Ron Siegel

9.2

Showing well with dried cherry, strawberry fruit, savory spice, dried herbs, rose petal & tobacco. — 4 days ago

Will Stanley

9.4

A gift from my old man for my thirtieth birthday this year. My last experience with this wine was the 2001, enjoyed around ten years ago. I described then how the wine lived up to its popular reputation. Happy to reaffirm that feeling with this 1994, that is an absolutely gorgeous, captivating wine that ticks every box one may have for older Rioja. It marries sweet with sour in that way that the best wines from this region do, a medley of ripe blueberries with sour cherry; bitter orange, coconut, balsamic, tobacco and cranberry. The finish is long, with flecks of sweetness that beg you for another sip. I would imagine that Faustino produce in excess of a million bottles of this stuff, given the size of their holdings, which only impresses me even more that it turns out so well. — 13 days ago

Sherwin Taghdiri

9.1

Has a nice deep fragrance cherry, chocolate and leather and balsamic!
Has rich flavor of spice, dark cherries, and dark chocolates. Spice lingers on the palate, but remains smooth. — 2 months ago

with Boris and Renny

Greg Anderson

9.0

Delicious soft tannins ruby red cherry and blackberry. — 17 days ago

Jess

9.1

Deep ruby color.
Aromas of blackberry/raspberry compote, spice.
Dry. Flavors of black cherry, leather, peppercorn,
Espresso, roasted red pepper, roasted herbs. Rich, chewy tannins.
Intensity: 3/5
Complexity: 4/5
Balance: 4/5
Finish: 4/5 — 24 days ago

Ellen Clifford

9.2

It is very pure—red raspberry, red cherry, and licorice, amped up with damp soil on the nose. The palate brings more licorice/anise/tarragon vibes, with a little lilac winking on the finish. The acid is vibrant, the tannins are dusky, and the alcohol is respectful. — 2 months ago

Jess

9.2

Medium-deep ruby-garnet color.
Aromas of baked cherry, tomato leaf.
Dry. Flavors of dried cherry, tomato leaf, roasted herbs, spices, floral. Medium-rich, velvety tannins. Beautiful!

Intensity: 4/5
Complexity: 4/5
Balance: 5/5
Finish: 5/5 — 2 months ago

Jess

8.9

Deep ruby color.
Aromas of tobacco, cherry, tomato leaf.
Dry. Flavors of tomato leaf, tobacco, leather, dried cherry. Rich, chewy tannins.

Intensity: 4/5
Complexity: 4/5
Balance: 4/5
Finish: 4/5 — 24 days ago

Jody Scharf

9.1

Strawberries, light cherry, some floral.
Color rose red. Nice vino — 2 months ago

Victor Hsu

9.0

A good, solid California Cab but what’s all the fuss about? I’m seeing ratings of 98, 99, even 100 from JS. Really? No way. This is a clear case of praise crossing over into hype. Granted, still a bit young and not at its peak but after five years in the bottle and an hour of decanting it needs to be more than just fine if it wants to justify stratospheric scores. This wine compares unfavorably to Ridge Monte Bello, Stags Leap S.L.V. and other peers. It lacked sophistication and poise—where’s the promised minerality, graphite, cedar shavings, oak, leather, blackcurrant, cherry, and complex balance of fine grained tannins, fruit, acid and alcohol? Where? We chose this wine for a birthday dinner at Lawry’s Prime Rib in Beverly Hills. Not a disaster but a disappointment given our high expectations (and the high price).
— a month ago