Dave

9.2

Tame is the right word. This Barolo is moving out of its wild youth, but can still age some. Soft fruit and new leather, a little sage. Tannins are mellow, decanted for 2 hours. Paired with pork medallions in a basil cream sauce. Good pairing.
Listening to Willie Nelson — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

My first impressions of the 2020 Pégau “Cuvée Reservée”. I brought this bottle to Tasting Group and presented it double-blind to the crew, for science! The wine pours a deep ruby with a translucent core. Moderate staining of the tears; high viscosity. On the nose: the wine is moderate intensity; developing. Ripe cherry and bramble fruits with some strawberry, anise, exotic spices, garrigue, and lavender. On the palate, the wine is dry, medium+ tannin and medium+ acid and medium+ alcohol. The tannins are super grippy. The finish is long, herby and there is a streak of black pepper. Whoa…this is a gorgeously expressive wine! Some felt it was 1er cru Burg. Other thought something form Italy: Brunello or CCR. Only one, the only Advanced Somm in the group, called CdP, but he called 2016. Having had many 2016’s recently, I can see where he was coming from. But make no mistake, this will age well despite it’s current approachability. Drink now to enjoy its youth before it potentially (likely) shuts down. Otherwise, this will drink well for 10-15+ years. — 3 years ago

Kristin the Wine Girl

9.3

Youthful and meaty and still vibrant despite the 30 year age! Delish. Acidity that still thrives and competes with wines of youth. — 5 years ago

Vijay Parikh

9.4

A 2012 Latour with a 90 minute decant showed what a first growth could be post its first growth stage. With the usual Latour signature it was very drinkable considering its relative youth. One more bottle in the cellar — 5 months ago

Andrew McIntyre

9.4

Always a pleasure to drink. Silky smooth and already integrated but with some lively youth remaining. Great wine! — 2 years ago

Shay A

9.5

Consumed as a pop-and-pour, as my wife decided she wanted to drink it ASAP instead of decanting, ha. My previous thoughts hold true that Aubert’s Hudson is consistently the most approachable of the portfolio in its youth.

Yellow-gold in the glass with the slightest tinge of green. Everything about this is undeniably Aubert…aromatics of tropical fruit (pineapple), white peaches, nutmeg, and honey roasted cashews. I find Hudson fruit to normally be big/juicy with an abundance of ripe yellow fruit, and this has it in spades. Aubert’s signature waves of lemon cream with marzipan and spiced green apple on the palate. The acidity seemed more pronounced here than previous vintages at this age, which added a nice backbone to the hedonistic style profile of the wine. Great now, likely great in 5yrs, but this seems ready for corks to be popped! — 3 years ago

Alder Yarrow

Wine Blogger Vinography

9.2

With five and change years on it, this wine is beginning its transformation. What were bright and juicy lemon and quince in youth are starting to take on more steely, herbal notes as savory and saline elements come to the fore. The color, if anything is even more youthful than before, holding a greenish tinge along with its blonde highlights. Killer acidity still reigns supreme here for complete refreshment. Gonna save a bottle or two and see where it goes in another 5 years. — 5 years 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 year ago

Steven Gullo

9.2

Still showing some youth. After 31 years, the tannins have mostly mellowed out, but still holds on to ripe red fruit and wild sage flavors. — 5 years ago

Fredrik Finn

9.5

Holy cow, what a home run! This my friends its the taste of terroir. Dense and muscular, with a focused minerality that is keeping the beat.
Despite its youth it is very expressive and not holding back on its complexity. François Cotat La Grande Côte, a marvelous piece and an act in the magic of wine.
Pronounced intense aromas with a layered depth Lemon juice, kiwi, boxwood, dandelions almost reaching towards honey with a prominent Limestone mineraliy that is keeping the beat.
High piercing acidiy that cuts through the smooth and ripe edges. Dense and athletic on the mid palate with a layered complexity, salty backbone as it expands before closing up in a long tightening finish. — 5 years ago