Jay Kline

9.5

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of a couple hour. The 2009 pours a deep, slightly dull ruby color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with beguiling notes of strawberry, raspberry, dried red flowers, sous bois, mushroom, licorice, dried green herbs, and gentle warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Despite the power of the vintage, this is impressively balanced and only seemed to gain energy as time went on. Drink now with patience through 2059. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2015 vintage. Light-medium body. Tasted via Coravin. Earthy, mushrooms, some very subtle spice components present. Old enough to thankfully have tossed the usual candied prettiness that marks this wine the first few years after release. Ready to boogie but no rush with this particular disco party. When we can all get together and ease up our mind. This is entering the proverbial villain phase. 2.11.26. — 4 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Château Pavie Macquin 2023 – Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, Premier Grand Cru Classé. BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A refined and confidently composed Saint-Émilion driven by a 78% Merlot-dominant blend with 20% Cabernet Franc and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon support, showcasing noble structure, polished fruit, and effortless balance. The wine emphasizes finesse, reliability, and clarity rather than sheer power, delivering a harmonious expression that feels immediately approachable while retaining long-term pedigree.

Aromas & Flavors
Black cherry, blackberry, red plum, crushed limestone, violet petal, subtle graphite, cocoa powder, gentle spice and fresh herbal nuance.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus body with a supple, graceful entry, finely woven tannins, beautifully integrated acidity, excellent mid-palate harmony, and a long, elegant finish that glides with precision and calm authority.

Food Pairings
Roast chicken with herbs, duck confit, filet mignon, mushroom risotto, aged Comté, grilled vegetables with olive oil and thyme.

Verdict
A beautifully proportioned Right Bank wine emphasizing elegance, consistency, and structural purity. It delivers high-level craftsmanship without excess drama, a wine that earns trust and admiration through balance and restraint.

🍷 Personal Pick
This feels like a wine you can always count on, noble, polished, quietly confident, and endlessly drinkable. Tons of finesse without any rough edges, making it both comforting and impressive at the same time. The kind of bottle that never disappoints. — 5 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Medium lemon , hints of gold , quite a healthy colour with fine pretty persistent bubbles still . This quite intense with candied lemon peel , brioche , oyster shells , touch of porcini . On the palate this is intense ,with good volume and vibrant acidity. Buttered brioche , oyster shell , candied orange and lemon peel . Really quite lovely and intense , long and toasted brioche , chalky finish . This is at peak now , but no rush from here over the next 5 perhaps 10 years . — 8 months ago

Jack Krawczyk

9.6

Still high acid, rich ripe red fruits with a hint of mushroom. Silky. — 9 months ago

Shengli Hu

9.0

Compared to 2001; leafier, mintier, greener. Prunier, figgier, meatier. Soy sauce, mushroom, forest floor, bacon fat (could be just less Brett than 2001), pencil shavings. — 3 years ago

Kyle Zeman

9.3

Deep purple, granite, woodsy, green, tar, rose — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Established in the village of Marsannay in the 1960's by Bernard Coillot, father of owner Christophe Coillot. Deep Ruby red color with aromas of berry fruit and spice. On the palate flavors of cherry and blackberry with notes of fig, mushroom and spice. Fine soft tannins, long finish ending with fruit, spice and earthy mineral character. Very Nice! — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 1981 pours an amber color with medium+ viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing (still!) with notes of ripe apricots, orange peel, honeysuckle, marmalade, candied nuts and crushed rock. On the palate, the wine is sweet with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This bottle of the 1981 seems evergreen considering the way it showed today. Drink now through 2081?? — 4 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Château Suduiraut, 2023, Sauternes BDX, France 🇫🇷

Overview
Premier Cru Classé Sauternes delivering pure botrytis luxury blend of 80% Semillon, 15% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Sauvignon Gris with remarkable tension and precision. Lush honeyed richness balanced by vibrant acidity and a beautifully layered texture that feels both decadent and weightless. Sensual, polished, and deeply expressive, this is a dessert wine that seduces rather than overwhelms.

Aromas & Flavors
Orange blossom, acacia honey, apricot confit, ripe peach, saffron, candied citrus peel, subtle vanilla bean, almond paste, and a whisper of ginger spice. Floral lift intertwines with botrytis-driven sweetness and fresh citrus brightness.

Mouthfeel
Silky, viscous, and coating without heaviness. Glycerol richness glides across the palate while acidity keeps the wine lifted, focused, and endlessly drinkable. Long, luxurious, and caressing finish.

Food Pairings
Foie gras torchon, blue cheese (Roquefort or Stilton), apricot tart, almond pastries, honey-drizzled chèvre, citrus-based desserts, or simply enjoyed solo as a contemplative finale.

Verdict
Sublime, sexy, and impeccably balanced. A masterclass in tension between sweetness and freshness, delivering pleasure, elegance, and emotional impact in equal measure. A benchmark nightcap wine.

Did You Know?
Château Suduiraut sits adjacent to Château d’Yquem and shares similar gravelly terroir and noble rot influence, often delivering First Growth-level finesse at a more approachable price point.

🍯 Personal Pick
This wine feels like a French kiss, seductive tension, velvet weight, and honeyed decadence wrapped in electric freshness. The viscosity caresses the palate while the acidity keeps everything irresistibly alive. — 5 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

One of the best CDLR’s in the biz showing beautifully tonight with an ultra complex and seductive bouquet of candied red cherries, rose petals, coffee beans and game meat. The palate is luxuriously silky with obvious grand cru and old vine concentration, particularly for the vintage, and there is beautiful purity and elegance to balance its power. Its spice and mineral inflicted finale just keeps on going. 07 Burgundy are in such a great spot. — 7 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.8

Royal Tokaji – 5 Puttonyos Aszú 2016
Tokaj – Hungary 🇭🇺

Overview
A classic Tokaji Aszú, made from grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea (noble rot), then macerated with must to create Hungary’s legendary sweet wine. The 5 puttonyos designation signals a rich yet balanced level of sweetness, around 120 g/L residual sugar. (Educational note: “Puttonyos” refers to the traditional baskets of aszú berries added — the higher the number, the sweeter and more concentrated the wine.)

Aromas & Flavors
Lush apricot, honey, and candied orange peel at the forefront, layered with quince, dried fig, and lemon curd. Hints of saffron, ginger, and toasted almond bring exotic spice and complexity.

Mouthfeel
Velvety and lusciously sweet, balanced by vibrant acidity that keeps it lifted. Full-bodied yet precise, with a long, honeyed finish that leaves both richness and freshness.

Food Pairings
Perfect with blue cheese, foie gras, or fruit tarts. Also excellent with roasted nuts, crème brûlée, or simply savored on its own as a meditative dessert wine.

Verdict
A benchmark Tokaji — rich, layered, and perfectly balanced. The 2016 vintage of Royal Tokaji 5 Puttonyos Aszú offers indulgence and structure, proving why Tokaji has been called “the wine of kings.” 👑🍷

Did You Know?
Tokaji Aszú is one of the world’s oldest regulated wines — protected since 1737, nearly a century before Bordeaux’s 1855 classification.

Collector’s Rarity 📌
Royal Tokaji’s Aszú wines are globally sought after, and a 5 puttonyos 2016 bottling represents both a collectible dessert wine and a piece of vinous history — 9 months ago

Bruce Leboff

9.3

Elegant and refined. A hint of mushroom and scent of forest floor. Tan is still present but gentle- good to drink now. Lovely. — 5 years ago

with David and Michael

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

2014 vintage. From a 375ml effort. Tasted after being open for 1.5 hours and in the 48-50 degree range. Heavy bod. Plenty of candied orange fruit and unfiltered honey/mead. Just starting to get “interesting.” Needs another decade to add the ole pizzazz. 3.21.26. — 3 months ago

Meredith Moody

9.5

This is what I think of when I think of Rioja. Dried cherry and cranberry is what I get right away, and then it has more savory/earthy notes like leather and mushroom. When I tasted it I said “it tastes old.” That is a compliment. Hints of vanilla and spice. Felt elegant with a long finish. Had it with fatty new york strips. Tannins and acidity balanced it well. Not a loud wine, but a great one. — 4 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

Medium lemon , light copper hue . Some light but persistent bubbles still. This is quite serious and rich on the nose , with some orange rind , walnut , touch of mushroom and meaty , soy hints . Quite rich , intense and dense on the palate but with good freshness still , long with orange rind and walnut. Perfect now and over the next 5 years or so . At Noble Rot , London , 15th Jan 2026 — 5 months ago

Scott E. Becker

9.2

[Tasted on December 12, 2025 at Home]

Bright raspberry, cranberry and blueberry fruit, with mineral, mushroom and spice. Wine was rated #11 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of 2025. — 6 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.8

I have posted a number of older vintage Jones Family Cabernets. Many 20 yrs and older. Three to four 97’s…none better than this one. I give few wines a score above 96. This is different. It is so close to perfect. Some might give it a 100. I struggle to give a wine a perfect 100. I have only done it 4 times in an estimated 25k wines tasted or bottles I’ve enjoyed. One was a port made before 1886 and tasted in Oporto at Taylor Fladgate’s tasting room in 2015, it was their Scion. Only sold there and at the time 5k at bottle. You end up there purchase the Scion taste regardless of the current cost. They put on a tasting show for you. I am half tempted here to give out a 100 but will refrain.

I am not sure what to add to that but will attempt to do so.

The nose is a beautiful, perfectly evolved Napa Cabernet. Nothing overpowers any of its singular components. I think the word I am looking for is harmony. Lush, plush, ruby dark currants/cassis. The best, mid, subtle/gentle/soft, dark spice box I certainly can remember, lush blackberries, both plums, dark, not quite liqueur cherries, a mix of subtle purple fruits, poached to baked strawberries, some light hints of raspberries, dark sweet tarriness, melted dark chocolate, anise to black licorice, steep fruit tea leaning into black tea, sweet/soft leather, moist tobacco, sandalwood, dark, rich forest floor, sweet graphite, hints of dry twig, a flutter note of eucalyptus, dry, withering & slightly candied florals that are; dark, red & blue & framed in light lavender with more pronounced liquid violets.

The palate wire to wire is even & stupidly, gloriously, grand. It mirrors the nose very closely. Lush, plush, ruby dark currants/cassis. The best mid, subtle/gentle/soft, dark spice box w/ some light palate heat, best I certainly can remember, lush blackberries, both plums, dark, kirsch not quite liqueur cherries, a mix of subtle purple fruits, poached to baked strawberries, some light hints of raspberries, dark sweet tarriness, melted dark chocolate, anise to black licorice, steep fruit tea leaning into black tea, beautifully layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanillin, caramel, sweet/soft leather, moist tobacco w/ a hint is ash, sandalwood, dark, rich forest floor, dry, crushed rock powder, dry top soil, crushed limestone powder, sweet graphite, hints of dry twig, a fluttering note of eucalyptus, dry, withering & slightly candied florals that are; dark, red & blue framed in light lavender with more pronounced liquid violets, perfect, rainfall acidity, extremely well balanced, even & subtle tension-structure that stands up on the long set, refined elegance with a finish that goes on and on and eventually lands on spice & beautiful, refined earthiness.

What a bottle! 98 that leans into 99. I paid somewhere between $80-$90 on the secondary market for this bottle. — 7 months ago

Byron C Mayes

9.1

Deep gold. Nose and palate yield candied apricot, honey, white flowers, baked peach, and pineapple birthday cake. Perfect balancing acidity. Lingering finish extends the palate. Geez! And this isn’t even a Premier Cru. Drink now through forever. — 5 years ago

Ian Hamel

9.3

2020 fall. This might be my favorite (at least for immediate enjoyment) among the wines guzzled on our recent Rioja binge. It’s open-knot, with lots of red fruit and spices like mace, but also has typical mature notes - that mushroom and cheese thing. At the same time, it doesn’t feel overly developed - it’s just layered. — 5 years ago