Abbas Zand

9.0

Grassy & herbal aromas. Full bodied. Nice & not too acidic. Grass, grapefruit, lime, and herbal notes, some tropical/passion fruit flavors. Stoney minerality.
$26 — an hour ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

From a recently purchased owc showing the classic LB personality of red cherry, black berry fruit, cassis, leather, menthol, graphite, sweet savory spices & tobacco. This has been fully mature for a while where perfectly stored btls are still drinking well. — 15 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Slightly deeper ruby with a little narrower , less garnet rim . This is quite deep and slightly more herbal on the nose, floral perhaps , a little more austere. Spicy Cassis , tobacco , herbal touches . On the palate this is slightly more velvety with a riper dark fruits , mixed with a touch of dark cherry , spice and subtler , riper tannin . Quite ripe , more polished tannin. A bit bigger and riper in style , alcohol a bit more noticeable . Quite good dark cherry , dark chocolate, cassis finish . This is a little more polished , but probably needs a little more time , better in 5 years and will last well a further 10 . Overall a good showing , a classy , polished performance — 9 days ago

David White

9.3

This is the third bottle each two years apart and this opened very nicely after about an hour or so
I’ve increasingly liked this wine although given it the same rating
It’s well structured aromatic and just an all round good expression of well made Central Otago Pinot
Probably open the next three each with a year or less further age — a month ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

This was still youthful showing black currant, plum, cassis, cedar, damp earth, menthol, sweet spice & tobacco. — 23 days ago

Jay Kline

9.7

Of all the American red wines that participated in the Judgement of Paris, it could be argued that Monte Bello has shown the greatest propensity to age. In fact, I would go as far as it requires lengthy cellaring to extract its best. I’ve had the good fortune to drink a number of tremendous vintages of Monte Bello over the last several years and this one has got to be at or near the top of the lot.

Opened and poured into a decanter about an hour prior to service and enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1991 Monte Bello pours a deep ruby/purple color with an opaque core moving out towards a light ruby rim; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing (still!) with gorgeous notes of ripe and tart black currants, mixed bramble fruit, tobacco, some purple flowers, dill, mint, leather, earth, vanilla and associated baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. The structure remains tremendous which again, seems to indicate youth. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is super long and immensely satisfying. This is one of those wines that will outlive most humans. Drinking well now with a short decant but this has the gas to see 2061 with ease. — a month ago

Neil Valenzuela

9.5

Deep ruby color. Aromas of red fruit, leather and earthy notes. Amazing flavors, blackberry, black currant, tobacco and baking spices.

🏅92 Points - Decanter — 7 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.3

No formal notes . Medium deep garnet ruby . Quite closed at first more mineral , but with some earthy, smoky notes . A bit rounder on the palate , earthy , with some cassis, red pepper , truffle notes , tobacco. Good acidity and quite gritty tannins still . Showing really well , bit more linear and strict, but enough substance and good tobacco, mineral tinged length. Drink now with a decant and over the next 5 perhaps 10 years . — 16 days ago

Galen Hasler

9.2

Complex flavors of chamomile, melon, white stone fruits with skin contact structure, dry and crisp — a month ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Going strong showing black fruits, cassis, cedar, leather, sweet spice & tobacco — 2 months ago