Ryan Vento

8.9

Celebrating my wife’s 31st birthday with some of her favorite things: friends, pizza, and wine.

Been a while since I’ve had anything from H-M. I enjoyed this selection and thought it drank nicely. Brambly dark fruits, medium body, decent complexity. — 4 days ago

with Becca, Taryne and 1 other

Andrew Lohse

9.0

Don’t hold any longer than this — 5 days ago

Alan Johnston

9.3

3.4. This Caronne Ste Gemme, 2016, is a lovely wine. With a minimal nose, allowed to breathe it has a fine, smooth, lingering Bordeaux taste. On sale for $21.99, regularly $24.99. — 2 days ago

Zach Rhodes

9.0

Drinking quite nicely after it opens up. Multiple layers of fun. Long, smooth, delicate finish. — 8 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

My last bottle of 2001. It was in peak form with another 5-7 years ahead.

When you buy upon release, you get that it is a pretty good wine but, young, it is still astringent and earthy. However, when you cellar it for 17 years, it blossoms into soft, creamy, velvety expression of balance and elegance. The best part is, it was $25. I’ve had some expensive wines that were not this enjoyable.

The fruits were beautifully ripe; blackberries, dark cherries, black raspberries and showing nice blue fruits. The evolution softened, the earth and gave it amazing integration. Soft tobacco tones and leather, most clay, top soil, stones, anise, a little dry brush, beautiful, round near perfect acidity and a creamy, lush, round, creamy finish that sings on the palate. Nice pair with our New York Strips. 🥩

Photos of; Chateau Malescasse, their concrete tanks, oak vats, barrel room and their elegantly appointed tasting room. — 18 days ago

Morgan Powell

9.5

Light/medium mouthfeel, dry on the tongue with undertone of blackberry. Drinking it alone, but would pair with pate, salmon, duck, chicken and perhaps a cassoulet — 5 days ago

Nicholas Lauf

9.0

Very balanced wine. Not over powering tannins, but they are definitely present. Black currants, juicy black fruit. Would definitely buy again. — 7 days ago

with Alyssa

Deborah M

8.9

Ruby red color. Ripe black fruit on nose. Cedar, earth, old style Bordeaux. Acidity balances well with mild tannins. Slightly dry. Nice bottle. Great value. — 3 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

For our wedding reception in Cortona, I packed a magnum of 1986 Haut-Bages Liberal. Since then, we have bought it in all good Bordeaux years and have one on our anniversary. Sadly, I have an 86 somewhere in my EuroCave cabinets. I just couldn’t find it. It has been a challenging afternoon. Next year! A excellent vintage of Haut-Bages Liberal will just have to fill in.

The nose reveals; dark currants, heavily extracted blackberries, creamy black raspberries, black plum with skin, dark cherries, mix of purple fruits, sweet tarriness, dark chocolate, caramel, mocha, cinnamon, vanilla, light clove, some dark spices, lots of steeped, dark fruit tea, fresh Provenance herbs, anise, limestone minerals, dry clay, dry top soil, dry stones, a fair amount of graphite, fresh tobacco leaf, saddle-wood to cedar, leathery notes, dry underbrush, bright; dark, red, blue and violet florals.

Most of the 2000 Left Bank wines typically remain tight as a drum. This is just starting to open up and ascend.

The body is full, ripe, rich, lush and showing the beauty of the vintage. The tannins are rounded but, still show plenty of teeth and meaty, sticky, tarriness. The structure & tension are just starting to relax. The length and balance are really nice and will continue to better with many years in bottle. It’s still a hold for 7–10 years for its full beauty. Dark currants, heavily extracted blackberries, creamy black raspberries, black plum with skin, dark cherries, mix of purple fruits, strawberries, sweet tarriness, dark chocolate, caramel, mocha, cinnamon, vanilla, light clove, dark spices with palate heat, lots of steeped, dark fruit tea, fresh Provenance herbs, anise, expresso roast, limestone minerals, dry clay, dry, crushed rocks, dry top soil, dry stones, a fair amount of graphite, hints of black pepper, old & fresh tobacco leaf, saddle-wood to cedar, leathery notes, dry underbrush, bright; dark, red, blue and violet florals. The acidity is round and near perfect. The long finish is; ripe, well balanced with fruit and earth with penetrating earth/minerals and persists several minutes.

Happy Anniversary Sofia...would love to do it all over again as we did in 2012.

Photos of; the Piazza of the La Repubblica...the building we were married, us leaving for our reception and one of the better meals of our life, walking through town on the way to our reception and our wedding ceremony. — 12 days ago

Byron Hewett

9.5

Gorgeous claret. With a bit of air this really blossomed. — 18 days ago