"A dense ruby/purple hue is accompanied by reticent, restrained aromatics suggesting earth, herbs and subtle fruit. The wine hits the palate with a brutal, tannic overlay, but behind that are…

"The 2004 Pinot Noir Le Moulin Rouge, which has put on considerable weight since last year, reveals incredible aromas of forest floor, black raspberries, cherries, and sweet currants. A beautiful…

"Here's a rich and complex Cabernet Sauvignon, its tight, well-focused core of currant, black cherry, anise, sage and spice turning supple and generous on the palate, with well-integrated tannins and…

"Burgaud's outstanding 1991 Cote Rotie is a dense, opaque black/purple-colored wine with a powerful nose of black fruits, herbs, and flowers. Full-bodied with super extraction, it offers a rich,…

"As I have stated so many times before, Sean Thackrey's limited production gems are among the most original expressions of winemaking in California. The 1990 Sirius (Petite Sirah) is a real…

"The 1994s might be ready to drink within 10-15 years. It is hard to believe these wines spend 30 months in oak casks before bottling as they are incredibly unevolved and backward when released. Look…

"The 2010 Pontet-Canet offers a very deep garnet color. Whoathe nose explodes with a vast array of black fruit preserves and savory nuances: plum preserves, blackcurrant cordial, black cherry coulis…

"The fruit for this blend of 61% Cabernet Franc, 31% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec came from Chalk Hill (58%) and Alexander Valley (42%). Pierre Seillan believes the Chalk Hill…

"Although outstanding, Caymus's 1985 did not live up to expectations in this tasting. It reveals a lavishly oaked, smoky, jammy, blackcurrant-scented nose, sweet, round, glycerin-imbued, full-bodied…

"I found the 2013 Cote Rotie Cote Blonde reductive and hard to read from barrel, and it still shows some reductive aromas from bottle. Olive, truffle, forest floor, violets and ripe, black…

"The 2004 La Muse, a blend of 88% Merlot / 8% Cabernet Franc / 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, is equal parts Alexander Mountain, Knights Valley and Bennett Valley fruit with a tiny bit from Dry Creek. The…

"The 2012 Pinot Noir Marcassin Vineyard, which comes primarily from the Calera clone (although I suspect there are a few mystery clones in their plantings), always seems to remind me of a grand cru…

"Opus One had picked 91% of their fruit before the fires started in 2017, and only two lots were eliminated from consideration. The 2017 Opus One, bottled in July 2019, is a blend of 81% Cabernet…

"There were 6,500 cases produced of the 1987 Dominus. It is one of the great wines of the vintage in a year when a handful of California producers made profound Cabernets (i.e., Robert Mondavi…

"The 1996 Cote Rotie La Landonne may merit an outstanding score if the tannin melts away without a proportional loss of fruit. The wine was backward and closed when I tasted it in late fall, 1998.…