Jason Phillips

9.2

Great nose. Complex but well balanced. 53% cabernet sauvignon, 30% petit syrah, 9% merlot, 4% petit verdot, 4% malbec. Enjoyed at the castle in Napa. — 2 months ago

Jeremiah Diaz

9.4

Deep ruby in color; blackberries, black cherries, and cedar on the nose; medium acidity; medium plus tannins; tastes like plums, strawberry jam, violets, and clay pots with a long finish. Nellie loves it! And so do I. — 5 months ago

with Nellie

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Happy New Year!🎈🎆🎊

From mag. Who said the2007 vintage was bad? They didn’t taste it 16 years from inception or 14 years in bottle. Excellent as our first prime rib wine.

2nd night tasting with leftovers. One glass left. It’s dark inky, round, mushy velvety tannins, dark currants, blackberries, blackberries, black plum, dark cherries, plum pudding, strawberry highlighter, dry stones, limestone powder, dark turned earth, soft, fresh & dry tobacco notes, soft lead pencil shavings, wet volcanic ash, moist clay, charcoal, sandalwood, understated dark spice, dark chocolate, just a touch of baking spices, dark & red withering flowers, violets, excellent round acidity and a well knitted structure, balanced fruit & earth, good tension with a long elegant finish that falls on a dry mineral finish lasting 90 seconds.

I always leave an inch to inch and half in the bottle to pour a bit to all at the end. I believe the expression for that is, “The Truth! From the expression, the truth is inside. It doesn’t lie and makes for more extremely concentrated sip(s). You might say it is a lot like monosodium glutamate…everything you tasted in the wine previously, taste more. — a year ago

Alvaro Bustillos

9.2

Papa luis xfg — 4 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Leaner than the El Puntido. This is more classic Tempranillo. Drier & earthier.

Beautiful wine. Ripe, juicy & slightly candied & floral fruits of; mid to dark cherries, black raspberries, black raspberries, dry blue berries. Cherry cola, dry tobacco w/ ash, dry leathery, barrel staves, muddy herb mix, dark, dry spices, steeped, sun tea, mid; clove, nutmeg, vanilla, limestone minerals, crushed limestone/dry rocks, dry flowers that are black, red w/ dry lavender, round, high acidity with a high, dry tannin finish that falls on to the wild, dry, earthy, wildest finish that is balanced for many minutes.

Paired this with/ a dry rub tri-tip and a burgundy marinaded Cardiff Crack tri-tip. Both very different and enjoyable, but liked the dry rub with the Rioja.

Photos of, my visit to the Bodega, old oak vats that are decades old, neutral wood that is still used as of 2015 when I visited & been repaired endlessly, old wood press and tasting room outside their cellar/tasting room. — 5 months ago

Joseph Gannon

9.6

velvety smooth, big fruited Cab. Cedar, baking spice, cigar wrapper, campfire smoke, stewed black fruits. Label says 15.6abv, hard to believe, a delicious cab — 2 years ago

with Brooke

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

96 that leans deep into 97. Always stunning from this producer regardless of vintage. Producer trust.

This still has dark, round, meaty, backbone tannins, dark currents w/ Indian/Asian spices. Ruby, lush; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum w/ dry skin, darkest of cherries, raspberry hues, purple fruits hues, deep baking spices, dark chocolate bar, mocha, caramel, dry top soil, crushed limestone powder, dry tobacco/leather, dry herbs-bay leave/sage, dry, slightly candied to withering flowers framed in violets/lavender, excellent, round acidity with a finish that is well structured, balanced, nicely tensioned & elegantly polished finish that falls onto dry earth & lasts minutes.

This 2001 is still youthful & has at least another decade well stored. — 4 months ago

Ron R

9.5

See my prior notes. Excellent example. Rarely falls short. — 6 months ago

with Anne-marie

Ken Powell

8.9

ok had with Penny Feb 1/22; $29 — 3 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.2

Intense sundrenched dark berried fruit with a lovely fresh energy, blackberries, blueberries, cassis. dark cherries and peppermint. Very integrated oak profile with a gentle touch of vanilla and sweet tobacco followed by a underlying stony minerality.
Dry palate with a medium + acidity, high tannins with a fine grained qualititave texture, well integrated alcohol in a full body that is balanced by a fresh acidity. Nuanced palate with a good complexity and characters of ripe dark berried fruit, vanilla and sweet licorice that evolves through a solid lenght that falls a bit short from the major league.
— 3 years ago