March 15, 2024 - Mid ruby, bricking. Given some air, then lovely. Classic really. Blackcurrant and some blackberry. Cedar. Some mild spices. Great acidity and real lively freshness. Decent length. Very elegant. Some kept for a second night didn't fare quite so well but the first night was lovely, hence 92.
January 5, 2024 - Solid, enjoyable.
January 5, 2024 - Similar to last note. This continues to drink well. Maybe further along than the last bottlei had, but this will continue to drink great for at least another 5 years.
December 13, 2023 - Stood up for 3 months, double decanted off well settled sediment. Medium-plus ruby with age-appropriate bricking; mature bordeaux aromatics with some blackberry, capsicum, some forest floor, slight graphite; palate is full bodied, balanced 13% alcohol, integrated tannins though still a bit drying on the back end, medium-plus refreshing acidity throughout, still some traces of blackberry and fruit but clearly transitioned to maturity with some mulch, forest floor, nice complexity; medium length finish. This is my 9th (and last) bottle of this, and it has been drinking nicely for a decade but now seems fully mature and only a slow decline ahead of it. Drink now. 92
Well balanced, but it has lost that extra gear that it used to have. I think this has already started its descent. It's also possible this bottle was more advanced, but regardless I'm glad I drank my bottles when I did. 91
November 12, 2023 - Lunch at Shane & Caroline's (Their Place, Hong Kong): Decanted for a couple of hours then re-bottled to take to lunch. Gorgeous deep garnet colour with a very small transparent meniscus. Nose is… WOW! Absolutely gorgeous warm damp earth, forest floor, cedar shingles, nutmeg, confit blackberry and blackcurrant…. absolutely mesmerising. Palate is an almost seamless segue into a gorgeous softened but still structured tannin frame with lovely fresh and bright acidity. A super combination of deep, rich but mellowed ripe blackcurrant and blackberry with a gorgeous forest floor, etc. tertiary backing band. Great resonance and reverberance inside the head on a very long finish. Man, this is good and has started to repay the patience of buying it en primeur. Lovely. Totally accessible now but no rush to drink.
November 10, 2023 - When u have 3 great bottles the night before why not another great bottle for lunch the day after. Exceptional again 94
November 9, 2023 - It was really hard work (Bentley's , London): A month since we had this last and probably we had this a dozen times over the last decade (Papies 93-94) and once again was exceptional and what an arbitrage of value vs quality. This is every old-school claret lover's dream in many respects and this 3 bottles on this occasion all performed exceptional well. Need some decanting a a good hour that we allowed them worked their magic. As classic and elegant as it gets, leather, earthy, cedar, soft spice. Alive across and albeit well secondary fruit still the energy and vitality of a golden oldie are there. Long live 1996 St Juliens! A Superb 94 from us and frankly maybe even more if adjusted for price.
October 8, 2023 - Medium red. Herbaceous, cassis bouquet. Smooth herbal flavor. Mature, fruit is fading a bit. I expected it to be fresher and more vibrant.
October 4, 2023 - Took to a wine lunch and I thought it WOTD out of about 6 whites, 6 reds, including Bdx from Montrose, Cos, and La Confession, though it did have a bit more age on it. Classic mature Bordeaux with ample leather, pipe tobacco, tilled earth, dried cassis, relaxed tannins. Quite pleasurable.
September 24, 2023 - Truffle Night at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): An arbitrage of a wine. Quality vs price Lagrange from great vintages perform and punch so much higher than their price tag.
We opened and left it to rest and we did not feel it needed more agitation to get it to full stride. Earthy, well evolved, not fully mature but will be in the next 5-6 years so we feel like this is one to start drinking more and more as it felt as such. Earthy, tobacco, cedar, super classic and elegant nose, healthy and very much alive wine and will put a smile on every classic Bordeaux lovers face. Did for us. 93 , easy