Her Mir Tage

9.7

1955 Giacomo Conterno Barolo (Ditta) – The "Great Emperor"

Appearance: The wine unfurls in the glass with a majestic, deep garnet core that gracefully fades into a wide brick-orange rim—the unmistakable heraldry of seven decades of life. It is perfectly clear and luminous, promising a profound experience.

Nose (Aroma): The aromatic profile is a walk through an ancient, sacred forest after the rain. It opens with a deep sense of humid earth, fungal truffle, and a subtle, refined smoked leather. As it opens, a beautiful core of blueberry compote and dried dark fruits emerges, intertwined with a complex tapestry of Chinese medicinal herbs and dried florals. It is both powerful and hauntingly ethereal.

Palate (Taste): The palate is a breathtaking journey into umami and complexity. True to the legend, the fruit has transformed into an intense medley of sweet preserved fruit (dried apricot, date). This is immediately met with a profound savory depth: a distinct salted Chinese preserved plum character provides a mouthwatering salinity, while a fine dusting of astragalus root powder and angelica root brings an authentic, warming medicinal bitterness that defines the wine’s regal structure. A hint of spicy dried ginger soda lingers on the mid-palate, adding a lift of unexpected freshness.

Acidity & Structure: The acidity is the heartbeat of this wine—sustained, mellow, and incredibly refined. It does not jab but rather flows continuously, carrying the dense, dried flavors across the palate with remarkable energy. The tannins have fully resolved into a silken, powdery texture, leaving nothing but harmony.

Finish: The finish is eternal, echoing with notes of dried citrus peel, forest floor, and a final whisper of sweet tobacco and herbs. A truly humbling experience; this is not merely a wine, but a living artifact of time, worthy of the title "Great Emperor." — 3 months ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Happy New Year! Had to go out with a fun year end wine.

Decant and pour(decent chunky/fine sediment). A majestic dark garnet with bricking. On the nose: Eucalyptus, perfumed red fruit, floral, soil, herbaceous. Taste: silky, creamy, fresh wine with some still there red cherry, tobacco, earthy, shaved graphite, and a peppery cedar long finish. YUM! What a treat to drink as a our final wine this last night of the year.
Cheers!
ELLA Restaurant,  New Year's Eve:
Cavier Beignet
Dungeness crab bisque
Roasted Liberty duck breast
72 hour braised short ribs
Chocolate midnight cake — 2 years ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.3

1.5 hour decant(little fine/cloudy sediment). A majestic deep ruby red color. On the nose: perfumed nose of plum, smoked meat, old leather, eucalyptus, burnt cedar, green veggie. Taste: smooth, slightly creamy, elegant, structured wine with black plum, currants, herbaceous, nutty chocolate, leather, graphite and a long peppery savory dry finish. YUM!

The financial crisis and excess wine to sell had the 08 1st growths all priced less than $200 a bottle so I bought a bunch.  At 15 years,  it's finally time to check em all out. This Mouton is a nice start. — 3 years ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.6

+2 hour decant(lots of sediment). Served with beautifully seared A5 Wagyu. A majestic deep dark garnet color. On the nose: subdued notes of dark/blue fruits, pencil shavings, menthol, wet forest floor, cedar. Taste: silky, pure, intense savory wine with blackberry/dark cherry, currants, graphite, mineral, dark chocolate espresso and a lingering long dry finish. YUM! Still has time to go and glad to have more bottles. — 5 months ago

with Brenda

Adam Gäfvert

9.8

The majestic 2016 Las Cases is one for the ages. This ultra complex and ultra appealing wine is already captivating and will very obviously have many decades to shine. You get currants, blackberries, salmiak, violets, tobacco, rosemary, pink pepper, soil and so much more. The texture gradually becomes creamier with fine tannins and fresh and long finish. Will become a perfect wine eventually. — 2 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.5

Along with the majestic 2010 one of my favorite Stella vintages. So giving right off the bat, never any heat, just so fresh and clean. Amazing expression of Sangiovese. — 3 years ago

Tom Garland

9.3

2 hour decant(decent fine/chunky sediment). A majestic purplish dark magenta color. On the nose: bursting from the glass are notes of red and black fruit, charred wood, milk chocolate, some mint, touch of cigar box. Taste: smooth, delicate, elegant wine with red berries/plum, leather, gravel, herbaceous, mocha, and a spiced tobacco medium plus finish. YUM! Drinks well with the decant, but no hurry, time to go. — 3 years ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.4

Pop and pour. A majestic lite gold color. On the nose: crisp apples, lemon, almonds, floral, and honey. Taste: creamy, beautiful texture and nice acidity wine with apple, pear, lemon zest, saline, flint, and a minerally lime peel medium plus finish. YUM! Maturing gracefully and time to go. — 6 months ago

with Brenda

Tom Garland

9.4

From 3L bottle

1 hour decant. A majestic dark garnet color with some bricking. On the nose: perfumed fragrant notes of dark plum, currants, creme brulee, herbaceous, eucalyptus, wet forest floor. Taste: silky, creamy, wonderful coat your palate wine with red plum/cherry, that Cos spice, mineral, graphite, worn leather, and a smokey chocolate coffee medium plus finish. YUM! — a year ago

with Brenda

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

Along with 02, 04 and the majestic 2010, 08 is one of my absolute favorite vintages from Raveneau and it’s absolutely rocking tonight showing superb weight, density and waxy yellow fruit that’s layered with stony minerality and piercing lemony acids. 08 Raveneau is all about that Chablisian balance: proper levels of richness and acid, ripeness and minerality. Code yellow ftw 🙌🏻 — 3 years ago