Popped and poured. Dark core of ruby fruit extends far toward the rim; doesn't look its age. Peppers, leaves and clean fruits on the nose. Red currant and raspberry on the palate. Slightly chewy and holding some nice acidity in reserve. Fresh and elegant, this finishes earthy and long. Drink now, for while the fruit was still there today, it was decidedly tenuous.
Blackish, midnight purple color. Peppers and star anise on the expressive nose. Some heat. Concentrated, dense, and a touch chewy palate, but otherwise velvety palate of black fruits and plum. Full, but not overdone. Perky acidity and med+ finish. Held it's own in company as much as 10x the price.
Opaque purple with touches of ruby. Butter, anise, menthol and caramel on the nose. Genius palate; so crisp, so pure. Raspberry, pomegranate. Smooth, round and elegant, it just float across the mid. Lush purple red and blue fruit tapestry. Long, decadent and finishes with some sweet tannin. 94-96pts.
Now this, my friends, is everything I love about Bordeaux. Shows its terroir beautifully. Lavender, sea breeze, graphite and cedar on the nose. Raspberry and pomegranate on the full, but elegant and floaty palate. Finishes with mostly sweet tannins, but also some lingering hints of dry grip that remind you it hasn't always drank so nicely. Finish sings on for 30+ seconds.
5+ hour decant before (mis)service. Deep, dark ruby color. Very rich, oaky nose just flows out of the glass: mocha, roasted espresso bean, caramel, smoke. The palate? Well my notes simply say "like it was made by angels". Incredible pure, silky, bright, and concentrated essence of raspberry and pomegranate. Perfectly ripe; not an ounce overdone or stewed. Unimaginably intense, but elegant and never feels too heavy. That said, it's so intense you won't quaff this. Rather, you'll sip it slowly, savoring the mouth-coating minute-plus-long finish. The oak on the nose was not my speed, but with a better bouquet this is a 100pt wine in my book.
Decanted 5+ hours before service. Deep opaque purple color. No signs of age. Complex nose of earth, smoke, campfire, baking spice, and some modest barnyard/funk. Forceful and brooding dark fruits and black cherry on the palate, with a savory and saline twist. Full and a bit chewier than I expected. Long, echoing finish with vibrant acidity. Notes here seemed to suggest this would drink well with a vigorous decant, but my read on this is that it needs 5-10 more years before you can reasonably access any hint of flamboyance. Will be a 97+ point wine someday, but for now it's holding too much back.
Decanted 5+ hours before service. Menthol, leather and honey on the nose. Palate packed with intense sweet red fruits, vigorous acidity, and some oaky spice. The fruit on this is just so vibrant and so pure, and the finish is mind-bendingly long.
Decanted 5+ hours before service. Shows little signs of age. Green bell pepper, smoke, cumin, leaves and earth on the nose, as well as red and black fruit notes. Juicy attack, but then floats effortlessly over the mid-palate -- as an elegant Bordeaux should -- with decadent strawberry and pomegranate flavors. Remarkable for its pureness and cleanliness of fruit, as well as its long, resonating finish. However the word that keeps coming up again and again as we tasted this was "balance". It is just impossibly balanced for how much is going on.
This got popped rather unexpectedly. It received about a 2h decant, which was not enough. I have no doubt this could be a 100pt wine someday, but right now it was a bit too much to process. Nose and palate bathed in oak. Intense concentrated palate. Tight as a drum. Come back in at least 10 years, maybe more like 20. 96-97 today.
2000 Château Haut-Bages Libéral 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Popped and poured. Dark core of ruby fruit extends far toward the rim; doesn't look its age. Peppers, leaves and clean fruits on the nose. Red currant and raspberry on the palate. Slightly chewy and holding some nice acidity in reserve. Fresh and elegant, this finishes earthy and long. Drink now, for while the fruit was still there today, it was decidedly tenuous.
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2003 Viader V 94 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley
Blackish, midnight purple color. Peppers and star anise on the expressive nose. Some heat. Concentrated, dense, and a touch chewy palate, but otherwise velvety palate of black fruits and plum. Full, but not overdone. Perky acidity and med+ finish. Held it's own in company as much as 10x the price.
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2004 Elderton Shiraz Single Vineyard Command 95 Points
Australia, South Australia, Barossa
Opaque purple with touches of ruby. Butter, anise, menthol and caramel on the nose. Genius palate; so crisp, so pure. Raspberry, pomegranate. Smooth, round and elegant, it just float across the mid. Lush purple red and blue fruit tapestry. Long, decadent and finishes with some sweet tannin. 94-96pts.
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2000 Château Léoville Poyferré 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Now this, my friends, is everything I love about Bordeaux. Shows its terroir beautifully. Lavender, sea breeze, graphite and cedar on the nose. Raspberry and pomegranate on the full, but elegant and floaty palate. Finishes with mostly sweet tannins, but also some lingering hints of dry grip that remind you it hasn't always drank so nicely. Finish sings on for 30+ seconds.
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2003 Sine Qua Non Syrah Papa 98 Points
USA, California, Central Coast
5+ hour decant before (mis)service. Deep, dark ruby color. Very rich, oaky nose just flows out of the glass: mocha, roasted espresso bean, caramel, smoke. The palate? Well my notes simply say "like it was made by angels". Incredible pure, silky, bright, and concentrated essence of raspberry and pomegranate. Perfectly ripe; not an ounce overdone or stewed. Unimaginably intense, but elegant and never feels too heavy. That said, it's so intense you won't quaff this. Rather, you'll sip it slowly, savoring the mouth-coating minute-plus-long finish. The oak on the nose was not my speed, but with a better bouquet this is a 100pt wine in my book.
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2003 Château Cos d'Estournel 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
Decanted 5+ hours before service. Deep opaque purple color. No signs of age. Complex nose of earth, smoke, campfire, baking spice, and some modest barnyard/funk. Forceful and brooding dark fruits and black cherry on the palate, with a savory and saline twist. Full and a bit chewier than I expected. Long, echoing finish with vibrant acidity. Notes here seemed to suggest this would drink well with a vigorous decant, but my read on this is that it needs 5-10 more years before you can reasonably access any hint of flamboyance. Will be a 97+ point wine someday, but for now it's holding too much back.
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1995 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select 97 Points
USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
Decanted 5+ hours before service. Menthol, leather and honey on the nose. Palate packed with intense sweet red fruits, vigorous acidity, and some oaky spice. The fruit on this is just so vibrant and so pure, and the finish is mind-bendingly long.
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1996 Château Latour Grand Vin 98 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Decanted 5+ hours before service. Shows little signs of age. Green bell pepper, smoke, cumin, leaves and earth on the nose, as well as red and black fruit notes. Juicy attack, but then floats effortlessly over the mid-palate -- as an elegant Bordeaux should -- with decadent strawberry and pomegranate flavors. Remarkable for its pureness and cleanliness of fruit, as well as its long, resonating finish. However the word that keeps coming up again and again as we tasted this was "balance". It is just impossibly balanced for how much is going on.
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2006 Penfolds Grange 96 Points
Australia, South Australia
This got popped rather unexpectedly. It received about a 2h decant, which was not enough. I have no doubt this could be a 100pt wine someday, but right now it was a bit too much to process. Nose and palate bathed in oak. Intense concentrated palate. Tight as a drum. Come back in at least 10 years, maybe more like 20. 96-97 today.
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