The 1966 vintage is a vintage that really opened my eyes into old Bordeaux through Château Lafite Rothschild a while ago so I was very excited to open this up. Muted at first, the nose came alive after ten minutes or so as mature Bordeaux scents of tobacco and forest floor medlied with light red cherries. Initially sharp, with a bit of weight to it, the nose began to fade over the course of the bottle, but was still alluring nonetheless. The palate was surprisingly packed with good acidity with notes of redcurrant still very much so intact in the upfront alongside licorice, mushrooms and a touch of herbs. The mid-palate shifted to more tertiary qualities as tobacco, crème de cassis and mild earthiness led into a finish dominated by spices and meatiness. As a whole, this was everything you could look for in the profile of a nearly 60 year old bottle of wine.
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Very strong showing yesterday. continues on what seems to be a very long drinking plateau for this wine. confirms G-L as a long-distance runner and the appeal of the 66 vintage
My first time trying this - and I would say that it’s hard to believe that this is a 57 year old wine. Amazing. The nose displays some of that typical Cordier funk. Really spreads out on the palate - quite frankly, this is delicious. A real treat tonight.
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Excellent and pristine bottle/cork. Popped and poured, and soared straight away with cigar tobacco, cedar and ash. Initially tart red fruit, became much richer and rounder with air and held well for a few hours in the glass. Very good colour - combined with depth of fruit. Will cruise past 2030 and an absolute joy. Love GL from 59 to 66 and 82 to 86. 96/97pts (from a perfect bottle)
Deep garnet red. Brick red at the edges. Aroma of cedar, smoked meat, dust, touch of flowers. Great flavour of black fruits, baked apple, spice, hint of roasted nuts. Complex, mellow, elegant. Great with food. Doesn’t taste 50 years old. Possibly eternal.
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Bra kork och välfylld flaska. Inte mycket frukt kvar men angenäm mineral, jord lite höstlöv istället. Eftersmaken satt där men vinet har nog passerat sitt bästa datum. Vi var ett gäng som provade vinet och det var bara jag som gillade det.
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This is a special English bottle by Peating & Cawdron Ltd, Bury St Edmunds. Excellent storage and condition. Engraved P&C on the capsule.
Color looks a decade younger. Absolutelt lovely mature Bordeaux immediately upon opening. Still fresh with bouquet of dried floweres, old library, lots of ripe black fruits, smoky tobacco, leather, cedar and coffee bean, some undergrowth too.
Silky and delicate with lively acidic, vibrant fruits, pencil shavings, hint of dried red date mingling with autumn leaves. There are noticeable grippy tannins adding texture and protection to the wine in its ageing. Fine, focus and clean. I have to admit it is a very refreshing old Bordeaux claret with a long acid line that I keep sipping, like a young fruity red.
A truly glorious Gruaud Larose.
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At 55 years old, this is in better shape than many 55 year old's I know! The appearance is mid weight and there is great clarity that makes it appear much younger than you might expect. The bouquet is right in line with what you would expect from an old school Cordier wine, with antique cedar chest and must, with a floral earthiness on the back end. In the mouth this is far less interesting as it seems to struggle to find its footing after a great earthy entry, which is followed by a slight emptiness and then a resurgence of a good amount of tannin and lots of acidity. The finish is quite long, but lacks the dimension that you have been hoping for by holding this for a special occasion. At the 3 hour mark, its in full decline and falling into tamarind and tart fruit territory, yet still keeping its length and freshness. The 1966 vintage was a tannic one, and this clearly demonstrates how some things fade and the strong survive! DRINK
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Label illegible but 1966 printed on the cork. Good fill level. Core of red fruits in balance with the acidity. Meaty notes. A long, lingering herbal, almost medicinal finish. What a treat.
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Showed very well. Cork fully saturated but intact and came out in one piece. The hue alone told us that the wine would be in great shape; very little browning for a St Julien at 54 years. The best wines from 66 are drinking so well right now combining balance with complexity and elegance. It's such a great reminder as to what classic Medoc wine is about; not the current steroid wines. Still fruit present but largely tertiary with spices, tobacco, cedar and ( in the best way possible) the Cordier funk. This wine will continue to drink well for a while, just like Latour and Las Cases.
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Cork cooked. Tried to pull with Ah-So and it split twice, and finally easily pushed the last 1/4 into the bottle. Excellent color with minor bricking. Beautiful, classic old world nose.
First sip to test gives subtle fruit and subtle tannic structure, with a metallic taste at the very end.
Let sit in glass for 30 minutes: beautifully integrated wine. Fairly bright fruit, with a bit of dustiness and a good 15-second finish. Metallic end-note still lingered, but unobtrusive. This is all one could look for in a 50-year old wine. While this certainly will not improve, I would not be concerned to let it go another 5 years. Bravo!
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P: Med body; Rndish entry with very NICE, ALMOST swtish frt counterbalanced by acidity & just a TOUCH of astringency which slowly, fairly seamlessly transitions into a very LONG finish with a tangy/swtness to the FEW, dusty tannins. LOVELY stuff, & not at all tired: Might this make its 60th? 12.5% ABV; My Exceptional! 93 & 88 pts RJonWine, 89 Falstaff Magazin, & 18.5/20 Jancis Robinson.
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The perfect 1966 blend of ferocious and suave. This particular bottle has a nice blackberry, grilled ribeye crust, cedar nose without being quite as funky as some bottles of the 66 Gruaud can be. That said, it also doesn't have the drive that some bottles can have. But for a half, it's pretty good! A wine to be drunk with pleasure anytime. But from whole and half bottle, don't wait.
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Nose: Presistant nose of dried currant, blackberry, cedar, and a bit of Cordier funk. Whifs of smoked tobacco and mushroom. Palate: Seriously nice depth to the dark fruit and the cedary/tobacco notes were all there. Finish: Great length and dark fruit with cedar and spice notes that keep this very lively.
From a half bottle with a high fill, this is still showing shockingly well. Would love to get my hands on Mags of this wine.
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did not show particularly well last night. Last minute substitution for another bottle, so did not settle particularly well as was a little cloudy when poured. Therefore not decanted. Shows much better today: classic Medoc nose, very much alive , good acidity and balance. Not tasting tired, even the following day. Great showing
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SLDS October 2017 #2: Blind. Herb, earth, tobacco and cranberry. Mild but with plenty of layers on the palate, with lots of herbal savoury notes and a little red fruit - this feels complex and resolved. Holding its structure well, this has good depth and length. Lovely stuff.
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Very good condition. This wine is a stunner. Nose is very complex with smoke, sous bois, red fruit, tobacco, charcoal and herbs. Palate is so expressive with lifted acidity. It is very complex yet weightless. This is amazing.
From a half bottle with a high fill, this is still showing pretty well with the dried currant, cedar, and a bit of Cordier funk. Nowhere near as aromatically complex or penetrating as last year's 750ml bottle. While it might simply be bottle variation, I'd suspect that the format is now playing quite a large role in the lives of most 66s.
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Daniel's 50th Birthday Dinner (Seasons By Olivier E., 3/F, Two Lee Gardens, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong): (From magnum) Dusky, semi-opaque faded plum-red colour. Attractive nose of damp old hay and a nice shitty element.....we are in farmyards here. Palate is absolutely beautiful - harmonious and fully mature, with great rounded and mature but not autumnal fruit. Great tannic backbone and structure. Tons of power on the finish and very reverberant inside the head. This drank like a 1989 rather than a wine 23 years its elder. This was fantastic with the slow-poached egg and white truffle.
This was quite enjoyable but I have to say it falls way short of the 61 vintages I've had in the past. It's obviously not a fair comparison but it's a true testament to vintage.
It does need 2 to 3 hours to fully open as others have suggested. An extraordinarily feminine wine (for lack of a better phrase). Light on the palate. Completely integrated. Fruit has faded but still present. Fine with or without food. Drink now.
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My last bottle. Bought about 1979. I think at Zachys. Less than $10. I was originally saving old Gruaud Larose for a vertical on my 50th Birthday, but that was 9/15/2001, and no one was interested in celebrating. I brought this to a Westchester Wine Enthusiasts event a few months ago, finally getting to enter my note. The theme was Bordeaux under $20, so technically this qualified. The ullage was getting a bit too much but the color was still fine, with very little bricking. Classic Cordier palate - earthy saddle leather to the fore with some red fruit that was surprisingly sweet after all these years. Smooth. Easy to drink.
1966 Was considered to be a great year all the way through the 1970s, second only to 1961 for the decade, but that may have been because there were so many dog days then - I remember trying a 1968 Bordeaux once and thinking someone had added 25% water and a dropper full of vinegar.
Wow, wow, wow.....Served alongside a 70 Mayacamas cab, as final wines in a burgundy dinner. Both were stars of the dinner. Great color with a little amber on the rim and ruby core. Nose of tobacco, cigar box, . Pure silk on the palate. So balanced with great fruit....long, long finish. One of the better wines I've had this past year. If only I had more...
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This showed extremely young. Straight out of the bottle it was all leather, cigars, and tweed. But with about half an hour of air, it picked up such a beautiful fruit density and some of the cigar receded into the background. Long and positive in the mouth. A very enjoyable bottle. 94-95
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Stored in cold cellar since 1972. Excellent cork. Fill just below cork. Perfect condition. Lovely aged St Julien. Decanted 15 minutes before serving. Lasted well in glass. Drink soon.
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This was a lovely old claret. Very earthy on the nose with flavors of mushroom,. forest floor, leather along with some red fruit still clinging on. On any other day this would have been a great wine, but it was overshadowed on this night by the '66 Montrose.
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A beautiful bottle that glimmers with quality - a lot of body and complexity here that still has years left on it. Classic St Julien notes with a beautiful perfumed nose. If you have a good bottle then you are in for a treat.
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Drinking so well now - this seems to be in that plateau of maturity with layers of red and dark fruit, cedar, leather, tobacco and pencil lead all coming together seamlessly on the nose and palate. The structure's fully integrated here and there's a sense of real polish and grace to the flavours. An absolutely stunning bottle.
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Magic Number 6 - 2006,1996,1986,1976,1966 (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): From an old school little squat Cordier Bottle. Decanted for 30 minutes and definitely helped develop and open the wine which was muted on the nose on open. Has lots of fine sediment which we disturbed and was a bit of cloudy. Not as nice as the one we had a year ago but at this age the old saying of "there are only good bottles not good wines" holds true. Good level and cork. Fully matured and the nose of of earthy, mushroomy, light cedar. Singing nose. On the palate the life is still there but far from its peak and although an enjoyable wine the vibrancy is fading and we would suggest having it sooner than later. Definitely go for Ex-Chateau bottles as the one we tried a year ago was definitely a lot better than this general trade one. 92 for this one (vs 95 for the Ex Chateau a year ago)
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Garnet with amber edge. Some lactic notes to a very expansive nose. Hazelnut, leather. Lacks depth and seems a bit out of balance with prominent acid on the backend. Probably on the downward curve, but still a treat.
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Three Dinners: The cork came out in one piece and looked surprisingly good. The nose is surprisingly elegant, as is the wine in the mouth. This showed really well with no off flavors, but also somewhat simple. The Beycheville poured next to it, was just a little more interesting in every way
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Gruaud Larose Masterclass with David Launay (Fine & Rare Wines, London): Bricking red on the colour. Intense, "powerful" for its age (Much more than the 62) very much alive and vibrant on the palate. More earthy notes than fruit, some mint and cedar on the nose good acidity and balance. Very elegant well aged bordeaux and will look to buy more. ( Andreas 96 / Nicol 94) - 95 Overall.
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Di incredibile integrità, gli si dava vent'anni di meno alla cieca. Naso di cuio e tabacco di quelli di classe, poi esce la frutta. Gran bella bocca. Emozionante
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A '60's theme for a birthday boy. (Apiary.): A new glass for a new old wine. Much better. Classic old school Bordeaux, yet without the Cordier funk. Just everything that I like about old Bordeaux is present. Sweet, yet complex and perfectly proportioned. There's your typical cherry fruit, herb, earth and lead pencil complementing each other wonderfully. It's focused and fresh, showing both richness and elegance. Beautiful and long cherry finish. I could drink this all night. A-.
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Been sitting on this bottle, with a decent fill level, for the better part of a year, and it just seemed like time to open. I slow oxygenated for 4 hours or so, don't know whether it benefitted or not. Very nice wine, still solid, and quite pleasurable, although on the monolithic side. Leather and tobacco of course, and with air it improved - with a slightly mentholated long leathery finish. We all wanted more. It took us maybe an hour and a half to finish, and my sense with the last glass was that it was starting to pack it in, but it is hard to tell.
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First Tuesday Wine Group at Charlie's House. All of the wines were in impeccable condition. Light brick color, with some lightening at the rim. Full bodied, bright, expressive. A hint of mint. Some drying tannins, but beautiful with a long finish.
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12/6/2023 - ankitmehra Likes this wine: 94 Points
The 1966 vintage is a vintage that really opened my eyes into old Bordeaux through Château Lafite Rothschild a while ago so I was very excited to open this up. Muted at first, the nose came alive after ten minutes or so as mature Bordeaux scents of tobacco and forest floor medlied with light red cherries. Initially sharp, with a bit of weight to it, the nose began to fade over the course of the bottle, but was still alluring nonetheless. The palate was surprisingly packed with good acidity with notes of redcurrant still very much so intact in the upfront alongside licorice, mushrooms and a touch of herbs. The mid-palate shifted to more tertiary qualities as tobacco, crème de cassis and mild earthiness led into a finish dominated by spices and meatiness. As a whole, this was everything you could look for in the profile of a nearly 60 year old bottle of wine.
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11/24/2023 - vagrantone Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very strong showing yesterday.
continues on what seems to be a very long drinking plateau for this wine.
confirms G-L as a long-distance runner and the appeal of the 66 vintage
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10/21/2023 - Bob H wrote:
My first time trying this - and I would say that it’s hard to believe that this is a 57 year old wine. Amazing. The nose displays some of that typical Cordier funk. Really spreads out on the palate - quite frankly, this is delicious. A real treat tonight.
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9/28/2023 - JulianSkeels wrote: 96 Points
Excellent and pristine bottle/cork. Popped and poured, and soared straight away with cigar tobacco, cedar and ash. Initially tart red fruit, became much richer and rounder with air and held well for a few hours in the glass. Very good colour - combined with depth of fruit. Will cruise past 2030 and an absolute joy. Love GL from 59 to 66 and 82 to 86. 96/97pts (from a perfect bottle)
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11/5/2022 - Francophile1 wrote: flawed
Eight Decades of Decadence: Completely flawed. A bottle of vinegar. Proper storage matters.
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4/17/2022 - SixHedgehogs Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep garnet red. Brick red at the edges. Aroma of cedar, smoked meat, dust, touch of flowers. Great flavour of black fruits, baked apple, spice, hint of roasted nuts. Complex, mellow, elegant. Great with food. Doesn’t taste 50 years old. Possibly eternal.
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9/5/2021 - bcacarlsson@gmail.com wrote: 88 Points
Bra kork och välfylld flaska. Inte mycket frukt kvar men angenäm mineral, jord lite höstlöv istället. Eftersmaken satt där men vinet har nog passerat sitt bästa datum. Vi var ett gäng som provade vinet och det var bara jag som gillade det.
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8/28/2021 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is a special English bottle by Peating & Cawdron Ltd, Bury St Edmunds. Excellent storage and condition. Engraved P&C on the capsule.
Color looks a decade younger. Absolutelt lovely mature Bordeaux immediately upon opening. Still fresh with bouquet of dried floweres, old library, lots of ripe black fruits, smoky tobacco, leather, cedar and coffee bean, some undergrowth too.
Silky and delicate with lively acidic, vibrant fruits, pencil shavings, hint of dried red date mingling with autumn leaves. There are noticeable grippy tannins adding texture and protection to the wine in its ageing. Fine, focus and clean. I have to admit it is a very refreshing old Bordeaux claret with a long acid line that I keep sipping, like a young fruity red.
A truly glorious Gruaud Larose.
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7/11/2021 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
At 55 years old, this is in better shape than many 55 year old's I know! The appearance is mid weight and there is great clarity that makes it appear much younger than you might expect. The bouquet is right in line with what you would expect from an old school Cordier wine, with antique cedar chest and must, with a floral earthiness on the back end. In the mouth this is far less interesting as it seems to struggle to find its footing after a great earthy entry, which is followed by a slight emptiness and then a resurgence of a good amount of tannin and lots of acidity. The finish is quite long, but lacks the dimension that you have been hoping for by holding this for a special occasion. At the 3 hour mark, its in full decline and falling into tamarind and tart fruit territory, yet still keeping its length and freshness. The 1966 vintage was a tannic one, and this clearly demonstrates how some things fade and the strong survive! DRINK
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7/1/2021 - porkandsalmon wrote:
Label illegible but 1966 printed on the cork. Good fill level. Core of red fruits in balance with the acidity. Meaty notes. A long, lingering herbal, almost medicinal finish. What a treat.
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1/28/2021 - pkouchu wrote: 92 Points
cedar, dried herbs, tobacco, currant, leather, dusty red cherries, earth and mushroom.
slight sweetness on the palate from the dried red fruit, earthy and dusty.
cool bottle shape too.
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12/26/2020 - vagrantone Likes this wine: 93 Points
Showed very well.
Cork fully saturated but intact and came out in one piece.
The hue alone told us that the wine would be in great shape; very little browning for a St Julien at 54 years.
The best wines from 66 are drinking so well right now combining balance with complexity and elegance. It's such a great reminder as to what classic Medoc wine is about; not the current steroid wines.
Still fruit present but largely tertiary with spices, tobacco, cedar and ( in the best way possible) the Cordier funk.
This wine will continue to drink well for a while, just like Latour and Las Cases.
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5/30/2020 - Sundbyberg wrote: 93 Points
This still felt young. Very fresh. No bricking and rather dark.
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12/2/2019 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent with previous note.
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2/7/2019 - patsheridan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cork cooked. Tried to pull with Ah-So and it split twice, and finally easily pushed the last 1/4 into the bottle. Excellent color with minor bricking. Beautiful, classic old world nose.
First sip to test gives subtle fruit and subtle tannic structure, with a metallic taste at the very end.
Let sit in glass for 30 minutes: beautifully integrated wine. Fairly bright fruit, with a bit of dustiness and a good 15-second finish. Metallic end-note still lingered, but unobtrusive. This is all one could look for in a 50-year old wine. While this certainly will not improve, I would not be concerned to let it go another 5 years. Bravo!
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12/21/2018 - srh Likes this wine:
Friday Tasting Group: My 1st "Killer Bar" (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): N: GORGEOUS, VERY *attractive*: Flowers, certainly, rest tough to parse;
P: Med body; Rndish entry with very NICE, ALMOST swtish frt counterbalanced by acidity & just a TOUCH of astringency which slowly, fairly seamlessly transitions into a very LONG finish with a tangy/swtness to the FEW, dusty tannins. LOVELY stuff, & not at all tired: Might this make its 60th? 12.5% ABV; My Exceptional! 93 & 88 pts RJonWine, 89 Falstaff Magazin, & 18.5/20 Jancis Robinson.
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6/8/2018 - englishman's claret wrote: 92 Points
The perfect 1966 blend of ferocious and suave. This particular bottle has a nice blackberry, grilled ribeye crust, cedar nose without being quite as funky as some bottles of the 66 Gruaud can be. That said, it also doesn't have the drive that some bottles can have. But for a half, it's pretty good! A wine to be drunk with pleasure anytime. But from whole and half bottle, don't wait.
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6/4/2018 - RockinCabs wrote: 93 Points
Nose: Presistant nose of dried currant, blackberry, cedar, and a bit of Cordier funk. Whifs of smoked tobacco and mushroom. Palate: Seriously nice depth to the dark fruit and the cedary/tobacco notes were all there. Finish: Great length and dark fruit with cedar and spice notes that keep this very lively.
From a half bottle with a high fill, this is still showing shockingly well. Would love to get my hands on Mags of this wine.
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6/2/2018 - vagrantone Likes this wine: 93 Points
did not show particularly well last night. Last minute substitution for another bottle, so did not settle particularly well as was a little cloudy when poured. Therefore not decanted. Shows much better today: classic Medoc nose, very much alive , good acidity and balance. Not tasting tired, even the following day. Great showing
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10/25/2017 - CamWheeler wrote: 93 Points
SLDS October 2017 #2: Blind. Herb, earth, tobacco and cranberry. Mild but with plenty of layers on the palate, with lots of herbal savoury notes and a little red fruit - this feels complex and resolved. Holding its structure well, this has good depth and length. Lovely stuff.
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10/9/2017 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very good condition. This wine is a stunner. Nose is very complex with smoke, sous bois, red fruit, tobacco, charcoal and herbs. Palate is so expressive with lifted acidity. It is very complex yet weightless. This is amazing.
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8/1/2017 - englishman's claret wrote: 90 Points
From a half bottle with a high fill, this is still showing pretty well with the dried currant, cedar, and a bit of Cordier funk. Nowhere near as aromatically complex or penetrating as last year's 750ml bottle. While it might simply be bottle variation, I'd suspect that the format is now playing quite a large role in the lives of most 66s.
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3/31/2017 - europat55 wrote: 93 Points
5 Decades of Gruaud Larose (Andre and Sabine's House, Mountain View, CA): Nose: A-/A. Palate: A-
My #4. Group's #4 (84 pts).
The oldest Gruaud Larose I've had the chance to taste. Still performing very well despite being 51 years old!!
Tasted blind.
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1/3/2017 - PanosKakaviatos wrote: flawed
1966 birthday vertical at Domaine de Chevalier (Domaine de Chevalier - actually on 2 December 2016): It seemed just OK but with a somewhat muted expression, which Olivier Bernard said amounted to a slightly faulty bottle. There was no cork issue, but the wine was just not very expressive. Loads of question marks, so we moved on...
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11/12/2016 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 94 Points
Daniel's 50th Birthday Dinner (Seasons By Olivier E., 3/F, Two Lee Gardens, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong): (From magnum) Dusky, semi-opaque faded plum-red colour. Attractive nose of damp old hay and a nice shitty element.....we are in farmyards here. Palate is absolutely beautiful - harmonious and fully mature, with great rounded and mature but not autumnal fruit. Great tannic backbone and structure. Tons of power on the finish and very reverberant inside the head. This drank like a 1989 rather than a wine 23 years its elder. This was fantastic with the slow-poached egg and white truffle.
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11/11/2016 - whybuyone Likes this wine:
This was quite enjoyable but I have to say it falls way short of the 61 vintages I've had in the past. It's obviously not a fair comparison but it's a true testament to vintage.
It does need 2 to 3 hours to fully open as others have suggested. An extraordinarily feminine wine (for lack of a better phrase). Light on the palate. Completely integrated. Fruit has faded but still present. Fine with or without food. Drink now.
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10/12/2016 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 92 Points
My last bottle. Bought about 1979. I think at Zachys. Less than $10. I was originally saving old Gruaud Larose for a vertical on my 50th Birthday, but that was 9/15/2001, and no one was interested in celebrating. I brought this to a Westchester Wine Enthusiasts event a few months ago, finally getting to enter my note. The theme was Bordeaux under $20, so technically this qualified. The ullage was getting a bit too much but the color was still fine, with very little bricking. Classic Cordier palate - earthy saddle leather to the fore with some red fruit that was surprisingly sweet after all these years. Smooth. Easy to drink.
1966 Was considered to be a great year all the way through the 1970s, second only to 1961 for the decade, but that may have been because there were so many dog days then - I remember trying a 1968 Bordeaux once and thinking someone had added 25% water and a dropper full of vinegar.
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10/8/2016 - Papies wrote: flawed
Decades of 6 (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): The cork fell in the bottle just by touching it. the rest really is a story of a gone wine.
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8/14/2016 - rnellans wrote: 97 Points
Wow, wow, wow.....Served alongside a 70 Mayacamas cab, as final wines in a burgundy dinner. Both were stars of the dinner. Great color with a little amber on the rim and ruby core. Nose of tobacco, cigar box, . Pure silk on the palate. So balanced with great fruit....long, long finish. One of the better wines I've had this past year. If only I had more...
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7/23/2016 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
This showed extremely young. Straight out of the bottle it was all leather, cigars, and tweed. But with about half an hour of air, it picked up such a beautiful fruit density and some of the cigar receded into the background. Long and positive in the mouth. A very enjoyable bottle. 94-95
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7/3/2016 - Thoughtful Likes this wine: 93 Points
Stored in cold cellar since 1972. Excellent cork. Fill just below cork. Perfect condition. Lovely aged St Julien. Decanted 15 minutes before serving. Lasted well in glass. Drink soon.
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1/1/2016 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: flawed
Likely due to poor storage, this was completely undrinkable.
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2/12/2015 - ricknat1 wrote: 93 Points
This handily beat the 66 Haut Brion and was quite beautiful following the 61 which was stellar. Makes me want more aged Gruaud
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1/31/2015 - LWI wrote: 93 Points
Château Gruaud-Larose 1928 - 2011: Deep and complex nose; fine length, sweet-and-sour, good complexity, a bit short.
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10/9/2014 - cadams wrote: 91 Points
Medium brick red
Cherry, hint of oak
Bright acidity, lively on the palate, soft tannin, some red cherries, earth, cellar floor, dust
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9/27/2014 - IWineAlot wrote: 91 Points
This was a lovely old claret. Very earthy on the nose with flavors of mushroom,. forest floor, leather along with some red fruit still clinging on. On any other day this would have been a great wine, but it was overshadowed on this night by the '66 Montrose.
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9/26/2014 - petitblanc wrote: 89 Points
Old Wine Offline; 9/26/2014-9/27/2014 (The Room Off the Patio at Ruth's Chris, and My House): Beautiful, youthful, medium-light depth of color. A bit hard and chalky on the nose, with ample green pepper. Going a bit thin on the palate also, but the balance and mouthfeel are excellent. Still enjoyable but to drink up soon.
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5/5/2014 - pjaines Likes this wine:
A beautiful bottle that glimmers with quality - a lot of body and complexity here that still has years left on it. Classic St Julien notes with a beautiful perfumed nose. If you have a good bottle then you are in for a treat.
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4/30/2014 - AtoZ wrote: 92 Points
Very enjoyable. Cork was newer so not sure how reconditioned thus the lower score. If consumed blind you would guess much younger.
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2/15/2014 - mwanasheria wrote: 92 Points
Odds and ends in Munich (Munich, Käfer's): Mose of tobacco, leather, herbs. On the palate light, elegant, nice tannins, long finish.
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12/8/2013 - Captain Haddock Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quite rich and robust, mushroomy, layers of red fruit, pretty long. Very satisfying.
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2/19/2013 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Drinking so well now - this seems to be in that plateau of maturity with layers of red and dark fruit, cedar, leather, tobacco and pencil lead all coming together seamlessly on the nose and palate. The structure's fully integrated here and there's a sense of real polish and grace to the flavours. An absolutely stunning bottle.
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9/29/2012 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Magic Number 6 - 2006,1996,1986,1976,1966 (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): From an old school little squat Cordier Bottle. Decanted for 30 minutes and definitely helped develop and open the wine which was muted on the nose on open. Has lots of fine sediment which we disturbed and was a bit of cloudy. Not as nice as the one we had a year ago but at this age the old saying of "there are only good bottles not good wines" holds true. Good level and cork.
Fully matured and the nose of of earthy, mushroomy, light cedar. Singing nose. On the palate the life is still there but far from its peak and although an enjoyable wine the vibrancy is fading and we would suggest having it sooner than later. Definitely go for Ex-Chateau bottles as the one we tried a year ago was definitely a lot better than this general trade one. 92 for this one (vs 95 for the Ex Chateau a year ago)
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12/6/2011 - rnellans wrote: 91 Points
Garnet with amber edge. Some lactic notes to a very expansive nose. Hazelnut, leather. Lacks depth and seems a bit out of balance with prominent acid on the backend. Probably on the downward curve, but still a treat.
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10/16/2011 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 92 Points
Three Dinners: The cork came out in one piece and looked surprisingly good. The nose is surprisingly elegant, as is the wine in the mouth. This showed really well with no off flavors, but also somewhat simple. The Beycheville poured next to it, was just a little more interesting in every way
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9/27/2011 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Gruaud Larose Masterclass with David Launay (Fine & Rare Wines, London): Bricking red on the colour. Intense, "powerful" for its age (Much more than the 62) very much alive and vibrant on the palate. More earthy notes than fruit, some mint and cedar on the nose good acidity and balance. Very elegant well aged bordeaux and will look to buy more. ( Andreas 96 / Nicol 94) - 95 Overall.
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4/17/2011 - SeaBud wrote: 88 Points
Tea colored. Showing its age in color and taste as the fruit was extremely muted. Leather and some tobacco but fairly monolithic.
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12/31/2010 - Old Course 72 wrote: 89 Points
Showing age as expected but, also still firm and in need of some time to develop fruit.
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12/30/2009 - Jossik wrote: 83 Points
Un po' di muffetta inficia un po' la bevuta, comunque il vino è molto meno in forma dell'ultima volta
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12/5/2009 - Jossik wrote: 93 Points
Di incredibile integrità, gli si dava vent'anni di meno alla cieca. Naso di cuio e tabacco di quelli di classe, poi esce la frutta. Gran bella bocca. Emozionante
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8/6/2009 - BradKNYC wrote:
A '60's theme for a birthday boy. (Apiary.): A new glass for a new old wine. Much better. Classic old school Bordeaux, yet without the Cordier funk. Just everything that I like about old Bordeaux is present. Sweet, yet complex and perfectly proportioned. There's your typical cherry fruit, herb, earth and lead pencil complementing each other wonderfully. It's focused and fresh, showing both richness and elegance. Beautiful and long cherry finish. I could drink this all night. A-.
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7/15/2007 - Brad L wrote:
Been sitting on this bottle, with a decent fill level, for the better part of a year, and it just seemed like time to open. I slow oxygenated for 4 hours or so, don't know whether it benefitted or not. Very nice wine, still solid, and quite pleasurable, although on the monolithic side. Leather and tobacco of course, and with air it improved - with a slightly mentholated long leathery finish. We all wanted more. It took us maybe an hour and a half to finish, and my sense with the last glass was that it was starting to pack it in, but it is hard to tell.
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6/27/2007 - Serge Birbrair wrote: 90 Points
Light color with not much bricking, ruby, more Burgundy like than Bordeaux. Has enough stuffing to go and go for years. Definate "age before beauty".
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3/21/2005 - MRichman wrote:
Gruaud Larose Vertical (Michael's NYC): Round is with some port notes. Fades, leaves a chalky tannin but more soft fruit than tannin.
B
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2/3/2004 - Spencer wrote: 92 Points
First Tuesday Wine Group at Charlie's House. All of the wines were in impeccable condition. Light brick color, with some lightening at the rim. Full bodied, bright, expressive. A hint of mint. Some drying tannins, but beautiful with a long finish.
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