David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

I tasted this at cork pull and it looked & tasted a bit brickish. Waited to decant but it still needed a hour in the decanter. 97 a great Napa vintage. Well stored bottle bought from auction.

The fruits are lush, velvety & ruby; blackberries, black plum, plum pudding, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries & blueberry hues. Dark chocolate, mocha, salted caramel, malt balls on the long decant, black licorice, there is a touch of v/a-bandaid but it’s not spoiling and dissipates some in time, dusty to slightly moist top soil, olive tapenade, herbaceous notes, soft, dark spice, half used, dry tobacco w/ ash, sandalwood, moist, grey volcanic clay, limestone, dry crushed rocks, notes of black pepper, candied, liquid, fresh & mostly withering, dark, red, purple flowers, very round acidity and a very well balanced, tensioned, nicely structured and a smartly polished, round finish that lasts two-minutes.

Second wine to pair with/ Allen Brothers Cover Ribs. — 12 days ago

Eric

9.4

My last -05 went with an Allen Brothers dry aged bone in roast. Incredible wine with plenty of road ahead. Bright rusty red fruit. The roast was amazing and blew more funk than any meat I’ve ever had. Great pairing. — 3 years ago

Mark Mannebach

9.0

Cherry raspberry tones and still some acidity in 2014 — 4 years ago

Ericsson

9.3

Proper Napa Cab in all senses. — 5 months ago

Brett Banfield

9.1

Solid but don’t wait to drink it. 2008 on March 20th, 2022. Dusty leather on the nose, nice age. Dark fruit flavors w a hint of cherry in the finish with some late acidity. — 2 years ago

with Bobbi and Darby

James Rosenheim

9.0

With Nathanael. Bottle #2 of the case from brothers Dan and Andrew.
Wonderful with pasta and a medley of eggplant, onion, green tomatoes, and garlic, sautéed in olive oil. — 3 years ago

Luciana Barros

10

Loved with the soul!!
Full body, thick and juicy, deep in colour...
Deep and ruby, pronounced aroma, dark berries, plum, spices!! — 4 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

There are good steak wines and then there are steak WINES! Not that this is the best wine or steak wines I’ve had. It was simply birthed for steak. Allen Brothers Strip Steak. Seasoned with coarse Garlic Salt/ Pepper and Napa Valley Rub from wholespice.com. If you haven’t had your steak this way, my highest recommendation. The fat & gristle are perfect w/ the 08 Belle-Vue. If you olive oil, heavy coarse salt & pepper your bake potato at 475 for an hour & a half, you’ll discover how great, crispy/crunchy/complex a potato shell can be. Older Bordeaux can be good on its own but with beef or lamb, it’s just a marriage made in heaven. Here’s the rub for my friends & I, we can’t find a steak better than we make. That’s what the Covid years firmed up for us. The 08 vintage was saved with late good weather. It sits somewhere between the good and very good vintages. Drinks better earlier than great to grand vintages. Slightly over achieving its young critical reviews.

The palate shows; drier dark currents-blackberries, black raspberries, black plum dark, not quite ripe cherries, raspberries edges. Dark chocolate baking bar (that’s what French oak does), lead pencil shavings, dark rich earth with dry leaves, limestone powder, dry river stone, dry tobacco, chewy leather, dark, intense spices, nutmeg, some cinnamon, vanillin, caramel hues, saline, fresh & withering, dark, purple flowers with lavender hues, nice acidity with a well structured & balanced, rounded meaty tannin, floral finish that lasts minutes. Medoc is always the place to look for nice wines with value…even better in excellent vintages. Even better in 5 years.

It has another 10 years plus of good drinking ahead properly stored. — 8 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

In 1879, 2 brothers decided to set up a wine business, C.V.N.E., Compañía Vinicola del Norte de España (Northern Spanish Wine Company) or la Cuné, as it is commonly known in Haro, was created and still kept in traditional neighborhood of Haro station today. Deep Ruby with ripe berry aromas and complex spices, 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo. On the palate blackberry, cherry and sweet currant with herb, leather and pepper spice. Fine tannins, well balanced good depth and structure on a long finish. — 4 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

If I am having an Allen Brothers Ribcap, I am also opening a good bottle of Bordeaux.

The 08 Bordeaux vintage goes down in the record books as good not great. This is not nearly as good as the 2000 I had a few years back...one of the few 10’s I’ve scored since starting to write notes. However, it does drink better earlier than 2000.

Ten years in bottle was just the right amount of time to check in on this 08. It will continue to improve over the next 5-7 years and hold another 8-10 years with proper storage.

With the first sip, it was elegant, refined and showing it is Latour’s close relative. My next thought was how good it will be with the Ribcap. Good on its own but, even better with steak.

It shows classic Bordeaux style. Just ripe fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, plum, dark cherries, hints of blue & purple fruit. The tannins nicely round and velvety. The structure, tension, length & balance are just starting to hit their groove. Black licorice, black tea, stones, dry loamy topsoil, dark rich earth, less pencil shaving, soft leather, understated baking spices with withering; dark, red and blue florals. The acidity was nicely executed. The finish is; stunning, elegant and very well balanced with excellent persistence.

Photos of; Chateau Latour, iconic building that since in the middle of their Estate vines, barrel room and wide shot of their estate.

Side note. Having visited Latour three times, it has always been the most clean & pristine winemaking facilities I’ve seen in my many world wine region travels. You could eat off the floor. For me, they are the “King of Kings” in Cabernet. — 4 years ago