Manda D

9.0

Intense, with a big flavor, but smooth and delicious. — 3 days ago

Jan de Weerd

9.6

If I could use just one word? Intense! Still tight but the layers of dark fruit are starting to shine through the angular, lead pencil soaked tannins. Everything is super balanced and leads you to a grippy, lingering finish. Drinking it right here in the Idaho Mountains! What a life. Oh, talking about Idaho. It finally got on the map of Wine Folly! Do you want to personally visit some of the best Idaho wineries and try their outstanding wines? Go to www.spokenwines.com 😁. And while you are there signup for our monthly newsletter. Every month you will get intimately introduced to a new winery we visited somewhere in the world with exceptional wines and captivating stories. Cheers! 🍷🥂 — 5 months ago

with Tammy

Raun Kupiec

8.9

Very nice, but fairly typical cold weather Pinot noir. Could easily be Oregon, could be Swiss. Really quite nice. — 2 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.6

The 2017 Vieux Château Certan was picked from September 12. This has a perfumed and quite floral bouquet with blackberries and violets. It shows lovely definition and mineralité, that hint of wild heather coming through but none of the previous menthol scents. The palate is exceptionally well-balanced with chiseled tannins, which are a perfect bead of acidity. I adore how this gathers momentum towards the lightly spiced, persistent finish. This shows better than when I tasted it just after bottling six years ago, hence my higher score. Tasted at the VCC vertical in Etikhove, Belgium. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2024)
— 3 months ago

michael pandolfo

9.0

Very well done. Although a big wine, not overpowering. Sweet, smoky blueberries with a wild touch. Nice savory notes. Young now but has great potential. — 8 months ago

Willem Booij

9.1

Charming Cairanne, drinking smooth. — 2 years ago

Neal Ferry

9.0

Loaded with Fruit….. — 4 months ago

with TwiLea

Don Taylor

8.9

Surprisingly smooth and mellow. It’s nice for a blend and would buy again. Plus I like bourbon. — 7 months ago

Eric Urbani

9.6

A tasting of six Spatslese Rieslings from Wehlener Sonnenhur, 2008-2019. This was my #1 and the group’s #2. ABV 8.5%. — a year ago

Carter Pelham

9.7

Shared with close friends - everyone’s first Monte Bello, and a great one at that.

Took this bottle out to share at a local fine dining establishment, to pour it blind for our friends. Wrapped neatly in foil. We get seated and explain to our waiter. “The bottle MAY be a little bit older so take care with the cork,” I said, not wanting to give away the age to our friends. He proceeds to break the cork about halfway down, right through. No big deal. He’s a younger guy and I think a little flustered, he goes off to get assistance.

Comes back with another server. As the guy walks back up, I say “Thanks for helping us with our mystery bottle”, clueing him in on the idea that there’s a reason that we have it wrapped in foil. “Would have been nice to know it was an older vintage wine,” he replied brusquely. Ok… Server 2 digs around for a bit with an ah-so before punching the cork into the drink. Oh well. None of us are really phased by this, it happens.

They grab a strainer from the bar. Server 2 starts pouring at a decanter and immediately the first glass or so just goes everywhere on the table. I start to die inside. He remains silent. Gets on target with the rest of the bottle, finishing pouring, and says “Your 2004 Ridge Cabernet”, purposefully ruining the blind tasting, I guess. Walks away without another word, leaving his mortified coworker to clean up his mess and apologize.

This actually happened. On to the wine:

Beautiful medium opacity ruby with no browning.

Smells like a Pauillac on the nose. Blackcurrants, blackberry, black licorice, slight graphite, and damp tobacco. As the night goes on it reveals dill, vanilla, buttered toast, and slight dry woodsy notes.

The wine is surprisingly light in body, very much a claret. The tannins are silky, finely woven, and extremely integrated. The main thing we notice on the palate is that the wine is so perfectly integrated it is a little difficult to pull individual notes out of it. Expansive over the palate without being weighty. The finish is forever.

A memorable evening. — 3 years ago

with Linh and Sarah