12/14/2022 - The Guzz wrote:

This bottle was green upfront. And I mean '04 herbal astringent green. Very strange given how dark this pours and how good recent vintages of this have been. With a lot of air it gets better. There is pretty cherry fruit waiting in hiding. A bit plusher but never really coming together. Medicinal green hints didn't budge. A surprising bottle and I am usually a big Bachelet fan. Would be curious to hear other opinions.

11/7/2022 - MusignyBlanc wrote:

Perhaps the largest and heaviest 750ml bottle I have ever seen; just embarrassing, and Bouchard should be ashamed of themselves. It is not responsible to be unnecessarily using heavy and oversized bottles.

1/2/2022 - acidqueen wrote:

I wish I had another case of this to keep drinking for the next 20 years, but alas this is my final bottle. Purchased on release and well stored. Firm cork, half saturated. This has followed me from a cold closet in San Francisco to many cold storage locations in California and now to my new home in Virginia. It is hard to separate reality from memory in many cases and, truly, should we try? The intertwining of taste (smell) and memory was better described by Proust, so I won’t bother. This wine does bring back many wonderful memories at the cusp of this new year. I am grateful for all the incredible wines I have been fortunate to drink since this bottle was released and for the many people with whom I have been able to share them.
For this bottle in particular, it has that lovely faint barnyard funk plus menthol, leather, earth and cherry that I have seen in prior bottles. I opened this only 45 minutes before drinking but should have waited two hours. I expect this wine will last much longer and get better. Fantastic with a wagyu filet, fois gras and wild rice.

11/20/2020 - Addeatum wrote:

My score reflects my personal palate and experience with the wine. I could tell it was well made and that many would like it very much but it simply wasn't my cup of tea. It was very much like a pinot. Translucent and light to look at perhaps garnet in colour. A pleasant but lighter nose but no strong flavours jumping out. On the palate it was light to medium in body but was quite angular and tart. It did have the usual Nebbiolo flavours of rose petals, tart raspberry and, at the end, some tar.

After all the hype and big scores I was expecting a larger more powerful wine. As I say, I am sure many would love this wine and may even describe it a ethereal but at $60 Can a bottle it is not for me. My next wine will, for sure, be a left bank Bordeaux blend to remind me why I love wine so much.

9/20/2019 - CASEBIER KENNETH wrote:

Great raspberry notes. Not a super complex wine, but very good for session wine. Note that we had the 2015 right after this and it was totally different-dark and brooding and REALLY not a session wine.

5/21/2019 - Labrador Does not like this wine:

Again - a very disappointing bottle. It showed no fruit and was disjointed and astringent. It was also dry and while that is a characteristic of Vieux Telegraph, this bottle was extremely dry. Since this is the 2nd bottle that has been off, perhaps something else is amiss.

2/16/2019 - sdr Likes this wine:

47CB and Friends (3030 Ocean, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): A stunning bottle of ‘64 Cheval Blanc, but since it was recorked in 1996, it’s impossible to tell how much of its amazingly youthful exuberance might be due to topping up with a younger version. Of course it’s possible it was topped off with more ‘64, but impossible to tell. Once I put my skepticism aside, I enjoyed it immensely for its gorgeous plum and black cherry fruit and fabulous natural sweetness. Super fruity yet the structure is there to support it. Whatever they did in 1996, it worked. Still, I’d like to taste a non-recorked version to compare to it.

1/16/2019 - nrjessup Likes this wine:

Seems a little young but I couldnt wait. The nose is full of fruit and minerals. The palette is a little taught and I think it can use a few years to open up.

3/22/2018 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine:

Just got this in today. Loads of baking spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice. A little heat cause its so young. Really smooth for a 2015.

1/28/2018 - tom_wine Does not like this wine:

Well past its prime. Maderarized, oxidized and gold in color. Delicate apple and tropical fruit flavors now masked by flaws.

3/19/2017 - bconly wrote:

I feel like this bottle was ever so slightly advanced. I was expecting some mature notes given the bottle is 9 years old, but this seemed a little too far down that path. Will need to wait til I have the next bottle to know for sure.

7/1/2016 - indiscriminate palate wrote:

Acker wines - a fortnight of culling crap from the cellar; 6/29/2016-7/13/2016: I have had many bottles of this wine, and 100s of bottles of Lytton, and I have just one question:

What the Hell does Acker do to wines before releasing them? Seriously, does anybody there actually taste any of the wines? The ONLY two bottles of 95 Lytton I ever had that were bad were both Acker auction purchases.

For those keeping track at home, I'm zero for my last six Acker purchases that I opened. Zero.

4/10/2016 - MusignyBlanc wrote:

This tastes like exactly what it is - a tired/over-the-hill Bourgogne from Côte Chalonnaise. So no magic from this bottle. I have many more, given the sales pitch I got for these wines.

7/21/2014 - MusignyBlanc wrote:

This was very fruit forward with juicy fruit, a nose of kirsch, some citrus, and finishing with a mouthful of cottony tannins. Almost new world in presentation, but with a hint of provencal spice, very well-balanced and very drinkable (and not very complex). No idea when this was bottled or made, but a code on the label says L.06.13-07.08. No idea whether this means something or not.

5/2/2015 - bengti Likes this wine:

Interesting experience for tasting, considering that many rated this an ideal vintage and how accessible it was in its earlier years. Now it is at first without nose and only a hint of fruit. After 20 minutes, classic CdP mint, vanilla, leather and fruit all nicely balanced. probably indicates it is in decline though it seems early for such a phase to set in. Still a good drink though.

1/30/2015 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

Pours out an iridescent green colour. So fresh, so vibrant, so good. Shows but a hint of toasty development then she's all fresh white peach, citrus and mineral. It has a rigid spine and with air you get a suggestion of preserved lemon and some retrained exoticism. It is dense, linear and compact and length is superb. Quite brilliant.

11/10/2014 - ibglowin Likes this wine:

Paired very well with Frutti di Mare over linguine with lemon and capers. A good Chardonnay with the usual notes of Pear and Apple . Nice finish that lingers. Lightly oaked. Good minerality. Not a very good QPR as others have said. It should be a GREAT Chardonnay at this price point and its only a good Chardonnay.

6/1/2014 - wineotim wrote:

Nice wine, very primary, simple blue fruit, short on finish. Bought this wine based on the 93-95 point reviews from others on CT. I have found the $25 Bedrock wines more appealing. I expected more density, and depth. So ends my Bedrock purchases.

2/4/2014 - Hodby wrote:

Dark red color. Delightful purity of raspberry in the nose, with modest oak spice. On arrival, low-medium tannin, medium acidity; good energy in a smooth style. Flavor develops fully within the first hour open: raspberry/blackberry fruit, brushy thyme and mint, vanilla. I could drink this easy-goer every day. Though it's priced a little high ($30) for its concentration level, the balance is not too high at all for the quality. Bottle #1 of four.

1/8/2014 - bengti wrote:

First tasted late 2013, exquisite balance and yet good vein of spice and pepper. A great wine. Second bottle this week less perfect, sweeter and candied somewhat, pepper pronounced on the finish too. Nice but felt discombobulated compared to the first try. NB: I remember now why, the first was the 09 which was an outstanding year.

11/11/2013 - BigJul Likes this wine:

C’est le 4 ou 5e millésime de cette cuvée que j’ai la chance de déguster, et à chaque fois j’y retrouve cette expression très florale du pinot, avec de la cerise, de la groseille, avec une texture quasi-crémeuse en bouche, une richesse évidente, mais avec un ensemble qui conserve son élégance et son équilibre. C’est un délice. Il n’y a pas d’autres mots… Les détracteurs de la Bourgogne diront que c’est cher payé pour un village qui manque sûrement de complexité ou de puissance, mais le bonheur qu’il nous procure est pratiquement sans égale. Je pourrais boire ce vin à tous les jours. 91

10/4/2013 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:

Cool and slightly wild on the nose with notes of sour cherry, sap, violets and other floral things. The fruit has a jubey quality to it but in a decidedly adult Irish Moss throat lozenge kind of a way. The last few vintages of this wine have been creamier and rounder but this is a little rawer and edgy (I quite like it by the way). It finishes with good cut and is quite chewy.

9/24/2013 - BUBBA DAWG Likes this wine:

substantial crystallized sediment on cork...deep ruby/violet color with fair amount of clarity...ripe red plums, blackberries, tobacco, cedar, chalky minerality on the nose...great balance of fruit and terrior on entry with seductive toasted oak and refined tannins leading to a long finish...very enjoyable and better than i remember...the end of a case and drinking very well at the moment...unfortunately price has doubled but even at $100/b this is a very enjoyable napa cab with proper restraint and complexity

6/27/2013 - MusignyBlanc wrote:

The idea that a 2002 Montelena Estate could be past its prime (in 2013) is ludicrous. CT is getting so diluted and it is unfortunate; there needs to be a better mechanism to sort out uninformed reviews.

Had this wine tonight and it is so linear - amazingly constructed. One of those wines that makes you shake your head and wonder how they did it. Soft and cottony mouth-filling tannins on entry. Full-bodied and rich/soft mid-palate fruit enveloped by those tannins. Long finish. Just a classic Montelena and a wine that will last many decades when properly stored. Absolutely delicious and a cut above so many Napa Cabs. Amazing qpr too, even at $100 +.

5/26/2013 - missionpk wrote:

Sort of like a reasonably good Ridge Zin without any of the Zin.

5/14/2013 - Neecies wrote:

Similar reaction to PKNUT's below. Very red, very simple, and no resemblance to the 98's, 99's and 00's friends open occassionally and which set the bar for my expectations. Dumb phase?

4/29/2013 - MusignyBlanc wrote:

Nice wine - well-balanced with a nice mid-palate depth. Intensity assisted with a little residual sugar on the finish. A little on the sweet side for me, but that will likely become a virtue if the weather ever warms up.

11/27/2012 - sandwich Likes this wine:

Very oaky, but also smooth and buttery and better than most California chardonnays at the same price point. Paired well with seared tuna. I wish my allocation from Sea Smoke was greater. This is a great chardonnay to drink when all of your French burgs are premoxed.

10/30/2012 - Coupe 60 wrote:

Eagerly popped this with some friends in a storm party. And to be quite honest was a little disappointed. A little funk on the nose and the palate that ultimately blew off.Fruit was not vibrant enough for my liking. So so acidity, was ok but nothing special. was ok at its pricepoint :-)....but would not go out and search for it

7/29/2012 - coyler wrote:

Dark brown color. This looked way advanced.

Palate was carmel, sweet, but short.

In a word Yuck!

Bottle was supposed to be ex-chateau. The cork said it was reconditioned in 2095, which was a surprise to me.

D-

3/1/2012 - Jardin.Gorbeau.Etretat.France wrote:

To celebrate the completion of the upload and "getting it all organised" in Cellartracker.com of my collection which dates back quite a few years, years marked by travel, new houses, new enterprises, and new relationships, my friend Rik and I consumed this last bottle of Ridge with a dinner inspired by a recipe of Olivier Roellinger, the great French chef with the restaurant in Cancale. It is one of the few Michelin starred restaurants that threw away its stars, to be able to concentrate on the food and forget about the snobbery. So the magret de canard is prepared with cloves, coriander, and a magic vinegar from Roellinger's spice shop called Celtic Vinegar. It is thus a classic south western French dinner, but with spices collected by Roellinger on his travels to the orient.

How did this old Ridge Zin hold up? Well, we should have drunk it perhaps 5 years ago, but I was in full construction phase at the Jardin Gorbeau. No matter, it is a grand wine, and even if in 2012 it is over the edge, it made for a wonderful meal. We opened at at about 6 pm and happily the 17 years of its life, not always in the best of circumstances, were proven to be acceptable, the cork was intact, moist, and no vinegar. Whew. The first nose was of prunes. It was fruity but it needed air. We gave it 2 hours of decanting while the dinner was prepared; besides the duck inspired by Roellinger we dribbled some truffle oil on simple steamed broccoli, and the potatoes (after all we are in Normandy) were basic and pure. The truffled broccoli was an inspiration. At mealtime the Ridge was open. It had passed its prime no doubt, it was not like the wine I used used to drink at the London Wine Bar in San Francisco, but its complexity was there. The prunes had become not the only element, with the Celtic Vinegar flavour of the duck and the truffles on the broccolin, the Ridge began to scent of chocolate. I kid you not. Not heavy chocolate, just a whiff, but the spices of the Ridge and the spices of the duck played together.

We finished the meal with a local farm produced Camembert, and the Ridge became candy. That was incredible. The bitterness of the Camembert full of fungus and who knows what else gives it such a stinky wonderful flavour, made the Ridge liquid bonbon. It was like drinking sweet liquour. That was a surprise. The dessert was some squares of Lindt 70% noir chocolate, and even here, the Ridge held up. It is not Banyuls Rimage with respect to the chocolate, but it lived through the dinner with pride and honour and made us happy.

The cave, now completely under Cellartracker.com's aegis, has been opened. Stay tuned.

Jon Cooper
Jardin Gorbeau Etretat Guesthouse and Spa
Etretat, Normandy, France