Jan A

9.8

Sine Qua Non extended barrel age tasting — a month ago

Michael Fox

9.6

Beautiful cherry red, fun tannins with bright red fruit and interesting nose. — a year ago

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9.3

The 2019 Durfort-Vivens was matured in two-thirds new oak barrels and one-third in amphorae. Plush on the nose with blueberry and violet scents, this is Margaux in style though much tighter than I anticipated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fine delineation and poise. It's pretty delineated towards the finish that shows more mineralité than previous vintages. There is an appealing linearity here, a trait that Gonzague Lurton seeks in his wines. Excellent. Tasted at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2023)
— a year ago

CA Haynam

9.4

Huge fruity nose, totally opaque dark purple, tastes of red fruit - particularly raspberry with a hint of strawberry. Bold but not overwhelming tannins on the finish. Delicious. — 3 years ago

Mark Osmers

8.9

An impressive Cabernet Savignon from Paso. All the boldness I want with flavors of dark cherry and oak.

Surprised and delighted with this one!! — 2 months ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.4

Brambly, lots of red and purple fruit, berry fruit and hard candy, with an impressive granitic minerality. Juicy, aromatic and very good. Improved over 10+ days open — a year ago

Deborah M

9.2

This evening I met a couple of friends for a pop and pour, and I grabbed this bottle to open first because it was that kind of day. My word of the day immediately came to mind when I tasted this wine because it was that kind of delicious.

Cuvée Max is named after its head winemaker Max Himstedt. Rheihngau Germany is more known for Riesling, but the region also has spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). This wine is sourced from 80 year old vines. They say this wine is delicious and compelling, and they are not wrong.

German Pinot. Full stop, this wine is perfection. How am I just now learning about German Pinots?
@55 Seventy — 2 years ago

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9.6

Hailing from one of the premier sites in the Santa Lucia Highlands, planted in 1996, the 2022 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard is flat-out gorgeous. Beautifully rendered, it boasts generous fruit density, crystal-clear delineation of flavors and bracing structure. Fully destemmed, the 2022 finishes with a ton of persistence in its dark berry flavors, even darker cherry, black licorice and black sage. The 2022 leaves behind a fine web of powdery tannins, neatly wrapped up with a little bow on top, concentrated, effusive, and ready to rock. What a complete package. This may be the red wine of the vintage in the SLH. (Billy Norris, Vinous, August 2024)
— 4 months ago

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9.2

The 1970 Palmer is a vintage that I have tasted on several occasions, although recently, I have encountered some variation, including a rather rum example in 2015. The most recent example has an attractive tobacco-infused nose, perhaps more akin to a Saint-Julien than a Margaux. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm backbone, a slight dryness around the edges and fine salinity with lightly-spiced cedar and tobacco notes on the finish. This is a solid 1970 Margaux, though I would not keep it long-term. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2023)
— a year ago

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9.4

The 2011 Climens has a fresh, lifted, mineral-driven bouquet which has closed down a little. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh. A lively, tensile finish, with hints of stem ginger thatlinger on the aftertaste. This is drinking beautifully. Tasted at the Climens vertical at the château in April 2022. (Neal Martin, Vinous, August 2022)
— 2 years ago