Filip Rokita

9.0

Yum!
It’s red. It’s got legs. It’s got a body. I’d say a slim fat body. So let’s say medium, it’s not a super full bodied wine. goes well with black Angus steak at Can Kiku. I’d recommend it, especially in the Spanish heat. Viva Espana! — 2 years ago

with Ian, Steven and 1 other

Jeremy Krantz

9.1

Finally bit the bullet on this and decided to splurge. This is a big, bold wine that would pair so beautifully with some meat. It's got a lot of cocoa and chocolate notes alongside some dark fruit. It's complex and also showcases some leather and some oak. It's balanced, it's not too sweet and shows lots of tannins. — 5 years ago

Mindy Woytasczyk

9.4

Omg cherry notes, super dry and lady got legs. Won’t leave you hanging. Neva that.
— 7 years ago

with Jared

Guido Rainuzzo

9.0

Elegant deep garnet color. Mild bouquet. Medium light body and acidity. Pleasant tannins, silk start to a semi dry finish.

Surprised it has 14.2% alcohol, it feels surprisingly light and easy to drink considering the legs on it. Doesn't have the oak oomph that a lot of other California cabs have, so it's a pleasant bottle to have for something different. — 7 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It's time for #MerlotThursday. Here's a great one from Columbia Valley.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, black currants, cherries, cooked plums, wood, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, smoke, dark coffee, mocha, earth, leather, coke and black pepper. What a great nose.

Full bodied with medium acidity and nice legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, spices, espresso, chocolates, peppercorn, earth sweet vinaigrette, dark coffee and light mocha.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.

This 4 year old Merlot from Washington State surprised me.
Well balanced and enjoyable by itself or with food. Showing great complexity and mouthfeel.

Soft, spicy and smooth. Peaking now, and better now than a year or two ago.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (1 hour).

I paired it with a filet mignon and grilled asparagus.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$20. — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I have to say this is my favorite Chateau to stand in front of and gaze. On the nose, spice, wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, mint, tobacco leaf and dark fresh & dry flowers. It's drinking nicely with silty medium-medium + tannins & full bodied. Ruby, ripe wild blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, black plum, plum, leather, cedar, dark moist soil, wet stones, crushed dry minerals, mint, tobacco leaf and violets, dark fresh & dry flowers. The acidity is round and mouthwatering. The long finish has great elegance, beauty, length, tension & balance. It's just starting to hit it's stride and has plenty of life ahead of it. Another 15-20 years. Who said 04 was a difficult vintage? This will continue to improve and will stun with another 10 years in bottle. Photos of the the exterior Chateau front & side, tasting room and Christian Seely Managing Director. Chateau Pichon Baron and Chateau Pichon Lalande were originally part of the same estate. Pichon Baron got it's name when Therese, daughter of the founder, received the estate as a dowry when she married Jacques de Pichon Longueville the first President of the Bordeaux Parliament. Chateau Pichon Baron changed because of the Baron Joseph de Pichon Longueville. He took over managing Pichon Baron when he was only 19 years old! When the Baron passed away at 90 in 1850, he divided his Pauillac estate. The sons were awarded what became Chateau Pichon Baron and the daughters were given what later became Chateau Pichon Lalande. Pichon Baron went through three rough decades in the 60's, 70's and 80's. Part of the issues were, lack of investment and they machine harvested. The first really great vintages for them were 89 & 90 after Jean Rene Matignon, Jean-Michel Cazes join them and AXA Insurance Company purchased them adding capital. The 73 hectare vineyard of Chateau Pichon Baron are planted to 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. However, the Cabernet Franc and the Petit Verdot are reserved exclusively for the second wine. The terroir is mostly deep gravel, sand clay soils. Pichon Baron uses 80% new French oak and rests in barrel 18 months. @ FogoDeChao

— 9 years ago

Joe Davant

9.1

I wish I could remember everything we said about this when we had it a few days ago. It's got plums and red fruit plus a deliciously long finish. I definitely remember thinking that I was a fool not to order my full allocation. Excellent "entry level" wine from Jamie Kutch. — 9 years ago

with brent

Chris

9.0

Great! It's got a front end licorice to plum taste that I'm not a fan of. But still very dry and tannic. It wouldn't be my first choice again. — 4 years ago

with Jen

"Odedi"

9.2

It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Deep purple in color, almost inky, with a short purple rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, cooked plums, sweet cherries, cedar, light vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, coffee, light cocoa powder and peppercorn.

Full-bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, cedar, vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, light herbs, earth, chocolates, coffee, peppercorn and tobacco.

Tangy finish with round tannins and raspberries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley. Tangy and interesting.

Spicy, rich and extracted, yet elegant. Nicely balanced with a nice mouth feel.

I had the 2018 not too long ago, and it is very consistent.

Very young, but already drinking nicely, after a couple of hours of airtime. A good quality wine that will age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.

A good sipping wine that doesn't necessarily need food, but will be great with a big piece of steak as well.

A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, 10% Petit Verdot and 8% Cabernet Franc. Aged in mostly French oak barrels for 18 months.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$85. — 4 years ago

"Odedi"

8.9

It's time for #MerlotThursday. Here is a nice one from California.

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Pretty nose with blueberries, black currants, plums, cherries, oak, vanilla, spices, licorice, dark chocolates, earth, light vegetables and vinaigrette.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, vanilla, earth, wood, spices, peppercorn, chocolates, tobacco, graphite and dark coffee.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a very enjoyable Merlot from Santa Clara Valley in California. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

I've had this vintage before, and it is showing somewhat differently now, with more blue and black fruits. I'd like to see how it evolves in the next few years.

Needs an hour to open up properly and show tannins and structure.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with cheeses and olives. Goes really nicely with an aged Brie.

A blend of 85% Merlot with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$24. — 7 years ago

"Odedi"

8.9

It's Friday and I'm ready for my Cabernet fix. This week it's one from Washington State.

Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.


Fruity nose with blackberries, blueberries, cherries, raisins, figs, vanilla, licorice, oak, spices, earth, leather, green tea and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, vanilla, spices, espresso, cola, vegetables, leather, earth, chocolates, peppercorn and pencil lead.

Medium plus on the finish with firm tannins and tangy cranberries.

This Washington Cabernet is drinking very nicely now. Well balanced with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel. Showing a nice structure with ample black fruits and a touch of earthiness.

Last time I had it, it needed an hour to open up properly. I used the #VSpin this time, for 10 minutes, and it did the trick, and brought in tannins and complexity.

Will be good in the next couple of years. Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a cheese plate, nuts and crackers.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$17. — 8 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

It's Friday, and it is time for my Friday's Cabernet fix. This week it's a fabulous Israeli Cab.

Dark ruby in color with a brick rim.

Great fruity nose with black currants, blackberries, figs, smoke, licorice, oak, vanilla, sweet cherries, earth, wild flowers, graphite and black pepper.

Full bodied and smooth, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and spicy on the palate with blackberries, black currants, sweet raspberries, cherries, dried figs, tobacco, spices, wood, licorice, peppercorn, earth, dark chocolates and espresso.

Long finish with round tannins, tangy cranberries and spices.

This is a great Cabernet from Israel. Well balanced with great complexity. Smooth and elegant already, and will get better with more time in the bottle. Showing a great mouthfeel, a spicy finish, and it still has enough acidity to make it interesting.

Needs 90 minutes to open up properly and show some tannins and complexity.

14.5% alcohol by volume. — 9 years ago

Jim McCusker

9.0

Patrina is essentially Alban's second label - mostly declassified barrels from Reva, Lorraine, and Seymour's if I remember what John told me. It's got a lot of the tell-tale characteristics of an Alban syrah in terms of the nose (e.g., the roasted meat, blackberries, and hints of iodine and camphor), just less of them. Medium-plus bodied on the palate. What it lacks - and why I rated it as low as I did - is any tannic backbone. I imagine this is in part by design: kinda like a Rosso di Montalcino to be consumed while the Brunellos are ageing in the cellar (in this case the "Brunellos" are Reva, Lorraine, and Seymours). Still a terrific wine for the price, though: lots of CA wines out there at double the price that deliver one-fouth what this does. Doesn't have the stuffing to age very long, though, so enjoy this one early!
(Increased my rating a bit - started evolving a bit more with time in the glass) — 9 years ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It's time for my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a yummy Cabernet Sauvignon.

Inky in color with a short purple rim.

Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate and spicy, with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

Showing blackberries, black currants, cooked plums, raisins, licorice, cedar, light vanilla, tobacco, mint, chocolates, coffee, cola and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Lake County in California. Fruit forward and rich. Smooth and elegant.

Shows nice complexity already, although still young. Would be nice to revisit it in 5 years. Will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. Opulent and delectable. Delicious and engaging.

Good by itself as a sipping wine. Good right out of the bottle, and better with some air time.

A blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot. Aged in French oak barrels. A small production of only 300 cases.

14.3% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$75. — 4 years ago

"Odedi"

8.9

It's time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here's a nice one from Israel.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Nose of cherries, blueberries, wood, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, espresso, pencil lead, vegetables, herbs and black pepper.

Full bodied and soft with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blueberries, cherries, wood, licorice, light vanilla, light vegetables, dark coffee, herbs, tobacco leaf, spices, graphite and black pepper.

Medium plus in finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a nice surprise. I've had this wine for the last 4 vintages, and this is the best one yet. Easy drinking with mild complexity and a nice mouthfeel. Feels like a blend of new and old world wine.

Good by itself or with food. Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up ( 30 minutes). After an hour of airtime, tannins show up.

Drinking very nicely already, even by itself.

A blend of 36% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 12% Petit Verdot and 9% Cabernet Franc.

Grapes are grown in the Judean Hills at 2,000 feet elevation, and aged for 10 months in oak barrels. Kosher. Not Mevushal.

14% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$35. — 6 years ago

Brock Rexius

9.2

Certainly not a port expert, but this is very good. Almost “jammy” with some nice legs. Was a TW recommendation from years ago that finally got opened. — 8 years ago

"Odedi"

9.0

Time for my Friday's Cabernet fix. This time it's a California Cabernet.

Dark purple in color with a dirty red rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, dried figs, raisins, blueberries, cherry pie, wood, earth, licorice, cloves, spices, vanilla, peppercorn and pencil lead.

Full-bodied and bold with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate and very fruity, with blackberries, sweet black plums, cooked cherries, vanilla, earth, oak, cloves, light bitter herbs, cola, chocolates, graphite, mint, spices and peppercorn.

Long finish with firm tannins and black pepper.

This California Cabernet is always enjoyable. Well balanced with nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.
A great sipping wine by the porch or pair it with food like BBQ steak.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (30 minutes).

14.5% alcohol by volume.


$18. — 8 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Since this is the last Friday of the year, my Cabernet fix is going to be a little different this time.

Dark ruby in color with a short brick /orange rim.

Earthy nose of blueberries, blackberries, black currants, earth, wood, light vanilla, tobacco, peppercorn, espresso, forest floor, leather, pencil lead, light barnyard, licorice, light vanilla, bell pepper and vegetables.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and nice legs.

Dry and earthy on the palate with blueberries, cherries, oak, licorice, cloves, earth, wet leaves, vegetables, herbs, beef jerky, spices, dark coffee, pencil lead, green pepper, black tea and peppercorn.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

What a wonderful Cabernet based red from Saint Estephe. Nicely balanced and very complex with a great mouthfeel. Earthy and still young, but drinking very nicely now.

Not a great vintage, but so enjoyable by itself or with food. The nose is so complex, that it's so nice just to sniff on.

Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show some tannins.

I paired it with cheeses and light appetizers.

13% alcohol by volume. — 8 years ago

Carrie Stelzer

10

I love this cab dominate blend. It's big and bold with great legs. — 9 years ago

Anthony Belmonte

9.0

Great wine for the price. Good body and she's got legs. — 9 years ago