Karen Lowenstein

9.6

Dinner at Cafe Panache. Perfect wine for dinner. Notes of lemon and pear,clean and fresh. — 3 months ago

Loren Gesinsky

9.3

Too young for optimal drinking yet, but still enjoyable with very strong long-term potential. — 4 years ago

Cara B

9.6

Top Pinot noir - WOW and it has my name on it so it gets an extra .2 points for that ♥️ — 4 years ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

When things are great, they’re worth redoing!

The Wagyu Ribcap & Rib Cover steaks comparison from Allen Brothers. The sell only the top 1% of beef.

The Barton is 100% steak wine.

Classic Caret even in a marginal vintage...Anthony to the rescue.

The body is medium to full & sails on the palate. Ripe & ruby; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum, uncooked rhubarb with hue of raspberries. Cedar, sandstone/limestone, tobacco, leather, graphite, dry river stones, dark, rich, earth, licorice, dark cola, dark spice with heat, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, moist clay, melted caramel & mocha, dark chocolate bar, black pepper with bright, candied, fresh, dark, red, purple & blue florals. the acidity is a gentle, cool to warm rain shower. The finish is, all St. Julien elegance, well intergraded, balanced, landing on earth & spice that is persistent for days. — 4 years ago

with Christina and James

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

I tasted this at cork pull and it looked & tasted a bit brickish. Waited to decant but it still needed a hour in the decanter. 97 a great Napa vintage. Well stored bottle bought from auction.

The fruits are lush, velvety & ruby; blackberries, black plum, plum pudding, black raspberries, dark cherries, strawberries & blueberry hues. Dark chocolate, mocha, salted caramel, malt balls on the long decant, black licorice, there is a touch of v/a-bandaid but it’s not spoiling and dissipates some in time, dusty to slightly moist top soil, olive tapenade, herbaceous notes, soft, dark spice, half used, dry tobacco w/ ash, sandalwood, moist, grey volcanic clay, limestone, dry crushed rocks, notes of black pepper, candied, liquid, fresh & mostly withering, dark, red, purple flowers, very round acidity and a very well balanced, tensioned, nicely structured and a smartly polished, round finish that lasts two-minutes.

Second wine to pair with/ Allen Brothers Cover Ribs. — 8 months ago

Steve S

9.0

Nice with tapas. Allen street — 4 years ago

Eric

9.4

My last -05 went with an Allen Brothers dry aged bone in roast. Incredible wine with plenty of road ahead. Bright rusty red fruit. The roast was amazing and blew more funk than any meat I’ve ever had. Great pairing. — 4 years ago

Michael Chelus

9.1

Pear, lemon curd, Granny Smith apple, peach and slate. Great acidity and balance. — 2 years ago

Eric

9.2

Needed a big gun to tame this dry aged beast from Allen Brothers. — 3 years ago

Severn Goodwin

9.3

Nose has ripe plum, cut red cherry, black currant, dried blackberry, shaved milk chocolate, old pipe tobacco, moist leather, dry oak firewood, wet oak barrel with fading volatile acidity on the initial attack.

Palate has blackberry juice, over-ripe plum, dried black currant, over-ripe black cherry, wet garden soil, dried tomato with a lightly drying finish and still showing mild tannins.

A recent acquisition, provenance is good but this bottle seems lightly undeveloped on the palate still, decanted 3H.

Paired to Allen Bros. rib caps, cast iron pan oven pre-heated then 1/2 stick of non-salted butter over the stove with constant basting, 5M to a beautiful medium rare. Served alongside our garden smashed potatoes, nothing finer than the vegetables we labor.

Wine Spectator: 97 points
Top 100: 1989, Rank: 2 — 4 years ago