Bob McDonald

9.2

See my previous note in February 2026. Very similar to now. This is fulsome and savoury at once - black cherry and raspberry. Very easy to like. Like a hypothetical blend of Syrah and Merlot. The herbal savouriness of Syrah with the softness of a supple Merlot. Made by Alvaro Palacios. Love the flamboyant Spanish label. — 22 days ago

PM

9.4

Served this 2005 Leoville Barton and a 2000 Lagrange for a group dinner. Both fantastic, very similar. — 10 days ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1/2 hour decant(decent fine sediment). A striking dark ruby red with bricking. On the nose: Captivating notes of dark fruit, forest floor, worn leather, mushroom, cigar, smoked meat, some bandaid(brett). Taste: silky, classic, elegant wine with dried red berries, currants, tobacco, saline, minerals and a cedar graphite long dry finish. YUM! What a thrill to drink tonight! — 13 days ago

with Brenda

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium deep garnet ruby with a narrow garnet rim . Dusty grafite , cedar and cassis , currants , oyster shell , quite deep and classic . On the palate this is quite dense and tannic still , deep dark cassis , herbal tinged cedar and very grafite tinged on the finish . Fresh acidity , but still good mid palate richness and even though the tannins are quite dry and grippy , this is well balanced and relatively generous . Good length on the classic grafite , oyster shell tinged finish. This didn’t need a lot of decanting time to show well , though it certainly changes and improves with time in the glass . Classic in style , but still quite generous for Latour , this is just reaching its drinking window , will continue at this level for another 5-10 years at least and probably more. — 11 days ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Dark ruby/ inky in color with a short purple rim.

Red and black fruits on the nose with cedar, chocolates, spices, tobacco, coffee and black pepper.

Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with sweet raspberries, cherries, black currants, black plums, cedar, licorice, chocolates, herbs, coffee, light earth, spices, tobacco leaf and light pencil lead.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This young Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is starting to drink beautifully now. Rich and easy drinking.

Fruit forward and complex, soft and smooth. Spicy and entertaining, powerful yet refined. Showing good balance albeit a little hot at the back of the throat, at this point.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 to 20 years and shows good potential to become a 94+ point wine.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with food.

A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot.

15% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$250. — 21 days ago

C Burwell

9.4

fruit party. Argentina beats Cape Verde in a nail biter — a month ago

John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

9.4

One of the best RDD wines we have had. Excellent balance. Just the right amount of oak. Super elegant. 13.5%. Very nice! — 5 days ago

Jan A

9.0

Too advanced. Light, acidic — 21 days ago

Gabriella Boros

10

A perfect wine. Balanced and complex. A gorgeous first hit of plum with a hint of cherry. So broad fruit at first but then settles on the tongue with a noise terror of tannin. No bitterness just smooth and lovely. Girgeous wine. 2010 vintage gift bottle from Donna and Anders — 14 days ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

I recently had a conversation with a few Joseph Phelps Ambassador’s at Pebble Beach Food & Wine in April. I said, I had every vintage of Insignia back to 2006 in storage. They said, “you should really drink up the 2006.” So, I coravined an 06 last weekend, a taste. I agreed then. But tonight not the case, it shows it still has a fair amount of life. Another 5-8 yrs and perhaps plus.

My Ribcap, a definition of Medium Rare Plus.

The nose reveals floral; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, dark cherries and blue fruit notes. Melted dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, softly layered baking spices, very underrated graphite, steeped tea, mid berry cola, red licorice, limestone powder, dry top soil, dry twig, red, dark candied to slightly withering florals w/ liquid violet cola.

The palate shows well resolved, rounded, velvety M+ tannins. Nicely ripe fruits that are floral; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, dark cherries and blue fruit notes. Melted dark chocolate, mocha, caramel river, softly layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanillin, warm caramel, dark Asian spices with palate burrowing heat, dry tobacco/ leather, cedar, grilled meats, very underrated graphite, sweet tarriness, black licorice, steeped tea, mid berry cola, red licorice, limestone powder, dry top soil, dry twig, red, dark candied to slightly withering florals w/ liquid violet cola, candied to withering; dark, red, blue florals wrapped in liquid violets, epic rainfall acidity, well balanced-structured-toned, elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls on earth & heated spice.

95-96 peaking. — 14 days ago

Christian Fischer

9.6

To close the evening we have an Yquem. Always a treat, never disappoints. The 2013 is still young with decades upon decades to go. The honey, the fruit, the endless flavor that lingers in your mouth forever - what a great wine. — 20 days ago

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.2

Very elegant wine that has found a lovely balance.
Long aftertaste and surely potential to keep going. — 15 days ago

GaryWEdwards

9.6

This is lovely wine and 10 years later, it’s still not quite ready for prime time. It’s a long runner so no real hurry. The cassis and cocoa will integrate with the dark berry eventually but I’m gonna let this rest another 5-10 years to enjoy as this vintage and this wine deserves. It’s very good now. Don’t get me wrong and it’s perfectly approachable but greater potential lies Ashe’s — a month ago

Brian Kostreba

9.0

Very good wine just not for me, I normally drink a lot of Napa valley wine and French wine. I’m not saying it’s a bad wine I’m just saying I guess I have a profile I enjoy more. I held the wine for 10 years, chilled and decanted for 1 hr, 1.5 hr, and then 2 hrs. I never experienced the normal oak, cigar, leather. You know all the taste profiles the pros mention. I enjoyed it but was still disappointed. I have one more bottle 2015 that I will drink in 2030. Maybe I’ll love it. I drank a younger bottle and really enjoyed it. It was almost overwhelming and hard to finish of course I was in las Vegas at a hotel enjoying the view from my hotel of the Bellagio fountains which made this spectacular both the wine and the view. Which was years ago but a special wine and a memory goes a long way. Especially when you get up in age. — 21 days ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.4

Deep crimson color. Aromas of blackberry, cocoa, dried rose and pepper. Blackberry on the palate, black cherry and clove on the finish. Aged well! — 19 days ago

with Chad

Mike Obley

8.9

Surprisingly good for a waek vintage — 11 days ago

Joel Lara

9.4

Upon opening, this seemed a bit disjointed, with muted fruit flavors and strong herbal notes. Decanting didn’t seem to help much, but day 2 it finally opened up nicely, with nice complexity and intensity on the palate. Cherry, raspberry, cassis, bay leaf, dried Italian herbs, anise, cloves, vanilla, cedar, earth, and balsamic notes all come through. Really tasty, but maybe a bit too intense. I can see this improving with a few more years of aging so the flavors coalesce and soften a bit more. — a month ago

Jason Gelman

9.4

first time dining at Chef Vola. 22 is incredible , a really powerful and complex food wine with a noticeably long finish. — a month ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

2000 vintage. Ancient. Otherworldly. Eternal and undying. The ultimate vampire wine. $101 a bottle resto cost. Picked up a 6-pack and we’ll see how it does. You either get it or you don’t. 7.8.26. — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a purple rim.

Beautiful nose and medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing red and black fruits with cedar, licorice, chocolates, herbs, light earth, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee and light green vegetables.

Spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This iconic Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Santa Cruz Mountains in California is still very young, but already delicious, even by itself.

Needs a few hours to open up properly, and will continue to age nicely in the next 30 years. Showing good potential to become a 95+ point wine.

A great sipping wine that paired beautifully with my Lamb chops.

A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Aged in American oak barrels for 20 months.

13.8% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$300. — a month ago