Last bottle I drank of this was in 2016 and I pronounced it dead.
Tonight's bottle was very different and very much alive. High acidity with a beautiful perfumed nose. This also showed its age and somehow pulled off having great acid and a heavy body. Was truly lovely and wish I had more.
I never would have guessed an $11 bottle just needed 9 years to settle down.
Was surprised to see this was 95% Merlot. It was lower in alcohol, and very lean. I know it's 2011, but still a surprise. Red fruit driven with some nice organic earth notes. Acid was elevated, especially for a Merlot and tannin was already some what softened. This was drinking very well right now. I think this will hold on for another ten, but likely not a candidate for long term aging.
My note from a few years ago still rings true. Tobacco and graphite with dark fruit. Much less funk, which I liked, but still a nice wine.
Was my last bottle which is too bad, but if you have any I'd drink up. I do not feel as though this wine is on the way down, but I also doubt it will get any better at this point.
Drank with a variety of other Bordeaux and this was still hard as nails. I think this wine has a real chance to live a long life. Fruit was very much in the front of it with great tannin. Bright red and dark black fruit, will be interesting when this settles down where the fruit profile ends up.
This will never be a show stopper, but I feel it has an opportunity to be a very good wine.
This drank very well. A good amount of funk that needed to blow off. I'd actually suggest decanting this. Tannin has settled and there is still a good amount of fruit. A lot of secondary aromas also, gravel and a slight barnyard aroma which I think really adds depth. A random auction purchase that ended up being a winner
Nose did show some of that funk with a hint of VA, but not enough to be an issue for me. Aroma was all over the place. Blackberries, cherries, even apricot and some floral aspects.
Does show slight VA and Brett. Not enough for me to consider it a fault, but if you detest these flavors avoid. If you, like me, like a little to add depth you will likely enjoy this wine.
Given the opportunity I would gladly buy this wine again and again...
This wine is just starting to open up. Cahors often need 10+ years to settle down, and even this wine at $20 needs years to really drink properly.
Dark fruit driven with some bloody and roasted meat aromas. This is still a baby, just starting to hit its drinking window but likely will not peak for a decade.
I like wine with age, but if you want a young fruity red Cahors may not be the place to look. If you want something that can age for 20+ years and still only cost $20 it's a great place to look.
Last time I had this was almost three years ago and I found it too sweet and heavy.
Tonight I still feel it was very sweet, and very heavy. The aromas were interesting. Candied Apricot, honeysuckle and orange, lots of orange. I did not find the phenloic bitterness to be as off putting, added good depth, and seems to have settled down a bit.
If you have any bottles I would hold. I know its 11 years old, but give it 5-10 more. It has plenty of stuffing to make it, and hopefully will develop more secondary aromas by then.
2011 Château Pré La Lande Blanc
France, Bordeaux
(7/21/2020)
Last bottle I drank of this was in 2016 and I pronounced it dead.
Tonight's bottle was very different and very much alive. High acidity with a beautiful perfumed nose. This also showed its age and somehow pulled off having great acid and a heavy body. Was truly lovely and wish I had more.
I never would have guessed an $11 bottle just needed 9 years to settle down.
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2011 Château de Bellevue (André Chatenoud) Lussac-St. Émilion
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Lussac-St. Émilion
(7/21/2020)
Was surprised to see this was 95% Merlot. It was lower in alcohol, and very lean. I know it's 2011, but still a surprise. Red fruit driven with some nice organic earth notes. Acid was elevated, especially for a Merlot and tannin was already some what softened. This was drinking very well right now. I think this will hold on for another ten, but likely not a candidate for long term aging.
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2002 Château La Fleur Jonquet
France, Bordeaux, Graves
(7/21/2020)
My note from a few years ago still rings true. Tobacco and graphite with dark fruit. Much less funk, which I liked, but still a nice wine.
Was my last bottle which is too bad, but if you have any I'd drink up. I do not feel as though this wine is on the way down, but I also doubt it will get any better at this point.
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2006 Château Peyrabon
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
(7/21/2020)
Drank with a variety of other Bordeaux and this was still hard as nails. I think this wine has a real chance to live a long life. Fruit was very much in the front of it with great tannin. Bright red and dark black fruit, will be interesting when this settles down where the fruit profile ends up.
This will never be a show stopper, but I feel it has an opportunity to be a very good wine.
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1985 Château Bel-Air (Domaines Martin)
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Haut-Médoc
(7/21/2020)
This drank very well. A good amount of funk that needed to blow off. I'd actually suggest decanting this. Tannin has settled and there is still a good amount of fruit. A lot of secondary aromas also, gravel and a slight barnyard aroma which I think really adds depth. A random auction purchase that ended up being a winner
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