JKT

9.1

First taste!? Mature with a bit of bricking but still nice solid color and bouquet of mature red fruits and earth. Velvety and enticing on palate. Excellent with Evan’s Shanghainese pork belly. 51/43/4/2 Merlot/Cab/CabFranc/Petit Verdot on label from Bernard Magrez touting same attention as his Pape Clement, and long history dating back to 1120. Importer label says 37/55/6/2 instead! (Oldest in Medoc, 1400 by house of Foix loyal to King of England. 1486 Camet new owner. 1500s by Michel de Montaigne.) — a month ago

Ericsson

9.2

This still gets me. Awesome wine. so much history. Not overpriced (yet). Cheers. — 2 years ago

Conrad Green

9.2

What a treat. Showing its age. Darker than you’d expect given it’s a war vintage. Tea colored at the edges. Soft, faded fruit. Orange rind, some dried herbs, mushroom, black tea, cured meat. Some dried wood, dried roses. A slight tart tang. Softening out and adding done delicate sherry notes with time in the glass. An amazing wine given the age. Certainly not a powerhouse but really special- a taste of history — 2 years ago

with Walker, David and 1 other

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

8.9

1971 vintage. Top shoulder fill. Used a Durand but fully saturated cork still required some clean up on aisle 7. Decanted and tasted after 5 minutes. Threw much much less sediment than expected. Decent color with a little browning. Tertiary nose gave way to similar flavors with it being very slightly brickish. In a holding steady phase where there is no shining light to chase after-everything is consolidated and filed away so you're tasting the interpretations of history. Instructive. 6.13.24. — 5 months ago

Ericsson

9.5

History in a bottle from the wine ambassador himself. Very integrated Cab, balanced, round, with layers of complexity. Cheers. — a year ago

Michael Walker

9.9

Have a long history with the BV GdL but not sure if I’ve reviewed the ‘11. Decanted this one 2.5hrs and served with short ribs. The nose is the star of the show: pungent, redolent, pick your wine superlative. The palate just slight underwhelms after the overwhelming nose but still superb. Probably peak aging or maybe slightly past. — 2 years ago

Ericsson

9.5

On the eye it’s definitely showing some age and sediment. The nose is dusty, leathery, and smokey with blueberry and plum. The pallet is earthy and well integrated upfront. No outliers just beautiful flow: mushroom, game, dark fruit, some vanilla, still bold, low alcohol, medium tannic and round finish.

This bottle and I have history; after ten years of carrying it, babying it, and nurturing it. I decided to pop it open for my forty second nameday. Could have gone several more years, easy, but it was perfect timing for me, and this is why I love wine. Cheers. — 3 years ago

Vin d’Ottawa

9.4

I cannot describe how excited I’ve been for this bottle.

From Portugal’s tiny Colares wine region, this is the famed Ramisco grape, grown in vines in the sands off the coast of Sintra. Back when phylloxera destroyed most of Europe’s grapevines, these survived as the parasite couldn’t make its way in the sands the grapevines grew in. The Portuguese crown then nationalized the wine- unique to Portugal- and used it in diplomacy as a form of soft power.

The wine starts with a roughness that smooths into a beautiful, medium bodied flavour of black cherry and blackberry. Think of a juicy California Pinot Noir that manages the punch of a Rioja.

A wine worthy of its great history.
— 9 months ago

with Gillian

Vanessa

9.1

Clos Roquète is a white Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine produced by Frédéric & Daniel Brunier of Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe with a fascinating history to tell…  

Châteauneuf-du-Pape (CNdP) is a highly-esteemed commune located in the Southern Rhône of France. It gets its name, “new castle of the Pope,” because the Pope spent his summers there in the 14th Century when the papacy was relocated to nearby Avignon.
 
This wine is made from 35% Clairette, 35% Roussanne, and 30% Grenache Blanc (all local, white varieties), each adding a unique aromatic and structural dimension. It was aged 11 months in oak prior to release, lending richness and texture.
 
Despite its rich, creaminess, it also has aromatic lift with notes of lemon peel, ripe cantaloupe, white peach, apricot, next to notes of white blossom, vanilla, honey, fennel, and petrichor (a fancy word for the smell of warm, wet pavement like after a summer rain).  

We’re excited to pair this with a lemon, garlic, and herb roasted shrimp over spiralized zucchini noodles.
 
Cheers to beautiful wines that tell stories and share histories! — 2 years ago

with Deked1

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

History of Chapoutier family dates back to the early 19th century when current owner Michel Chapoutier’s great-, great-, great-grandfather Marius purchased estate & famous l’Hermitage vineyards. Medium Ruby with aromas of rich red/black fruits and spice, 16 months in 25% new French oak. On the palate raspberry, cherry & black currant flavors with notes of oak. Soft dusty tannins, well balanced ending with fruit, spice and cedar. Very nice! I wouldn’t age long, great now! — 2 years ago