10/11/2018 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Middle of the road well made new world Pinot. Can probably age for at least another five years

8/19/2018 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Pretty mediocre. Showing its age and not particularly complex or interesting. Barbecue wine. Drink now

2/4/2018 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

A classy, beautifully balanced Malbec with hints of Iron in the nose. Supple tannins and still well within drinking window. Opened up over time and would still reward decanting (and waiting). Stewed fruits, fig and prune. Sophisticated and the Cabernet seems to ground it nicely. Silky rounded medium finish.

11/6/2017 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

I am not sure whether I got a bad bottle but I found this to be somewhat inharmonious and whilst good enough, not as good as I was expecting in light of its reputation. Still gently tannic. Interesting long finish.

9/10/2017 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Very fine indeed. Beautiful copper colour with a nice sheen and luminous quality. Drinking well. Almond, macadamia, toffee, lychee, apricot, pineapple with a noticeably off dry finish. Overall splendid. I get the impression this is probably in the middle of its drinking window.

9/8/2017 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Appearance was less faded and bricky than I was expecting and the colour had held reasonably well. The nose still has some power with cedar, tobacco and spice giving way inevitably to more vegetal notes. Very muted and tertiary now in the mouth with a short-medium watery finish. Not bad considering the age and vintage but more of a historical curiosity than a pleasure to drink.

9/3/2017 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Spectacular. Huge ripe nose with black fruits. Agree with those who claim more left than right bank. Thick, sweet, opulent and utterly gorgeous in the mouth with camphor, blackberry, blackcurrant, juniper, leather and dissolving tannins. Would guess this could still age for 20 years. Incredibly long finish.

9/2/2017 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

I am generally fairly mean on scoring wine, particularly white wine, but this is the third bottle I have had of this vintage from this producer and I have found it to be an extraordinary experience on each occasion. Fragrant nose of slightly underripe apricot, underripe mango, quince and wet limestone. So many aspects to this in the mouth: off-dry, fresh lime, chalk, hint of marmalade, lemon, peach. Despite the complexity and thickness it is incredibly easy to drink, laid back and understated. I think this will go for 20 years still. A stunning wine.

8/31/2017 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Rich nose of blackcurrant and stewed fruit. Almost port like. In the mouth rich, sweet and full with hints of raisins, black cherries and stewed plums. Probably too powerful to drink on it's own. Hint of astringency on the finish. Overall very good but a little bit too over the top in style for me.

5/6/2017 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Sensational nose of blueberry, blackcurrant, licorice and plum pudding although a little acidic in the mouth to my taste. Sour cherries, redcurrant and stewed plums. Tannins are still firm. Long finish. Lots of years to go on this.

4/23/2017 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Excellent. Off melon citrus nose; somewhat muted. Such panache on the palate with great structure, limestone mineral notes and a chalky drying effervescence that lingers with a touch of spicy pear on the back end. Fantastic. Could benefit from cellaring but a treat to drink now.

4/2/2017 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

My third bottle in 12 months and this must be among the best wine I have ever tasted. Heavenly nose of wet granite, black fruits and truffle. Gorgeous palate that defies description with jammy fruits, black currant and the most overwhelming fruit forward intensity, sophistication and class. What most impresses is the smoothness of the mid palate which transitions to a dry tantalising finish that lingers for at least a minute. Tannins still present and I reckon this will age for at least another decade if not longer.

7/30/2016 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Plum thinning to bricky auburn at the edges. Smooth and wonderfully full. Bit of foresty shitake mushroom and truffle stuff going on which then yields to jam and stewed fruits. Black cherry and sweet licorice. A fantastic bottle.

4/2/2017 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Pale camomile in appearance with a nose of buttered toast and chalk dust. Pineapple, kiwi and passion fruit in the mouth (potentially other citrus flavours too). A little tart initially but opens up to a mouth filling and understated richness once left to breath. Zingy but soft and well controlled finish.

4/1/2017 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Wet granite nose; musty and thick with a hint of iron and blood. Thin on the palate but with a menstrual intensity. Nevertheless, lively and indescribably so given all fruit has almost entirely disappeared. Tannins still present, faintly, remarkably for a wine of this age. Old wet cigar. Aniseed and faded tobacco.

4/1/2017 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Elegant youthful nose of green apple and citrus with gentle yeasty undertones. Explodes onto the palate with exhilarating effervescent intensity almost reminiscent of sherbet. Incredibly focused (still somewhat closed) and sharp on the palate but somehow perfectly balanced despite the acidity. Overwhelmingly mineral rather than fruity. Sparkles into a long finish of lime and sour apple that goes for a minute. Extraordinary.

4/1/2017 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Faded watery-gold appearance. Delicate, somewhat muted, nose; maybe a touch alcoholic with sweet citrus, apricots and elderberry notes. Wonderfully balanced and understated in the mouth with hints of orange blossom, pomelo and honeysuckle. Subtle and long offdry orange-peel finish.

2/4/2017 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Relatively promising nose of blackcurrant, raspberry, forest floor and cedar. Unfortunately it proved to be disappointing. Insipid and dull in the mouth. Overwhelmingly dry sawdusty presumably from abusive oaking with a short finish and mildly unpleasant aftertaste. See John Gilman's review of this which is bang on in my opinion.

2/3/2017 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Nose of nectarine stone, lime peel and wax. Relatively well balanced acidity. Off-dry but slightly richer in the mouth than I expected based on the nose with marmalade, overripe apricots, peach and granite. Medium finish. Slightly bitter aftertaste which lingers (like a mother-in-law).

1/30/2017 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

I am inclined to agree with the other more recent CT reviews in that I think this type of wine is better drunk younger when it still masquerades for something that is a little more complex before showing its true colours. The alcohol has now almost fully overwhelmed the fruit and and it has become a husky alchy skeleton of what it might once have been. Nevertheless, not bad value for a wine that still has a lot to offer.

1/6/2017 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Left to breathe for 2 hours and then decanted for 1 hour. Expansive nose of cassis and bluberries. Somewhat dusty on entry in the mouth with notes of cedar, bark, cigar box and wet soil. Medium bodied. Lacking somewhat in concentration and still rather austere. Short to medium muted finish. Overall pretty good but not up there with the best I have had from this chateau.

11/25/2016 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Quite simply this was sensational. Indescribably rich, full and complex with close to a 1 minute finish. Drank after the 1985 Cos d'Estournel which, normally a treat, was an insipid and basic proposition in comparison.

10/23/2016 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Fresh, light and a bit disappointing. Would leave this for 10 years before trying again.

10/21/2016 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

This was sort of thin at the start, dullish and slightly sappy. After about four hours of breathing in the bottle it started to open up. Understated violet, stewed plum, ginseng with a fainter middle and then a rich silky herbaceous finish. Marvellous stuff.

10/20/2016 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

I think that this wine is now a fraction past its peak but it is nevertheless a delicious prospect. Powerful nose with cassis, cedar and dark cherries. Smoky, powerful, gravelly fruit combination on entry with wet mud and ash. Very refined tannins. Disappears a bit disappointingly in the mid-palate and then has a long sinewy licorice tail. Something reptilian about this but I'm off to buy more.

10/2/2016 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Light to medium bodied, youthful, feminine/feline feel. Lively and a bit rough around the edges. Shitake mushrooms and smoke on the palate. Medium finish.

10/1/2016 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Interesting bottle. Medium bodied and rather sprightly with a crimson pinky amber colour. Sour cherries, raspberries and old wet hay with a green dry finish. Tannins still detectable (just). I think this will drink well for another 20 years.

9/15/2016 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Very unusual if rather unbalanced. Melon, honey and pine nuts on the nose. Interesting in the mouth (maybe the Rousanne at work). Honey, almonds, acacia, fig, peach, elderflower. Generally rather sweet (maybe too sweet) and floral and could be drunk as a desert wine. Sappy bite at the end.

9/24/2016 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Excellent. Rich and slightly gamey nose with blackcurrant, cassis, and raspberries. Full and rich in the mouth (perhaps less soft than one would expect from Pomerol) and seems to me to have perfect balance. Tannins now fully dissolved. Long silky finish. Will drink well for 10+ years.

9/15/2016 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Found this rather disappointing. Slightly musty nose and big soft cassis palate that is rather one-dimensional and fruit forward to my taste. Poorly balanced, and lacking in much subtlety. Something slightly unpleasant on the finish?

9/14/2016 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

To be honest, I was a bit stumped by this one in light of a general chorus of bravos from the pros. Half bottle drank without food. Rich and sweet dark fruits on the nose and a slight hint of (curried?!) spices. I found it nice enough but a bit sawdusty on the palate with some undeveloped tannins and largely underwhelming (vis a vis many of the pro reports). Long oaky butch finish but fruit seems a bit choked here. I know others have commented on overoaking. Would leave in the bottle for a while.

8/24/2016 - Sozzled-Me Does not like this wine:

Drank two half bottles over two nights in succession. I am not sure whether I got a bad batch but this was so heavy on barnyard, mushroom and Brett when opened on the nose that I found this rather unpleasant, contrary to most other views on here. I initially thought that I may have got a contaminated bottle but the second bottle confirmed my impression of the first. Camphor, licorice, coffee and cedar come through on the palate. Past it's best (whatever that may have been) in this format.

8/25/2016 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Afraid this is over the hill now and thinning rapidly. Enjoyable but rather watery fruit and very little left on the nose.

8/24/2016 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Fresh tropical off-sweet notes of peach, pineapple and apricot kernel on the front which fade and then turn to an initially watery-citrus which is slightly bitter on the end. Pleasingly odd.

8/21/2016 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

This was rather good. Black cherries, stewed fruit and soft green licorice. Very smooth with fine tannins remaining on the finish. Perhaps lacking a bit in complexity but still not past its best in my view and won't be for some time.

8/21/2016 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Sweetness and complexity on the nose but tastes like it's wearing a chastity belt. Massively tannic and needs another decade in the bottle. Very promising but would not drink now.

8/21/2016 - Sozzled-Me Does not like this wine:

Not much to commend this. Tart, leaning towards sour with very high acidity. Overbearing green apple and lemon notes destroy any hint of oak (which comes through only every so slightly on the nose). Dry bitter-sour finish that is slightly unpleasant. Good to take to a dinner party if you don't like the host very much!

7/30/2016 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Plum thinning to bricky auburn at the edges. Smooth and wonderfully full. Bit of foresty shitake mushroom and truffle stuff going on which then yields to jam and stewed fruits. Black cherry and sweet licorice. A fantastic bottle.

8/6/2016 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

For the money, among the finest wines I have drunk. Refined, silky, understated although delicious and full with a distinct rich chocolate taste. Absolutely superb.

8/2/2016 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Orange peel. Off-dry with intriguing after taste (slightly reminiscent of the finest Rieslings?). Very interesting and great value.

7/30/2016 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Huge wine. Blueish purple. Fantastically fresh with cedar wood, leather and roasted lamb. Tannic and needs a few more years to be in its prime but this is pure class.

7/23/2016 - Sozzled-Me Does not like this wine:

Very pale in colour with elderflower notes. Overly floral to my taste with hint of Turkish delight.

7/17/2016 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Sumptuous and full in the mouth but not too rich and citrus overtones are dominant. Background notes of vanilla and custard. Faintish oak but more on the nose? Near-perfect balance. Tangy with marmalade reverberations (?).

7/16/2016 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Golden wet hay. Buttered popcorn and caramel. Bit of citrus. Medium oaky notes. Cloys quickly and acidy. Musty harlot's gusset.

7/6/2016 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Lots of sediment. Elegant, medium bodied, although slightly past its best and somewhat dull. Licorice and black cherry. Final remnants of tannins. A little one-dimensional but smooth and will probably keep drinking for another few years.

7/2/2016 - Sozzled-Me Likes this wine:

Straw coloured. Unremarkable but perfectly decent. Honeysuckle and hazelnuts with a sort of aloe vera aftertaste. Good for a while I would guess.

7/2/2016 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Exceptional vintage. I have had it many times in the past few years and it has never failed to impress. Stewed plums, blackcurrant, cassis with meaty (beefy) notes. Long succulent finish. A league apart from the '95 Comtesse I had the night before. Tastes like it will go on drinking for a decade.

7/2/2016 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Well past it's best. Thinning to acidity. Mingey. Curmudgeonly.

6/26/2016 - Sozzled-Me wrote:

Overwhelmingly alcoholic with little to no residual fruit on the finish. Disappointing and imbalanced. Hard to think of a food-pairing for this. Will probably benefit from further ageing.