Always a great value in Bordeaux. Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is very tight. Black cherry fruit, tobacco and spice. Full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, this is tight. With air, cassis and coffee notes. Moderate finish. This seems tight and already shutting down. If drinking soon, give it some air, but better to wait five years. Drink over the next twelve to fifteen.
This was a brutally hot vintage and winemakers had to deal with over ripeness from the heat and under ripeness from the vines shutting down. Yet, some did make wonderful wines and this is one. Purple in color with some ruby hues, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, chocolate, cigar box, spice and smoke. Full bodied. Medium tannins. Good, lively acidity. On the palate, this is mature and drinking well. Deep with layers of cassis, tobacco and spice and some char. Long finish. This won't get better but should go another ten years. Great on its own but better with food. T
Lots to say about this wine, but first, why it was opened. My friend Chris is about to retire. Way back in 1986 or so, Chris was convinced to spend $30 for a 375ml bottle of this wine. Since that time, he has waited for the right special occasion to open the bottle. Luckily for me (since I din't meet Chris until around 2010), this bottle is known to maturing at a glacial pace. He has moved all around the world waiting for the right time and place. My wife and I had dinner at Chris's home before he leaves town and goes to spend his retirement in Cape Cod. Chris opened the wine. What
Another of the better right banks that gave a disappointing performance. This vintage seems to have shut down quickly. Perhaps that's an excuse but it was pretty consistent in the better Merlot based wines. Purple in color, mostly opaque if a bit flat. The nose has cherries and spice along with a slight salinity. Full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, this has nice cherry fruit but seems mono-dimensional. In a group of eleven tasters, this finished at or near the bottom of a tasting of right bank wines. It is likely shut down. Still, given the quality of the producer and the vi
An issue with Bordeaux is how long do they need to be cellared before opening. I saw a tasting note saying this was drinking great, so I opened a bottle. Pop and pour. Uh, no. At least not for my tastes. It was tight, closed up and tannic. No harm though, the cork went back in and it was left for the next night. Again, pop and pour on Night 2. Much better although the last glass was certainly then best (by far). If I was doing it again, I would wait a couple of years but if I really wanted it htat evening, a six hour decant seems about right. As for the wine, it is inky purple in
Another example of what great value there is in Bordeaux once one gets away from the classified growths. A blend of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is nice with black cherries, plums, spice and char. Medium to full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, this has some depth. Notes of cherries, black cherries and black raspberries with some spice and a bit of earthiness. Nice finish. A very pleasant wine that is better with food. This would work well with roasted fowl or meat or even root vegetables. Drink over the next
