Tom Garland

9.1

Double decant and pour(some fine sediment). A splendid still dark magenta color with bricking. On the nose: Beautiful areomatics of blackberry, cigar box, worn leather, green vegi, bandaid(brett). Taste: savory, elegant, structured wine with some sour cherry, currants, tobacco leaf, charred earth, and a crushef rock-coffee medium finish. Sure, on the downside, but still drinks savory good tonight. — a month ago

with Brenda

Ron Siegel

9.3

This needed some air to open to reveal red & black fruits, menthol, sweet savory spice, earth, graphite & tobacco leaf. — 5 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Château Lynch-Bages 2023 – Pauillac, Grand Cru Classé, BDX, France 🇫🇷

Overview
A powerful, structurally driven Pauillac showing serious depth and long-term ambition, built on a 71% Cabernet Sauvignon–dominant blend with 22% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot support. The wine carries muscular architecture, dark fruit density, and firm tannic authority, currently showing some youthful rough edges but clearly positioned for future greatness with proper cellaring.

Aromas & Flavors
Blackcurrant, cassis liqueur, blackberry skin, graphite, cedar plank, crushed gravel, tobacco leaf, dark cocoa and subtle savory spice.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied with firm, youthful tannins, strong mid-palate grip, vibrant supporting acidity, dense core concentration, and a long, structured finish that signals serious aging capacity.

Food Pairings
Dry-aged ribeye, grilled lamb chops, beef short ribs, rosemary-crusted venison, aged hard cheeses, slow-braised meats.

Verdict
A high-potential Pauillac still in its formative phase. The structure, depth, and terroir signature are undeniable, but integration will require time. A climber rather than a polished performer today, patience will be rewarded handsomely.

🍷 Personal Pick
This feels like a future star in development, powerful, slightly raw, but absolutely loaded with upside. Not a wine for instant gratification, but one that will evolve into something truly special with time. I’d happily cellar this and revisit around 2029 when the polish finally matches the horsepower. — 5 months ago

David Koenen

9.5

Birth year tastings, evening 4.
Polished leather, nuts, ecoline, grilled red pepper, tomato leaf, gingerbread, pepper, salty savoriness, tannins still present, still youthful, lots of future. Muscular! Beautiful. — 9 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Full-bodied and bold, with medium acidity and a hint of must on the nose.

Dry on the palate with black fruits, cedar, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco leaf, herbs, peppercorn, pencil lead, dark coffee, black tea and forest floor.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 19 year old still has a lot of power. Nicely balanced and complex. A beautiful Bordeaux from the great 2005 vintage.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly and show the tannins.

Wine Enthusiasts 93 points. Wine Advocate 93 points.

Good by itself as a sipping wine.

A blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot.

13% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$150. — 2 years ago

Austin Hohnke

9.4

Last bottle of this vintage. Heavenly. Rum raisin, cranberry, old strawberries, carob, fig, earth, tobacco leaf. Silky, delicate, and resolved. Loads of sediment, not out of life but on its decline. — 4 years ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.0

Surprisingly youthful for 35y, served from a magnum.
Still deep in colour, with not much evolution towards the rim.
Uplifting aromatics with cigar box, tobacco leaf, cedar wood, some kirsch, but also some black currant jam.
Medium bodied on the palate with nice balance, the tannins still surprisingly grippy, though a touch dry.
Nicely poised, with good flow and high drinkability.
What a surprise! — 5 years ago

Daron Watson

9.5

what a phenomenal job the crew did with what Mother Nature threw them ~ this is an elegant & approachable example of Sassicaia ~ upon pulling the cork Mediterranean scrub & herbs fill the nose and flavors of red licorice and Razzles pop on the palate ~ in time the red fruits become less candied and the the scrub & herbs, along w tobacco leaf & hints of gravel, finish the flavor ~ though a samurai sword of acidity slices through!

If you’re looking for breadth this doesn’t have it ~ but what is there is focused and sings! — 5 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Inky in color with a reddish rim.

Fruity nose of black currants, plums, licorice, light cedar, earth, cola, herbs, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, black tea and light garigge notes.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black plums, currants, oak, light licorice, spices, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, cola, herbs, peppercorn and light vegetables.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This young Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is already drinking beautifully. Rich and fruit forward. Nicely balanced with a smooth mouthfeel. Elegant and complex, spicy and tangy.

Delicious now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

The alcohol is nicely integrated already, although not as high as typically from this region.

Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 92 points.

I've had a few vintages of this wine and this is not my favorite, by far.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 1% Malbec.

14% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$450. — 2 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I’ve had a number of PC 96’s over time, none quite this good. The fill line & cork perfect. Very little sediment. Some bottle neck tannin burn. For me, Pontet Canet didn’t really hit its consistent, quality stride until 2005. Doesn’t mean they didn’t make a few beauties before then. Pontet Canet is proof that the 1855 Bordeaux Classification needs to be redone. Unlikely it will in my lifetime.

This 96 maybe just short of its precipice. Stylistically a little better than 94.

The nose reminds me of everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola. Sweet forest floor w/ leaves, sweet mushrooms, sweet led pencil shavings, steeped tea w/ hints of fruit, charcoal, dry tobacco/leather, some dry herbs, withering dark, red flowers, red roses with violets.

The palate is also everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola/red vines. Everything I understood the first time standing in the estate vineyard of Pichon Baron. Tasting limestone, dry river stone, dark, rich soils with dry leaves, dry stems. In fact, I’ve tasted vineyards soils everywhere I have been in every world wine region. Basically, everywhere in the wine world that has reliance. Many multiple times. Sweet graphite, steeped tea w/ hints of dark fruit, understated, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanillin, dark cocoa, dark exotic spices, some anise to black licorice, charcoal, dry tobacco with ash/leather, some dry herbs-safe/bay leaf, limestone, dry river stone, dry crushed rocks, dark, rich, earth with dry leaves, dry topsoils, dry stems, withering/dry dark, red flowers, red roses with violets, excellent, rainfall acidity with an extremely well balanced/structured/tensioned, great length and an elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls nicely on dry earth and dark spices.

A very, very slow roll with my Ribcap. Definitely better with the steak than on its own.

This bottle tells me this 96 has plenty of good drinking ahead, another 8-10 yrs+.

ABV is 13%. Disappointing it ever changed. — 5 months ago

Tom Garland

9.5

+1 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A splendid medium dark ruby red color with bricking. On the nose: Tantalizing perfumed notes of stewed plum/cherry, worn leather, smoke, forest floor, stewed meat, cedar, eucalyptus. Taste: creamy, elegant, with power and depth wine...plum, currants, smokey earth, graphite, saline, dusty crushed gravel, tobacco leaf, and a nice medium plus finish. YUM!! — 9 months ago

with Brenda

Adam Gäfvert

9.6

2011 might be a forgotten vintage but this CB is really memorable. Did a pop and pour and it had great aromatics straight away. Medium to full bodied. Velvety. Layered. Dark berries, herbs, black tea, licorice, bay leaf. First wine on the trip to France. Great start! — 2 years ago

Shengli Hu

8.9

A bit linear. Cranberry!!! Strawberry, strawberry leaf, strawberry yogurt. Long finish, medium+/elevated acidity. Silky tannins that — 4 years ago

Steven Richardson

9.1

Vanilla is known as ‘the salt of the baking world’ and this wine embodies that. Velvety smooth vanilla, maybe black cherry or Concord grape, peppercorn, tea leaf. I was skeptical at first finding an 11 year old wine in 2021 that had bottle gimmicks like fake gold wire, but is worth the 30$CAD if you can find it! — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I will say straight up, I am very disappointed that LVMH bought this historical Napa property. I imagine that Joseph isn’t happy about that. What was the family thinking? First guess, is they lacked their fathers passion & just wanted the money. Maybe, future climate played apart? 🤷‍♂️

I have had the 95 a couple-three times. Again, sounding like a broken record, these are good young, but not great until they are 13-28 yrs in bottle. I’ve had plenty of older JP’s to know.

Once again, I count bottle yrs, not from vintage creation. Human life doesn’t is not counted until birth. Wine for me is no different.

The nose shows slightly brambly fruits, blackberries, black raspberries, black cherries, both plums, baked strawberries, hovering raspberries, mid berry cola, anise to black licorice, black tea, soft leather, dryish tobacco, dry twigs, softly layered baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanillin, understated, dry spice-sage/bay leaf lead, dark, rich, slightly sweet forest floor w/ dry leaves, dark, fresh/withering, dark, red, flowers, red roses framed in lavender.

The palate shows resolved, mushy, thick tannins, insanely fresh, ripe, juicy, brambly fruits; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, both plums, baked strawberries, hovering raspberries, mulberries, goose berries, red to mid berry cola, anise to black licorice, black tea, soft leather, dryish tobacco, dry twigs, dark, rounded spices, incense, softly layered baking spices-cinnamon, clove, nutmeg & vanillin, understated, dry spice-sage/bay leaf lead, dark, rich, slightly sweet forest floor w/ dry leaves, limestone powder, dry crushed rocks, dry river pebbles, moist, grey volcanic clays, dark, fresh/withering, dark, red, flowers, red roses framed in lavender and liquid violets, insane, summer rainfall acidity, the balance, length are off the charts, soft spoken tension is still apart of this cuvée with lush, elegance for days that lands gently on fruit, clay and spice.

This 95 is not tired and, just, and, I mean, just the other side of its peak with a very drinkable decent over the next 5 yrs.

Glorious evolution & style! 94+ a bit. Cork near perfect and some sediment. — 4 months ago

David Koenen

9.2

Chocolate and cherry, leather, tobacco leaf, bay leaf, plum, earthy, licorice. Tannins fully resolved. Spicy, soft and nicely subdued. A bit of funky horse stable. Drink up! — 6 months ago

"Odedi"

9.4

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim. Doesn't show much age.

Beautiful nose with red and black fruits, chocolates, tobacco leaf, vegetables, forest floor, black tea, earth, coffee, herbs, spices, black pepper and wildflowers.

Full bodied and soft with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with blueberries, cherries, black plums, currants, oak, light chocolates, coffee, mushrooms, licorice, tobacco leaf, earth, herbs and spices.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a gorgeous 24 year old Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Saint Julien. Rich and elegant. Spicy and very complex. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel.

Drinking at its peak now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 10 years.

A great sipping wine that is so much fun to drink by itself.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Aged in (33% new) French oak barrels for 18 months.

13% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$150. — 9 months ago

Ming L

9.2

Nice BdM from a weak vintage. Lively red and black berry fruits upfront followed by cedar, fresh herbs, incense, and autumn leaf. Juicy palate with supple texture. Dusty powdery tannins. — 2 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

A pretty color of ruby, with a wide brick/ reddish rim.

Full bodied and elegant.

Dry on the palate with medium acidity.

Showing red currants, plums, cherries, wood, spices, coffee, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs and black pepper.

Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 15 year old Rioja Reserva is drinking very nicely now. Showing nice complexity at this point.

Still young and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. A very tasty aged Rioja, and a good food wine.

Robert Parker 95 points.

I Had this vintage a year ago, and it feels pretty much the same.

A blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano. Aged in used American oak barrels for 6 years.

13% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$55. — 3 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.2

This went well with the tapas I had for lunch. Notes of soft, sweet red fruits, leather, spice, rose petal & hints of tobacco leaf. — 5 years ago