It’s been 4 years since we tried this last and very happy to see it on the right path and albeit it was served a touch too warm for our taste still shown through. We actually had some of this kept intentionally for the end of the dinner and it held its lively side all the way. Side by side with the 2004 P2 ( Papies 94-95)
Quite a vinous champagne , softer , soft tasty, light smoky even at times, yeasty and with lovely rich but in balanced fruit. Very solid 93-94

A month since we had this last ( Papies 95 , this just released now) and albeit it was served a touch too warm for our taste still it sang. Tasted side by side with the 2004 normal bottling.
Focussed and polished, effortlessly elegant wine with a full feel without being in any way voluptuous or overdone. Just effortless class DP style. Very solid 94-95 and interestingly we left some in the bottle for the end of the dinner and was even more impressive with a bit of aeration. Impressive. As always.

Had a tough act to follow in the footsteps of the 2004 Dom Perignon P2 ( Papies 94-95) but held its own very very well. Bright, floral, more linear than the fattier Dom , soft nutty and spice. Very good and frankly still very young and we would suggest one ages this at least another 5yrs. 93 for now

A touch of cork on the finish , just a touch but enough to ruin things with a lot of what ifs. The wine itself felt very bright and energetic but we will wait for a non TCA affected bottle of another day to rate. Shame really.

Some decanting advisable here but no need for a long decant.
It’s been a good decade since we tried this wine ( Papies 93) albeit we did have 2 corked bottles in the meantime.
This to us ( especially having tried the mesmerising 1996 a couple of weeks ago, Papies 96) is an atypical Cos. Riper , more on the fruit and less of the minerality and austerity that we associate with both Cos and St Estephe. Still though this was a mesmerising bottle. Bright and still energetic albeit well evolved, healthy fruit, soft earthy and a nose beautiful enough to launch a 1000 ships to its rescue. Lovers of classic well aged left bank claret like ourselves would love this. Easy 95-96 and with a good decade of top end life left in the tank.

This requires a bit of decant to get to its full stride. Maybe 30-60 mins as the wine improved quite a lot with time in the glass from the initial taste.
Had an iron feel to start, almost a rusty side if we really try to put a description on it that went away post 20 minutes. The wine it’s effortless, balanced albeit with a lot of presence, nice rich feel without ever being out of sync with the well matured and earthy elements. Light leather too and with a herby feel and we wonder if in 1985 they used a bit more cab franc. Superb 94-95 and a joy for lovers of well aged pomerol. A good decade if not more of life ahead.

We do need to caveat that we are not new world Pinot people and we always feel that in the hands of people, that love the style this would be rated higher.
This was a bit of a let down actually, touch fizzy on the palate too to start, juicy, a touch overdone in the spice and the sweet fruit. Good wine but a bit out of balance and sync with its element and not helped that poor thing it’s style fell on the wrong palate . 89

We do need to caveat that we are not new world Pinot fans so in the hands of people who like the style this could well score more.
Textbook new world Pinot but also with a cooler climate feel and almost as if it was made with a light hand. Spicy, juicy fruit, bright juicy fruit we should say, soft savoury feel and softer and restrained for the style. A solid 91

Young and we would have decanted for sport but frankly even long aeration has limited impact to this at this young age.
Young for sure but not austere and has a lovely bright rich fruit that gives it a welcoming fruit , well managed oak, spice and quite enjoyable albeit also one feels that this with another 10 years of age will develop into something so much more. 93 for now but with a lot of potential in the future. Patience will be rewarded here.

Very young and albeit polished and elegant it has that one dimensional feel of perfection in youth. Definitely the quality in the wine making and the underlying fruit is there but also the oak is a bit pronounced now and the fruit too bright. Pointless to rate this this young and really this needs another 10 if not 15 years to reach the perfection it is scored by so many critics. We do hope that we get the good fortune to cross paths with it in the future.

This is the 16yr old version of the 2004 recently bottled at the domain (vs 14yrs in past bottling)
What more can we add to for this wine that we haven’t said before. Rich and nutty, touch rustic, light caramel, dried fruits, lovely noble oxidation, bright and full of charming acidity.
Another 94 from us.

Single Cask selected by Master Distiller Dr Bill Lumsden , 157 bottles bottled at cask strength out of a 2nd Fill Bourbon Cask. Technically an 18yr old as post 2002 distillation this was selected some years later as a single cask.
Signature smoky ness here as expected by this distillery, softer though, light caramel and soft mocha. Long and smoky finish. Very good but for the lovers of smoky and peaty single malt.

A very well aged bottle and with a high fill ( In Neck) and very good quality label and capsule. Solid cork.
A wine of 2 sides with the nose being exceptional, earthy, soft herbs, light mint , well evolved fruit. Touch leathery. On the palate though it does not sing the same tune, thin and lacking on the mid palate. Not bad but just not at the same intensity of the nose. 89 palate, 95 Nose so 92 overall from us and drink sooner than later.