Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

The 2006 Bordeaux vintage. The vintage while wasn’t Bordeaux’s best, it certainly wasn’t one of its worst. It had the unenviable position of following a grand 2005 vintage. I think better than 2000, maybe 09 & 10? Jury is still out. The Bordelaise also got greedy and raised their prices from 05. That was a mistake when it came to selling the 2006 vintage and it laid another layer of bad taste in consumers minds.

I really enjoy Pichon Lalande’s style/craft. The 06 is good, not great. In fact, I enjoyed this better w/o the lamb.

The fruits are just ripe. Velvety, rounded M+ tannins. Brambly blackberries, dryish black plum, black cherries, black raspberries, strawberries, some raspberry hues, oak barrel shavings, graphite, dry soils, dry tobacco & leather, dry clay, soft but dark spice, some dry herbs, soft baking spices- clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, light milk chocolate, caramel hues, black tea, anise, some mid berry cola, dry & withering, dark & red flowers, violets, decent, round acidity, balanced, neatly structured/tensioned with an elegant finish that lasts just over 90 seconds and falls on dry earth and soft, dark spice.

Still acceding and has 15 plus yrs of good drinking ahead. Could make a case for rounding up to 93.

Paired w/ Grilled Rack of Lamb, Served with Rosemary Jus, Fondant Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli.

@EK148 — 9 days ago

Ira Schwartz

9.5

Keeps going from strength to strength.
One can easily be fooled by this champagne’s light texture but make no mistake about it, this packs a punch! Similar to my previous bottle in 2023 but with more power, .Almost too easy to drink. — 5 months ago

Vijay Parikh

9.4

With a four hour decant this bottle was brilliant! Notes of cedar, tobacco, cassis, dried blueberries it was an excellent accompaniment to the Matsuzaya beef — 10 months ago

Will Stanley

9.4

The 2015 Viña Ardanza is only the third vintage of this wine that I’ve tasted, yet it has quickly become perhaps my favourite Rioja - for quality, value, style, and sheer pleasure. This is a match for the brilliant 2010, with an outrageously pure and beautiful nose of balsamic paste, bitter orange, black cherry, fig and vanilla. The palate is supple but firm, quite dark in character, with a gorgeous medley of black and red fruits, perhaps slightly fuller bodied than the 2010, and carrying through to a long, bitter orange, tar and tobacco-laced finish.

This is just such superb stuff, and to say it sells for around £20-30 a bottle, it’s a cellar must. — 2 years ago

Tom Garland

9.7

+2 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment) A beautiful deep ruby red color. On the nose: Expressive nose captivates with dark red fruit, espresso, chocolate, floral, menthol, sweet tobacco. Taste: rich, round, intense wine with dark cherry/blackberry, minerals, cedar, tobacco, and a peppery-pencil lead-dried herb long dry finish. YUM! A brilliant wine just entering its drinking window with time to go. — 3 months ago

with Brenda

Vijay Parikh

9.0

1975 was one of the worst Burgundy vintages. This La Tache, light, aromatically brilliant, balanced with a weak mid palate and a non existent finish was still a good lunch wine. Slow oxed for 30 minutes prior to drinking — 5 months ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.8

Really just stunning. So nimble, so tight, so compact, so elegant. Brilliant! Didn’t taste the 89 sadly. — 8 months ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.8

Stunning as usual. Nose is dense almost like a pastry aromatic texture if that makes sense. Gorgeous green apple and some pear and huge minerals but you smell the opulence of 2022. Lots of brown sugar as well. Rich, energetic and just full of fruit. Huge fruit which is just brilliant here. So complex and concentrated with the fruit veering more towards fruit skin. Exquisite balance and drop dead purity. Wow this is clean. Stunning inner mouth aromas. Chewy and dense unreal depth. Finish leans saline and the juiciness keeps pumping the fruit skin, little bit of fruit flesh and unreal length that also has tiny accents of spice. Brilliant. What a finish. Lingers like a bad zit. I love 22, has all the opulence, but also all the minerality and all the energy. Brilliant. Ah wow, after 6+ hours open this is a delight. It’s so filigreed and elegant with sweet minerals and so much juiciness backed by the most unreal precision ever. — 4 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

When 05 MDT is on it’s hard to beat. An absolutely pristine bottle tonight, in color barely having aged a day, still markedly youthful with captivating aromatics, a powerful, voluminous and waxy textured palate that comes with age, racy lemony acids and crystalline minerality. There’s such tremendous weight and density in this vintage yet it’s still chiseled and focused in its delivery. Just brilliant tonight. Thunder mountain ftw 🥳 — 4 months ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course two hours. The 2023 Morgon (S) pours a brilliant ruby/purple color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart red fruits: strawberry, raspberry, cherry, a touch of bubblegum, red flowers, licorice, black pepper, a mix of cool spices and rocky minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. This is a more dense expression of Lapierre’s Morgon which isn’t a surprise considering the vintage. Quite lovely with chicken pâté. Drink now through 2037. — 8 months ago