Shay A

9.2

Annual birthday WWC hosting. As normal, 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds, 1 dessert, all presented blind.

Fun to do a side by side with the ‘88, and also check in against the Montelena. Profile wise, this leans ripe and modern stylistically. There is a kiss of brett that takes you to Bordeaux but it’s mostly red and black fruit driven with a vanilla pipe tobacco sweetness, leather, cassis and a little bit of a floral note, especially aromatically. Big structure for the vintage, but open for business now if you can give it a few hours in the decanter. — 5 days 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

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured. The 2021 “Cuvée Réservée” pours a deep ruby color with a deep but transparent core; medium+ viscosity and moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe red and black brambles, spiced meat, black pepper, some purple flowers and stony minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This comes across lighter and more Burgundian than the last handful of vintages; almost giving me some 2014 vibes (which is a vintage in the last decade that I adore). It’s really good and shows a bit more elegance that I quite like. Looking forward to tracking this vintage as time goes on. Drink now with some patience and should be cracking through 2041 with ease. — a month ago

Peter Sultan

9.3

Broke out one of my cellared Raffaults for my homeboy who graced me with a home cooked Tuscan styled flank steak w rosemary & arugula, as well as Israeli cous cous w chickpeas, charred tomatoes, feta, & herbs. Light Cadmium red hued & strong color though ( good cork- not a guarantee w Raffault!); dense Hibiscus, fresh raspberry & some bramble on nose; on palate very clean & smooth mouthfeel, with the initial flavors repeated but a deeper blend of red fruits & a stronger presence of under brush. Super fresh & integrated. Elegant, & the Burgundy echo was hard to ignore. Not Uber complex but not monolithic either, which this line of Raffault can be in its youth ( or as it ages). Very impressive, & accessible now. Curious how my ‘02 & 07s will fare… — 9 days ago

with Owen

Conrad Green

9.4

warm hints of apricot, lovely tension and depth. Mature now. Very good — a month ago

with BOT, Matt and 1 other

Jan de Weerd

9.5

We visited there in the early summer of 2015 and now we got to try the fruits of their labor in the vineyard we witnessed at that time. A bio-dynamic vineyard with horse and plow 😁. Their wines are fantastic. This wine was richer in fruit and more expressive than perhaps characteristic for the Pauillac region. But the layers of earth infused flavors and the most subtle hint of ‘barnyard’ made it a sensation. Topped off with a grippy finish keeping the flavors lingering in your throat. www.spokenwines.com. — a month ago

with Tammy

Jeffrey Woo

9.2

Dark garnet hue. Aromas of bramble, cedar, cherry, flint, graphite, leather, oak, plum, strawberry. Medium-plus body, with plus tannins and plus acidity. Integrated, rounded tannins. Drinking well now. 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo. — 18 days ago

Vino Joe

9.5

Wonderful wine. One of my favorite vineyards. This is always a high quality wine. This one is still young but getting its legs. Vibrant and fresh if not yet rounded out. There is complexity that will only build. The length is good now but I know will be significantly longer in near term. Cherry. Fig. Eucalyptus. Loved this wine. Looking forward to sampling the next few I have over ensuing decade. — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.2

The fruit for "La Chapelle" is sourced predominantly from Le Méal and Bessards (with a little form Greffieux and Rocoules. Relative to the two Chave’s, the 1988 “La Chapelle” seems a bit more like a Hermitage fastball right down the middle of the plate. Desiccated mixed berries, olives, purple flowers, and minerals with a touch of ethyl acetate. Again a great pairing with grilled lamb and Moroccan spices. Vinous and drinking well now through 2035. — a month ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

8.9

1986 vintage. Ripped through six bottles (one corked) for a 1986 BDX dinner @ Mister A's-San Diego. All bottles appropriately aged fill and decent+ corks. Double decanted and tasted over the course of 5 hours. Mix of powdery and stubborn (non-chunky) sed amongst the 6 bottles. Light-medium body throughout. Somewhat muted experience overall. None of the bottles (with variation) shone/sung. Wine is firmly on the downside of the bell curve with best days behind it (based on the 5 + corked bottle examples). There was none of the usual P-L flavor markers but the body hung in there. Pains me to say this but drink up now unless you've got a larger format bottle. Maggie (+) would probably yield a higher score. 3.14.24. — a month ago