Pale salmon color with a persistent mousse. Nice berry fruit with a fine bead and supporting acidity. Balanced; finishes well.

Light color. Apple, honeysuckle and pear notes. Pear and honeysuckle follows through on the palate, adding a terrific minerality that lingers through the finish. Good underlying acidity.

Received very well by the group. I think most of the group thought Burgundy.

Notes of pear, fig, apple and coconut. Full-bodied and rich. Coconut, melon and orchard fruit. Long finish. 92-93 pts.

Deep color with notes of pear and melon fruit with a great waxy Rhone overtone. Simple, with melon and orchard fruit qualities and a rich texture. Hints of spice on the finish. Nicely balanced- just needs time.

Faded crimson core with a bit of bricking. Notes of red berry fruit, iron and tobacco with a hint of toast. Integrated; red currants, tea, green tobacco and herb flavors on the palate. Has a rustic quality. Very nice. Guessed '95 Bordeaux.

This was opened and had half an hour to breathe in bottle before the flight was poured. Impressive showing for this wine- I'd say there's no benefit to holding this any longer. Pop & pour and it should wake up nicely in the glass.

I did not get much out of this and thought it may have been slightly off. Dark fruit on the nose and palate, but that was about it. No rating/guess.

Aromas of chocolate, dill and blackberry. Medium- to full-bodied with medium tannins and flavors of red and black fruits, vanilla and herbs. Lengthy finish; nicely balanced. Good Cab, but young. Did not pick it out as the Montelena.

This had about two hours in a decanter before the flight. Give it another 5 years or so.

Opens with notes of tobacco and dark fruit. On the full side of medium-bodied with firm tannins and flavors of plum, black fruit, pepper, spice and oak- has definitely spent some time in oak. Finishes shorter than I would like and the woody qualities stand out a bit too much. Cab-like in some respects, but I'm not certain this is Cab. No guess.

Cassis, chocolate and black currant aromas. Full-bodied with good structure and fine-grained tannins. Vanilla, cassis and chocolate flavors with a long finish. Guessed Napa Cab.

Terrific bouquet featuring cassis, black fruit and plum, developing a nice floral undertone as it opens. Dark fruit, spice and vanilla flavors carry fine-grained tannins. Finishes with good length and maintains balance across the palate. Excellent, if obviously young. Guessed Napa Cabernet.

Despite how well it is drinking today, I'd give this another five years before I'd consider opening one as this will be truly special at maturity.

Dusty color, obviously older. Aromas of red berry fruit, slight sour cherry note, dried herbs and roasted meats. Integrated and balanced, with flavors of meat, red berry fruit and holiday spices. Finishes well with hints of white pepper and meat. Easy to pick out as old world Syrah, though besides me, only the person who brought it thought so. Drink now.

Opens with a note of buttered popcorn, with loads of dark fruit underneath. The palate shows an abundance of dark fruit, softened tannins and good balance. With time in the glass the bouquet improved. This was Cab-like but not Cabernet- it has a "plushness" that Cabernet would not have so I guessed 2001 Napa Merlot but was shot down by the group...but tonight was my night. :)

Drinking well, I would not hold this much longer, if at all. Drink through 2016.

Dark color, nearly opaque to the meniscus. Notes of black currants, chocolate and cassis. Well-balanced. Cassis and dark fruit with an impressively long, balanced finish. Young, but really tasty. Guessed Napa Cabernet.

Drinkable now with a decant, but better to hold a few years, 2019+.

Opens with a buttered popcorn note that blows off to reveal cassis and black fruit and loads of perfumed floral qualities. Lush and opulent. Flavors of cassis, kirsch, blackberry and vanilla with a long finish. Full-bodied but very well-balanced. Guessed 2007 Napa Cab Sauv.

Aromas of tapenade, pepper and black fruit. Medium- to full-bodied with a wonderful mélange of red and black fruit on the palate, followed by pepper and fresh olives. Develops a terrific pine forest note as it sits. This screams Northern Rhone, but it's not in the right bottle shape...

This was a real treat- definitely one I will seek out. Drink now to 2025.

Notes of iron and red fruit. Dusty red fruit on the palate, with a rustic edge. Turns slightly austere through the finish, otherwise would have scored a couple of points higher as it's balanced, has fruit and nice complexity. Very nice, but time to drink up.

Decanted for four hours and served with herb-crusted beef rib roast. Cassis, blackberry, graphite, violets and chocolate. full-bodied with fine, sweet tannins and flavors of cassis, black cherry, chocolate and vanilla. Long, lingering finish. Terrific juice. Can be enjoyed now with a healthy decant or cellared until you're tempted just enough...

Honeyed tropical fruit with a long, lingering finish. Excellent, and will drink well for some time.