Lemon gold color with aromas of stone and tropical fruits with citrus, sweet floral and complex spice, no MLF. On the palate flavors of ripe melon, pineapple, apricot and honeysuckle notes with lemon zest and biscuit notes, delicate, complex and well balanced, big and full Chardonnay. Long finish, savory, ending with mineral tones and fresh finish. Will age well. Outstanding! While I usually do not decant whites, this one will benefit to breathe a bit! — 9 months ago
Forgot I opened one of these earlier in the year. Whoops. Wish I had more.
Hour decant, then consumed from decanter over the next 3hrs.
My note here is fairly similar to the 2014 note, but there is more concentration and power going on. Dark purple in the glass, with aromatics of both sweet oak as well as a kiss of whole cluster stem inclusion. Loads of dark floral notes, ripe blackberries, and smoked jerky. Large-scaled mid palate depth and richness of blue and black fruits with plenty of herbal flair and spice but it’s more iron fist in a velvet glove style. There’s black peppercorn and iron, as well as big central coast Rhône style with its rich and textural palate.
I love Syrah in all expressions. It’s natural to compare these wines to SQN (and Andremily), and rightly so. These are dialed up to 9, but pull back, whereas the others aren’t afraid of going to 11. No right/wrong answer, just style preference. I happen to love both. — 2 years ago

Inky in color with a reddish rim.
Fruity nose of black currants, plums, licorice, light cedar, earth, cola, herbs, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee, black tea and light garigge notes.
Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.
Dry on the palate with black plums, currants, oak, light licorice, spices, dark chocolates, earth, tobacco leaf, cola, herbs, peppercorn and light vegetables.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
This young Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is already drinking beautifully. Rich and fruit forward. Nicely balanced with a smooth mouthfeel. Elegant and complex, spicy and tangy.
Delicious now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years.
The alcohol is nicely integrated already, although not as high as typically from this region.
Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 92 points.
I've had a few vintages of this wine and this is not my favorite, by far.
A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.
A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 1% Malbec.
14% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$450. — a month ago


1996 vintage. Multiple (6) bottles tasted 1hr, 2hrs and 4 hrs after decanting. Sleek and linear. Not gratuitous and giving just yet but close. Needs another 5-7 years to absolutely ingratiate itself into your psyche/cellar/glass if you're a robot/AI or actually have patience. Sexy af. Decided and dedicated temptress throwing out just enough historic, Lalande-styled love currently to seduce completely if your patience is lacking. Total siren song. Fill those ears with wax and watch your bank account. Beware. This just may be the longest lived Lalande vintage I've ever hit. Discounted the 1996 vintage big-time initially but deffy mistaken with this specific/particular wine. Hard to locate but if you do, it's a go to. Been trying to source since tasting this vintage, without luck, since this visit. Number one on the Most Wanted BDX list currently. Pray for me. 4.4.23. — 3 years ago
2018 vintage. One of the oldest Bordeaux estates, owned today by a French insurance group. A big estate with over 90 hectares under vine. Lovely floral nose. Medium-bodied, with bright fruit and remarkable freshness, but the tannins are a bit rough in the finish, and it lacks a bit of length. Good value for 26 euros, but no match for the 2018 Château Olivier (another one of the oldest Bordeaux estates) tasted alongside. — 5 years ago
First time tasting the 2019 Bard. Big wine. Big ripe fruit - I’m getting mostly black with some red and hints of blue. Graphite. Lavender. Softened yet big chewy tannins. Acidity holding in strong at this point. Drinking well now with just a brief decant, but I can see this one really hitting a sweet spot in a few more years. — 2 months ago
The advantage of the 1.5L bottle. The wine is drinking beautifully. Great maker that let's you move down to Numanthia Termes for value in a large gathering or up to a Numanthia Termanthia for select friends in small gathering. This one threads the needle very nicely. This '08 is a big fruit black cherry number with earthy tones — 3 years ago
Always good and I’m a big fan of Duckhorn Merlot. But this one tasted a little more mass produced. Could need some time to blossom. — 4 years ago
Andrea Watt
Quite good with toffee, apricot, honey, almond, and marmalade. — 20 hours ago