Cristal, Brut 2009, 750ml

"There are 6,500 cases of the superb 2006 Dominus (91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot). Its dark plum/purple color is a...

"The 2014 Mouton-Rothschild was closed at first when I tasted the wine in bottle with winemaker Philippe Dhalluin. But as it transpires, this First...

"An extraordinary wine, the classic 2008 Latour (13.5% natural alcohol) is composed of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc (40%...

"The 2013 M. Etain Cabernet Sauvignon, which is hardly a second wine by any means, offers beautiful blackcurrant fruit with some cedar wood/sandalw...

"This is one of the more perplexing Latours to evaluate. It has plenty of sweetness as well as a gorgeous, rich fruitiness, but it lacks the firmne...

Cristal, Brut 2009, 1.5L (Gift Box)

"This sexy, evolved, dense ruby/purple-tinged 2003 reveals notes of smoke, herbs, black currant jam, licorice and graphite. Full-bodied, opulent an...

"As for those in bottle, my favorite is the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa. Most of this comes from the Sacrashe Vineyard as well. A dense, full-bodi...

"The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was aged for 17 months in 45% new French oak, is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc ...

"A spectacular success, the opaque plum-colored 2003 Leoville Barton is still on the young side of its plateau of maturity. It exhibits a striking ...

"This blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec aged 17 months in French oak is a strong effort ...

"I tend to think that recent vintages of Opus One are even greater than vintages made during this era, but the 2002 is certainly one of the top win...

"The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) comes from a vineyard that contains more volcanic rock. Deep purple-...

Cristal, Rose 2009, 750ml (Gift Box)

"One of the sexiest wines for drinking now and over the next 10-15 years is undoubtedly the 2000 Palmer. A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and the ...

"The 1976 Yquem continues to go from strength to strength. Who can ignore the awesome bouquet of spices, honeyed fruit, pineapples, bananas, coconu...

"Harvested between September 17 and October 5, this wine seems always open for business, so to speak, much like the great 1982s. The summer of 2009...

"The 2012 Château Margaux is showing much differently from bottle than it did from cask. Seemingly much fuller and richer, it has a dense ruby/pur...

"This is an interesting as well as great vintage for Latour. As indicated in my barrel tasting report, Latour's 1994 possesses an atypically high p...

"This beautiful, stunningly dense purple-colored effort (includes about 90% Cabernet Sauvignon) offers up precise notes of graphite, black cherrie...

"A major sleeper of the vintage and a great effort, the 2006 Mouton-Rothschild boasts abundant notes of crème de cassis, licorice, truffles, forest...

"Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London. The 2006 Château Palmer was wonderful out of barrel ten years ago and now in bottl...

"The 2013 Chardonnay Ross Station Estate displays clean quince, white currant, honeysuckle and pineapple notes, a touch of hazelnut, and a full-bod...

"The full-bodied 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon does not possess any of the hard, foreboding tannins found in some 2006 Cabernets, but rather, it displays...

"Made from a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, this spectacular 2003 hits all the sweet spots on the palate. A glor...

"A barrel sample, the 2019 Chardonnay UV-SL opens with compelling floral notes—honeysuckle and lime blossoms—over a core of red apples, green guava...

'The 2005 Les Forts de Latour is another beautiful wine from this estate. Medium to full-bodied, with a dense ruby/purple color, loads of blackcurr...

"Another wine that could easily end up being rated close to perfect is the 2014 Proprietary Red EE Tench Vineyard, a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvign...

"After a perfect wine in 2007, I suppose the 2008 is something of a letdown. A hundred percent Cabernet Sauvignon (800 cases), this is still an out...

"The 2013 Matriarch, which may well be the finest Matriarch made to date, could easily stand on its own as a single-vineyard offering. Made from th...

Jean-Louis Chave, Hermitage 2000, 750ml

"Readers who require immediate gratification will dislike this wine, which is one of the most concentrated behemoths and tannic blockbusters of the...

"One of the stars of the vintage, the wine (100% Merlot) has exceptional concentration, stunning purity, an inky purple color and a broad, expansiv...

"The blockbuster 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon is more primary, but it does display enormous fruit concentration, massive body, and wonderful purity, bal...

"The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Croix de Bois comes from the eastern sector of Chateauneuf du Pape near Bedarrides. Its dense plum/purple color is ac...

"A spectacular wine, the 1994 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select begins a succession of profound Hillside Select cuvées that continues nearl...

"The 2012 Proprietary Red is a 625-case cuvée made from 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot. The wine ...

"Beautiful, elegant red, blue and black fruits (89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Merlot) as well as some graphite and spice notes jump from the glass...

"A gorgeous wine of grace, elegance, and power, this youthful 2000 will benefit from another five years of cellaring. It appears to have 25 more ye...

"The 2012 Cappella, probably has less Cabernet Franc than his other cuvées but at least 25-30%. This wine has closed down since I had it from barre...

"A brilliant dense purple color is accompanied by an extraordinary perfume of camphor, graphite, plums, cassis, and barbecue spices. A prodigious, ...

"The 2012 Amoenus exhibits that Calistoga earthiness along with fabulously rich blackcurrant fruit intermixed with darker berries, loamy soil notes...

"The 2004 Thorevilos (200 cases) exhibits a deeper purple hue, and the nose is more restrained and closed than the Madrona Ranch’s. It offers up hi...

"The 2003 St. Eden comes from an 11-acre rocky knoll on the northern side of the Oakville Crossroad that consists of pure red soils. It is the most...

"As one might expect, this is a brilliant wine, but it remains shockingly young, even for the fast evolving 1990s. Its deep ruby/purple color is ac...

"The 1995 Lafite-Rothschild (only one-third of the harvest made it into the final blend) is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, and 8% C...

"This beautiful 2003 exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, a vigorous youthfulness, and plenty of mulberry, black currant and cherry fruit intermixed...