David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Happy New Year! 🎉🎊🎈🎆 🧨

1997 Jones Family, the year prior to TRB taking the helm and yet still a fantastic Napa vintage that is singing.

For me, this is classically styled Napa Cabernet. This is still not descending. Has another 5-8 years of good drinking and perhaps beyond.

Showing dark, meaty, dry, velvety tannins. Dark currants-blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, raspberries, plum pudding, chocolate mousse/cake, caramel, mocha powder, dark spice, dry top soil, dry, crushed rocks, anise, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, clove, vanillin, used leather, graphite, dry stone, volcanic clay, withering, dark, red, purple flowers, excellent round acidity and a well made, balanced, nicely tensioned, elegant finish that lasts two-minutes and falls onto earth & spice. — 2 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

1996 vintage. Multiple (6) bottles tasted 1hr, 2hrs and 4 hrs after decanting. Sleek and linear. Not gratuitous and giving just yet but close. Needs another 5-7 years to absolutely ingratiate itself into your psyche/cellar/glass if you're a robot/AI or actually have patience. Sexy af. Decided and dedicated temptress throwing out just enough historic, Lalande-styled love currently to seduce completely if your patience is lacking. Total siren song. Fill those ears with wax and watch your bank account. Beware. This just may be the longest lived Lalande vintage I've ever hit. Discounted the 1996 vintage big-time initially but deffy mistaken with this specific/particular wine. Hard to locate but if you do, it's a go to. Been trying to source since tasting this vintage, without luck, since this visit. Number one on the Most Wanted BDX list currently. Pray for me. 4.4.23. — 2 years ago

John Bratincevic

9.3

Nose: licorice, cork, chocolate, blackberry, a bit of “purple”, subtle herbs, warm forest floor (pine needles). Smooth, deep. This smells very good and makes me happy already. Taste: smooth, dark chocolate, coffee, medium bodied+, a little earthy, bay leaf, blackberry. Very good indeed. 93. GREAT deal for the $15 I paid on sale! Should buy again - will try another couple bottles to see if they hold up, and if they do, will buy a case. — 3 years ago

Nicolas Lau

9.8

Beautiful and balanced. You get so much in this pinot that I don't know what more you could ask for. Longer finish maybe, another layer of complexity perhaps? I don't think so. This is such a good wine, you will remember for a long time. — 6 months ago

Christian Fischer

9.3

Some specials on today at the Chelsea lounge at JFK. Thought I’d ask and look what we got. It doesn’t have as much of the typical Dom taste for me and it is still very very young, definitely still a baby. Great nose and packs a lot of citrusy flavors - they will certainly mellow over the years. Not a bad rendition, not quite hitting the super high marks with me right now, but very pleasant early p.m. bubbly on this holiday — a year ago

Aaron Tan

9.5

Definitely a little more open than the first bottle this year. A gift lugged back from Germany about four months back, and opened some four hours before dinner to breathe. A touch of petrol on the nose when it was first poured out on the table, but that quickly blew away with subsequent pours and by the last pour, the wine was simply bonkers! Like the ocean - so broad, deep, and immensely saline. While second to minerality, the fruit concentration was no laughing matter too. For me, WOTN on it’s own but it was perhaps a little too overpowering for the fried pipefish which elevated the 19’ Dauvissat La Forest to another plane on this evening. — 2 years ago

David Nicewicz

9.6

Another outstanding 1982, this time from Canon. Proper claret perfume of dusty library, tobacco, show polish and red fruits. Palate was excellent- red fruits, leather, cigar wrapper and some smoke with fine grainy tannins. Makes me just want to hang out near a fireplace and enjoy this for hours — 3 years ago

Steven Beishuizen

9.1

On the nose, this is blackberry, red cherries, red currant... Cocoa powder? On the palate, the blackberry and current is still there, but certainly some herbal notes as well... Green pepper... Dried sage... Medium body and tannins are quite pronounced at this stage... Another couple of years may have been preferred to soften a bit though this may be at the expense of the great currant up front... I feel there's some smokiness in the texture that I like here... The finish is long and makes me think of tree bark... A nice pairing for us tonight with flank steak. — 9 months ago

with Anita

Paul T HB

9.8

This surprised me considering how young it was, another amazing steak 🥩 wine. — 2 years ago

Deborah M

9.3

Another one from last night’s birthday dinner. I had a little left to revisit on day 2 and it is still amazing. What a classic. I could sit with this for a long time. The smokey, deep dark fruit/licorice, and velvety mouthfeel, all make this wine shine. This one will definitely improve with more age. Easily one of the top 5 wines of the year for me. — 3 years ago