Pauillac

This is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon and 17% Merlot.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is very strong with cassis, plums, graphite, and cedar.  On the palate, this is deep and tight.  Not giving up a lot of details but the total package is delicious and gorgeous.  Firm tannins.  Lots of cassis and "purple" fruits.  Great balance.  An underlying cigar box earthiness.  Long finish.  Like a lot of the 2008's, it seems just a hair behind the "great" vintages which makes this less expensive and more available and still a great vintage.  Cellar this for a decade or three, and it will certain

It's always fun to try older Bordeaux's.  This one still had something to offer if a bit past its prime.  Ruby in color, with slight browning at the rim.  The nose offered cherries, dried cherries, slight stewed fruits and a nice tobacco funk.  On the palate, this has a nice complexity with cherry fruit over forest floor.  Good acidity.  If you own any, drink up soon.  It went well with all kinds of food.  

Part of a 40th Birthday party celebration.  I am not sure if this was a great example of this wine, but the wine was sound if old and still with plenty of life left.  Pop and decant for sediment, it took about 30 minutes to blow off the bottle stink.  Purple in color, ruby/brown at the rim.  The nose has leather, some funk, cherries and dried cherries and dust.  On the palate, there is still some cherry fruit left.  Also some underlying earthiness.  A nice bit of acidity is keeping it lively without being over the top.  Fades at the finish.  It's always fun to drink older wines and this one

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

Nice wine.  From an easy to drink vintage that may have been the last reasonably priced vintage across the board in Bordeaux.  Even the best ones should be drunk sooner than later and while this is in that category, at age 16, it offered up a very nice wine.  Purple/ruby in color.  The nose is clean with some cassis and slight herbal note.  On the palate, nice one dimensional cassis fruit.  A bit shallow but still fresh.  Not a lot of development here and no funk, tobacco, or other tertiary qualities but what is here is quality.  

This seems to be at peak at this point.  It won't get any better not discounting bottle variation.  Ruby in color, slight browning at the rim.  The nose has cassis, cherries, slight baking spice, slight dried craisins, On the palate, there is good acidity here.  Tart cherries, cassis with underlying dry forest floor notes.  Nice finish.  This will work nicely with meet based dishes.  Give it 30 miutes of air to blow off the bottle stink and it is good to go.  

This wine has notoriously been slow to come around.  This is a very masculine but classic Bordeaux.  This was decanted for sediment (not a lot) and then allowed to breathe for an hour or so, it opened nicely although the best days are still ahead for this wine.  Purple in color.  The nose has cassis, tobacco, some earthiness and a fair amount of oak coming thru as cedar and slight fresh cut timber.  On the palate, this was tight initially.  Eventually opening up to show a classic, if still on the young side of mature, Bordeaux.  Cassis, black licorice, black cherries and slight earthiness. 

Pop and pour.  This is very solid but given the release price ($50) and ten years from a great vintage, it seemed to under perform a bit.  Purple in color.  The nose is tight at first but eventually opens up to cassis and spice.  On the palate, this has a nice enough texture.  Nice cassis fruit but a bit one dimensional.  Perhaps there is still time to develop but it seems that if that was the case, there would be glimpses.  Still, it is enjoyable and if straightforward, at least that is a good direction.  

This was a treat.  Lafite was not at the top of their game back in the 60's but still a first growth is cool.  I believe this came from a private collection that was sold to a wine store.  No idea about storage.  The cork was soaked to the rim and the very bottom disintegrated upon opening.  The wine was then decanted for sediment.  Purple in color which was surprising.  The nose took about 30 minutes to blow off all of the bottle stink.  At first it seemed corked but that blew off so clearly it was not (TCA doesn't blow off).  Eventually showing some tobacco, dried fruit, some cassis, and

This winery as been on a roll, certainly over the last twenty years, but especially, the last 10.  This is the best 2015 I have tasted so far.  Purple in color.  The nose has great cassis, some char, tobacco and cedar.  On the palate, this has soft black cherries while still having firm tannins.  Cassis, earth and tobacco.  Some spice.  It is big and bold, yet accessible in the glass.  Improved all night long.  Certainly a few points of upside if cellared for a decade or two.  $130 is expensive but for this quality, probably fair.