Steve Somermeyer

9.2

Opened a bottle 2 years ago & it was excellent but a bit of tannin bite on finish. Today this bottle retained the fruit aromas & palate feel but it’s finish softened so I found it bit better. — 7 days ago

Steve Mitchell

9.2

Drink now or cellar. This is an elegant, velvety, Pinot that never disappoints. — a month ago

Jakub Kalinowski

9.9

A complex, stunning, beautifully elegant wine!
Really well preserved bottle with very little ulage!
Needed a bit of time to open up and lose the damp smell - showing cedar wood, cigar box, red fruit, leather, a bit of mushrooms, complex & still evolving in the glass!
On the palate this was smooth, mellow with bright acidity, layers of juicy red fruit accents and tertiary aromas. The length was just incredible. Sophisticated & elegant.
A truly spectacular & special bottle! — 2 months ago

Magnus Hovet

9.2

Really smooth. A lot more dark plums, and softer tannins. Earthiness, small amount of spice and looong aftertaste — 3 months ago

Chris Blanchard

9.1

2023 vintage - it opened brighter than expected with bold ripe flavors and more fruit forward than expected. It was a nice surprise. After 30 minutes the flavors balanced a bit and tasted less bright and fruity and more balanced. The wife and I enjoyed the bottle. — 5 months ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

I have been opening up a number of 08 Bordeaux all from owc’s purchased on futures. They all seem to be ready & open with many great years ahead. This had richness & depth showing notes of black fruit, cassis, eucalyptus, sweet spices, graphite & tobacco — 6 months ago

romo

9.4

Already open, already definitive, already delicious. — 9 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.1

2003 vintage. Decently respectable Pauillac nose. Solid color still. Wine open for three hours. Leanest body I've ever had with a P-L and lacking the complexity usually associated with this wine. Tight and not giving up much at the 3 hr mark. Nice but disappointing given the producer/vintage combo. Wish I'd had 6 hrs to wait hand and foot on this...perhaps it would have totally revealed the expected P-L charms by then. — 4 years ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Unmistakably Central Otago to my palate. Red plums and raspberries. 20% of the grapes were whole bunch. Also aged in 27% new oak. I must mention Neil Martin’s famous Quote, “ Whenever there is a tasting designed to challenge the supremacy of Burgundy, it is usually Felton Road that is ushered into the ring”. Very much on allocation these days and can be difficult to source. — a month ago

Paul J

9.6

First Rose of the season! Always great! See previous notes and vintages. — 3 months ago

with Brooke and

Bob McDonald

9.4

Hopefully Delectable will allow me to write a complete note. Here we go ….
Dark Ruby with a crimson rim. Closed on the nose initially. Straight from the bottle - should have decanted it. Rich on the palate. Latent power with much to give. Dark cherry with dried herbs still to come with further cellaring. This is the first of 5 bottles. In the early days Block 3 was the undisputed best Pinot in NZ but now Block 5 is considered along with other contenders from around NZ. Have the next one in a year. Many good judges think this is the best ever Block 3 up to this point. — 3 months ago

Mark Mannebach

9.2

Complex SB from NZ. Cucumber veggie notes with minerality such as flint etc — 9 months ago

Jay Kline

9.4

This bottle of 1976 Chateau Lafite Rothschild was cellared in a wine cave part of its life and a modern cellar the more recent part of its life. The fill for this bottle was mid-shoulder and the label had been tattered from back when it was in the cave. Using a Durand, I was able to pull the cork intact and it was saturated but seemed to have done its job. The color was good and the wine was sound; in fact, it was very much alive and full of character! Opened about four hours prior to service and decanted for sediment (of which there was plenty). No formal notes. At this stage in its life, the 1976 Lafite pours a garnet color with an orange rim. The nose is straight up old-money. Classy aromas of desiccated red cherries & red currants, dried tobacco leaf, graphite, a mix of organic and inorganic earth, leather and dried baking spices. On the palate, the structure was still quite palpable with tannins till present and acid doing its job with aplomb. Confirming the notes on the nose. The finish is long and graceful with some nice stoney minerals. Drink now but well cellared examples could hold longer if you wanted…but if you’re even thinking about it, just open it! — 3 years ago

Big Wave Dave

9.6

Outstanding block 5. Much more concentration and power than precious vintages. Strawberry, raspberry, pepper, wood spice. The power of the very best from Central Otago but with an elegance.
Really great pinot.
— 24 days ago

Paul J

9.6

Held its own versus the 2018 Schrader and 2022 VHR. My friend blind tasted all three, got them all, but it was a struggle. — 2 months ago

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

Ryan Colthorp

9.0

Super dark. Cocoa and baking spice on the nose. Plum. Stewed fruits. — 4 months ago

Ericsson

9.5

The cellar trophy. The one I always wanted to open. Cheers. — 5 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.4

1989 vintage. Opened but not decanted. Tasted after one hour open. More structure than the 1990 version tasted side-by-side but leaner with slight, vegetal tones, less fruit and better tannic structure than the 1990. Couldn't find this in my Delectable reviews but feel like I've tasted this once in the last 6 or so years. Apples (1990 version)/Oranges (1989). As with the 1990, the 1989 is in a good place for another few years in the 750ml format but if you want to truly visit a 35+ year old vintage at the height of its' powers, opt-in for a large format experience. 10.10.25. — 9 months ago

Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.3

2020 vintage. 100% Grenache. Ripe, spicy biggie in need of a decade's worth of time or a serious decant. 4.19.23. — 3 years ago