Ray Vanderhoff

9.3

Dark purple/black color. Aromas of cooked red fruit, tobacco and prunes. Flavors of cherry jam, ripe raspberries and plums, baking spices and vanilla. Pleasant note of dark chocolate on the long and lingering finish. Full bodied, rich, plush and concentrated. Lingering acidity keeps the wine in balance. Soft tannins and great intensity. Outstanding! Appreciate you opening this bottle, Keith S! — 2 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Vines of Lilian-Ladouys are found a stone's throw from the Graves of Cos d'Estournel and the Chateau Lafite-Rothschild. Deep Ruby red color, with inky tones, blend of 62% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, aged in French oak for 15 months, aromas of black and blue fruit, cedar notes and herb spice. On the palate flavors of blackberry and plum with licorice and toasty oak flavors, full body with fine tannins, long finish ending with earthy oak mineral character. Will age over short term. — a year ago

Will Stanley

9.3

A welcome departure from a focus on Bordeaux of late, this GSM from Barossa, despite being in the lower end of their range, is a gorgeous, powerful but quite pure wine with great complexity for this price point. The nose has southern Rhône personality mixed with Barossa weight, with steeped fruit, lavender, white pepper, a touch of iron. It has Port-like density on the palate, with flecks of liquorice and kirsch, is slightly hot even at 14.5% but otherwise a really solid wine! — 2 years ago

Tom Kobylarz

9.5

Outstanding, the purity is off the charts here. Balance is impeccable. This is so light on its feet and deep and long in every way good.  — 7 months ago

Daniel M

9.0

Super nice nose ! Very fruity with blackberry, raspberry, a bit of tar, a bit of bread yeast, a bit of pine sap. I could have called nebiollo on the nose. The palate is juicy and fruity with nice raspberry and blackberry notes, some width, some matter on the side, some dusty tannins that leave a drying layer over a nice amd fruity finish with a tiny, nice bitter note that adds a nice level of complexity to an otherwise youthful and playful wine. Good stuff ! — 9 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Made in a small town at foot of Sierra Cantabria in the DO. A single variety Tempranillo from 50 year old vines has a deep Ruby red color and aged for 18 months in French and American oak. Aromas of red fruit and spice. On the palate ripe black fruit, fine tannins, well balanced with a medium+ finish ending with fruit, spice and some oak notes. Nice! — 2 years ago

Rick Wolfen

9.7

If you like CA cabs you must try this wine!!! Any vintage will do. Unreal depth and balance and a finish that just keeps on going! Enjoy!! — 3 years ago

Tree Kilpatrick

8.9

Label has some style. And catches the eye. Bit of an aged version of CA Zin, but that can work. Deeper rusty, maroon color than some Paso Robles Zin I’ve had. Smells a bit more herbal and dank than fruity and jammy. Flavors are big, bodacious and brawny. Hints of the blending other reds in the mix. Chewy. Hint of that grape jelly in a campfire flavor of some Zins in the finish. This should pair well with a steak and grilled veggies. It’s a nice, well produced classic. Kinda like the biker on the bottle. — 8 months ago

Sean Sims

9.0

One of my all-time favorites. Explosive on the tongue, fruit forward. A lingering aftertaste — a year ago

Bob McDonald

9.8

Still a very dense crimson with no tawny rim, at 28 years of age but the tawniness is beginning. A certain feral, Animale, earthy note. Palate is ultra smooth, medium bodied / very savoury yet with a sweetish earthy note with a hint of raspberry. Jancis Robinson was invited by Stephen Henschke to a vertical tasting at the winery in May 2013 to cover vintages back to the late 1950’s. She described the 1996 as “pure hedonism “ and gave it 19/20. Medium plus intensity on the delicious palate with those gnarled old 160 year vines showing through. An absolutely stunning wine - one of the best we’ve had this year. — 2 years ago