4/15/2024 - johneagle Likes this wine:

Very pleasant everyday claret

4/8/2024 - johneagle wrote:

Very sharp on opening but an hour in a big decanter smoothed all problems. Very enjoyable. Seems to be very diverse opinions on whether it is starting or ending its drinking window. This was the first 2 of 12, I think that it certainly has 2 or 3 years improving to come, but ready now.

2/5/2024 - johneagle wrote:

Cork had failed. Poured away

2/2/2024 - johneagle Likes this wine:

Biggish score because this wine is pure enjoyment. Perhaps it would have had more fruit a year ago, but I don't care. It is fresh, delicious and I have a cold. Proper tasting note when my sense of smell is better, but meanwhile I am very disappointed that there seems to be no more available in the UK for some reason.

1/27/2024 - johneagle wrote:

Pop and pour, as previous bottle flawed. Light, quite prominent acidity, fruit lasts well in the mouth. Should have been drunk already I think. But with a prawn and saffron risotto, well paired. May improve a bit with air.

1/27/2024 - johneagle wrote:

Taint rather than corked, but heading in that direction

1/17/2024 - johneagle wrote:

This batch is faulty. Such a shame. 5 left. I will keep trying but not hopeful

1/17/2024 - johneagle wrote:

Possibly flawed. Cork is stained along length. Sour harsh tannins. Maybe other bottles will be better.

1/3/2024 - johneagle Likes this wine:

Not decanted and I should have done. Lovely. Absolutely at ait peak.

12/30/2023 - johneagle wrote:

Slightly corked

12/29/2023 - johneagle Likes this wine:

Still very young, but charming. Lots of delicious acidity (were the other tasters complaining about sweetness drinking something else?). So long, flavour lasting a couple of minutes in the mouth. Citrus, quince and melon and and and.... 5 left. Very special

12/28/2023 - johneagle wrote:

Bought as an everyday wine, which it fits perfectly. Didn't decant which was correct. Lots of fruit, but well balanced on opening, becoming softer and earthier.

3/29/2023 - johneagle wrote:

Pleasant and enjoyably mature....

1/8/2023 - johneagle Likes this wine:

Very good. Last bottle. Full of juicy fruit with an oaky backbone. Probably better in 5 years. Very pleasant experience.

12/23/2022 - johneagle Does not like this wine:

Ref previous notes.... an hour later, hard and rather sour. Down to 87 and that is generous. Pouring the last glass down the sink.

12/23/2022 - johneagle wrote:

Ref previous note. I think it's a bit young still, but not going to get much better. Tannin too prevalent and no Margaux delicacy. Unexciting.

12/23/2022 - johneagle wrote:

I don't understand the high scores of other notes. Just opened a bottle, admittedly cold from the cellar, and after a Barolo by Cannubi 2010 with white truffle pasta. The Cannubi was all about delicacy and power, iron fist in a velvet glove. At 15 minutes after decant this Prieure is unexciting. I don't like 06 Bordeaux much and this may improve in the decanter. As at this minute 89/100. Nose is flat and dull too. I was expecting much better.

12/10/2022 - johneagle Likes this wine:

I understand the tasters who didn't like this. We had the last magnum tonight and it was perfect. Light, good fruit and soft tannins. For me, bravo

10/2/2022 - johneagle Likes this wine:

Wonderful Chianti nose. In its sweet spot but I wouldn't leave it any longer. Though my cellar got hot this summer...

7/31/2022 - johneagle wrote:

After Thevenet 07 and 08. Not decanted but left in the glass half an hour. Nose leather and red/black fruit. Lovely fresh acidity but beautiful balance. Tannins not obtrusive but holding it all together. Lovely. Maybe another year or two. After half an hour in the glass the acidity fades. Understandable but loss of charm. Still good though

6/8/2022 - johneagle wrote:

At a restaurant. Smelt wonderful but disappointing in the mouth. Predominant acidity and fruit but not a lot else. I'm going to leave mine for 5 plus years, and give it a lo g decant.

4/25/2022 - johneagle Likes this wine:

On a street in Rome, last lunch before we leave and we find this. Euro55 in a restaurant and well worth it. Just entering it's mature phase. Long, lovely soft fruit with a little mushroom in there too. Round tannins. Good.

7/31/2021 - johneagle Does not like this wine:

Should have been a perfect age but truly awful

4/20/2021 - johneagle Likes this wine:

For a cheap village wine, outstanding. With a rich fish stew with aioli. I don't agree at all with others saying that it is at thd end of its life. Sweet spot I would say. Beautiful fruit tannin balance. Spicy dark fruits. Very enjoyable indeed.

3/24/2021 - johneagle Likes this wine:

I think some people don't get the ethereal nature of good old wine. Yes, it's not what it was or might have been. I feel so privileged to be able to enjoy wine like this. I learnt about wine mostly from my father; we would have lunch together and drink claret, 1970 1966 and 1961 of the same chateau. As you tasted the older wines, each one tasted younger than the old before. But I remember clearly how the 1966s were, Palmer and Ducru especially, and they were better, but had the same delicacy of this 89 Telegraphe. I was very lucky. Palmer 1961 was magnificent. I still have one left, and a few other 61s. Takes courage and the right moment to open one. Ducru 66 a few months ago was magical. It still had a core of elegance and I wonder if wine made now at the same level will age in the same way, or last as long.

1/27/2021 - johneagle Likes this wine:

I was so wrong about this. After an hour in the decanter it was lovely

1/27/2021 - johneagle wrote:

The first bad one. Cork was fine but the wine is not. Going to leave it in the decanter and see if it improves meanwhile opening something else.

1/10/2021 - johneagle Likes this wine:

Can anyone tell me why this Chateau does not appear on wine-searcher.com?

1/10/2021 - johneagle Likes this wine:

Good. Archetypical St Emilion. In a sweet spot right now. Opened, decanted 15 minutes later and drunk 45 minutes after that with a dover sole baked quickly in butter and dry vermouth. No fireworks but very enjoyable. And I am a left bank preferrer. One more to go. If you have some, enjoy.
Now an hour after decant. Good acid fruit balance with fruit predominant. Tannins very soft. Bravo

12/26/2020 - johneagle Likes this wine:

Now this is very pleasant. The first thought is fresh, no depth, but it lasts a while on the mouth. Delicious but whilst it is unmistakably a cabernet blend, it has a delightful lightness that junior Bordeaux used to have 50 years ago. Its well made and only now giving enjoyment. I think I have a dozen and a half left and look forward to the rest...

12/25/2020 - johneagle Likes this wine:

I'm giving it big points because, apart from a slight rubber taint mentioned elsewhere, this is nearly perfect. Its Christmas day and I'm stuck on my own: thank you to the Wuhan bat eater or whoever it was. Anyway this was a single left from my father's cellar. It was a toss up between drinking this, Palmer 70 or Ducru 66 (which I drank last year and was faded but really lovely. When I was starting to learn about wine (and work too) he and I would have lunch together often, just the two of us. Always Bordeaux, usually a 1970, a 66 and a 61 of the same chateau against one another and as the wines got older they tasted better. He could do that from 12 or 14 different Chateaux. The wine was more hit or miss in those days, and probably better in the good years than their recent equivalents. The Ducru and the Palmer are final bottles left, with a few others, mostly 61s. Christmas on my own not so bad and I'm raising a glass to him...RIP 2005. (and the L-B 85 keeps getting better).
Happy Christmas all....

2 hours later it's lost the slight rubber and is just very good indeed. I am an idiot for not decanting it well ahead.

11/23/2020 - johneagle Likes this wine:

Opened after a dreadful Volnay 2014 that we poured down the sink. Quite delightful. There's lots of life here still. I wish I could find some more!

11/12/2020 - johneagle Does not like this wine:

Very strange, but this bottle was so acidic as to be quite undrinkable. I had one glass and poured it away. Other notes suggest something entirely different.

11/11/2020 - johneagle Likes this wine:

Maybe a bit high because I love mature GPL and this was a bottle from my Father's cellar. Right at is peak now. (I drank one in March and It was so good I bought another dozen - fingers crossed as to where thy have been! Drank with a roast chicken with a little anchovy butter under the breast and goodness did this wine sing - perfect, though its not going to improve much now. Bravo

11/7/2020 - johneagle Likes this wine:

MAGNIFICENT. Just at the beginning of its drinking window. Integrated and yet fruit tannins and acid all distict. A masterpiece. I had a single bottle I was given some years back and thought I would try. Goodness but its good and no hurry...BRAVO

11/3/2020 - johneagle Likes this wine:

I think this is at it's peak for me. Some might think the fruit is fading but the balance is just right. I'm going to drink the rest during this stupid lockdown.

10/17/2020 - johneagle wrote:

Gift to Marc Scherman

10/9/2020 - johneagle wrote:

Disappointingly lacking in interest. Perhaps I didn't realise one should drink this young. Won't buy it again. What to do with the other 11 bottles I wonder.

8/13/2020 - johneagle Likes this wine:

I love this wine ever since the great 1978 and have many vintages still. Not drunk the great 1990 for a while.... I rather agree with those who think the 01 is now, sadly fading. It is a beautiful drink...ethereal and delicate. Still quite long. Rather suits the Beethoven 7th that I am listening to as I drink this bottle on my own. Still much joy in there but no backbone.

7/31/2020 - johneagle Likes this wine:

Very sweet but pure and clean, not cloying at all. Lovely

7/31/2020 - johneagle wrote:

This one a bit corky and rejected - drank Clos des Papes and Telegraphe 01s instead

6/17/2020 - johneagle Likes this wine:

Previous bottle was not representative of this wine at all. Two more opened tonight and both were a delight. Beautiful balance of fruit and acidity and so very long.....as I type I had a last taste over 2 minutes ago and it is still fully recognizable and enjoyable. For a wine at this level its very good indeed. Bravo

6/10/2020 - johneagle wrote:

Odd. I wondered if it was Aligote. Very acidic. Decant the next one, maybe. If you compare it to Les Setilles 15 by Olivier Leflaive it comes a poor third

4/22/2020 - johneagle Likes this wine:

Not as firm as the 2010, little short of acidity, but still a joy. Complex and long.

4/17/2020 - johneagle Does not like this wine:

Mediocre

4/15/2020 - johneagle Likes this wine:

I've been drinking these up but there's not a lot of hurry. In a good spot at the moment. Delicious!

4/15/2020 - johneagle Likes this wine:

Not drunk one of these for a while but this bottle was so outstanding that I have just bought the last 2 dozen that I can find in the UK. Great value too.
Plenty of acidity left and a delicious long long finish

2/17/2020 - johneagle wrote:

Is it just me? I don't get the Beaucastel hype. This was a good bottle of wine but against the Clos des Papes 01 and Telegraphe 01, both of which I had drunk very recently, it didnt even get near. The other two have such charm and elegance....Beaucastel 01 is an ugly sister against them....but why do so many other people want to dance with her?

1/29/2020 - johneagle wrote:

This wine was surly and tiresome when young; nothing charming or interesting. In middle age it was dull and unbalanced. Now its thin and rather sour. Much like myself. I'm going to pour the rest fown the drain and open a half of something better. Which would not be difficult to choose!

8/4/2019 - johneagle wrote:

Outstanding for the money. Lovely now. Not sure if it will improve. Joyful is right.