Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.6

The best nose by far so far. Crunchy and precise. Chewy mineral and fruity mid palate. Tingling and elegant finish. — a day ago

Brito

9.5

Bebido em 2024. L: the best — a month ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

8.9

1986 vintage. Ripped through six bottles (one corked) for a 1986 BDX dinner @ Mister A's-San Diego. All bottles appropriately aged fill and decent+ corks. Double decanted and tasted over the course of 5 hours. Mix of powdery and stubborn (non-chunky) sed amongst the 6 bottles. Light-medium body throughout. Somewhat muted experience overall. None of the bottles (with variation) shone/sung. Wine is firmly on the downside of the bell curve with best days behind it (based on the 5 + corked bottle examples). There was none of the usual P-L flavor markers but the body hung in there. Pains me to say this but drink up now unless you've got a larger format bottle. Maggie (+) would probably yield a higher score. 3.14.24. — a month ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Had to try it. Used to love their work prior to 2012. After that, their style changed to picking at higher brix levels thus creating a much sweeter profile. SS was one I’d hoped they’d left alone and they did not. Not quite as sweet as their regular Cabernet but sweeter than before. I made the pitch to the property to make Caymus Classic along side their new sweeter style wines. The 94 Special Selection was one of their best. — 18 days ago

Dennis Mendiola

10

Best best with steak ! Had it at Prime in Ventura CA — a month ago

Adam Kincaid

9.1

Birthday year wine for me! Might not be the best Tig vintage, but nothing to scoff at. The ‘88 is getting to be almost last prime, this time bottle showing well. Rusty red with strong aromas of cigar box, leather, and pencil shavings. Drinks slightly thin, and im not getting much fruit. Still, it’s tasty and a special vintage to me. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Flight #2 of our 1997 Retrospective and these were the thoroughbreds. Presented single-blind; no formal notes. Wine #2 had great color, was developing, fresh, focused, balanced; great structure. One of those glasses of wine you didn’t want to end and, for me, a tough call for favorite of the flight along with Wine #1. I vacillated between this being Dominus or Monte Bello; ultimately calling the former. This is in a beautiful phase of life. Monte Bello is one of those wines that needs decades to show its best. Drink now through 2040. — 3 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

1998 not the best Napa Cabernet vintage. However, good producers still find their way through difficult vintages. Joseph Phelps is the rule rather than the exception.

This was poured out of magnum and drinking beautifully by their Hospitality Manger.

Nicely ripe, lush juicy fruits of blackberries, blackberries, both plums, some purple & blue fruits. Dash of spice & lead pencil, anise-black licorice, soft baking spices, caramel notes, some dark chocolate, fresh dark flowers, round acidity and a well balanced, softened structure & tension, elegant, nicely evolved finish that lasted a full minute. — 16 days ago

Conrad Green

9.6

Really pure and light and lifted. Soft floral notes and a steely spine underpinning it. Long and tense and perfectly balanced with a purity and deftness that is gorgeous. The best 96 I’ve had from them. — a month ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

Vino Joe

9.3

Not the best Haut Brion. Very tight. Lots of sediment and lots of time needed for this to even start to open up. Decanted 4+ hours. Dense and thick. Ripe dark fruit. Strong earthiness. I liked it but it never found the top gear. — 2 months ago