Just a bit planar — 4 months ago
Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of three days. Consistently enjoyable throughout, but best after several hours of air and through Day 3. The wine pours, a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. No signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with expressive notes of ripe and dried cherry, plums, toasted coconut, fresh dill, cedar chest, and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose however, the fruit is much more tart. The finish is long and tangy. A textbook example of old-school Rioja. Lovely. Drink now with patience and through 2036. — 4 months ago
The 2004 Léoville Barton is less opulent on the nose than the Langoa but offers a little more refinement and terroir expression. A touch of seaweed develops with time. The palate is fresh on the entry. It is one of the most saline Léoville Barton that gets the saliva flowing. It is classic old-school Anthony Barton with a judicious dab of black pepper and menthol furnishing the finish. Excellent. (Neal Martin, Vinous, June 2024)
— 6 months ago
Nicely matured and ready-to-go! Very old school Napa Cab nose with weediness and cassis wrestling for top billing. So velvety in the mouth. Tannins nearly all gone. Nicely concentrated, there savory and fruity flavors are in a nice equipoise. Lots of length! Very nice. — 3 months ago
1997 vintage. Still dark as all get out. A quarter century has thinned out the massive body to medium body but the unified nose/flavors are full of chaparral/scrub, cassis, baking chocolate, gravelly dirt and blackberry reduction. Tasted approximately two hours after decanting. Miles to go before this one sleeps. In the zone now and likely so for another decade before any noticeable drop off in this old school Dunn experience. — 2 years ago
Henry Fuseler
12/24. Nice on the palate with an easy finish. Lingers on the palate. Great at its price point. — 18 days ago