Lisa McKinnon

9.0

Very nice choice by the Sommelier at Pastis in Nashville to pair with both grilled Branzino and Boeuf Bourguignon. (I know.). Bright, a bit astringent, fruit forward, with some structure but not too much. — 2 months ago

Peter Coulthard

8.9

NW. Decent but not spectacular — 4 years ago

Matthew Bull

9.2

Don’t stop now....my word. Parker was right. It drinks beautifully early. Wow. — 6 years ago

Brooke Swalm

9.0

Always a solid choice. — 7 years ago

with Gerald

Anders Berglund

8.9

Friskt syrligt gott — a year ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.0

Bordeaux-Style Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (68%), Merlot (28%), Petite Verdot (2%) and Cabernet Franc (2%). Dark ruby color with purple highlights. Brilliant nose of plush red fruit, graphite and high quality oak. Bold red and black fruit flavors with hints of earth, cocoa, dried herbs and spices. Very long and Smokey finish. Bold, complex and concentrated. Tannins are very smooth. Nice choice, Kasey! — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Been awhile since I pulled out an Insigna.

The 03 Pichon Lalande is the better wine and steak pairing. However, Napa Cabernet is the choice to finish steak and enjoy on its own after. You never want to do Napa before Bordeaux IMHO. It’s much harder to adjust from sweeter to something more earthy.

Enjoyed the 05 as my score reflects. I don’t remember it being as sweet as it was in previous tastings. Still quite good. It just tipped my sweet scale a little too much.

The body is, rich, lush & round. It’s achieved good evolution after 13 years in bottle and will continue to improve over the next 6-8 years and last another 15 years. As I mentioned, the fruit was ripe & sweet. Blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, plums, hints of blueberries and strawberries haunting the backend. Rich, dark earth, Rutherford dusty tannins and dry soils, purple cola, touch of fresh tobacco & graphite, light baking spices of; cinnamon, dash of clove, nutmeg and vanillin, anise to black licorice, saddle-wood, used leather, dry stems, some dry, crushed rocks/limestone with red, dark, purple and blue florals. The acidity round and nicely executed. The finish was similar wire to wire. It’s, lush, rich, elegant, touch too sweet, polished, well balanced & knitted with a soft, persistent, dark spice on the long set. Very enjoyable second bottle.

Photos of; Joseph Phelps Winery & sloping estate vines, inside lounge are with views of the back side, tasting terrace and front lobby/salon area upon entering past check in. — 6 years ago

with Christina and James

Ellen Clifford

9.2

She is red-fruit forward, she has brioche touches and sea salt nuances on the nose. The palate is that sort of balance there isn’t a proper word for but gosh it’s there. Finishes slightly toasty with a zip of lemon and a squeeze of cranberry. — 2 years ago

Erica Gamble

9.0

Dark, inky color. Smooth. Chocolate, plum. Solid choice. — 5 years ago

Arden Barnett

9.5

Hot damn! A beautiful, graceful monster of a wine. Nose of dried blueberries, tobacco and flowers. Big black fruit, Sweet red plums, licorice, and freshly tanned leather all hit you at once with an intensity only attributable to some of the best in the game. Lingering finish of dark red fruit and maybe some kind of citrus? Extremely fine tannins and really nice acidity danced harmoniously with each other. Great with a prime NY Strip. While never my first choice, it is always such a treat to enjoy a bottle of Opus! — 6 years ago