April 26, 2024 - It's my birthday week so we had friends over for dinner- best friends, so it warranted a nice bottle. I have been sitting on this 5th Growth Bordeaux for 20 years, it's time.
Deep garnet with bricking, slight staining, and a high viscosity (13% ABV). The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of Cassis, cedar, leather, baking spices, coffee, chocolate, vanilla, ripe blueberry pie, acai berry and is somewhere between youthful and mature, which is surprising. On the palate it’s dry with medium acidity, medium-to-full body and medium (+) tannins that are fully integrated. Absolutely lush flavors of Cassis, baked blueberry, acai berry, cedar, leather, tobacco, baking spices, vanilla and blackberry compote. The finish runs a good length and shows off the wonderfully refined tannins mingling with the remnants of fruit alongside tertiary notes. It's a stunner that has rewarded my patience for sure. 96 points for this $160 bottle that gets 5 stars from me. Drink till 2030. A treat for sure,
https://wp.me/p125DB-3B7
April 15, 2024 - Either this is overrated - or the 2004 is underrated - because I've recently had multiple bottles of both, and for all the hype of the 2000, the '04 is as well made and delivers at least as much enjoyment. Frankly, the '04 actually struck me as having more nuance and character.
April 6, 2024 - Double decanted an hour ahead of an afternoon Bordeaux tasting. Similar notes to last time as the wine still read relatively young and dark-fruited with a long finish, structure, a heady nose and power. I felt it showed better than an 00 Mouton, which was super smooth and integrated but felt at its plateau, and did very well v the other 2000s in the group, namely Cos, d’Issan, GPL. A great showing overall.
April 6, 2024 - Purchased from local retail. Must have been kept very well. Still young. Decanted for a total of 10 hours and it really needed it. I think this wine needs another 10 years to show its true colours.
March 28, 2024 - Medium garnet.
I’m not getting much primary fruit on the nose, mainly earth & cedar.
Dried fruit, earth & meaty palate.
Still drinking well.
March 24, 2024 - Dark, youthful. Blackberry fruit. Excellent.
March 10, 2024 - Shows some bricking
Nose full on secondary notes of sweet tobacco and silky spice notes
Palate is silky smooth with full on secondary flavors. No fruit left. Lovely length and brings me back for another sip.
No point holding this one longer.
March 9, 2024 - Even though this wine was decanted in anticipation of heavy sediment (that did not materialize), the first sip upon opening (and prior to decanting) was delicious. Everything is in place. The wine only gained from there. A translucent maroon shimmers in the glass while cassis and cherry rise from it. Notes of graphite, licorice and grille pain join in. Each element comes across distinctly on the palate, but with cedar segueing in on the mid-palate and mocha on the finish. Fully resolved tannins simply emphasize the balance of the wine. A delight to drink. A blend of 66% Cab. Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, and 4% Cab. Franc. Some grainy sediment, but not as much as I would have expected for a wine of this age. Decanted. 13% alc. With seared beef tenderloin wrapped in bacon with mushroom pot pie. 03.09.24. Highly Recommended.
March 3, 2024 - Classic claret. Exactly what you’d expect from a 24 year old Pauillac. I expected more on the length and intensity but it was still a beautiful wine. Had with A5 wagyu. Perfect compliment.
February 15, 2024 - Another bottle of 2000 PC, brought by a friend. I thought that this one showed very mature and while easily identifiable as a Pauillac (reminded me of the 1996 Pichon Baron), the finish still remains clipped and disappointing for the pains of holding it this long. Somewhere I still have most of a case sleeping, but I hardly get the urge to go digging around for a bottle. Most of the ones I have drank have been selected by friends selecting them from the cellar. I find pre 2000 PC to be high reaching and falling short of a true library/collection wine and the post 2003 as high reaching Bordeaux that are more in line with what the masses can better understand at the word go. And to think that Lynch Bages used to be considered the modern Bordeaux....Anyway, I enjoy the smell of the cold bouquet more than the linger. Fully mature and in need of drinking now.