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| Community Tasting Notes (average 88.4 pts. and median of 89 pts. in 77 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by df1962 on 4/13/2024 & rated 93 points: PnD. Let air for 1hr.
Clear. Deep ruby.
Clean. Medium(+) intensity with aroma of cassis rosemary espresso vanilla incense and plum.
Dry. Medium(+) tannin. Medium(+) acidity. Medium alcohol. Medium(+) intensity with flavours of cassis coffee vanilla rosemary and blackberry compote.
Medium(+) finish. Exceptional. Suitable for further ageing. Wow so good. Still youthful. A revelation. (87 views) | | | Tasted by WinePT on 12/21/2023 & rated 88 points: My only bottle and have watched the tasting notes over the years. The wine was in a good place (for me) with notes of black fruit, chocolate, and earth. The tannins were well integrated. (159 views) | | | Tasted by Eantnay on 12/6/2020 & rated 93 points: Excellent! Decanted for 90 min, but most likely didn't need it as the aromas wafted into the air as soon as I opened the bottle. Served with Belgian ale braised pot roast. Still had deep color with very little bricking. Nose of tobacco & black cherries. Velvety mouth feel and a lovely lingering finish. Seems like this was the perfect time to open this bottle. (1135 views) | | | Tasted by booksmiths on 7/3/2020 & rated 87 points: Served with short ribs. A pleasant, fairly simple wine, just starting to show the start of decline. Nowhere to go from here, drink 'em up. (1110 views) | | | Tasted by Laz4wine on 6/18/2020 & rated 87 points: Was hoping for a bit more here, was on the austere and uncomplicated side as mentioned, but not disappointing either with lamb and white beans, seemed food helped find the nuances and balance in the wine. (1132 views) | | | Tasted by mgl on 6/16/2020: At the end and stsrting to go :( Definitely not til 2023. (1112 views) | | | Tasted by Winiac on 4/12/2020 & rated 91 points: This bottle has opened up and its angular structure has softened up as well. Red fruir and tobacco, average acid, medium body and fine tannins. stood well to a fatty grilled lamb. Medium length and pleasant finish. Should drink well for another 5 years. (1131 views) | | | Tasted by NoWineWiz on 1/10/2019 & rated 86 points: PnP. Lighter weight, as others have said, but integrated with tobacco & cherries, and mild spice. Barely noticeable tannins and short finish. Held up throughout the night. (1250 views) | | | Tasted by Kentw on 12/31/2017 & rated 86 points: No fruit. Steely as has been noted. Tastes primarily of burnt toast with a bit of leather and drying tannin on finish. Used aervana and notes did subside some after an hour but not worth the money. Was a WL buy with GV the proprietor having a hand on the final mix. He didn’t do a good job at it. Have one more bottle that I’ll let sit for another few years. Maybe it can still improve. Disappointing even though the wine has decent structure. (1771 views) | | | Tasted by Prevean on 1/26/2017 & rated 93 points: Nice bottle of wine. Worth the $36 I paid. (2746 views) | | | Tasted by Winiac on 1/8/2017 & rated 88 points: Very dry and austere. Steely structure without the fruit to fill it. (2487 views) | | | Tasted by hende14 on 4/8/2016 & rated 90 points: Aerated into decanter , then aerated into glass. Great nose of juicy blue fruit. Love the structure. Good balance of tannins and acid, but where did the fruit go. I guess it all went away on the nose. Good with food, but want a little more fruit on the palate. (3381 views) | | | Tasted by bccdavid on 2/20/2016 & rated 92 points: Very smooth, well balanced and a long finish. Enjoyed with a steak. (2840 views) | | | Tasted by gquigs on 8/12/2015 & rated 84 points: Tobacco, leather on the nose. Some dark red fruit. Strong in the mouth, some fruit, but barely there. Drying and astringent at the end (2729 views) | | | Tasted by NoWineWiz on 7/19/2015 & rated 85 points: PnP. Out of the bottle, muted nose of tobacco and pine forest and hint of black fruit. The palate followed the nose with fading fruit and gripping tannins. After sitting 1-1.5 hours, the tannin softened, but the the fruit did not open up. The finish was medium-short. (1977 views) | | | Tasted by RichardP on 4/19/2015 & rated 86 points: Camphor and a touch of menthol on the nose. On the palate, black cherry and a bit of prune, with light tannins and a tobacco note on a short to medium finish. If I recall, this was about $40, but it tastes like it should cost one-third that much. No flaws, and the wine isn't bad, but the quality is not good for the price; I have (occasionally) found better Bordeaux for around $10. This was a real disappointment. Not recommended. (2287 views) | | | Tasted by scotty_b on 11/9/2014 & rated 89 points: Solid nose of black cherry, blackberry, and forest floor. Good mouthfeel. Some cocoa on the palate, but the fruit is muted. Astringent and drying on the finish. (2019 views) | | | Tasted by cadams on 9/4/2014 & rated 87 points: Very generic bordeaux wine, dissapointing.
With all the hype this wine got it was surely a miss.
Drink now, didnt have the stuffing to age much longer.
Subtle red fruits, some wet earth, mushroom, short finish. (2257 views) | | | Tasted by RJurman on 8/26/2014 & rated 87 points: I think this wine is on the way down. Fruit seems muted and fading. Decent nose but nothing special here. Forgettable. (1869 views) | | | Tasted by Greginnd on 3/28/2014 & rated 89 points: Ted fruits with blackberry and tobacco. Almost as good as the 2005 but not quite. (2266 views) | | | Tasted by Greginnd on 3/10/2014 & rated 84 points: Seems to be losing its fruit. Nice back end flavored but mid and end palate are lacking. Hopefully it's just this bottle. (2280 views) | | | Tasted by handymom on 2/28/2014 & rated 89 points: This time I decanted an hour before. Aromas were very appealing. On the palate, I could taste more fruit. This finish was still flat and metallic, but still had some semblance of the wine. Still too tart for my liking, but so, so much better than previous bottles. This must have preserved better than previous. (1881 views) | | | Tasted by VinoPKM on 2/1/2014 & rated 91 points: There has to be some bottle variation here. My bottle was great and borderline outstanding. Classic Bordeaux nose, you know right away this is a good wine. Tobacco, cherry, baking spices, chocolate, smoke and earth. Wished I had more bottles like this and for the ~$32 I spent it was well worth it and a great QPR. (1827 views) | | | Tasted by Zo65 on 9/30/2013 & rated 84 points: Sorry Gary. There is just not much there. Nothing remarkable about this wine. (2735 views) | | | Tasted by Venturifan on 8/3/2013 & rated 87 points: Eh...very marginal Bordeaux. Had a bottle last year that was much better. Bad bottle?? (2088 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
|  By Gary Vaynerchuk
Wine Library TV, Christmas Wines Together, Episode #792 (12/25/2009)
(Chateau Sansonnet La Reserve) #2; COLOR-dark; NOSE-this explodes; very dense and serious; big dark fruit (black currant) coming through; there's a steak-like smokiness; a little kirsch; just a very big, intense, ripe and focused nose; PALATE-great firm tannins; WOW; this wine is very young, but has opened up significantly in the last 6 months; there's remarkable amounts of gorgeous tar and leather flavors on the back-end; tar mixed with blueberry pancakes; great tannins; great sharpness; dark black chocolate; very dark flavors; very structured and compact wine; has enormous backbone and structure (can easily cellar 25-30 years) and clearly needs some time, but is drinking quite well; I love the dense intensity; a big time wine; I love it; this Merlot is spectacular; GV-94; GV-93/95 93-95 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Wine Library TV. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Sansonnet Producer website - Read more about Chateau SansonnetRed 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 RimmermanLibournais Libournais (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux) - Read more about St. Emilion and its wines - Read more about Pomerol and its wines
Saint Emilion Grat Classified Growth, Classified Growths, Grands Crus Classes, GCC
In 1954, while the "Graves" growths had just published their own classification, the wine syndicate of Saint-Emilion, composed by wine growers, brokers and wine traders with the approval of the INAO - Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (A.O.C), decided to work on a classification for the wines of Saint Emilion. Initially, four grades were defined. These were reduced to two - First Great Classified Growth (A and B) and Great Classified Growth - in 1984.
As of Medoc's 1855 historical grading, the Saint-Emilion Great Classified Growth classification is not only based on qualitative criteria by tasting the wines on a ten years period previous to the assessment, but also on commercial considerations such as:
- sales price levels
- national and international commercial distribution
- the estate's reputation on the market
Properties who don't manage to join the club of about sixty Classified Growths are given the denomination of Great Growth ("Grand Cru"), while the remaining wineries of the A.O.C are simply reported as "Saint-Emilion". It is to be noted that the owners must officially apply to appear in the official classification. Thus for example the famous Chateau Tertre-Roteboeuf, whose quality and reputation would easily justify to be listed among the First Great Classified Growths, does not appear here by the will of its owner, François Mitjaville.
The Saint-Emilion Great Growth classification was revised in 1969, 1985, 1996 and 2006. The only two guaranteed vintage (A.O.C) who can apply to the classification are the "Saint-Emilion Grand Cru" and "Saint-Emilion" areas.
By grading 61 properties, the 2006 revision confirmed many growths from the former classification, but also caused a number of surprises and a few inevitable disappointments. Many observers thought that the impressive progression of Perse's Chateau Pavie since 1998 would be rewarded by an upgrade into the First Great Classified Growths (A) category, but finally such was not the case.
Among the estates promoted to the First Great Classified Growths B category are Chateau Troplong-Mondot and Pavie-Macquin, whose efforts made since the Nineties fully justify their new grade. It should be noted that no First Great Classified Growth was relegated to the lower Great Classified Growth class.
Promoted growths from the status of Great Growth ("Grand Cru") to Great Classified Growth ("Grand Cru Classe") are: Chateaux Bellefont-Belcier, Destieux, Fleur Cardinale, Grand Corbin, Grand Corbin-Despagne and Monbousquet.
The demoted growths from the status of Great Classified Growth to Great Growth are: Chateaux Bellevue, Cadet Bon, Faurie de Souchard, Guadet Saint-Julien, La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Belivier), La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Moueix), Lamarzelle, Petite Faurie de Soutard, Tertre Daugay, Villemaurine and Yon-Figeac. If the recent samples of some of the above mentioned properties may justify their current downgrade, there are great chances that estates like Bellevue, Tertre Daugay or Yon-Figeac will be upgraded to their previous rankings by the next revision in 2016 as the progresses noted after 2000, but not entering in the range of vintages (1993 - 2002) appointed for the criteria of selection for the 2006 classification, are noticable.
The two following estates have completely disappeared from the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classification: Curé-Bon-la-Madeleine (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Canon) and La Clusière (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Pavie).
Finally, no estate considered as "garagiste" has integrated the classification. Valandraud, Mondotte, Le Dome, Bellevue-Mondotte or Magrez-Fombrauge have, for the least, the potential to be ranked as Great Classified Growths. In sight of the very fine quality reached by the above mentioned estates in recent vintages as well as all the innovative wine making methods used by the "garagistes", it remains to be seen whether the authorities will dare to cross the line in 2016..?St. Émilion Grand Cru Les Vins de St. Émilion (Syndicate Vitocole de Saint-Emilion) – Read about St. Emilion
Vins de Bordeaux:
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot
Soil: Sandy soils with alluvial gravel deposits
Surface Area: 4,160 ha |
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