February 12, 2024 - Not acquired new. 6 hour decant. Fully mature and do not see it improving. Reading through the notes I thought that the 12/25/2022 note by PJVINEYARDS was spot on. I thought the finish was a bit clipped and the wine lacked the minerality I love in an older Bordeaux.
February 11, 2024 - Good Wine with an Exciting Super Bowl (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Walk around tasting. Very good black fruit with power and depth, just too firm on its long-ish finish. Cellar longer.
January 1, 2024 - Acquired bottles of different vintages from this château at an auction a couple of months ago for 40 CHF each.
Based on this bottle, it was a steal! Beautiful mature Saint-Emilion with enticing nose and very good length. Again one of these wines that make me love bdx.
Thanks to PURPLETOOTH for the prod.
December 30, 2023 - Despite the overwhelming hype around many underwhelming wines from 2000, the Monbousquet is probably the very best from the producer and or definitely a runner up with its 98 stablemate. This is definitely the last great vintage from the classic era, as the next "great vintage" the 2003, can seem contrived and sloppy. Here we have soft earth, deep and slightly liquored raspberries, and beautiful balance that has lost the initial sweetness that is in the backseat now, but re-emerges during the second half of the bottle. We have new elements of coffee and cedar developing, saying: please drink me, I a here! Put this in your Drink section and dont miss it.
November 25, 2023 - 4th Saturday Group: Uptown Brown Bag (V&M's): Double blind. Faded garnet with a good bit of bricking. Aromas of red currant, iron, bouillon and tea leaf. This has that "just a bit too old" aroma. Medium-bodied, with flavors of red berry fruit, iron and rare beef flavors. Easy to pick out as Bordeaux, but I'd have thought a good bit older. Based on other '00s we've tasted recently, I am fairly confident in saying this was not a representative bottle. (MM)
October 14, 2023 - Decanted briefly. Still showing beautifully, see previous notes.
October 2, 2023 - Classic aged St Emilion but there was a underlying taste of wet cardboard Odd!
May 12, 2023 - Dark Garnet. Nose mellow, shy, hints of fresh oregano, black fruits. Taste much better, mouth filling, black fruits and dried herbs.
April 30, 2023 - Old Bordeaux (10 years or older) (Capital Grille - Minneapolis): 1 hour decant. Probably my number 2 wine of the night. Some thought this was a big wine, and yes, it showed plenty of fruit, but still had a lot of nice Bordeaux tertiary character too. The nose was classic Bordeaux with perfumed flowers, dark fruits, earth, and cedar and spice. Palate showed plenty of dark fruit (mostly cassis, blackberry and plum), with some earth, tar, tobacco and sweet oak. This was in a very nice place now, and could possibly improve slightly...it is more on the fruit side of the spectrum than tertiary side, although both are very present. Some claimed this is the "modern" style of Bordeaux (or the "Parkerization")....whatever you want to call it, I like it. My concern for "modern" wines is that they will become too alcoholic or hot....my palate will always welcome big fruit! 93 points for my palate! Drink (with a decant) or hold.
April 30, 2023 - Bordeaux 2009 or older (Capital Grille): Decanted an hour. Regrettably I can smell/taste the Rolland influence in this producer, and the 2000 is no exception. This seemed either young or in a powerful non-traditional style. Maybe save my last bottle for 5 years and see what happens?