Tom Casagrande

9.3

Once Again, I can’t wait and open a Once & Future Zin too early! But this is remarkable even though it’s a baby. Deeply earthy nose has loads of rocky, warm gravelly notes, along with tight but profound pure blackberry fruit. Intense but contained in the mouth. Surprising acidity accompanies tight, deep fruit and mineral notes. Tannins there but very fine grained and buried in the rich flavors. Lengthy finish. Only quibble is a little peppery heat ((15.2% alcohol) pooks through in the finish. — a month ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

1989 vintage. Opened but not decanted. Tasted after one hour open. More structure than the 1990 version tasted side-by-side but leaner with slight, vegetal tones, less fruit and better tannic structure than the 1990. Couldn't find this in my Delectable reviews but feel like I've tasted this once in the last 6 or so years. Apples (1990 version)/Oranges (1989). As with the 1990, the 1989 is in a good place for another few years in the 750ml format but if you want to truly visit a 35+ year old vintage at the height of its' powers, opt-in for a large format experience. 10.10.25. — 10 months ago

Hanli Su

9.8

hou yummmm — 2 years ago

with Lanli and Nicolette

Andrew McIntyre

9.3

Powerful Syrah that needs a 2-3 hour decant but once opened up there are dark fruits and baking spices to enjoy. It perhaps lacks a bit of refinement but i would buy and drink again! — 3 years ago

Bruce Dunbar

8.9

A once beautiful wine, slightly faded at 20 years out. Still loads of ripe red fruit and elegance, but it was all high and mid notes with little bass and just a hint of pruning. Still made for a nice night. — 5 years ago

The Geek

8.9

At it’s absolute last drinkable moment in time. Opened and decanted (for sediment), the cork crumbled and disintegrated. This wine was delicious and beautiful...for about an hour. I went back and tried what was left about an hour and a half after opening it and it had already become “vermouth”, as a server at an Italian restaurant once told me about a too-old bottle of Barolo he’d tried. Drink them now if you have them, and do it quickly!

millennialwinegeek.com — 6 years ago

Todd Doolan

9.7

Long, mint and cinnamon. Once in a while it is nice to feel like you are drinking a great bottle at exactly the right time. — 7 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.2

See my previous note in February 2026. Very similar to now. This is fulsome and savoury at once - black cherry and raspberry. Very easy to like. Like a hypothetical blend of Syrah and Merlot. The herbal savouriness of Syrah with the softness of a supple Merlot. Made by Alvaro Palacios. Love the flamboyant Spanish label. — 19 days ago

"Odedi"

9.6

Drinking this pre-release bottle of this iconic wine from Bordeaux.

Light gold in color.

Strong nose and Full-bodied.

Sweet on the palate with high acidity to balance the sugars.

Showing melons, tropical fruits, apples, light earth, guava, herbs, spices, papaya and honey notes.

Long finish with herbs and tropical fruits.

This is a gorgeous sweet wine from Bordeaux. Sexy, seductive and fresh. Creamy and buttery.

Showing great potential, but oh so young. Already delicious and complex. Round, opulent and powerful.

Loved the nose once it opened up (20 minutes in the glass).

Rich and extracted. Fruit forward and intense, yet elegant. Well balanced with a soft mouthfeel.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, or with food. Drunk from a Magnum.

A blend of 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc. Aged in all new French oak barrels for 24 months.
154 g/l sugar.

14% alcohol by volume.

96 points.

$500. — 5 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Medium light garnet , quite wide terracotta rim . Top shoulder ullage . Slightly herbal , old mahogany, hickory , chestnut, minty , dried fruits with sous bois underneath, hoisin . On the palate this has some sweet red fruits , touch of coffee , old wood , earthy , meaty hints . Good acidity and slightly grippy tannins . Not bad length. This bottle shows surprisingly well considering its state , and is very drinkable . Drink now , as this deteriorated quite quickly once in the glass — a year ago

Veronica S

9.6

After 20 years, it still took extensive decanting to soften the initially gripping tannins. Once it did, beautiful dark fruits came through. Black currants, stewed prunes, delicious and full on the palate. Outstanding. Paired well with Brie and beef chow fun!!  — 2 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Tasted blind. Dark tawny color, totally opaque. Odd nose that has everyone shrugging what this could be. Notes of black fruit, spice, roses, some tar. I'm in Italy and drag a few others into similar guesses as my 89 Giacosa Falleto Riserva. Lot's of "wows" when it's revealed this is old Pauliac. This performed well through the day, it's in solid shape. The Bordeaux descriptors are easier to figure out once the label was revealed. — 4 years ago

Andrew Turner

9.5

Our 10th anniversary wine. Excellent once decanted. — 5 years ago

Chip Hughes

9.2

Rayas on mushrooms. Once the slightly reductive natty blows off, it’s a tender, detailed and savory Garnacha of real class. Heard a lot about Comando G, and my first experience with their wines did not disappoint. — 7 years ago

Doug Powers

9.5

Wow, this Zin is super aromatic, with fantastically pure crushed red and black fruits, some mineral, flavor profile shows lovely floral as well as the rich, deep red and black raspberry, while this wine needs further aging, it has impeccable balance and a very long, lingering finish, 13.5% ABV, 201 cases made, bravo to Joel!! — 4 months ago

with Jim

Sipping Fine Wine

9.0

Dairyman Vineyard sits in the southern alluvial plains of the Russian River Valley near the ocean, a region where cooling fog comes in through the Petaluma Gap in the morning and once again in the evening. Medium Ruby color, with aromas of berries, tea and spices. On the palate flavors of raspberry and tart black cherry with herb, cedar and cinnamon. Fine tannins, medium+ finish with lively acidity, good structure, ending with fruit and cedar spice. — 7 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

8.9

1989 vintage. From magnum. Nice fill and cork better than expected. Not decanted and first tasted after 7 (seven!!) hours after opening. Talk about task saturation...Light body with some brickish notes but back end concentration along with dark cherry and plum notes fronting earth + tobacco histories. Good length of finish. Drink whatever format ya got cuz it's definitely time unless you like playing wine pathologist and reconstituting tissue/flavors to flesh out what once was and rebuilding around the existing skeleton. Eminently doable as long as you're intimately familiar with the producer/wine, have previously tasted the wine and have really good notes/memory. 05.11.25. — a year ago

Jay Kline

9.3

From magnum. No formal notes. The fill was top-shoulder. Underneath the capsule, the top of the cork looked nasty which I wiped down as best I could. About four hours before service, using a Durand (which is almost essential with old bottles) I was able to pull the cork completely intact and decant for sediment. The cork was completely saturated but appeared to have done its job! At this stage in its life, the 1990 Chateau Mouton Rothschild pours a garnet color but it doesn’t appear particularly tired and the nose supports that. While it’s certainly a vinous wine, there is a lot to like: a mix of red and black cassis, rip and desiccated cherries, tobacco leaf, cedar box, old leather, damp earth, some mushrooms and baking spices. The structure is still sound and while the tannins have integrated and the acid is keeping this very much alive. In fact, this seemed to brighten with air and almost get a second wind! As I find with all great Bordeaux wines once they enter this stage, they seem to live forever. This was a lovely pairing with a Prime, Niman Ranch porterhouse served with corn, squash and porcini. This is squarely in the “drink now” window, not that it will be falling off a cliff anytime soon. Decant for sediment and enjoy through 2030+ — 3 years ago

Matt Perlman

9.3

Gorgeous. Tiny strawberries, crunchy leaves, cedar, iron, some animal notes. Sweet spot in mid-transition from primary to secondary. Once again the strategy of blue chip producers in “lesser” vintages pays off — 5 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

A blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot, blended then aged for 24 months in 50% new and 50% once-used American oak. Deep Ruby color with aromas of black fruit, licorice and minty floral notes. The palate beautifully displays rich ripe blackberry and black cherry, a hint of sweetness, vivid acidity and the right touch of toasty vanilla oak, still youthful in development. The wine has nicely integrated tannins, still holds some grip on a long finish which should give way to let this wine age for the next decade+. Excellent, Tasting Sample! — 7 years ago