romo

10

A real treat as I’m in town for the Rush show. Sourced from his cellar. - at Little Beast — a month ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

I think if you read this nonsense I post, you know how I feel about this producer, past & present. This 07 is outstanding & top of its bell curve. It is so good to revisit these great vintages of Caymus Classic.

This is fresher than the 97. It is rich/lush, cassis to currents, ripe, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum, raspberries & strawberries. Dark chocolate, mocha, classic, beautiful, Caymus Classic spice that I miss dearly in their new wines, black licorice, fudge, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg & vanillin, most top soil, limestone, dry herbs, dry tobacco, barrel shavings, taut leather, volcanic grey clay, dark, fresh & slightly withering flowers, violets, beautiful round acidity, balance, structure, nice tension and elegant finish that last minutes and falls on spice and evoluted earth tones.

This bottle is in fine shape. Still strong and will last another 10 years of fine drinking. Phenomenal vintage and time to enjoy. — a year ago

Shengli Hu

8.9

Medium minus concentration of garnet color. BRETT. Roasted green bell pepper, tart tomato leaves, hawthorn, iodine, dried tea leaves, oregano, bay leaf, blood/sanguine. Medium acidity, dissolved medium+ tannins, medium+ finish. — 4 years ago

KD

9.0

Medium dark purple ruby. Cranberry, ligonberry, red cherry and blackberry on the nose with some bell pepper, smoke and tobacco. Medium body, acidity and tannins with chalky minerality and delicate notes of cherry, cranberry with pepper, smoke and discrete oak. Black licorice on the medium long finish. The nose is more intense than the palate which leads to a smooth, easy drinking wine. Coravined. — 5 years ago

Erik Reif

9.5

Fantastic nose, great balance of acidity and mouthfeel. — 6 years ago

Dr. Owen Bargreen

9.8

The 2014 Mouton Rothchild is a stunning wine that is already making its case for one of the wines of the vintage. Graphite, salted dark fruits, tar and mocha with a touch of red bell pepper all marvelously combine on the nose. Silky and marvelously textured, with an incredible complexity and viscosity, the wine shows wonderful brightness and a seamless quality that artfully dances across the mid-palate. Stunning and simply marvelous even at the five year mark, this is only an infant now and has decades of life to go. Try to resist this beauty for at least three more years. Drink 2021-2045- 98 — 7 years ago

FinerTastes

9.4

Celebrating Christmas with our favorite red blend. — 8 years ago

with Sarah and Kristen

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.6

One of the very best QPR’s in Napa/Sonoma. I have had all the top tier Napa Cabernets. On the secondary markets, I pay in the $70 to $90 range. I enjoy this producer more than many of the higher-priced Napa Cabernets. Including; Realm, Maybach, Phelps, Outpost, Lakoya, to name a few.

This 2007 is right around the top of the bell curve. It delivers everything you expect from the 2007 vintage and yet, it’s a Sonoma producer, which lends itself to the expression, don’t judge a wine by its region.

My 5/24 note remains. To that end, for me, this is not a producer to open young if you’re looking for its best self. You can open a wine whenever you want to, but I would pushback that you’re not getting its best self. This 07 still has a fair amount of teeth. The integration and evolution is incredible. It’s flat out near perfect as to when to open your first.

The short notes on this are perfectly ripe/ruby fruits that are;, blackberries, black raspberry, black plum, haunting raspberries, dry earth, cinnamon stick for days, endless far east spices, dark chocolate, caramel, black licorice, mid berry cola, dark & red flowers with violets and hints of lavender, excellent round acidity, a well-made balanced finish that is the definition of elegance with earth and spice on the long set that goes on and on.

In a QPR Napa/Sonoma Cabernet race with the higher-priced Cabernets, it is not even close.

— 10 days ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.5

1989 vintage. WOTD! Funky, old grandparents nose for a spell, then blew off. Still a bit of the feminine (blueberries, raspberries, cocoa powder) characteristics evident. Better than the last bottle tasted (4.4.23 a 9.4) but not as good as another fairly recently (12.9.22 a 9.6). Still pretty damned delicious and still at the top of the bell curve for another half-decade or so. Hit. It. Now. Ain’t getting better. 5.5.23. — 4 years ago

Lee Lightfoot

9.1

Sweaty dried red fruit tobacco and bell pepper — 5 years ago

Marc Melser

9.4

We had the 2013 Vintage on 5/2-3/21. This was a terrific full bodied, well balanced wine. Tastes of blackberry, plum, kirsch and vanilla on the palate. The tannins were smoothed out. A great example of the Napa floor. — 6 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Just love this wine, great value, can’t get enough! Belle Pente (bell-pont') means "beautiful slope" - for their 70 acre hillside vineyard & winery site in Willamette Valley. Bright Ruby red with aromas of red fruits, herb spices and hints of blossom notes. On the palate strawberry and cherry flavors, slight sweet undertones, herb notes and smooth tannins. Well balanced on a long finish ending with mineral herb notes. Nice!! Great value. — 7 years ago

Patrick

9.0

Nice bottle. Rounded out fruit and tannins, great pairing with Italian. — 8 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Very pale crimson - almost transparent. Aromas of red cherry and violets. Like many good Pinots pale in colour but M+ palate Intensity - an elegant wine finishing with fine tannins. Bell Hill produces some of the rarest and most sought after wines in New Zealand. I have visited all the major wine producing areas in New Zealand but I have never been to Canterbury - not far from Christchurch. — 4 months ago

Tom Garland

9.4

Decant and pour.  On the nose:  dark fruit, pencil shavings, green bell pepper, leather, mushrooms.   Taste:  a brooding, still austere, structured wine with dark fruit, cassis, smoked earth, cigar, minerals, crushed stone.  Some pronounced tannins want you to give it more time for a better score in the future.

At Cote, Last Vegas — 6 months ago

with Brenda and

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Made in a small town at foot of Sierra Cantabria in the DO. A single variety Tempranillo from 50 year old vines has a deep Ruby red color and aged for 18 months in French and American oak. Aromas of red fruit and spice. On the palate ripe black fruit, fine tannins, well balanced with a medium+ finish ending with fruit, spice and some oak notes. Nice! — 3 years ago

Walter Fahr

9.1

Above average Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc. Rich, mild citrus flavor. Paired very well with shrimp. — 4 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

This was in its prime, interesting nose with notes of dark fruits, berry, currant, leather, brambly, earth, animal, bell pepper & tobacco. — 5 years ago

Emily Steedman

9.4

Beautiful wine for a beautiful day in Napa — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.1

Pontet Canet tasting and dinner with Alfred Tesseron.

The fruits are dark & muted. Blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, blue fruits, plums with strawberries come on late. Lots of moist clay, dry soils, deep dark spice, crushed, rock powder, graphite, black, dry soils, hints of green bell pepper, dry herbs with blue, dark withering flowers. The acidity is round but could be better. The long finish is balanced but, for me, comes up short and a little flat.

Photos of; our dinner group, The K&L Bordeaux Buyer-Ralph Sands and Alfred talking about the wines, Clyde Beffa Jr. -Owner of K&L Wine Merchants and Chateau Pontet Canet. — 7 years ago