4/11/2024 - Bernard B Likes this wine:

I had this c1976. With parents, brother and his girl friend, who had given up drinking. Once uncorked, it filled the room with a heavenly perfume and the girl friend changed her mind. Marvelous stuff. Despite youth, no tannic intrusion. $25 (but that is well over a C-note in today's currency). One of my all time favorites. 5 stars.

4/11/2024 - Bernard B Likes this wine:

Sound, but unexciting. I have tasted several of the lower end Weil wines -- a 16 no name spatlese was nicer. The 19? no name spatlese also just a bit plain compared to some others at similar or marginally higher price levels.
(Selbach Oster). At this level I don't think they deserve the rating they have in Johnson.

5/25/2023 - Bernard B Likes this wine:

I bought two bottles -- one for New Year's 2000 and one for the millenial New Year. (It was highly touted c1999). It was quite nice, with biscuity character. Not fabulous. (Broadbent low to mid 4 stars, in my view). I have had only a couple of super Champagnes and I found them marginally or not better than a decent Brut.

2/2/2023 - Bernard B wrote:

Nice demi serious bordeaux. Outstanding at the price ($20). Currently pretty much undrinkable out the bottle. At least 3 years? Hopefully 3 star on the Broadbent scale. Tasted early Jan. 2023. Note that this second bottling apparently picked up the Pensees name around 2016.

2/2/2023 - Bernard B wrote:

Nice demi serious bordeaux. Outstanding at the price ($20). Currently pretty much undrinkable out the bottle. At least 3 years? Hopefully 3 star on the Broadbent scale. Tasted early Jan. 2023.

1/1/1980 - Bernard B Likes this wine:

I bought a case of this at Marty's around 1974 ($16.99 a bottle, I believe). I drank through much or all of it (may have sold a few). As I recall it was a fine wine of medium intensity. Very nice but not fabulous in the 70s and 80s. Now the 1970 Latour at $20 was a different story.

9/30/1978 - Bernard B Likes this wine:

I had a bottle (maybe two) in about 1978 (date above approximate) soon after release. I think it was probably about $5 at Marty's in Allston, Mass. It was very good, but I couldn't find any more! Maybe not as good as Georges de Latour at $20. In my memory, a high 3 stars Broadbent. Nice wine without the bell pepper flavor that plagued (by my standards) many California Cabernets.

3/28/2021 - Bernard B Likes this wine:

Opened for my brothers magnificent matzah ball chicken soup on Pesacch. In cellar about 24 years -- 50s winter, hits 70 summer. Cork at end of life.
Wine moderately deep amber. Nice old sweet wine flavor. Proper sherry like oxidation, not a fault. If you haven't had this, similar to old third cru sauterne. A bit nutty, burnt orange. Sweetness (very but not super) and acid in balance. I would call this a Broadbent low 4 stars out of 5. Very very nice, but, if you are a sweet wine buff, not quite spectacular. Perhaps a 93.
The wine looks amber colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle.

11/26/2020 - Bernard B wrote:

Another Trader Joe's buyer about five years back. Nice port iodiney penetration. Fig. Dryish. Perhaps a bit past peak, but very nice. Broadbent scale 3.