Sophie Klopfenstein

9.1

Beautiful and very well rounded. Less sweet than I usually like but still so tasty. Very full on the nose- hints of flush red fruit. Nice acidity and tannin balance. — a month ago

Mike Saviage

9.9

Tasted blind. Deep purple color. Looks very young, compared to the 45 Margaux next to it. Almost opaque. Notes of black fruit, cracked walnuts, sweet fruit, raspberry and some cedar desk. Super rich in the mouth. Seems young and is firm, but tannins are softened and the mouthfeel is velvet touch. Long finish. It peacocks all night. The walnuts thing leads my guess to Latour, but can this be the 45? Is it a 61 or 82? Could be... I go with it being a 59 given how young it seems. Just an amazing bottle of wine, open for ~9 hours by the time we left, it seemed to effortlessly power along. Thanks Stan! — 3 years ago

Mike Saviage

9.6

Valentine dinner in Carmel. Great looking bottle, and right from the get go this wine was showing its stuff. Killer nose. Reddish tawny color. Notes of red and black fruit, cola, smoked meat and dried meat sticks, some wood, some spice and a hint of menthol. Silky and velvet glove texture in the mouth, this was awesome immediately and was at its best over the first 2-3 hours, then it slowly tired after that. Still in a great drinking zone but aging these too much longer may cause the bottles to lose some of what’s making it show so very well today. Great juice! — 4 years ago

Robert Munroe

9.8

This was a lucky acquisition in 2008. Two states, five cities and seven homes later, survived. I'm so happy and relieved that it kept as well as it did! A truly amazing wine that lives up to its reputation! Sublime Velvet. — 7 months ago

Kayla Wooldridge

10

Sweet at first and then tart to finish. A very good contrast. Not too sweet and not too tart. My favorite wine so far. — 3 years ago

Severn Goodwin

9.6

The weekend upon us and we're hosting another dinner party for a couple of friends. Tonight's theme was Rhone wine, so good stuff on deck, with age.

Notes pending... (Entertaining guests first 😉)

Absolutely perfect, yet only coming into it's zone, decade to go here...

Notes from +24H open:
Nose has ripe cherry, dried cherry, dried blackberry, red velvet cake, ripe plum and dry, mineral-ly earth.

Palate has silky-sweet cherry, ripe red currant, (light) cigar wrapper, dried cherry, faint eucalyptus, faint wood notes, dry earth, faint iron notes on the long finish. Mild tannins persist today. Expect to enjoy this vintage another +10Y when held in proper storage.

This bottle was singing at the top of its register last night, slightly diminished today. Absolutely perfect cork, no Durand required for extraction. Acquired a mere two years ago, from a local retailer beginning to close down his shop. He purchased a case on release, stored in his cold cellar; when I got to hunting it only a single bottle remained.

I've had the 2000 vintage before, and it was a treat in a more youthful stage, but a delicacy with our meal last night. We baked a 3lb beef tenderloin (Kinderhook Farm; Valatie, NY) coated in an herb paste then an herbed panko crumb crust with parmesan. About a 50m cook, 30m rest yeilded a perfect 130° center. Served alongside smashed potatoes and roasted brussel sprouts with thick cut bacon. We had fantastic company, connecting again with a wine trade friend and his wife after a few years break in our dining schedules. — 3 years ago

Robert Swart

9.1

Velvet texture, full bodied. Notes of mixed berry pie, cola, and black currant. Chalky tannins a la black tea or baking chocolate round out the wine with a pleasing finish of sweet oak. — 2 years ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.5

Changing it up with some Napa Cab! 91 HM is totally in the zone with stunning depth of aromatics and pure velvet on the palate. There is an incredible balance of fruit and secondary character. Fantastic. — 3 years ago

Lydia DuChene

9.2

Very nice full fruit , would buy again — 3 years ago

Malcolm Trimble

9.2

Dark ruby color. Nose and palate of dark fruit -raspberry cherry currant and a hint of vanilla. Very smooth. And the velvet label. This is a great Cabernet flying below the radar — 4 years ago