Tim O’Brien

9.3

Really good cab sav someone gave us for engagement, not bitter at all but still rich (in a good way) — 2 days ago

"Odedi"

9.6

Drinking this pre-release bottle of this iconic wine from Bordeaux.

Light gold in color.

Strong nose and Full-bodied.

Sweet on the palate with high acidity to balance the sugars.

Showing melons, tropical fruits, apples, light earth, guava, herbs, spices, papaya and honey notes.

Long finish with herbs and tropical fruits.

This is a gorgeous sweet wine from Bordeaux. Sexy, seductive and fresh. Creamy and buttery.

Showing great potential, but oh so young. Already delicious and complex. Round, opulent and powerful.

Loved the nose once it opened up (20 minutes in the glass).

Rich and extracted. Fruit forward and intense, yet elegant. Well balanced with a soft mouthfeel.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, or with food. Drunk from a Magnum.

A blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 24 months.
154 g/l sugar.

14% alcohol by volume.

96 points.

$500. — 4 months ago

Michael Dierberg

9.8

Tasting with a big fan of Rayas. Better than the 2010 and both bottles were so different than other CDP. This one more Burgundy, the 2010 closer to Bordeaux. Both very elegant. — 8 months ago

with JiaMin

KRISTIE

9.6

Inspired by the “Apotheca”, a mysterious place where some of the earliest wine was blended and stored, Apothic wines offers a truly unique wine experience.

A red blend emerges from the flames, creating a most unexpected and masterful encounter.

Paying tribute to a time-honored craft, this wine has been aged for 60 days in whiskey barrels, creating bold notes of red and dark fruit with layers of maple and spice. — 3 years ago

Deborah M

9.3

Day 2. Different is trending here. Did a little digging and pulled this gem.

The 2009 Viña Tondonia Reserva, a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho and 5% each Mazuelo and Graciano, matured in used American oak barrels for six years.

Elegance and value. Lively and fresh. Lot’s of life left for this one. Not a bad start for the year.
— 3 years ago

Julio Vides

9.0

Feels very rich and blueberry end flavor — 5 years ago

Richard Portes

9.1

17+ very rustic, both nose and palate. Fruit still good, But from my recollection, previous bottles were better. I have 2 more, so we’ll see. — 6 years ago

Matt Stemple

9.8

I really liked it. Smooth easy to drink. Can taste the subtleties of the bourbon barrels. 16% alc/vol without harsh alcohol burn. 2016 vintage. — 7 years ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2022 vintage. Medium-heavy body. Needs time/patience but shows pretty well currently if you're out of either/both. 6.3.26. — 25 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Presented to me double-blind. The wine pours a dull purple/garnet color with a translucent core and significant rim variation, moving towards a rust color. The wine has medium viscosity with light staining of the tears and signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of cassis, dried blackberries, dried red and purple flowers, old leather bound books, tobacco, a touch of menthol, some earth, old wood and a sprinkle of warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Super high quality but a touch thin.

Initial conclusions: Due to the observable characteristics of color, rim variation, sediment, smell and flavor, I think this wine has significant age; 30+ years. However, this is still very alive and showing more than enough markers to give an indication of place. Subsequently, this could be a Cabernet-based blend or a Tempranillo-based blend from the United States, France, or Spain. For me, I’m getting new French oak vibes instead of American so I’m eliminating Spain. I also think this leans more towards its fruit than its structure and since this comes across a little on the thin side, I’m going to say this comes from a tougher vintage. My final conclusion is this is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from the USA, Napa, 1981. Wow! This showed really well.

It never ceases to amaze me how analogous the 1981 vintage was in both Napa and Bordeaux. I find it equally amazing how well that vintage has held up; particularly when considering its poor reputation, mostly based on the prevailing thought at the time. From my perspective, well stored examples are not going to fall off of a cliff but I would drink now through 2031. — 5 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.5

I tasted the 1982 Lynch-Bages twice within a month, both at a private dinner in London and at the château, from bottle and double-magnum on separate occasions. Both vindicate an exceptionally fine 1982, perhaps a bit overlooked in a vintage full of stars. Curiously, the bottle in Bordeaux does not fully deliver the mesmerizing freshness and energy compared to the bottle in London: pencil-lead-tinged black fruit intermixed with clove and freshly-rolled tobacco. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, perhaps just a little austere compared to its peers. Yet, indeed, the bottle in London exudes class and composure with a detailed, mineral-driven vintage belying that year's unseasonably warm period. Superb. Tasted both in London at a private dinner and at the château. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2023) — 3 years ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.0

Deep ruby color. Aromas of blackberry jam, baking spices and tobacco. 15.5% AVB… strong spices on the palate, jammy middle, cigar finish. — 4 years ago

The Pretentious Gentleman

9.1

Not really a "purist" wine but who cares?... Those guys are a bunch of Jackwagons. It's best to not think of this as a wine and more as a delightful hybrid alcoholic beverage. It is really obvious that the bourbon barrels are heavily influencing the flavor here and that is right up my alley. I wouldn't want every wine to be like that but what this one does, it does well. It's really in a completely different category than a straight-up Zin and should be judged accordingly. — 5 years ago

Michael Miller

9.1

Smooth and elegant. Acidic w mineral and white pepper notes w just a touch of Brett. I imagine this is what Syrah tasted like 100 years ago. 😊🙏🍷 — 7 years ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.6

Slight younger looking , a little more ruby both in the core but still mostly garnet rim.
This is high toned slightly redder fruit , less dense than the preceding 3 . Cherry , red plum , cedar, seaspray . On the palate this is again quite elegant and refined , cherry , red plum some cassis , red plum , cigar box . Not overly weighty with perhaps a little less noticeable tannin than some of the others . Long vibrant , spicy grafite tinged finish . Very elegant , reserved and I suppose very Lafite , this grows during the experience but was actually voted in last place by the group , that somehow doesn’t surprise me, at the end of the day one wine did have to come last, and this was relatively discreet only showing its real breeding and class with time in the glass. Needs time , but is very promising , probably another 5-10 years (as with almost all the others ) , will last well a further 20 if not more . The elegance and style of this wine is fantastic , this really grows in the glass . Had to be Lafite for me . Bronze medal here . — 2 months ago

Matt Schwartz

9.4

Fantastic out of a magnum, normally don’t like Zin but this is a special wine. Both dark and red fruits, medium tannins, very expressive. Not jammy at all. Delicious for thanksgiving. — 7 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Leaner than the El Puntido. This is more classic Tempranillo. Drier & earthier.

Beautiful wine. Ripe, juicy & slightly candied & floral fruits of; mid to dark cherries, black raspberries, black raspberries, dry blue berries. Cherry cola, dry tobacco w/ ash, dry leathery, barrel staves, muddy herb mix, dark, dry spices, steeped, sun tea, mid; clove, nutmeg, vanilla, limestone minerals, crushed limestone/dry rocks, dry flowers that are black, red w/ dry lavender, round, high acidity with a high, dry tannin finish that falls on to the wild, dry, earthy, wildest finish that is balanced for many minutes.

Paired this with/ a dry rub tri-tip and a burgundy marinaded Cardiff Crack tri-tip. Both very different and enjoyable, but liked the dry rub with the Rioja.

Photos of, my visit to the Bodega, old oak vats that are decades old, neutral wood that is still used as of 2015 when I visited & been repaired endlessly, old wood press and tasting room outside their cellar/tasting room. — 2 years ago

"Odedi"

9.6

#AgedWineTuesday

Here is a fabulous 99 point wine by Robert Parker.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Great nose of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, earth, vanilla, Mediterranean spices, espresso, cola, light herbs, chocolates, tobacco and black pepper.

Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black cherries, figs, cedar, chocolates, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, herbs, light earth, cola and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley.

Showing nice balance and a great mouthfeel. Round and rich. Elegant and smooth.

This 22 year old still has a lot of power in it, and will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 10 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime.

So soft and powerful, with a great nose. This is a gorgeous wine right now.

A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 24 months.

13.9% alcohol by volume.

96 points.

$250. — 3 years ago

Deborah M

9.3

Alluring is the best word that I can come up with to describe this one. Youthful, fresh, complex and approachable. Red fruit — both sour and tart. The tannins and acidity are well in balance. So glad I have a few more because I see this improving over the next several years. — 6 years ago

Clifford Hanchett

9.0

Absolutely a very good red blend. The flavor is outstanding. Will definitely stock up on this. — 7 years ago