2/15/2022 - AValdes Likes this wine:

Good on the nose. More giving than the Goulots but fairly shy. Didn’t open much in the glass. Will be good but give it at least a decade.

8/31/2022 - valedeniro wrote:

The nose has sweetness and shows black cherry and blackberry,blond tobacco,licorice,graphite and subtle floral scents.The palate is powerful, opulent with rich and succulent tannic structure and a finish that lasts and lasts.But quite a different kettle of fish than 16 and 18.Not decadent at all,this is more classical in style and much more serious.Needs time to soften.

10/30/2021 - valedeniro wrote:

The nose has sweetness and shows black currant,black cherry,dark chocolate,licorice,graphite and some floral scents.On the palate,delectable fruit,but it is cloaked in a wall of very harsh tannins.Short finish,and in general it lacks depth and excitement.I don't see a great future here.Disappointing.

8/16/2021 - valedeniro wrote:

Wonderful expressive exotic nose of black cherry,crème de cassis,graphite,fresh cut flowers,baking spices and sandalwood.Terrific ! What strikes you about this wine immediately,is the power of the fruit and it's concentration.Full-bodied and decadent,the palate is really impressive,with very complex flavors built around a core of concentrated,head-spinning ripe fruit,at the same time elegant,with incredible depth,focus and length.Just an amazing wine and a real pleasure to sit down and follow ower some time.Will it be better in 10-20 years ? My answer is clearly .. NO ! I don't need secondary and tertiary notes.This is magical ... NOW ! This is a perfect example how the climate change has also changed the style of Bordeaux wines.

* A famous wine critic has rated it 92 pts ?????? Well, I think time of professional wine critics is definetely over !

3/26/2018 - valedeniro wrote:

Hugely complex nose with blackberry,cassis,violets,white pepper,chocolate and subtle earth.Big,rich and luscious,there is such a beautiful purity of fruit in this wine.It glides across the palate with a silky/smooth mouthfeel and remarkable texture,polished tannins and a spicy,sweet,long finish.Cab franc at its best,made in a modern style,with incredible energy and vibrancy.Superb.

4/10/2021 - valedeniro wrote:

The nose shows amazing complex,pure and decadent aromas of sweet mulberries,ripe black cherries,wonderful floral scents,dark chocolate and subtle minerality.The palate is full-bodied,lush,sensuous and rich,with decadent levels of perfectly ripe fruit.This is still young,and even if it is already delicious to drink today,this is going to get better and better with time.Impressive !

4/19/2020 - valedeniro wrote:

An absolutely prodigious wine ! Popped and poured. Super-concentrated nose exudes extraordinary notes of sweet mulberries,ripe black cherries,minerals,subtle floral scents,with hints of cocoa and coffee beans.Wow! The palate is extremely racy,full-bodied,rich and decadent.Everything is in the right place.Cashmere like tannins,abundant glycerine,viscosity,minerality and purity are all part of this exuberant,powerful Trotanoy.Oh boy what a wine !

*When I see people here rating this 92pts … I think there is something wrong with their palates !

9/26/2020 - valedeniro wrote:

Gorgeous and complex nose shows pure aromas of blackberries and blueberries,licorice,cedar,tobacco and wonderful floral scents.Full-bodied,the palate is very juicy,creamy and refined,with excellent balance and depth.A rich and complete mouthfeel ends in a long,persistent finish.This beauty is drinking beautifully right now.Classy and sophisticated.It rocks !

7/23/2020 - Cailles wrote:

Bordeaux 2015 - 5 Years On - Many Top Shots: All 12 reds tasted blind. I thought that many of these 2015s might be in a sleepy phase but that‘s not the case. The large majority of the wines are open and singing. Expressive, ripe but seldom too ripe (probably Palmer & VCC only), very layered, focused, smooth tannin structure and with a good freshness. The complete package and not one wine with noticeable alcohol. These 2015s are more exuberant than the 2016s but still full of elegance and finesse. Group Top 5: 1) Cheval Blanc, 2) Haut Brion, 3) Yquem, 4) Palmer, 5) Margaux with generally very high scores (on average 96.9 for the group, 95.8 for me) for this group of - to be fair - mostly superstar wines.

TN: This is no wine a classic old school Bordeaux palate would love (this young). While this bottle of VCC is not like Palmer “more Napa than Bordeaux”, it’s still distinctively sweet and with a high level of ripeness. I had this wine back in February (rated 97 points) and was blown away, despite hints of alcohol on the nose which were not detectable this time. What makes this wine so special is the incredible weightless structure, the cloudy feel with highly intense aromatic expression on the nose and palate (lots of different red berries, more dark fruit, loads of VCC’s signature spiciness, notes of herbs and minerality). Two points lower than the last bottle as this bottle didn’t show that complex and layered as the last one (while the structure was again great).

Decanting: Right upon opening at noon it was a wild animal, too wild and ripe. Decanted for 7 hours and it needed that.

Group rank: 8 out of 13 wines
Group score: 97.3

6/26/2020 - valedeniro wrote:

Another bottle of this and again a wonderful one.The nose delivers gorgeous and pure aromas of blackberry,cassis liqueur, intermixed with ripe black cherry,mocha,subtle floral scents and a hint of truffle and graphite.With medium acidity,unnoticeable 15% alcohol and substantial silky tannins,it offers soft textures and unbelievable mid-palate density.Very long and smooth on the finish,this is a hedonistic and sophisticated wine.It will indeed get even better if you have the patience.

*** Probably the best (86) ? points wine I have ever drunk.

6/3/2020 - valedeniro wrote:

Intense and very complex nose shows blackberry liqueur,black cherry,spices,tobacco and wonderful floral aromas,with hints of truffle and graphite.Full-bodied,the palate is really impressive,with complex flavors built around a core of concentrated ripe fruit.A big wine,at the same time elegant and with incredible focus and length.Very enjoyable now,it has the bones to age nicely over the next 30 years or even more. This is probably one of the best Haut-Bailly ever made.

4/23/2020 - valedeniro wrote:

What a beauty ! A wonderful complex nose displays blackberry,cassis liqueur intermixed with ripe black cherry,truffle,mocha and a hint of acacia flower.The palate offers a rare combination of freshness, sweetness and power.Sensous and refined,decadent with perfectly ripe fruit,velvety texture and racy juicy tannins .. it's truly haute couture ! The approachability of this wine at this young age is incredible.It's so delicious even now,that one can't be blamed for opening a bottle.

*Tasted side by side over 3 hours of time with another 2 amazing wines, Vieux Château Certan 2015 (100pts) and Trotanoy 2015 (100pts)

4/16/2020 - valedeniro wrote:

What a wine … drink this NOW ! This is orgasmic ! Popped and poured … the glorious nose delivers gorgeous and pure aromas of black cherry,fresh crushed berry fruit,rose petals,minerals,with hints of cocoa and truffles.The palate is to die for … like liquid cashmere and so extraordinarily pure,with luxurious levels of extract and richness,it has everything one would ever want in a wine.It dances on your palate like a prima ballerina and it has a great level of intensity and concentration but without any sense of heaviness,that is really unique.Fantastic wine.Why wait ?

7/16/2019 - valedeniro wrote:

This is such an amazing wine.Magnificently complex nose displays black cherry,blackberry liqueur,violets,spices and subtle minerality.The palate is medium-bodied,sensuous,silky and refined.So pure and fresh,with perfectly integrated acidity and tannins.Truly irresistible now,but with a long life ahead,this is a wine of exquisite beauty and pure class.Impressive.

10/20/2018 - valedeniro wrote:

Another bottle of this,even slightly better than last time.This is absolutely fantastic ! Sensational nose of maraschino cherry,crème de cassis,graphite,violets,chocolate and spice box.Extremely full-bodied,essence-like decadent palate,such a creamy silky lush fruit in a unbelievable balanced package.Terrific length and depth,this is a hedonistic and sophisticated wine.You love it or you hate it !

8/16/2018 - valedeniro wrote:

Another bottle of this.So much better than last time and firing on all cylinders today.Classic nose with lovely aged notes of blackberry fruit and plum,cedar,blond tobacco and minerals.Lovely wine,full of dark fruit flavors and a minty-spicy character,that is perhaps what some refer to eucalyptus.Tannins almost fully resolved,clearly in a good drinking window now.

10/18/2018 - drwine2001 wrote:

Potpourri of Wines from an Autumn Trip to France; 10/9/2018-10/24/2018 (Paris, Lyon, Beaune, Reims): Yellow. Gee, I just cannot agree with the one note in the database that praised this for having a classic Chablis nose. To me, this was more Mâcon than Chablis with its ripe yellow apple tones. Thr Raveneau gloss and texture were there, but the acidity was not, leading to a sweet impression that left me cold. Some salinity and soil arrive late, so maybe there is more structure lurking than meets the eye. I'm not so sure, though.

It definitely went in the right direction after a night in the fridge. Apple is still the predominant aroma, although less exotic. Moreover, it became leaner, and the iodine and limestone only hinted at last night were more attention and palate grabbing. Who am I to question one of the masters of Chablis? It's probably fair to say, though, that this riper vintage style (á la 2009, for example) will never produce wines that are personal favorites.

10/19/2018 - valedeniro wrote:

Tasted 3 times on three separate occasions last two weeks,and same result … unconvincing ! Backward and restrained on the nose.Palate was tight as a rock,with firm,slightly drying tannins and austere fruit.Short finish and in general it lacks depth and excitement.Not sure it had the balance for the long run.I don't see this anywhere near the spectacular 2009 and 2010.Three different bottles cannot lie.

9/14/2018 - valedeniro wrote:

Decanted 3 hours.The nose was not terribly inspiring,over oaked and overdone.Same on the palate,over oaked,light-bodied,almost thin,with poor fruit and a lot of bitterness on the finish…… we couldn't even finish the bottle !
This is a 130$ wine,that famous wine critics have rated 99,97,96 points !
Different batches ???? Which would be unacceptable !
Such a huge disappointment and a really,really,really,poor showing !

2/15/2018 - valedeniro wrote:

What a marvellous bottle of wine,stored since release in a great natural cellar.It is more Bordeaux than California.Attractive and complex nose of mature dark fruits,plum liqueur and with classic Bordeaux overtones of cedar,leather and tobacco.On the palate it is very smooth,elegant,complex,long and well structured.Could drink this for ever.Most amazing bottle of old California wine I have tasted.

4/5/2018 - d'Artagnan wrote:

Dégustation verticale du Tertre Rôteboeuf: Un nez sanguin, de fruit noir, un peu de crayon-feutre. La bouche est belle, assez riche, avec un fruit mûr un peu confit, mais sans excès, très bel équilibre. Les tanins sont encore présents mais fins. Un jeune vin au grand potentiel. En y revenant en fin de soirée, je trouve qu’il n’a toutefois pas l’étoffe du grand 2000, mais certainement un niveau similaire au très beau 1998. 94+ pts

1/1/2018 - valedeniro wrote:

The 100 points ratings of this wine are absolutely nonsense (sorry !) Served double blind.Interesting nose with dark berries,black chocolate,violets,spices and licorice.This is a huge monolithic wine with high-extraction and big drying tannins,but does not have much depth or subtlety.... where is the expression of terroir ? Decent,but lacking in any wow factor.Yes I know it is still young,but honestly I do not see a great future here.Completely outclassed by 2 monsters La Mouline 1990 and La Tâche 1996.

3/24/2018 - valedeniro wrote:

Beautiful complex nose shows dark berry fruits,cherry,leather,tobacco and intense minerality.Medium-bodied,the palate is very juicy and refined with excellent balance and depth.The finish is very long and spicy.Such a beautiful expression of Cab Sauvignon from a cooler climate.This is a truly elegant,racy,and subtle wine,with a real Bordeaux character.

7/28/2017 - valedeniro wrote:

Tasted blind,someone asked me to estimate the price.I answered 10$-15$ ! ..... Nice wine,wich was pleasant to drink.There was a sense of refinement,but sadly it lacked the depth,concentration and complexity expected from a First Growth.Decent,but disappointing for what it is.Perhaps not a perfect bottle ?

11/15/2017 - BenBlu Does not like this wine:

Chateau Figeac Dinner with Frederic Faye (Farr Vintners London): I would have really liked not to share Bob Parker's view on this wine, but I just have to hand it to him - he did nail this one in the end unfortunately scoring it mid 80s. The 2000 Figeac is really not a great wine which became evident side by side the 2004. It is very herbacious / vegatal, so green, I could not unfurl the fruit. Suggesting this is "not ready" yet is wrong in my view, this just won't blossom in my humble opinion. Weirdly enough I have had consistently underwhelming experiences with 2000 Bordeaux lately (Leoville Barton and Lagrange being the others - I have only felt that Pichon Baron made good on the high esteem the millennial vintage is generally held).

10/18/2017 - valedeniro wrote:

Lovely ripe nose of blackberry,plum,spices,minerals and some floral notes.On the palate the wine is more about elegance and balance than about structure and weight,with slightly firm but ripe tannins and good length.But where is the depth,the distinction and the great class of Haut-Bailly ??? Overall a big step down of 2010 !
Opened my first 2 bottles ... same result.A little bit disappointing .... some good qualities,but overall it did not convince me.
(Barrel sample and wine in bottle are sometimes 2 different stories .... and especially in Bordeaux ! )

5/29/2014 - valedeniro wrote:

This perfect cellared bottle was really marvellous.Very refined and complex nose with sweet black cherries,flowers,smoke,graphite,truffles and spice box.The wine glides on your palate like liquid silk with great depth and balance,and it has incredible fine and racy tannins.Long,long,long finish.This will continue to improve and develop additional complexity over the next 10 years.A beauty !