2003 Château Léoville Poyferré, France Bordeaux, Saint Julian, Wine Review

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. This went well with Eggplant Parmesan.

Grade:

Score:

Vintage:

2003

Current Price:

$160.00USD

2003 Château Branaire-Ducru, France, Bordeaux, St. Julian, Wine Review

Vintage:

2003

Score:

Grade:

Current Price:

$74.00USD

This took about an hour to open and then was drinking great. It is a blend of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 4.5% Petit Verdot and 3.5% Cabernet Franc. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose has cassis, cigar box and cherries. On the palate, this is full bodied. Ripe fruit. Lighter tannins. Flavors of Cherries with some cassis, chocolate and clean(er) barnyard. Good finish. This is about at peak now but should be here for at least another five to seven years. It will go well with roasted meats or fowl.

2000 Château Léoville Poyferré, France, Bordeaux, Saint Julian, Wine Review

Vintage:

2000

Score:

Grade:

A+

Current Price:

$185.00USD

Great wine and in a great place. Still has plenty of life left but fantastic right now. Purple in color, although a bit dull at the ruby rim. The nose is fantastic; cassis, cigar box, cherries and dust. With air it brings some funk in a beautiful way. On the palate, cassis, dry earth and slight spice. Complex and tightly layered it unwinds quickly in the glass. Long finish. This would be ideal with heavier or meat based dishes. Truly a contemplative wine and everything you could hope for back when this wine was released.

1983 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou, France, Bordeaux, Saint Julian, Wine Review

Vintage:

1983

Score:

Grade:

B+

Current Price:

$150.00USD

This was pop and gently poured around the table. Ruby/brown in color. The nose is dusty at first. With air some cassis and celery come out. With more air, the cassis takes over along with some cigar box, but after a bit, it starts to fade albeit slowly. On the palate, it starts out slightly bitter but with air gets a bit riper. Not the deepest or most complex wine but still drinking nicely. Certainly past prime at this point but with something to offer. A nice contrast to slightly more youthful wines. At 35 years from birth, pretty impressive.

2020 Château Lalande, France, Bordeaux, Saint-Julian, Wine Review

Vintage:

2020

Score:

Grade:

B+

Current Price:

$55.00USD

At a recent tasting, I liked this far less than the group I was tasting with. It is a blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright. The nose is nice with black cherries, and some spices. It does have a lovely silky texture. Some depth. Medium tannins. My issues were that I found it on the flabby side, lacking in acidity. It gave the wine an easy drinking quality that, for the money, was disappointing. Not a bad wine, in fact a good wine to be sure. Of course, as I said, others, whose palates I respect, liked it far more. It w

2015 Château Lagrange, France, Bordeaux, Saint-Julian, Wine Review

Vintage:

2015

Score:

Grade:

B+

Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is dusty with tart cherries. Seemed quite tight. On the palate, cassis fruit. Medium bodied. A fair amount of oak. OK finish. I am hoping this is just shut down at this point as it did not seem to give up too much. At $50, this is not inexpensive. It is good, but under expectations. At this point, it should be cellared for a decade and then checked in on.

2003 Château Léoville Poyferré, France Bordeaux, Saint Julian, Wine Review

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