Shuhui Ng

9.0

Opens up nicely to ripened blackberries, cinnamon, cloves. Light bodied, in acidity, moderate tannins and acidity — 9 days ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.3

Wow. Served blind.
This certainly is one of the lushest and richest 2002s I ever tasted. No green streak or whatsoever, only a perfect pinch of rusticity. Dark fruit, mossy forestfloor, sandalwood and spice.
Beautiful. — a month ago

ESF

8.9

Overpriced exotic white blend from Sonoma: you get a bunch of that Malvasia nose, very floral, fennel, herbs, citrus-y, silky on palate, nicely integrated acidity - more austere on palate, lean/angular, herbaceous green edged, but w/decent power — 2 months ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Tasted blind. Dark tawny color. Mostly translucent. Very floral. Notes of black cherry, cherry cola, mocha, and some prominent eucalyptus that I pick up. Great fruit and acidity to match. Some are in Bordeaux land with their guesses, I go with 91 Heitz Martha's VIneyard. I'm on a roll. Awesome to partake in an old 78 in in such great condition. Thanks Larry! One of my favorite reds of the day. — 3 months ago

Alyssa Sheets Wolf

9.5

Simply delicious. Quintessential Napa Valley cab: chewy, weighty, leather, black fruit, but with finesse. A joy to savor with a braised Italian beef short rib dinner in celebration of my husband’s promotion! — 24 days ago

with Grayson

Nicolas Greinacher

9.7

Tasted blind. It was evident that this was mature Bordeaux at its finest quality level from an excellent vintage. The absence of brettanyomces and a right bank aroma profile pointed towards Lafleur or Petrus. Deliciously ripe and dried red fruits mingle with black truffle, cocoa powder, forest floor and cigar box. Gently caressing the palate, the 1970 Château Petrus delivers a full-body, velvety tannins, a core of dried red fruits and a long, lingering finish. Probably slightly past it's peak, but still spectacular. Drink now. — 2 months ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Tasted blind. Dark tawny color, totally opaque. Odd nose that has everyone shrugging what this could be. Notes of black fruit, spice, roses, some tar. I'm in Italy and drag a few others into similar guesses as my 89 Giacosa Falleto Riserva. Lot's of "wows" when it's revealed this is old Pauliac. This performed well through the day, it's in solid shape. The Bordeaux descriptors are easier to figure out once the label was revealed. — 3 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.7

The 1996 Lafite-Rothschild is the strongest wine from the First Growth in that decade. This bottle, served blind and ex-château in Bordeaux, is so precociously backward that I estimate it to be half its age. Blackberry, cedar and graphite are here as usual, though this bottle has even more intensity than the one served at the estate in 2018. The palate is brilliantly balanced with fine tannins and very intense graphite-infused fruit; there's just a touch more fruité on the finish. Superb. (Neal Martin, Vinous, January 2023) — 11 days ago

vinokeeno

9.4

1986 vintage. Tasting like it was nearish the top on the downward slope. Unified palate push. That great old Bordeaux nose. Light-medium body. Ullage appropriate. The feminine characteristics that are the lifeblood of this producer almost completely absent with this bottle. Had this been blind, woulda speculated this to be a 1985-1989 upper-crust St. Julien. All that said, still very very nice. The near-perfect 1989 specimen tasted a little more than a week ago reminded me more of the previous encounters with the 1986 than this encounter with the 1986. — 2 months ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Tasted blind. Dark purple and opaque. Black fruit, barnyard, earth and gravel. Having had this 20+ times including not that long ago, I should have been able to pick this out. But we're all nearing our the useful end of our tasting abilities and the reveal leads to, "Of course it is". The condition of this 85 LB was much better than others I've had recently - clearly has much life left for it if the bottle conditions are similar. — 3 months ago