Ron Siegel

9.4

This was full bodied, drinking well showing dark fruits, spice, earth, graphite & tobacco — 6 days ago

Tom Garland

9.3

1 hour decant(little sediment). A striking deep dark magenta with bricking. On the nose: subtle seductive notes of dark red fruit, wet earth, eucalyptus, mushroom, toffee. Taste: silky, balanced, fresh, elegant wine with dark cherry, currants, leather, minerals, herbs, mint, and a earthy raspberry espresso long lingering finish. YUM! — 6 days ago

with Brenda

Jay Kline

9.3

Double-decanted prior to service. The 1988 pours a garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with beautiful notes of cassis, brambles, tobacco, capsicum, leather, inorganic earth and a mix of herbs and fine spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is medium+. The label is beat to hell but the condition of the wine inside the bottle was perfect. Classic, old school Bordeaux from a classified growth. Drink now through 2043. — 13 days ago

Ray Vanderhoff

9.4

Excellent follow up to the classic 2016 Vintage. Blend of Mourvèdre (30%), Grenache (30%), Syrah (15%), Counoise (10%) and the balance (15%) made up of other approved CDP varietals led by Vaccarese’. Aromas of red and black fruit, garrigue, leather and earth. Flavors of black raspberries, currants and cherries, Asian spices, smoked meat and truffles. Long and lingering (slightly spicy) finish and beautiful balance. Full bodied and dense, but not overpowering. Fine grained tannins and amazing complexity. Great now, but there is another decade (or so) of aging potential. Just incredible. — 25 days ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of two days. Delicious throughout. The 2021 pours a bright garnet color with transparent core; medium+ viscosity with no staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of Morello cherry, raspberry, cranberry, red flowers, orange zest, some tar, talcum powder, dried herbs and dry, organic earth. On the palate, the wine is bone dry with high tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is about as sapid of a young Classico I’ve had from Produttori. It’s a bold wine right now but some time on its side will bring more into balance. Drink now with some patience through 2051. — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.5

Opened about 90min prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 2001 Monte Bello pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with lovely notes of black currants, blackberries, plum, tobacco, purple flowers, an intoxicating mix of exotic Eastern spices, some cocoa, inorganic earth and minerals. On the palate? The wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long and impeccably balanced. To my palate, this bottle has reached the age when Monte Bello starts to really become interesting. What a delight! Drink now with some air, through 2051. — 2 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

I recently had a conversation with a few Joseph Phelps Ambassador’s at Pebble Beach Food & Wine in April. I said, I had every vintage of Insignia back to 2006 in storage. They said, “you should really drink up the 2006.” So, I coravined an 06 last weekend, a taste. I agreed then. But tonight not the case, it shows it still has a fair amount of life. Another 5-8 yrs and perhaps plus.

My Ribcap, a definition of Medium Rare Plus.

The nose reveals floral; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, dark cherries and blue fruit notes. Melted dark chocolate, mocha, caramel, softly layered baking spices, very underrated graphite, steeped tea, mid berry cola, red licorice, limestone powder, dry top soil, dry twig, red, dark candied to slightly withering florals w/ liquid violet cola.

The palate shows well resolved, rounded, velvety M+ tannins. Nicely ripe fruits that are floral; blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, poached strawberries, dark cherries and blue fruit notes. Melted dark chocolate, mocha, caramel river, softly layered baking spices-clove, nutmeg, cinnamon stick & vanillin, warm caramel, dark Asian spices with palate burrowing heat, dry tobacco/ leather, cedar, grilled meats, very underrated graphite, sweet tarriness, black licorice, steeped tea, mid berry cola, red licorice, limestone powder, dry top soil, dry twig, red, dark candied to slightly withering florals w/ liquid violet cola, candied to withering; dark, red, blue florals wrapped in liquid violets, epic rainfall acidity, well balanced-structured-toned, elegant finish that lasts minutes and falls on earth & heated spice.

95-96 peaking. — 3 months ago

Jason Gelman

9.7

First time trying a first growth bordeaux. did not disappoint. beautiful aromas, richness of flavor, extremely long finish. wonderful. — 5 days ago

Ira Schwartz

9.0

@Doug Powers as promised . Dry leaves and plums on the nose. In the mouth spices, cherry , earth and good acid . Certainly the magnum format kept this alive. However for me it had not become complex and had a very clipped finish. — 5 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

This needed lots of air showing mostly black fruits, menthol, leather, graphite, earth, sweet spice & wet tobacco. Although enjoyable now this will continue to develop for many years — 25 days ago

Jay Kline

9.4

I always get excited when there’s a bottle of Calon-Ségur open. Classic Saint-Estèphe and, to my palate, these wines consistently deliver what I want from a Left Bank Bordeaux. I believe this bottle was double-decanted prior to service. The 1988 pours a garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with winsome notes of ripe, tart and dried fruits: cassis, mixed brambles, pencil shaving’s, tobacco, capsicum, a whiff of horse blanket, gravelly earth and a mix of herbs and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin (integrated) and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is long. I absolutely love it. This is the picture of Bordeaux in the dictionary. Drink now through 2048+. — 13 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Tasted blind. Medium ruby garnet , medium garnet rim . Quite classic and elegant, with cigar box , grafite and some dried earth , some slightly toasty notes also . On the palate this shows good balance , fresh acidity , classic blackcurrant , cigar box , earthy touch . Good depth and length , grafite tinged finish , quite correct and no extra sweetness or weight . Good length and a spicy , mineral , blackcurrant tinged finish . Lafite ? Still young , really well balanced. From now and over the next 10 to 15 years. This was actually the Mouton , which was a great surprise, but certainly a pleasant one ! — a month ago

GaryWEdwards

9.5

I kinda forgot about this one that I bought for great value at auction. It’s actually drinking nicely with big wine attitude. Tobacco, earth but still has some brightness in color. Gonna share the 11 bottles with folks during holiday season. 1982 — 2 months ago

Jay Kline

9.6

At this point, with this group, a Legends dinner simply wouldn’t be appropriate without at least one bottle of Chave Hermitage.

Opened about 90min prior to service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours. The 1994 Hermitage pours a slightly hazy garnet with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is vinous with perfumed notes of dried brambles, dried blueberry, dried purple flowers, black olive, mushroom, espresso, leather, stony earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and slightly sanguine. Delicious with the 5 Spice Cured Duck prepared with marinated Bing cherries, crispy shallot and Olathe corn polenta. It was such a pleasure to taste the ‘94 Chave next to the ‘85 Gentaz. Two Northern Rhône Legends working with their respective terroirs. Where the Gentaz was all about the aromatics of Côte Rôtie, the Chave was brought more of the power from the Hill of Hermitage. Drink now through 2056. — 2 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

My last of three.

The 05 vintage is basically perfect fruit etc…

This started a bit slow from an hour decant. It really pick up steam w/ the Waygu Ribcap.

The Bordeaux elegance & earth profound. The fruits are floral-laden. Dry blackberries, raspberries, both plum, with skin, dark cherries, dry strawberries, baked rhubarb, hints of raspberry, dark chocolate bar, light caramel, dark spice with a little heat, dry limestone. topsoil, dry riverstone, cigar box with ash, old used leather, dark forest floor with leaves, clove, touch of cinnamon, vanilla and a pinch of nutmeg sweet graphite, used charcoal, black tea, mid berry cola dark wuthering flowers, hence of lavender and old violets, perfect around acidity with a well-balanced structured, evenly tensioned finish that last minutes and lands on dry earth and spice with florals — 6 days ago

Rick Phillips

9.7

Just peaking in my estimation. May sill have a couple or three years before its decline starts. Opened and sat in the bottle for 2 hours. Poured a glass which sat another hour. Bold forward fruits. Blackberry, Plums, Black Cherry, hints of spice herbs that quickly fade into a smooth, luxurious taste of velvety tannins. Backend is just as the Front, Luxurious Bold Fruit but just a touch of old earth, lite tobacco and chocolate/cherry. — 5 days ago

with Letha

Jay Kline

9.3

Double-decanted prior to service. The 1989 pours a garnet/purple color with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of cassis, brambles, tobacco, leather, cocoa, some graphite, inorganic earth and a mix of herbs and fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose, the finish is medium+. The fruit is generous and sort of the star of the show. There is no wonder why so many love Cos. Still years and years to go. Drink now with some air and through 2049+. — 10 days ago

Tom Garland

9.4

+1 hour decant(some sediment). A gorgeous dark garnet with bricking. On the nose: mesmerizing areomatic notes of dark red fruit, currants, forest floor, floral, cigar wrapper, pencil shavings. Taste: velvety, vibrant, fresh wine with brambly dried blackberry/cherry, earth, graphite, wet stones, and a cedar gamey raspberry long finish. YUM! What a treat to drink, and a success for 03...not too ripe, hot, or roasted. — a month ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Presented double-blind at dinner. The wine pours a deep garnet with a near opaque core and a slightly orange rim with considerable variation; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of ripe and desiccated fruit: black currants, blackberries, plum, pipe tobacco, capsicum, pencil shavings, a touch leather, organic earth and a mix of dried herbs and some fine warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. Really tasty stuff.

Initial conclusions: this is an old wine, likely 30-40 years old. That being said, it’s still very distinguishable as it’s showing varietal characteristics. This could be Cabernet Sauvignon (or a blend thereof), Cabernet Franc (or a blend thereof), or Merlot (or a blend thereof). I can see this being Napa because the fruit is still showing some generosity. But there’s a lot of non-fruits there too. Regardless, this was giving Left Bank vibes so I could also see this being Bordeaux from a great vintage like 1982. And that’s my call, Cabernet Sauvignon-blend from France, Bordeaux, Saint-Estèphe, from a classified growth like Calon-Ségur. Shucks. But I’m not mad about my choice! Old Opus One’s are tricky to differentiate. Drinking very well right now but this will live well past 2035. — 2 months ago

Mary Ellen Bonisteel

9.3

Great wine rated 93 points for the price — 3 months ago