|
|
 |
|
|
$229.95
|
|
|
RP 93
United States
-
Cabernet & Blends
-
California
In stock,
1
available
|
|
|
93 points Robert Parker: "The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch (90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Merlot) exhibits a saturated purple color in addition to a gorgeous bouquet of espresso beans intermixed with licorice, incense, blueberries and blackberries. There is more tannin in the unusually austere finish, but the wine is remarkably complex, and should be exceptionally long-lived. There are 500 cases of this beauty, which should be at its finest between 2006-2025. (Aug 2002)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$69.95
|
|
|
IWC 90
Italy
-
Piedmont
-
Other
In stock,
1
available
|
|
|
90 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "(all nebbiolo) Ruby-red. Reticent aromas of roasted cherry, fresh herbs, brown spices and nutty oak... Fat, rich, broad and sweet, but not yet as filled in as the Larigi or La Villa bottlings. Showing its 14.9% alcohol today, not to mention its oak element. But this powerful wine is extremely backward today and more about earthy, nutty, herbal terroir than about primary fruit. Finishes with huge, ripe, furry tannins that will require patience. (Nov/Dec 2002)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$54.95
|
|
|
IWC 91
Italy
-
Piedmont
-
Other
In stock,
2
available
|
|
Three Glasses, Gambero Rosso: "La Villa, from barbera and nebbiolo, is equally extraordinary. Today, it is superior to the monovarietal nebbiolo Arborina, which requires further bottle age. (2002)"
91 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "(a blend of Nebbiolo and Barbera) Deep medium ruby. Slightly roasted yet pure aromas of black cherry, blueberry, licorice and mint. Rich, fat and broad on entry, then tighter and less sweet in the middle than the Larigi. Intense black cherry flavor is complicated on the very long, firm finish by notes of blackberry, bitter chocolate and espresso. Tannins are quite firm, in the style of the vintage. (Nov/Dec 2002)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$134.95
|
|
|
WA 93
France
-
Champagne
In stock,
7
available
|
|
|
93 points Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "The 1999 Brut Blanc de Blancs is another deep, multi-dimensional wine from Billecart-Salmon. Here the fruit shows slightly more burnished tones, along with greater textural richness and weight, all while retaining surprising verve and cut. Roasted hazelnuts, smoke and pastry crust add complexity on the suave finish. The vintage Blanc de Blancs is made from parcels in Avize, Chouilly and Mesnil. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2024. (Dec 2010)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$124.95
|
|
|
IWC 90–92
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock,
5
available
|
|
|
90-92 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "Deep ruby. Superripe aromas of blackberry liqueur, raspberry and dark chocolate, along with some minty high tones; I was reminded of both ruby port and Languedoc syrah. Thick, huge and almost aggressively youthful; very powerful but is it pinot? Firm acids give shape to the flavors. Finishes quite powerful and long, with a late note of coffee. (Mar/Apr 2001)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$129.95
|
|
|
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock, 12+ available
|
|
|
Allen Meadows (Burghound): "Red fruit aromas and plenty of earthy Gevrey character, robust tannins, substantial flavors and good length. This is quite sauvage in spirit and will need 7 to 10 years to resolve the dense tannins. Plenty of personality here. Drink: 2007-12. (Jan 2002)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$99.95
|
|
|
IWC 92
Italy
-
Piedmont
-
Barolo
In stock,
2
available
|
|
Three Glasses Gambero Rosso: "This year, Renato and Giuliano Corino offered us six superb '99 Barolos, each one better than the last... Last of the magnificent six is the superlative Veccie Vigne, a lovely, rich garnet wine that has yet to express its full range of aromas. It is positively explosive on the palate, where it parades potent, juicy tannins, rich fruitiness and fabulous balance. (2004)"
92 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "Oaky aromas of black raspberry, currant and menthol; this called to mind a young California cabernet. Big, sweet and sappy, with deep, creamy flavors of black cherry and menthol. Very young and very long, finishing with powerful, chewy, chocolatey tannins. Loads of potential here. (Nov/Dec 2002)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$33.95
|
|
|
WE 91
IWC 90
PG 90
Spain
-
Red
In stock,
7
available
|
List $38.00
|
91 points Wine Enthusiast: "[$38 list] This aged wine hits most of the right keys. It’s sexy and racy on the bouquet, with tobacco, orange peel, rooty cherry and tree bark aromas. It’s a bit sharp and lean in the mouth at this point, with flavors of tomato, raisin, dry berry, cocoa and spice. Gets more acidic as it sits. Drink or hold. Alcohol 13.5%. (Feb 2012)"
90 points Josh Raynolds (International Wine Cellar): "($38 list; 90% tempranillo, with mazuelo and graciano): Dark red. Pungent, oak-spiced aromas of dried red fruits, vanilla and rose, with a cedary overtone. Smooth and sweet, with vibrant redcurrant and cherry-vanilla flavors given depth by notes of licorice and bitter chocolate. Closes with gentle tannic grip and very good length, leaving smoke and cherry compote notes behind. (Sep 2012)"
90 points Peñín Guide: "(85% tempranillo, 10% graciano, 5% mazuelo). Colour: pale ruby, brick rim edge. Nose: elegant, spicy, fine reductive notes, wet leather, fruit liqueur notes. Palate: spicy, fine tannins, elegant, long. (2012)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$99.95
|
|
|
JG 92
France
-
Champagne
In stock,
7
available
|
List $135.00
|
|
92+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "Nicolas Feuillatte’s Tête de Cuvée, La Palme d’Or is very fine in the 1999 vintage, offering up a deep and impressively complex nose of apple, sourdough, a touch of caraway seed, lovely minerality, citrus peel and a nice dollop of fresh nutmeg in the upper register. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, complex and just a touch leesy in style, with outstanding mid-palate depth, superb mineral drive, elegant mousse and excellent length and grip on the focused and classy finish. This is a lovely, lovely bottle of bubbly. 2012-2022+. (Jul/Aug 2012)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$89.95
|
|
|
JG 92
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock, 12+ available
|
|
|
92 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The last vintage of Arvelets to be bottled on its own, the 1999 is really a superb and sappy example of Pommard that perfectly captures the exuberance of this vintage. The deep, complex and very classy nose offers up scents of red and black cherries, blood orange, coffee, woodsmoke, a touch of gamebird, lovely soil tones and just the first hints of the sous bois to come with further bottle age. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, complex and beautifully balanced, with a sappy core of fruit, moderate tannins, good acids and very fine length and grip on the elegant and potentially quite velvety finish. A lovely and very refined example of Pommard that is already beginning to drink well, but will continue to improve with further bottle age. 2011-2040. (Sep/Oct 2011)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$134.95
|
|
|
AM 95
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock, 12+ available
|
|
|
95 points Allen Meadows (Burghound): "(from a large 1.74 ha parcel). A perfumed, complex and mostly still primary nose offers up earthy red berry fruit, underbrush and a touch of animale that can also be found on the generous and quite fleshy flavors that possess excellent volume as well as buckets of dry extract that almost render the firm and ripe tannins invisible on the massively long finish. Wow, this is a stunner of a wine with still plenty of upside potential remaining. Comments: Outstanding. Drink: 2019+. (May 2011)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$119.95
|
|
|
JG 94
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock,
1
available
|
|
|
94 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "The 1999 Gaunoux Rugiens is a bit more shut down than the last time I tasted it a few years ago, but it may be showing even slightly better potential for down the road. As Burgundy lovers will recall, 1999 was simply a profound vintage in the Côte de Beaune, and the ’99 Rugiens displays all of the great potential of this vintage, as it offers up a very superb and closed bouquet of red berries, cherries, orange zest, great minerality, incipient notes of bonfire and a touch of game. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and quite structured, with a rock solid core of fruit, ripe tannins, tangy acids and great length and grip on the very transparent finish. Many 1999s are quite fruit-driven in their personalities, but the Gaunoux Rugiens is emphatically a wine of its terroir, and should prove to be utterly profound in the fullness of time. 2020-2060+. (Jan/Feb 2009)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$395.00
|
|
|
B&D 94
RP 93
France
-
Bordeaux
-
Red
In stock,
11
available
|
|
94 points Bettane & Desseauve's Guide to the Wines of France: "Very classic style from this property, taut and spicy with a hint of smoke, with elegant, noble tannins and great personality despite its rather reserved character. Drink: 2011 up to 2024. (2011)"
93 points Robert Parker: "Deep plum, currant, and mineral notes emerge from the concentrated, beautifully balanced, pure 1999 Haut Brion. It seems to be cut from the same mold as years such as 1979 and 1985. There is a hint of graphite in the abundant fruit. The wine is medium to full-bodied, nuanced, subtle, deep, and provocatively elegant. It is made in a style that only Haut Brion appears capable of achieving. The finish is extremely long, the tannins sweet, and the overall impression one of delicacy interwoven with power and ripeness. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2025. (Apr 2002)"
19.5/20 points Clive Coates (The Wines of Bordeaux): "Fullish colour. A nose of great distinction. Not a blockbuster but rich, concentrated, classy and very, very lovely fruit. This is substantiated on the palate. Fullish body. Very intense. Very poised, very long and of very high class. Drink: 2009-2030. (2004)"
4 stars, 'Highly Recommended,' Decanter: "Spicy, vibrant black-fruit; exuberant and pure. Sumptuous and concentrated, with ripe tannins and firm acidity. Fragrant wild roses nose and has all the satiny smoothness that La Mission lacks, a beautifully poised wine with perfect balance. 2009-2020. (Nov 2009)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$94.95
|
|
|
WS 93
Germany
In stock,
2
available
|
List $144.00
|
|
93 points Wine Spectator: "A luscious BA, nectarlike yet well-balanced by tangy acidity, setting the stage for clean, pure flavors of apricot and honey. Lovely finish, too. Drink now through 2009. 40 cases made."
|
|
|
|
|
|
$975.00
|
|
|
RP 95
WS 94
France
-
Bordeaux
-
Red
In stock,
2
available
|
|
95 points Robert Parker: "The 1999 Lafite Rothschild sports an engraved '1999' on the bottle along with an eclipse to mark that significant historical event of August, 1999. It is a quintessential offering from Lafite Rothschild. This prodigious wine is both elegant and intensely flavored, and almost diaphanous in its layers that unfold with no heaviness. An opaque ruby/purple color is accompanied by a complex bouquet of lead pencil, graphite, cedar, creme de cassis, toast, and vanilla. It is medium-bodied, with extravagant layers of richness yet little weight, and a finish that is all sweetness, ripeness, and harmony. This extraordinary Lafite increasingly appears to be a modern day clone of the majestic 1953. A mere one-third of the crop made it into the grand vin! Anticipated maturity: 2007-2030. (Apr 2002)"
94 points Wine Spectator: "Delivers wonderful dark chocolate, with raspberry and currant undertones. Full-bodied, featuring soft, silky tannins and a long finish. Very tight still. Needs time. Very layered and holding back. Best after 2012. - '89/'99 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2009)"
4 stars, Michael Broadbent's Pocket Vintage Wine Companion: "Sweet, fleshy, youthful aroma; dry, undemonstrative but with good mouthfeel and silky tannins. An attractive future. Last tasted May 2006. Drink: 2015-2030."
4 stars, 18/20 points, Decanter: "Fine expression of Lafite Cabernet Sauvignon, a touch of wild violets, great purity and length. 2009-2019. (Nov 2009)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$28.95
|
|
|
France
-
South of France
In stock,
11
available
|
|
|
Banyuls is officially considered a Vin Doux Naturel -- essentially, a fortified wine from the Roussillon of southeast France near the Spanish border. This Grenache shows the typical characteristics of orange peel and the oxidized "rancio" aromas from the years of aging in barrel. Rich, spirity, sweet and concentrated in apricots, yellow raisins and candied orange peel.
|
|
|
|
|
|
$124.95
|
|
|
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock,
1
available
|
|
|
Pierre Rovani (Wine Advocate): "The ruby-colored 1999 Vosne-Romanee Les Beaux Monts has a red cherry and fresh herb-scented nose. Medium-bodied and lively, it offers blackberry, currant, and black cherry flavors in its well-structured, flavorful character. (Aug 2001)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$68.95
|
|
|
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
In stock, 12+ available
|
|
|
Allen Meadows (Burghound): "Same style fruit and flavors as the Arvelets but much better flavor detail and precision with a decided minerality to the flavors. Elegant and fine with more underlying material. Drink: 2009. (Apr 2001)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$149.95
|
|
|
CG 95
RP 94
WS 93
United States
-
Cabernet & Blends
-
California
In stock,
5
available
|
|
95 points Connoisseurs' Guide: "One of our favorites from what proved to be a very fine bunch, the 1999 is a remarkable, wonderfully well-focused Cabernet that is just beginning to come into its own. It is at once intense and outgoing and yet it seems to hold a great deal in reserve, with a great sense of extract and an almost claret-like structure. Despite the fact that it is still buttressed by plenty of youthful tannins, it never dries out or seems overly tough, and its incisive, remarkably long-lasting fruit should hold in good stead for next couple of decades. It was our favorite of the Pride Reserves of the 1990 decade when first reviewed and it remains so today. (Feb 2012)"
94 points Robert Parker: "The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (900 cases) is closed, revealing remarkably concentrated creme de cassis fruit intermixed with licorice, mineral, and toasty oak aromas and flavors, along with high tannin in the finish. It tastes like an over-sized Bordeaux given its tannin profile, but the huge wealth of fruit, glycerin, and extract are exceptional. Patience will be essential. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025. (Aug 2002)"
93 points Wine Spectator: "Truly exotic spicy wood aromatics make this an irrestable olfactory temptation. Dark, rich and layered with flavor, offering beefy currant, cedar, anise and black cherry fruit that turns sleek and elegant. A lively, lingering aftertaste. Drink now through 2010. 900 cases made. (8/31/02)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$149.95
|
|
|
WA 92
Italy
-
Veneto
-
Other
In stock,
5
available
|
List $180.00
|
|
92 points Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "Quintarelli’s deeply-colored 1999 Rosso del Bepi offers an explosion of super-ripe sweet fruit on the nose. Lush and generous on the palate, it displays superb length and a glorious, primary expression of fruit even if it clearly doesn’t have the structure of his more important wines. Quintarelli declassifies his Amarone to Rosso del Bepi in vintages he doesn’t feel merit the Amarone designation. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2014. (Oct 2007)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$299.95
|
|
|
France
-
Burgundy
-
Cote d'Or Red
Pre-arrival,
11
available
|
|
|
5 stars (potential), Michael Broadbent's Pocket Vintage Wine Companion: "Medium-deep; classic Rousseau, not overtly varietal -- just the smell of the real thing; excellent flavour and length. Drink: 2010-2020. (May 2006)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$264.95
|
|
|
W&S 97
WA 94
WS 94
France
-
Champagne
In stock, 12+ available
|
List $359.00
|
97 points Wine & Spirits: "Essential Salon: A pure evocation of chardonnay in limestone, a powerful and profound Champagne. 'F*** yes,' said one visiting sommelier from Los Angeles. As for me, I love this wine. Its freshness is astonishing, tasting like fruit that was just picked, yet it somehow has the wisdom and harmony that comes with time. There’s a modulation to the flavors as they rise from limestone, dive into fresh cream and rise again in savory richness. Though other ’99s may not reach this level, the wine makes a stunning argument for its terroir. If you want to identify great Salon in the future, remember the scent of this glass. (Dec 2011)"
3 stars, Peter Liem (ChampagneGuide.net): "...this 1999 shows an undeniable refinement, driven by its archetypal Mesnil chalkiness as well as a surprisingly prominent acidity. It's a pleasing contradiction of characters: while its notes of Meyer lemon, grapefruit pith and nut oils are luscious and atypically forward for a young Salon, it also feels unusually youthful and tense for the vintage, and as compelling as it is to taste now, it clearly contains hidden facets waiting to be revealed in the future. On the mid-palate it acquires a concentrated ripeness of flavor that hints at red fruits, and it finishes with expansive, mouthfilling dimension, persisting with long, kinetic and subtly complex length. As with the superb 1997, this wine will likely be viewed with suspicion by those who believe that a young Salon must only be all about razor blades and laser beams, but in truth, all of the post-1988 releases have shown a great deal of richness, and the 1999 is highly successful in its blend of modern personality and classical style. There's no reason to believe that it won't continue to develop for the next decade at least, and it should turn out to be quite exciting, particularly if you give it sufficient time in the cellar. Last tasted: 4/11."
94+ points Antonio Galloni (Wine Advocate): "The 1999 Brut Blanc de Blancs is impenetrable. This is a massive, full-bodied Salon that totally saturates the palate with fruit. Neither as austere or pointed as the 1996, nor as open as the 1997, instead the 1999 comes across as big, rich and powerful. There is little in the way of flavor or aromatic development, and it may be some time before any real complexity develops in bottle. Today it looks like the wine's best days are well off into the future. Anticipated maturity: 2019-2039. (Nov 2011)"
94 points Wine Spectator: "[$359 list] There's a streak of minerality and a lacy texture to this floral Champagne, with finely tuned acidity to focus the candied lemon zest, poached pear, nutmeg and ginger hints. A more delicate style, but seamless in its balance and finesse, with a subtle finish. Drink now through 2024. 5,000 cases made. (12/31/11)"
19/20 points Gault & Millau: "From a noble origin Le Mesnil, a single grape variety Chardonnay and only during major vintages, this 1999 is a vintage that provides a lot of emotions. This is not the most powerful vintage of the decade and one may prefer the '96, for example. But the fragility of the balance and the ethereal touches us and delights us as a mantilla placed on a soft shoulder."
|
|
|
|
|
|
$219.95
|
|
|
WS 92
IWC 92
United States
-
Cabernet & Blends
-
California
In stock,
2
available
|
|
92 points Wine Spectator: "Firm, intense and spicy, with currant, blueberry, tobacco and cedar notes that are full-bodied, well-structured, balanced and concentrated. The tannins present a chewy aftertaste, yet the flavors flow through. The best of two bottles tasted. -1999 California Cabernet blind retrospective (2009). Drink now through 2016. (2009)"
92 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "(aging in about 60% new oak, up from 50% previously; this is the first vintage crushed and made at the estate) Full medium ruby. Rich yet cool aromas of blackberry, violet, licorice and bitter chocolate. Dense and rich, with sharply delineated flavors of dark berries, chocolate and cedar. Offers compelling vinosity, and the structure for slow development in bottle. Finishes with fine, dusty, horizontal tannins and excellent persistence. With this vintage, all of the replanted vines are included in the blend, with the exception of a bit of cabernet franc yet to come. (May/Jun 2002)"
Stephen Brook (The Finest Wines of California): "Dense, brambly nose, with some tobacco tones. Sweet and intense, with splendid fruit, drive, and precision, fine acidity, and a silky texture. Very complete and long. (2011)"
|
|
|
|
|
|
$129.95
|
|
|
Germany
In stock,
4
available
|
|
|
Winegrowing at the Langwerth von Simmern estate predates the arrival of Columbus in the New World by a generation, so they've had time to get things right, which they did in the '99 vintage, particularly at the dessert wine level. Deepening in color somewhat at this point, the Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen B.A. displays fabulous concentration. The botrytised nose is redolent of peach, or apricot, nectar, honey, and tangerine. On the palate it is plump, custardy-rich, yet with surprising acidity for a wine from these rich, loamy soils.
|
|
