style. — 11 days ago

Ira Schwartz

9.5

Finally lost my Heitz MV virginity. One word, wow. The mint-eucalyptus was there on the nose. A very powerful wine that smelled powerful and tasted powerful. Besides the mint , hints of earth & cigar notes but clearly in the background. I was having a hard time trying to grasp how youthful and balanced the wine was on the palate. I found the fruit was on the darker side with lingering tannins. I left this in the decanter for three days. The nose really never diminished, the palate grudgingly. If I had to nitpick I felt it was lacking some of the complexity that I would have expected at this stage. — 8 hours ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.2

Very young, but quite approachable for a wine in its youth. Primarily Cabernet Sauvignon (84%) with additions of Malbec (4%), Petite Verdot (4%), Tannat (4%), Petite Syrah (2%) and Merlot (2%). Aromas and flavors of black currant/cherry/berry, chocolate, baking spices, black licorice and roasted nuts. Extremely long finish. Full bodied, nice texture and quite plush. Very silky tannins and wonderful mouthfeel. Will only get better with age. Thank you for bringing this bottle, James W. — 10 days ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Decant for sediment and pour(decent chunky/fine sediment). A remarkable dark purplish magenta with some bricking. On the nose: some plum, currants, herbaceous, baking spice, touch of tobacco and milk chocolate. Taste: creamy, balanced, savory wine with currants, tobacco, green bell pepper, spiced dark cherry, clove. YUM! — 11 days ago

with Brenda

Anthony Cammarata Jr.

9.3

Decanted for 2 hours. This dark colored Cabernet has a beautiful bouquet and is full of heavy flavors including oak, spice, tobacco, black cherry and plenty more. The more it sits the bigger the flavors become. A good Thanksgiving dinner choice. — 13 days ago

with Daniel

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish/brick rim.

Very complex nose with cedar, black fruits and vegetables.

Dry on the palate and fruit forward with great complexity.

Showing blackberries, black currants, plums, tobacco leaf, earth, dark coffee, chocolates, black pepper, black tea, bell pepper, Indian spices and vegetables.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 26 year old Cabernet Sauvignon is drinking very nicely now, although might be past its prime.

Feels like an aged Left Bank Bordeaux.

Loved the nose here, but needed an hour of airtime to open up. After 3 hours of airtime, more vegetable and earth notes show up.

Robert Parker 94 points.

Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food.

A blend of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.

13.9% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$150. — 8 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2001 vintage (great Napa cab year). Good, upper-shoulder fill. Dryish cork. Decanted with plenty of sed. Lots of color. Tasted immediately. Smoky plummy nose. Still medium-heavy body. Showing well with plenty of front-palate richness evident in the gums. Overt "oakiness" gone with only complimentary, flattering oak framing the composition at this point. A hint of tannins on the finish but you've got to know where to look. Summer-school hedonism. Slightly better than expected. 11.30.23. — 5 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

1992 vintage. Very, very close to Japanese auction market quality with fill, cork, capsule and label nearly immaculate. Decanted and tasted immediately and over the course of 3 hours. Expected amount of sed. What a ride! Having tasted this back in the day when first released, recalled an unusual (for this property) amount of richness in the frontal palate. Wasn't there initially but rolled in for a cameo approx 45 mins after decant. Then...vanished at the 1 hour open mark. First whiff of the nose was fresh, clay kitty litter. This morphed into graphite after 15-20 mins. Body was surprisingly light early on, then fattened up after 30-40 mins to medium status. Impressions were of a leaner effort, then things got positively jammy with unexpected fruit hither and yon. This remained for approx 1.25 hours, then the entire performance, body included, thinned out with their old-school, estate-expected, aged leather punch combined with dark-skinned fruit, mountain grip and a little touch of grey sea salt. No food involved during the experience. The 1991 Montelena Estate Cab is nearest and dearest but this following vintage was an absolute, palate-bending acid(ity) trip. Looking forward to the next trip...er...show. 11.25.23. — 10 days ago