Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.6

Very intense, expressive and pretty nose. It keeps showing well on the palate with a nice long finish. Big wine for the vintage. — a day ago

Peter Sultan

9.3

Broke out one of my cellared Raffaults for my homeboy who graced me with a home cooked Tuscan styled flank steak w rosemary & arugula, as well as Israeli cous cous w chickpeas, charred tomatoes, feta, & herbs. Light Cadmium red hued & strong color though ( good cork- not a guarantee w Raffault!); dense Hibiscus, fresh raspberry & some bramble on nose; on palate very clean & smooth mouthfeel, with the initial flavors repeated but a deeper blend of red fruits & a stronger presence of under brush. Super fresh & integrated. Elegant, & the Burgundy echo was hard to ignore. Not Uber complex but not monolithic either, which this line of Raffault can be in its youth ( or as it ages). Very impressive, & accessible now. Curious how my ‘02 & 07s will fare… — 8 days ago

with Owen

Stefan Dolhain

9.5

2014 vintage. A classic Pauillac from a cooler vintage. Drinking well already. — a month ago

Shay A

9.2

Annual birthday WWC hosting. As normal, 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds, 1 dessert, all presented blind.

Fun to open birth year wines around your birthday, especially when you can do a Bordeaux and Napa side by side. While not a great vintage, this held up well after a few hours and presented as expected. Clean and zero Brett. Great color! Deep ruby with hardly any bricking. Leather, cassis, vanilla pipe tobacco on the nose. Sporting a good bit of dusty red and black fruits (mostly tart raspberries and blackberries), there was a little savory truffle note mixed with an herbal and mocha finish. Still quite grippy. Pretty. — 4 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

1998 not the best Napa Cabernet vintage. However, good producers still find their way through difficult vintages. Joseph Phelps is the rule rather than the exception.

This was poured out of magnum and drinking beautifully by their Hospitality Manger.

Nicely ripe, lush juicy fruits of blackberries, blackberries, both plums, some purple & blue fruits. Dash of spice & lead pencil, anise-black licorice, soft baking spices, caramel notes, some dark chocolate, fresh dark flowers, round acidity and a well balanced, softened structure & tension, elegant, nicely evolved finish that lasted a full minute. — 16 days ago

Jake Hajer

9.2

Out of mag. Aged well; smooth red fruit. — a month ago

Maggie Harrison

9.4

1986 vintage. showing well 4/10/24. balanced. medium tannins, medium acid. really lovely. I always thought that this wine needed time. — 12 days ago

Nathan Renfro

9.5

Ripe black fruit. Expected more oak, tobacco, leather but it’s really a juicy fruited lovely fruit forward wine drinking very well right now. Soft silky mouthfeel. Tannins softened very nicely. Backbone still there, would guess has 3-5 yeqrs left. Nice long finish. Holding up very well and a joy to drink now. — 17 days ago

Jen

9.2

Checking in on my birth year 1978. Still doing well - a bit smoky but not over the hill. Maybe it can last to 50…? — 17 days ago

Jeffrey Woo

9.2

Dark garnet hue. Aromas of bramble, cedar, cherry, flint, graphite, leather, oak, plum, strawberry. Medium-plus body, with plus tannins and plus acidity. Integrated, rounded tannins. Drinking well now. 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo. — 17 days ago