Lee Pitofsky

9.4

Love these wines. Rare to find with some age! 2011 is superb tonight, complexly aromatic wafting layers of dark fruit, olive tapenade, camphor, bacon fat and black truffle. The palate shows excellent density and concentration with balanced acids, melting tannins and a stunningly long finish. Beautiful wine. — 14 days ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Foillard’s “Cuvée Corcelette” comes from the eponymous climate in Morgan where Jean’s holdings include vines over 80 years of age. This is a stunning wine that is so Foillard in style: fresh and deep.

Popped and poured; enjoyed over two days. Consistent over both days but seemed to round out a little more on Day 2. The wine pours a deep, hazy ruby with a near opaque core and an almost fuchsia rim; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with sensational notes of macerated raspberries, red flowers, carrot juice, celery root, chanterelles, granitic earth and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+ and so easy to love. Super balanced. Drink now and over the next 10+ years. — 22 days ago

Delectable Wine

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9.6

The 2012 Insignia is in great shape today. Bright acids lend tremendous energy to a mid-weight Insignia that is more about finesse rather than power. Sweet red-fleshed fruit, cedar, tobacco, mint and rose petal are all beautifully delineated. There's not much left to say. The 2012 offers tons of pure pleasure. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, May 2024)
— 9 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Still one of the best Napa Cabernets for the money. 12 a fruity & very high yield vintage in Napa Valley.

12 is a fruit leaning vintage. It is juicy, ripe, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum pudding, some boysenberries, cedar, medium plus tannins, dry tobacco, leather, dry leaves, expresso, French barrel shavings, sandstone, dark, rich, sweet, turned earth, stems, black, rich, sweet earth, steeped tea, alluvial limestone minerals, baking spices, liquid, dark, red, purple flowers, w/ rainfall acidity and an elegant, rich, fruit driven finish that lasts nearly two-minutes.

12 a vintage to age, but not long age. Lacks the tannins to do what 13, 14 will.

Happy birthday Angela. — 2 days ago

Charlie Tapp

9.2

Red fruit, black figs, sage and peppercorn. Grenache heavy with Burgundian weight and minerality. 14.5% ABV. — 5 days ago

Conrad Green

9.6

Dark and pure. Gnarly fruit with great intensity. Savory and slightly wild but very sophisticated. Intense, with a long life ahead. — 11 days ago

with Paul, Matt and 2 others

Travis Ladd

9.1

Fun and delicious. Ez drinking — 8 days ago

Russ Kujan

9.3

2019 vintage. Pinot Noir from Burgundy, Grand Vins de Bourgogne. This is an appellation wine from a thin, sloped strip of land called the Cote de D’or then you travel to a hillside in the Joseph Drouhin vineyard for Gevrey-Chambertin. This is a delicious wine. It’s designated as an intro wine from the region — appellation. The pinot noir vineyards in Burgundy trace back to medieval times. Button mushroom and spice on the nose. A light, Balanced, silky, long finish, cherry, Pomegranate, a bit of potting soil moderate acidity that is balanced with low tannins. Get a case. If this is classified as an appellation wine from producer Joseph Drouhin, I can’t wait to try a Villages and Crus. — 9 days ago

Vanessa

9.3

It’s always a resounding ‘YES’ for JL Chave!!

That includes this luscious and concentrated Syrah from Saint-Joseph AOC in the Northern Rhône of France.

Domaine Jean-Louis Chave is a benchmark and icon of the Rhône Valley – a family-run operation since 1481 – with an entire range of deliciousness through the Domaine Jean-Louis Chave and JL Chave Selection portfolios.

This wine is deep ruby, trending on purple. It has pronounced aromas and flavors of boysenberry, blueberry, black cherry, cassis, pomegranate, also violet, bacon, sanguine, saddle leather, pipe tobacco, clove, cigar, damp earth, and black peppercorn. Alcohol is high (14.5% ABV) with medium (+) fine-grained and well-integrated tannins, medium (+) acidity, a medium (+) body, and a long, elegant finish.

It has a rustic and savory character with robust dark fruit notes; it’s layered, complex, structured, and age-worthy, benefitting from decanting. Still, it’s tasting wonderfully now.

Cheers to JL Chave and treasures of the Rhône!! — a month ago

with Deked1

Lee Pitofsky

9.4

Excellent 08. Chave and Allemand really nailed the difficult vintage in Northern Rhône, and 2008 Hermitage is showing beautifully tonight, fresh, elegant and detailed with aromas of juicy red berry fruit, bacon, roasted herbs and smoky minerals. While not an exceptionally deep and concentrated rendition in 2008, it’s really a considerable success, and it’s fully open, giving and ready to drink. — 23 days ago