Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Been a bit since my last but still do not think much of the style of their Cabernet. Especially, given its price point.

2022 Napa Cabernet’s more than less boil down to when did you harvest, before or after the 10 days of intense heat during the harvest window.

2026 Taste of Oakvile — 12 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.8

Tasted blind. Medium deep garnet ruby and medium garnet ruby rim . Quite cool and restrained , again lots of grafite and mineral , dark fruits . This is quite deep and dark spicy cassis , blackberry and sea spray , saline . Quite dense and robust on the palate again , lots of fine but ripe tannins. Very long , dense , cassis , cedar grafite saline finish . This is a complete and great example of 2005 , great balance and enormous length , the longest of all on show here. Drinkable now , but surely it’s best days are in the future , wait another 5 -10 years , will last well a further 20 - 25 if not more . The apex of 2005 ? For me this had to be the Latour , and an archetypal example of Latour no less . 1st place and the gold medal . — 2 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

I’ll just commence this tasting note to see if it is accepted. Dense Ruby in colour. Blackcurrant and tobacco notes - ripe blue and black fruits - luscious texture. Anytime I’ve had a Napa (or Washington State) Cabernet I have always been impressed - probably better than most good Aussie Cabernets (and more expensive). Has a good future but irresistible right now. Have the last bottle in a year or two. Interestingly reverse osmosis was used to reduce the alcohol. Now at 13.9%. — 2 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

I remember when the 2005 Pichon Lalande was reviewed by RP, 89. I saw that & said, you would have to get in the way of the 2005 Bordeaux vintage to be that sad. I still bought 6 at a bargain basement price. A very good idea post 20 yrs+. Both Pichon’s don’t have a modern day history of getting in the way of a good vintage.

I also bought this one. 18 yrs in bottle and still acending. This will hold 5 more yrs and will last another 10 yrs properly stored.

I have visited Bordeaux 11 times. This chateau visually is still my favorite. It was showing a picture of this chateau to Sofia that launched our first visit. Sofia loved it and we have stared at it multiple times on every visit.

It was in our visit in 2007, I stood in the estate vineyard, looked & tasted their soils. After doing so, I said, “I get it.” I understood everything about what I was tasting in Left Bank Bordeaux’s early in my wine journey.

Sofia and I had dinner w/ Christian Moueix not long after the 2005 vintage was hyped/released. She asked him, when did you know you had something special?” He said, “as soon as I tasted the fruit at harvest.”

Tonight, it shows that it is a close relative, a sibling to Pichon Longueville. Cork, perfect.

The nose shows; classic left bank traits. Ripe, dark, brooding fruits, bright, mid berries, red cola, leather, tobacco, sandalwood, leather, led pencil, dark rich earth, limestone, dry river stone, hint of mushrooms, dark, red, fresh & withering florals.

The fruits on the palate show everything outstanding from the 2005 growing season. Ripe, juicy, brilliant; dark currants, blackberries, black raspberries, black plum skin, black cherries, baked/poached strawberries & some hovering raspberries. Dark chocolate bar to pudding, red cola, anise, dark spices w/ palate heat, dark, rich earth w/ dry leaves, pronounced graphite, dry tobacco, leather, limestone, dry twig, dry river stone, moist clays, moist herbs, cedar to sandalwood, withering & dry, dark flowers, red roses, some lavender & violets, beautiful rainfall acidity, excellent; balance, tension, structure, length w/ an elegant finish that lasts minutes and lands on spice & earth.

13.4 ABV. Nice.

#TheTwoHourRibcap

This held up vacuumed sealed the same night, refrigerated & enjoyed exactly a week later. — 5 months ago

Brett Vanderbrook

9.0

I think the excitement for this every year is a bit overblown but it’s tasty stuff. Melon, strawberries, peach, and grapefruit. Quite dry and high acid. Keeps you coming back for another sip. Better than the flagship rose. — 10 months ago

Jeff Christner

9.0

Perfect right now, hour before summer sunset! 😎 — 3 years ago

Doug Powers

9.5

Super clean and still quite youthful, this is a GREAT example of a 1980s CdP from a vintage of little surmaturite, so awesome balance and perfect acidity suggests this vintage will easily last another 5-10 years!! — a month ago

with Jim

Andrew Cullimore

9.6

Tasted blind . Médium deep ruby with medium wide ruby rim , slightly younger looking than the rest. Quite spicy dark fruits , touch of pain grillé , mineral , grafite , cedar . On the palate this has a lot of grip and density , but also great balance . Spicy dark fruits , touch of grafite and earthy cedar . Quite rounded mouthfeel. Balanced acidity and grippy ripe tannins . Long balanced finish . Overall this showed well , with a roundness and balance , lovely fruit still , really quite open and fresh . With more time this show a floral character with lovely precision . Of all the wines this though very young is probably showing the most today . Even better in 5-10 years and will last well a further 10-20. Had this down as Haut Brion . This took the silver medal . 96
— 2 months ago

Meredith Moody

9.0

The lemonade of wines! I am a big sauvignon blanc fan, but my parents never really drink ones from New Zealand, and this made me wish I had known about it sooner. So refreshing and almost makes you pucker with how tart it is. This wine begs to be drank by the pool. Grapefruit forward, but had a grassy and herbal note that kept it grounded. Clean, acidic and crisp. I would serve this colder than class has taught me to because it is a summer delight. — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Medium lemon straw , some fine lightly persistent perlage . Quite steely and minerally on the nose , some lemon pith , orange rind , white flowers , buttered brioche . Quite classic and lean in style. This has drive and persistence on the palate , electric acidity , with intense mineral , lemon rind , chalky depth . Still pretty young , taught , with good freshness and long length . With time drinking well but will improve over at least the next 5 years and last well a further 5 - 10 — 2 months ago

Vinnie Daboul

9.9

The last of our 2018. It has aged really well. Deep ruby color, butter, some earth. Delicious. — 6 months ago

Sean Townley

9.4

One of the last years Caymus made good wine — 8 months ago

with Mairead

Brian Franke

9.0

Perfect in this weather. Skins left on a bit longer and was more red hue. Nice clean finish. — 10 months ago

with Sara

Stephen Redenbaugh

9.2

Yum! Cranberry-rhubarb-rose water mid-summer glory. Low ABV, enough acidity to scrub a couple layers of enamel off your teeth. Perfection with fresh heirlooms, BBQ chicken, and cold spicy peanut noodles….I love basque Tzakolina with its vivacious light pink personality. Note to self: purchase a boatload before it’s gone. — 4 years ago

Tom Garland

9.4

Decant and pour.  On the nose:  dark fruit, pencil shavings, green bell pepper, leather, mushrooms.   Taste:  a brooding, still austere, structured wine with dark fruit, cassis, smoked earth, cigar, minerals, crushed stone.  Some pronounced tannins want you to give it more time for a better score in the future.

At Cote, Last Vegas — 2 months ago

with Brenda and

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

1982 vintage. Last tasted 6.1.24 (9.4) and nearly 9 years ago (9.0). Courtesy of Monsieur @Bill Bender. Sweet fill. Opened with a Durand. Cork 95% saturated. A little reticent in the early going and decanted a third of the bottle to see if that would pull the juice out of a sullen funk. It did, so the remainder got decanted whilst throwing much less sed than expected. Medium body still. Slightly brickish and plenty fleshy with well-integrated complexity. Very pleasant and lingering finish. A great bottle with more than could reasonably be expected at this juncture. Thank you, Bill! 4.24.26. — 2 months ago

with Bill

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

1990 vintage. Last tasted 1.29.25 (9.5). Same conditions as then. Reconditioned/Château refurbed bottle with high fill and newish cork (only 20% saturated). That nose tho…H-B fer sure. Opened with a Durand. Not decanted. Tasted after 30 minutes, 1.25 hours and 2.5 hours. Phenomnomenal. Everything. Everything. In its right place. In its right place. A refurbished bottle from Le Château from this vintage in a 750ml format…another decade at this high. For mere mortal bottles, likely half that. 4.17.26. — 2 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

Fruit is brighter, more brilliant than many other 21’s I’ve had. Texturally & fruit-wise senses more like the 23’s I’ve had. It’s gorgeous. Again, needs a decade or more in the cellar.

Round, lush, creamy blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, both plums, poached strawberries, dry, crushed rocks, limestone powder, nice balling spices, caramel, mocha, dry herbs, dry tobacco, lead pencil, dry river stone, leather, melted, dark chocolate, dark spice, fresh & withering dark flowers, red roses, nice round acidity, well balanced, bigger tension & structure, excellent round, excellent finish that last minutes and lands on spice, wet clay and Christmas cake. — 6 months ago

Norma Normington

9.5

Got this bottle on my last Virgin Voyage and I had extra $ on my bar tab - a fantastic opportunity to purchase a couple exclusive (expensive) bottles like this. Sassicaia is a known leader in Super Tuscans. My first time trying Sassicaia… opened the bottle only for a couple of hours but a big beautiful bouquet of big jammy goodness that definitely isn’t shy. Wow 🤩 a delicious wine that doesn’t disappoint! — 6 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

2005 vintage. Last tasted 11.23.23 (9.4), 11.15.19 (9.4), 06.01.17 (9.5) Last bottle. Respectable, low neck fill. Used a Durand and excellent cork. Decanted with sticky (to the bottle) sediment and not that much floating loose to navigate. Tasted after 30 minutes. Those inimitable, sexy Cos stylings. Medium/medium heavy (still!?) bod. Richness. Ample fruit. Slight amount of aged George Clinton/Bootsy funk. Highly restrained tannins. Woah. This. Did. Not. Suck. Time to reorder. 9.13.25. — 10 months ago