Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

My first of nine bottles. Good first look. 13 such an excellent & big vintage. This is still midway to the top of the bell curve. 15-20 yrs plus depending on storage & taste.

The 2013 fruit clusters had small berries that were nicely ripened by the season, which meant more skins vs berry that gave it tannins, structure & depth.

Epic vintage.

The nose reveals; a lift of sage & rosemary. Black currants, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, dark cherry liqueur, anise core to black licorice, sage, soft rosemary, dark chocolate to pudding, mixed cola, steeped tea, some black pepper, limestone, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, dry twig, grey volcanics, withering to dry; dark, red, purple flowers.

The palate is round, lush & thick. M+ dry, velvety tannins that penetrate deeply w/ teeth. Black raspberries, black plum, dark cherry liqueur, anise core to black licorice, sage, soft rosemary, dark chocolate to black plum pudding, caramel, dark spices w/ heat, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon to stick, vanillin, mixed cola, steeped tea, some black pepper, limestone, dry crushed rocks, dry top soil, dry twig, moist clay, grey volcanics, leather, graphite, moist tobacco, oak barrel shavings, withering to dry; dark, red, purple flowers, round, rainfall acidity with a rich/lush, nearly balanced, still strongly toned/structured, elegant finish with length & teeth that lasts minutes and lands on spice & earthiness.

It is still a baby. Plenty of life ahead. It has much more to offer. 15-20 yrs depending on storage and age taste. Add 1-2 points in 10 yrs. — 5 days ago

Jenna Agata

8.9

Better on day 2, with salty food - Marcona almonds, cheese, or oysters — 9 months ago

Neha b

9.5

Cab-Syrah blend. Smooth. — 3 years ago

Amit Srivastava

9.4

Classic napa ‘13 .. dry , big , very distinct — 3 years ago

Aloke Mukherjee

9.1

Molly bd on 13/042021 — 5 years ago

Madison Rossi

9.5

One of my favorites so far. Deep plummy color. — 6 years ago

Paul K

9.2

Actually kindof fell apart after 3 hours. Nose and palate were better 30 mins in. Chalking it up to odd bottle. — 4 months ago

MS

9.0

Crisp not too dry — 7 months ago

Jeff Flogerzi

9.1

Seems like really smooth tannins and sweet blackberries, kinda odd for a Cab. — 8 months ago

Doug Powers

9.7

From a really fine, structured Napa vintage, this shows dark fruits and mineral notes aromatically, still has loads of Dunn Howell Mountain structure and tannin, long, lingering finish, but the finish suggests that it needs 10-20 more years of aging, simply an incredible, old school (13% ABV) Napa mountain Cabernet with amazing length and freshness, a true WOW wine (if you’re moderately unoffended by the enormous structure still remaining)!!! — a year ago

with Jim

K Brooks

8.9

Quite nice Syrah with Swedish meatballs & cream sauce ($13) — 5 years ago

Neil Wanee

9.2

The body more like a Chardonnay with a slightly spicy finish — 5 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Been awhile since I pulled out an Insigna.

The 03 Pichon Lalande is the better wine and steak pairing. However, Napa Cabernet is the choice to finish steak and enjoy on its own after. You never want to do Napa before Bordeaux IMHO. It’s much harder to adjust from sweeter to something more earthy.

Enjoyed the 05 as my score reflects. I don’t remember it being as sweet as it was in previous tastings. Still quite good. It just tipped my sweet scale a little too much.

The body is, rich, lush & round. It’s achieved good evolution after 13 years in bottle and will continue to improve over the next 6-8 years and last another 15 years. As I mentioned, the fruit was ripe & sweet. Blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, plums, hints of blueberries and strawberries haunting the backend. Rich, dark earth, Rutherford dusty tannins and dry soils, purple cola, touch of fresh tobacco & graphite, light baking spices of; cinnamon, dash of clove, nutmeg and vanillin, anise to black licorice, saddle-wood, used leather, dry stems, some dry, crushed rocks/limestone with red, dark, purple and blue florals. The acidity round and nicely executed. The finish was similar wire to wire. It’s, lush, rich, elegant, touch too sweet, polished, well balanced & knitted with a soft, persistent, dark spice on the long set. Very enjoyable second bottle.

Photos of; Joseph Phelps Winery & sloping estate vines, inside lounge are with views of the back side, tasting terrace and front lobby/salon area upon entering past check in. — 6 years ago

with Christina and James

Rufus King

9.1

Delicious Grüner Veltliner enjoyed on Viking Danube River cruise — 4 months ago

Stefan Dolhain

8.9

2020 was the last vintage produced under Groupama ownership, as the estate was sold in April 2021 to Gerald Jicquel (the Beautiful Life Group , that also owns Fourcas-Dupré). While it is an attractive, smooth Haut-Médoc, it lacks a bit of concentration, especially if compared to some of its peers in this great vintage ( like the Barreyres 2020 I've tasted yesterday). But a nice drink in any case. Abv. 13%. — 5 months ago

Alex Novikov

9.2

So smooth. Fruity and sweet — 10 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. — 3 years ago

Jess

9.0

Pale lemon color.
Aromas of
Dry. Flavors lemon, lemongrass, mineral. Citrus & herbal.

Intensity: 4/5
Complexity: 2/5
Balance: 5/5
Finish: 4/5 — 3 years ago

Neil Wanee

9.5

Our 2019 edition had Chremisa in large letters on the bottle and it was fabulous. It was different than any Gruner we’ve had. — 5 years ago

"Odedi"

9.3

To bring in the New Year, here is a delicious wine, one of California's icons. Happy New Year to all of you.

Dark ruby in color with a short brick rim. Not showing age at all.

Great nose of blueberries, cherries, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, spices, graphite, dark coffee, chocolates, tobacco, beef jerky and peppercorn.

Full bodied, elegant and smooth, with medium acidity and nice legs.

Dry on the palate with blueberries, plums, currants, oak, cedar, leather, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco leaf, peppercorn, pencil lead, light vegetables, coffee and chocolates.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a great Cabernet blend from California. Showing great complexity with a soft mouthfeel.

This 13 year old is a delicious Bordeaux blend. Well balanced and engaging, with a tangy finish that makes it interesting.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly, show the tannins and become its own.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with light appetizers. A good wine to pair with BBQ Meats.

Thank you Scott for sharing this with me.

Drinking very nicely now and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

A blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 18 months in mostly American oak barrels.

13.1% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$230 (current vintage). — 6 years ago