Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2021 vintage. Medium/medium-heavy body. Color dark as a moonless night. Didn't delve into the specifics but tastes like mountain/hillside fruit. Lean and mean in spades with profiles in courage...er...tannins. Excellent concentration throughout. Definitely NOT for the casual (Napa) red drinker/initiate. 6.5.26. — 13 days ago

Ron R

9.6

Not the best of vintage in Bdx, but the winemaker clearly pulled off some acrobatics here.
Nose displays the usual Cos spice-box signature, along with notes of forest floor, sage and mushrooms. Palate is rich and dense showing no signs of age. Nice mature casis profile links up with brambles and sandalwood. Tannins continue to prop up this outstanding example. — 6 months ago

with Andrew and Rick

Eric Grasser

8.9

Tough vintage. Has turned toward a Bordeaux profile in its aging with cassis, leather and mint. Tannins have really evaporated. Mildly pleasing — 2 years ago

Will Stanley

9.5

Just rock-solid Châteauneuf, this is exemplary and for me personally my exact sweet-spot in terms of the varied styles from this region. The nose takes a little coaxing, but has a great yin / yang profile of pure, fresh blue fruit, liquorice, violets, and garrigue, versus seared meat, iron and loamy earth. This all puts it square in the middle of the ‘old’ and ‘new’ schools, broadly speaking, and it’s a wine that has the best of both worlds as a result.

The palate is huge, an iron fist in a glove of velvet and so much more, but in no way imbalanced or over-extracted - not overtly alcoholic, at a modest 14%. It spreads out in waves across the palate, ripples which are felt long after the finish. This is clearly a baby now, but it drinks well and will see its 20th birthday in damn fine fettle. Excited to have a case in the cellar.

Decanting not required nor recommended. — 3 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.6

2019 Disgorgement is in the zone with its ultra complex aromatic profile and chiseled palate with riveting energy and a seamlessly balanced expression of layered red berry fruit and chalky minerality. VO base with a touch of still Pinot from Francis Egly. Always a treat ❤️ — 5 years ago

James Forsyth

9.6

Super sophisticated. Intense fruit, infinite depth. Dark profile. This is one hell of a wine. — 6 years ago

Shay A

9.4

Last week was a combo of 4th Friday and Open That Bottle Night on back to back nights. Needless to say, the lineup between both days was full of heavy hitters, so I’m only posting standout bottles.

Yes, that is a 3L of ‘87 Dunn Howell in a gorgeous etched bottle. I think the bottle may have outshone the wine, and that was no easy feat! Compared to the ‘88 I opened a year and a half ago, the vintage and larger format here have kept time hostage as this has aged beautifully. Dusty aromatics of brambly fruits, cassis, currant, graphite, fig, leather and even some baking spices remained. The profile on the palate is warm and soft...ripe baked blackberries, peppercorn, old graham cracker and cedar shavings. Integrated at this stage, but this powered through 5+hrs in bottle and in decanter with zero drop off. Still sporting Dunn’s classic Howell power. — 6 years ago

with Jid, joe and 2 others

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Bodegas Faustino – Faustino V Reserva
Tempranillo-based Blend 2018
DOCa Rioja – Spain 🇪🇸

Overview
A standout vintage combining freshness, balance, and precision. The 2018 shows the most complete expression among the last two vintages (v16 & v17), harmonizing fruit, oak, and structure beautifully.

Aromas & Flavors
Fresh red berries, cherry, subtle vanilla, cedar, and refined spice with a lifted aromatic profile.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with vibrant acidity, polished tannins, and a beautifully balanced, lingering finish. More energetic and refined than prior vintages.

Food Pairings
Versatile, grilled meats, tapas, roasted vegetables, or even casual pairings.

Verdict
The most complete and balanced of the last two; Fresh, elegant, and structured this is the sweet spot vintage.

Did You Know?
2018 in Rioja is widely regarded as a balanced vintage, offering both freshness and aging potential, often outperforming expectations at this price tier. (I have also reviewed v16 & v17).

🍷 Personal Pick
The winner of the lineup, precision, freshness, and balance all in one. A textbook example of why Rioja Reserva remains one of the best value categories in the world. — 2 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Opus One 2011
Napa Valley, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A Bordeaux-style blend from one of Napa’s most iconic estates, co-founded by Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The 2011 vintage was a challenging, cool year in Napa, producing wines of lower alcohol, more restraint, and higher acidity compared to the opulent, sun-soaked vintages before and after. Blend typically centers on Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.

Aromas & Flavors
Opens with blackcurrant, cassis, and dried cherry layered with graphite, violets, tobacco leaf, and hints of cedar and espresso. As it evolves in the glass, notes of leather, savory herbs, and cocoa powder emerge.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied compared to more powerful Opus vintages, with fresh acidity and fine-grained tannins. Elegant and balanced, showing more finesse and structure than richness. The finish lingers with red and black fruits, spice, and a touch of earth.

Winemaking Notes
Aged in French oak for 18 months. The cooler season resulted in smaller yields, but a style closer to classic Bordeaux restraint rather than plush Napa ripeness.

Food Pairing
Beautiful with herb-crusted lamb, grilled duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, or aged cheeses like Comté.

Verdict
A vintage that divided critics due to its lighter profile, but for those who enjoy elegance and classical structure, the 2011 Opus One is a refreshing outlier. Drink now, though it still has a few years of graceful life ahead. Cheers!
— 10 months ago

Ron R

9.0

Served at room temp, which was off-putting from the start. Very typical Bdx profile with understated oak and fruits on the nose. Mid-palate offers softish tannins and moderate acidity. Finishes with length. Drink em if you have em. Represents good value from this region. — 4 years ago

David Nicewicz

9.4

Textbook right bank beauty. Perfume of cigar box and sweetness gives way to tons of spice, currants, graphite and plum that you’d expect from a right bank BDX. Only knock on this is that it finishes a little thin, but the flavor profile is there — 4 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.5

Tasted blind. Reddish amber tawny. Translucent. Better color than the 61 Palmer beside it. Herbal nose. Notes of red and black fruit, herbs, earth, gravel. Very refined and perfumed. Guessed 61 Mouton given the herbal profile. A really good but not great Margaux. (M's 60th bday 6th of 14) — 5 years ago

Jason Case

9.2

What a special treat! Profile similar to an old red burg, earth, smoke, and so delicate. — 6 years ago

Joe DAscoli

9.4

Lighter than expected but lovely flavor profile — 3 months ago

Marc Melser

9.1

We had to the 2019 Vintage on 11/22/25. A very good full bodied wine. The bouquet and flavor profile are darker and more subdued fruit compared to a Napa floor wine. There is some mocha and minerality. This wine would be better in five years. — 7 months ago

Jeroen Koenen

9.2

Shifting to a more feminine and elegant profile, after almost 20 years this still has a lot to offer. Complex fruity and umami notes of cherry, currants, pepper, spice, cured meat, tossed earth and truffle.
Great effort, year after year. — 2 years ago

Roberto Carli

9.4

Shy and a bit shut. A touch reductive, smoky nose. Extremely elegant but shy citrus profile, lengthy finish. Very little autolytic character — 3 years ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

8.9

One of the most disappointing first growths I’ve had. Not sure if the 11s need more time, or if they’ll just never come around. Atypically lean vintage of this with a fairly predictable and uninspired aromatic profile. — 4 years ago

Will Stanley

9.4

Tasted alongside the Tondonia, the 2007 Viña Bosconia has a near identical profile, and as such it’s very hard to differentiate between the two. After several hours’ air - this took far longer to open up than the Tondonia - it shows generous aromas of dried cherry, blackberry and a green herbal edge that wasn’t a feature of its sibling.

Hard to pick a winner now between the two, but I feel in ten years the Bosconia will have the edge. — 5 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.4

2006 was a challenge for most in Rioja but the 2006 Vina Tondonia ‘Reserva’ is truly one of the wines of the vintage. The wine is a highly compelling blend of Tempranillo (75%), Garnacho (15%), Graciano and Mazuelo (10%), which was sourced from their estate vineyards and aged for six years prior to bottling. Needing a two hour decant to fully express itself, the wine offers an aromatic profile of cranberry, orange, red currants, red cherry candy and toasty oak aromatics. The palate is plush once in the attack as the wine effortlessly dances across the mid-palate, producing a seamless effect. Red currants, blood orange zest, pipe tobacco flavors and shades of pomegranate seed all beautifully weave their way through the palate. Showing wonderful ageing potential, this is drinking marvelously right now and has another fifteen years to go. Drink 2020-2035- 94 — 6 years ago