Rick Phillips

9.8

Decanted for 4 hours and was floral with hints of spice. Smoothed out over the evening to lush flavors of plum, cherry, blackberry and blueberries. Finished with lite taste of tobacco and old leather. — 9 days ago

with Letha

"Odedi"

9.2

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Earthy nose with black fruits and chocolate notes.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, spices, oak, licorice, dark chocolates, coffee, light vegetables, herbs and black pepper.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Paulliac. Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Complex, elegant and fruit forward.

This 9 year old is peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

Easy drinking, and good by itself or with food.

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot. Aged in (75% new) French oak barrels for 17 months.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$85. — 4 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

Bob McDonald

9.7

Still catching up with the wine from the Burgundy dinner in Sydney 6 weeks ago. From vines 45 to 60 years old and an excellent vintage for Burgundy. Only 10 to 15% whole bunch which I found interesting - such is the power of the fruit. Some Sous Bois in evidence despite the low % of whole bunch. From my sketchy notes on the night, one word stood out “BRILLIANT “ — 9 months ago

Vino Joe

9.2

I will start with I was impatient and didn’t decant and consumed within 2 hours. So I didn’t really give this a fair chance to broaden. It was nonetheless very enjoyable but definitely muted. Lots of earth and depth. Fruit is buried but perhaps if I had been more accommodating it would have emerged more boldly. Solid old world PN. — 3 years ago

Austin Hohnke

9.1

Grand cru, Blanc de Blanc grower! Impeccable balance and so easy to drink. Paired this with caviar and baked snow crab legs with olive oil and Old Bay. Really living our best life over here. — 3 years ago

Conrad Green

9.3

Started quite restrained and reticent but blossomed in the glass. Old school with stems but time shows a very delicate and pretty nose. Fresh red fruit, violets, plums, gorgeous classic burg. Mid sized on the palate. Pretty and long. — 4 years ago

with Gregg

Mike Saviage

9.4

Tasted blind. Amber tawny color. Notes of dried cherries, cola, a moist field and some brown sugar. Thin in appearance and in taste. Very refined. Some are guessing old Cote-Rotie but I stick with a mid-60's Morey St.-Denis guess. — 6 years ago

Doug Powers

9.8

Cork broke into two pieces, but got the bottom 1/3 carefully using a standard French waiter, no cork was left in the bottle. Color looks quite youthful for a 36-year-old Grand Cru Chablis, initially some SO2/matchstick aromas, but they blew off quickly. Followed by lemon, mineral, flavors are similar, perfect, lively acidity, great persistence and length, for Chablis I suppose 1990 was a warmer vintage (13.5% ABV), but this bottle is amazing and almost perfect, WOW!!’ — a month ago

with Jim

Pooneet K

9.4

So seamless and delicious. We had 3 forty year olds at dinner so this was a birth year wine for the majority of our dinner. Last had a couple years ago, and this remains very good. Not primary, but also wouldn’t guess 40 years old. Really nice pairing with a roast leg of lamb on Christmas. — 6 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

1989 vintage. Opened but not decanted. Tasted after one hour open. More structure than the 1990 version tasted side-by-side but leaner with slight, vegetal tones, less fruit and better tannic structure than the 1990. Couldn't find this in my Delectable reviews but feel like I've tasted this once in the last 6 or so years. Apples (1990 version)/Oranges (1989). As with the 1990, the 1989 is in a good place for another few years in the 750ml format but if you want to truly visit a 35+ year old vintage at the height of its' powers, opt-in for a large format experience. 10.10.25. — 8 months ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Beautiful color of dark ruby with a very wide reddish/ brick rim.

Very aromatic nose with wild flowers, blueberries, plums, cherries, red currants, light oak, tobacco leaf, light earth, dark chocolates, black tea, spices, herbs, black pepper and light green vegetables.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black plums, cooked cherries, sugared raspberries, spices, oak, light licorice, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, light earth and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 7-year-old red blend from Lebanon is still extremely young, but already very enjoyable, even by itself as a sipping wine. Elegant and interesting.

Soft and smooth, with a nice mouthfeel. Nicely balanced and very complex. Loved the nose here.

This is not a 'pop and pour' kind of wine, as you have to let it open up for a long time.

Not my first time having Chateau Musar, but this is definitely the youngest I've ever tried. I gave it 4 hours in the decanter.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 25 to 30 years, and shows potential to become a 94+ point wine.

Feels like a good quality old world wine, maybe like a Châteauneuf-du-Pape. So interesting.

Good by itself as a sipping wine and paired nicely with the Spanish Jamon.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault. Fermented for 6 months in concrete vats, and then aged in French oak barrels for 12 months. After that, the varietals are blended together and aged for an additional year in concrete vats. Released only after 7 years from Harvest. Unfiltered and unfined.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$75. — 2 years ago

Stefan Dolhain

9.5

1961 vintage. Delicious at 61 years old. This estate remains under the radar of many wine critics, but the wines are extremely reliable and ageworthy and they show an understated class that is totally in line with the personality of owner Xavier Jean. — 4 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.4

The wife is making fish so I oblige with this pull. Amber gold, a bit darker than past bottles of this which I’ve had several times. Viscous and heavy in the glass. A nice nose, it doesn’t appear to come across as old on the first smells. Notes of apricot, white stone, some spice and a little citrus. Great acidity and texture in the mouth. With a few hours of air it even gets a bit chewy and more powerful in its impact. Great showing for the color. — 5 years ago

Rick Phillips

9.7

Decanted and aerated multiple times for 3 hours. Lush fruit, licorice and new leather. Strong finish, this 26 year old wine has many years left. — 2 months ago

with Letha

Jay Kline

9.2

Presented to me double-blind. The wine pours a dull purple/garnet color with a translucent core and significant rim variation, moving towards a rust color. The wine has medium viscosity with light staining of the tears and signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of cassis, dried blackberries, dried red and purple flowers, old leather bound books, tobacco, a touch of menthol, some earth, old wood and a sprinkle of warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Super high quality but a touch thin.

Initial conclusions: Due to the observable characteristics of color, rim variation, sediment, smell and flavor, I think this wine has significant age; 30+ years. However, this is still very alive and showing more than enough markers to give an indication of place. Subsequently, this could be a Cabernet-based blend or a Tempranillo-based blend from the United States, France, or Spain. For me, I’m getting new French oak vibes instead of American so I’m eliminating Spain. I also think this leans more towards its fruit than its structure and since this comes across a little on the thin side, I’m going to say this comes from a tougher vintage. My final conclusion is this is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend from the USA, Napa, 1981. Wow! This showed really well.

It never ceases to amaze me how analogous the 1981 vintage was in both Napa and Bordeaux. I find it equally amazing how well that vintage has held up; particularly when considering its poor reputation, mostly based on the prevailing thought at the time. From my perspective, well stored examples are not going to fall off of a cliff but I would drink now through 2031. — 5 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.8

Disg. 2/14 (07 base)…Always my favorite of the Lieux-Dits and without question one of the very best Blanc de Blancs Champagnes on the planet, it’s particularly special to have with some bottle age. It’s absolutely as stunning as hoped—rich and powerful with crazy depth to its layers with a deep, complex core of caramelized orchard fruit, roasted nuts, old rum barrels and candied white flowers, all with seamless integration. The palate is generous and detailed, with racy acids, waves of saline laced, chalky Le Mesnil minerals and a finish that just stays with you. A BdB benchmark, legendary bubbles. — 9 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

Margaux and Rack of Lamb. I’m in. The 05 vintage…magic!

Lamb w/ just enough fat, spice meet perfect ripe, bright, floral fruits of; blackberries, black plum, dark cherries, strawberries, red & black licorice/cola, perfect mid spice, sweet, lead pencil shavings, charcoal, cedar, not old, not fresh, tobacco, touch of nutmeg, cinnamon, vanillin, pea gravel, dry twig, dry limestone powder, steeped tea, dark, rich soil with dry leaves, herbaceous notes-bay leaf, moist clay, an array of fresh, withering, floral bouquet, amazing, rainfall acidity, perfect, tension, balance, structure and polished finish for days. Absolutely stunning! — 3 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.7

Medium gold color. Notes of stones and dirty rocks, lemon and citrus, a little mint. Very rich in the mouth. Powerful. Got better as the night went on. Was easy to pick the vigneron and vineyard but guessed this as the 93. So powerful and complex. When old Niellon is “on”, there is not much better of an experience. — 4 years ago

Rashed Chowdhury

9.2

Drinking like it’s 3-5 years old — 5 years ago