Conrad Green

9.6

Meat, deep herby fruit, iron and intense purity. Great structure, intensity and complexity. A feral, savory and engaging wine. Fantastic stuff. Still young — 12 days ago

with David

Stephen Mathews

9.8

Happy birthday to my favorite mother in law! — a month ago

Tom Garland

9.3

Decant for sediment(decent chunky sediment). A remarkable still dark ruby red color. On the nose: Seductive notes of stewed plum, worn leather, soy sauce, pencil lead, mint. Taste: velvety, creamy, savory, layered, polished wine with dried dark cherry/plum, dark chocolate, tar, graphite, and a peppery-smokey earth dry long finish. YUM! Great showing and what you need in an aged Insignia. — 17 days ago

with Brenda

Conrad Green

9.6

A great bottle. Intense and deep fruit. Plum and iodine with a hint of leather and blood. Such a consistent wine and many years ahead — a month ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.0

vintage 2015 | spicy, pepper, morelcherries, strict, good acidity — 3 months ago

Maggie Harrison

9.7

2022, figgy, plum with undertones of bacon at first open. very elegant and soft on palate. beautiful. about 4 hrs later- decanted. change? more mineral, tannins are showing more now than at opening. dried fig, meaty. bolder fruit on back end of palate thru the finish. iron on finish. drinking great but more time would certainly be better. — 3 months ago

Doug Powers

9.3

Much richer and thicker than the 1988, which is all about elegance, this 1989 CdP is about power, depth and richness, very long, lingering finish, great wine!! — 3 months ago

with Jim

romo

9.4

Anti-roast, all tart cherry and white pepper, gentle tannin, faint horse hair. Wow. — 4 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Opened three days earlier. The 2023 pours a deep ruby/purple color with an opaque core; medium+ viscosity with significant staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with powerful notes of ripe brambles, lavender pastilles, bacon fat, black pepper, and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is medium+. A delightful pairing with Bison ribeye. Young but showing its potential. Drink now through 2043. — 2 days ago

Jay Kline

9.6

Presented to me double-blind at Tasting Group. The wine pours a deep garnet/purple with an opaque core and some moderate rim variation; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with beautiful notes of ripe and slightly dried black and blue fruits: dark brambles, plum, fig, purple flowers, leather ball glove, something spicy and green that has me debating between rotundone or pyrazines (but which?), rocky earth and fine baking warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Alcohol is medium. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. What a beautifully made wine.

Initial conclusions: this could be Cabernet Sauvignon (or a blend with associated Bordeaux varieties), Cabernet Franc, Merlot (blended with associated Bordeaux varieties) or Syrah from France, the US or Australia. This is older; probably 20+ years of age based on the secondary characteristics or dried fruit and old leather. While the fruit plays a starring role here, the alcohol seems almost modest so I can’t place this in Australia or the US. The problem I’m having, are there pyrazines or rotundone? I don’t get a lot of black pepper or animale, or olive for that matter…so I’m leaning towards this being Bordeaux. Final conclusion: this is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine with a blend of Bordeaux varieties, from France, Bordeaux, Pulliac, from a classified growth, 2004. Whoa!!! 2005 Clape?! What a treat! I feel like I should have nailed this wine. Alas…I still have to get better at differentiating between pyrazines and rotundone with age. Drink now with a decant, through 2045+ — a month ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Dark ruby/ inky in color with a short purple rim.

Red and black fruits on the nose with cedar, chocolates, spices, tobacco, coffee and black pepper.

Full-bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with sweet raspberries, cherries, black currants, black plums, cedar, licorice, chocolates, herbs, coffee, light earth, spices, tobacco leaf and light pencil lead.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This young Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Napa Valley is starting to drink beautifully now. Rich and easy drinking.

Fruit forward and complex, soft and smooth. Spicy and entertaining, powerful yet refined. Showing good balance albeit a little hot at the back of the throat, at this point.

Will continue to age nicely in the next 15 to 20 years and shows good potential to become a 94+ point wine.

A great sipping wine that will also pair nicely with food.

A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot.

15% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$250. — 18 days ago

Shay A

9.5

94-95

This was one of the wines I served for my annual WWC hosting. All wines served blind.

93 syrah/ 7 viognier

The third syrah in my lineup was a wine I've enjoyed a few times over the last five years. Bangin' vintage and in a style I enjoy (syrah and vio). Purple-black in the glass, it offers up killer aromatics of rich, dark fruit, some baking spice, and smoked meat. Even with nearly four hours, this was a monster in structure with tannin that paired beautifully with an herb crusted lamb rack. Powerful on the palate with smoked berries, bacon, espresso, vanilla and a savory finish. Still on the upswing with lots of wonderful Cote-Rotie fireworks in store. Wish I had another! — 3 months ago

Joe Flo

9.7

Great balance fantastic fruit hints of lemon peel. Just drinking fantastic. — 4 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Always a treat to drink this with notes of dark cherry, berry, meat, iron, spice, licorice, graphite, tobacco & violets. — 11 days ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.8

Beautiful, whip-smart Northern Rhône Syrah with blackberry, violets, granite and, after air, a gorgeous olive note running through both the nose and palate. The texture is sleek and refined, with excellent freshness, fine tannins and a long, elegant finish. Not quite as complete or tightly composed as the monumental 2019, but still an exceptional Gonon and a brilliant expression of the vintage. — 25 days ago

Christian Fischer

9.6

To close the evening we have an Yquem. Always a treat, never disappoints. The 2013 is still young with decades upon decades to go. The honey, the fruit, the endless flavor that lingers in your mouth forever - what a great wine. — 18 days ago

Jason Gelman

9.4

first time dining at Chef Vola. 2020 is great but needs air to open up. even 2 hours wasn’t quite enough to show. felt a bit closed to me but still very enjoyable. — 25 days ago

"Odedi"

9.2

It is time for my #FridayCabernetfix.

Dark ruby in color with a purple rim.

Beautiful nose and medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing red and black fruits with cedar, licorice, chocolates, herbs, light earth, spices, tobacco leaf, dark coffee and light green vegetables.

Spicy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This iconic Cabernet Sauvignon based Bordeaux blend from Santa Cruz Mountains in California is still very young, but already delicious, even by itself.

Needs a few hours to open up properly, and will continue to age nicely in the next 30 years. Showing good potential to become a 95+ point wine.

A great sipping wine that paired beautifully with my Lamb chops.

A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Aged in American oak barrels for 20 months.

13.8% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$300. — a month ago

David Samples

10

Beyond beautiful! Immediately soft upon opening—had planned to decant for 4-6 hours but decided against. Open and had small taste with Maggie Harrison around noon. Decided to re-cork it and decanted at 4PM.
At noon I got (very unexpected) cranberry notes on the nose and the palate was considerably more gentle than expected.

After two hour decant: Soft (cat tongue), integrated tannins, pomegranate, black cherry begins to emerge. Herbs, smoky/meaty notes emerge


Tasted: 5.20.26
Attendees: Mark Cerimele, Maggie Harrison, Steve Pfancuff, Lorne McClelland, Andy McCray, Denise Casino, Randy Nelson — 3 months ago

Jake Hajer

9.2

Clean fruit. Mixed peppercorn. Tasty old world Syrah. — 4 months ago