3/21/2010 - xwine wrote:

More vinegar.

7/10/2023 - ArtF wrote:

Three years since last tasted. Still deep maroon. Truffle, lead pencil, earth, on nose and palate. Beautiful balance and elegant. A little less full bodied than before. A thirty year wine, probably.

4/15/2023 - ArtF wrote:

Perfect cork, young color, deep crystalline ruby. I got nothing on nose. Palate smooth and firm, medium to full bodied. Mixed reviews from the table. I'm guessing I should have decanted an hour or two, or maybe opened 5 years ago.

3/7/2023 - ArtF Likes this wine:

This half bottle was deep gold or light bronze. Full bodied but enough acidity for balance. Very sweet but not cloying Elegant.

7/10/2022 - pavel_p Likes this wine:

Opened and drank 2005 Boyd Cantenac, 2007 Pontet Canet and 2005 Smith Haut Lafitte one after the other. Surprisingly the 07 Pontet Canet was showing best right now in my eyes. Had drank the 07 for the first and last time at the estate and was not impressed (rated 89 or so), but this is now a Pauillac in perfect balance, middle weight, still good structure. The 05 Boyd Cantenac was a bit lean and thin for 2005, not a bad wine for sure but I liked it 3 years ago better and drinks more like a good 04/06 now. The 05 SHL was probably the most disappointing. Showing plenty of unintegrated oak upon opening. Comes together a bit better with more air but nothing impressive and for sure nowhere near the 98 points Parker saw.

6/17/2022 - Thek Likes this wine:

3hr decant. Nose is a bit reserved and buried behind the heat. Blackberries, light hints of violets, light cedar and vanilla. Juicy palate of black fruit, blueberry, some green steminess and heat on the finish, fairly high acid, medium plus body, moderate silty tannins. This is modern and has some heat without seeming too extracted. It’s reasonably enjoyable and I could see it improving in 5-10 years but hard to see where the upside would come from beyond that. I’m glad I have a few more in the cellar to see how this develops, but not about to run out and stock up on more. 91-92

Better with food.

4/25/2022 - Dima Angert Likes this wine:

Pushes above its weight. Lovely villages, silky tannins, ripe sour cherry, tea and rosehip. Good balance and acidity, thoroughly enjoable.

12/12/2021 - crewald wrote:

Brought to Dragon holiday party. Served 30. Just beginning to develop amber tints. Spectacular: honey, orange peel, spice, tropical fruits. Waves of finish. Light on its feet and clean. Would love to meet this again in 20 years.

4/23/2021 - djn63 wrote:

You grab a random bottle. It’s not something you know it’s not famous it’s value isn’t exorbitant yet it’s just fantastic it’s smooth it’s balanced it’s just so pleasant. This is that wine it’s no. 100point wine but boy is it enjoyable to drink.

4/20/2021 - ArtF Likes this wine:

Dark plum color, purple rim. I like the elegance and smoothness of this young Bordeaux. Full bodied, dense, spicy fruits, hidden acidity and tannins. Fruit easily masks 15% alc.

4/6/2021 - ArtF Likes this wine:

Decanted on Monday to enjoy over the weekend. Drinks like strawberry compote. Even better the second week. Placed rest of bottle in fridge with vacuvin rubber stopper for NINE MONTHS. Initially nice but slightly spirity. Rest of a glass kept on counter for a week tastes like sweet, dense grape juice. Microscopic sediment takes weeks, if not months to settle out.

5/19/2020 - ArtF Likes this wine:

Light gold. Firm, fresh, lemony acidity. Medium body and finish. Drink soon but should continue drinking well to Fall 2021.

10/9/2020 - Collector1855 wrote:

Expressive nose of lemon, apricot, white flowers and mineral, as always great nose with JJ Prum. Unctuous mid palate with good acidity. A bit sweeter than the 2004 which I preferred.

10/7/2020 - ChâteauneufDuPfaff Likes this wine:

Excellent Spätlese from a prime vineyard from a terrific producer from a very good year. You can't go wrong with this combinaton and the 07 Wehlener Sonnenuhr did not let me down: Amazing (ripe) fruit, nicely dialed-in petrol notes, fabulous acidity and what a finish. Spectacular.

9/20/2020 - ArtF Likes this wine:

Brambly fruits are gone. Needs 2 hour decant or a few more years. Lead pencil, some grippy tannins, muted red fruits. Some suave elegance. Medium to full bodied.

6/1/2020 - Julian Marshall wrote:

Better than the last bottle, probably because it was decanted in the morning. Quite a leafy bouquet, with understated aromas of dark cherry and blackcurrant, plus a touch of cedar. The attack is muted at first, with notes of blackcurrant which never really get going, but with a refreshing acidity mid-palate and some good notes of blackberry and black cherry on the finish, plus some hints of raspberry somewhere in the mix. It did gain in intensity as the evening progressed, providing quite a decent drink but somehow never getting out of second or third gear. Not bad, if this had been another vintage it would have been OK, but it's a 2000.
Again, frankly this is a wine to avoid - I love Chinons, but this is not so much green-tinted as unripe. For SM, this is a car-crash vintage.

Having said that - there are clearly good bottles around - nobody could accuse RMP of liking unripe wine or Chinons (!) yet he gave SM 00 four very good to excellent reviews.

1/21/2020 - chatters wrote:

From Coravin. Sulphur with apple, honey, a slight custard apple note and a little mineral underpin. With time a little cream here as well. on the palate it has sweet ripe apple with honey, a little texture on the mid palate but overall this is surprisingly simple though balanced. Travels long. Okay.

2/1/2020 - ArtF Likes this wine:

Perfect cork, purchased as futures, professionally stored since. Pouring at cellar temp seemed just right. Lead pencil on nose and palate. some dark berry fruit, integrated tannins, very smooth. Bought cheap when everything French was discouraged here because of their opposition to U.S. invasion of Iraq (remember freedom fries?).

12/30/2019 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

Holding up very well; as I imagined it would. I've been enjoying these wines (no longer distributed in USA) for nearly 20 years, and in that time they've taken their already high quality steadily higher. The color shows little sign of age, and the aromas seem to be equally divided between secondary and tertiary; there's plenty of complexity after just 45 minutes in decanter. The palate is med/med+ body with plenty of fresh acidity, fine, resolved tannins, and a med+ finish. The cork and fill on this bottle were pretty much perfect, and so based on this example, it's crested its apogee and is on a gentle, and no doubt extended, down-slope. A joy that became better with each subsequent glass. 13,5% abv., drink thru 2024. recommended+

https://www.italianwine.blog

11/1/2019 - JChan wrote:

Coravin ruined my wine..

8/31/2019 - InVinoMomentum wrote:

If you have any left - drink now. It’s past its peak.

6/8/2019 - ArtF Likes this wine:

Inviting fresh melon nose. Palate has lost some freshness from last year. Good for one glass. I'll wait another two years with my last bottle.

7/13/2019 - ArtF Likes this wine:

Perfect fill and cork. Deep ruby to rim Much different than one year ago. Very closed. Dry and acidic. Buried tannins. Ok with food. But much better after 14 hour decant. Wait another year, at least. Or hold past 2023 for full maturity.

6/8/2019 - Fruitsrouges wrote:

Two hour decant, disappointing especially given the exceptional vintage. Green bell pepper dominates the nose suggesting strangely for such a great vintage, that grapes were not completely light. Smooth, pleasant mouth feel with decent, medium finish. Drink now, doubt this gets better.

6/11/2019 - Xavier Auerbach wrote:

Symington Vintage 2017 Presentation (NewWerkTheater, Amsterdam, NL): Bottles shipped from Oporto last week. The first one had impressive concentration, quite a meaty nose, slightly vegetal, tertiary flavours, not a lot of fruit, dark chocolate, strange overall, hot and slightly rustic finish. Solid but not elegant, and potentially incorrect (90). Second bottle much better, everything as it should be, elegant and classical port, candied fruit, citrus, milk chocolate, cedar, harmonious and complete, very good length (93).

4/11/2019 - millerarner wrote:

I’m reading all the remarkably consistent tasting notes by other CT community members and feeling like a joke has been played on me. Bottle was stored properly since purchase from a reputable wine store, but the liquid inside little resembled that experienced by the others. Had medium-minus acidity at best, with high residual sugar, almost as if someone added a large dose of a well aged Sauternes to the mix. The nose was dominated by the petrol notes you’d expect from a 15 year old Riesling, with the honey and fruit only showing faintly mid palate. Had a well sealed non-pushed cork, and no sign of taint. Bizarre.

1/27/2019 - BradE wrote:

Over the hill, and not really drinkable.

8/5/2018 - ArtF Likes this wine:

Fill into neck and perfect cork. Agree with BAM_MAN from 2 years ago, except think 91 is stingy for a wine that drinks like a beautifully mature Bordeaux. Silky and complex. Lightly drying tannins after an hour, so no rush to drink up. Exceptional.

4/22/2018 - JMoran999 wrote:

123

1/27/2018 - kdubler wrote:

EBLC Does Bordeaux (SLC): Was a little bit disappointed with this bottle. Drank the last one about 2 years ago and this seems to be in the decline. Not as fresh and taste a little bit overripe bordering on syrupy. Just didn't have the acid structure to balance it out. This tasted older than any of the 2001s. May have been an off bottle, but no obvious notes of a flaw.

12/25/2017 - drdecanto wrote:

Always a treat to open an older port. I'm rarely disappointed, but not infrequently left with a sense that a particular bottle isn't delivering everything it might have at another point in time, past, future (or even present depending on storage conditions). This is such a bottle; "I think". I was left with a sense that there was more "there" at some other point in time; call it depth. Nonetheless there is a lovely nuttiness. There is a freshness. But just not much fruit-in this bottle. Perhaps a hint of white raisins.

1/15/2018 - RichardsEric1 Likes this wine:

It's very good. But it's also not great. The fruit is mostly gone. The feel on it is super silky. The acidity is almost gone. I really like the nut in Earth Tones. However the lack of fruit makes it a little bit tough to work with.

1/1/2018 - amateurwino wrote:

There was definite seashell on the nose and a lean mineral palate that all pointed to Chablis , but there was something pungent on the nose that I found a bit off-putting.

11/23/2017 - Bokajnej wrote:

Aroma: lidt blomster og citrus
Smag: frugt, blomme, peber, solbær

8/8/2015 - OenophilistMN Likes this wine:

From a magnum. Crimson in the bowl with slight bricking. Classic nose of black currants and lead pencil. Tannins had softened, but this was no simple wine, nice complexity. I sensed some thinness in the middle, which the food helped mask. Glad I drank it when I did, and it is my impression that single bottles of this wine might be headed downhill.

1/24/2017 - pianoblvd Likes this wine:

1st glass at VP, Woodside CA. No need for decant. Was offered a Grand Cru Burgundy first, but settled for 2012 Kongsgaard The Judge – more fruit forward, more to taste. Lots of tropical fruit flavor, spice, perhaps Cinnamon, very light yellow with faint greenish tint, high purity/clarity, very faint sweetness detected, no oak detected, easy and very pleasant to drink, easily a 95+ Chardonnay. Had a French Omelete for brunch with it, perfect.
2nd glass Corvidan from 1st bottle two days later. No need for decant. 2nd glass tasted more oaky than the 1st glass, as usual, the fruit and spiciness remains, and conference room at work was immediately permeated with fruit scent upon opening. Paired with Spinach/Beet/Dry Cranberry salad and grill salmon. The sweet cranberries paired with the wine extremely well, a happy afternoon at work. Still easily a 95+ Chardonnay. But will opt for a Kongsgaard for half the price next time.

The wine looks colorless colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like cranberry, gooseberry, blackberry, lemon, orange, raisin, pineapple, melon, mineral, cinnamon, clove and apple blossom.

3/8/2008 - buckeye76 wrote:

NEEDS TIME, STILL A BIT STIFF, HERBAL NOSE WITH BLACK CURRANTS. FLAVOR LIKE THE NOSE. NICE, BUT NOT BORDEAUX LIKE. SHOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THIS EVOLVES. LONG FINISH.

10/29/2016 - rmalloy wrote:

This port seems average and non-descript to me. Fine flavors but rather flat.

3/19/2016 - Sunny10 wrote:

oxidized.

11/22/2015 - BoireBio wrote:

13/20
VISUEL: grenat vers l'orangé
OLFACTIF: nez évolué vers le tertiaire
GUSTATIF: il offre de la matière et une bonne évolution. Les tanins sont bien fondus après 12 ans.... Quelques notes balsamiques. La finale est puissante tout en conservant une finesse.
ENSEMBLE: je donne un 13/20 ou 65/100 : je ne peux faire mieux pour ce Pauillac qui se glorifie de Grand Cru Classé. Je ne pense pas que les notes observées qui vont de 89 à 93 pour ce vin chez ceux qui l'ont noté au cours des derniers mois soient réalistes. Je trouve qu'on est pas mal plus conciliant lorsqu'on juge un GCC. On le carafe....on le bichonne, on le redéguste après 3 heures, après 2 jours et on arrive à se dire qu'il faut bien lui trouver quelque chose pour justifier le prix qu'on a payé. Pour ma part, je l'ai payé 59$ canadien en 2006 et même si aujourd'hui il doit bien valoir le double et plus sur le marché, je ne peux lui donner plus que 13/20. Le marché nous offre plein de bouteilles nettement meilleures que ce Pauillac à moins de moitié du prix. J'ai cessé d'acheter des GCC et je m'en porte très bien. On a beau vouloir noter dans l'absolu mais contrairement aux dégustateurs professionnels le prix payé versus le plaisir obtenu doit être considéré.

11/23/2015 - EricLi wrote:

Not drinkable upon PnP. Some red fruit on the nose after a few hour decanting, but not improving on the palate. I thought it was a bad bottle and opened another one. And it was identical! Instead pouring them into the drain where I thought they belonged, I happen to have room left in the fridge and left them there overnight.

They barely improved on 2nd day, but I did see some hope as I managed to sip a few glasses.

Finally it came together a little on day 3. Red fruit with decent dose of spice. Swiveling will bring out more peppery nose. Pleasant Oak and vanilla are also present. It is quite delicate with medium finish.

10/11/2015 - Gymjunkie247 wrote:

Sharp and punky...tossed it down the sink

10/14/2015 - cuffthis Likes this wine:

Medium ruby in color, this wine shows bright red fruits of raspberry, tart cherry and spice cake. The mouth feel is lighter bodied with hints of smoke and cedar as well as a subtle candied sugar element. The finish has nice lift and pulls the red fruits and acidity together in a seemless, pleasant fashion. The 12.7% abv is a nice touch.

Purchased for $15US, this is an enjoyable wine whose low abv makes it easy to drink an extra glass or two. The subtle candied or burnt sugar element in the background knocked my score down a little. Glad I bought 6 of these though at this price point.

5/22/2015 - king-bing wrote:

Fine but somehow less energy than I remember the last bottle. Perhaps just overshadowed by the superb 2003 Christoffel Auslese*** tonight.

5/14/2015 - dsimmons Likes this wine:

Beautiful Burgundy with earth, tobacco and smoke notes. This wine typifies what I hope for when I cellar Burgundy. Delicious and still have one more bottle to try next year.

5/9/2015 - MikeATL wrote:

Brisket, Bordeaux, and Rhones: Totally dominated by green bell pepper, to the point of being unpleasant even for a lover of Loire cab franc like me.

5/10/2015 - tcosgriff Likes this wine:

Deep port color with a typical dusty port bouquet and flavor, mixed with sugar plums. The bottle sediment was incredible. I found the wine rather dense and closed. Still it is hard not to like port. I think that the ratings for this wine may be a bit high. Rating dessert wines is difficult, but finding too many flavors is always suspect. Simpler descriptions are probably better.

4/6/2015 - Harry Cantrell wrote:

Gold. Nose had a whiff of oxidation but the true Burgophiles dismissed this. Spices, slate. Taste was sharp, minerals.

7/9/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote:

This was my first experience with this special cuvee. I hope it will not be my last as this wine is a stunning example of Sauternes. Deep in color, the aromatics are intense with their honey drenched apricot, pineapple, caramel, custard and spicy notes. Thick, rich and intense, yet perfectly in balance with ample sweetness and acidity. Drink it now or age, this is a stellar juice!

12/25/2014 - Claw Dee Puss wrote:

Well. I can't help but say I was somewhat disappointing with this. Of course, it's a decent enough drink, but I was expecting more - more style, more finesse, more panache, more finish. For 30 years old, intellectually, it's amazing how red and fruity it still is, but I get a lot more enjoyment from what happens in my nose and mouth than in my brain. I don't regret having it, and it's not a bad price, but 3 bottles of crusted are better value than this.