Joe DAscoli

9.5

Did not make it to 3rd hour of decant. Everyone drank it up quickly. Wine got better with each minute. — 4 days ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

In 1877, Illario and Leopoldo Ruffino laid the foundations of their dream to make Italian wines from the heart of Tuscany. Medium Ruby red color with aromas of dark berry fruit and earthy spice, blend of 80% Sangiovese with rest Merlot and Cab Sauv. On the palate flavors of black cherry and plum with tobacco, pepper and earthy cedar notes. Full-bodied, well balanced soft drying tannins on a smooth medium+ finish. Grab some Italian food and enjoy the great value wine. Consistent quality, a Fav!! — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Served blind alongside what would later be revealed as the 2005 Mouton. This wine looked, smelled and tasted like mature wine; in all the best of ways. But was it Bordeaux or Napa? The wine alongside it wasn’t really giving us any clues either. There was friendly debate at the table as we vacillated between the two regions. Ultimately however, we seemed collectively set on this being from Bordeaux with some suspecting Mouton. I lack experience with First Growths in general so I couldn’t really offer much to the discussion other than I liked what was in both glasses and one seemed a lot younger than the other while both being lovely. Lo and behold, this was revealed to be the ‘71 Mouton. At this stage, the fruit is mostly desiccated with dried tobacco, graphite and earth. A charming, old Pauillac. I would drink now but this could hang on for longer because Bordeaux. — a year ago

Paul J

9.5

First bottle from a six bottle vertical in a wooden box.

45+ minute decant but needed more like 2 hours. Dark red color. Graphite, black cherry, and oak make up a powerful nose. Medium plus depth. More black cherry on the palate with some medicinal tones. Finish has some black licorice, which is odd, but overall fantastic wine with great texture. Finish is medium plus. — 4 years ago

with Brooke

Alexandre Pagliano

9.2

Dark rubi robe with bricking at the rim. Nose of asphalt, cedar, liquorice and asian spices. Very mineral, medium bodied, complex, good length, very polished tannins. Cork was not perfect and bottle was low shoulder. Still excellent which makes us think pristine bottles might taste even better. Great stuff. — 2 months ago

with Jose and Adriana

Jay Kline

9.5

First, the Gentaz and now, Verset?! Be still my beating heart! Noël Verset is a freaking legend. His first vintage was during the period of peace between the first and second world war which means, for most of his career, Cornas was a tough place to make a living making wine. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that things began to turn around and by that time, Noël was in his 70’s. Talk about perseverance. By the time he made this 1996 vintage, he had already started selling off some of his vineyards and by 2006, he was done making wine altogether. 

And this 1996? It is lighter in color than the other wines in the Cornas line-up; almost a pale garnet with a transparent core. The nose is just crazy. I just wanted to smell it for the rest of the night. Wild mixed berries, dried purple flowers, garrigue, tobacco, and coffee. This was a Cornas of elegance and thinner on the palate relative to the Allemand and Clape. Long finish. Divine with venison, umami bomb, potato and pearl onion. Drinking very well now and could hold for longer but why? — 4 months ago

Vanessa

9.2

The season for cocottes (in the northern hemisphere at least) is upon us. Starting the season off with a spinach soufflé, roasted zucchini, and a grilled burger, with sharp cheddar and mixed greens, on a brioche bun.
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👁 As for the wine...This is a red wine with a deep ruby hue.
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👃 This wine has a medium (+) intensity of developing aromas, including, primary notes of black cherry, blackberry, black cassis, plum, fig, licorice, and violets, secondary notes of cedar, nutmeg, vanilla, and tertiary notes of leather, earth, espresso, sweet tobacco.
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👄 Palate is dry. It has medium (+) acidity, medium (+) body, medium alcohol, high tannins, and medium (+) intensity of flavors consistent with the aromas on the nose. The finish is medium (+).
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This is a very good wine and may be consumed now but has potential for (and will improve with) further aging. It still has so much life in it and is not as expressive and integrated as I suspect it could be with more time.
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Chateau Clerc Milon, Grand Cru Classé, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France. Vintage 2014. ABV 13.5%. — 4 years ago

with Deked1

Bob McDonald

9.1

Very dark in colour - almost black. Lots of everything - ripeness, oak, blackberry, dark chocolate. The sort of wine I would have loved in my 20’s, not so much in my 70’s. Not for lovers of delicate wine - this is full throttle. This Australian producer is probably better known in the USA than Australia - like Mollydooker. A full bodied palate with M plus intensity and grainy tannins. Ranked No. 3 in Wine Spectators Top 100 wines of 2012. Not sure that extended cellaring will make a huge difference but will try to have the last one in early 2027. — 3 months ago

Pooneet K

9.3

Absolutely delicious champagne. I think the only other Dom I’ve had from 04 was the metamorphosis. This is much nuttier - in a nice way. Fine bubbles, great mouthfeel, very long finish, good acid. Overall perhaps slightly less refined and deep than I was hoping, but still a treat. Nice pairing with a shrimp etouffe that I was inspired to make after a recent trip to New Orleans. — 8 months ago

Delectable Wine

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9.9

The 2019 Lynch Bages is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel, if not moreso. What a wine! Towering and vertical in its bearing, the 2019 is a total stunner. There is plenty of Lynch Bages charm, but what distinguishes the 2019 most is its spine of tannin and energy. Time in the glass brings out sweet red cherry, plum, blood orange and pomegranate and mint. The 2019 is a great, great, great Lynch Bages. It reminds me of the epic 1989, but with the youthful grip of this vintage. A towering Pauillac, the 2019 Lynch Bages will make a great addition to any cellar. (Antonio Galloi, Vinous, February 2022)
— 2 years ago