Shay A

9.2

Annual birthday WWC hosting. As normal, 1 sparkler, 3 whites, 4 reds, 1 dessert, all presented blind.

Fun to do a side by side with the ‘88, and also check in against the Montelena. Profile wise, this leans ripe and modern stylistically. There is a kiss of brett that takes you to Bordeaux but it’s mostly red and black fruit driven with a vanilla pipe tobacco sweetness, leather, cassis and a little bit of a floral note, especially aromatically. Big structure for the vintage, but open for business now if you can give it a few hours in the decanter. — 5 months ago

Will Stanley

9.6

Truly benchmark Rioja, La Rioja Alta’s ‘904’ Gran Reserva from the 2010 vintage - as fabled in Rioja as it is in Bordeaux - is a disarmingly gorgeous wine with superb ageing potential. I first tried this wine over two years ago, and found it a little closed at the time and was underwhelmed by the palate. The nose was terrific though, and that holds true today - it’s simply breathtaking, the sort of wine you spend ten minutes sniffing before taking your first sip. Today’s palate, however, is well and truly open for business. What a veritable explosion of flavour; a kaleidoscopic array of the best of both traditional and modern Rioja, all of it fresh, none of it tired, with a pure and ethereal presence of black and blue fruits, flowers, vanilla bean, clove, clementine and macerated cherry. When wine folk talk of a long finish, this wine gets a nod - it leaves an imprint on one’s palate that lasts minutes. I’m quite amazed by the improvement that two years has afforded this wine, both bottles bought at the same time and stored side-by-side in my cellar. At last, this has begun to show its potential and I cannot wait to see how it develops in the coming 20, 30, 40 years.

In the meantime, do not sleep on the 2010 Viña Ardanza, a wine that I have enjoyed many a time in the last two years, and one that would be included in my all-time list of value fine wines, were anyone to ask!

96+ — 2 years ago

Jay Kline

9.4

Oh yes…gimme all them funky cherries and all dat black licorice. There were also Ferrara Red Hots®️and a generous hit of black pepper. I simply adore Pegau; for all of its unapologetic character and authenticity. This 2015 brought the business tonight and was smashing with cassoulet, Toulouse sausage and duck confit. — 7 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Still ruby centre just, with terracotta rim. Quite ripe red fruits , spiced red cherry. On the palate quite mineral , and touches of liquorice , lovely red cherry and strawberry fruit . Sweet tannin and good balanced acidity . After a while a mineral , iron filing touch. Quite open and ready for business , good to drink now and over the next 10 years . — a year ago

Matt Perlman

9.3

Nothing wrong with the classics. Dark garnet, juicy, broad, morello cherry, dank earth, porcini, open for business but could go longer — 2 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.5

This was drinking beautifully, open for business showing bright red cherry with the classic Dujac spice, earth & perfumed floral tones — 3 years ago

John Osgood

9.0

Quite nice and open for business — 8 months ago

Mako Sawaguchi

9.0

Great way to finish a two-week business trip in New York. Paired well with duck confit. — 9 months ago

Fabian Kühlhorn

8.9

The Beaujolais 16’s are genereally very open for business. This wine has a clean nose with strawberry and cherry. Nice acidity, no red candy notes that I have come to really dislike with too young wines. Will be good for a handfull of years ahead. — 2 years ago

Chris A

9.0

Close to Californian perfection with a Cab Sav: dark, heavy, full bodied and fruity. This wine means business - jammy in all the right places, sturdy body and finish leaves you wanting more. Pair with a good meal as this will overtake your palette without an accompaniment. Respect this like a big French Bordeaux as this is a serious big red! — 3 years ago