4/20/2019 - englishman's claret wrote:

The 2010 Leoville Barton is a striking wine, brimming with rich cassis, cedar, lavender, mineral, and touches of anise and tobacco. This is a tremendously large-scaled wine on both the nose and palate, yet so well-mannered and not at all inelegant. This reaches 13.5% and it's good that it's no higher as it just avoids being hot and is well balanced by the robust body and high tannin. Long, pure fruit finish. Interestingly, the nose is very expressive for the first half hour of air and then closes in, remaining reasonably reticent for the following 12 hours. This is special stuff and, if you have a bunch, it's worth opening one now to understand the impressive raw material you'll be able to watch evolve over the next 60 years.

2/10/2019 - englishman's claret wrote:

I like tasting young wines so I can decide for myself what to lay down in the cellar. There’s so much to love in the 2015 Rauzan Ségla - this is brimming with luscious plum and blueberry fruit on the nose, the tannins are very smooth on the palate, and a beautiful, intense violet note really pops in the mouth and on the finish. Accents of mineral and ganache add complexity. Nice oak treatment here. The only thing that troubles me - and it’s not an insubstantial issue - is that the alcohol is out of balance, coming off quite hot on the finish. A look at the label shows 14.5%! So much to love but with that ABV will I enjoy the wine when the fruit recedes a bit in 35 years but the alcohol doesn’t?

2/25/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:

It’s important to give the 2018 Léoville Poyferré plenty of air if you’re tasting it now, because for the first 3 hours the fruit remains in its shell, leaving the nose to the devices of its oak and not showing a proper counterbalance to the alcohol. Yet at hours 3, 4, 5, and 16 the wine simply continues to unfurl and shows what it’s really made of - and what the future holds. Léoville Poyferré has captured the ripeness and luxury of the 2018 vintage while staying just on the right side of the line when it comes to ripeness, sporting an enveloping plummy, mixed berry nose, freshened by pencil shaving and petrichor, with a bit of dark chocolate eventually showing itself. The textures here are really voluptuous and they’re able to balance the 14.2% alcohol pretty well. A very fine vintage here, though admittedly there’s always going to be a little unpredictability with 2018 ABVs as these enter their 3rd-4th decade.

94-97

12/22/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:

The 2018 Léoville Barton is an amazing young wine, somehow harnessing the warmth of the 2018 vintage yet avoiding the excesses which can be associated with it. The nose is expectedly demure given its age, yet the crescendo the palate brings is extraordinary - packed with ripe yet poised blackberry, cassis, pencil, oyster sauce, and potpourri, lingering indefinitely. This is a baritone of a Léoville Barton, yet for all of its depth and enveloping tannin, there's a fine acidic spine bringing it all together. Impressive.
82% CS, 18% M, brought in between September 21-24 for the Merlot and September 29-October 6 for the Cabernet Sauvignon, reaching an (imperceptible) ABV of 14%. Elevage in 60% new oak. 96-97

7/12/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:

The 2010 Pontet Canet is a wine that’s both dramatic and classical, youngish but with great tension, Laocoon-like, full of dense, cool, intense fruit with the structure and acid to match. The cassis, blackberry, pencil, coal, and mineral notes are classic Pauillac and they linger and linger…

1/24/2024 - englishman's claret wrote:

This example, ex-chateau, is more open than another recent example. In the mouth, it is a classic, superb Poyferré, packed with blueberry and potpourri; pillowy, powdery, and intense - yet with finesse to match.

7/15/2018 - englishman's claret wrote:

I'm a big fan of VCC; I love the vintages since 1996 and Alexandre Thienpont is one of the geniuses of Bordeaux. Bearing that in mind, this is one of the most challenging VCC to get a bead on. The wine is so extraordinarily complex and dynamic that it keeps on changing in the glass. Frankly, I can't recall seeing one wine go through so many distinct iterations. It starts off tight with a wall of blackberry and an obvious herbal component imparted by the cab franc. But then this goes through an extremely spicy, black-olive, chateauneuf-type phase. This passes, too, eventually morphing into a plummy, white-flower, black pepper profile. Then it takes on fresh black coffee notes. Then the mint comes back transiently. There are many other iterations as well - which is the real VCC? Where does it go? I loved some of the phases, others not so much. Of course, this is perfectly crafted; the balance is perfect, the weight is delightful, and the finish is long. It's just a shapeshifter. 93+?

4/16/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:

The 2009 Léoville las Cases isn’t holding back its charms; yes, it’s a little young still and the oak isn’t quite integrated, but as soon as the cork is pulled you’re greeted with a big, gregarious nose. It’s obvious that this is a warm vintage las Cases, but the fruit seems to stay just on the right side of the line, avoiding marked heat or overripeness. The nose straight out of the decanter shows volumes of slightly jellied raspberry and cassis, which simply explode on the palate where the wine’s worth is really shown. There’s a lot of typical las Cases character here in the mineral, pencil, and cedar notes, but there’s also an interesting terra cotta like earthiness. If the fruit character suggests the character of the vintage, it’s the structural components which confirm it - this is a full, lush rendition of las Cases (perhaps uniquely so, at least in terms of vintages that preceded it) with tannins that are already quite manageable and enough acid to keep the wine fresh in the mouth. The only sensation of warmth is on the finish (which shows a creditable length) and perhaps I simply notice it because I’m looking.

If you’re drinking for pleasure rather than academic interest, it would perhaps be better to wait on these another 5 years, yet if you’re stuck with a young wine list at a restaurant, there are a thousand worse choices. However, I wrote the above note over the first 30 minutes after opening - then the wine shut down pretty firmly, not to start re-opening until 5 hours later. Had I tasted this during its closed phase, I would have been unimpressed. Revisited at lunch the next day, about 18 hours after opening (kept in the a clean bottle at 55F overnight), this has unfurled in all its glory - like that brief burst after opening, except with more of everything and the telltale las Cases lavender potpourri note that usually develops with age. I upgraded this at that time from 96-98 points to 97-100. We will see how this magnificent wine develops.

10/9/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:

The 2016 Léoville Las Cases is eons away from maturity, but it offers such clear promise. The nose here is totally classical, slightly strict but entirely enveloping, full of cassis with blackberry and a little raspberry alongside, further freshened by pencil and sea salt. Masses of cool fruit fill the mouth with a commensurate amount of tannin and enlivening acid (pH 3.66). The 13.6% ABV isn’t really palpable in the mouth or on the finish, which displays admirable length. It’s easy to draw a clear line between this, the 2010, the 1986, and the 1959.

75% CS, 14% M, 11% CF harvested September 30 - October 16.

96-98 points (+?)

11/16/2019 - englishman's claret wrote:

I opened the first bottle of a case to see what all the fuss is about. There's no smoke without fire - this is a fascinating bottle of wine. The super plush blueberry, lavender, ganache notes on the nose carry through to the palate, where there's a refreshing thyme/rosemary herbaceousness as well. I'm intrigued (maybe perplexed is more apt) - this has such an intense nose and great depth of flavor on the palate, yet the tannins are unbelievably soft. I wonder if it has the legs to go as long as some other 16s will - but then again, a lack of tannin was supposedly the "flaw" of the 82s when they were tasted young...

8/2/2015 - englishman's claret wrote:

This is decent enough. I got the bottle direct from the chateau. Tight, not really ready yet. Maybe in another 5 years. I decanted and followed this over the course of about 6 or 7 hours. Started out with a cedar, currant, mahogany, bloody nose. At 2ish hours, this was at peak expressiveness and complexity before retreating into its shell and showing more of a beef blood, oak profile for the rest of the time. Enough tannin to let this rest; it won't collapse in on itself. It's not that this is only immature; it's not clear that this has the makings of greatness.

12/7/2019 - englishman's claret wrote:

The 2015 Pontet Canet shows tremendous promise. As intense and saturating as the blueberry, wildflower, mineral, fresh leather nose is, it’s also so elegant and light on its feet. Beautiful presence and balance on the palate, full bodied with good acidity and no lack of structure, yet the tannins aren’t aggressive and almost creep up on you. Wonderful pencil and cassis finish. Something special is happening at Pontet Canet. 95-96

9/22/2018 - englishman's claret wrote:

This was probably at its apogee about 2.5 hours in the decanter, showing a really forward, shockingly charming personality full of ripe blackcurrant, cedar, pencil, mineral, leather, and just a hint of ganache on the nose. Dash of violet on the palate. So pure and long. This may not be the longest lived Barton, but it is so terribly bewitching now. I could easily finish a bottle (or mag?) myself. It knows just where to go. I am bewitched. I will be buying more. 95+

3/5/2017 - englishman's claret wrote:

A funny beast, the 2000 Barton - you'd expect a big block of a wine, still painfully young and undeveloped. But you don't quite get that - youthful yes, but big and blocky? Certainly not. This was beautifully elegant; not exactly fine-boned, but lithe. Developing notes of cassis and blackberry with lots of mineral, leather, and smoke. Lots of depth. Medium bodied, appropriate weight (12.5%), nice length. A fitting foil to the 61. I won't touch the next one for another 5ish years.

6/19/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:

The 2016 Pedescalux is one of life’s easy joys - a wine which is just delightful to drink now, yet for all of its accessibility it offers Pauillac classicism too. There’s loads of cassis, pencil, mineral, and cedar. Yes, it’s not particularly deeply pitched - but the flavors are right and the balance is terrific. Drinking well now, yet with a good life ahead.

8/21/2021 - englishman's claret wrote:

The 1989 Château Palmer is a wine that (rightly) continues to garner superlatives. Like many of the top 89s, it’s just coming into full bloom - and I purposely use a floral metaphor given the lavender and violet intensity which characterizes this unquestionably great vintage of Palmer.

Followed at intervals for 4 hours in the decanter, this bottle (the first from an OWC opened today) offers a demure, if promising, nose immediately after decanting, seeming to shift minute by minute and offering frutti di bosco, lavender, pencil, leather, and ganache. But there’s nothing demure about the palate, where the wine positively explodes with luscious blueberry, lavender, violet, and cedar. Long and reverberating yet elegant - the essence of Palmer.

Moving through a phase around the hour mark dominated by alpine strawberry, this arrives at the peak of its powers after 2 hours in the decanter, packed with blueberry, cassis, alpine strawberry, lavender, and cedar; the best rendition of the nose yet. This still shows well at the 4 hour mark, by which point there are only a few sips left.

There’s no crime in opening these now provided the ability to decant for a couple of hours, but the best days for the 89 Palmer are ahead.

1/4/2020 - englishman's claret wrote:

The 2016 Pegau has little difficulty in conveying its excellence - ripe black fruits, smoke, and garrigue, précise and deep. Supple but elegant palate with a potent, long finish. For my taste, this is better than the 15 by a comfortable margin and should be a long-lived Chateauneuf du Pape, retaining enough fruit to keep it vigorous as it develops interesting tertiary components over the next 30+ years.

10/24/2022 - englishman's claret wrote:

Very 2009-ish inasmuch as the fruit leans toward the red end of the spectrum and shows an airy intensity with soft textures. The redcurrant, griotte, raspberry compote profile is actually reminiscent of a modern-day version of the 1947 or 1949. Beautiful depth on the palate yet with a crystalline clarity, minerally-fresh, graphite-filled. This finishes very well.

1/18/2020 - englishman's claret wrote:

What an enticing nose you’ll find in the 2016 Figeac - big, plush, polished, very deep, beautifully ripe blue and black fruited with a savory, leathery, tobacco profile. Wonderful class and Figeac character without any of the green or hardness of the 1970s-1980s. Vivacious, supple, and long on the palate. Lots of material but great balance. This finishes very well. This towers above many famous vintages, including the 1982 and 1990. Following the superb 2015, this confirms Figeac’s return to the greatness of the 1960s.

2/3/2022 - englishman's claret wrote:

It’s been 3 years since I last tasted the 2016 Langoa and it’s living up to the promise it showed just after arriving in bottle. A magnificent nose greets you with muscular but not overbearing fruit, fresh blueberry and wild raspberry, potpourri, and a hint of sea breeze, joined on the palate by a cedary character. Cool, deep, and intense, it’s interesting to taste this next to a vintage like 2009 that’s so jolly and gregarious. The two faces of Langoa, in a way.

5/22/2022 - englishman's claret wrote:

Just super - blackberry, gravel, clay; a traditional, masculine nose, almost Baron-like. This isn’t quite ready yet but from 2025 on, it should do what Sociando always does, providing a high-quality, classically-styled experience at a fair price.

10/24/2022 - englishman's claret wrote:

Aromatically, this is near-identical to the last bottle opened in 2019 but today's bottle is opening beautifully, no longer clamping down after a little air. This evolved positively over the ~3 hours it was drunk, unfurling to reveal layer after layer of classic Barton with blackberry and blackcurrant notes complemented by cedar and mineral. Beautiful, in an energetic way. Long finish.

9/25/2022 - englishman's claret wrote:

The 2015 Giscours offers a beautiful mixed berry nose, pretty, full, and effusive. A touch hollow on the mid palate but it lasts well. One to watch.

7/12/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:

The 2009 Pontet Canet is a satisfying wine but suffers from proximity to the 2010, at least at this point. This shows the natural opulence of the 2009 vintage, offering juicy black and red fruit alongside rose and pencil. The acid actually isn’t bad and there’s no dearth of tannin, yet it still comes across as Rubenesque. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

94-95

2/11/2020 - englishman's claret wrote:

Opened this 2014 Léoville Las Cases to sort out whether I should add it to the cellar. After drinking this over 2 days, I am less bullish than some of the others here on cellartracker. The nose is initially quite raspberry focused beyond the new oak, by day 2 developing a more currant-dominated profile. The main issue is that this does come across somewhat unbalanced on the palate, with acidity and tannin overpowering the body. Finishes well with a potent raspberry presence, though. A good job from a vintage which produced very mixed wines, if not on the top tier (or next to top tier) of las Cases.

8/6/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:

From the generally serious, sometimes surly, and always unhurried-to-evolve 2005 vintage, it shouldn't surprise that the Leoville Las Cases remains youthful. What does surprise me a bit is that, with a couple hours of air, this is actually pretty approachable with a typically-LLC frutti di bosco, lavender potpourri character rising to overshadow the nori, pencil, and black coffee notes present at the outset. Further surprising is the civility of the tannins - this isn’t a punishing wine to drink. While this isn’t quite ready, it isn’t decades away from drinking, either. Another 5 years should find the 2005 Léoville Las Cases in a very good place, from which point it should cruise effortlessly for decades - likely in the 96-98 range.

The assemblage here is 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc with 13.15% ABV, pH 3.58, IPT 71 (for what that’s worth).

6/11/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:

2000 Pauillac (Boston Commanderie de Bordeaux): Another glorious bottle of the 2000 Pichon Baron, really needing no time to show well and offering a big, powerful black-fruited nose, accented by graphite, coal embers, and an inky/nori like note. This is biggish, but so engagingly racy and just begging to be drunk now (though there's a long life ahead).

10/8/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:

The nose is still a little reductive to start but this blows off with a few minutes in the glass. This is still surprisingly a bit early on its arc of maturity and expands on the palate, offering a delectable, supple, sumptuous yet elegant raspberry, wild strawberry, and rose profile, buttressed by a little cedar. With tannins that are already civilized and a relatively short finish, it seems sensible to think about starting in on these in earnest in about 2-5 years and drinking them over the following 20 or so.

9/25/2022 - englishman's claret wrote:

Glorious nose - wow - so fine, broad, deep, complex. Brioche buttered with Bordier, hazelut, cream, mirabelle, a touch of apricot, pear. Beautiful richness on the palate but with nice zip, too. Really lingers on the finish. Such a pleasure to drink now but this should develop wonderfully.

127 different wines, youngest/base 2008, oldest 1990.
48% PN, 35% C, 17% PM

12/1/2019 - englishman's claret wrote:

It's fascinating to watch the 2000 Pichon Comtesse over the course of 4 hours in the decanter. At first, this is strikingly herbal on the nose - lots of capsicum and thyme with the fruit very much in the background. This sort of start is concerning given how quickly some of the 2000s have evolved and how many haven't lived up to initial hopes. But... with an hour, then two, then better yet 3 and 4, the fruit unfurls and eventually becomes quite concentrated, showing lots of pure, cool cassis. The impression is similar on the palate, eventually with fresh cassis and lots of pencil with subtle capsicum and acacia accents. More pure cassis and pencil on the finish. Given the positive evolution, I should think these would benefit from another 5-10 years though ultimately I prefer the 82, 96, 15, and 16. Nice to see the classic Pichon Comtesse character here. 94-95 points

12/12/2020 - englishman's claret wrote:

Why is it that Chateau Margaux is so often heralded as a superlatively elegant wine? Because it often has a gentle floral note? true, but it’s always big and structured. Because it was really elegant in the pre-Ginestet era? perhaps, but lots of chateaux were more elegant renditions of their current selves prior to the 70s. Because “elegance” is sometimes the positive spin on the bevy of light-ish Margaux commune wines that underperformed for so long (many of which are admirably striving to better themselves) and that attribute must be epitomized by the king of the commune? I’m not entirely sure, but since Margaux’s rejuvenation in the 1980s I have admittedly not found it a particularly elegant wine.

So why the long preamble? Well, I’m not sure it’s helpful to cling to that notion that success at Chateau Margaux *should* be linked to this notion of a diaphanous, ephemeral wine. If you insist on that, the 96 Margaux might fall short - but if you don’t, it’s really quite nice. Best after about 4 hours of air, the 96 Margaux shows what I think of as a typical Ch Margaux nose, full of sweet raspberries, pencil, cedar, a touch of acacia, Ethiopian coffee. The palate is quite concentrated with almost painfully intense pencil shavings. The loads of tannin here can distract a bit from the long, pencilly finish but time should rectify that and while I readily agree this is muscular I wouldn’t call to corpulent. I do admire its integrated alcohol and good acidity. Ideally, forget about these for another 5-10 years.

12/20/2019 - englishman's claret wrote:

The nose of the 2010 Pichon Comtesse is full of cassis, blackberry liqueur, espresso, oak, and a fresh snap of herb. Fullish body but not top-heavy, with enough acidity to balance the tannin and substance. Lots of oak and espresso. This is weighty, but may not quite have the effortless sophistication of the best Pichon Comtesse, for which I think one needs to rewind to the 1982 (1996?) or advance to the 2016. 94-95 points

1/26/2024 - englishman's claret wrote:

The 2016 Léoville Poyferré hasn't budged much in the 5 years since I last tasted it, not that that's a problem. This is quiet on the nose but beautifully expansive in the mouth, full of blueberry and blackberry, a mineral salinity, and a touch of potpourri.

6/19/2019 - englishman's claret wrote:

Curmudgeonly nose; tight blackberry, blueberry fruit with lots of beef bouillon and black licorice accents. Not exactly a delicate wine - no beating around the bush here. Lots of impact on the palate, really rich and saturating but not heavy. Perhaps more promising on the finish, which shows a delicious and very, very deep, pure fruit core. 94+ / 95 now, but this is for the future rather than the present.

4/13/2024 - englishman's claret wrote:

This is my third encounter with the 2020 Léoville Poyferré, this time at home with plenty of time to chart its course - and thank goodness for that. This has certainly become much easier to taste than it was just over a year ago, the nose more expressive a big, naturally ripe boysenberry, cassis, and lilac nose, managing to stay just shy of over-ripeness. The tannin, which previously seemed a bit grating, seems to match the large-scale body now and the ripe coolness of the 2020 vintage comes through. A long, blue and black fruit finish bodes well for the future. 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot brought in between Sept 14-30.

This is a wine that really seemed the odd man out among the St. Juliens at the UGC in early 2023 and which benefitted from an unhurried evaluation, checking in over the course of 24 hours. I think there's little doubt that the Rolland influence shone through in 2020 in a way that it didn't so much from 2016-2019, say, and one wonders if it might have achieved a little more elegance with a little gentler extraction. Yet it's OK to be different, too, and with the benefit of watching this unfold over time (closing down hard after an hour of air, shining at hour 12, fading at hour 24) it's easier for me to be optimistic about this developing into an excellent wine, even if it marches a bit to the beat of its own drum among the St. Julien grands crus classes.

Drinking from 2040 on. 94-96 point potential.

6/11/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:

2000 Pauillac (Boston Commanderie de Bordeaux): I continue to have some reservations about the 2000 Lynch Bages; it just seems it should be better than it is. This example is a little round and plumpish, a little too simple; this shows nice black fruit and a little graphite but misses a lot of the verve and depth that great vintages usually confer to this exceptional estate. I don't get the long, expanding finish which might suggest these things are just to come. Maybe I am a little hard on this, tasting it alongside the Pichons and Latour, but there are many vintages in which Lynch is a fair flight-mate to those wines.

2/5/2022 - englishman's claret wrote:

I am befuddled by the fact that some bottles from this OWC are clamped down tight and others are gloriously open. This is one of the latter, immediately accessible, archetypal Pauillac, replete with cool, fresh boysenberry fruit, pencil, ash, and mineral, intense and generous at the same time. So lively and vital. The tannins are mellowing here and the ‘89 Lynch can be drunk with food or without. The finish here lingers and lingers… This is really exciting stuff and, if you wanted to sear the impression of classic Pauillac into a neophyte’s memory, this would be a good way to do it.

8/2/2015 - englishman's claret wrote:

You'll love pulling out and analyzing all of the component parts just as much as you'll love sitting back, taking a deep pull, and enjoying it as a cohesive whole. This may have not scored the points of some other vintages, but it's a beautiful, aristocratic d'Yquem. Fleshy apricots, orange blossom, hazelnut, lychee, smoke, oak, caramel. Sweet but not cloying. Could use a touch more acidity but that's just splitting hairs. Long, beautiful finish. This is just edging into maturity from half bottle.

6/6/2022 - englishman's claret wrote:

The 2005 Brane Cantenac is an impressive wine, even if it is only making overtures into early maturity. There’s beautiful mixed berry fruit here, mostly dark, with a mineral streak, developing potpourri, and a hint of freshly-ground coffee. The inner mouth perfume is really gorgeous - and perfume is the right word given the violet and lavender that simply coats the palate and lingers on the finish. The tannins are velvety and reasonably sophisticated from a vintage that can produce some large-framed wines.

Drinking in earnest from 2025 on, but if broached now it should be decanted for several hours.

93-95

NB a second bottle from the same case was identical in promise, offering a little more immediate pleasure.

4/26/2022 - englishman's claret wrote:

My experiences with the 2000 Montrose have been variable and I think that’s likely due to the long adolescence typical to the estate’s wines, some examples being reticent and unintegrated compared to others. This bottle originated from a case that has previously shown very well and it did so again. With 2.5 hours of air, the nose sports a typically-Montrosian wall of muscular black fruit, mineral, and clay. If perhaps without the clear energy that wines like the 1989 and 1990 showed when they were this age, the 2000 should still distinguish itself as a fine, classical example of the estate.

63% Cabernet Sauvignon / 31% Merlot / 4% Cabernet Franc / 2% Petit Verdot

Harvested Sept 22 - Oct 7.

94-95 points, best from 2025-

9/14/2021 - englishman's claret wrote:

Yet again, a tremendous wine, monumental in stature but perfectly balanced. Unending waves of perfectly ripe blackberry and cassis with coal and pencil. Richness, energy - this has it all. 97-100

12/31/2019 - englishman's claret wrote:

I am generally a Troplong Mondot fan and the 2015 is a good example of why wines are worth tasting young before committing to large volume purchases. Despite loads of positive attributes, the 2015 Troplong Mondot is not my cup of tea. The nose is voluminous and the plum, mineral, oak, and black truffle are poised to come together to make a great wine with a rich, supple texture - but there is a LOT of alcohol coming through on the nose and palate. I guessed 14.5-15% ABV, but it's *labeled* at 15.5% (so, 15.5-16?). It's such a shame to encounter a wine that has so many positive attributes but one glaring, irreconcilable flaw. Don't write this off as coming from a reactionary who hopes for the return of lean, hard Bordeaux - that's not me. So many have found great success in years like 2016 where remarkable depth and purity are achieved without generating Oakville-like ABVs, and I hope that Troplong is able to balance depth and ABV more successfully in the future.

6/9/2020 - englishman's claret wrote:

Dense, taut nose full of pear, lemon, and salt. Rich, long, and resonant. This will be very good indeed, but it’s so primal now that admittedly it seems a bit hard to sort out *exactly* how good.

6/11/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:

2000 Pauillac (Boston Commanderie de Bordeaux): The 2000 Pichon Comtesse shows well right out of the gate, but really does continue to develop positively over 2-3 hours. The initial curranty fruit and freshly-sharpened pencil mineral develop in intensity and cultivate a lovely cigar wrapper and subtle bacon note. Fresh, incisive, but also with an embracing lushness. Very fine and such a great counterpoint to the Baron and Latour alongside (which are more similar to one another than either is to the Comtesse, as usual).

12/27/2018 - englishman's claret wrote:

I wanted to open this up because, after a dazzling bottle of mine a year ago, I had a luke-warm experience recently (the bottle was not mine). Well, I suspect the unimpressive bottle was either due to pure chance or poor provenance because this bottle from my cellar was fantastic. Evolves from a rich, pure, fruity cassis nose accented by thyme into a more overtly cedar-filled nose after a couple hours in the decanter. Its best days are ahead, though there is quite a lot of joy now. 93-94

9/9/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:

Interestingly, the nose on this example of the 2011 Smith Haut Lafitte is indistinguishable from the last example - slightly dumb, smudged, a little smoke and graphite. It's on the palate that this surprises me, which a delectable blueberry pie, potpourri character. While I don't expect this to rocket into the top tier of SHL, it seems wise to lock bottles away for another 5 years or so and hope that the dumb nose becomes an open one, matching the articulation found on the palate.
90 (+?)

6/19/2018 - englishman's claret wrote:

A big, peachy, parchment, white flower, mineral, faintly bergamot nose. More fresh than sweet though by no means lacking in botrytitis. For those who equate great d'Yquem with heavy botrytis, this will disappoint. For those who appreciate the elegant, fresh side of d'Yquem, this will please. Though it's a nice time to catch this in the flushes of its youth, it should continue to improve for several years. I'd try the next in 2021 - 2022 or so. 94-95.

5/14/2015 - englishman's claret wrote:

Voici le roi. Such a winning bouquet as this comes out of its adolescence. Delivers all of the pessac hallmarks but with such an aristocratic flair. Black cherries, pipe tobacco, terra cotta - you know how it goes. Complex, suave, complete, and very, very long on the palate.

We had this by the glass at Le Taillevent (coravin from fresh bottle) and the sommelier was, let's say, amicable. Ah, Monsieur enjoys Haut Brion? (Pour gets larger) and Monsieur has visited the chateau (pour gets larger). The 1989 is one of your favorites (very large glass of haut brion now) - well, enjoy the 1998. And I did.

12/2/2019 - englishman's claret wrote:

What an enticing wine the 2016 Capbern is, full of rich black fruit, cedar, pencil, and mineral. Beautiful classical character and richness with the poise of a wine of loftier pedigree.

8/31/2020 - englishman's claret wrote:

Not sure I have had this from a white wine glass before and while this showed very restrained and linear from a flute, it really blossomed in a Burgundy glass. Huge, fresh, not lactic like some Cristal. Complex, impactful, and precise this might be my favorite Cristal.