Tom Garland

9.4

1.5 hour decant(little fine sediment). A striking dark magenta color. On the nose: Inviting notes of dark berries, sandalwood, herbaceous, smoked meat, potting soil. Taste: silky, layered, balanced wine with dark plum/cherry, dried herbs, spice, and a cedar/mocha java lingering long finish. YUM!! — 2 months ago

with Brenda

Erica Gamble

9.5

Deep red. Dark fruit transitions to light spice and dusty cocoa, with a tannic dry finish. Fantastic wine. — 5 months ago

with Ryan

Chris N

9.5

✅ delicious - light, fruity and has fewer calories. Ideal for summer evenings — 3 years ago

Kevin Kaley

9.1

Had a 2nd bottle of this delightful Cab. A fantastic recommendation by the gentlemen at Central Market. Fruity, fresh and smooth. — 3 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

You definitely get the Merlot here. 67% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet.

2016 an excellent vintage. This still needs more cellaring.

The mouth entry is round, lush & velvety. Fruits lead mid toned but nice blackberries, plum, strawberries cherries, raspberries and a touch of black raspberries. Dark chocolate, mocha, dark, rich, slightly sweet forest floor, light fresh tobacco, excellent softly layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, hints of granite, red cola/licorice. Beautiful, dark, red florals, red roses petals, near perfect acidity, excellent balance/tension/structure with an elegant finish that lasts nearly two-minutes and falls evenly on fruits & beautiful earth. — 4 months ago

Kelly Carlin

9.0

Cidery, citrus, sharp acid, with a creamy mouthfeel. Fun drinking, and also food friendly. Super interesting and would try again. — 2 years ago

John T

9.0

Great with shrimp dishes. Very citrus forward. Very refreshing. Frankly would be great on any hot summer day. — 4 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.1

Château Kirwan 2023 – Margaux, Grand Cru Classé. BDX France 🇫🇷

Overview
A poised and expressive Margaux showing immediate charm while clearly structured for further evolution, delivering finesse, persistence, and a notably elongated finish compared to its peers in the flight.

Aromas & Flavors
Red cherry, wild strawberry, ripe raspberry, crushed rose petal, subtle vanilla, sweet spice, light cedar, gentle graphite undertones.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, excellent mid-palate energy, lifted acidity, and a long, persistent, and increasingly intense finish that carries well beyond the sip.

Food Pairings
Duck confit, herb-roasted chicken, veal chop with mushroom jus, lamb loin, aged Comté.

Verdict
Head-to-head with Château Prieuré-Lichine in overall quality, but Kirwan separates itself on finish length and persistence. Already surprisingly enjoyable today while still clearly benefiting from additional bottle age.

🍷 Personal Pick
The surprise overachiever of the Margaux flight, already fun now, but patience will unlock its real podium potential. — 4 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Flight 2 , wine 1 . Quite deep garnet , less terracotta rim . This had a whiff of oxidation about it at first which seemed to somewhat dissipate with time . Some dark spiced fruits , liquorice and menthol hints , cedar and sous bois . On the palate good ripeness and spiced dark cherry hints . Good acidity and rounded tannin . Nice length also , offering some spiced black fruits and menthol hints . Don’t think this is a pristine bottle but was enjoyable none the less , I was unsure at first if this was Napa , but coming back to it … and reading my notes , it became quite obvious . However I had this down as the Ch Montelena , not the Dominus — a year ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Bizot tasting & lunch. Flight 1
Very rare with tiny production. Whole cluster with 100% new oak. When you taste these wines you can see why they have such high demand almost impossible to find & pricing is sky high. The 18’s were open & seemed ready showing beautiful red cherry, berry fruits showing purity & transparency with Leroy like spice & floral notes. Everything is in perfect balance. The 2020 will also be a great vintage
— 3 years ago