Ron Siegel

9.5

This was open with a silky texture showing a perfumed nose of red & dark fruits, iodine, graphite, black olive, pepper, lavender, savory spices & violets — 18 days ago

Jay Kline

9.6

Presented to me double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours a deep garnet/purple with an opaque core and some moderate rim variation; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with beautiful notes of ripe and slightly dried black and blue fruits: dark brambles, plum, fig, purple flowers, leather ball glove, something spicy and green that has me debating between rotundone or pyrazines (but which?), rocky earth and fine baking warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Alcohol is medium. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. What a beautifully made wine.

Initial conclusions: this could be Cabernet Sauvignon (or a blend with associated Bordeaux varieties), Cabernet Franc, Merlot (blended with associated Bordeaux varieties) or Syrah from France, the US or Australia. This is older; probably 20+ years of age based on the secondary characteristics or dried fruit and old leather. While the fruit plays a starring role here, the alcohol seems almost modest so I can’t place this in Australia or the US. The problem I’m having, are there pyrazines or rotundone? I don’t get a lot of black pepper or animale, or olive for that matter…so I’m leaning towards this being Bordeaux. Final conclusion: this is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine with a blend of Bordeaux varieties, from France, Bordeaux, Pulliac, from a classified growth, 2004. Whoa!!! 2005 Clape?! What a treat! I feel like I should have nailed this wine. Alas…I still have to get better at differentiating between pyrazines and rotundone with age. Drink now with a decant, through 2045+ — 4 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Black & red fruits, balanced with polished tannins showing, savory spice, graphite, smoke, olive, pepper & underbrush. Still a baby with many years ahead — 4 years ago

Ben Christen

9.2

Tasty. Light, lemon 🍋. Great Chardonnay — 6 years ago

with Ellen

Tom Kohli

9.2

Our first patio wine for 2020. Our favorite Chardonnay! — 7 years ago

Stanislav Lobanov

9.1

16.5/20 (91/100) Ароматы экзотических фруктов, спелых яблок и дыни, нота молочных сливок. Тельное с высокой кислотностью, немного спиртуозно. Отличное шардоне! — 7 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.2

This has gained weight since last tried showing black cherry & raspberry with meat, black olive, pepper, violet & licorice spices. — 8 years ago

Jay Kline

9.6

At this point, with this group, a Legends dinner simply wouldn’t be appropriate without at least one bottle of Chave Hermitage.

Opened about 90min prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1994 Hermitage pours a slightly hazy garnet with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with perfumed notes of dried brambles, dried blueberry, dried purple flowers, black olive, mushroom, espresso, leather, stony earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and slightly sanguine. Delicious with the 5 Spice Cured Duck prepared with marinated Bing cherries, crispy shallot and Olathe corn polenta. It was such a pleasure to taste the ‘94 Chave next to the ‘85 Gentaz. Two Northern Rhône Legends working with their respective terroirs. Where the Gentaz was all about the aromatics of Côte Rôtie, the Chave was brought more of the power from the Hill of Hermitage. Drink now through 2056. — 2 months ago

DelectableWino

9.1

Great wine. Elegant dark fruits. Rich. — 7 months ago

JFP

9.0

2020 vintage in 2024. Fit very well with a smoked chicken. — 2 years ago

Matt

9.8

Instense and saturated with roasted black plum and mulberry fruit, tar, grilled porcini, espresso bean, pork blood, curing salt, hoisin, smoked meat, leather, hot iron, metal, apricot confit, grapefruit oil, talcum, roasted herbs de Provence, whole cluster spice like pepper and almost mustard seed, Absolutely wild in its length, complexity, and elixir-like headiness. Some people hate, but this is arguably one of the most unique terroirs for Syrah on earth. — 6 years ago

Nick Miller

9.1

I'm a fan but Robin is not — 7 years ago

with Robin

Matt

9.0

High toned, floral, spiced, loads of pepper and crunchy minerality. Fruit has lost some youthful exuberance, moving more into the background while its earth and perfumed notes come through. Tempts you with contemplation, but just so fun to drink. Wild black and red berry, bay, green and black peppercorns, peach, crushed rocks, wild herbs. Perfect foil for Moroccan rabbit and stewed veggies — 7 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.8

Beautiful, whip-smart Northern Rhône Syrah with blackberry, violets, granite and, after air, a gorgeous olive note running through both the nose and palate. The texture is sleek and refined, with excellent freshness, fine tannins and a long, elegant finish. Not quite as complete or tightly composed as the monumental 2019, but still an exceptional Gonon and a brilliant expression of the vintage. — 3 months ago

Jay Kline

9.6

What a special treat to have an entire flight dedicated to the one and only Noël Verset. All three wines were opened prior to dinner and serially enjoyed over the course of a few hours. Stylistically, all three wines were similar and most importantly, sound! The 1999 pours a garnet color with a transparent core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with slightly desiccated, wild, mixed, mostly red brambles, some horse blanket, dried purple flowers, cracked black pepper, Kalamata olive tapenade, old leather bound books, inorganic earth and minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Tonight, the 1999 seemed like a younger, bassier version of the 1992. It was a profoundly deep and guttural wine with the most substantial structure of the three. Drink now through 2039. — 7 months ago

Cliff Fisher

9.0

Smoky Red Mountain Syrah. Silty on the nose. Blackberry/raspberry, Acidic and astringent. Might be better with longer decanting. — a year ago

Pooneet K

9.0

Very nice Syrah, but slightly underwhelming for the price point. Decanted 4 hours and it needs it at this point. Dark dark fruit, olive, some cured meat. — 5 years ago

Kimberly Jamrozek

9.3

I am in love with this Zin and will definitely join Uncommon Palette's wine club cause they offer the BEST!!! — 6 years ago

Andrew Lohse

8.9

Olive, earth, red fruit, brine — 7 years ago

Max Gottesfeld, FWS, CSW

9.0

Cloves, cherries, petrol. Soft, round easy. A great Pinot for the money. $19.99 in PA. — 8 years ago