Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Better with the Rib-cap. The 08 vintage was spotty to good. This one shows the shortcomings of the 08 vintage. Really good fruit, but lacks typical, depth, mid palate, and length.

The nose is class Bordeaux.Ripe to ruby fruits of, black plum skin, slightly syrupy blackberries, plum, dark cherry liqueur, strawberries, dark currants. Dark chocolate cake with glaze, screaming, lead pencil shavings, tobacco, leather, dry riverstone, limestone marl, forest floor with dry leaves, soft, incense, black, licorice, red, cola, dry herbs, tomato, leaf, with dark and red flowers, framed in violets.

The palate is ripe to ruby fruits of, black plum skin, slightly syrupy blackberries, plum, dark cherry liqueur, strawberries, dark currants. Dark chocolate cake with glaze, screaming, lead pencil shavings, deep, dark spice that expands wide, nutmeg, cinnamon stick, caramel and vanillin, dry tobacco with ash, leather, dry riverstone, limestone marl, dry crushed rocks, forest floor with dry leaves, moist clays, soft, incense, black, licorice, red, cola, savory dry herbs, tomato leaf, dry oak barrel shaving to cedar with dark and red flowers, framed in violets, acidity is ok, just not right, finish is good, not great, it falls hard on spice and is short of a minute.

93 with the Rib-cap. Green Bean from my organic gsrden. Drink now through 2035. — 14 days ago

Jay Kline

9.5

I started to write a note for the 2014 and then, when I was nearly finished, I recalled that I had previously enjoyed this vintage a few years back. I went back to my notes on May 24, 2023 and I gotta say, my notes still nailed it. Liquid stars. Drink now until your last breath. — 14 days ago

Robert Swart

9.0

45 years on, and still singing. Our friends’ wedding anniversary year. Classic tertiary Saint-Julien: cedar, forest floor, dried cherry, tobacco, pencil shavings — fruit fully resolved into savory complexity. Silky, perfumed, no rough edges. Need time to breathe for nose to be appealing. — 21 days ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1/2 hour decant(decent fine sediment). A striking dark ruby red with bricking. On the nose: Captivating notes of dark fruit, forest floor, worn leather, mushroom, cigar, smoked meat, some bandaid(brett). Taste: silky, classic, elegant wine with dried red berries, currants, tobacco, saline, minerals and a cedar graphite long dry finish. YUM! What a thrill to drink tonight! — a month ago

with Brenda

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium deep ruby garnet with a quite wide medium garnet rim . This has quite an open personality with cigar box , earth , grafite and cedar and some spicy cassis underneath. Showing maturity and quite classic in style. On the palate suave and polished , with resolved fine tannins . There is good depth with some sous bois , but mostly mixed summer fruits , earthy dark cherry and grafite. Good length , perfectly balanced alcohol, and lovely salivating freshness . This grows in the glass , showing more facets , at a great moment , without the need for an extended decant . After a while this become a touches more smoky , hints of soy sauce , violet and sea spray. Grafite tinged saline finish . Perfect now , though no rush , best over the next 5-8 years . At Hawksmoor , Liverpool , 26th July . — 2 months ago

Joel Lara

9.4

Upon opening, this seemed a bit disjointed, with muted fruit flavors and strong herbal notes. Decanting didn’t seem to help much, but day 2 it finally opened up nicely, with nice complexity and intensity on the palate. Cherry, raspberry, cassis, bay leaf, dried Italian herbs, anise, cloves, vanilla, cedar, earth, and balsamic notes all come through. Really tasty, but maybe a bit too intense. I can see this improving with a few more years of aging so the flavors coalesce and soften a bit more. — 2 months ago

Conrad Green

9.5

Soft lemon and lime with a slate minerality on the nose. Beautiful intensity and focus on the palate. Salinity and a touch of sweetness — 3 months ago

with Bex

Joe Flo

9.3

Great improvement from the last btl. Unfortunately my last & not on the top of my list to replace. — 19 days ago

David Kline

9.5

Tight, tannic but decidedly pleasant with its grippy-ness. Black cherry, cassis, black plum and smoky tobacco. Power punch up front and finesse on the finish after some decant.

#ChateauLéovilleBarton #LeovilleBarton #2020LeovilleBarton #Bordeaux #leftbank #SaintJulien #grandcruclassé #grandcruclasséen1855 #deuxiemescru — 2 days ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Opened about 90min prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2001 Monte Bello pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with lovely notes of black currants, blackberries, plum, tobacco, purple flowers, an intoxicating mix of exotic Eastern spices, some cocoa, 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 and impeccably balanced. To my palate, this bottle has reached the age when Monte Bello starts to really become interesting. What a delight! Drink now with some air, through 2051. — 21 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium deep garnet ruby with a narrow garnet rim . Dusty grafite , cedar and cassis , currants , oyster shell , quite deep and classic . On the palate this is quite dense and tannic still , deep dark cassis , herbal tinged cedar and very grafite tinged on the finish . Fresh acidity , but still good mid palate richness and even though the tannins are quite dry and grippy , this is well balanced and relatively generous . Good length on the classic grafite , oyster shell tinged finish. This didn’t need a lot of decanting time to show well , though it certainly changes and improves with time in the glass . Classic in style , but still quite generous for Latour , this is just reaching its drinking window , will continue at this level for another 5-10 years at least and probably more. — a month ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Decant for sediment(decent chunky sediment). A remarkable still dark ruby red color. On the nose: Seductive notes of stewed plum, worn leather, soy sauce, pencil lead, mint. Taste: velvety, creamy, savory, layered, polished wine with dried dark cherry/plum, dark chocolate, tar, graphite, and a peppery-smokey earth dry long finish. YUM! Great showing and what you need in an aged Insignia. — 2 months ago

with Brenda

Sagee Aran

9.3

Leaning into a distinctly understated style, this vintage keeps things subtle rather than overwhelming. On the nose, it offers a gentle mix of dried herbs, earth, and soft red cherry. On the palate, the wine feels graceful and light, focusing entirely on proportion rather than heavy extraction or punchy concentration. While the tannins remain firm, it ultimately feels like an elegant wine where you just expected a bit more.
​The wine is perhaps at it's quieter window...well-made and structural, but lacking the mid-palate fireworks or dramatic nose you expect at that price point and prestige. — 2 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

This is far too young but when I have a chance to look in on Cheval Blanc I do.

Nose shows; ripe blackberries, strawberries, dark cherries, plum, moist clays, coffee, moist herbs, roasted chestnuts, amazing florals that are red flowers, red roses, lilacs & violets.

The palate shows some nice evolution but still too young to drink. Ripe and slightly candied; blackberries, strawberries, dark cherries, raspberries & plum. Moist clays, coffee, moist herbs, roasted chestnuts, espresso, mid berry cola, caramel, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, crazy, round, bold spice, moist tobacco, used leather, graphite, dark, rich earth, dry stone, limestone, soft oak powder notes, amazing florals that are red flowers, red roses, lilacs & violets, round, rainfall acidity, balance, mid structure/tension, grand length and a two-minute long polished finish.

94-97 — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Presented double-blind at dinner. The wine pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core and a slightly orange rim with considerable variation; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated fruit: black currants, blackberries, plum, pipe tobacco, capsicum, pencil shavings, a touch leather, organic earth and a mix of dried herbs and some fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Really tasty stuff.

Initial conclusions: this is an old wine, likely 30-40 years old. That being said, it’s still very distinguishable as it’s showing varietal characteristics. This could be Cabernet Sauvignon (or a blend thereof), Cabernet Franc (or a blend thereof), or Merlot (or a blend thereof). I can see this being Napa because the fruit is still showing some generosity. But there’s a lot of non-fruits there too. Regardless, this was giving Left Bank vibes so I could also see this being Bordeaux from a great vintage like 1982. And that’s my call, Cabernet Sauvignon-blend from France, Bordeaux, Saint-Estèphe, from a classified growth like Calon-Ségur. Shucks. But I’m not mad about my choice! Old Opus One’s are tricky to differentiate. Drinking very well right now but this will live well past 2035. — 4 days ago

Brandon Boesch

9.5

Bought at auction. First bottle awful. This one is lovely. Needed two hours of air to settle and integrate. Freeze dried strawberries, dried cherries, plum, dust, herbs like tarragon and thyme on nose. I could smell for hours. Palate is bigger than I expected more game and herbs than fruit. Leather with dried cherries. There’s more herbs and plums and cooked/reduced berries but not super sweet. Good tannin still. Pretty good and fun to try at 26 years. I am guessing warm vintage based on abv. — 6 days ago

Louis Martin

9.5

Fantastic pour from an often overlooked vintage year, smooth, well-balanced, delicate, great on its own and even better when paired with a well prepared steak covered with truffle and mushroom sauce, as presented at our Commanderie de Bordeaux dinner at the Hope Club. — a day ago

Mary Ellen Bonisteel

9.3

Great wine rated 93 points for the price — 2 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Dark ruby/ inky in color with a short purple rim.

Red and black fruits on the nose with cedar, chocolates, spices, tobacco, coffee and black pepper.

Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with sweet raspberries, cherries, black currants, black plums, cedar, licorice, chocolates, herbs, coffee, light earth, spices, tobacco leaf and light pencil lead.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This young Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is starting to drink beautifully now. Rich and easy drinking.

Fruit forward and complex, soft and smooth. Spicy and entertaining, powerful yet refined. Showing good balance albeit a little hot at the back of the throat, at this point.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 to 20 years and shows good potential to become a 94+ point wine.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with food.

A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot.

15% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$250. — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2018 “S” pours a slightly hazy garnet/purple color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with light staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of pomegranate, cranberry, strawberry, licorice, purple flowers, green herbs and crushed rock. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is medium+. I love me some Lapierre. Drink now through 2038. — 2 months ago