7/17/2022 - JOEABR wrote:

with Flannery strip. Slow ox 4 hours prior. Don’t know where this is going, bought not as good as 1st bottle. Not deep and not much mid palate. Short green finish. 2 days later and no improvement. Day 5 and tannic, dry and no fruit. Still a good wine but not a 150 bottle. 90

3/28/2022 - JOEABR wrote:

Wow! Is this a great Lynch Bages or PLL? This has Pauillac trademarks all over it. Cassis, blackberry, tobacco, lead pencil, cedar, full-bodied, tannic. 1st of 4 from Auction win and these bottles could be in better condition than the couple I have left that I purchased direct at the winery 22 years ago - which were more Margaux like on last bottle I drank from that lot in 2020 (more perfumed with elegant texture). Remarkable wine with plenty of life left - keeps getting better and ecstatic I have 5 bottles left.

4/11/2021 - JOEABR wrote:

4-10-21: another great bottle from HDH auction win. So far all of these 95 bottles have been pristine and youthful. Impeccable storage to still be showing @10 years of age. This bottle was elegant and refined. Great balance and finish. Not overly complex, but a fine aged red. 94

2/15/2021 - JOEABR wrote:

Wow, this was an outstanding wine and the reason why I buy and cellar wine. Dark fruit (blackberry) with some tobacco and other earth notes. Elegant with a palate caressing texture. All in balance with enough fruit to put it in a really nice spot now. No doubt this will continue to age well. Really fine wine!

12/28/2020 - JOEABR wrote:

Two bottles from Acker auction were DEAD

9/8/2020 - JOEABR wrote:

After going thru 12+ bottles of the regular 1995 JP Cab, my first try at the Insignia. The regular is one of my all time favorite wines so I had high expectations for the Insignia and it did not disappoint. Wow! Did not decant but consumed over about 3 hours and this just kept building more and more with each sip. Great fruit structure, dark cherry, cassis, with just the right balance of oak to frame the wine. Great texture and mouthfeel with long finish.

7/12/2020 - JOEABR wrote:

Absolutely disgusting. Up there with one of the worst wines I’ve had. Put this up against the 2007 St Jean CdP as another terrible wine. Like but Worse than cherry cough syrup. Un drinkable. As low as I’d rate a wine.

6/27/2020 - JOEABR wrote:

Can only echo notes of others recent notes. Purchased from Flikinger in 2016. Haven’t had a Musar in 15+ years but I won’t wait that long again. This was masterful, exotic, elegant, refined, easy to drink. Went great with takeout from Zahav (Philadelphia) due to Covid. 94

2/10/2020 - JOEABR wrote:

This is such a great wine! Still youthful and just perfect balance. White stone fruits, a touch of tropical fruit adds some sweetness - but not too much. Great with Thai green curry dish at home. Very refreshing and hard to put down. The low alcohol (7.5%) is an added bonus (you'd think it would be sweeter with such low alcohol, but it's light and lean). Glad I have 2 more bottles.

11/17/2019 - JOEABR wrote:

Awesome wine. Liquid stone.

9/4/2018 - JOEABR wrote:

My first SQN and I can see the hype/great reviews. While this is a young wine, it certainly drinks easy. Really nice texture, just builds flavor and depth on the palate. Great fruit structure, voluptuous. Don't know if is that much better than wines of lesser cost, but this is a nice wine to splurge on once in a while.

9/2/2018 - JOEABR wrote:

Love this wine. This is like drinking liquid rock. Just packed with minerals, with some citrus notes. Goes down easy.

9/2/2018 - JOEABR wrote:

This was a great bottle and the best wine to date in the year for me. Great color, no sign of aging. Deep dark fruit, great texture and slight mouth puckering tannin. There was an ever so slight bit of barnyard that improved the complexity, did not detract from the wine. One would have thought this was no more than 10 years old. Bought at Sam’s in Chicago @ 1999, transferred a few times, but kept in my cool cellar through the years. Sad this was the last I’m my 3 purchased and was the most memorable.

7/9/2018 - JOEABR wrote:

Faulty wine - VA. Notes of acetone

4/21/2018 - JOEABR wrote:

Haven’t had a Caymus in at least 8 years. This was my introduction to wine and while my palate has evolved, this was a great bottle. Just great texture these wines have. Nice ripe fruit, with oak well integrated, provides nice mouthfeel. This is a really enjoyable wine and still plenty of life, even if drinking so nicely right now. Purchased direct at winery @ 1997 and stored in my cellar since. Last bottle and sad to have no more.

3/26/2018 - JOEABR wrote:

After this bottle, this wine solidly holds a top ten spot in my all time wines. The 1997 is a stunning wine and is still going strong after 20 years. I've now had 5 bottles, the first two being great in their youth 5-10 year age. The second two were a slightly thinner at around 15-16 years old. This last bottle in 2018 great again. Such great texture, dense dark fruits, spice, oak. Thick and rich on the palate, velvety mouthfeel, caressing.

9/5/2017 - JOEABR wrote:

My all-time favorite wine (puts the '89 Cos a notch behind). And regrettably my last bottle. I've never been disappointed with this bottling and have followed it's evolution over the last 20 years, consuming at least 12 bottles. It is one of those wines that when I run out, I have to find more - purchasing at retail and auction in 3-4 bottle lots to keep some stock. Such great texture and aroma, in the mouth it is velvet. Even at this age, there is sufficient fruit. Now I need to find a few more....

3/19/2017 - JOEABR wrote:

Definitely oxidized, not so much to be undrinkable, but enough be flawed. Should not be this advanced for this young a bottle. Once you get it past your nose the wine is ok in the mouth. But not interesting enough to make up for the flaw. From premier cru.

3/13/2017 - JOEABR wrote:

I would echo Salil's notes from 6/16 almost precisely! I would only counter the weight as being more medium body than full. Surprisingly super dry. But otherwise notes are precise.

1/30/2017 - JOEABR wrote:

Excellent wine. Deep dark fruit, with soft tannins, touch of oak and seamless finish. I don't drink many Aussie wines since I stopped buying several years ago, but I must admit that I'm always impressed when I do open a bottle. 93

10/24/2016 - JOEABR wrote:

I would echo the notes by SLR precisely. Leather, earth, tobacco, with some nice fruit lurking in the background. Tannins are fully resolved providing a nice silky mouth feel. This is by no means a modern Bordeaux or Rolland/Parker style wine that has become more the norm the last 15 years. I only wish I could still find wines like this at a reasonable cost. This is a very enjoyable wine and another home run from the 1995 vintage - becoming my favorite vintage.

9/26/2016 - JOEABR wrote:

This wine restored my faith for CdP. After being turned off by so many overripe (Parkerized) 2007's and similar, this was a great joy to drink. Have to agree with Ex-Ray notes, but surprisingly (for Pegau) absolutely no Brett notes. This bottle went down easily and quickly with no heat or excessive alcohol. Excellent and a great bargain for $25 from PC

5/13/2016 - JOEABR wrote:

Was afraid after reading some recent comments, so cracked a 1998 last night. It was awesome! Definitely not as lush as it would have been in its youth, but this was refined and elegant. Hardly any sweetness (as I expected), with no raisiny components, just plum. Nice texture, mouth filling. I'd easily give it a 92.

2/22/2016 - JOEABR wrote:

Was expecting more from this wine, but at this age, the fruit has lost is youthfulness and it shows a little too much acidity. Rather lighter in style, has a nice blueberry bouquet. Finish is a little short, still showing some slightly rough tannins.

2/22/2016 - JOEABR wrote:

My first Piper and I'm impressed! Beautiful bouquet, really leaps from the glass. I thought the wine would be darker, heavier, but this was really elegant and approachable at this young age. Dark fruits, a touch of oak but in great balance, tannins provide a soft texture and roundness. A nice lingering mouth feel and finish.

1/4/2016 - JOEABR wrote:

Another reason to buy wines and let them age. This is turning into something special. Still has some fruit (currant), but much more with some tobacco, earth, spices. Nice texture and in good balance. Would love to try another one of these in 5-10 years.

1/4/2016 - JOEABR wrote:

Really nice champagne, one of the better I've had in a long time. Apples, citrus, some light yeast notes. All in balance, with small, light bubbles to keep it really refreshing.

1/4/2016 - JOEABR wrote:

Really nice beverage. Cherry (tart) with some earth notes, leather, tobacco. Wish I had more than this one bottle.

12/28/2015 - JOEABR wrote:

Horrible, nasty wine...but still better than the 2007. Should have never bought a handful of these wines without tasting, never again from this producer.

12/28/2015 - JOEABR wrote:

Excellent, great precision.

12/21/2015 - JOEABR wrote:

Was rather disappointed with this bottle. Don't think it was tainted, but just did not reveal much. Wasn't expecting a lot of fruit at this stage, but there just was not any depth on the nose or palate. Keep waiting for it to open up and show something, even on the second day, but it remained the same over a 26 hour period.

11/30/2015 - JOEABR wrote:

This is one of the worst wines I've had in a long time. Just too much of everything and nothing in balance, just a mess of a wine.

9/11/2015 - JOEABR wrote:

Jammy, sweet and not much a pleasure to drink. This is just not a refreshing beverage to drink with food. Not my style of wine.

7/27/2015 - JOEABR wrote:

Drinking really well and glad I opened my only bottle at this age. Nice aromatics and rounded texture. Still tons of ripe fruit, but with elegance and balance. This bottle went quickly between two of us. Could have gone another 10 years easy. Never been disappointed with a Trilogy, only the fact that I don't buy it more often.

7/20/2015 - JOEABR wrote:

From one of my favorite CA producers for a solid $20 Cab year in and year out. This was my first "Reserve" bottling and it was fantastic and a steal for $40. Dense dark fruit, and great mouth feel. Fully integrated but full of life and fruit. I have one bottle left and will be in no hurry to drink it.

7/20/2015 - JOEABR wrote:

My last bottle of Loring and a reminder that I need to start buying from Brian again. This bottle was in a sweet spot, with good fruit structure and nice balance. While certainly not a lighter style pinot noir, this was enjoyable to drink and should hold for several more years.

6/30/2015 - JOEABR wrote:

Sometimes a home run can be a grand slam. Upon first pour aromas leapt from the glass, I knew instantly this would be good. Intoxicating cassis, flowers, perfume, tobacco. On the palate the texture is full, round and caressing, liquid velvet. Really polished wine but exploding with deep, dark fruit, raspberries, blackberries with a great long finish. Sometimes I find Wm Harrison wines to have a bit too much oak, but it was not the case with this bottle - just enough to provide some vanilla and smoke hints and great texture. Classic Rutherford (one of my favorite appelations).

5/18/2015 - JOEABR wrote:

Love M-C wines. Still fresh, has a dry mouthfeel with little sweetness - just what I wanted. Paired well with Thai Satay dish.

5/4/2015 - JOEABR wrote:

This was a really nice bottle of wine. Reminiscent of some of the Napa cabs I remember and liked drinking so much in the mid 90's. Dark voluptuous fruit, with great mouth feel and texture, really caresses the palate and fills out. Still very primary and youthful with a nice touch of oak providing some additional notes to complement the fruit. Was awesome with a Flannery ribeye and marinated skirt steak (which were also awesome). No harsh edges and for 15% alcohol (on label) did not interfere or stand out.

4/13/2015 - JOEABR wrote:

St. Francis did a great job in 1997! Another fantastic bottle from this vintage having previously had some other bottlings. Other vintages have not been so good. This was well balanced, still great fruit, no overpowering oak. Can go another 5-7 years easy.

3/16/2015 - JOEABR wrote:

Not super complex, but joyful to drink. Medium body with cherry, red fruit, herbs & some earthiness. Finishes medium and great with veal scallopini (lemon).

1/12/2015 - JOEABR wrote:

This is the reason I buy wine wines when released and store for the long term. During the course of 3-4 hours drinking this bottle, it showed a number of faces. Initially the nose was beautiful, showing youthful signs of primarily fruit with some floral components. On the palate however, it was not as open as it I would have thought from sniffing - it was not revealing much at all. An hour or two into it and it really blossomed. Cassis, cigar box, leather, pencil shavings. An almost perfect wine at that moment in time. Didn't consume much with dinner (roasted prime rib & vegetables), but it went well. After the meal, either my palate was influenced by the food or the wine regressed, but much of the fruit was no longer apparent. Still good, but not as impressive. I think this can go many years and will hold my 2 remaining bottles and try again in 5+ years.

11/24/2014 - JOEABR wrote:

One word to describe this wine: Elegance! No formal notes, but just a pleasure to drink.

11/6/2014 - JOEABR wrote:

Saved one for prosperity after drinking many bottles while living in London in the early 2000's. Unfortunately this bottle did not make it to see 2014 as it was OTH. Fruit all but gone, leaving it lifeless. Not built for the long haul as I would have guessed, but was hoping!

8/31/2014 - JOEABR wrote:

Crappy wine. Poorly made with no focus or precision. Seems manufactured rather than "produced". Could not stand up to a Flannery NY strip. I tend to rate within a 10-15 point range of 82-96 and this is towards the bottom of the scale. Drinkable, but not enjoyable.

8/31/2014 - JOEABR wrote:

Excellent! Pure silk texture, great depth and terroir. dense, dark fruit, but in no way overripe or port-like or over the top. Extremely well balanced. A real pleasure with and without food. Nothing cloying, but just great purity. Blows away the Lewelling cab from previous night.

6/9/2014 - JOEABR wrote:

A fantastic bottle of wine and a recent auction steal for $25 What I love about the mid-90's California Cabs. Awesome fruit profile of Napa fruit. This was obviously stored perfectly from purchase. Great dense, dark fruits. Well balanced, no over oak treatment. I would have thought this was younger than 10 years old, let alone 17 years old. Very youthful and could easily go another 10+years. 92

5/12/2014 - JOEABR wrote:

1-21-22: with lasagna. Doesn’t seem to have s as my fruit or anything for that matter. However has decent texture and I guess just a liquor like wine vs fruit. 90??

I really enjoyed this wine. Floral nose, with earthly elements and red fruits - creating an intoxicating perfume, elegant with nice texture. Light, but still packing a lot of character. More like a Barolo than Brunello, but not going to complain. 93+

3/28/2014 - JOEABR wrote:

Really enjoyed this bottle. Light in color, delicate and quite youthful (surprisingly). Slightly spritzy, but with a few swirls in the glass, dissipates. Rather light on the palate, but with nice youthful fruit. Did not drink like an auslese, but more like a Spatlese. A light sweetness, that made a great match for Thai shrimp (red curry), that finishes dry. This is still young and should go many years. Happy to have 4 more to follow the development.

3/17/2014 - JOEABR wrote:

I have only had a few Carlisles, all of which had nice ripe fruit, but an elegance and restraint to keep the wine fresh and easy to drink. This wine was a bit beyond ripe - almost port like with the alcohol to match (15.4 on the bottle, but I think a good bit higher). Did not have the acidity and freshness I like with wine. Part of my evaluation in judging wine is how easy it is to drink. This one I could not get past half a bottle (two of us) in one night. While it would be a crowd pleaser at a party, it was not a beverage with a meal. Not a bad or poorly made wine, just not quite my style. 87