Daniel Bloom

9.3

W friends after future son in law’s folks had departed the festivities.
Stellar! Such a great wine. I Always look forward to these. — 6 months ago

with Sarah

Jason Hutcherson

8.9

Kept well to 2025. Has eased up on the dryness and a little more fruit. Glad to have had the chance to sample it many years later. — a year ago

Tim L

8.9

Much better than expected with the bigness of the Russian River with the full flavored body and smoothness of the valley. Almost reminiscent of Mueller wines single vineyard, now departed. Will buy again… — 2 years ago

CA Haynam

9.1

Deep purple, light fruit scent, jammy with a medium tannic finish. Very nice — 3 years ago

Jason Hutcherson

9.0

Very nice Cali Temp. — 4 years ago

Bobby Gilbane

9.3

This is my jam. Cuts to the core of me like my dearly departed friend Baxter. — 6 years ago

Will Stanley

9.2

Another Dr. Loosen Kabinett, this time from Graacher Himmelreich, that after my foray into German Riesling a few weeks ago I was very excited to try. The conditions were laid of a Wednesday evening, a ‘send-off’ meal for my sister before she departed for university, and she elected for us to have an Indian takeaway. And hence, one of my most memorable food pairings was conceived: this wine, with fish pakora and raita sauce. No joke. Genuinely phenomenal. The wine continued to pair well with the main course and was beautiful on its own after the dinner. Notably less sweet, I thought, than the 2018 Wehlener, and totally quaffable.

Hook me up to this stuff on an IV drip. — 6 years ago

Mark Flesher

9.4

Nice, ripe, modern delicious Barolo. Dang. This one has me leaning from the traditional. This wine is ready from cork pop, but was much better after 2 hrs of bottle decanting and probably has another 7 years left. Nose of herbs, soil, mushroom, cola, funeral flowers. Entry of flowers, raspberry cola, nice acidity and just a hair departed from full bodied. Complex. Beautiful wine. Finishes with some astringency and youthful oak tannin so this one has a while left. Tobacco, herb, soil. Dang. If you have these, now is the time. — 6 years ago

Daniel Bloom

9.3

Well, after almost all have departed and just some close friends and family are left, out comes the Valtellina’s prize. An ever changing chameleon of Nebbiolo* that drinks like 1er Cru Burgundy. Problem is holding on to them. — 6 months ago

with Sarah

David White

9.3

It’s 10 years since Serge. Hochar’s death whilst swimming in Acapulco on NYE 2014 and I think it’s appropriate to celebrate his legacy that is the modern Chateau Musar.
I first tasted Lebanese wines in London circa 1986 when I used to go to a couple of Lebanese restaurants in Shepherds Market near Mayfair in London
Al Hamra is still in business
I’ve been to Beirut several times and always stock up at the airport duty free
So a toast to a departed icon of the wine world
Since my last 2011 4.5 years ago (see note) this has aged wonderfully and I’ve up my rating several points
Another few years and it will be further improved
Optimal decant time was around 3.5 to 4 hours
Ethereal stuff — 2 years ago

Steve Reiss

9.1

Nice Paso juice - bought it at their going out of business sale! — 3 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.7

The 2001 Sloan is a brooding powerhouse. Dark, inky and super-concentrated, the 2001 possesses tremendous textural richness from start to finish. Blackberry jam, licorice, cloves, new leather, mocha and French oak all build in the glass. The 2001 is still quite fresh and deep, but it is also heading into its plateau of maturity. All that said, the 2001 has aged well, although it is very much a wine of its era, with huge fruit and equally heavy torrefaction flavors from the oak. Beyond that, there isn't much else to say except that the 2001 is in a great spot for drinking right now. It is very clearly one of the wines of the vintage. This was Martha McClellan's first vintage at Sloan. Mark Aubert made the 2000 and then departed in July of the following year. (Antonio Galloni, Vinous, April 2023) — 3 years ago

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9.5

The 2018 Clinet, which was cropped at 38hl/ha, has an exquisite bouquet of lavish black cherry and raspberry fruit, and still those bunches of violets I observed from barrel, flanked by potpourri. The aromatics are well defined and the new oak seamlessly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit. It has firmed up since I tasted in barrel, when I noted that it felt like a "muscular" Clinet in the making. That trait is emphasized in bottle, and those accustomed to the more hedonistic Clinets of yore might find it a tad more reserved and drier. But it is a style that suits it well. White pepper leaves the mouth tingling after it has departed, the fitting conclusion to a superb – dare I say cerebral? – Clinet that has a long and prosperous future. (Neal Martin, VInous, March 2021)
— 5 years ago

Doug Powers

9.7

OK, 5 1/2 years since my last checkin of this SUPER intense Napa Cab made for our dearly-departed friend, former mayor of St. Helena, which was but one of his MANY accomplishments.

SUPER intense, ripe Napa Cabernet, this was what Del Britton loved to drink, and so he had access to some great Napa Cab fruit and had it made to his liking. He SNUCK a case of this into my cellar at a wine group party, I didn’t know I had it until 1-2 weeks later. I miss Del very much, his generosity, wit and kindness were and are still stuff of which legends are made. Thanks Del for the great memories!!
— 6 years ago

with Jim

Steve Reiss

9.0

A real library wine - Paso Baby! — 8 months ago

Jake Hajer

9.1

Apples, herb, butterscotch. Exotic. Not super effervescent. — 10 months ago

Ron R

9.4

Nose presents baking spices and a touch of soft brown sugar. Palate is dense and layered, as usual for this producer (before the winery changed hands the first time around). Notes of coffee, tobacco and maple syrup come through on the mid palate. Nice tannin/acidity combination complete what is a classic BV presentation. Drink these within the 24 months. This winery has been on the slide ever since Ed Snyder and team departed. I tasted some of the 18’s and 19’s and they were a mere shadow of the previous product.
Fasano, Angra dos Reis (wifey’s b/day 😍). — 2 years ago

with Anne-marie

Bob McDonald

9.4

We first tried a bottle of Celestins in a restaurant in Gigondas some years ago, and for me it was a WOW Wine. Had this latest bottle on Sunday with Roast Pork. Medicinal to begin with which blew off. Barnyard aromas - horse manure. In hindsight this could’ve been Brett but the overall impression and tasting was impressive and memorable. Glad I have 3 left. Showing a medium to full bodied palate. This is textbook CdP in the old school genre. The tannins are silky and sexy - a liquorice note together with saddle leather. Henri Bonneau passed away in 2016 and the wine making is now carried out by his son, Marcel. A visit to his archaic cellars was keenly sought after and rarely granted. Mould all over the walls, rickety stairs light bulbs dangling from the ceiling and a floor which stuck to the soles of your shoes was how one visitor described his experience in the cellar. Nevertheless this is a CdP up there with Rayas and the top Cuvée from Beaucastel. The blend is usually 90% Grenache with the balance made up of around 4 or 5 different varieties. — 3 years ago

David Langstaff

9.3

Slow to open. Acidic for first few hours. Balanced out in time. Wonderful nose. Cannot mistake for other than a great burgundy. Great leathery base. Bright fruit has departed (which is good). Slight hint of backend oxidation. Drinks wonderfully after 12-18 hrs! — 5 years ago

with Sarah, Lee and 3 others

Emily Kresie-Harrington

9.6

2013 vintage. Wow. What a big, yet surprisingly refined wine. Roasted black cherry, blackberry, mulberry, smoke, cooling eucalyptus or mint, tangy blood orange peel, dusty sage, walnut skin. Very long finish. Raising a glass to my dearly departed grandmother tonight. Lots of life ahead for this wine. — 6 years ago