Chris MacLean

9.0

Oak still not integrated. Good grapes though. — 7 days ago

with Sarah

Ray Vanderhoff

9.1

Interesting Zinfandel (73%) based California blend. Also includes Petite Sirah (13%), Carignan (10%), Mataro (3%) and Alicante Bouchet (1%)). Dark ruby/purple color with a slight garnet rim. Pronounced aromas of ripe red and black berries, mint, violets moist earth and wet stones. Plush flavors of black berry/raspberry/plum fruit, mulberries, cola, dried herbs and sweet baking spices. Touch of smoky black pepper spice on the long and zesty finish. Medium-plus bodied and robust with a juicy profile and soft/silky tannins. Excellent picnic wine! Memorial Day 2026. — 24 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

First pour of this and I was like, “uh-oh”. It was clearly full of flaws (Brettanomyces, VA and maaaaybe some slight TCA) but would they be too much to appreciate the wine? Only time would tell so into the decanter it went. After a lot of air, it became clear this was Brett and VA. The wine pours a deep ruby/purple with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing (still) with notes of blackberries, umeboshi, animale, purple flowers, black pepper, red Flintstone vitamin, horse blanket, wood varnish, and sous bois. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. An elegant, complicated bottle. This is my second time with the 1997 vintage and due to the flaws, a different adventure than previous. That being said, this decidedly grumpy, Burgundian expression of Clape’s Cornas paired really well with the dry-aged steaks. Drink now, with a lot of patience, through 2037? — a month ago

Inseon Hwang

9.2

1980 Mag. Cigars and green pepper. — 3 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Strong nose of black fruits with cedar, vanilla, leather, spices, earth, chocolates and black pepper.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with black currants, black plums, blackberries, cooked cherries, light green vegetables, spices, pencil lead and peppercorn.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy cherries.

This 10 year old red blend from California is still drinking beautifully. Complex and interesting. Nice to see that it aged nicely.

Showing slight RS on the palate, but I can live with that.

Easy drinking and good by itself as a sipping wine.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah and Charbono.

15.2% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$60. — 5 months ago

Damian

9.3

Delicate, muted nose, floral, touch of brett. After an hour in glass - med acid, tobacco, dark chocolate, red fruit, pepper, grilled meat. — a year ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

vintage 2015 | spicy, pepper, morelcherries, strict, good acidity — 23 days ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Poured into a decanter to remove sediment prior to service; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 1986 pours a garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of cassis, dried blackberries, green bell pepper, tobacco, dried purple flowers, earth and fine cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium (integrated) tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium. A solid but somewhat demure showing, particularly in the midpalate. Drink now. — 12 days ago

Tom Garland

9.4

Decant and pour.  On the nose:  dark fruit, pencil shavings, green bell pepper, leather, mushrooms.   Taste:  a brooding, still austere, structured wine with dark fruit, cassis, smoked earth, cigar, minerals, crushed stone.  Some pronounced tannins want you to give it more time for a better score in the future.

At Cote, Last Vegas — a month ago

with Brenda and

Austin Hohnke

9.3

Such a beautiful wine leading with a zesty charge of cracked pepper, grilled citrus, and barnyard, while not shying away from fruitiness. Gains weight with air and a darker, more serious stewed intensity of fruit leather and earth. Drank with a friend who really appreciated it, and we both returned to our glasses repeatedly waxing poetic with our expressions. Purchased at Astor. — 3 months ago

Anthony Kluska

9.1

Lighter body then I would prefer but super aggressive pepper finish perfect with filet mignon — 4 months ago

Jay Kline

9.5

It’s been a couple of years since I last encountered the 2001 vintage of Chave’s Hermitage. That bottle was a library release from the domaine and so is this example. Splash decanted directly before service. The 2001 pours a garnet color with a translucent core; medium viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous and a total umami bomb: Koji beef broth, dried and baked brambles, dried purple flowers, black pepper, Kalamata olive, organic and inorganic earth along with fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Looking back on my notes from 2024, there’s a common theme: the 2001 is all about dat bass. Drink now with some patience and through 2041. — 5 months ago

Shay A

9.5

Opened for a buddy’s birthday, alongside a 2005 Tatty Comtes, 2015 Cristal, 2018 Realm Falstaff and 2023 Kobayashi M/R.

I still remember my first Allemand seven years ago and how it immediately reeled me in and every bottle since has been the exact same. The rusticity and feral nature of Cornas is why for me, as a Syrah fanboy, it’s the best and most pure region for this wonderful grape.

Removed cork about an hour before pouring. Initial notes of olive, black pepper spice and herbs, some smoked meat and a brief blood-orange citrus aromatic. Deep red/black in the glass. There’s a layer of brett (low level, adds to the intrigue, doesn’t detract) and lavender bouquet before peppered strip, herbs, raspberries and blackberries, and a sanguine tang hit the palate. Not sure of whole cluster use here but seems there’s a little bit (which I love). Wild but civilized. Medium-plus bodied with beautiful acidity and plenty of tannin for this to cruise years. On the early side, but these are so hard to resist in every phase.

I wish I could drink this every day. I need to find a wine of similar style at a better price point. — 6 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish/ brick rim.

Complex nose of red and black fruits with wood, earth, vegetables, dark coffee, light mildew, spices, tobacco leaf and light forest floor.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cherries, light cedar, earth, herbs, chocolates, licorice and black pepper.

Tangy finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 32 year old Cabernet Sauvignon from Carmel Valley is still drinking beautifully, but not at its peak anymore.

Still showing enough fruits for the acidity, tangy and interesting. Complex and very entertaining.

It's always a great experience to drink these kind of aged wines.

100% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from a Single Vineyard. Unfiltered and unfined.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$375. — 2 days ago

Jay Kline

9.6

Splash decanted immediately before service; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2018 pours a deep ruby/purple color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears and some sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with gorgeous notes of blackberry, fig, black pepper, bacon fat, lavender, aromatic wood resin, warm spices and 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 is already an absolute banger and hides its 15% alcohol as well as any wine I have ever encountered. I almost gasped when I saw the ABV on the label because I couldn’t believe it. This is beautifully balanced, and I feel privileged to try this wine in its relative youth. Drink now with a splash decant and through 2052+. Bottle No. 15902. — a month ago

romo

9.4

Anti-roast, all tart cherry and white pepper, gentle tannin, faint horse hair. Wow. — 2 months ago

Kapyrick Wine

9.2

v15. Don’t know why I still had this, but I’m glad I did. Toasted barrel and hand crushed fruit nose. Fresh, rich, dark, blackberry and blueberry fruit. Long, dry, pleasantly chewy, chocolate and black pepper finish. So good! — 3 months ago

JKT

9.1

At Mark Paul NYD Party old Cab series. Continuing with old Cab series. Equally surprising as the McDowell but a totally different profile, with more oxidative notes as expected for such an age and with rounder texture and shorter finish — 6 months ago

Debra Copeland, WSET3, CSWS

9.0

Colour is very pale with just the lightest hint of coral pink. It’s off-dry with lots of ripe tropical fruits on the noise and palate - cantaloupe, peach, and a hint of floral. It’s a very interesting blend of grapes. — 5 months ago

Inseon Hwang

9.8

Dark cherries, licorice, a little pepper — 6 months ago