Ron Siegel

9.3

This had the classic LB nose showing mostly black fruits with currant, cedar, leather, menthol, spice box, cigar ash & tobacco leaf. — 20 days ago

Joe Christenson

9.0

Lively and effervescent. Strawberry, raspberry, tart cherry — fruit forward, balanced by acidity and herbal notes. Picking up bay leaf, dried herb, general green notes. Fun and unexpected. — 3 months ago

"Odedi"

9.1

A pretty color of ruby, with a wide brick/ reddish rim.

Full bodied and elegant.

Dry on the palate with medium acidity.

Showing red currants, plums, cherries, wood, spices, coffee, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, herbs and black pepper.

Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 15 year old Rioja Reserva is drinking very nicely now. Showing nice complexity at this point.

Still young and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel. A very tasty aged Rioja, and a good food wine.

Robert Parker 95 points.

I Had this vintage a year ago, and it feels pretty much the same.

A blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano. Aged in used American oak barrels for 6 years.

13% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$55. — 5 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Another excellent purchase from the Benchmark Bin Sale. I love these 15-20 year Heitz Napa Cabernets…97 the rule, not the exception. It had perfect storage and is at its peak and will hold for another 1-2 years and diminish over the following 3-5 years.

The nose is floral dark cherry kirsch. Both plums, blackberries, black raspberries, pomegranate, strawberry liqueur notes, steeped tea, red & dark cola/licorice, dark rich earth, sharp, dry herbs, black pepper, dry twig with dark & red fresh & slightly withering florals.

The palate is ripe fruits well balanced with earth. Perfect evolution & integration. Soft, elegant w/ nothing bitty. Dark currents with ripe, leaner, juicy, slightly liqueured; blackberries, black raspberries, late spring dark cherries, both plums, orange rune, raspberries & poached strawberries. Heavy Asian & Indian, dark spices, black licorice/cola, pure anise, steeped, black tea, touch of black olive, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, vanilla, dry tobacco, dry Provence herbs, barrel shavings, dry pipe tobacco/ash, some lead pencil, leathery, moist, grey, volcanic clay, crumbled limestone, dry crushed rocks, dry river stone, dry brush, grilled meats-Châteauneuf-du-Pape characteristics w/ ragging, withering florals that are dark, red, purple, rainfall acidity with excellent; structure, tension, balance, polished finish that does not end. Wire to wire consistency. Lucky to enjoy a well stored bottle of 97 with this age. — 6 months ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a wide brick rim

Earthy nose with light oak, black fruits and tobacco.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with red and black fruits, wood, earth, vegetables, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, licorice, dark chocolates, black tea and black pepper.

Medium plus on the finish with round tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 35 year old is still drinking beautifully. This Second Growth Bordeaux is nicely balanced and complex.

Peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 10+ years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 4 hours. I did not decant it, but let it open up in the bottle.

Wine Spectator 96 points.

A good food wine that I paired with beef brisket. Gorgeous.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$275. — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.3

#AgedWineTuesday

Beautiful ruby in color, with a very wide reddish rim. Bricking at the very top.

Light nose with red and black fruits, light cedar and tobacco leaf.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with black plums, currants, cherries, earth, black coffee, oak, herbs, vegetables, spices, tobacco leaf, dark chocolates and black tea.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 26 year old from the great 1998 vintage in Southern Rhone is drinking beautifully now. Soft and smooth, elegant and earthy.

Not so good right out of the bottle, and needed 90 minutes of airtime to open up properly, so be patient.

Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 94 points.

Will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years.

Showing nice complexity and good balance.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

14% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$120 (current vintage). — 3 months ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

The best Phelps Napa I’ve had & had a ton. This 97 was stored perfectly & still just the other side of its peak. Balanced, lovely w/ nothing that bites back. Well worth the $75 or so that I paid. Likely around $25 on release. Now, 24 yrs in bottle better than some other Napa wines I’ve paid $150. The nose is also one of the better Napa Cabernet’s I’ve inhaled. Ruby; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, poached, dark cherries, spiced strawberries with raspberries hovering. Anise to black licorice, dark Indian/Asian spices, slightly dry tobacco, nutmeg, cinnamon, sandalwood, hints of sweet lead pencil shavings, dry & fresh herbaceousiness, charcoal, black tea, hints of menthol, dark, slightly withering florals, framed in lavender & violets.

The palate is lush, ruby, juicy fruits. Those that think fruit is lost at this age, not the case here and in many of the well stored wines I’ve had. Ripe & juicy; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, black plum, plum, poached, dark cherries, spiced strawberries with raspberries hovering. Anise to black licorice, tarry notes, some fig & dates, dark Indian/Asian spices, slightly dry tobacco, dry brush/twig, nutmeg, cinnamon, sandalwood, hints of sweet lead pencil shavings, dry & fresh herbaceousiness, charcoal, black tea, hints of menthol, moist volcanic clay, very fine, dry, crushed rocks, dark, slightly withering florals framed in lavender & violets, perfect acidity. The finish is outstandingly; knitted, tensioned, structured, layered, balanced for days that lasts minutes. Outstanding!!!

What a treat. The integration & evolution is epic & everything you hope for in every wine you open. You’ve heard of a velvet wine wrap in an iron fist. This is a velvet wine wrapped in a velvet glove. — 6 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

Last Sunday lunch with Roast Lamb. A 20 year old Rioja fitted the bill nicely. A blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo. Aged in new French and American oak for 24 months. Aromatics of tobacco leaf, plum, ashphalt and a bit of tar. A medicinal note the following night. The palate is medium to full bodied with berry, plum and liquorice. Resolved Tannins - quite fluid. This was Wine Spectators No. 1 wine for 2013 and now drinking at its peak but could go on for another 5 years on the evidence of this superb wine. — 2 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Full bodied with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cooked cherries, spices, oak, vanilla, licorice, chocolates, light earth, light vegetables, herbs, tobacco leaf and black pepper.

Medium finish with grippy tannins and raspberries.

This 15 year old, Fifth Growth Bordeaux, is still young and tight. Needs 5 to 10 years in the bottle to mature properly.

I gave it 90 minutes in the decanter, but it probably was not enough.

Robert Parker 96 points. Wine Spectator 92 points.

Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel. Grippy and rich.

Definitely needs food at this point, like a big piece of steak.

A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.

13% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$125. — 4 months ago

Brian S

9.4

Dusty soil, coffee, bay leaf, red and blue fruit, meat/blood, green underbrush. — 6 months ago