Scott@Mister A’s-San Diego

9.6

2002 vintage. Nice fill, good cork. Decanted with a respectable amount of powdery sed. Smelled great during decanting. Tasted 1.5 hours after opening/decanting. Expected light body with delicate tendrils. Medium body with a light palate footprint. Holy shazzbaat. This was absolutely firing. Like top of the pops, straight up to number one. Exceptional knitting and in a perfect spot now. Go all the way back to the inaugural 1982 vintage with this winery’s cabernet…thought my all-time fave was the 1991 altho the 1986 and 1987 were special. The 2020, picked early, thus avoiding the fires, is phenomenal as well. This was on another level and have had approx 150 bottles of Spottswoode Cab in the last three + decades. It was probably the best out of all of them. Difficult to imagine Napa Cab better than this. Power and finesse on display. Not improving but can hold this intensity for another 4-5 years. 12.24.24. — 16 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Red & black fruit showing cherry, cassis, plum with mocha, spice, leather & sweet tobacco that seems to be fully mature — 2 days ago

Mike Evans

9.0

Lots of promise, great on the nose, but the tannin clamps down hard right now. It has a bright future but isn’t there yet. — 17 hours ago

Peter Chung

9.4

Picked up a 2012 at Wine House for $60 on 12/21/2024

One of the best wines I’ve tasted all year especially in the sub $100 price range

Smells like fertilizer and funk (in a good way) but tastes like blackberries and cherries with hints of soil — 15 days ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Opened and poured into a decanter about an hour prior to service. The 2005 pours a deep ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with notes of ripe and tart black and red fruits: black and red brambles, cassis, tobacco, green pepper, graphite, espresso, earth and soft baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and the texture is silky. For what it’s worth, there were a number of nice wines at the table and I kept coming back to this which, now that I think about it, also Léoville-Poyferré seems to always deliver more than expected. The 2005 is in the zone and I don’t expect it fall off anytime soon. Drink through 2045. — a day ago

Ron Siegel

9.4

Another great btl purchased as futures showing expressive aromatics of red fruits, plum with floral, spice box, graphite & tobacco. — a day ago

Nathan Renfro

9.9

Christmas Eve dinner with ribeye steak. What a wine! Lovely aromatic of ripe blue fruit, crushed stone, leather baseball gloves. Almost black color. About as perfect a wine as I have had. Blue and black ripe fruit, softened edges but powerful tannins. Perfectly matched acidity. Structured brilliantly. Graphite, stone, hint of menthol, licorice. Nice medium + finish. Perfect wine yet still so youthful, many, many years left. Will wait a few years before opening another bottle. — 16 days ago

Jerry Raphael

9.5

What a wonderful surprise; this wine was fantastic and seemed like a young wine not 36 years old. The color was red rim to rim no bricking at all and I kept looking at it wondering why considering its age. The nose and taste were both very integrated with lead pencil, a lot of dark fruits and a bit of spice. What also got me was the finish, just went on forever and so very smooth. I’m sure this wine would last a few more years but why wait; drinking so great right now.

I decanted the wine about 6 PM. My wine opener just drilled a hole in the fragile cork so decanted through a tea strainer into my to-go bottle and other then the cork bits there was very little sediment. Started drinking the wine about 9 PM with NYE Dinner at Anthony’s in Haddon Height.
— 8 days ago

Brad Jensen

9.4

Strong nose of cognac, plum, dates, caramelized sugar, violets and port, this is a big, bold wine. Red to amber color on a medium-to-full body this palate is intense and gently tannic. Grippy but gentle, with rich red and purple fruits, with notes of coffee, dark chocolate and menthol on a long finish. — 3 days ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Drinking well showing black fruits, graphite, leather, wet earth, savory spice & sweet tobacco. No rush with plenty of years ahead — 5 days ago