April 25, 2019 - Probably towards the end of its good tasting window. From a magnum which helped.
July 19, 2017 - Excellent
April 29, 2017 - Saint Emilion 2000 vintage: 15 years in bottle (Grill Room at the Rosewood): Wine #7 - another wine donated to this tasting via the Association de Grands Crus Classés de Saint-Emilion - proved to be one of those excellent QPRs from the evening. It pleased many a palate, some who had never heard of it, as quite juicy and delicious, if just a tad drying to me on the finish. It came from a magnum bottle. Overall crowd pleasing in its mid-palate juiciness. Several wanted to note the name when I explained that the prices are very competitive, so bravo to charismatic owner Hervé Laviale and thanks for sharing a bottle with us to taste. For those of you who plan to visit Saint Emilion, Laviale has a superb bed and breakfast at the château.
April 19, 2017 - Comprehensive 2000 St Emilion Blind Tasting (The Grill Room at the Rosewood DC): Wine 7 - Medium expressive nose displaying very ripe black fruit, fruitcake, chocolate and earth. Medium concentration, fruitcake driven palate impression, medium acidity, nicely integrated tannins and a medium finish. A bit too ripe for my palate.
December 3, 2016 - Excellent 17 year-old Bordeaux. Solid blood ruby with red legs. Pretty much opaque. Fragrant nose, even rich. Mostly red fruit. Hint of iodine. Tannins pretty much resolved, leaving a smooth, rich, full wine to behold, sleek and chewy at the same time. An excellent value at $50 for a 2000 Bordeaux of this quality. (Wonder how much this was back in the day.) Smashing! 5-12-15-8: 90/100.
February 25, 2016 - slightly corked, so no score
November 15, 2015 - Drunk over two evenings. Primary purple ruby colour. An attractive bouquet, more Left Bank than Right. Aromas of red and black cherries, blackberries and Black Doris plums with cedar, dark spices and black pepper in the background. Compared with the bouquet, slightly under-delivers on the palate. However, a nice Bordeaux with flavours of sour cherries, blackberries and plums. Suave, refined tannins. Good acidity. A shade below medium weight. Seemingly on its drinking plateau now but there is no need to hurry to drink this 2000.
May 23, 2015 - Very good, and very enjoyable. This wine had all the structure of the tannins that were probably once prominent. Now they are totally integrated and mellow while still giving the wine some weight. Decanted for over an hour, which may or may not have been necessary. I don't think this needs any more time in the bottle. Drink up.
The palate underperformed compared with the nose, which was absolutely stunning, just divine. I could smell this all night. Alas, this bottle was split four ways, so I had previous little to savor. But everything was very well integrated and smooth. Nothing aside from the smell was mind-blowing, but it's a lovely wine nonetheless.
This went well at the table with steaks, but honestly I wish I had drunk it alone - I always guzzle my wine too quickly with food. For $50, it was an educational experience for me, as I'm not too familiar with wine this old. For that, it was worth it. Otherwise, although this was a lovely wine, I wouldn't pay that for it again.
May 18, 2014 - Excellent. Corsé, poivré, légers goûts de menthe et de réglisse, moka, bord rosé, gras, profondeur, longueur et minéralité très pure, graphite, vieux cuir, groseille et autres fruits, bonne acidité, tannins bien fondus, longue vie à lui ! Mon premier Franc-Mayne, à découvrir...
September 16, 2012 - Medium bodied purple concentrate that is sweet blackberry jam and spice with forest everywhere. Elegant and richly structured.