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| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.5 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 40 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Cote d'Or on 6/26/2023: Tasted over 2 hrs
-inky dark red purple no bricking
-jammy cassis
-med acidity, med/med+ weight good density rather monolithic faded cassis fruit with some soil/earth notes but not much for savory mature elements, med tannins
-still doing OK with some structure to spare but not sure it will improve as it seems to be just slowly fading rather than gaining nuance, overall not bad at all for a sub-$20 wine (333 views) | | | Tasted by SebChau on 10/9/2021 & rated 92 points: Opened 3 hours prior, deep garnet colored, full bodied and round well integrated tannins. Blueberries, plum, blackberries, licorice, and hints of vanilla coming from the oak. 15 years old and still so fruity could be aged a bit more to develop some more tertiary aromas. (494 views) | | | Tasted by Cote d'Or on 5/14/2018: PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs
-opaque dark red violet
-jammy sweet smoky warm earth
-med acidity, med/med+ weight with med+ density sappy core of earthy dark fruit enveloped by chalky med/med+ tannins
-decent, not much complexity and somewhat rustic, still has some tannic structure to shed but not sure it will get more interesting (1468 views) | | | Tasted by Cote d'Or on 10/21/2016: PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs
-opaque murky red purple with minimal clearing at edge
-moderately expressive jammy cassis dark berry
-med/med- acidity, middle weight dark berry salinity faint mature elements, med coarse tannins
-on the simple side and a bit rustic, tannins could use a few years to round out though fruit may have faded to obscurity by then (2008 views) | | | Tasted by ccarter5181 on 6/25/2016 & rated 88 points: Nice Bordeaux that is drinking well now. Hitting maturity but still rather tannic. Some smoke on the finish. (2187 views) | | | Tasted by champussi on 4/21/2016 & rated 87 points: Ein gut trinkbarer Bordeaux dem durchaus noch ein paar Jahre bleiben. Nicht mehr, aber auch nicht weniger! (2206 views) | | | Tasted by Cote d'Or on 6/30/2014: PopnPour, tasted over 2 hrs
-inky dark red/purple
-ripe plum jam and cassis
-OK acidity, med weight and concentration, somewhat chalky tannins, not overly complex but pleasant cassis and earth on mid-palate, respectable length with a hint of oak on the finish
-nothing fancy but an altogether satisfying basic Bordeaux drinking well now with plenty of life left, a perfect match for hearty French bistro fare (3606 views) | | | Tasted by Nutty08 on 9/10/2013 & rated 89 points: Solid left bank for the price. Still rather tannic, with a coarse texture and slight bitterness going into the finish. This gives it a brawny masculine expression rather than elegant. Has a nice core of cassis and plum fruit and a rather expressive nose of mocha, flint, and cedar. Has room to improve, but approachable with food. (4096 views) | | | Tasted by lumpyelbow on 6/10/2013: Still going strong and starting to show some maturity. Maybe lacking a little finesse and focus holds this from entering the 90's. still very enjoyable and great QPR. (3669 views) | | | Tasted by Nutty08 on 1/29/2013 & rated 89 points: This is a perfectly good Haut-Medoc, and exceptional for the $10 it can found for. Smoke, ash, spice and currants on a rather typical if generic left bank nose. Currants and a little red fruit mixed in on the palate that still has some very prominent and coarse tannins. Palate is just showing the first hints of fruit maturity. Moderate finish with a little mocha. Drinks like a cab based blend with merlot (I don't get the PV component). Will drink well for the next 5-7yrs. (3979 views) | | | Tasted by Nutty08 on 12/28/2012 & rated 89 points: Initially some reduction on the nose but this blew off. Nose has some black currants and blackberry, cedar spice, and hint of leafy herbs bordering on pipe tobacco. Palate has repeating black fruit and plum notes, with an inital atack of bell pepper. Coarse tannins and a moderate chocolate and earth finish. A very nice Haut-Medoc in a slightly forward style--and given the $10 price point, this is a steal. A bury rather than elegant wine. Drinks well now with air but should be at it's best in 3-5yrs. 89-90 (4005 views) | | | Tasted by JustDrinkIt on 12/22/2012 & rated 86 points: Deep red in color with a little vanilla and more plum on the nose. The wine at present is a little backward with more acid and some dusty tannin in the foreground, relegating the plum fruit and some barnyard into the background. Not quite the balanced wine that I could sense and for $10.50 it is nice enough on its own or with food. This needs a good 5 years IMO for the wine to be more rounded and the fruit to be more pronounced. (2921 views) | | | Tasted by BadDeacon on 12/10/2012 & rated 89 points: This thing has a sort of barnyard, "stinky cheese" smell to it, but the wine itself is nice redish purplish fruit in the usual Bordeaux style. This is a great, solid, perfectly drinkable Bordeaux wine. Nothing spectacular, but for less than ten bucks, great. (2163 views) | | | Tasted by Skibank114 on 12/4/2012 & rated 90 points: Very nice. Fruit on the nose and smooth finish. A little earthy which I like. I bought the 2006 and 2008 to try before I consider a purchase of 2010 and 2011 futures. Can't wait to try the 2008. We will add a few 2006 at the $13 price point. (2168 views) | | | Tasted by Raph1234 on 1/6/2012 & rated 85 points: Very good, generic Bordeaux, full bodied, tannic but balanced. (2776 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 12/18/2011 & rated 90 points: Deeply colored, this Haut Medoc has developed nicely. From a unique blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 20% Petit Verdot, the wine offers licorice, olives, blackberries, floral and earthy scents. Round and lush, this elegant wine remains one of the better priced, Bordeaux wine values. This won't make old bones. Who cares? It drinks well now and it runs a little over $20. (2951 views) | | | Tasted by KevinMc on 8/19/2011 & rated 88 points: Good, but not spectacular. No formal notes - we drank it last night. (3135 views) | | | Tasted by Dave Canada on 7/12/2011 & rated 90 points: Pretty and much more right than left bank in character given the high percentage of merlot. There is a lovely truffle, chocolate and cherry aspect to this wine that immediately impresses. (3138 views) | | | Tasted by lumpyelbow on 5/28/2011 & rated 89 points: Yet to be Named Wine Club Meeting #9 (Ida and Laszlo's): Used as an "everyday" comparison to the others. Very primary in terms of evolution but had appealing fruit and good construction. Good QPR and worth having a few around to drink over the next 5 years. (3513 views) | | | Tasted by PatrickinKW on 5/20/2011 & rated 90 points: Agreed with Lumpy, much like a supertuscan. Cassis, cedar, Anise, mint... went through quite an evolution over 5 hours. Needs a bit more time to come together. Pretty decent value. (3059 views) | | | Tasted by lumpyelbow on 2/27/2011 & rated 89 points: Very nice with fresh fruit and in a good place for an early taste. Medium bodied with creme de cassis, good flow with glycerin and a nice supple finish. Surprisingly advanced. (3167 views) | | | Tasted by Edv on 1/25/2011 & rated 89 points: Robe grenat, opaque, d'une grande intensité.
Nez très bordeaux de cabernet, de fruits noirs, de prune, d'épices incluant le piment de la Jamaique.
En bouche l'acidité est fraîche, sur des tanins présents mais non astringents. Cette trame fruité suit encore et laisse une belle harmonie qui s'étire longtemps (8 secondes).
Beau vin, à conserver et ayant un très bel avenir! (3332 views) | | | Tasted by lumpyelbow on 7/10/2010 & rated 89 points: After a small decant I would swear this was Italian. Cherries and charred oak. Afterward, however, we were left with a soft spoken, fruit forward, modern Bdx. Very enjoyable. (3422 views) | | | Tasted by THT on 3/24/2010 & rated 86 points: Robe sombre, profonde. Premier nez torréfié, café. Puis cèdre, fruits noirs, assez terrien. La bouche est ronde, suave, aux tanins présents mais très mûrs, veloutés. Un style plus rive droite que rive gauche, mais un peu de fraicheur pour apporter de l'équilibre. Vin séduisant, de l'équilibre, de la structure, du fruit, une assez bonne persistance, mais je ne sais pas pourquoi, je ne trouve pas l'émotion ... (3775 views) | | | Tasted by Ambrose on 1/22/2010 & rated 86 points: Nose: red fruit and sweet berry
Palate: fruity and lush, with notes of oak and coffee, full-bodied
Finish: medium, tannic
Overall: The coffee note went extremely well with the steak on the night. Excellent. (3567 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Château Belle-Vue (Haut-Médoc) - Read about Chateau Belle-VueRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.Haut-Médoc Read more about Haut Medoc and its wines Long-standing fame The legally created division into Médoc and Haut-Médoc dates from 1935. But as long ago as 1815 a Chartrons broker, whose word carried weight, spoke of great red wines in the Haut-Médoc, so recognizing the high quality successfully achieved by this region's growers in the eighteenth century. The same Bordeaux broker revealed that the business world of the Chartrons and the great Bordeaux proprietors had established a sort of league-table of the parishes in which the vine-growing communes of today's Haut-Médoc appellation showed up well.
The Haut-Médoc appellation stretches over some thirty seven miles from north to south, from Saint-Seurin de Cadourne to Blanquefort. Within this area, certain zones produce wines exclusively with the Haut-Médoc appellation. It has terroirs of remarkable quality. And although we may note a certain predominance of layers of gravel (essentially Garonne gravel) from the Quaternary, all these sites are characterized by their wide diversity. Today in the southernmost communes of the appellation, the suburbs of Bordeaux, numerous vineyards which existed at the beginning of the twentieth century have disappeared, victims of urban expansion. But the vines live on... because man has retained his devotion to them.
The astonishing variety of different terroirs, the result of the very extent of the area, explains the diversity of Haut-Médoc wines, a fact which is rare within one and the same appellation.
But, over and above the differences, linked to this mosaic of climatic and geological influence, all these wines have the same family traits of character.
Alert and lively, full-bodied without being too powerful, and harmoniously balanced, they acquire a rare bouquet over the years.
In order to have the right to the Haut-Médoc appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the communes of Blanquefort, Le Taillan, Parempuyre, Le Pian, Ludon, Macau, Arsac, Labarde, Cantenac, Margaux, Avensan, Castelnau, Soussans, Arcins, Moulis, Listrac, Lamarque, Cussac, Saint-Laurent de Médoc, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Sauveur, Cissac, Saint-Estèphe, Vertheuil, Saint-Seurin de Cadourne "excluding all the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (48 hectolitres per hectare).
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