Andrew Cullimore

9.3

5th wine . medium deep ruby , touch more garnet . Slightly wider rim . Quite cool and mineral again , more grafite with some cool cassis , blackberry. On the palate this is slightly lighter in body , leaner perhaps but very elegant , fresh and quite saline, tobacco , grafite and herbal tinges on the finish . Reasonable saline length. Fine lightly grippy tannins , good acidity . This is showing quite well though would perhaps benefit from a few more years . Better in 3-5 years and drink well a further 7- 10 . The next day this actually shows a little better , elegant and refined, nothing showy , very Lafite , so I’m glad I guessed this correctly ! Overall this was a very interesting tasting , there is nothing showy or remarkable about the 2006 1st growths , they are quite classic and also showing quite a lot of structure still , with good freshness though they perhaps lack a little stuffing and intensity . They were quite even quality wise, with the high points being the Mouton (though the Lafite improved the following day to upgrade its score and draw level ) and the low point being a relatively disappointing Margaux . The vintage will continue to improve over the next 5 perhaps 10 years in general , though they may always just lack a little density and excitement . — a month ago

Delectable Wine

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9.4

The 2014 Vieux Château Certan comes from two bottles, the first out of condition. The second has a potent Cabernet Franc-driven nose, which is no surprise, as it comprises 30% of the blend: bell pepper and black pepper infusing the black fruit. There is almost a Loire-like scent. The palate is medium-bodied with granular tannins, fine acidity and grip with truffle and raspberry. It's earthy with just a touch of dark chocolate on the finish. This Pomerol is surfeit with character and is just about to enter its drinking window. Tasted at the VCC vertical in Etikhove, Belgium. (Neal Martin, Vinous, July 2024)
— 2 years ago

Tom Garland

9.4

Celebrating with a couple of nice bottles tonight

2.5 hour decant(lots of chunky/fine/cloudy sediment). An astonishing dark purplish magenta color. On the nose: expressive notes of plum, cedar, worn leather, musky earth, floral, and smokey vanilla. Taste: smooth, creamy, rich wine with plum, cedar, tobacco wrapper, burnt earth, and a white pepper- strawberry-graphite long finish. YUM!! Comfortably in its drinking window(with decant) and more years to go. — 4 years ago

with Brenda

Jay Kline

9.3

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Best on Day 2. The 2017 Caravina pours a deep ruby/purple with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of cassis, blackberries, plum, tobacco, violets, cocoa, well-oiled leather baseball glove, Poblano pepper, and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long and ashy. It’s been almost 5 years since my last 2017 and I’m just as excited about it today as I was back then. Drink now with some patience through 2037. — 3 months ago

Lee Pitofsky

9.5

Pnp beauty, completely open and giving wafting a distinctive Roumier raspberry and rose petal laced whole cluster perfume with a seductive and seamless palate with fine grained tannins and a long mineral inflicted finish. So much more accessible than 21’s right now which are far more closed and reductive. Last glass a couple hours open was just perfect Burgundy. Village at its finest. — 2 years ago

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.8

So elegant Montrose. It builds up an epic journey in the aftertaste. Rich and opulent as usual but with a fine touch of incredible level.
Softer extraction resulted on a fruitier, more sapid and rounder wine than usual. It feels it’s going to be approachable in its youth. — 2 years ago

Tom Garland

9.4

45 min decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A remarkable medium garnet color with bricking. On the nose: beautiful perfumed notes burst from the glass with sour cherry, mint, dusty earth, currants, wet cedar, green bell pepper....could sniff all night! Taste: soft and round, smooth, elegant wine with raspberry, cedar, currants, musky earth, and a nice dark chocolate cherry finish. YUM! A wine that has hit its stride over the past few years with time to go. — 3 years ago

with Brenda

Doug Boatman

9.6

Still in its prime. Great fruit. Body. Finish. All the elements of a mature fine wine. — 5 months ago

Tom Garland

9.5

+2 hour decant(decent chunky/fine sediment). A prodigious purplish dark ruby red color. On the nose: intoxicating nose of dark fruit, musty forest floor, cigar wrapper, smoke, worn leather. Taste: Wow! Juicy, structured, layered, silky, mouthcoating wine with plum, blackberry, vanilla oak, cocoa, earth, and a baking spiced iron dark chocolate long finish with a slight tannic kick. YUM! A wonderful wine early in its drinking window. — a year ago

with Brenda

Delectable Wine

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9.1

Cathy Corison's 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is a very pretty wine to drink now and over the next handful of years. Sweet dried cherry, mint, licorice, spice, tobacco and dried herbs are all signatures of a wine that has reached its plateau of maturity. There is more than enough freshness to ensure at least another handful of years of fine drinking, but I would not push my luck on aging. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, April 2023) — 3 years ago