A-Aron

9.1

Dry, light acidity, berries and dark fruit. Rich and with some depth for a Pinot Noir. — 13 days ago

Ira Schwartz

9.5

While not as intense as on release this is no where near a shrinking violet. The nose is starting to strut with scents of apple , brioche and nuts.That first taste still makes you recoil and salivate. Lemons , limes , biscuits, and a touch of butterscotch. Very long finish . Developing into everything I hoped for. — 12 days ago

Jody Wycech

9.4

Really tasty. Perhaps the first Cali Pinot noir that I’ve enjoyed, also probably because it drinks more like a zin. Dark opaque red. Slightly smokey. Full bodied. Bought it on sale for $35. Would love to have again. Had with apps on New Year’s Eve, but would be great with food and could even hold up to a heartier meal (steak, etc). — 12 days ago

with Ethan, Peter and 1 other

Vino Joe

9.3

Tight as a drum at open. Loosened to trampoline tension after 2 hours. Finally was loose after 4. Spicy and hefty. More inward. A sophisticated mix and quite good but as with most Leoville Las Cases it needs to sit longer for the next iteration. — 20 days ago

Jan de Weerd

9.6

Highlight of the night! And a surprise to some degree. I kind off had given up on Lynch Bages. Given the high price, to me, the 2015 and 2016 were below expectation. But, boy, this 2018 rung all bells. Super concentrated, layers of evolving dark cherry, blueberry, current flavors and a superb balanced finish. All one could wish for. — 14 hours ago

with Tammy

Jay Kline

9.3

Opened and poured into a decanter about an hour prior to service. The 2005 pours a deep ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart black and red fruits: black and red brambles, cassis, tobacco, green pepper, graphite, espresso, earth and soft 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 the texture is silky. For what it’s worth, there were a number of nice wines at the table and I kept coming back to this which, now that I think about it, also Léoville-Poyferré seems to always deliver more than expected. The 2005 is in the zone and I don’t expect it fall off anytime soon. Drink through 2045. — 6 days ago

Rob N

9.6

Par excellence. Cristal is always a treat, with the small bubble size the defining feature for me. ~$320. — 19 days ago

Doug Powers

9.3

[En magnum] This was aerated for 3 hours, and is still currently quite closed and structured, works great with the UCD Meat Lab rib roast, but needs a fair amount of cellaring to soften. — 24 days ago

with Monique and Jim

Jay Kline

9.4

Poured into a decanter about two hours prior to service and enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon pours a deep ruby color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity and significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with a lovely mix of dark and red fruits, cassis, black and red brambles, tobacco, eucalyptus, leather, cedar box, green herbs, some cocoa, and beautiful 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. The texture is silky, in fact, down right sexy. Brilliantly balanced. This is a profoundly sensual wine and one of the best young Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignons I’ve had in many years. These will age for a very long time and I can only imagine how epic the 2021 Terrace Select is going to be. Drink now with an extended decant and through 2051+. — a month ago

Daniel M

9.2

You're not 40 every day and I wanted a special wine to celebrate that special day. Fortunately the wine bar / open kitchen restaurant we went to had that special wine, amongst 400 references, that I had been desperate to taste for a long while. I didn't take notes so it's all from memory, but the nose is what I liked the most. Coconut notes, leather, cherries, coffee... I spent probably 15 minutes in total smelling that wine. The palate was great with some acid drive, some matter but not in an overwhelming way, some gentle, well integrated tannins in the rear, before a long finish with savoury notes, red fruits, coconut and that gentle grainy tannic layer. A great experience to top up a day to remember.
Oh and if you happen to be in Warsaw, Poland and be looking for a great wine place, make sure to check out Kontakt - wino & bistro. — 23 days ago