Tom Garland

9.4

+1hour decant(decent sediment). A wondrous deep purplish magenta color. On the nose: expressive perfumed notes of blackberry, dark plum, eucalyptus, herbaceous, cigar box, dark chocolate. Taste: silky, opulent, structured teeth staining wine with dark cherry/blackberry, loamy soil, dark chocolate, and long minerally cedar finish. YUM!! 1st vintage and aging nicely...from the famed To Kalon vineyard and made by Andy Erickson. — 21 days ago

with Brenda

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

A tribute to the crest called Rattlesnake Hill, highest point of Monte Rosso Vineyard, famous for rattlesnakes living among the vines, seeking sunshine by day and coiling around the vines at night. Dark Ruby with aromas of berry fruits, tangy herb, pepper and sweet spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry and ripe cherry with black pepper spice, vanilla and earthy sweet herbs. Soft chewy tannins, medium+ finish ending with fruit, spice and earthy oak. Nice! — 2 years ago

Robert Torretti

9.4

A lovely bottle of classic Lafite Rothschild. Ordered with old friends and new at Waldhaus Sils on the fourth anniversary of my father’s death. He was biased to Cabernet Sauvignon / Left Bank Blends, and appreciated his Lafite, even if he stopped buying them as prices got out of hand. 1995 was chosen in honor of the year that I met my friend Julian, with whom I have worked at two companies across 20+ years and now count as a dear friend and peer in our industry. The bottle was in great shape, likely bought en primeur and stored in the Alpine retreat’s cellars (tour tomorrow!). Oscar, the manager and sommelier has been at the Waldhaus for 32 years, so it was purchased in his early days. The tannins were very well integrated, with some dark fruits, delicious tobacco and cedar, and a long finish. — 3 years ago

Nick DiSanto

9.2

Wintergreen with Brian and Amanda 3-22-26. WRW David recommended Brian loves — 2 months ago

Her Mir Tage

9.2

Is the Parker 99-point 2009 VCC Worth Its Price?

From a scoring perspective, you might feel slightly disappointed upon opening it, but in terms of price, it likely aligns with expectations.

Having previously tasted a Parker 95-100-point Côte-Rôtie La Landonne, I found its complexity and aromatic depth more impressive than this wine—though the 99-point VCC is the highest score this estate has ever received from Parker.

After 30 minutes of decanting:
The wine showed dark fruit aromas (blackberry), along with primary, secondary, and tertiary notes—cigar box, leather, and truffle-but the tannins were still tight, indicating it wasn’t fully open.

After 2 hours of decanting:
The wine began to unfold, not with explosive aromas but with a refined, lingering profile.Beyond the initial notes, ripe plum, vanilla, and graphite emerged. However, compared to an older vintage of VCC I’ve tried (which had a rich dark chocolate character), this bottle lacked that particular depth.

The tannins turned silky and smooth, making it very approachable, while a savory umami note complemented the medium acidity. The body was beautifully clean and well-structured. — 10 months ago

Roberto Carli

9.9

This is “will never forget the first time I tried it” level. Definitely greatest wine I’ve ever tasted in its category, possibly best sweet wine. Starts much paler than I expected, light gold. Nose is a journey, surprises with freshness, liveliness though with the highest concentration imaginable. White peach, white nectarine, lychee, rose water, intense white florals, an after-rain sense of freshness. On the palate yet another surprise: so much minerality (!!!) that the intensity gets carried by bright, almost riesling-like acidity and the insane amount of sugar is so well balanced that it’s barely noticeable until the crazy long finish. What a ride!!! — 3 years ago

Jody Scharf

9.3

Well balanced wine with ripe fruit and tannins. — 4 months ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.0

Revisiting an old friend. From one of Europe’s highest vineyards. Pure, clean citrus fruit hits you right away like a freshly melted alpine stream in spring. As the bottle warms up, unexpected tropical notes emerge - coconut and pineapple (aka nuances of piña colada). — 8 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

‘Las Alturas' Spanish for 'the heights', a fitting name, this vineyard located on one of the highest grape-growing benches in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. 4th gen Winemaker Joseph J. Wagner from family with farming & winemaking roots in Napa since 1906. Met Joe several times. Deep Ruby (darkest Pinot I have come across). Nice berry and floral spice aromas. Rich cherry/plum flavors with oak, spice and vanilla. Long finish, bold ending with sweet oak notes. Very Nice! A Fav! — 2 years ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

‘Las Alturas' Spanish for 'the heights', a fitting name, this vineyard located on one of the highest grape-growing benches in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. 4th gen Winemaker Joseph J. Wagner from family with farming & winemaking roots in Napa since 1906. Met Joe several times. Deep Ruby (darkest Pinot I have come across). Nice berry and floral spice aromas. Rich cherry/plum flavors with oak, spice and vanilla. Long finish, bold ending with sweet oak notes. Nice! A Fav! — 3 years ago