David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

This small Calistoga producer falls largely under the radar. I am thankful. The 12 vintage brings such fruit. However, this 12 Sisters rides the fence of 12 & 13. Shows dark currents, concreted mouthfeel in addition to its ripe, rich opulence.

The nose ascends with rich dark, purple, blue fruits, dark spice, violets framed in lavender for days.

The palate is ripe, ruby, lush, concentrated fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, boysenberries, very dark cherries, creamy raspberries, in & out strawberries & blueberries. Big, heated, dark spice-box, round, meaty, sweet tannins cigar ash, led pencil, tarriness, anise, moist, fresh tobacco, black licorice & cola, dark, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, vanilla, rich soil w/ dry leaves, dry, crush rocks/limestone, dry herbs-bay leaves, sage, parsley, notes of eucalyptus bark shavings, tree bark w/ hints of sap, touch of black sandalwood to barrel shavings, pepper, moist, volcanic clay, fresh & withering; dark, purple, red, blue floral bouquet framed in violets & lavender, excellent acidity with a lush, rich, big, round & meaty structure, still shows great tension, well balanced with endless polish & finish. 10 years of life ahead…properly stored. Wine post 4,600.

Such a deal at the Benchmark Bin Sale. @Paul T- Huntington Beach if you find any of this, just tell me about em, don’t buy em. 😂🤥 — 6 months ago

Ryan M

9.6

WOW at first pour this was incredibly smooth. After 2 hours this tastes like one of the best cabs I’ve ever had. Dark red, tart raspberries, cinnamon, spice box, cherry early but subsided over the decant, clove, pine tree, chocolate early, french oak intensified over the hours. — 6 years ago

with Larissa

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.4

Deep and dark garnet red with bricking on the edges. Real depth on the nose; lots of smoky notes, cigar box, tobacco leaves, broken branches, earthy dustiness, truffles, forest floor, damp leaves, and light red currants. A bit of stinkiness but not off-putting. Moderate silky tannins (6.5/10) and very well integrated with tons of red fruits as well as unsweetened dark cocoa, twigs, tree bark and a rustic earthiness. Full bodied and well rounded, no sharp edges. More red cherries at the end of the palate with a little vegetal note in the long and lingering finish. Mouth is definitely salivating at the finish too, great acidity. Drink till 2021. — 7 years ago

with Sean and India

Marshall Todd Herron DPM

10

Tim Mondavi’s master piece! This is my 2014 Continuum. One word: FANTABULOUS! Sage mountain vineyard in 2014 was incredible for cabernet! This is the best cab Ive had all year! Who says you dont always get what you pay for? 225 dollars of pure ecstasy in a glass! Wow. Fig newton dipped in grape jelly on the nose. Dark berries fill the palate followed by black pepper and dark chocolate . It is as velvety smooth as it gets. The oak and tree moss come through on the finish with a slight tingle on the corners of the lips and cheeks. The finish is dry and lingers with even more complexity! Cigar box, mineral rich soil, Black licorice, and grape jelly again! Goodness. I have been waiting on this one for a long time and I am so glad it is as good as I thought it would be. I just wish I had someone to share it with!!! — 2 years ago

Lauren Wise

10

Got this for $3.99 at the 99 cent store. It tastes like a $25 bottle of wine. SCORE. — 6 years ago

Paul Secombe

9.0

Lovely rich and complex Coonawarra red blend ... my only regret?? Not buying more of it when I had the chance! — 6 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I've been curious about this wine for some time. The original 05 Ausone review from Parker was revised and one would think it was at the request of the Chateau. Parker's 💯 point review started something like this...if you are over the age of 55, you'll want to decide if you want to buy this this wine. Largely, due to his call on it's years of drinkability; which was from 2055-80. Parker's review was mysteriously revised within two months of it's original review. Tonight, I Coravin-ed this tasting of the Chapelle D'Ausone. The 05 Chapelle D'Ausone is still very big & tight but starting it's journey into a decent drinking phase. The tannins are still chewy and dark. The fruits are; ruby blackberries, dark cherries, a mix of blue fruits, strawberries paint the back palate, dark & milk chocolate, caramel, Christmas cake, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, spice-box, black tea, a whiff of green bell peppers, irony minerals, loamy soils, tree bark, a touch of leather, lead pencil shavings, dry stems, dry stones & dark moist soil. The acidity is perfect. The structure, length, balance and tension flirt with glory. The finish runs ripe to dry fruit and the minerals are rich with a dark elegance that lasts and lasts. As good as this wine is tonight, I'll put this bottle back; which is 1 of a 6 pack and wait another 7-10 years to reopen it. Both of Ausone's 05 wines are meant for most collectors end of life or meant to be left for their children. — 7 years ago

Brandon Boesch

9.7

The nose is fantastic. We made lamb stew and got our Christmas tree today and the nose is really fresh like the tree. There is definite pepper, cedar, fresh herbs, a hint of paprika, some other light spices, and a touch of fruit jam. Palate still has strong tannin but it is much more round than I’d expect on those, but fitting merlot domination from Napa. Tons of herbs, a bit of cigar box, dark fruits some dried apricot and dried flowers. I like this better than the nv9. It’s such an amazing value for Napa Bordeaux style. — 3 years ago

Severn Goodwin

9.2

Nose has ripe black cherry, tree bark (light), mashed fresh red cherry, red licorice (red vines) and maybe hints of red currant/ripe red raspberry.

Palate has under-ripe cherry, mild cedar box, mild dry green herbs, under-ripe blackberry and mild creamy oak on the tale end of the medium finish. Tannins have light grip, but make themselves aware. This needs a few years to come together. Decanted about 2 hours.

We're enjoying our first fire in the chimenea on this cool late summer evening, just one of many to come the rest of the year.

24 Hour Update: More towards ripe black cherry and less towards the cedar notes tonight, more relaxed and in a better mood with extended air. — 5 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

Wow. This comes from Chris's estate outside his house. It's all dry farmed. Extremely low yields. It's entire yield is only 8 barrels. The fruit is so concentrated. Featured in the photos is; Chris and my wife Sofia, grapes from the property and his olive trees on his estate. His olive trees only yield one 375ml bottle per tree. This 09 is easy to drink but it's a still a baby...easily a 30 year plus wine. Words cannot describe the nuances in this wine. The elegant beauty & beast. It's mouthfeel so big and still so inviting. Luring you in layer by layer. It's starts with baked blue fruits, dark cassis, blackberries, blueberries, black cherries, black plums, layers of asian spice, spice-box, tarry notes. The tannins big yet silky. Slightly bitty but beautiful minerals from the clay, schist, quartz, and loamy top soils. The finish so good but my thoughts drifted to think about how good it's going to be in 10 more years. Chris tells me he has to spray the vines 4-6 times a year with an organic seaweed spray to hold down the acidity. I can't wait to try this wine at 20 years of age. I'm sure it will be close to a religious experience. As many great tastings that I've done, it's hard not to say this one is in the top three. Thank you Chris for sharing your time, knowledge and these amazing wines. It was an honor! — 7 years ago