Once again demonstrating how long the 2005's are taking to come around. Pop and pour (for logistic reasons), this was just starting to open at the two hour mark. Still, a great showing though.
A new winery for me to try. Purple in colo9r, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright. The nose has black cherries, slight cassis, smoke and gravel. Medium bodied. Light tannins. On the palate, nice black cherry fruit with underlying smoke and gravel. Nice finish. This should drink well for the next ten to twelve years. This should go well with Roasted or Charred Portabellas and Root Vegetables.
From Pesac-Leognan in Bordeaux, this is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and the rest 3% Cabernet Franc. Purple in color, ruby at the rim, opaque and bright. The nose is nice with cedar, cassis, black cherries, and asphalt. Full bodied. A lovely, plush, velvety texture. The palate has cassis and cherries with slight leather notes. Nice acidity. Firm tannins. The asphalt note re-emerges on the finish. This needs another seven to ten years and should drink well for ten to twelve after that. If drinking now, give it 12 hours of air. It will work well w
This is 90% Sauvignon Blanc and 10% Semillon. Pale silvery/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose is interesting with pine, pears and apples and a bit of minerality. On the palate, pears, slight candied lemon and a bit of menthol on the finish. This has a lovely full bodied texture without giving up its acidity or cut. Solid finish. Drink this over the next five to eight years. It will work well with lighter and medium bodied foods. It will work well with a Goat cheese and Beet salad.
Typically, Haut Brion is my favorite of all the first growths. Perhaps because the blend is a bit different. This vintage is 50% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 11% Cabernet Franc. At age 24, this is just about at maturity. Purple/ruby in color, but starting to show some browning. Mostly clear and bright. The nose has black cherries, cherries, tobacco and slight earthiness. On the palate, a nice tart but sweet fruit - cherries, black cherries and slight black raspberries. Layers of complexity. Long finish. This won't get better from here, but should have ten to fifteen years a
This was consumed against a 2016 La Carte de Haut Brion Blanc and the crowd seemed split. Although these are very similar wines on paper, they were quite different in the glass and everyone seemed to have a clear favorite. An 80/20 split of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. This is a rounder, softer wine with a bigger profile. It is light golden in color. The nose has plenty of vanilla with some lemon creme and a slight floral quality. On the palate, this is soft with tart red apples and some peach. A bit of minerality. Nice finish. This is drinking well now although I don't know that
What an outstanding wine. This is the second wine of Haut Brion Blanc. My first time trying this. it is a blend of 76.3% Sémillon and 23.7% Sauvignon Blanc. It has a silvery/pale yellow/gold color to it. Very pretty nose with lemons, chervil and minerals. On the palate, the lemons come thru along with some vanilla and minerality. Very crisp with nice acidity. Pin point focus. Of course this is very young, but it is delicious. On a warm summer evening, this goes down very easily. This is expensive and as good as this is now, it should improve. I would cellar for three to five yea
A blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has cherries, cassis and coffee. On the palate, this has a nice depth and complexity. Cassis fruit layered with spice and slight earthiness. Soft texture. Medium tannins. Good finish. This is a very pretty wine that just now seems to be closing in on peak. There is some more upside to this wine. It will work well with roasts or grilled foods.
This house may be better known now for their reds, but they make some fantastic whites as well. And, as this bottle shows, they can be quite age worthy. Medium golden in color. The nose is nice with lemons, lemon peel, along with spice and vanilla. There is a fair amount of oak still on the nose. On the palate, plenty of lemons, slight wax, vanilla and spice. Mild oak tannins. Long finish. There is still plenty of fruit left but also plenty of oak. This should continue to slowly age out from here, but won't get any better. Good finish. This will work well with salmon or roasted d
This is a white Bordeaux from the heart of the Graves region where some of the best white wines come from. It is a blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Sémillon. This is truly a wonderful wine that is just starting to get close to its peak. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is gorgeous. Slightly waxy with pears, a touch of honey and citrus. Very clean. On the palate, this has just a bit of viscosity. Lots of pears, slight apricot/honey and slight vanilla. It is dry with good balance and acidity. Lots of depth. Long finish. Probably at its peak for the next ten ye
