Doug Powers

9.3

Great color, still very youthful at age 25, this paired perfectly with some farm-raised elk loins we purchased in Reno 3 months ago that I grilled on the Weber, complex, long finish, really quite fine!! — 4 days ago

with Jim

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Bright ruby garnet with quite narrow garnet rim . Quite closed at first with mineral , cassis , sous bois , cigar box , touch of smoke . On the palate very intense with lots of cigar box tinged cassis , blackberry , cedar , coffee. Gritty but integrated tannins , fresh acidity . Very long and complex on the finish . This is still young but is starting to show what it can do , perfectly balanced and enormously long . Precise and for Las Cases very elegant . Now and for the next 10-15 years . — a month ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.5

Golden , orange tinged centre , lemon yellow rim . Very aromatic, clementines, orange rind , saffron , creme brûlée , caramel. On the palate rich and intense but with very good balance from fresh acidity . Orange syrup , saffron creme brûlée with a slight burnt caramel touch on the finish . Long and powerful , this is ready but will carry on at this level for another 10-20 years — a month ago

John Malcolm

9.5

An outstanding wine that is drinking very well now. Powerful, but smooth and refined. Blackberries, cassis, dark chocolate, truffles, and cedar. Long, satisfying finish. — 3 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Medium Ruby with quite wide garnet rim. More truffle , tobacco , violet , cassis and earthy notes. Takes a bit of time to get going and certainly shows a bit more age than the 2009. On the palate, more austere with dryer tannin than the 2009 , but very well balanced and classic in style . Cassis, blackcurrant , tobacco graphite notes . Some dry spices too . Quite fresh acidity , and slightly gritty tannin. Long , saline, graphite tinged finish. This is showing some development , but will improve further over the next 5 possibly 10 years and hold well a further 5-10 — 7 days ago

Rudi Sanchez-Colberg

9.5

Should have kept it longer… powerful, fruity at 24 years young… very long finish… — a month ago

Rick Phillips

8.9

Like a lot of the older SO this Alexander Valley didn’t last long. Opened to lots of bright fruits but died quickly. — a month ago

with Letha

Conrad Green

9.3

Plush and rounded. Sweet fruit. Lush and long. Very good shape. Still vibrant — 22 days ago

with BOT, Jean-Francois and 2 others

Jay Kline

9.4

Opened several hours prior and decanted off sediment and a portion of the cork that had broke and crumbled before returning to the bottle. The 2007 “Howell Mountain” pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core and very slight rim variation. On the nose, the wine is developing with gorgeous notes of dark fruit: black currants, blackberries, tobacco, leather, earth and gentle spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and savory. This is firing on all cylinders right now and the structure suggests the power of the 2007 vintage is not slowing down anytime soon. Drink now with a decant and through 2037 with ease. — 4 days ago

Tom Garland

9.4

+1 hour decant(some fine/chunky sediment). A splendid crimson red color. On the nose: wonderful bouquet with plum, stewed meat, cassis, sweet tobacco, funky earth, leather. Taste: silky, finessed, balanced wine with red berries/plum, coffee grounds, cedar, tobacco, and a nice peppery pencil lead long finish. YUM! Pure class in a glass. — a month ago

with Brenda