Excellent aged Bordeaux from a well kept 375 mL bottle. Smooth and gentle with classic cigar box notes. Very enjoyable if you like em smooth with no bite.
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Soft nose of cigar box and aged oak. A slight but clear beam of blackberry and current fruit remains. On the finish, very subtle fennel and chalky notes. Wines -- including many fine Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Italian wines -- don't usually hold out this long and well in my cellar; very impressive at this price point.
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I am pretty sure I paid $30-$35 a bottle in its first tranche release. Seems Millesima USA is selling it today for $149 a bottle. The reason to collect and age. It is drinking well beyond that price point twenty years from inception or how I always look at wine is eighteen years in bottle. For me, that’s how I decide when to open. How many years in the bottle is its real age.
It is dark cherry, cherry, blackberry, black raspberries, strawberries, raspberries with bright florals. Amazing smoothness, bright violets, excellent acidity and a well, evenly polished finish that pairs with fatty steaks for days. Stupidly perfect from a warm/ripe Bordeaux vintage.
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The bottle showed 0.5 cm ullage below the capsule, but the cork extracted cleanly with an ah-so tool and showed no streaking. It immediately revealed aromatic notes of black fruit, leather and cigar box, even before the first pour.
The wine was deep ruby in the glass, with some bricking at the top of the rim, but less than might be expected from a vintage two decades old. Not surprisingly, noticeable sediment adhered to the inside of the bottle's shoulders.
Aromas in the glass remained true to those initially out of the bottle, with hints of "funk" that are expected from wines of this region. The first taste had prominent tertiary flavors akin to its aromas (from the aging), with fading hints of black fruit and notes of wood. Strong acidity and tannins that are firm yet yielding remained in balance, enveloping the palette in a gentle embrace. Fruit flavors such as cassis slowly emerged over a long finish that seemed to stretch for days.
This wine is an absolutely lovely, venerable Bordeaux approaching but not yet at its sunset. It is an old photograph found in a dusty attic, wherein the colors are faded and have blended into each other to create a blurry rather than sharp image, but in which the subject remains discernible, evoking memories from decades ago.
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From 375. Decanted. Not much on the nose. Blackberries and earth on the palate, youthful with some grip. A lot going on behind the scenes here. Enjoyable but seemingly not yet on full display. Worth holding.
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Decanted at table, minimal fine sediment. Classic Bordeaux nose, even a little barnyard. Slight bricking. Medium bodied, red fruit with some secondary notes of mushroom and forest floor. Easy drinking, mellow tannins. Went well with mega meat entree and definitely stood it's ground tonight next to a New World Columbia Crest reserve. Fun to drink and share with small group. Good to go tonight!
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Note: I use the recommended scale, so 85 is a very good wine.
Just shy of the magical 90. Perhaps if the fruit had been a bit more present. Nevertheless, a very nice bottle. Did not need to decant, although I did let it breathe for 30-5 min before drinking in earnest. Not certain that more time will help, although I see no need to rush.
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starts with powerful nutmeg and tobacco notes, some damp cedar, interesting but not complex.....Luscious fruit but medium bodied with deceptively long tannins, heavy oak. More "power" than elegance, despite the age and 2+ hours in the decanter
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This is not a youthful wine. The nose is familiar, I’ve been here before, but with greater bottle age. Mushrooms, wet earth. The palate is striking. No fruit really to speak of, but acidity is present. Long finish. Tannins still ever so slightly gripping. Menthol in the finish.
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Tasted after 2 hours of air. There is some funk here. Medium garnet with bricking. Some barnyard notes. Odd for a Armailhac. Not blowing off with some time. Still some firm tannins. Plenty of leather. Some fruit. This isn't falling apart but not as good as I remembered.
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Rusty rim color. Nose: smokey, violet, vanilla, hints of leather and autumn. Palate: very floral, tart red berries, smooth tannins, velvety mouthfeel, long finish. Really a great, balanced wine.
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Still enjoying this wine. It will last longer, but for a 17 yo wine, it is great. So why risk it? Great fruit and acidity. Smooth tannins with a nice silky finish.
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"Deo Gracias" Interlude 10 in Britten's Ceremony of Carols. Amen
Cork looks like it was inserted yesterday. The nose is warm, sweet, smoky, ever so seasonal. The color - I consulted color charts - dried blood saturated burgundy (the color not the wine) with strange sightings in the glass, slight rim browning which magically goes away. The taste, comforting, warm, almost "sweet" palate coating with fuzzy slipper kisses bestowed by old Bordeaux and Burgundy. If I drank this every day, that would mean I was sharing St. Peter's Cellar.
A few comments to share. Few readers will have the opportunity to taste and enjoy well aged Bordeaux and Burgundy. Why? vintage quality, storage conditions, cost, patience, palate education. Not every taster will enjoy old wine; the sweet vibrant fruit of youth mellowed, grapes or raisins? Perhaps, old wine is best reserved for old people. We can think about how a bottle has been treated by age and look in the mirror.
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Claret with Allen Brothers Rib-cover/Ribcap. Simply doesn’t get a ton better. 03 such a warm, ripe, beautiful, floral vintage.
The mouthfeel is all velvet. It’s; round, nicely resolved, fruit are ripe, everything from raspberries to blackberries, raspberry cola, tobacco, suede leather, dry stone, forest floor, dry limestone powder, dark spices, nutmeg, clove & vanillin, bright, candied florals that lean blue & purple. Acidity for days with an elegant, extremely well balanced & polished finish.
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Good aged bdx; little barnyard, dark fruits, plums; hints of tertiary notes on the nose; well balanced, plums, cassis on the palate; tannins are resolved; medium pressure; medium finish; seems to be at peak now; nice pleasure to drink
Lovely wine. Nicely aged in colour, still dark plum in colour in the centre, dark plum brick robe, brick red rim. Lovely aged bordeaux nose, earth, graphite, cedar, some dark plum fruit. Palate is medium bodied, nicely dry, juicy acidity, fine dry tannins, some currant and dark plum on the finish, maybe a little more graphite. Really drinking well, everything you want in an affordable aged bordeaux.
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P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by a very, VERY slightly puckerish astringency which seamlessly morphs into a LONG, BALANCED, very, VERY slightly tangy finish with a bitter/swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. Not likely to improve further, but should hold for another 4 or 5 yrs min. My EXC, poss EXC/EXC+. 16.5, 16 (2x), & 15.5/20 Jancis Robinson, + numerous other solid reviews listed on wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg.
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First bottle in three years, and last bottle. Hyper-decanted. Aromas of creme de cassis, pencil shavings, tobacco and clove. Plum color with little bricking. Medium weight, this has a tart entry displaying sour cherry notes, cassis, and plums. Fully integrated tannins but low acidity leaves this plodding along.
Glad we drank up as this has declined since the last tasting.
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Probably should have waited longer before opening this but could not resist the chance to drink side by side with the ‘04 d’Armailhac. Nose was still funky with lots of barnyard. Color is medium garnet with a bit of bricking at the rim. This was still a bit harsh. Tannins overly prominent, overwhelming hints of raspberry and strawberry. Medium bodied with a medium finish. Needs time and this is consistent with my experience with other ‘03’s which seem to be very long lived.
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Still kind of stemmy after an hour in the decanter. Pretty tasty and balanced by the time we finished the last glasses. Drink now, because there isn't a lot of fruit left in it.
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Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #024 Pauillac (By JS): Just in the glass the wine was not very expressive and even a bit dusty, but there were dark berries like cassis and some cedar as well. On the palate a juicy wine with dark berries, some lead pencil shavings, vanilla, chocolate, beautiful acidity and round, but still firm tannin which can last for another 3+ years. Beautiful drinking stage when given some air time.
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Weekly tasting group RWP #261: Leftovers (@ DJ): Drank this wine 10 days ago from my own cellar. Now I got the wine fully blind and from another source. In the bouquet ripe dark berries, some autumn forest and beautiful oak. On the palate juicy dark berries, cherry chocolate, good acidity and soft tannin. A beautiful wine.
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An easy afternoon with close friends: In the bouquet dark berries like cassis, graphite, smoke and beautiful oaky flavors. On the palate good cassis and other dark berries. The impressions of the bouquet come back on the palate. A beautiful, elegant and harmonious wine.
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Decanted for 20 mins, and was ready after first pour as tannins are fully resolved. Some leather and earth notes, but not the full on barnyard notes I got from the 01. Definitely Bordeaux profile, despite the vintage, though I would not call it classic or elegant as the fruit is more forward than most vintages. I would venture this is at peak now.
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Enticing aromas with surprisingly herbal and savory pepper character that gives this a very old school character that i really enjoy. Maybe a little hollow in the middle, but a well aged red wine that pairs ideally with flank steak.
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An inexpensive selection from my 2003 Futures purchase this wine is right in the prime drinking zone for me. The old leather and forest floor on the nose are a bit overpowering at first but a decant and an hour took the pungent away and left a rich round wine with some good underlying interest that fits the bill of "bon merde". I love the evolution of these wines from the youthful "currant, berry, toasted oak and milk chocolate" described by Wine Spectator in 2006 to this earthy delight.
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Initially I thought it was corked... very lightweight wine, with an off smell lurking in the background.
After 5 hours of air though, this wine completely changed. The funky/musty note that I picked up completely blew off and the wine gain a ton of weight, texture and body. An amazing transformation for a bottle I almost poured down the drain.
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I agree with Apollo5710 that this like some other 2003 clarets is showing a much rounder, satisfactory maturity than I ever hoped. No off or baked flavours at all. Even the colour was attractively deep and bright. Well done.
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Due to other tasters' notes on '03 Bordeaux, and this estate specifically, I decided to open my last bottle. I'm glad I did! I think this is probably currently as good as it might get - it can probably be held for another 1-2 years, but that's probably it. It needed 1-2 hours to decant first, at which point notes of damp earth, forest floor, cedar, leather, chocolate, and dark fruits (blackberry, plum) emerge from the glass, followed by a nicely framed and smooth mouthfeel, medium-bodied and well concentrated, and showcasing flavors of dark chocolate, leather, and earth. The finish was ok, not the highlight. In general, a pleasurable experience, and would've merited a higher score had it not been for a rather unpleasant funky/barnyard note that never quite went away.
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We brought this to a restaurant to celebrate our anniversary. At this stage in its development it was still somewhat tannic and tight when first decanted. It opened up very nicely through the dinner although it never showed the typical Pauillac nose. It had good dark fruit with forest notes. Unfortunately, this was our last bottle of a case originally bought on futures.
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Showing beautifully with dusty nose, lots of dirty leather and good acid/tannin balance. This is the second low-end 2003 medoc I've had recently that's right in the zone.
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When first opened this popped with aromas of creme de cassis, pencil shavings, and damp soil notes. On the palate the oak is pronounced with drying tannins. On the palate this has black cherry, cassis, toasted oak, and plum. The dryness subdues the fruit profile, though there is a persistent minerality through the finish. This seemed to lose its freshness quickly and flattened as the night wore on.
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Something between a Pauillac and a Napa Cab. Very well made. Nice but not great. Drink soon, thus it won´t improve on the long run like so many Bordeaux from 2003. Bought this en primeur in 2004 for around 25.- Euros. That calms me down quite a bit.
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Lots of cherry on the nose. Dark, sweet berries, some earth and a touch of barnyard. Good initially, better after an hour in open bottle. Lacking some depth and length to get higher up there. Nice maturity to it. Some secondary aromas, but in no hurry to get drunk...
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Left open for a hour. Medium red color with slight garnet tones. On the nose got cherry, barnyard and mushroom with a bit cassis. On the palate medium body medium acid and seeming a little imbalanced with firm cotton tannins. However in the glass the fruit gets bigger and the tannins round a bit but still a little bit of a bite. Served with cassoulet so the tannin bite was perfect. Hard to say if it will balance more but I would probably give another bottle a try in a year.
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What a difference four years makes! This Bordeaux is now silky smooth with terrific complexity. Blackberry fruit integrates nicely with cassis, forest floor and mushroom. After an hour, the wine changes into all these flavors delivering a powerful complex fruit forward Bordeaux that is terrific to drink.
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Great wine. And an underrated chateau. Quite transparent on the colour. Blackcurrant, oak, tobacco, pencil shavings on the nose. A wonderful rustic nose. Wonderfully jagged. The taste though is smooth. Fantastic fine tannins. Great value.
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Decanted for several hours before re-bottling to take to a local steakhouse. Tasted at about the two hour mark and it exhibited an earthy nose, maybe leather. Soft tannins, full bodied. Dried fruits and spice. Very nice. Several hours later at the restaurant, the wine had flattened out and was rather disappointing.
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dark fruited nose. needed an hour in the decanter to smooth out. Still evolving, but probably about as good as it will get. plum/cassis and a hint of graphite.
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Upon opening and decanting this wine, the nose started off cedary and bretty, but I did not sip for a solid hour. By then, a very classic Pauillac nose of cedar pencil and graphite became strongly evident. Fruits, in the form of blackberry and creme de cassis were only hinted at. Later, an hour and a half from opening, the fruit opened up, but the body remained wood dominated and very savory. A strong acidity made the 13% alcohol seem surprisingly strong, and quite a backbone of tannins, while not excessive, made for a long, mouth-watering finish.
All in all, a very representative, old world Pauillac. Classic almost to a fault. I did not feel the fruit was stewed or jammy, but I am not sure if the fruit is coming or going at this time.
Day two: out of curiosity, I saved about a glass (just placed the bottle, corked, on the counter). No changes in complexity, nose or flavor - but the fruit was stronger and the oak and tannins softer. Overall, the wine held up fabulously. Based upon these observations, I would hold on to any other bottles for at least 2 to 5 more years!
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In good shape (although the cork crumbled before it could be extracted, but I managed to get almost all of it out), but simply not ready yet. Initially, the nose yielded good notes of leather, forest floor, roasted herbs, and dark fruits, but went into a shell shortly thereafter never to re-emerge. However, over time, the wine did gain weight, revealing decent structure, and the sense of fruit still buried within. On day two, though, things not only hadn't improved, but hints of alcohol moved to the fore. Thus, I'm not entirely sure what will become of this wine, but I'm in no hurry to drink my last bottle - I'll shoot to wait for at least 5 more years. 90+
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Cork had popped up just a bit on this bottle, so may not be truly representative. Bricking around edge of glass, all the classic dark fruit, cedar, earth flavors there but a bit muted as if this were fading a bit. Liked it, but not as well as I expected to.
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My penultimate bottle. Some age on the rim, lovely nose of herbs and fruit with definite hints of bay and eucalyptus. Soft and ripe tannins, well integrated fruit. No much complexity but a good mature Bordeaux. WoFW 14-15/20
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Dark opaque center, shows some brick on the rim. Lovely intense, cool, earthy Bordeaux nose - lots of pure blackcurrant, dark plum fruit, nice complexity. Medium bodied, ripe, but very well balanced, lots of currant acidity, dry palate, with currant and cherry fruit. Lovely long finish.
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Note from 2nd glass removed via Coravin. In general I have liked 2003 BDX - but this one is not too liking. Very roasted and stewed fruit - lacks definition and complexity.
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Had this with rack of lamb after 2 1/2 hour decant. Soft tannins, dark violet color, earthy scent, good mouth-feel. Delicious. Better then the one I opened a year and a a half ago. I liked it somewhat better than Gail. One left. Great QPR.
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nose is very clean and typically bordeaux -> love it. the wine has a medium body and a good mixture of fruit and texture. middle-length finish. personally chateau d'armaillhac is one of my favourite, but this is not an outstandig vintage but still a good value. try in another bottle in a few years.
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17th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (The Lyon's Tree House): Like the first ice skater, you don't want to be the first wine tasted blind out of 30 wines...but this did very nicely with dark berries, stone and tobacco notes. Obvious but smooth tannins holds it tight. Has 5+ years. 89 on day 2, worse on 3.
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Decanted and drank over 3 hrs. Definitely got better with time. Clear dark purple in color. Clean nose of black currant and some cedar. Dry, med acidity, med body, smooth tannins, black currant and cedar on palate. Nice wine, a real new world aspect to it. If I want the real Bordeaux experience not sure this wine does it.
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The palate is medium weight and focused. Started relatively modern but with 2 hour decant became more obviously Bordeaux. Nice cedar, currant, and graphite on the nose. Good acidity, silky tannins. In a nice place but no hurry. 91 points
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Decanted for a half hour, which was enough to let it open up and let a little funk blow off. This was better than expected, with blackberry and currant fruit, medium body and acidity, and cedar and tobacco notes on the finish. Also had plenty of earth and funk (and even a little brett) that I find common with this estate, which I liked in that it was unmistakably Bordeaux, even in a hot, ripe vintage. Drinking really well now.
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Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2003 Bordeaux (Mike & Judi's): Garnet color. Aromas of iodine, tobacco and a mix of red and black fruit. Medium-bodied with softened tannins and flavors of cherry, tobacco, dark fruit and herbs. Picked up coffee on this one too. 91+ pts.
My #2, Domino's #7 Group #4, 49 pts
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2003 Bordeaux Horizontal (San Antonio, TX): One of the best d'Armailhacs I have had to date. My #2. Showed excellent early maturity, with blackberries, pencil lead, earth. Smooth, elegant with black and red fruits, some herbs. Terrific finish.
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0,75 cl N: cherry, vanilla, Tabaco, Earth, fresh mushroom T: over-ripe blackberry, black elderberry, chocolate, smoke, Juicy, full Bodied New World style, Long finish
Close to the Top, needs 60 min decanting
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Med+ deep ruby, slightly watery rim. Quite intense, but a bit disjointed on the nose, crushed red berries, herbs, old wooden furniture. Med body. Rather elegant, red toned palate within an oak frame, which eventually turns a bit heavy. Bitter charcoal oak spoils the finish. Very persistent.
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Med garnet color; currant, tobacco, leather and green hint on nose. Med acidity, med + tannins somewhat integrated, med +intensity of flavors and med + body. Cigar box, black current, leather. Good quality with nice balance of components but somewhat simple at this point.
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From a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2%Petit Verdot, this medium bodied, round, ripe, blackberry, cedar wood, tobacco and earth infused wine is ready to drink.
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Decanted 60 minn. Reddish violet. Dark berries, cassis, prunes, slight earth/spice. Medium weight fruit with soft, slatey tannins and some acid. Not complex. Good with grilled rib eyes. Will hold for some time, but doubt there is much to develop.
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Very dark ruby in color! Nose of stewed dark fruits, cedarwood, rich on the palate with dark fruits! A little bit one dimensional!! Suggesting you to pair it with food!!
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Consumed bottle less 1 cup used for red wind reduction for venison tenderloin. Pairing worked great. Starting to develop secondary flavors now. Medium nose, medium to full bodied, deep crimson color, dark berry, leather, some spice, hint of charcoal and nutty flavors, with medium finish. Based on prior vintages this should continue to develop over the next 5+ years. Solid as usual, will hold remaining bottle.
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Decent nose. Showing a lot better than 2008 vintage but still not as aromatic or fruity as 2009 vintage. Medium-bodied with decent balance. Better structure than the 2008 vintage. Good acidity level. 89-91 pts.
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This is an elegant, surprisingly rustic and quite atypical Pauillac (at least for the vintage) which is drinking beautifully at the moment. The palate is medium weight and shows some interesting coppery top-notes to go with the more predictable currant, graphite and forest floor on the nose. Good acidity, the silkiest of tannins and pedigree structure indicate there is probably 7ish years of development left in the bottle. It'll be interesting to see if those vigorous metallic notes manage to outmuscle the fruit over time.
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Decanted for 2 hours tasting as it opened up. Took a good 2 hours to open up. This is drinking extremely well right now with a solid core of red cherry fruit a touch of menthol and olive with the acidity still giving this a fresh a lively flavor profile and mouthfeel. The nose started out with a touch of barnyard, but evolved to a fragrant spice box with vanilla essence. The finish is a short but sweet caress with just a touch of dusty tannins to close it out. Very, very nice! The balance is there now and while I think this could maybe use a year or two more to soften the tannins a bit more, I don't think the structure is there to go much more than that.
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Nice nose of leather, pencil shavings, cassis, scorched earth. In the mouth, it's tightly wound, with good acidity but minerally tannins clamping down on the finish. Very classically structured and reserved for a 2003. Needs a few more years. Should improve a little.
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Less impressive than the bottle I had more than 3 years ago. The nose is not that expressive and the finish is a tad thin. Has this one peaked already? One bottle left?
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Quite gentle for Pauillac from a hot strong vintage. More perfumed and acidic with tannins not so much soft as less present. Good wealth of flavor with typical Bordeaux flavors but with little power. Pleasant but short aftertaste. Good wine, not as good as many similarly ranked neighbours.
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Typically dry and lacking fruit (for a 2003). Tannins quite harsh. Drinking better the second night, but even with this glimmer of hope for improvement, I'm not sure that this is on the way .
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Le Week-end des Grands Crus (Bordeaux): Good concentration with a brick rim. Very nuanced fruit, barnyard. The heat is retracabeable in the on the palate. Quite a lot of tannins still. Ok acidity. Probably best in 2-5 years
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Decanted for hour and half. Blackberry,cherry, vanilla,chocolate, leather,and cinnamon. Nice and grapepy, juicy a bit dry at the end. I think it's still very young and will benefit form a few years of cellaring to fatten and show the real personality.
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Excellent nose. Leather, barnyard, and oak. Medium body, medium finish. Tannins still seem quite firm but not overwhelming. Classic old world bordeaux. Missing a bit of fruit and complexity but still very good.
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Very nice. Bouquet really stood out as barnyard aromas. Wine wasn't overwhelmed by alcohol or fruit, despite the characteristics of the vintage. Would recommend.
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS #064; Bordeaux; Pauillac (By RvD): Beautiful bouquet with smoky oak and sweet black forest fruits and cassis. On the palate the same; more sweetness than usual, but still a beautiful wine with ripe black as well as some red berry fruits and chocolate bitterness. The tannin is friendly, round and creamy, but firm and a bit drying in the finish as well. A lush and more modern wine than usual for this chateau, but with still a good future until at least 2017.
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Closed wine, decanted for 2 hours. Showed great aromatics like red fruits, basil and minerality. On the mouth a bit closed but not tight. Sleeping & very conservative wine for now, but i feel there is potential. Would like to taste agian in 1 year or so to see what happens...
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Nice wine, but nothing special. Has the smell and taste of old oak. There are tannins present, but the body is medium light, causing me to wonder where this wine is going.
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Decanted for 3 hours prior to this note. Pretty nose of ripe and creamy red fruits. Bit of smoky oak toast, plums, pomegranate and a bit of black cherry. Nose is very modern and could easily fool me for CA cab. The palate is where he wine takes a different path. While the nose is nice and rich, the palate has great concentration while staying balanced and medium bodied. Still a fair amount of drying tannins in the mouth which have mellowed after 3 hours of air. Currants seem to dominate the fruit profile on the palate all mixed with some cigar smoke, road tar, graphite and spicy oak. Some of the notes here mention that this wine is ready to drink but I think it needs another 3-5 years to soften up for my tatses.
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Nose of leather, blood, tar, chocolate, black fruit. Color was diark purple to the rim. Palate was rich and smooth and tasted as it smelled. Finish as somewhat short with good spice. Nice resolved tannins. Improved over time in the glass.
Did not hold up second day.
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A very nice wine. Though the nose is not good enough, just have a light smell of black fruit, the plate is quite silky. Better decanted for 2 or more hours. Still very tannic and probably be better with 3-4 years.
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Initially was barnyard, tart and over the top tannic, but this wine needs at least two hours to decant. After that, the wine had beautiful dark berry fruit, with hints of leather, tobacco and chocolate. Was hoping for more from this wine, but it is very good.
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2003 Bordeaux Double Blind; 5/27/2011-5/29/2011: [Tasted double blind] Dark fruited; plum, berry, barrique. Somewhat minerally nose with an interesting herbal/stemmy component. Chunky awkward tannins lend astringency to the dark and backward palate. I don't really like this at all.
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2003 Bordeaux Horizontal: Wine #3 (single blind): Very nice bouquet, terribly bitter palate. Way too acrid, and yet it has some telltale praline too. Hard to like. 80-81 pts.
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Last bottle. It definitely seemed to open up even more over the past 9 months. The cassis and tobacco was elegant and in wonderful balance with the tannins. We just about finished the bottle in one sitting.
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(A-) Opened beautifully after 6-7 hours. Tons of lucious, full bodied cherries up front, with a supple leather and earth backbone. Still plenty of tannin, which needs some time to integrate.
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This bottle was decanted for a couple of hours and it opened nicely. The second day even more was revealed and tannin abated somewhat - lots of the barnyard funk that I noticed with the last bottle, leather and red fruit on the nose. I like this wine. What you need to know is that there is not enough heft to carry a heavy red meat meal (I had it with leg of lamb) but still good value for Bordeaux IMHO.
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very farmyardy - double decanted it 2 hrs before lunch, some of the brettyness blew off, but still a bit agricultural, some cedar and leather.. some nice stone fruit underlying, not the 03 fruitbomb expected though. a very pleasant drop.
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Agree with brianngibson. Not a blockbuster or complex wine. However, not without some endearing qualities. Noted the barnyard but at a level that is pleasing, if you like that note. The leather was perhaps a bit overwhelming the fruit but all-in-all a nice, reasonably-priced Bordeaux for the vintage. Tasted alongside a '09 Leoville-Barton and I have to say that this was a superior wine.
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Aromas of stewed blackberry, plum skin, barnyard earth, gooseberry, anise, dark chocolate and a touch of boot polish. A touch thin on the palate which emphasizes gravelly earth. The medium-length finish is surprisingly fresh and red-fruited, along with pulverized stone, bandaid and more gooseberry. This wine shows slightly baked and flat, reflections of the vintage. A reasonable QPR at $20 on futures.
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Wow, the opinions on this one seem to be across the spectrum. I am wondering if some of the really low scores are drinking the same thing I am. Bad bottles, storage, or a food pairing that is throwing it off? To be sure, this is not a 95 pt wine, but I think it is way better than low 80s. Loads of currant, leather, and tobacco. I get the barnyard comments, but I don't find it overpowering. Tannins are smoothing out, and not overpowering. Licorice, lead pencil, and mocha. Not spectacular but very enjoyable and I think now entering a good drinking point.
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dark purple, great nose of saddle leather,tobacco, dark berries, earth and anise, but seemed closed down on the palate. Actually, it seemed somewhat flabby and uninteresting, with a somewhat hot green finish. In my mind, the 03's have not been showing well, this is especially true of the La Tour Carnet and Calon Segur. Aside from Lafon-Rochet, the 2003 vintage has been disappointing. Drink up.
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had a glass at Eberhard's at day 2 after opening, properly sealed with pump. nose; besides the fruit indeed barnyard, vegetables (like broccoli and asparagus broth). pleasant palate with smooth tannins (presumably smoothed out by oxygen) and very little acid. medium palate and persistence. "nose wine"
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Heavy barnyard on the nose, plummy, currant flavor, with firm tannins on the finish. Lots of structure compared to the "02 Beringer Reserve cab we served along side.
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decent nose upon opening. but pallate was pretty closed down -- bit of leather & tobacco, some red fruit. sealed up half the bottle & went back to it 2 days later. at that point it had opened up & come together. fruit was pretty strong. decent weight & balance. short finish. not realy mentionworthy, an okay value, but pleasant.
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I'll admit right up front as this is my first ever public tasting note that I have a pretty unimpressive palate when it comes to sensitivity. Therefore I have no clue whether this wine tasted like cigars in a box, stewed fruti, lead pencils, or any other of the incredible descriptives that wine experts give to wine. But I liked this wine and I'm glad I have one more bottle in my cellar. And more importantly, our dinner guests really liked it, which is why I try to buy and cellar good wine to begin with. It's pretty tannic and lasts a long time in the mouth. How's that for an amateurish description! I wouldn't know how to rate this wine, but at a party last night I was offered some Yellowtail Shiraz. It was all I could do to drink one glass. Even I can tell the difference between that quality of wine and this bottle. I have some even better (allegedly) wine in my little 300 bottle cellar and I'm looknig forward to trying them over the next 30 years.
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Really nice wine and not shut down at all. Bright fruit with just the beginnings of an earthy undertone. More ripe than I expected, but not over the top. Probably, pretty consistent with other wines from '03. Well done QPR.
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Bordeaux Night (Binny's Grand Ave.): nose: pungent nose filled with dark red fruits, dark red cherries, cedar, red currants, and some bits of cigar wrappers. Good depth with a more red fruit base
taste: Well balanced with good firm tannins and a medium/full feel of spice box, dark red fruits, dark red cherries, cedar, and some cigar wrapper tones. The tannins are firm, but not overbearing right now
overall: This is relatively approachable with a good decant, but it seems like it could benefit from some more aging. Shows off the vintage with the red fruits and them having a pumped up feel to them. This has real good balance and should improve a bit more
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Superbe bouteille bue au resto de Giovanni Apollo sur St-Laurent au cours d'un repas magnifique. Le vin révèle des notes de cèdre, de réglisse, de roses, de poivron et d'euccalyptus. Une belle palette d'arômes. La bouche est soyeuse et équilibrée, aucune agression. Les tanins sont fondus. Le vin est beau maintenant!
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Med deep to deep bl cherry- smoky, tobacco, cigar box nose, good acidity but has slightly stewed, overripe quality to the berry and plum flavours - tannins still showing, but drinking well, say over the next 1-5 years. Nice wine but not my idea of Bordeaux.
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Medium violet appearance. Big, pretty damn big. Rich and full bodied. Spicy notes on the nose. Oak. Blueberry compete. Small, tight tannins. Good acidity. Dark. Seems heavy initially but light on its feet. Think you're having a new world bomb but then it races through the palate and finishes dry, with pleasing green and herby notes. Young and not quite knitted together but awfully good and offering long term promise. Best Armailhac I've had. Kind of exotic nose. Asian spice? Full mid-palate - more Merlot?
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I'm very disappointed by this bottle! Dark ruby in color in brick rim. Nose dominated by cooked/stewed fruits also the soy sauce cooked with mustroom, very heavy on the palate. Drinkable but not pleased with it!!! Sincerely hope this bottle is the only exception over my entire case!
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On the nose this wine is big, displaying strong black fruits, earth and dirt, leather, tar, blackberry, plum, and herbal notes in the background. Tight tannins and good acidity in the mouth with primary notes of fresh black berries, and blueberries, followed by secondary notes of chocolate. A big, solid and complex wine.
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Dark ruby colour. Aroma's of dark fruit, licorice, espresso and tabacco. Reminds me of the 1996 d'Armailhac. Many years to go. Found this a good effort for 2003 as the wine is not top heavy, burnt or too heavy.
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Barely ninty!!! Up to these moment, the wine is better integrated, the nose is more fragrant than I tasted last time, the palate is relative smooth these time, still the tannin is there, I hope they can select the fruit in a more severe fashion next time, the wine-making skill is there! No doubt 2003 was a very hot year!
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Really interesting wine. Decanted for an hour before drinking. Very old world nose filled with earthy and vegetal components (think V-8 juice, tobacco leaf, and wet soil) as well as hints of sour cherry. On the palate, this was medium to full bodied with well-rounded tanins. Taste of tobacco, black currant, tomato juice, and hints of espresso. Medium-length finish with a really interesting V-8/dark-roasted espresso flavor combination. A great value for old world-style Bordeaux lovers.
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Open 1 hour before drink, Dark ruby red colour. Full bodied with high tannin. The smell is so strong, very fruity smell of cherry, leather, tobacco. Quite ready for business but would benefit from a few year cellar. Aftertaste somewhat average. Very nice wine
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Earthiest of the four reds, also probally the one that has the most potential over the long-term. This is a full bodied red with aromas full of coffee, toast, dark fruits, and leather. The palate is slighty closed with lots of structure, but even at this young age is very pleasing with sweet tannins and a long finish. I belive the drinking window is still 2-3 years away, and should last for years beyond that.
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Bouquet: smoke, rich black currant, cherry, perhaps some herbs.
Taste: very smooth--tannins, while present, are not at all harsh. All the wines were supposedly decanted, but I don't know for how long. Full bodied, nicely made.
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This will be better in a year or two. Lots of fruit - cherry tempered with a little bit of fig; some tobacco. Not decanted, but should have been. A bit hot. Again, give this one more time and it will follow through.
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Consumed early because it was there. Porterhouse on the grill and no time to search for wine. Considering this abuse of drinking too early and not letting the wine come to proper temp or aeration, it was a pleasant accompaniment to the grilled beef. I will evaluate further tomorrow evening. Nice dark fruit, spice, grainy tannin. Would buy more for $30 sticker price.
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Tasted on father's day, a typical 2003! You can feel the heat, feels like the fruit really suffered from the sun-burnt! Ouch! Seriously, the selection progress isn't good enough! I feel the wine is a bit raw! Perhaps one day, with more severe selection, the name d'Armailhac will get famous! I'm waiting for the day! Hello, do us a favor! Please!
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Good value from this fast improving Mouton property. More classically Bordelais than many 2003 wines - rather reserved, almost grassy nose at first which opened up into blackcurrant notes after two hours in the decanter. Cassis and leaf on the palate, with firm, grainy tannins and a pleasant enough finish. A serious, refined wine. This would go really well with a roast leg of lamb lamb.
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Opened for wine dinner with Frank, Rob, etc. Compared to the '00 Lagrange also opened, this was much more accessible from the get-go. Nice fruit, balance, structure. An almost no-brainer buy. Nice expressive bordeaux.
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Served as part of a flight on Day 2 at the Wine Club SF. Opened but not decanted for 3 hours. All the wines IMO, excluding the Lafite, were tight, tannic and unapproachable. Have to use the imagination on how these might evolve. Dark purple in color; earthy nose; tight tanins, astringent and bitter finish.
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Classic bordeaux on the nose... cigar box, tobacco, and light flower scents. On the palate this wine is pretty tight after being decanted for about an hour. Tannins are fairly mild, with good acidity and flavors of cassis, tobacco, a bit of leather, and a hint of minerals/earth.
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day1: typical left bank baby '03. dark purple. super-ripe. closed down. unmistakable french oak, blackberries, tobacco and stones. lots of fine tannins and some noticeable acidity when first opened. tasting so young. initially i would consider this a wine with good aging potential. day2: integration is underway but not complete. still holding back. rich but lacks some finesse. good concentration, backbone. day3: oak is pretty well integrated and dark fruit has emerged but still tasting pretty rustic. no oxidization whatsoever yet. day4: gained nothing and began to oxidize. conclusion: this is a wine that will need to age for a while. i would revisit again in 5-7 years.
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Chicago Weekend; 7/28/2006-7/31/2006 (Chicago): Young and tight, but really an excellent wine. Dark red fruit, violets and crushed rock. Second day, fruit becomes quite expressive and notes of bitter cocoa add to the previous flavors. Great 03 BDX.
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Chablis and 03 Bordeaux Dinner (HB: A Hearty Boys Spot): Nose is a little reticent. A giving palate of dark currants, anise, cocoa and vanillin. Full bodied though the tannins are relatively mild. Very good but somewhat lost in the shuffle tonight. A wine I'd gladly drink again.
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Color is dark garnet. Nose shows cassis, dark berry, leather, and oak. On the palate, cassis and dark cherry fruit are met with toasty oak and fairly significant tannin. Acidity is present, but frames the flavors nicely. Very enjoyable, and more forward than the 2001 version I have had previously. Should age nicely.
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The nose is rather blackberry, somewhat jammy but also with pleasant floral notes. Softer on the palate than the Clerc Millon – and bordering on a commercial taste, and not as full bodied on the palate. Good stuff.
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3/30/2024 - Bryan F Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent aged Bordeaux from a well kept 375 mL bottle. Smooth and gentle with classic cigar box notes. Very enjoyable if you like em smooth with no bite.
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3/25/2024 - tbrader wrote: 92 Points
Soft nose of cigar box and aged oak. A slight but clear beam of blackberry and current fruit remains. On the finish, very subtle fennel and chalky notes. Wines -- including many fine Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Italian wines -- don't usually hold out this long and well in my cellar; very impressive at this price point.
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12/22/2023 - Somm David T wrote: 95 Points
I am pretty sure I paid $30-$35 a bottle in its first tranche release. Seems Millesima USA is selling it today for $149 a bottle. The reason to collect and age. It is drinking well beyond that price point twenty years from inception or how I always look at wine is eighteen years in bottle. For me, that’s how I decide when to open. How many years in the bottle is its real age.
It is dark cherry, cherry, blackberry, black raspberries, strawberries, raspberries with bright florals. Amazing smoothness, bright violets, excellent acidity and a well, evenly polished finish that pairs with fatty steaks for days. Stupidly perfect from a warm/ripe Bordeaux vintage.
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10/15/2023 - MJMcCarthy Likes this wine: 91 Points
The bottle showed 0.5 cm ullage below the capsule, but the cork extracted cleanly with an ah-so tool and showed no streaking. It immediately revealed aromatic notes of black fruit, leather and cigar box, even before the first pour.
The wine was deep ruby in the glass, with some bricking at the top of the rim, but less than might be expected from a vintage two decades old. Not surprisingly, noticeable sediment adhered to the inside of the bottle's shoulders.
Aromas in the glass remained true to those initially out of the bottle, with hints of "funk" that are expected from wines of this region.
The first taste had prominent tertiary flavors akin to its aromas (from the aging), with fading hints of black fruit and notes of wood. Strong acidity and tannins that are firm yet yielding remained in balance, enveloping the palette in a gentle embrace. Fruit flavors such as cassis slowly emerged over a long finish that seemed to stretch for days.
This wine is an absolutely lovely, venerable Bordeaux approaching but not yet at its sunset. It is an old photograph found in a dusty attic, wherein the colors are faded and have blended into each other to create a blurry rather than sharp image, but in which the subject remains discernible, evoking memories from decades ago.
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1/28/2023 - racerchris Likes this wine: 91 Points
From 375. Decanted.
Not much on the nose. Blackberries and earth on the palate, youthful with some grip.
A lot going on behind the scenes here. Enjoyable but seemingly not yet on full display. Worth holding.
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1/9/2023 - msauer wrote: 91 Points
jetzt auf seinem Höhepunkt
warme volle Frucht . dicht, abgerundet/harmonisch . Etwas Zartbitter -Schoko zur Süsskirsche
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12/1/2022 - Whine-oh Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted at table, minimal fine sediment. Classic Bordeaux nose, even a little barnyard. Slight bricking. Medium bodied, red fruit with some secondary notes of mushroom and forest floor. Easy drinking, mellow tannins. Went well with mega meat entree and definitely stood it's ground tonight next to a New World Columbia Crest reserve. Fun to drink and share with small group. Good to go tonight!
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9/19/2022 - msauer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Rund. geschliffen . Keine Kanten (mehr).
nicht Cabernet -lästig. reif, warm, rund
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9/8/2022 - msauer wrote: 90 Points
die Wärme des Sommers im Glas. Sehr reife satte Früchte. Kein Holz. Kann man auch in 5 Jahren noch mit Genuss trinken
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8/11/2022 - msauer wrote: 91 Points
saftig, satte reife warme Früchte
kein Holz mehr, keine Ecken/Kanten
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7/10/2022 - msauer wrote: 89 Points
1./12 aus OHK
Samtig warme Frucht , kein Holz, keine Ecken /Kanten. harmonisch rund. Nicht besonders lang
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3/13/2022 - John Nezlek wrote: 89 Points
Note: I use the recommended scale, so 85 is a very good wine.
Just shy of the magical 90. Perhaps if the fruit had been a bit more present.
Nevertheless, a very nice bottle. Did not need to decant, although I did let it breathe for 30-5 min before drinking in earnest.
Not certain that more time will help, although I see no need to rush.
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1/18/2022 - JDubyaMtl Likes this wine: 91 Points
starts with powerful nutmeg and tobacco notes, some damp cedar, interesting but not complex.....Luscious fruit but medium bodied with deceptively long tannins, heavy oak. More "power" than elegance, despite the age and 2+ hours in the decanter
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12/23/2021 - Bordhead2000 Likes this wine:
This is not a youthful wine. The nose is familiar, I’ve been here before, but with greater bottle age. Mushrooms, wet earth. The palate is striking. No fruit really to speak of, but acidity is present. Long finish. Tannins still ever so slightly gripping. Menthol in the finish.
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6/6/2021 - PolarBear22 wrote: 92 Points
Still as good as last bottle.
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5/4/2021 - Brian Glas wrote: 84 Points
Tasted after 2 hours of air. There is some funk here. Medium garnet with bricking. Some barnyard notes. Odd for a Armailhac. Not blowing off with some time. Still some firm tannins. Plenty of leather. Some fruit. This isn't falling apart but not as good as I remembered.
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3/31/2021 - stamperb Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rusty rim color. Nose: smokey, violet, vanilla, hints of leather and autumn. Palate: very floral, tart red berries, smooth tannins, velvety mouthfeel, long finish. Really a great, balanced wine.
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12/26/2020 - PolarBear22 wrote: 92 Points
Still enjoying this wine. It will last longer, but for a 17 yo wine, it is great. So why risk it? Great fruit and acidity. Smooth tannins with a nice silky finish.
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12/25/2020 - xyc Likes this wine: 95 Points
"Deo Gracias" Interlude 10 in Britten's Ceremony of Carols. Amen
Cork looks like it was inserted yesterday. The nose is warm, sweet, smoky, ever so seasonal. The color - I consulted color charts - dried blood saturated burgundy (the color not the wine) with strange sightings in the glass, slight rim browning which magically goes away. The taste, comforting, warm, almost "sweet" palate coating with fuzzy slipper kisses bestowed by old Bordeaux and Burgundy. If I drank this every day, that would mean I was sharing St. Peter's Cellar.
A few comments to share.
Few readers will have the opportunity to taste and enjoy well aged Bordeaux and Burgundy.
Why? vintage quality, storage conditions, cost, patience, palate education.
Not every taster will enjoy old wine; the sweet vibrant fruit of youth mellowed, grapes or raisins?
Perhaps, old wine is best reserved for old people. We can think about how a bottle has been treated by age and look in the mirror.
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9/19/2020 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 93 Points
Claret with Allen Brothers Rib-cover/Ribcap. Simply doesn’t get a ton better. 03 such a warm, ripe, beautiful, floral vintage.
The mouthfeel is all velvet. It’s; round, nicely resolved, fruit are ripe, everything from raspberries to blackberries, raspberry cola, tobacco, suede leather, dry stone, forest floor, dry limestone powder, dark spices, nutmeg, clove & vanillin, bright, candied florals that lean blue & purple. Acidity for days with an elegant, extremely well balanced & polished finish.
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8/26/2020 - khmark7 wrote: 92 Points
Sexy & savory bottle. Wish i had more. Classic styled Bordeaux.
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8/17/2020 - msauer Likes this wine: 91 Points
sehr fein. Kein Holz mehr. Aus dem eurocave Start gekühlt caraffiert, bei 28 Grad Außentemperatur.
Reife dunkle (Brom-)Beeren, samtig, warm, reich
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8/7/2020 - SARED wrote: 91 Points
90-91
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5/30/2020 - bubucap Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good aged bdx; little barnyard, dark fruits, plums; hints of tertiary notes on the nose; well balanced, plums, cassis on the palate; tannins are resolved; medium pressure; medium finish; seems to be at peak now; nice pleasure to drink
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2/1/2020 - PolarBear22 wrote: 92 Points
Aged wonderfully. Great fruit on nose and palate.
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11/28/2019 - Radboy wrote: 93 Points
Fabulous wine.
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9/29/2019 - thebonnydooner wrote: 92 Points
Lovely wine. Nicely aged in colour, still dark plum in colour in the centre, dark plum brick robe, brick red rim. Lovely aged bordeaux nose, earth, graphite, cedar, some dark plum fruit. Palate is medium bodied, nicely dry, juicy acidity, fine dry tannins, some currant and dark plum on the finish, maybe a little more graphite. Really drinking well, everything you want in an affordable aged bordeaux.
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6/20/2019 - Radboy wrote: 92 Points
Out of the magnum, a lovely drink. Best after a 2 hour decant.
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4/26/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Friday Tasting Group: Farewell to One of the Group's Stalwarts (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): N: A bit of funk & (natural) oxygenation, but attractively so; Later, cherries, toast, notes of earth, with undertones of oranges
P: Med body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by a very, VERY slightly puckerish astringency which seamlessly morphs into a LONG, BALANCED, very, VERY slightly tangy finish with a bitter/swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. Not likely to improve further, but should hold for another 4 or 5 yrs min. My EXC, poss EXC/EXC+. 16.5, 16 (2x), & 15.5/20 Jancis Robinson, + numerous other solid reviews listed on wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg.
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3/4/2019 - Basti Likes this wine: 91 Points
Anfangs Pfefferminze, Leder, Graphit, schöne Nase, nach 2 h schön rund, Kirsche, Tabak, schöner Abgang, sehr harmonisch
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2/15/2019 - sunalsorises wrote: 89 Points
Pretty good depth. A lot of funk at first. Settled in nicely.
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1/23/2019 - Janstan Likes this wine: 88 Points
Barnyard. Tart cherry, cassis. Went well with grilled lamb.
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1/1/2019 - COWineLover wrote: 87 Points
First bottle in three years, and last bottle. Hyper-decanted. Aromas of creme de cassis, pencil shavings, tobacco and clove. Plum color with little bricking. Medium weight, this has a tart entry displaying sour cherry notes, cassis, and plums. Fully integrated tannins but low acidity leaves this plodding along.
Glad we drank up as this has declined since the last tasting.
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6/29/2018 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 88 Points
Probably should have waited longer before opening this but could not resist the chance to drink side by side with the ‘04 d’Armailhac. Nose was still funky with lots of barnyard. Color is medium garnet with a bit of bricking at the rim. This was still a bit harsh. Tannins overly prominent, overwhelming hints of raspberry and strawberry. Medium bodied with a medium finish. Needs time and this is consistent with my experience with other ‘03’s which seem to be very long lived.
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5/13/2018 - Deryl Likes this wine: 89 Points
Typical French funk mellowed out after about an hour in the decanter. Fruit still there, enjoyable. Time to drink up.
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3/11/2018 - Deryl Likes this wine: 89 Points
Still kind of stemmy after an hour in the decanter. Pretty tasty and balanced by the time we finished the last glasses. Drink now, because there isn't a lot of fruit left in it.
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3/3/2018 - MikeCW wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well, not seeing much upside. All I could expect for this wine. Enjoyable with braised lamb.
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12/19/2017 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #024 Pauillac (By JS): Just in the glass the wine was not very expressive and even a bit dusty, but there were dark berries like cassis and some cedar as well. On the palate a juicy wine with dark berries, some lead pencil shavings, vanilla, chocolate, beautiful acidity and round, but still firm tannin which can last for another 3+ years. Beautiful drinking stage when given some air time.
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8/5/2017 - Ilkkaw wrote: 88 Points
Disappointing!
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7/10/2017 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Weekly tasting group RWP #261: Leftovers (@ DJ): Drank this wine 10 days ago from my own cellar. Now I got the wine fully blind and from another source. In the bouquet ripe dark berries, some autumn forest and beautiful oak. On the palate juicy dark berries, cherry chocolate, good acidity and soft tannin. A beautiful wine.
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7/1/2017 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
An easy afternoon with close friends: In the bouquet dark berries like cassis, graphite, smoke and beautiful oaky flavors. On the palate good cassis and other dark berries. The impressions of the bouquet come back on the palate. A beautiful, elegant and harmonious wine.
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5/28/2017 - vinole wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 20 mins, and was ready after first pour as tannins are fully resolved. Some leather and earth notes, but not the full on barnyard notes I got from the 01. Definitely Bordeaux profile, despite the vintage, though I would not call it classic or elegant as the fruit is more forward than most vintages. I would venture this is at peak now.
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5/27/2017 - DugyDog Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aromas of old school Bordeaux -- forest floor, musty, sweet tobacco. A little short in the middle and finish but for $31 a great value.
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5/15/2017 - khmark7 wrote: 91 Points
Enticing aromas with surprisingly herbal and savory pepper character that gives this a very old school character that i really enjoy. Maybe a little hollow in the middle, but a well aged red wine that pairs ideally with flank steak.
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4/20/2017 - Yagil wrote: 90 Points
Wine10 hosted by Yoram & Yagil (at Yoram Solberg): quality and enjoyable, classic for its level
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4/10/2017 - The Boulevardier Likes this wine: 90 Points
An inexpensive selection from my 2003 Futures purchase this wine is right in the prime drinking zone for me. The old leather and forest floor on the nose are a bit overpowering at first but a decant and an hour took the pungent away and left a rich round wine with some good underlying interest that fits the bill of "bon merde". I love the evolution of these wines from the youthful "currant, berry, toasted oak and milk chocolate" described by Wine Spectator in 2006 to this earthy delight.
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3/10/2017 - vancouvermatt wrote: 92 Points
Initially I thought it was corked... very lightweight wine, with an off smell lurking in the background.
After 5 hours of air though, this wine completely changed. The funky/musty note that I picked up completely blew off and the wine gain a ton of weight, texture and body. An amazing transformation for a bottle I almost poured down the drain.
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3/3/2017 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 92 Points
With an exquisite rack of lamb, this wine really showed well. Rich and ripe, plummy and herbal, the wine and food elevated each other.
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2/18/2017 - rwpalmer wrote: 91 Points
I agree with Apollo5710 that this like some other 2003 clarets is showing a much rounder, satisfactory maturity than I ever hoped. No off or baked flavours at all. Even the colour was attractively deep and bright. Well done.
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10/29/2016 - eb57 Likes this wine: 93 Points
very nice
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10/16/2016 - Apollo5710 wrote: 91 Points
Due to other tasters' notes on '03 Bordeaux, and this estate specifically, I decided to open my last bottle. I'm glad I did! I think this is probably currently as good as it might get - it can probably be held for another 1-2 years, but that's probably it. It needed 1-2 hours to decant first, at which point notes of damp earth, forest floor, cedar, leather, chocolate, and dark fruits (blackberry, plum) emerge from the glass, followed by a nicely framed and smooth mouthfeel, medium-bodied and well concentrated, and showcasing flavors of dark chocolate, leather, and earth. The finish was ok, not the highlight. In general, a pleasurable experience, and would've merited a higher score had it not been for a rather unpleasant funky/barnyard note that never quite went away.
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10/5/2016 - twfwinedude Likes this wine:
We brought this to a restaurant to celebrate our anniversary. At this stage in its development it was still somewhat tannic and tight when first decanted. It opened up very nicely through the dinner although it never showed the typical Pauillac nose. It had good dark fruit with forest notes. Unfortunately, this was our last bottle of a case originally bought on futures.
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8/21/2016 - j7menash wrote:
Moved to table
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8/7/2016 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Showing beautifully with dusty nose, lots of dirty leather and good acid/tannin balance. This is the second low-end 2003 medoc I've had recently that's right in the zone.
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4/8/2016 - nm10 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice. Classic Paulliac and ready to drink.
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2/9/2016 - AWBryce wrote:
Feminine nose, sweet dark fruits. Resolved palate, drinking well right now. Has a pleasant herbal/green note that is common in this region.
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1/30/2016 - COWineLover wrote: 88 Points
When first opened this popped with aromas of creme de cassis, pencil shavings, and damp soil notes. On the palate the oak is pronounced with drying tannins. On the palate this has black cherry, cassis, toasted oak, and plum. The dryness subdues the fruit profile, though there is a persistent minerality through the finish. This seemed to lose its freshness quickly and flattened as the night wore on.
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12/27/2015 - golby24 wrote: 89 Points
Mineral, flint
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12/27/2015 - Dancing with bottles Likes this wine: 89 Points
Something between a Pauillac and a Napa Cab. Very well made. Nice but not great. Drink soon, thus it won´t improve on the long run like so many Bordeaux from 2003. Bought this en primeur in 2004 for around 25.- Euros. That calms me down quite a bit.
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12/9/2015 - goska wrote: 89 Points
Lots of cherry on the nose. Dark, sweet berries, some earth and a touch of barnyard. Good initially, better after an hour in open bottle. Lacking some depth and length to get higher up there. Nice maturity to it. Some secondary aromas, but in no hurry to get drunk...
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12/3/2015 - mlfrancoeur wrote: 89 Points
Left open for a hour. Medium red color with slight garnet tones. On the nose got cherry, barnyard and mushroom with a bit cassis. On the palate medium body medium acid and seeming a little imbalanced with firm cotton tannins. However in the glass the fruit gets bigger and the tannins round a bit but still a little bit of a bite. Served with cassoulet so the tannin bite was perfect. Hard to say if it will balance more but I would probably give another bottle a try in a year.
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11/19/2015 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a difference four years makes! This Bordeaux is now silky smooth with terrific complexity. Blackberry fruit integrates nicely with cassis, forest floor and mushroom. After an hour, the wine changes into all these flavors delivering a powerful complex fruit forward Bordeaux that is terrific to drink.
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11/6/2015 - jrh82 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine. And an underrated chateau. Quite transparent on the colour. Blackcurrant, oak, tobacco, pencil shavings on the nose. A wonderful rustic nose. Wonderfully jagged. The taste though is smooth. Fantastic fine tannins. Great value.
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3/30/2015 - MatLot Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent, tout un vin très belle expérience. Mon premier Armailhac et non le dernier ! À boire maintenant selon mes goûts. A+
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2/20/2015 - WDK wrote: flawed
Faded fruit. Not at al enjoyable.
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1/11/2015 - Gail and Len wrote: 87 Points
Decanted for several hours before re-bottling to take to a local steakhouse. Tasted at about the two hour mark and it exhibited an earthy nose, maybe leather. Soft tannins, full bodied. Dried fruits and spice. Very nice. Several hours later at the restaurant, the wine had flattened out and was rather disappointing.
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12/26/2014 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good mature tasty Pauillac from an under-rated vintage. Herby fruit nose with hints of bay, ripe tannins, good acidity and length.
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12/20/2014 - Parnakuti wrote:
Emile retirement party
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12/20/2014 - Parnakuti wrote:
Nice nose , cassis, pencil shavings , well integrated tannins . Good solid bordeaux
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11/29/2014 - thirstyman wrote:
dark fruited nose. needed an hour in the decanter to smooth out. Still evolving, but probably about as good as it will get. plum/cassis and a hint of graphite.
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11/21/2014 - Zoomin Z Likes this wine: 91 Points
Upon opening and decanting this wine, the nose started off cedary and bretty, but I did not sip for a solid hour. By then, a very classic Pauillac nose of cedar pencil and graphite became strongly evident. Fruits, in the form of blackberry and creme de cassis were only hinted at. Later, an hour and a half from opening, the fruit opened up, but the body remained wood dominated and very savory. A strong acidity made the 13% alcohol seem surprisingly strong, and quite a backbone of tannins, while not excessive, made for a long, mouth-watering finish.
All in all, a very representative, old world Pauillac. Classic almost to a fault. I did not feel the fruit was stewed or jammy, but I am not sure if the fruit is coming or going at this time.
Day two: out of curiosity, I saved about a glass (just placed the bottle, corked, on the counter). No changes in complexity, nose or flavor - but the fruit was stronger and the oak and tannins softer. Overall, the wine held up fabulously. Based upon these observations, I would hold on to any other bottles for at least 2 to 5 more years!
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10/31/2014 - Apollo5710 wrote: 90 Points
In good shape (although the cork crumbled before it could be extracted, but I managed to get almost all of it out), but simply not ready yet. Initially, the nose yielded good notes of leather, forest floor, roasted herbs, and dark fruits, but went into a shell shortly thereafter never to re-emerge. However, over time, the wine did gain weight, revealing decent structure, and the sense of fruit still buried within. On day two, though, things not only hadn't improved, but hints of alcohol moved to the fore. Thus, I'm not entirely sure what will become of this wine, but I'm in no hurry to drink my last bottle - I'll shoot to wait for at least 5 more years. 90+
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10/13/2014 - Sennma wrote: flawed
Corked
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9/17/2014 - skifree wrote: 89 Points
Cork had popped up just a bit on this bottle, so may not be truly representative. Bricking around edge of glass, all the classic dark fruit, cedar, earth flavors there but a bit muted as if this were fading a bit. Liked it, but not as well as I expected to.
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8/27/2014 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 88 Points
My penultimate bottle. Some age on the rim, lovely nose of herbs and fruit with definite hints of bay and eucalyptus. Soft and ripe tannins, well integrated fruit. No much complexity but a good mature Bordeaux. WoFW 14-15/20
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8/22/2014 - thebonnydooner wrote: 92 Points
Dark opaque center, shows some brick on the rim. Lovely intense, cool, earthy Bordeaux nose - lots of pure blackcurrant, dark plum fruit, nice complexity. Medium bodied, ripe, but very well balanced, lots of currant acidity, dry palate, with currant and cherry fruit. Lovely long finish.
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4/7/2014 - cookie7 wrote:
Note from 2nd glass removed via Coravin. In general I have liked 2003 BDX - but this one is not too liking. Very roasted and stewed fruit - lacks definition and complexity.
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3/9/2014 - Tavastgatan wrote: 91 Points
Forgot that this was my last bottle. Thouht I had more.
Solid 03. No warmth or alcohol, just deep, ripe, dark fruit. Will improve for sure.
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3/8/2014 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 88 Points
Lactic, which carries through on the palate, some barnyard. OK second day too.
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2/15/2014 - Gail and Len Likes this wine: 90 Points
Had this with rack of lamb after 2 1/2 hour decant. Soft tannins, dark violet color, earthy scent, good mouth-feel. Delicious. Better then the one I opened a year and a a half ago. I liked it somewhat better than Gail. One left. Great QPR.
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2/2/2014 - jkvedar wrote: 90 Points
Drinking very well now. Dark fruit. Good structure. Opened up after a 1.5 hour decant
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12/7/2013 - Die Junge Weinwelt wrote: 91 Points
nose is very clean and typically bordeaux -> love it. the wine has a medium body and a good mixture of fruit and texture. middle-length finish. personally chateau d'armaillhac is one of my favourite, but this is not an outstandig vintage but still a good value. try in another bottle in a few years.
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11/23/2013 - Sennma wrote: 86 Points
For the tough vintage that 2003 was, this was a decent bottle with some balance between the ripe fruit and structure.
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11/22/2013 - SoccerMark Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking well , nice finish
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11/3/2013 - Grinner wrote: 92 Points
17th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (The Lyon's Tree House): Like the first ice skater, you don't want to be the first wine tasted blind out of 30 wines...but this did very nicely with dark berries, stone and tobacco notes. Obvious but smooth tannins holds it tight. Has 5+ years. 89 on day 2, worse on 3.
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10/17/2013 - rexmerlot wrote: 90 Points
Decanted and drank over 3 hrs. Definitely got better with time. Clear dark purple in color. Clean nose of black currant and some cedar. Dry, med acidity, med body, smooth tannins, black currant and cedar on palate. Nice wine, a real new world aspect to it. If I want the real Bordeaux experience not sure this wine does it.
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9/14/2013 - sastewart wrote: 91 Points
The palate is medium weight and focused. Started relatively modern but with 2 hour decant became more obviously Bordeaux. Nice cedar, currant, and graphite on the nose. Good acidity, silky tannins. In a nice place but no hurry. 91 points
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9/5/2013 - vinole wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for a half hour, which was enough to let it open up and let a little funk blow off. This was better than expected, with blackberry and currant fruit, medium body and acidity, and cedar and tobacco notes on the finish. Also had plenty of earth and funk (and even a little brett) that I find common with this estate, which I liked in that it was unmistakably Bordeaux, even in a hot, ripe vintage. Drinking really well now.
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9/1/2013 - Chris Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wonderful aromatics after 30 minute decant. Luscious fruit and nice backbone. Great QPR
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8/18/2013 - jmarks wrote: 90 Points
No notes - just very good. Popped and poured, but it did get better over the first hour.
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7/14/2013 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2003 Bordeaux (Mike & Judi's): Garnet color. Aromas of iodine, tobacco and a mix of red and black fruit. Medium-bodied with softened tannins and flavors of cherry, tobacco, dark fruit and herbs. Picked up coffee on this one too. 91+ pts.
My #2, Domino's #7
Group #4, 49 pts
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6/30/2013 - macker100 wrote: 93 Points
2003 Bordeaux Horizontal (San Antonio, TX): One of the best d'Armailhacs I have had to date. My #2. Showed excellent early maturity, with blackberries, pencil lead, earth. Smooth, elegant with black and red fruits, some herbs. Terrific finish.
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6/21/2013 - huntingtom wrote: 91 Points
0,75 cl
N: cherry, vanilla, Tabaco, Earth, fresh mushroom
T: over-ripe blackberry, black elderberry, chocolate, smoke, Juicy, full Bodied New World style, Long finish
Close to the Top, needs 60 min decanting
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5/7/2013 - igaf wrote:
Med+ deep ruby, slightly watery rim. Quite intense, but a bit disjointed on the nose, crushed red berries, herbs, old wooden furniture. Med body. Rather elegant, red toned palate within an oak frame, which eventually turns a bit heavy. Bitter charcoal oak spoils the finish. Very persistent.
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3/30/2013 - jagmundi wrote: 89 Points
90 min decant. nicely integrated and balanced. drinking very well now. lacks the complexity needed to become great.
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3/28/2013 - goska wrote: 89 Points
Drinking nicely.
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2/24/2013 - mroyer wrote: 88 Points
Med garnet color; currant, tobacco, leather and green hint on nose.
Med acidity, med + tannins somewhat integrated, med +intensity of flavors and med + body. Cigar box, black current, leather. Good quality with nice balance of components but somewhat simple at this point.
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2/6/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
From a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc and 2%Petit Verdot, this medium bodied, round, ripe, blackberry, cedar wood, tobacco and earth infused wine is ready to drink.
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1/30/2013 - thirstyman wrote:
Starting to open up. Needs another year or two. Great with food, still slightly drying.
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1/1/2013 - thomaskeil wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 60 minn. Reddish violet. Dark berries, cassis, prunes, slight earth/spice. Medium weight fruit with soft, slatey tannins and some acid. Not complex. Good with grilled rib eyes. Will hold for some time, but doubt there is much to develop.
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12/22/2012 - Tao wrote: 89 Points
Very dark ruby in color! Nose of stewed dark fruits, cedarwood, rich on the palate with dark fruits! A little bit one dimensional!! Suggesting you to pair it with food!!
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12/8/2012 - epiphany wrote:
Consumed bottle less 1 cup used for red wind reduction for venison tenderloin. Pairing worked great. Starting to develop secondary flavors now. Medium nose, medium to full bodied, deep crimson color, dark berry, leather, some spice, hint of charcoal and nutty flavors, with medium finish. Based on prior vintages this should continue to develop over the next 5+ years. Solid as usual, will hold remaining bottle.
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12/4/2012 - GEDC Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 1h. Dark fruits, Leather, coffee,dark chocolate. Nice and juicy. Love to see how this wine will be in 5 years.
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10/5/2012 - pclin wrote: 91 Points
Decent nose. Showing a lot better than 2008 vintage but still not as aromatic or fruity as 2009 vintage. Medium-bodied with decent balance. Better structure than the 2008 vintage. Good acidity level. 89-91 pts.
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9/17/2012 - MikeZ wrote: 91 Points
Drinking great only minus an abbreviated finish.
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9/16/2012 - Will Devize wrote: 91 Points
This is an elegant, surprisingly rustic and quite atypical Pauillac (at least for the vintage) which is drinking beautifully at the moment. The palate is medium weight and shows some interesting coppery top-notes to go with the more predictable currant, graphite and forest floor on the nose. Good acidity, the silkiest of tannins and pedigree structure indicate there is probably 7ish years of development left in the bottle. It'll be interesting to see if those vigorous metallic notes manage to outmuscle the fruit over time.
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8/31/2012 - srdzak wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hours tasting as it opened up. Took a good 2 hours to open up. This is drinking extremely well right now with a solid core of red cherry fruit a touch of menthol and olive with the acidity still giving this a fresh a lively flavor profile and mouthfeel. The nose started out with a touch of barnyard, but evolved to a fragrant spice box with vanilla essence. The finish is a short but sweet caress with just a touch of dusty tannins to close it out. Very, very nice! The balance is there now and while I think this could maybe use a year or two more to soften the tannins a bit more, I don't think the structure is there to go much more than that.
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8/26/2012 - graphite wrote: 89 Points
Nice nose of leather, pencil shavings, cassis, scorched earth. In the mouth, it's tightly wound, with good acidity but minerally tannins clamping down on the finish. Very classically structured and reserved for a 2003. Needs a few more years. Should improve a little.
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8/13/2012 - Gail and Len wrote:
We both really liked this
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8/8/2012 - Tavastgatan wrote: 89 Points
Less impressive than the bottle I had more than 3 years ago. The nose is not that expressive and the finish is a tad thin. Has this one peaked already? One bottle left?
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8/8/2012 - dougie wrote: 90 Points
Really came out after an hour decant.
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6/30/2012 - dmitri wrote: 89 Points
Quite gentle for Pauillac from a hot strong vintage. More perfumed and acidic with tannins not so much soft as less present. Good wealth of flavor with typical Bordeaux flavors but with little power. Pleasant but short aftertaste. Good wine, not as good as many similarly ranked neighbours.
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6/3/2012 - redwiner wrote: 90 Points
Perfume nose with good weight. Lots of sediment. Nice balance with a smooth finish.
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5/15/2012 - rwpalmer wrote: 86 Points
Typically dry and lacking fruit (for a 2003). Tannins quite harsh. Drinking better the second night, but even with this glimmer of hope for improvement, I'm not sure that this is on the way .
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5/12/2012 - Bisty Likes this wine: 92 Points
Le Week-end des Grands Crus (Bordeaux): Good concentration with a brick rim.
Very nuanced fruit, barnyard.
The heat is retracabeable in the on the palate. Quite a lot of tannins still. Ok acidity. Probably best in 2-5 years
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4/28/2012 - GEDC wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for hour and half. Blackberry,cherry, vanilla,chocolate, leather,and cinnamon. Nice and grapepy, juicy a bit dry at the end. I think it's still very young and will benefit form a few years of cellaring to fatten and show the real personality.
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4/22/2012 - Chris Likes this wine: 91 Points
Needs some decanting but after a few hours fruit came out. Lovely wine at this point.
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3/2/2012 - Chateau du Fey 1994 wrote: 90 Points
Excellent nose. Leather, barnyard, and oak. Medium body, medium finish. Tannins still seem quite firm but not overwhelming. Classic old world bordeaux. Missing a bit of fruit and complexity but still very good.
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2/27/2012 - kenthargis wrote: 88 Points
Very nice. Bouquet really stood out as barnyard aromas. Wine wasn't overwhelmed by alcohol or fruit, despite the characteristics of the vintage. Would recommend.
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2/5/2012 - CTwine wrote: 87 Points
OK smooth but a very short finish
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12/14/2011 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #064; Bordeaux; Pauillac (By RvD): Beautiful bouquet with smoky oak and sweet black forest fruits and cassis. On the palate the same; more sweetness than usual, but still a beautiful wine with ripe black as well as some red berry fruits and chocolate bitterness. The tannin is friendly, round and creamy, but firm and a bit drying in the finish as well. A lush and more modern wine than usual for this chateau, but with still a good future until at least 2017.
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11/19/2011 - diengo wrote: 90 Points
Closed wine, decanted for 2 hours. Showed great aromatics like red fruits, basil and minerality. On the mouth a bit closed but not tight. Sleeping & very conservative wine for now, but i feel there is potential. Would like to taste agian in 1 year or so to see what happens...
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11/10/2011 - Cloverstudio wrote: 87 Points
Nice wine, but nothing special. Has the smell and taste of old oak. There are tannins present, but the body is medium light, causing me to wonder where this wine is going.
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11/9/2011 - tyvoodoo wrote:
Decanted for 3 hours prior to this note. Pretty nose of ripe and creamy red fruits. Bit of smoky oak toast, plums, pomegranate and a bit of black cherry. Nose is very modern and could easily fool me for CA cab. The palate is where he wine takes a different path. While the nose is nice and rich, the palate has great concentration while staying balanced and medium bodied. Still a fair amount of drying tannins in the mouth which have mellowed after 3 hours of air. Currants seem to dominate the fruit profile on the palate all mixed with some cigar smoke, road tar, graphite and spicy oak. Some of the notes here mention that this wine is ready to drink but I think it needs another 3-5 years to soften up for my tatses.
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10/30/2011 - liondream wrote: 91 Points
Quite nice. Leader, black fruit, totally saturated, matured wine. Very enjoyable.
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10/14/2011 - BillyT wrote: 90 Points
Nose of leather, blood, tar, chocolate, black fruit. Color was diark purple to the rim. Palate was rich and smooth and tasted as it smelled. Finish as somewhat short with good spice. Nice resolved tannins. Improved over time in the glass.
Did not hold up second day.
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10/10/2011 - paulst wrote: 93 Points
Classic pauillac; tar and leather; balanced; rich blackberry; smooth with round sweet tannins.
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8/25/2011 - leungallan wrote: 91 Points
A very nice wine. Though the nose is not good enough, just have a light smell of black fruit, the plate is quite silky. Better decanted for 2 or more hours. Still very tannic and probably be better with 3-4 years.
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7/25/2011 - paulst wrote: 93 Points
Leather and blackberry; smoothy and round; soft sweet tanins; nice long finish.
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6/12/2011 - Schiffy wrote: 89 Points
Initially was barnyard, tart and over the top tannic, but this wine needs at least two hours to decant. After that, the wine had beautiful dark berry fruit, with hints of leather, tobacco and chocolate. Was hoping for more from this wine, but it is very good.
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6/4/2011 - wolf66 wrote:
decanted 4 hours, typical bordeaux nose, medium on the palate, nice tannins, 90
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5/27/2011 - andtheodor wrote:
2003 Bordeaux Double Blind; 5/27/2011-5/29/2011: [Tasted double blind] Dark fruited; plum, berry, barrique. Somewhat minerally nose with an interesting herbal/stemmy component. Chunky awkward tannins lend astringency to the dark and backward palate. I don't really like this at all.
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5/18/2011 - blanquito wrote: 80 Points
2003 Bordeaux Horizontal: Wine #3 (single blind): Very nice bouquet, terribly bitter palate. Way too acrid, and yet it has some telltale praline too. Hard to like. 80-81 pts.
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4/24/2011 - postiglioni wrote: 92 Points
Another bordeaux beauty! Deep color medium to heavy bodied. Cassis, pencil shavings, and a hint of licorice. Held together nicely with a long finish.
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2/5/2011 - dougie wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for two hours. tannin for the first hour, but then it blew off and became quite beautiful, complex and fruity bordeux.
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1/8/2011 - brianngibson wrote: 92 Points
Last bottle. It definitely seemed to open up even more over the past 9 months. The cassis and tobacco was elegant and in wonderful balance with the tannins. We just about finished the bottle in one sitting.
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1/4/2011 - prettydeceextrap wrote: 92 Points
(A-) Opened beautifully after 6-7 hours. Tons of lucious, full bodied cherries up front, with a supple leather and earth backbone. Still plenty of tannin, which needs some time to integrate.
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12/28/2010 - bdufton wrote: 89 Points
This bottle was decanted for a couple of hours and it opened nicely. The second day even more was revealed and tannin abated somewhat - lots of the barnyard funk that I noticed with the last bottle, leather and red fruit on the nose. I like this wine. What you need to know is that there is not enough heft to carry a heavy red meat meal (I had it with leg of lamb) but still good value for Bordeaux IMHO.
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12/25/2010 - edbev wrote:
very farmyardy - double decanted it 2 hrs before lunch, some of the brettyness blew off, but still a bit agricultural, some cedar and leather.. some nice stone fruit underlying, not the 03 fruitbomb expected though. a very pleasant drop.
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11/22/2010 - barolo_99 wrote:
viel leder, aber schön zu trinken
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10/30/2010 - boreddoughboy wrote: 91 Points
saddle leather, cherries tobacco essence of oak. Well balanced and perfect for enjoying now. Wouldn't wait too long.
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8/25/2010 - S. Lorin wrote: flawed
tastes like laundry detergent. awful. should never have been released.
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7/18/2010 - bdufton wrote:
Agree with brianngibson. Not a blockbuster or complex wine. However, not without some endearing qualities. Noted the barnyard but at a level that is pleasing, if you like that note. The leather was perhaps a bit overwhelming the fruit but all-in-all a nice, reasonably-priced Bordeaux for the vintage.
Tasted alongside a '09 Leoville-Barton and I have to say that this was a superior wine.
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6/30/2010 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
still very young and primary - hold, the wine is not going anywhere
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6/25/2010 - pgordon62 wrote: 88 Points
Aromas of stewed blackberry, plum skin, barnyard earth, gooseberry, anise, dark chocolate and a touch of boot polish. A touch thin on the palate which emphasizes gravelly earth. The medium-length finish is surprisingly fresh and red-fruited, along with pulverized stone, bandaid and more gooseberry. This wine shows slightly baked and flat, reflections of the vintage. A reasonable QPR at $20 on futures.
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6/9/2010 - NY Wino wrote: 80 Points
Average bouquet with some plum fruit that turned into a somewhat tinny flavor with a finish that was short and not memorable.
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4/18/2010 - brianngibson wrote: 89 Points
Wow, the opinions on this one seem to be across the spectrum. I am wondering if some of the really low scores are drinking the same thing I am. Bad bottles, storage, or a food pairing that is throwing it off? To be sure, this is not a 95 pt wine, but I think it is way better than low 80s. Loads of currant, leather, and tobacco. I get the barnyard comments, but I don't find it overpowering. Tannins are smoothing out, and not overpowering. Licorice, lead pencil, and mocha. Not spectacular but very enjoyable and I think now entering a good drinking point.
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4/14/2010 - cbuhlman wrote: 85 Points
dark purple, great nose of saddle leather,tobacco, dark berries, earth and anise, but seemed closed down on the palate. Actually, it seemed somewhat flabby and uninteresting, with a somewhat hot green finish. In my mind, the 03's have not been showing well, this is especially true of the La Tour Carnet and Calon Segur. Aside from Lafon-Rochet, the 2003 vintage has been disappointing. Drink up.
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4/7/2010 - microbox wrote: 84 Points
had a glass at Eberhard's at day 2 after opening, properly sealed with pump. nose; besides the fruit indeed barnyard, vegetables (like broccoli and asparagus broth). pleasant palate with smooth tannins (presumably smoothed out by oxygen) and very little acid. medium palate and persistence. "nose wine"
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3/29/2010 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 81 Points
() Kleur: Robijnrood Aroma / bouquet: Rijp donker fruit, hout, duidelijk gerijpte indruk, wat stallerig, vanille (expressief houtgebruik), Smaak / Afdronk: Krachtige aanzet, frisse zuren, krachtige en wat drogende tannines, behoorlijk alcoholisch. Algemeen / potentieel: Wat mij betreft fenolisch onrijp. Waarmee ik het dus chronisch oneens ben met Uncle Bob P. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 9 + Algemeen / potentieel: 6 = 81/100
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3/22/2010 - WDK wrote: 90 Points
Heavy barnyard on the nose, plummy, currant flavor, with firm tannins on the finish. Lots of structure compared to the "02 Beringer Reserve cab we served along side.
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3/15/2010 - randalleron wrote:
decent nose upon opening. but pallate was pretty closed down -- bit of leather & tobacco, some red fruit. sealed up half the bottle & went back to it 2 days later. at that point it had opened up & come together. fruit was pretty strong. decent weight & balance. short finish. not realy mentionworthy, an okay value, but pleasant.
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1/10/2010 - AVD wrote:
I'll admit right up front as this is my first ever public tasting note that I have a pretty unimpressive palate when it comes to sensitivity. Therefore I have no clue whether this wine tasted like cigars in a box, stewed fruti, lead pencils, or any other of the incredible descriptives that wine experts give to wine. But I liked this wine and I'm glad I have one more bottle in my cellar. And more importantly, our dinner guests really liked it, which is why I try to buy and cellar good wine to begin with. It's pretty tannic and lasts a long time in the mouth. How's that for an amateurish description! I wouldn't know how to rate this wine, but at a party last night I was offered some Yellowtail Shiraz. It was all I could do to drink one glass. Even I can tell the difference between that quality of wine and this bottle. I have some even better (allegedly) wine in my little 300 bottle cellar and I'm looknig forward to trying them over the next 30 years.
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12/19/2009 - TomTom wrote: 90 Points
Really nice wine and not shut down at all. Bright fruit with just the beginnings of an earthy undertone. More ripe than I expected, but not over the top. Probably, pretty consistent with other wines from '03. Well done QPR.
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11/5/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
Bordeaux Night (Binny's Grand Ave.): nose: pungent nose filled with dark red fruits, dark red cherries, cedar, red currants, and some bits of cigar wrappers. Good depth with a more red fruit base
taste: Well balanced with good firm tannins and a medium/full feel of spice box, dark red fruits, dark red cherries, cedar, and some cigar wrapper tones. The tannins are firm, but not overbearing right now
overall: This is relatively approachable with a good decant, but it seems like it could benefit from some more aging. Shows off the vintage with the red fruits and them having a pumped up feel to them. This has real good balance and should improve a bit more
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11/5/2009 - cookie7 wrote: 89 Points
Nose of earth, graphite and lead shavings. Herbs and earth on the palate. Still a lot of tannins on the finish
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11/3/2009 - S. Lorin wrote: 84 Points
stewed fruit - prunes, currant, fig - not pleasant - seems burnt and overripe
i hope my other bottles are not this bad
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10/3/2009 - lerod1 wrote: 91 Points
Superbe bouteille bue au resto de Giovanni Apollo sur St-Laurent au cours d'un repas magnifique. Le vin révèle des notes de cèdre, de réglisse, de roses, de poivron et d'euccalyptus. Une belle palette d'arômes. La bouche est soyeuse et équilibrée, aucune agression. Les tanins sont fondus. Le vin est beau maintenant!
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8/13/2009 - winot wrote: 88 Points
Med deep to deep bl cherry- smoky, tobacco, cigar box nose, good acidity but has slightly stewed, overripe quality to the berry and plum flavours - tannins still showing, but drinking well, say over the next 1-5 years. Nice wine but not my idea of Bordeaux.
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8/9/2009 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
still very tannic, needs more time, no rush here.
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8/5/2009 - CruConnexion wrote:
Good structure. This will age well for at least 8 more years.
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7/3/2009 - milwaukeewino wrote:
Medium violet appearance.
Big, pretty damn big. Rich and full bodied. Spicy notes on the nose. Oak.
Blueberry compete. Small, tight tannins. Good acidity.
Dark. Seems heavy initially but light on its feet.
Think you're having a new world bomb but then it races through the palate and finishes dry, with pleasing green and herby notes.
Young and not quite knitted together but awfully good and offering long term promise.
Best Armailhac I've had.
Kind of exotic nose. Asian spice?
Full mid-palate - more Merlot?
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5/28/2009 - Tao wrote: 82 Points
I'm very disappointed by this bottle! Dark ruby in color in brick rim. Nose dominated by cooked/stewed fruits also the soy sauce cooked with mustroom, very heavy on the palate. Drinkable but not pleased with it!!! Sincerely hope this bottle is the only exception over my entire case!
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5/10/2009 - sjk7 wrote: 92 Points
Drank at a restaurant. White cream on the pour, which slowly gave way to traditional bordeaux notes of lead pencil and dark berries. Really good.
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3/4/2009 - thirstyman wrote: 89 Points
nice red fruit - tannins mostly tamed - but could use a little more time.
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12/9/2008 - thegrandcrew Likes this wine: 91 Points
On the nose this wine is big, displaying strong black fruits, earth and dirt, leather, tar, blackberry, plum, and herbal notes in the background. Tight tannins and good acidity in the mouth with primary notes of fresh black berries, and blueberries, followed by secondary notes of chocolate. A big, solid and complex wine.
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12/6/2008 - jivey wrote: 89 Points
Fresh cherry, cedar, tabbaco an erthy componets on a nice med bodied fram. Just missing that extra nuace to be spectacular.
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10/25/2008 - rexmerlot wrote: 84 Points
Dark Ruby Colour. Dark fruit licorice to the nose. Soft tannins. Not bad not great.
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10/24/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 90 Points
Grand Bordeaux Tasting w/ Jill (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Binny's South Loop October Bordeaux Wine Tasting.
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9/14/2008 - wap4u wrote: 89 Points
Dark ruby colour. Aroma's of dark fruit, licorice, espresso and tabacco. Reminds me of the 1996 d'Armailhac. Many years to go. Found this a good effort for 2003 as the wine is not top heavy, burnt or too heavy.
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8/14/2008 - Tao wrote: 90 Points
Barely ninty!!! Up to these moment, the wine is better integrated, the nose is more fragrant than I tasted last time, the palate is relative smooth these time, still the tannin is there, I hope they can select the fruit in a more severe fashion next time, the wine-making skill is there! No doubt 2003 was a very hot year!
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5/16/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 88 Points
bordeaux tasting (Binny's Highland Park): nose: nice filling nose of anise, herbs, red fruit, and chocolate
taste: very firm, this still needs a lot of time with anise, red fruit, red currants, and pencil shavings
overall: big attack, but not much on the finish. Still very tight this will definitely need more time
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4/23/2008 - fineterroir wrote: 90 Points
Really interesting wine. Decanted for an hour before drinking. Very old world nose filled with earthy and vegetal components (think V-8 juice, tobacco leaf, and wet soil) as well as hints of sour cherry. On the palate, this was medium to full bodied with well-rounded tanins. Taste of tobacco, black currant, tomato juice, and hints of espresso. Medium-length finish with a really interesting V-8/dark-roasted espresso flavor combination. A great value for old world-style Bordeaux lovers.
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4/4/2008 - Schemer wrote: 90 Points
Earthy, full of old world aromas. Really enjoyed a couple bottles with a flavor full steak at Delmonicos Steakhouse
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3/1/2008 - yorkvilleterrier wrote: 88 Points
nice and smooth but slightly disappointing
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2/24/2008 - jwolfsthal wrote:
good solid inexpensive bord. nice cherry, tobacco flavors. good tannins. nothing outstanding, but nice to drink alone or with food.
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2/24/2008 - plitton wrote:
Too Soft. Flabby with little structure.
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11/18/2007 - Ibetian wrote: 87 Points
Dark ruby. From 375. Closed, needs another year or two.
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10/15/2007 - eksata wrote: 85 Points
ruby rose, med shaded: nose - tea leaf, cooked protein minerally: palette - soft velvety, integrated plummy fruits
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9/21/2007 - loverboy wrote: 89 Points
Open 1 hour before drink, Dark ruby red colour. Full bodied with high tannin. The smell is so strong, very fruity smell of cherry, leather, tobacco.
Quite ready for business but would benefit from a few year cellar. Aftertaste somewhat average. Very nice wine
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8/29/2007 - skm95t wrote: 91 Points
GS BORDEAUX WINE CLASS
Earthiest of the four reds, also probally the one that has the most potential over the long-term. This is a full bodied red with aromas full of coffee, toast, dark fruits, and leather. The palate is slighty closed with lots of structure, but even at this young age is very pleasing with sweet tannins and a long finish. I belive the drinking window is still 2-3 years away, and should last for years beyond that.
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8/29/2007 - good old ludwig van wrote: 89 Points
Goldman Sachs wine tasting at Vin Classic Wines.
Bouquet: smoke, rich black currant, cherry, perhaps some herbs.
Taste: very smooth--tannins, while present, are not at all harsh. All the wines were supposedly decanted, but I don't know for how long. Full bodied, nicely made.
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8/6/2007 - CruConnexion wrote: 85 Points
This will be better in a year or two. Lots of fruit - cherry tempered with a little bit of fig; some tobacco. Not decanted, but should have been. A bit hot. Again, give this one more time and it will follow through.
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7/29/2007 - Sweet Nancy wrote:
Consumed early because it was there. Porterhouse on the grill and no time to search for wine. Considering this abuse of drinking too early and not letting the wine come to proper temp or aeration, it was a pleasant accompaniment to the grilled beef. I will evaluate further tomorrow evening. Nice dark fruit, spice, grainy tannin. Would buy more for $30 sticker price.
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7/7/2007 - jivey wrote: flawed
Raised cork, fruit totally gone. Bummer.
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6/17/2007 - Tao wrote: 89 Points
Tasted on father's day, a typical 2003! You can feel the heat, feels like the fruit really suffered from the sun-burnt! Ouch! Seriously, the selection progress isn't good enough! I feel the wine is a bit raw! Perhaps one day, with more severe selection, the name d'Armailhac will get famous! I'm waiting for the day! Hello, do us a favor! Please!
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5/15/2007 - Paul S wrote: 90 Points
Good value from this fast improving Mouton property. More classically Bordelais than many 2003 wines - rather reserved, almost grassy nose at first which opened up into blackcurrant notes after two hours in the decanter. Cassis and leaf on the palate, with firm, grainy tannins and a pleasant enough finish. A serious, refined wine. This would go really well with a roast leg of lamb lamb.
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5/14/2007 - polimeri wrote: 91 Points
Good fruit w/ old world flavors.
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1/7/2007 - Colima74 wrote: 92 Points
Opened for wine dinner with Frank, Rob, etc. Compared to the '00 Lagrange also opened, this was much more accessible from the get-go. Nice fruit, balance, structure. An almost no-brainer buy. Nice expressive bordeaux.
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10/29/2006 - tanglenet wrote:
Served as part of a flight on Day 2 at the Wine Club SF. Opened but not decanted for 3 hours. All the wines IMO, excluding the Lafite, were tight, tannic and unapproachable. Have to use the imagination on how these might evolve. Dark purple in color; earthy nose; tight tanins, astringent and bitter finish.
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10/28/2006 - Old_Winyards wrote: 89 Points
Classic bordeaux on the nose... cigar box, tobacco, and light flower scents. On the palate this wine is pretty tight after being decanted for about an hour. Tannins are fairly mild, with good acidity and flavors of cassis, tobacco, a bit of leather, and a hint of minerals/earth.
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10/18/2006 - cormyr wrote: 91 Points
day1: typical left bank baby '03. dark purple. super-ripe. closed down. unmistakable french oak, blackberries, tobacco and stones. lots of fine tannins and some noticeable acidity when first opened. tasting so young. initially i would consider this a wine with good aging potential.
day2: integration is underway but not complete. still holding back. rich but lacks some finesse. good concentration, backbone.
day3: oak is pretty well integrated and dark fruit has emerged but still tasting pretty rustic. no oxidization whatsoever yet.
day4: gained nothing and began to oxidize.
conclusion: this is a wine that will need to age for a while. i would revisit again in 5-7 years.
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10/9/2006 - JWD wrote: 90 Points
Smoky, earthy, blackcurrant notes, with some cedar, and sweet tannins; no lack of acidity; undeniably Paulliac.
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9/4/2006 - paulst wrote: 96 Points
Pleasant soft fruit with lucious blackberry, vanilla, earth and long chewy finish.
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7/30/2006 - tskrueger wrote: 90 Points
Chicago Weekend; 7/28/2006-7/31/2006 (Chicago): Young and tight, but really an excellent wine. Dark red fruit, violets and crushed rock. Second day, fruit becomes quite expressive and notes of bitter cocoa add to the previous flavors. Great 03 BDX.
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7/7/2006 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Chablis and 03 Bordeaux Dinner (HB: A Hearty Boys Spot): Nose is a little reticent. A giving palate of dark currants, anise, cocoa and vanillin. Full bodied though the tannins are relatively mild. Very good but somewhat lost in the shuffle tonight. A wine I'd gladly drink again.
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4/14/2006 - psmith wrote:
Ripe, but unmistakably Bordeaux. Some nice blackberry liqour and tobacco notes. A bit hollow in the middle, but enjoyable.
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4/2/2006 - quacken wrote: 85 Points
I didn't get this wine. Nice color. Full bodied in the mouth. Not much fruit at all. Very pronounced medicinal quality (maybe cedar?)
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1/30/2006 - Thilo wrote: 91 Points
Color is dark garnet. Nose shows cassis, dark berry, leather, and oak. On the palate, cassis and dark cherry fruit are met with toasty oak and fairly significant tannin. Acidity is present, but frames the flavors nicely. Very enjoyable, and more forward than the 2001 version I have had previously. Should age nicely.
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1/27/2006 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
TN: 2003 Red Bordeaux (Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting); 1/26/2006-1/27/2006 (Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois): 57% Cab, 21% Merlot, 20% Cab Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Comparable to the 2000 vintage of this wine in quality but not style. Softer and more approachable than the 2000. Raspberry and leather notes. 90 points.
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1/23/2006 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 89 Points
The nose is rather blackberry, somewhat jammy but also with pleasant floral notes. Softer on the palate than the Clerc Millon – and bordering on a commercial taste, and not as full bodied on the palate. Good stuff.
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1/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
Nice spicy aroma of red fruit. Nice rich strawberry red fruit. 1/06
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3/30/2004 - peternelson wrote: 89 Points
Ch. Branaire-Ducru: Black scarlet; dense forest-mushrooms; big huge t’s mouth, coffee, burnt toast; hot fin., slightly bitter.***Brooding character.
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