Jan A

9.6

Soft and round, a point for my palate.

I've had limited experience with first growths until now and I always was blown away by how young these first growths presented themselves (70's/80's). Most were much older than the 1996 of today, so I was pleased to see that this was so approachable. — a month ago

Alan Weinberg

9.5

bought on release, given away compared to current pricing, opened tonight. Gorgeous wine from the get go with room to run, super nose of iron, a bit of meat, licorice, dark fruit, all echoed on the palate, dark fruit and plum, hints of smoke, just gorgeous. Silky palate. Wife rarely has more than a glass or so, but tonight kept pace with me the entire bottle, emptied too quickly. 91 reds are a forgotten vintage, far better than considered when released in the shadow of 90. — 4 years ago

B

10

1990 Chateau Rayas. Opened and poured right away. Drank this after the 1990 Guigal La Turque and 1990 Chave. This was by far the winner. Elegant, feminine, burgundy-esque. Absolutely perfect. — 5 years ago

Carlos E Duran

9.0

Opens up with floral, strawberry and red berries notes. Upon first taste some strawberry and subtle watermelon, nice acidity going. Medium body and leaning towards the dry spectrum of wines. A bit of a bite at the end but not offensive. Perfect summer wine, had it alongside some fresh ceviche — 6 years ago

Matthieu Michon

9.4

Loads of dark fruit, beautiful nose, complex wine but still a good five years away from being in the right place! — 7 years ago

Tom Garland

8.9

2 hour decant (decent sediment). Not a hyped year, but who cares its Friday!!. A glorious dark ruby red. On the nose: ahhhhhh the Margaux floral hits right away along with cherry, current, cinnamon. Taste: blackberry, plum,smoke, cedar... tannins a little bitter and not the structure I would expect....need to see how this opens up further? — 7 years ago

with Brenda

Greg Gregory

9.7

Great bottle. Fresh, fruit, stunning color, just a few ticks away from being a perfect bottle. — 7 years ago

with Fritz

Bob Eisenbach

9.4

Tannins have melted away leaving a well balanced and structured wine with good mid palate weight although the fruit has faded a bit. Perhaps would have been even better a few years ago but drinking beautifully now. — 3 months ago

David Kline

9.5

Jamaica allspice submerged in black cherry, black raisin, African violets, red roses, cooked poppyseed, grilled, wine marinated steak with rosemary garnish. The palate is silky with medium mouthfeel and stealthy tannic hooks are whisked away like burrs and prickles on a satin sock. Sweet Connecticut wrap of tobacco is assisted by a minute mocha and black peppercorn. This took a while to open, surprisingly, but well worth the wait!


#sassicaia #marchesiincisadellarochetta #bolgherisassicaia #1999 #tenutasanguido #bolgheri #vinorosso #italianwine #imbottigliatoallOrigine #italia #supertuscan — 4 years ago

David Nicewicz

9.6

Magical Dom for beach weekend in Phuket. Bottle was a little concerning as the cork came out a bit too easily and no pschttt. However the nose revealed right away that this was going to be special. Almost toffee and brioche notes on both the nose and the palate. Classy, complex with caramel and burned sugar notes, but almost weightless. Will remember this one for a while — 5 years ago

Stas Medvedev

9.4

🏅 Rating 94+/100 (4,45⭐)

This is my 3rd and the last bottle over the past year. It definitely sits at its plateau now and fully awake. Difficult to say when the drinking window will close down. ⁣
⁣
Lots of energy and precision. Cabernet Sauvignon dominant. Perfumed black currant jam with leaves. Complex tertiary aromas make a beautiful bouquet. Balance of tannins, fruits and acidity at its perfection. Tannins have soften but not yet faded away.⁣
⁣
Undoubted 2nd Growth quality. — 6 years ago

Vijay Parikh

9.6

Signature Richebourg withAsian spice and forest floor but somewhat short in length. Blown away by the 1990 tonight — 7 years ago

Greg Wright

9.2

Dark red fruits, charcoal and rosemary. Tannins have melted away and acidity is well balanced. Not as deep and complex as the magnum I had a couple months back. Good but not great. Perhaps just an “off” bottle?? — 7 years ago

Kirk F

9.4

Blown away. Young but evolved beautifully over 3 hours. — 7 years ago

Mark Howard

9.3

Ok, first thing- thank you Rick Banks for the gift of this bottle. Secondly, we have an affinity for this producer as Elizabeth and I shared a bottle of pinot from Hartford Court on the night we met. Now about the wine. Bold blue fruit aromatics with a hint of licorice. Mid palate shows some red fruits mainly raspberries. Soft tannins fading away to a sweet finish. Not many domestic pinots have life after 8 years, this one definitely does. Best to consume sooner than later, maybe over the next year or so. What a wonderful treat. Thanks my friend! — 8 years ago

with Elizabeth

John Jaye

8.9

It probably would have been better a few years ago, but still a good drink. Still some tannins, but they went away as it had time to breathe — 7 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.2

The 2004 Léoville Las Cases has a noticeable mintiness on the nose that actually complements the red fruit, though it deviates away from what you might call Saint-Julien typicité. After ten minutes, it coheres with ash and black tea aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a rounded texture on the entry. The 2004 shows fine acidity and is lightly spiced with cracked black pepper towards the finish. A little conservative, but it acquits itself well considering the vintage. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 2 years ago

Matt

9.7

🔥🔥🔥. Old-school, brawny Cornas with an obvious Chaillot imprint. Granite, woodsmoke, ash, savory spice, pepper, leather, truffles, dried black fruit, menthol, graphite. The minerality is profound. Tannins and acid match the cooler vintage, firm and postured but incredibly textural. Cork was perfect. Day 2 is meat, soy, cocoa, and a juicier fruit profile coming through. The whole cluster had shed away and the umami is really showing. Glad to see this drink this well tonight! — 4 years ago

Sean Sims

8.9

Wow, jam, dark stone fruit. Deep purple rim. A pleasure to drink as I grill — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I bought 3 or 4 bottles of the 06 Heitz Napa. I think this is my first bottle. I either have none or one left. Better gets notes tonight! I think I gave others away. What was I thinking? Wine is meant to be shared.

What is better than paying around $33 for a bottle of wine, forgetting about it for twelve years and having it blossom on your palate the way it is tonight? This is a prime example of two things; you don’t need to spend a hundred(s) for a really good bottle of wine and their is absolutely no substitution for appropriate cellaring time.

The nose reveals; steeped, dark fruit wading in fruits of ripe/ruby; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, baked, black plum & strawberries, hovering raspberries with pomegranate, light liqueur notes. Mild alcohol vapors, black licorice, sweet tarriness, mixed dark fruit cola/licorice, mid, dark spices, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, saddle-wood, graphite, dark rich souls, forest floor with dry leaves, dry crushed rocks, dry twigs, tree sap, mint/eucalyptus, soft leather, dry tobacco with ruby, brilliant, fresh & withering, candied; dark, red, purple florals with a field of violets.

The body is, rich, ruby and creamy with fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, baked, black plum & strawberries, hovering raspberries with pomegranate that shows light liqueur notes. Mild alcohol vapors, black licorice, dark, steeped, black , assorted fruit teas, sweet tarriness, mixed dark fruit cola/licorice, mid, dark spices, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanilla, caramel, mocha, saddle-wood, graphite, savory grilled meats, dark rich souls, forest floor with dry leaves, moist clay & top soil, dry crushed rocks, dry twigs, tree sap, mint/eucalyptus, hints of Provence herbs, soft leather, dry tobacco with ruby, brilliant, fresh & withering, candied; dark, red, purple florals with a field of violets. The acidy is like a cool waterfall on a warm day. The beautiful, elegant, extremely well knitted balance is in the realm of “forget about it”. Sometimes the right wine, when it’s right, moves the entire body. Such as it is tonight.

The tension, structure, length and balance have just hit their high point and will remain there for another five years into a slow decline over the next 10-15 years, stored impeccably.

This might be the best Napa Heitz I’ve bought & stored. It’s stunning and way over delivering its price point. One complex wine!!!

Photos of; Heitz Winery, tasting bar, tasting room garden patio and the Hwy 29 signage for the tasting room with the valley floor vines that surround their tasting room. — 6 years ago