4/19/2024 - PIZZAandBAROLO Likes this wine:

Popped the cork and allowed 6 hours to breath. With time and swirling in the glass, it helped things along.

Expressive nose. Black cherry, cherry syrup, & strawberry commingle.

Super sleek, refined, juicy, and puckery on the palate with a long-ish finish.

Perfect acidity that is subtle, yet keeps you coming back for more. Time will allow this to become even more refined and more elegant. A super wine from a super producer and super vintage.

I drank alongside the '19 Rio Sordo (96). That wine has great attributes but it will most certainly need 3+ years to get to a place of readiness. It really may need 5+. But all the goods are there and will show great one day.

But back to this. The Paje compares closely to the '19 Montestefano that I was just gaga over (99pts). This is similar to that in almost every way. It could be it's twin. This is gonna be hard to keep my hands off. It's so good and accessible now.

But I will keep my dirty paws off of it because I promised myself I will Goddammit!. I can't break yet another promise to myself again can I? The discipline to not open another bottle will show what men of steel are made of. Did I just say that?? Oh Lawd. Might as well get me a corkscrew already. Me and Paje are going to Par-tay! :)

98-99

4/17/2024 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

My personal WOTN for our First Growth dinner.....I think a few others rated it on top also. Brought by Don to the table, I do not know the prep time.

Dark garnet in the glass. Best nose of the night with dark, creamy red fruit.
It goes on all day long.

Palate is just beautiful. Dark red/black fruit and loads of leather. The fruit is complex and deep with excellent weight in the mouth. One of the older wines from tonight but also one of the weightiest in the mouth. Hard not to give it 98-99 points.

4/17/2024 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Light years ahead of the '14 Neillon from tonight.

Light yellow in the glass with white florals and citrus notes on the nose. Palate feels 5 years younger than the Neillon from just before it. Great acidity and wet stones on the palate. A very nice wine! (but a difficult price point for me). Thanks Ken, for this one!

4/17/2024 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

A mere shadow of its former self 8-10 years ago, imo. Not sure if it's the vintage or the maker now, but it's a hollow impersonation from days gone by. It's still nice in that it makes people question what they're drinking, but it's somewhat hollow and weak compared to the highly thick and viscous vintages of years past. Needs to go back to more malo!

4/13/2024 - Mscrank wrote:

Very tight nose, even after 45 in the glass. Light to medium body, hints of minerals, tart blackberry, iodine and graphite. Tannins aren’t really woven into the rest of the wine. Lacks balance. I usually prefer Bordeaux, but admit that my guests and I preferred a 2016 Hess Selection Napa Cab (PNP) over this wine.
I see lot’s of suggestions to hold and wait, we’ll see…

4/14/2024 - ChopperWine Likes this wine:

Cannot add much to what the others have recently written. Just a lovely Left Bank Bordeaux that is definitely a good drinking window.

4/14/2024 - John McCabe wrote:

This has improved quite a bit over time, now showing more sweetness and secondary notes. Mainly red-fruit driven. Good value.

4/13/2024 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine:

This is a delicious wine that is aging slowly and gracefully. It is still quite dark in color, with a cigar box nose. The cab dominant palate has incredible freshness and delicious flavor with no unpleasant notes. The tannins are plentiful, but fine and don't really dry out the long finish. This is so balanced and elegant and it should have a long life.

4/10/2024 - roboto Likes this wine:

Aired / Decanted for 90min. Color is transparent clear ruby red with minimal bricking at the edges.
First sniff is pretty somewhat austere, but stuff happens in the glass, after swirls theres an initial whiff of raspberry core& dark cherries, and a small note of caramel, but the nose closes on black tea and a mineral note. On the palette, The fruit has a nice sweet opening but quickly dries out with a tannic firm structure. It is rich and delicate at the same time, cherries, spices, menthol, and sweet tobacco, It is not a crowdpleaser but holy shit this goes amazing with a great aromatic slow cooked ragu. I was worried about loss of fruit at 9 years of age I needed not to worry. Will check back in 2-3 years. 93p easily. Aldo. God damn.

4/8/2024 - Ryan@Rhone wrote:

Didn’t decant but kept open for a couple of hours. The nose was very closed throughout. Grippy tannis and good acidity. Fruit is there but a little nondescript. It wasn’t interesting or compelling for me but OK for Monday night. Will see how it goes over a few more years. Reasonable quality for the price and good food wine.

4/6/2024 - dlcass Likes this wine:

Beautiful wine! Just back from Cancun... Very dark color. Dark garnet... Notes of graphite, leather, dried flowers, subtle dark berry; rich and dark on the palate. Slight tannic edge; tart. Balanced. Very enjoyable napa cab for me.

4/5/2024 - 3daywinereview.com wrote:

Day 1: Wow wine. When you think best Syrah in the world for under $80 you have Reynvaan in the top 5. This is awesome. Exotic spices, blue fruits, floral, white pepper, lavender and just amazing stuff. 96 points.
Day 2: Left the cork off all night and still amazing experience. Potpourri, green olives, Lavendar, white pepper, blue fruits and minerals. Long finish. 96+ points
Recommendation: This wine is amazing and will drink well through 2032.

4/4/2024 - WojteG Likes this wine:

2 weeks ago I had a 2004 vintage and I liked it 93 points.
How about this younger family member. 3 hours in the decanter 🕙⏰🕐
Well,wine like this makes me realize that I don't know much about wine. Powerful complicated, complex.
Judging by aromas I would say it was Right Bank CS. But this is 78%M, 18% CF and just 8% CS! But sweet aromas of black cherry, plum, and blackberry are dominant here. Smoke, tobacco, earth, spice, cassis, vanilla and who knows what else...red cherry for sure.
Taste? Very juicy and fruity
Again - black fruits, minerals, black chocolate and who knows what else.
I lost it, but it's delicious with an incredibly long finish - not too sweet, not too dry.
Balance, balance, balance.
2016 vintage in St.Emilien got 96 points according to the WA Vintage Guide. Extraordinary!
Wine?
JD - 95
JS - 94
Jeff Leve - 95/94( tasted twice)
RP - 93
CT - 93
Vinous - 93
Jean - Marc Quarin - 93
Decanter - 92
WS - 92
WE - 92

4/5/2024 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine:

Opened and had a sip. Much less tannic than last note. PNPI I felt it needed a short decant. While my Vitello Parmesiano was cooking I decanted 15 minutes. Perfect. It’s drinking amazing. Italian for sure. I have the 16 too. Amazing QPR for this wine.

4/2/2024 - bonedoc wrote:

This bottle showed very ripe and sweet, like a napa blend.

8/26/2023 - SuperSomm wrote:

Medium (+) garnet colour. Medium (+) and developing nose with red cherry, red plum, eucalyptus, licorice, cloves, cedar, charred wood, chocolate, coffee, leather, mushrooms, tobacco, wet leaves, forest floor and cinnamon. Medium taste of red cherry, red plum, licorice, cloves, cedar, charred wood, chocolate, coffee, leather, tobacco and wet leaves. Long and dry finish. High acidity. High and well rounded tannins. Medium body. A very good Rioja from a magnum bottle. Drink now or over the next ten years. Goes well with beef or lamb.

4/3/2024 - jcbd9415 Does not like this wine:

Just had it yesterday, funny because I generally agree with a couple of these reviews. It did feel pretty light/thin but I do think that's a character of Pessac. I also felt the bitterness on the after taste after being opened a couple hours, seemed out of balance which is strange for a wine of this caliber. I was really unimpressed. Langoa barton 2020 destroys this wine at half the cost. Pass unfortunately, I really really wanted to like this but just didn't. The poop manure on the nose didn't help either. :(

3/31/2024 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine:

Decanted 2 hours and drank over another hour. Not Wowed at all. Pretty one dimensional really. Tannins are soft. More cellaring isn’t going to improve it. Smooth drinking but really average. Why I’m inclined not to spend a lot for these Modern Bordeaux’s. It’s good but not great.

4/4/2024 - John McCabe wrote:

I remember tasting this upon release at Artisan Wine Depot in Mountain View California, and the wine maker was visiting in person. I had a custom tee shirt made of his wine label and showed up - wasn't sure what kind of reaction I'd get, but he called me "Ambasadore" and he signed the bottles I brought, so that was fun. The one word he used to describe his '10 vintage was "panorama" as it kind of has everything and is expansive. I quite agree.

This had the racy acidity one would expect from the '10 vintage, and nothing over the top. It's showing quite well now and am wondering that while it may gain some secondary and tertiary notes with a few more years, it may also lose some power and some of that raciness, so might just be worth opening now. This is indeed expansive, rich, flamboyant and really satisfying. The energy is high, but the acidity has no waywardness that I often find with some other Brunello or Chianti. This is decadent and hedonistic, very classy and enjoyable. Likely overpriced, but it's likely the best Valdicava I've had (the much-heralded '01 is an impenetrable brick by comparison).

4/2/2024 - SirFred Likes this wine:

Drinking so beautifully at this young stage with classic Lopez character. Very smooth and elegant with an almost Burgundian texture. An expansive nose with flowers, pepper, and spice box wafting out of the glass. Cherry and cigar ash with a long finish. Very complex and savory with ripe tannins. It seems to get better with each bottle. Never had a bad bottle of tondonia, and this may be the best vintage yet. The Bosconia is also excellent in this vintage. Hard to decide which one I like better, but I’m looking forward to following their development over the next three decades.

3/30/2024 - Jeff Leve wrote:

It is hard to believe you can buy a wine this good, with bottle age at this price. Packed with ripe, energetic, silky, red, and black fruits, the wine expresses purity, elegance, length, and depth. There is minerality, freshness, and while it is simply, fabulous to taste today, it is going to improve for the next 20 years with ease. Drink from 2024-2056.

3/29/2024 - wlsch Likes this wine:

PnP. Dark berry, dark cherry, spice, earth. The nose is terrific. The palate seems a bit tight right now and a little tarter than I remember, but there's some lovely cranberry and pomegranate in the finish. Perhaps not as open as the last time I tasted it in June 2022, but it's still a really solid wine. Might be best to hold for a few more years since it seems a it closed now It will easily go through 2029, so no rush on the remaining bottles.

3/27/2024 - pemazel Likes this wine:

Together with Gino at Chateau St Gerlach (Les Salons).

And suddenly it appeared on my way: on a wine liste at a non too exaggerated price.

Drunk with "Gently cooked rib of Porc Qualité Ardenne" first, then at its own.

And I loved it: certainly within my top-10 of reds.

I agree with Falstaff who tasted it in 2019:
"Deeply coloured, brilliant ruby-violet. Very clear, distinct nose with complex interplay with blackberry, dark currant and ripe blueberry, plus fine resinous notes and tobacco. Fresh on the palate initially with a lot of juicy, ripe berry fruit and opening up with fine-meshed, dense tannin, salty and very long."

And I disagree with the tasters here who write that it is still much too young now: in all its vigorousness it is magnificent!

2/14/2024 - Triforwine Likes this wine:

Another great showing for this wine at La Miette in Crested Butte. Decanted and enjoyed over about 2 hours with Incredible meal duck confit and duck breast and lamb osso bucco which this wine I know well paired perfectly with. Great off the bat but even better after an hour. Youthful but open. Can still evolve but perfect now. Notes similar to prior but tannins softer now. 92-93

2/28/2024 - ilvineyard Likes this wine:

While I liked the bottle, it was not ready. Still very tannic. Decanted for 2 hours, poured it back into the bottle and enjoyed it at a local restaurant.

A bit disappointed, but patience is a virtue - so I'll wait.

3/11/2024 - Tavastgatan wrote:

This drinking fine now. Very good.

3/17/2024 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine:

Decanted two hours. This has really transformed itself into something really good now. Earthy, musty, barnyard Bordeaux that I’m really liking now. I didn’t really think much of this until now and now I’d like to buy more and I will. Medium weight but lots of Bordeaux character now.

3/8/2024 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine:

Decanted one hour. Perfect cork that looks brand new. Dark black color. Nice Cab nose. Earthy and opulent. Lots of flavor layers. Not too sweet. Many more years to go but drinking great now. Excellent. Last year for Kobalt.

3/10/2024 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine:

Pulled cork an hour before dinner with no decant. It doesn’t need decanting now. So smooth now. Tannins have subsided now and it’s drinking great. Not sure more cellaring improved this. Yes it can age further but I think it’s so great right now. A great balance of just the right sweetness with the right amount of dryness.

3/7/2024 - Nomadirish Likes this wine:

I was pleasantly surprised by this wine but suggest drinking at one sitting as it didn’t get better over the 3 days I drank.

3/1/2024 - weinmatt Likes this wine:

A good bottle for sure, but hardly something that makes you scream. Very black fruit forward.

2/26/2024 - Ryan@Rhone wrote:

Dense and delicious. The last sip on day 2 was the best but it was enjoyable on PnP. Has a really luxurious mouth feel and concentrated fruit. It does seem like a wine that will be better in 10 years. For now I just keep drinking it and buying more in hopes I have some for then.

12/25/2023 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine:

Pulled the cork two hours before dinner. Ripe fruit with some sweetness but very good with lots of depth and flavor layers. Very good.

2/23/2024 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine:

No decant. Just PNP. Not a big wine so this worked best. A bit of sweet ripeness in the beginning. Sweetness went away 30 minutes later. Medium mouthfeel. Throwing some sediment. Nice nose but for sure Modern BDX. Nice flavor profile. Really good but not great. Last of four bottles.

2/23/2024 - 2ndvinwine Does not like this wine:

No sediment in the bottle, bright ruby color.

Bright violets, dark chocolate, cherries, and raspberries on the nose. Faint nose of mushroom to start, forest floor, then moss.

Long length of flavor, but not a very pleasant flavor. Tart under ripe cherry on the pallet. Medium tannins. slightly tart cherry, followed by leather, the ending is tart and the aftertaste tightens the pallet.

It got better and less tart after 90 minutes of decanting, but we finished the bottle so I cant tell you the flavor change after the first 90 minutes.

6/10 - wildly underwhelming for a second growth Bordeaux.

2/19/2024 - brasstab Likes this wine:

Wow! Has this come a long way. A very long way. A true stunner. Bold, savory and seductive, filled with chocolate-wrapped dark fruit. And endless pepper. Like an afternoon with Sunday gravy at a dimly lit red sauce joint.

2/14/2024 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine:

Second of 3 (2/22, 93 points). I observed in my prior note that, while I thought this a wine of immense potential, I thought it hadn’t hit its drinking window yet, and upon opening, I was greeted with a tsunami of tannins making me think 2 years hadn’t been enough time, at least for my palate. After about an hour, this became drinkable, and it hit its most vibrant, integrated point after 2.5-3 hours, when the tannins stood down and the fruit asserted itself more. This is a classic Tuscan merlot-dominant blend, far more brambly and savory than the supple (to the point of blandness and smoothness) fare of that varietal here, so much so that someone used to CA merlots may struggle to identify the varietal here. As with the earlier bottle, this excelled with food, particularly a Tandoori lamb kebab, although with enough air, it’s a more than solid drink on its own. While I can take a small bow (thank you, thank you) from my prior TN in noting that this was likely to improve, I’m now inclined to think that this is at or approaching its high water mark, which should hold for at least a few more years, as the fruit may fade before the tannins come fully into balance. If so, this is still a really good effort, all the more so at the $60-ish price I paid. Will drink my last in the next year or 2, then on to more recent vintages. 93-94+ if scoring

2/9/2024 - MJP Hou TX wrote:

Lancelot Restaurant Vail

This was okay. Nice table red but not my pick at $120

2/2/2024 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine:

Slow Oxed an hour then tasted. Still closed and tight so decanted. Tried another sip an hour later. Better but still tart and not fully open. Kept the wine in the decanter and tried an hour later. Coming around but still not fully ready. Kept in decanter another 30 minutes then poured back in bottle. Dinner of Prime NY steak and Green Peppercorn Sauce prepared. 30 minutes later poured 1/2 glasses in Grassl 1855 Glasses.

Drank over the next hour. Wine is deeply concentrated of Old School, Black fruit CA Cab. Extraction is amazing. No bricking. Fruit is still young and tart after all of this. Great wine but not in my wheelhouse yet. For me needs another 12-18 months in the bottle to become more soft and more amazing. Losing the tartness will be Epic.

2/10/2024 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine:

Last bottle was anomaly I guess because there is no sweetness in this bottle. Decanted 90 minutes and drank over another hour. Merlot & Can Franc are harmonious. This wine is perfect now for my palate. Will it get better? Not for me. Love the blend of fruit and tannins. If I had a bunch I’d drink in the next 12-18 months.

2/11/2024 - markydecker Likes this wine:

From magnum purchased at Sun Valley Wine Company for Super Bowl weekend with our travel group. Luxurious nose of dried rose petals, cranberries, and spice. Medium bodied with bracing acidity. Luscious fruit, raspberry and cranberry and cherry, minerals, stones. Very young but oh so delicious. The group was exceedingly happy with this one. Bravo!

2/7/2024 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Blind, 3 hour decant. Again I think the airtime hurt it some.

Lighter garnet with some bricking in the glass. Nose of cherry fruit.

Palate just seemed like old cherry fruit to me. Maybe there was a hint of leather? But if there, it wasn't much. I guessed Sangiovese but was not surprised it was a Nebbiolo.

2/7/2024 - Mark1npt wrote:

Blind, decanted 3 hours......old garnet in the glass. Admittedly, I am not a Rhone guy.......

Nose of old prune and dust/dirt.

Palate similar. It just came across as old muddied plum/prune fruit. Maybe the 3 hours of air hurt it? Maybe it's an off bottle? Some at the table with more Rhone experience than me said it was a troublesome/difficult vintage.

2/7/2024 - markydecker Does not like this wine:

When I saw 15% ABV I knew I might have an issue and I was correct. Unbalanced on the overripe, over extracted side. Dense and full bodied, but sweet and syrupy. Not nearly enough acidity, fat and flabby and hot. Unfortunately this describes too many new world cabernets these days. Not enjoyable for my palate.

2/7/2024 - beef1020 wrote:

Wonderful rendition of Ribbon Ridge, tending towards the darker blue fruit and minerality with great spice notes, all held together with balanced acidity. Very primary still, no rush to open these.

Updated, closed down pretty hard after being open for 2 hours. Don't decant if drinking soon.

2/7/2024 - camdawg Likes this wine:

I usually enjoy Crus Bourgeois level Bordeaux, although that doesn't apply as much to Right Bank wines.

Why do I seek them out? I like to have something different, maybe something rough and tumble about them, compared to California or Washington Cabernet and Merlot based wines.

What does this wine present that's different than smoother North American wines? On the nose, as I transitioned from red to black fruit, I got some hints of eucalyptus and forest floor to go along with the hints of oak.

On the palate, the tannins seemed more substantial, and harder to cut through than West Coast American Bordeaux varietals. You still get good fruit, but the tannic finish is more palate drying than what you'd expect from the majority of modern day Napa.

If you want a red wine with your steak or lamb that will have a memorable presence, you should give this one a chance.

1/27/2024 - grafstrb wrote:

-- popped and poured --
-- tasted non-blind over approx. 2 hrs. on Day 1; revisited on Day 2 --

Ripe, plush and soft. Dark-fruited and oaky, with soft tannins. Labelled at 13% alc., which is pretty amazing for how boldly-flavored this is. Medium-low to medium acidity. I imagine this will age well, on the strength of its fruit and low alcohol. That said, its flabbiness robs it of any true excitement at this time. Drinks well now if one is looking for a young bold Bordeaux -- perhaps to pair with a juicy steak -- but best to Hold.

2/7/2024 - Derek Darth Taster Likes this wine:

Impromptu afternoon at ESBK. Pop and poured. Drank in Grassl Cru.
Appearance is clear, very pale intensity, ruby colour with thin garnet rim. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of red flower, rose petals, sour red cherries, red plum. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14%), easy-going high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sour red cherries, red plums, light sweet licorice, potpourri rose petals, hint of minerality. Long finish.
Very good quality. Lovely and drinking very well on pop & pour already. While there seems to be lack of depth or layered complexity, the honest straight flavours are still very much enjoyable as they are. Good to enjoy over the next 4-5 years.

2/7/2024 - Wine Canuck wrote:

This pours medium to light ruby in the glass with faint bricking. The nose is very classic Lopez de Heredia, perhaps lacking some overall intensity and complexity but still a fresh and enjoyable style. The nose is of toasted coconut, leather, dusty earth, dried strawberry, sage, and cranberry. The palate is quite lean, with very restrained fruit, seemingly drien on cranberry. Acid is medium plus and quite tart with medium tannin. There is notable bitterness on the finish holding this back a little and clipping the finish. All in all while quite typical for Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Riserva, this particular vintage is a tad tight and structured. Certainly a far cry from the amazing 2010, and to be honest I somewhat question the value proposition here at $70CAD, though I could be proven wrong with further age.

12/14/2023 - Bodyfxr wrote:

Decanted for a couple of hours. Had in a Howell Mt extravaganza line up with a 2013 Bluford and two 2017 Outpost cabs. This was the WOTN. Elegant, lush and opulent. Drinking beautifully now and probably has a few more years left in the tank but why wait. If you got em, drink em. Drink or hold.