Louis Martin

9.4

As always, a perfect pairing with steak. — 3 days ago

Angelo Casagrande

9.2

Blackberry , black current. lots of fruit in the nose,; made for grilled steak. Tannins are there but pretty mellow. Very enjoyable wine with a great dinner. — a month ago

Stephen Fitzpatrick

9.0

2020 vintage. Heavy floral aromas of plum and cherry on the nose, deep ruby red in color. Full bodied, a slight chew on the initial intake, but still smooth on the finish. Continued to open up, great pairing with steak, phenomenal quality for the price range, $30-$40. — 2 months ago

Bettina Drake

9.1

From Date night at J. Gilberts. Some but not a lot of tannins, raspberry and other fruits, a good wine with steak and chocolate. — 2 years ago

Tom Heckert

9.0

Steak and duck. Nice fruit. Solid finish. — 5 years ago

Ben Franco

Owner Winedown cafe & wine bar

8.9

Lush and ripe like many Orin swift wines but it worked perfectly with my tomahawk steak! — 6 years ago

Jeffery Owens

9.0

Jeffery had this 6 years ago

Elissa Norris

9.2

Great thanksgiving cab- taste tested against Joel Gott and has great flavor just not as bold — 7 years ago

Scot Walker

9.2

Dark fruit in the nose with plums, black cherries, leather and blackberries in the palate. Paired well with steak au poivre. Drank in 2026, could use aeration to fully enjoy the wine. — 25 days ago

Kelly Perkins

9.3

One of the more expensive wines we have tried. Very good flavor and enjoyed with steak. Good pairing — 2 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I’ve had a number of PC 96’s over time, none quite this good. The fill line & cork perfect. Very little sediment. Some bottle neck tannin burn. For me, Pontet Canet didn’t really hit its consistent, quality stride until 2005. Doesn’t mean they didn’t make a few beauties before then. Pontet Canet is proof that the 1855 Bordeaux Classification needs to be redone. Unlikely it will in my lifetime.

This 96 maybe just short of its precipice. Stylistically a little better than 94.

The nose reminds me of everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola. Sweet forest floor w/ leaves, sweet mushrooms, sweet led pencil shavings, steeped tea w/ hints of fruit, charcoal, dry tobacco/leather, some dry herbs, withering dark, red flowers, red roses with violets.

The palate is also everything I love about older Bordeaux. Dark core of currants/cassis. Ripe, floral; blackberries, dark, baked cherries, sweet, black plum, poached/strawberries, raspberries, hints of baked rhubarb & blueberries, mixed berry cola/red vines. Everything I understood the first time standing in the estate vineyard of Pichon Baron. Tasting limestone, dry river stone, dark, rich soils with dry leaves, dry stems. In fact, I’ve tasted vineyards soils everywhere I have been in every world wine region. Basically, everywhere in the wine world that has reliance. Many multiple times. Sweet graphite, steeped tea w/ hints of dark fruit, understated, layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanillin, dark cocoa, dark exotic spices, some anise to black licorice, charcoal, dry tobacco with ash/leather, some dry herbs-safe/bay leaf, limestone, dry river stone, dry crushed rocks, dark, rich, earth with dry leaves, dry topsoils, dry stems, withering/dry dark, red flowers, red roses with violets, excellent, rainfall acidity with an extremely well balanced/structured/tensioned, great length and an elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls nicely on dry earth and dark spices.

A very, very slow roll with my Ribcap. Definitely better with the steak than on its own.

This bottle tells me this 96 has plenty of good drinking ahead, another 8-10 yrs+.

ABV is 13%. Disappointing it ever changed. — 5 months ago

Leslie Fort

9.0

Interesting and fun with a good steak and brussel sprouts. Dark dark dark. Smooth in the sip and light in the swallow. — 5 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

One of my favorite go to wines for a grilled steak & a great vintage for GL that is drinking beautifully. Perfectly stored btls match my more than 2 dozen tasting notes listed below. — 6 years ago

Mark Howard

9.6

Old school Napa Cabernet showing place and wine maker. Delicious fruit with integrated tannins. Quintessential Rutherford dust, eucalyptus with the wind and floral characters under a calm hand. Big, bold, fruit characteristics, yet a refined finish from a steady hand. Shows the trademark of Chuck all the way through. — 7 years ago

with Elizabeth

Scot Walker

8.9

Red fruit especially raspberries in the nose, raspberries, maraschino cherries and candied fruit in the palate. Paired well with steak au poivre. — 25 days ago

Marco Rodriguez

9.2

Love it. Had it at the Rusty Pelican in Miami trying to match seafood and steak. Dark fruit flavors of plum and cherries. Oak/vanilla hints. Well balanced wine with a long finish. — a month ago

Michael Burke

10

Tasty - good for steak — 2 months ago

Hunter Bobel

10

Truly a 10/10. Floral bouquet of flavor and went fantastic with steak. Purchased in Naples. — 8 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

It’s a night of first year consecutive decades, 90 & 80. Enjoyed in reverse order

From the same technical team as Leoville Las Cases.

Another great Clyde Beffa direct purchase from the Chateau or Negociant.

Still ripe older Bordeaux fruits with smoothed out lead pencil. Blackberries, black raspberries that lean into pudding, black plum, darkest, cooked cherries, raspberries edges, baked rhubarb and hues of poached strawberries. There is nothing that bites back. Dark chocolate, smooth mocha, caramel, soften baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, old tobacco w/ ash, used leather, dry top soil, limestone powder, black licorice to anise, dry river stone, fresh & withering dark, red flowers, amazing, rainfall acidity and a well; balance, structured, knitted and smartly polished finish that lasts 90 seconds.

Steak slow cooked in the oven at graduating low heats and then seared at 1300 degrees, 30, 30, 30 & 30. .

“The Truth is Inside” is an expression about the very bottom of a bottle of wine. Tannin soaked & it never lies. Typically the best part of the bottle. 93 that lands 94 in truth. I always leave two-three inches of wine in bottle just because it is always slightly better than the rest of the bottle. It is more concentrated. — 2 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Been awhile since I pulled out an Insigna.

The 03 Pichon Lalande is the better wine and steak pairing. However, Napa Cabernet is the choice to finish steak and enjoy on its own after. You never want to do Napa before Bordeaux IMHO. It’s much harder to adjust from sweeter to something more earthy.

Enjoyed the 05 as my score reflects. I don’t remember it being as sweet as it was in previous tastings. Still quite good. It just tipped my sweet scale a little too much.

The body is, rich, lush & round. It’s achieved good evolution after 13 years in bottle and will continue to improve over the next 6-8 years and last another 15 years. As I mentioned, the fruit was ripe & sweet. Blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, plums, hints of blueberries and strawberries haunting the backend. Rich, dark earth, Rutherford dusty tannins and dry soils, purple cola, touch of fresh tobacco & graphite, light baking spices of; cinnamon, dash of clove, nutmeg and vanillin, anise to black licorice, saddle-wood, used leather, dry stems, some dry, crushed rocks/limestone with red, dark, purple and blue florals. The acidity round and nicely executed. The finish was similar wire to wire. It’s, lush, rich, elegant, touch too sweet, polished, well balanced & knitted with a soft, persistent, dark spice on the long set. Very enjoyable second bottle.

Photos of; Joseph Phelps Winery & sloping estate vines, inside lounge are with views of the back side, tasting terrace and front lobby/salon area upon entering past check in. — 6 years ago

with Christina and James