1995 Château Angélus, France, Bordeaux, St. Emilion, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1995
Score: 
95
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$500.00USD

Pop and pour with no decanting.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cherries, barnyard, cassis and truffles.  Full bodied.  Complex and layered with light tannins.  This seems to be at peak.  On the palate, cherries, dried cherries, and slight tobacco.  Clean.  Long finish.  Contemplative on its own but better with a bit of food.  Although it will drink well for another  decade, it probably will start a slow slide down soon.  

2008 Château Smith Haut Lafitte, France, Bordeaux, Pessac-Leognan, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2008
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$90.00USD

Pop and pour, this is drinking very well.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, black cherries, tobacco and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has nice tight layering that unwinds in the glass.  Light tannins.  Notes of cassis, black cherries, slight chocolate, and char.  Great balance.  Long finish.  Still a bit on the young side but no harm in opening a bottle.  This will drink well for another ten to fifteen years.  Great on its own, even better with food.  Pot roast would be a great choice.  

2009 Château Guiraud, France, Bordeaux, Sauternes, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
92
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$70.00USD

One of the better values in Sauternes. Light golden in color. The nose has with pineapples, honey and some of peach. On the palate, this is viscous and rich.  Sweet but not cloying.  Good acidity that cuts through the sweetness.  Honey and Pineapple.  Nice finish.  This is great on its own and will work with a not too sweet dessert.  Drink over the next fifteen to twenty years.  

1995 Château d'Yquem, France, Bordeaux, Sauternes, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1995
Score: 
96
Grade: 
Current Price: 
$359.00USD

Always a pleasure to drink what is arguably the greatest wine in the world.  Not the best and not the worst vintage.  At age 27, this is mature but with decades left.  Red/orange in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with apricots, peach, honey and marzipan.  Slightly viscous.  Complex on the palate.  Moderate acidity.  On the palate, honey, Crème brûlée with just a bit of underlying char.  A finish that goes on forever.  Delicious.  This drinks great on its own and will work with a more savory dessert, but that is not necessary.  

2009 Château Coutet, France, Bordeaux, Sauternes, Barsac, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2009
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A
Current Price: 
$46.00USD

From a 375 ml.  Golden in color with slight orange hues, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with honey, peaches and a slight dried orange rind note.  Viscous.  Sweet, not cloying.  Enough acidity to match the sweetness.  On the palate, honey, apricots and slight peach.  Clean.  Long finish.  Very tasty.  This probably has twenty years left.  A nice match with a not too sweet cake.  

2016 Château de Ribebon Bordeaux Supérieur, France, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2016
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-
Current Price: 
$19.00USD

Another example of the wealth of fairly priced wines that Bordeaux produces once one gets past the trophy wines.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has spice and cherries.  Light tannins.  On the palate, cherries with some tobacco and spice.  Good balance.  This drinks well on its own and will work well with meat, fowl and pork.  Lamb stew would be perfect.  Drink over the next five to eight years.  

2005 Château Bel Air-Marquis d'Aligre, France, Bordeaux, Margaux, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2005
Score: 
93
Grade: 
A

In a great place right now.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, black cherries, tobacco, balsamic and spice.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is pretty close to mature.  Cassis, spice, with underlying earthiness.  Great balance.  Light tannins.  Nice finish.  This should drink well for another ten to fifteen years.  It would match well with Lamb Stew.  

1998 Château Raymond-Lafon, France, Bordeaux, Sauternes, Wine Review

Vintage: 
1998
Score: 
91
Grade: 
A-

Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with honey, apricots and simple syrup.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, oranges and slight alcohol note.  Good acidity.  Still showing very fresh but mature, too.  This is at peak or maybe slightly past but should drink well for another decade.  Great on its own, this will work with a savory dessert such as a polenta cake.  

2010 Domaine de Chevalier, France, Bordeaux, Pessac-Leognan, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2010
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$118.00USD

Pop and pour, this would have benefitted from decanting. A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 15% Petit Verdot.  Purple in color with a ruby rim.  The nose is tight and never seemed to full open.  Lots of spice, some cedar, cherries and black cherries.  On the palate, this has firm tannins.  Black cherry fruit with underlying spice.  Long finish.  This seems in need of more time (or air) and should improve.  It would also benefit from food.  A nice steak or roasted chicken would go well.  

Pages