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. — 4 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

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
— 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

9.5

Dujac dinner with Jeremy Seysses. This was the best flight where the 99 seemed to be the groups favorite followed by the 05. The 02 had beautiful fruit & was the most approachable. — 3 years ago