carmen

10

omg. what a fun little glass! it’s very tannic even grainy. it’s lush with red fruit - cherry, raspberry, strawberry. it’s not a piquette - it’s 50% riesling / 50% carnigan grapes.

i had with steamed pork bao at maketto. great pairing. — a month ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.2

Stunningly good at 22 years old. Deep and dense. Soil’y with aromas of black currant and bittersweet chocolate. I’ve been enjoying a lot of 00-05 medoc wines lately. While not mind blowing they are wonderful all alone or with the right food. Shows what a $30 bottle from a great terroir / producer is capable of. Not every wine needs to cost hundreds of dollars to be enjoyable — 2 years ago

Joshua Sadono

9.4

Light sparkle, crushable — 3 years ago

Vanessa

9.3

In my mind, there’s no better way to celebrate another trip around the sun than with loved ones, watching the sunset, while sharing a delicious meal and wine pairing. This evening hits the mark!

This wine is a 2nd growth Saint-Julien from the Médoc, left bank, region of Bordeaux, France. When I say 2nd growth, that means the Château from which this wine hails received the second highest quality designation as of part of the “1855 Classification” that took place during the Universal Expedition in Paris in 1855. This quality designation remains intact today despite the centuries that have passed.

This wine is clear with a deep ruby hue and garnet rim variation. On the nose this wine has medium intensity(+) of developing aromas with a large focus on blackberry, fig, cassis, prune, potpourri, incense, anise, cedar, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, earth, leather, and tobacco. On the palate this wine is dry. It has medium acidity, a medium(+) body, medium alcohol, high tannins, and medium intensity in flavors consistent with the nose. The finish is long.

Interestingly, the fermentation took place in various vessels, including those made from oak, steel, and concrete and then this wine aged in oak barriques (small oak vessels) until it was ready for bottling.

It was also cellared at the Château from harvest until shipping in 2015.

Château Léonville, Grand Vin de Léonville du Marquis de Las Cases, Saint-Julien, Médoc. Vintage 2005. ABV 13%.

This wine has complexity, balance, structure, and length. It’s outstanding. I’m not surprised to see a 100-point rating from Wine Spectator. Thank you @Deke for the amazing Birthday selection! — 3 years ago

with Deked1

Da Gabe's

10

Mind blowing. Legs for days. So complex and sophisticated, elegant, velvet, super sexy, knocked my socks off at the same time! — 7 months ago

Ed Chin

9.1

Tasted blind and the herb note I detected had me dumbfounded. It never crossed my mind it being a syrah. Nice balance and still vibrant. — 9 months ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.6

My last bottle of 1980 Yquem. Don’t mind the label (I broke another bottle in the case a few years back). Showing beautifully. Lovely golden color. Aromatically explosive. Typically Yquem. Buzzing with sweetness and minerality. Excellent bottle of wine!!! — 3 years ago

with Lee

LM Segal

9.8

Needed about an hour of air, but then simply mind-blowing. Cassis and dark leathery notes, blueberry reduction, round and nicely resolved at this point. Years to go but no need to wait if you have access to a decanter… Superb. — 8 months ago

Adam Gäfvert

9.3

Medium bodied, Dark berries, orange peal, violet, roasted coffee beans, forest floor. If you like your cabs very smooth with not much tannins left, this is at its peak. Personally I wouldn’t mind a bit more tannins structure. Drink now. — 2 years ago

Rob Brobst III

10

2018 Materium comes from the Weitz Vineyard in Oakville and is all Cabernet Sauvignon brought up in mostly new barrels. It's a very different wine than the Amoenus release and has more elegant, seamless aromas and flavors of crème de cassis, black raspberries, tobacco leaf, flowery incense, and sandalwood. Château Margaux-like in its elegance and complexity, this brilliant wine has loads of sweet fruit, flawless integration of its tannins and acidity, flawless balance, and just a heavenly overall profile that I wish every reader could taste. This extraordinary effort can be drunk today or cellared for 30 years or more. — 3 years ago