Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Flight 2 , wine 2 . This was again quite deep with a slightly marked terracotta rim . Quite closed and difficult to read at first , touch of coffee and herbal hints , some sous bois . This needed time to unfurl a bit and showed well over all . On the palate this had dark fruits and a mineral , grafite , tobacco edge , quite elegant and still showing well . Slightly dry compact tannins , but good balance and length . I had this down as the Talbot 82 … but alas I was wrong again .. at least got the vintage . — 16 hours ago

Barbara Rez

9.7

Love it. Nice wine to celebrate 2024 and start 2025 — 2 months ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Spoto Family wine dinner under the stars: always a fun night with Stuart and family!

DINNER WINES
2021 Spoto Oakville cabernet rose
2019 Spoto Godfather red....a blend you can't refuse.
2019 Spoto cuvee Christiane
2018 Spoto Beckstoffer amber Knolls malbec
2018 Spoto family reserve cabernet
2015 Spoto late harvest viognier
Also:
2004 Las Cases
2005 Pichon Baron
2009 Cos d'estournel
2012 La Mission Haut Brion
2005 Spottswood
1989 clerc milon
2005 Spoto private reserve
2001 clos du val

FOOD
Oysters, lamb lollipops, feta skewers
Tomato and nectarine panzanella
Ricotta, summer pea and corn agnolotti
Wood fired gulf prawns
Five spice grass-fed short rib, Yukon potato
Apricot and vanilla custard tartelette — 2 years ago

with Brenda

Paul K

9.1

Taking a poll. How long would you let this breath? Thanks in advance!
Thanks @Tom Garland ! That’s pretty close to what we did. Tasted PnP then waited 2 hours then drank side by side with another Margaux, ‘18 Duhart Millon, for the night.
Color is medium garnet. Nose is tobacco, forest floor, cedar, a little red fruit, pencil lead, and something herbal. Great mouthfeel. Cassis / sour cherry, blackberry, and a bit of astringency. — 2 years ago

Alessandro Dalle Carbonare

9.4

Fine, yummy and chewy. It needs a couple of years to integrate the tannins — 11 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Flight 3 , wine 2. Medium ruby and garnet terracotta rim. Quite reticent at first but marked but a light cassis , blackcurrant note , some violet also . More menthol and cassis on the palate also . Quite good density and with good fruit , slightly medicinal hint on the finish. Pretty good overall and though rustic was well balanced . This I thought was the Duhart 82 , probably because of the density on the palate , however was wrong , yet again. — 16 hours ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

#Remembrance #Love 6/25

One of our special stops in Maipo, Chile.

The day we visited, they had just received & were using their basic bottle labeling machine. They were elated to no longer have to do it by hand. 2018.

49% Carmenere, 42.5% Cabernet & 8.5% Syrah.

Picture of Sofia in Nefertiti’s Tomb. The top of Sofia’s bucket list.

The fruits are ripe and dryish; blackberries, black raspberries, black plum with big skin, plum pudding, darkest cherries & strawberries hues, creamy raspberries. Dark chocolate w/ fudge frosting, caramel, mocha, deep, dark spices w/ some palate heat, moist, forest floor with dry leaves, clove, nutmeg, soft cinnamon stick, vanillin, black tea, black licorice, dry river stone, moist, grey, volcanic clay, limestone & dry crushed rock minerals, dry top soil, some black pepper, dry tobacco & chewy leather, oak wood shavings, dry, withering & candied flowers, excellent, round acidity with a ruby, fresh, round, well; tensioned, balanced, knitted, smartly polished finish that lasts minutes.

Still has 10-15 years of good life ahead.

It was Bordeaux that first embraced Carmenere and the only Chateau that I know that still blends it is Clerc Milon…only about 2-3%. Chile champions Carmenere now.

Photos; Sofia & I tasted on top of that structured & their barrel room. — 8 months ago

Eric Halim

9.3

Wine is dark ruby, on nose its blueberries, some toastiness, caramel,

On palate, its medium acidity, medium intensity, red and black fruits, little bit tannic at the end. Its a good quality wine. Drink it or keep it 3-4 years more. 52% Carbenet Sauvignon, 48% Merlot. Cheers!! — a month ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.0

Flight 4 , wine 2. This was quite a difficult wine to read at first , again quite closed , mineral and tobacco edged . Dark fruits. On the palate rounder than expected , good richness and balance , dark cherry , blackberry fruit . Good rounded tannin and ok length . Quite obviously Bordeaux in the context of this tasting , though I had this as the Lynch Bages 1982 when it was actually the Brane Cantenac 1986 …..I give up ! 90

This was an interesting , though challenging tasting , all served blind in flights of 2 wines , 3 flights of 1 Napa and 1 Bordeaux and 1 of 2 Bordeaux; served in a random sequence . The fact that at least a couple of wines were not pristine didn’t help , though if you will taste 8 , 40 year old wines that is probably par for the course . I found it relatively easy to spot whether what was in the glass was Napa or Bordeaux but didn’t actually get a single wine completely correct ! Probably overall the winner of the tasting was Napa (won the 3 rounds 2-1) as they had more suave polished , rounded personalities. Many put the wines the wrong way round , imagining that Napa was Bordeaux etc. The 1982s in general showed poorly too much funk and brett on the Lynch and Talbot but the Duhart showed surprisingly well . The 86s both showed pretty well and equalled the Dominus (even though I didn’t think we had a pristine bottle) . The Montelena was enjoyable , though was the first to oxidise whilst the Inglenook was the biggest positive surprise , still drinking surprisingly well at 47 . — 16 hours ago

Phuc-Tue Le Dinh

9.5

Very smooth, easy to drink - but flavorful. 2018 — 2 years ago