Shay A

9.1

*Color isn’t quite as dark as the picture shows*

Followed over a few days. Consistent profile.

From 375ml

Advanced caramel color with a tinge of orange. Thankfully, aromatics are as expected with orange marmalade, caramel and toffee. Viscous and weighty profile with low acidity. Faint notes of honey roasted nuts on the palate, but it’s mostly an orange marmalade, caramel and apricot dominated profile. Finish shows good length for what is considered an off-vintage, with the apricot and some bourbon vanilla. Good on its own. Drink now. — 12 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

1990 vintage. This was the start to the weekly tasting day with the reps. A fave guest brought this in. Was summoned to open it immediately despite having just strolled in. Grabbed the Durand and pounced. Didn't get the opportunity to see the fill but the foil, label and cork were all pristine (too little cork saturation for a 3+decade-old bottle). Screamed château reconditioned. Opened but not decanted. Good color. Great nose immediately. Tasted after 15 mins and 45 mins open. Tasted around noon but bottle needed to have been opened at prior midnight. Showed pretty well, however, with the delicate intricacies this wine is renowned for. Would have presented better with more air time but you can only control so much. 01.29.25. — 2 days ago

Jay Kline

9.7

Of all the American red wines that participated in the Judgement of Paris, it could be argued that Monte Bello has shown the greatest propensity to age. In fact, I would go as far as it requires lengthy cellaring to extract its best. I’ve had the good fortune to drink a number of tremendous vintages of Monte Bello over the last several years and this one has got to be at or near the top of the lot.

Opened and poured into a decanter about an hour prior to service and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1991 Monte Bello pours a deep ruby/purple color with an opaque core moving out towards a light ruby rim; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing (still!) with gorgeous notes of ripe and tart black currants, mixed bramble fruit, tobacco, some purple flowers, dill, mint, leather, earth, vanilla and associated baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. The structure remains tremendous which again, seems to indicate youth. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is super long and immensely satisfying. This is one of those wines that will outlive most humans. Drinking well now with a short decant but this has the gas to see 2061 with ease. — 13 days ago

Mark Farrell

9.5

Deep ruby in color with slight brick color on the rim. Nose is quite pleasing with berry compote, lavender, and dark chocolate. Also a bit of earthiness. Wow. A great mouthfeel on this wine. Well balanced with tannins still a bit heavy. That said, I like my wines with a bit more tannic backbone. These notes are from pop and pour taste. Will let it open up a bit and will update if it changes significantly. — a day ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

No formal notes . Pretty deep Amber , copper colour . Intense marmalade , saffron , creme caramel . Rich on the palate with rich marmalade , saffron notes . Good acidity , but rich. Good length . This is drinkable now and shows quite an advanced colour , though due to its richness will probably carry on delivering for another 20 years , perhaps longer .

This was a rather fascinating evening put together by our incredibly generous host. All 2007 reds were served blind in two flights: 1st Mouton, Haut Brion, Cheval Blanc , La Mission Haut Brion then Latour , Lafite , Petrus and Margaux . Overall the wines showed well , and were mostly enjoyable to drink now , though there is no rush . This somewhat maligned vintage can give a lot of enjoyment in the right environment, I certainly wouldn’t hold back from opening or purchasing any of these wines . They mostly show good density of fruit , personality and elegance , with good freshness. These are not powerful wines , and at times perhaps the fruit can be a little cooler or greener but I was pleasantly surprised by the way they performed , just goes to show you should never write off a vintage without trying the wines ! — 7 hours ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Happy New Year Delectable!

Double decant and pour. A splendid tawny red color. On the nose: dark fruit, cigar ash, cedar, smoked meat, pencil shavings, mint. Taste: soft, silky, elegant, still fresh wine with dark red fruit, worn leather, graphite, loamy soil, spiced herbs, minty black tea and a dry medium finish. YUM! What a fun wine to end 2024 with. A wine bought at auction, and a cork which was not in the best shape, so not sure if this is a true representation of where this wine is at.

FOOD:
Island creek oyster and cavier
Lobster butternut bisque
Pan roasted duck breast
Braised beef short rib
Black forest chocolate cake — a month ago

with Brenda

Neil Valenzuela

9.4

Deep ruby color. Aromas of cherry, blackberry, black currant and clove. Solid wine, flavors of black fruit, black currant with warm baking spices on the end.

🏅95 Points - Decanter
🏅94 Points - James Suckling
🏅91 Points - Wilfred Wong — 9 days ago

Scott Kahn

9.5

Beautiful wine - one that has improved with age! Deep and rich color with a bouquet of cedar in the glass. Dark and plentiful fruit, integrated albeit present tannins, and a long finish. This is best Estournel that I have sampled! — 22 days ago

Tom Garland

9.2

Pop and pour. A splendid medium straw color. On the nose: asian pear, crisp apples, lemon rind, almonds, floral. Taste: chalky, oily, vibrant wine with lemon zest, white peach, saline, slate, and a mineral lime peel long finish. YUM! Nice compelling wine at 19 years. — a month ago

with Brenda

Steven Lee

9.4

xmas 2024 wine 4. Light in color almost orange ruby. Nose of little roses, jasmin tea a mnd some orange rind. Tannin is still there but not so harsh. Red dates. — a month ago