Jay Kline

9.3

Okay, so I cheated…sort of. I made a commitment to drinking only Greek wines on my trip however, when Kostas Lonis pours you a glass of Egon Muller’s Riesling from Slovakia, you don’t turn it down. This is a powerful Riesling that gives me serious Austrian vibes. I’m not sure how long this bottle had been open but it was gorgeous. Bright, ripe tropical and lemon/lime fruits, some petrol with almost palpable minerals. High acid but not punishing due to the effect coming from the abundance of fruit. An unbelievable value. I wish I had access to more of this. — a year ago

John Bratincevic

9.4

Dark, beautiful color. Decanted for an hour and forty five minutes or so.

Nose: Pencil shavings/graphite, cassis, orange peel, coffee, earth, raisin, milk chocolate, dried flowers, oak, dried herbs, dark berries. Oh boy!

Taste: the milk chocolate and cocoa really come through - along with a lot of herbs Mulberry (think a blackberry with a much more mineral taste.). Medium weight. Silky, elegant. Very, very good. You can tell it’s young (some vegetal tannins on the finish), but still a treat. Of the three excellent, high-er-end-ish (for me) red wines that I’ve had recently, I think this is the one I would be most likely to come back to. 94-95.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY! — 2 years ago

Aaron Tan

8.9

There's an uncanny similarity between the tasting notes of this wine with that of the 15' Overnoy Poulsard I had a couple of years ago, which leads me to believe that vinification or in particular, biological factors, may be the grand architect of these wines.

Pours out with an orangey hue of red. Reductive smokey aromas, followed by dried roses, twigs and grass, tabacco, dried herbs, and earth. The palate felt a little simple and short - cherries and grass, on a bitter, high acid finish.

So armed with lessons from previous Delienne openings, the wine went back into the cooler for an overnight dose of slow-release oxygen. This was when it took a unexpected turn towards the Poulsard memory. Cherries and grass had turned into the distinctive blood orange and tea notes. A slight acetic note arose, which integrated well with the palate giving a rather savory impression. A peculiar chicken essence note was especially memory-inducing. I felt like it put on some weight too, with a lovely silky texture. It's an oddball for sure, but not an unwelcomed transformation, as you see, the aforementioned Poulsard was my engagement tipple. — 3 years ago

Jay Kline

9.3

Opened about four hours prior to service and allowed to breath. Two bottles were opened tonight from the same cellar and one of the corks showed some small signs of seepage but both wines showed equally. No formal notes. The 1997 Opus One pours a fairly youthful looking deep ruby color with moderate signs of sediment and a near opaque core. The nose exhibited powerful aromas of dark fruits, organic earth, tobacco, leather, horse blanket (brettanomyces?!), and fine baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry and the structure remains quite firm but the texture is plush and almost chewy. The notes on the nose are confirmed and the finish is long and satisfying.

But the tasting notes only tell half the story here. This was consumed alongside a 1990 Chateau Mouton Rothschild. Had these been served together double-blind, I would have absolutely understood if someone called both as left-bank Bordeaux. Yes, the texture was plush and yes, the color was dark(er), but only just. It was just waaaay more Old World leaning to me with the earth and presence of brett. Which makes me wonder, why hasn’t brett been noted very often in other TN’s for this wine? Only (Charlie Carnes and OneFive) really address it directly and maybe this is what most are getting at when they mention “Bordeaux-like” and all the Pauillac vibes. What I can confirm is that these notes were consistent between two bottles from the same case, still in their tissue paper, so I’m reasonably confident that this is characteristic of the 1997 Opus One. I digress; I liked the wine. There, I said it. It was a bit of a one foot in Old School Napa, one foot in New School Napa, handled with an Old World touch. I liked it even better side-by-side with the ’90 Mouton, especially considering the relationship between the two. That being said, folks that can’t get down with a little brett will be turned off by this vintage of Opus. In my case, I would enjoy another opportunity to drink the 1997 some time. Great now with some air to stretch its legs and should be enjoyable through the next decade.
— a year ago

Aaron Tan

8.9

Again, not a wine that passed the drinkability test for me, but there are things that I liked about it, and some that I didn't. Right off the bat, it was way too heavy for me, both on the nose and palate. Heaps of oak aromas covering some sweet black fruits. The palate also came off as being quite sweet, almost syrupy, but here's where the balancing act comes in - just the right amount of acidity to keep it juicy. It's like biting into a very sweet, ripe, juicy plum with a peppering of cinnamon and vanilla. I enjoyed the tannins most, fine and directional, starting at the tip of the tongue, then swinging under before traveling down the inner walls of the gum. What a cool structure! And then there's the underlying minerality with air, which was pleasantly surprising. The finish took a turn for the worse - medium, rich, and oaky, yet bitter with hints of scorched earth character which I dislike. Also quite warm. Generally, more finessed than the 2011 Troplong Mondot, but less stacked and more stumbling blocks. Has potential. — 2 years ago

J Chechik

9.3

My buddy, Ash, gave me this many yes ago & suggested i hold it til 2008. I never listened to him (except he did turn me on to Zichichi wines...). Can kind of see the amount of sediment this had - like a pound of soil in the bottle! Still had great, chocolate, anise, black cherry tones & great lasting finish. If you have one of these - keep it for a few more yes! So far beyond my expectations! — 4 years ago

Delectable Wine

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9.3

The bottle of 1982 Léoville Las-Cases was sadly out of condition, though fortunately I tasted another example at a private dinner in Bordeaux a few weeks later. To be honest, I have always preferred the 1985 or 1986 to this vintage, and this gives me no reason to change my mind. It has a surliness on the nose that is uncharacteristic of this vintage, tightly wound tertiary scents, melted tar and pencil shavings. The palate is full-bodied with fine grip, dense and quite powerful, yet it is more impressive than pleasurable. The aforementioned vintages have pulled away from the 1982 in recent years, though it remains a very fine Saint-Julien. It just needs to turn its frown upside down. Tasted at the 1982 Dinner at Hatched. (Neal Martin, Vinous, September 2022)
— 2 years ago

Ericsson

9.5

This bottle takes me straight back to some of the highest quality red Burgundies I’ve ever tasted. Where the focused and seductive ripe red cherry note is the protagonist. The insaciable and provocative tartness is the antagonist. And the alluring earthiness provides the most perfect backdrop with layer over layer of drama unfolding. Stellar wine on the pallet.

PS & note to self: this is a pop n’ pour kinda wine that only needs five or ten minutes of aeration at the moment. After opening, re-cork and enjoy until the very last drop; it will oxidize rapidly {turn from the purest ripe red cherry notes to predominately acidic ones}. — 2 years ago

Palmer Emmitt

Owner/Winemaker Judge Palmer

9.3

Blew me away. Nose is so elegant and pretty with lavender and dried red fruit. Just perfectly balanced palate with enough meatiness to know you’re drinking Mourvèdre but not enough to turn off the non-wine-geeks. So expansive on the palate in terms of the breadth of flavor and complexity, but at this stage of evolution it’s incredibly approachable and easy drinking. Smiles. — 3 years ago

Ellen Clifford

9.1

I love Madeira. I don’t know if it loves me but it is at least on friendly terms with my taste buds. My taste buds like dessert. Even if you think you don’t like sweet wine the acidity on this may turn your head. It is a nuts cutting down molasses mountains carpeted in trees loosing glazed nuts. Malmsey. Definitely my friend. — 4 years ago