Old enough to no longer need a fake ID but still quite young in the grand scheme of things. Quiet and closed at first. Two hours decanted in the Josephinenhutte and now we’re chirping. Apricot jam, bakers chocolate, white pepper. Notes of Italian deli rainbow cookie. Violets, graphite, grip. Lovely claret and delicious now, though would love to check back in another decade.
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Deep ruby with onion ring. Med+intensity on the nose, violet, cranberry, red plum, red cherry, coke, dried orange peel, clove, nutmeg, kumquat, mushroom, prunes, dark chocolate, apricot, developing. Dry, high acidity, high tannin, high alcohol, full body, med+ intensity, prunes, chocolate, meaty, toasty, still a bit oaky after 30 minutes decant, very perfume after 1 hour decant, med+ finish. Overall, this is a very good wine. I can feel the warmness of the year with the dominant dark fruit notes coming through. The wine was a bit closed on the palate after 30 minutes decant, but opened up after 1 hour. Floral notes blended with spice, well balance. Drinking perfectly now.
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Left bank bordeaux 2008 and older (BLVD): Drank a small glass over 2 hours. This wine is funky and young, clearly Bordeaux. This drank surprisingly well at this age, with cassis, funk, slight bacon and graphite. 92 today with lots of potential.
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Tastes of dark fruits- casis, blackberry, strawberry, with notes of forest of mushroom and hay. Tannins are light but present to hold it together. Overall a sense of lightness that does not match the maturity of the wine.
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Tasted in a line-up with '98, '99 and 2003. The 1998 was the best of the lot, very classic bordeaux with black fruit, cedar, cigar, some oak and fully integrated tannins. The 1999 was quite similar in style and characteristics, and was also lovely. The 2003 was underwhelming and dull, and I don't think it will develop into something better.
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Tasted at the chateau, this example of the 2003 Gruaud is a little flat on the nose but is considerably better on the palate with dark red fruit, cedar, and a warm, earthy richness. The fruit is delectable, but this finishes short and I get the sense that it's time to drink these.
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1st of 6. 13% abv. This is pretty fruity still at this point, but it's starting to gain some tertiary complexity. The fruit is quite fresh and delicious. The finish is a bit too quick and the tannins are a hair drying and linger, but they are not harsh or overwhelming. I think this may still need time, but it is enjoyable now, especially with a decant and with some steak or other hearty food. Drink now through 2033.
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No poker night (Jason and Mariellen's house): Drank a small glass over 2 hours. This wine is funky and young, clearly Bordeaux. This drank surprisingly well at this age, with cassis, funk, slight bacon and graphite. 92 today with lots of potential.
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I had stopped taking notes at this point in the evening, but from memory this showed very similarly to my last two bottles. Unfortunately (or fortunately for me!) it was completely outclassed by a '96 Margaux opened by our host. But still a very solid, fairly old-school Bordeaux just entering the drinking window.
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P: A very subtle touch of graphite, fresh and lively red fruit with an almost juicy character (almost like a fresh version of a central coast Grenache) and bright bright river minerals.
First try of this bottle and it was quite pleasant. The freshness in this is quite amazing for something with this kinda age, a very pleasant surprise. This seemed like this can still go on for 6-8+ years without losing any freshness.
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Sorry, Not Sorry! No Poker on Poker Night! (Jason's House): This a wine that consistently shows well above its price point. Along with Lynch Bages, this wine offers a great value....unfortunately, it requires a lot of age, and is thus now beyond my ability to buy on futures. However, even at current prices (approx $125), this is still a pretty good buy! Typical Gruaud Larose, with plenty of dark fruit (mostly cassis), some graphite and some earthiness, with hints of leather and tobacco. Oak is toasty and well integrated and finish is medium. This leans slightly on the fruit side of the spectrum, which works for me! This may have suffered slightly following a phenomenal 96 Margaux. Easy 93, and that may be slightly conservative. In a very good place for my palate, and has years ahead of it.
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Enjoyable fruit and light but noticeable tannin. We enjoyed the wine but there was a slight harshness to the finish that kept us from describing this as an 'elegant" choice.
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Decanted about 60 to 90 minutes. Similar note to my last bottle. This held up well against a '14 Phelps Backus; both beautiful wines, even if they are at very different points in their evolution. I had a little left over which I saved under vacuum seal; worth noting that it did not show anywhere near as well the next day.
Decanted 3 hours before drinking. Fifth time I have had this wine. Moderate to heavy sediment. Crimson color with a little bricking. Notes of charcoal, menthol, tobacco and cassis. This was the earthiest and most rustic of the lineup. Part of a small 2003 Bordeaux horizontal with the Calon Segur and Ducru Beaucaillou. Drink by 2027. 92 points.
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A nice mouthful of fruits light tobacco, and smooth, rounded tannins. Score is held back for the absence of fireworks or distinctiveness. Happy to have with our grilled salmon and look forward to returning too.
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Another impeccably-kept bottle from Heritage Auctions. Ruby red color. Opened the bottle and let it breathe for a hour. The nose was very enticing, with lots of cassis, some vanilla, very fresh with not many tertiary or secondary notes. Bright acidity, very good structure, cassis, dark cherries, anise, black licorice, hints of pencil, grippy tannins still, oak and cracked pepper on the medium ending. A very good wine - a great expression of St Julien - and another great 2003 for me.
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5th of 12, opened an hour, perfect cork and level, nose more advanced than palate which is still funky and muddled though attractive enough and better than bottle last autumn, upside, 10+ years. For now VGI (17)........suggest decanting!
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Wonderful nose on opening which promised much but didn't really deliver for me..still a very powerful St Julien but totally lacking in charm. Lucky I only have one bottle left, I think 2003 is a vintage to forget.
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Agree wholeheartedly with Binder's description below. My bottle was also purchased at auction (full case) and it was in perfect condition. This has a beautiful nose which shows fruit but also some tertiary development. I gave it about two hours of air in the bottle and showed well from the first sip to the last. I'm hoping these hold at this level for some time. Very happy to have more of these.
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Bottle from mixed auctionlot. Pristine condition. Lots of ripe dark fruit (cassis et al.). Well integrated oak (cedar both in nose and mouth) and a start of forrest floor. If you like mature wine, that still has the fruit - a prime example. A shame this was the only bottle of this wine in the lot.
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I was on the fence with this wine when I tasted it via Coravin, thinking it was unremarkable. Whilst it is past its prime, after about an hour in the decanter, both bottles showed well with decent fruit, smooth tannins and paired well with the lamb loin, salsify, carrot, lamb jus. Definitely drink up, with food.
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Nice dark color, some forest and tobacco on the nose with more dark plum and cherry notes. Very nice "juicy" mouthful with tannins that pull lightly at the cheeks.
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Deep reddish purple. Cork in pristine condition. A superb nose, rich and heady - very left bank. The fruit is on the descent and definitely thinning, but it is still present with cassis still easily detectable; also leather, pencil shavings and that classic claret dustiness coming to the fore in place of the waning dark fruit. Supple and very smooth now at 18 years old, in a good place but I don't think will evolve any further and is time to drink up before the fruit deteriorates any more. There is little sign of the hot vintage, and this of course dates from a time when hot vintages were not always dealt with well. My final bottle, this has aged very well and was a total pleasure with roast lamb and flageolet beans. Great stuff from a solid Chateau.
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Drunk over a dozen times since 2009. Was cheap en primeur thanks to a ridiculously low 88 points from Parker. The wine has always had a great nose, complexity and was approachable when young. The best ever claret I've had at 6 years old. What surprises me is how it is different every time and yet the wine is from the same two cases. In the past vanilla, plums, mocha, sweet blackcurrant, bitter cherries and liquorice, although not all from the same bottle. Always with a good tannic backbone and lots of soft fruit. This time with a nose of undergrowth giving way to cedar, meatiness, blackcurrant, coffee, raspberry and liquorice. Excellent persistence on the finish. A lovely wine. 2003 was an unusually hot vintage which explains the early drinking. There are still plentiful tannins and the Gruaud 1985 next week, from a similarly hot vintage, may give an idea what is in store for the 2003.
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Tasted at Chateau. Quite a rich nose with slightly baked red fruit, touch of cherry kirsch, but some freshness too. Cedar. Touch powdery on finish but quite balanced, good in the context of the vintage.
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Showing like a champ today. Yes it’s a little warm, ripe, but wearing its age oh so well, with integrated alcohol and no roasted or pruney notes. Instead you have leather and cassis, exactly what one should wants in Bordeaux of this age. Developing nicely with time to go. I continue to be impressed with the way these 03s have performed in time and hope the same will be said of current warm vintages.
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Nose is 98 points! Tar, smoke, crushed black fruits with a hint of vegetation. For me instantly recognizable as left bank Bordeaux. Palate much more muted. Primary fruit only.
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Purple, thick legs. Blackcurrant nose with hint of graphite. Clean black fruit. Still some sticky tannins yet to fully integrate. Not at its peak yet. Will last.
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Last bottle and lovely showing. Deep, dark intense with lovely earthy complexity. Tannins are pretty resolved, still nice bite of acidity but mainly beautifully balanced dark currant and plum fruit with a very long savoury finish.
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A ready to drink vintage now. A balance betweeen good fruits and tertiary characters.
Opened up quickly without much airing in glass.
Enticing blackberry, dark chocolate, integrated oak intermixing with leather, hint of truffle and dried leaves. Smooth tannins, mid weight. Definited structure
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A dark -but not brooding- wine. Carries some tannins that have not smoothed out along with forest floor, smoke and blackberry flavors. Enjoyed with our lamb and veal.
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Decanted about 2 hours and consumed over the following 2 hours. Virtually opaque black-red in the glass. The nose was beautiful from the start and didn't seem to develop with time. There were aromas of tar, red clay, ripe fruit, and some smoke. On the palate the wine was very rich and full, some what rustic in a way that I always associate with this vineyard, with great fruit and enough acidity to pull it all together. I was surprised that this tasted pretty classic in light of the vintage. I didn't notice any of the raisiny, over-ripe flavors or aromas that I usually find in Bordeaux from this vintage.
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W beef stroganoff. Yummy combo. Took a while to open up - 2 hrs but last glasses were very good. Drink in next 5 yrs for top. Fruit is there but not sure tannins will hold together. Solid Bdx!
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4th of 12, opened 2 hours, perfect cork and level, dumb, little fruit, structure ok, disappointing relative to better bottles like July's. Still VG (16).
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very good but not sublime. currant, some funk, anise/black licorice on the nose. raspberry, some tart cherry, hint of anise on the moughtful. very strong tannins; pretty certain they wont relax enough for the fruit to stay bright and virbant. this is better with food - grilled medium rare lamb chops and duck fat rosemary potatoes for me did the trick. softened the tannins and enhanced some of the flavors and made the wine more smooth. 89/90 without food and 91/92 with food; so 90 it is!
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3rd of 12, opened 90 minutes, perfect cork and level, little changed from second bottle, bouquet particularly attractive and classical, underlying reasonably fine tannins more in evidence, fruit nice and cool for vintage, further scope for development. F (17.5).......just lacks the excitement of the best, ie rather too well mannered.
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Drunk more than a dozen times since 2009. The wine has always had a great nose, complexity and was unusually approachable when young. Always with a good tannic backbone and loads of soft fruit. The last bottle was slightly off but this one is back on form. A nose of undergrowth giving way to meatiness, blackcurrant, coffee and liquorice. Very good persistence on the finish. A lovely wine, it will continue on its plateau of maturity for several years but is so perfect now it would be a shame to wait.
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Blind, deep ruby, notes of green peppers, little fruit, some ripeness, ending on a lingering austere finish. Preferably to drink before 2025 as it seems to be declining rapidly. A disappointment for the Château and the vintage.
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- Ruby color. It's in total harmony with a medium/full body. Round texture with a long finish - Time to drink 'em. Just opened one with two more to go. Peaking now.
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Almost six years after my last bottle. This is progressing beautifully. Still dark in colour, now dark garnet and plum centre, with a dark garnet brick rim. Nose is medium intensity, earthy, dark fruit, currants and plums, hints of maturity. Palate is medium to full bodied, still nicely structured with good acidity and medium tannins, dark currant and black plum fruit, nice long finish. This probably will not get a lot better, but is drinking great.
Revisited around 3 days later - not really lost any intensity - palate is still nicely sweet with a long drying finish. Seems like this could last a while longer. Same rating. Delicious.
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Third Zoom tasting – Blind Bordeaux (Mi Casa): Expressive nose displaying ripe black and red fruit, crème de cassis, cherry, plum, a hint of oak, cedar, lactic, caramel and lead pencil. Fully integrated palate, nicely layered ripe fruit, rich yet silky, and beautifully balanced, good acidity and mineral, and a long ripe black and red fruit driven finish with lactic and caramel at the end. Drinking beautifully.
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Intense graphite, cassis, with dark berries. Palate was vibrant, had plenty of fruit for its age, but had a nerve of green notes that accented it as a flaw. I think overall a very enjoyable wine but would like to see a bit more freshness out of this vintage. I have another bottle so we will see.
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From a 9L Balthazar at a dinner in Los Angeles. Even in the larger format, this is on the later third of the drinking plateau. The dark fruit made a nice pairing with Roquefort cheese.
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I tried this first half it’s life ago. All I recall was it was ridgedly tannic and unpleasant. I soon thereafter decided I should start writing noes. About 900 notes later I’m back. Earthy aromas. Ripe entry. Dark fruit (blackberry/cassis) and fine tannins filter into the finish. Still kind of underwhelmed. 89
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Expressive nose displaying ripe black fruit, creme de cassis, blackberry, plum, cedar, caramel, lead pencil, a hint of green and mineral. Good concentration, nicely layered crème de cassis, unctuous yet silky, good acidity and mineral, noticeable but fine tannins and a long sweet black fruit driven finish with caramel and cedar at the end. This has aged beautifully and no longer shows the ripe 03 character. Drinking nicely.
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2nd of 12, decanted 90 minutes, perfect cork and level, much purer than first bottle last October (bottle variation?), attractive cassis fruit driven, some secondaries and the attractive mid palate punch delivered by the better 03s. A perhaps over-cautious F (17.5) with scope to upgrade based on this second bottle!
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4th time I have had this wine. 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. Not decanted. Deep red color. Excellent balance at 16 years old. Typical Gruaud profile. Notes of tobacco leaf, cassis and cedar. An earthy texture with integrated tannins at present. No oxidation. Medium bodied with a long smooth finish. Not showing any heat for a 2003. Really in a nice spot in my opinion although no rush to drink. 94 points.
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1st of 12, decanted 90 minutes, perfect cork and level - dark quite deep ruby, little development; mat plum and cassis, muddy, rich and diffuse but not unattractive if neither complex nor particularly classy for GL; fullish, ok length, persistence and concentration, not particularly hot, just a bit of an undifferentiated blob in a chewy extracted way, reminds me a bit of the 82 when it went through a lumpy oversized period before the delineation became clearer after 20 years but the muddiness is a concern, enough bant to last and reasonable balance in this ripe vintage. VG+ (16.5).
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GrandCuvee - Bordeaux 2003 Horizontal (Praelum Wine Bistro): Mostly greenish, twiggy on the nose. Quite some acids and tannins, bit barley-like, raspberry and red cherry, and has that smoky punch whilst having some sweetish red cherries. Mainly a smoky cigar and burnt stems on the finish. Find that this smokiness is something quite unique of Gruaud Larose
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Coravined 2 glasses and it was a 92. Repeated next day by finishing the bottle and it was an 88. Split it even. The drop was an unusual drop in power. It was like the body fell apart. For the $125 I paid, I would say not worth it. You can buy better bdx at half the price with equal age.
On SAT night, with another couple, we enjoyed a magnum of 2003 Gruaud Larose with rack of lamb (yes, a bit of a lamb kick lately). I don't think I've ever had a GL I didn't like, but still the relative youth and the hot vintage gave me pause. Turned out the wine was perfectly enjoyable, and -- for better or worse -- devoid of both the vaunted GL funk and also any 03 over extraction. The wine had evolved nicely from a tannic perspective, but I must also say it bothered me a bit that, while clearly left bank bdx, it didn't quite scream "Gruaud" as my favorite ones have tended to do. In fact, it didn't even whisper "Gruaud". Just too young for the secondary/tertiary characteristics I so love in GL, I suppose? A perfectly respectable drink though, enjoyed by all. I would return to this one in a decade.
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As the comments below indicate, 2003 was volatile vintage for G la R. I drank my first bottle two months ago, and it was clearly oxidised. This bottle from the same merchant in the same shipment is wonderful. Totally opaque deep plum colour; a slightly (but not unattractive) heavy nose of bright earthy fruit; perhaps a little unyielding across the palate but this is compensated by this chateaux's typically generous fruit. Above all, it has good mouthfeel and staying power (longueur), that gives full expression to the smoky-bright fruit that is so characteristic of La Rose, although exactly what it is I can't quite put my finger on. I wonder if it is not a fruit at all, but something else, a certain cut of rare beef or perhaps liquorice. This is a big wine, very solid, but I think it is probably at its peak now.
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Last of 3 bottles and this one has really hit its stride. In a really good place right now and I regret pulling the cork so early on my previous 2. Shame on me for listening to the experts that said to drink my 03s early.
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Drinking wine of a so called „Heat-Year“ during the actual „Heat-Year“ (2018) in the middle of the Heat-Wave �� Classic Bordeaux, balanced structure but lacks in fruit (nice Cassis though) and loses during the time in the glass and not really hitting the 2em Cru. Nevertheless, very nice wine! BoW 17/20
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Opens up nicely within half hour. Everything I expected and more. Much better than my experience in 2009. Was surprised to get a bit of sweetness on the cassis taste profile.
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This time round the fruit seemed to have receded and while not unpleasant the rather tough tannins have the upper hand. Not exactly drying out or over the hill, just lacking vitality and definition. I see little scope for improvement.
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Tasted next to 2015. Big nose, expressive, dark fruit, spices, tobacco, cedar, graphite. Ripe, but not jammy or cooked. On the palate well balanced - the tannins are soft, there is decent acidity and loads of fruit. Drink up over the next couple of years. 89-91
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Tannins more noticeable than a couple of years ago, not as charming as before; I'm thinking it could be worth holding a few more years to see what happens..
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Dark colour. Vanilla nose at first then cassis. Leather on the palate, herbal finish. The only time I’ve preferred a claret at 6 years old when I loved it to 15. The wine seems to have lost it lovely aromatics and got more tannic. Could surprise us all and improve in time.
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This wine has really blossomed with an extra couple of years in bottle. Lovely nose, good weight, elegant. Good depth and complexity, beUtifull6 balanced and no sign of the great heatwave. I would suggest drinking over the next 2 to 3 years as I don5 see it getting better and there is always the risk of 2003s falling apart at some point.
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Served out of magnum with a one hour decant. Crimson in color with some bricking at the edge of the glass. 13% ABV. Sublime nose of red fruits, leather and earth. Rich, plush and complex with none of the telltale signs sometimes associated with the '03 vintage. Cherries, cassis, pencil and plums on the palate. The finish is long with seemingly resolved tannins. Drink over the next 2-4 years.
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Medium/full bodied, and drinking at close to peak today, the wine offers a ripe, berry nose, wet earth, spice, thyme and herbal profile. The tannins are round and soft, leaving with an herbal, red berry finish.
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Ridiculously good with mature black cherry fruit and hints of licorice, dried herbs, cassis and plums. long in the finish, rich and some fine tannins remain. More medium bodied which is probably a product of the very hot vintage. Drinking well now.
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Nothing particularly wrong with this wine, but it certainly isn't the old school funky gruaud that I know and love. Very much a product of the vintage, a bit too cooked and lacking in acid. I don't know that I would have picked st. Julien blind at all. Already showing age, i wouldn't bet on this for turning haul. Oddly enuff I had a 2003 saint pierre recently that was amazing.
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Decanted tableside. Drank within a half an hour of opening. No real bricking. Plenty of sediment. Nice Bordeaux funk upfront. Lots of good complexity on the palate. Not a stunner, but went well with our French fare. Per tonight, plenty of time to let this sit versus drink now with some air.
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a little disappointing...had moments of bordeaux greatness, but a little inconsistent, sometimes tight...stemware mattered quite a bit...I probably should have aerated it more.
Sometimes I really don't understand wine critics. This one is around 87 to 88 points in many pro reviews.
But when I taste this one, I see an excellent wine with great potential for the next 20 years. I wouldn't be surprised to see this one melting in its 1982 version in some years.
If you like real Bordeaux and also like to place some safe bet, then buy some bottles of this one. 87 points? No way!
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The ripeness of the vintage clearly shows in this wine. Wine is beginning to brown, but still plenty of red highlights. Nose is fragrant, plump and rich. Nice spice notes. And cedar. Gentle, full and rich in the mouth, with a fine, chewy finish. Quite a nice wine. 4-12-16-8: 90/100.
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(Home Wine Dinner). Drank with Beef Tenderloin with Bearnaise alongside a 2001 Leoville Barton. Both wines opened six hours before and decanted three hours before. Wine had ample nose of red fruits upon opening, but needed some air time. By the time it was served, had become fully integrated and matched superbly with the beef. An earthiness with a chewiness had evolved. Finish was nice of medium duration.
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This is a very good wine, I think it should be a little better. A great producer and a very good vintage, should be better than 91. A little thin on the finish, but nice start with a Bordeaux nose. Good middle palette with an old time Bordeaux feel. We enjoyed it with a nice steak, nice match enjoy.
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UWS 2016 End of year dinner (@ CdW and KvdK): No formal notes. The wine is still in the beginning of its maturity stage with ripe red and dark berries and round, but still a bit sticky tannin. Good acidity. Well balanced wine. Should save my last bottle for the early 2020’s.
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Well, a Princess must have come along and kissed the Frog. Having felt that this wine would linger forever lifeless, imagine my delight at finding a warm aroma of coffee bean and a complex old claret nose. Tannins resolved and with low acidity just too easy to drink. The 2003 clarets have gone through so many incarnations in their relatively short lives that I shy away from making any future predictions.
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this needed about an hr of decanting before some of tightness blew off. very constrained at the beginning with little fruit coming through and mostly earthy wood notes. after 1.5hrs fruit started to come out on the mid palate yet still had the earhty surrounding. finish really smoothed out after 2.5hrs. decent wine for sure and not getting any better.
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Well balanced mature Bordeaux with soft tannins and restrained blackberry fruit. However, there is great complexity with this wine with notes of mushroom, earth and lavender. Must decant for at least an hour for all the secondary notes to emerge.
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Found this to be well balanced with integrated tannins & mellow fruit. Smooth with blackberry and some earth notes. Color is perfectly dark and not bricking. Drinking well now & I don't anticipate any real improvement.
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Initially some roasted, over ripe aromas and slightly awkward tannins, without much finesse. After a few days open this resolved into something more classic and balanced. Hard to think it will improve with time.
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Deep purple color, no trace of bricking. Excellent in the mouth, perfect finish, dark taste with a trace of anise. Mature but definitely not over the hill. Less fruit than a similarly aged Calfornia Cabernet, but a more complex and interesting wine by far.
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Drunk a dozen times since 2009. Was cheap en primeur thanks to a ridiculously low 88 points from Parker. The wine has always had a great nose, complexity and was approachable when young. What surprises me is how it is different every time and yet the wine is from the same two cases. In the past vanilla, plums, mocha, sweet blackcurrant, bitter cherries and liquorice, although not all from the same bottle. Always with a good tannic backbone and lots of soft fruit. This time with a nose of undergrowth giving way to meatiness, blackcurrant and liquorice. Excellent persistence on the finish. A lovely wine I suspect will continue to evolve although perfect now.
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Full colour, bouquest of cassis & leather now emerging, attractive. Good structure on the palate with plenty of fruit and softish tannins, will keep further but starting to drink well at present
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I liked this wine. The fruit is quite concentrated which provides the medium to full weight. I got blueberries, plums and violets on the palate. The finish is long and drying with an almost bitter note. That is probably what I enjoy most about this. The wine will have many years ahead of it. I would love to try it again in 5 years - if only I had another bottle...
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Quite a deep colour. The nose is ripe and forward, the palate quite rich and full. A dense, concentrated wine, perhaps a bit four square but very enjoyable. There was a slightly dry hardness on the finish, which seems to be a characteristic of the vintage, but this may go with time. Should keep well.
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No trace of '03 heat so apparent in some other wines - young and brooding with lots of promise of good things to come - hold another few years, depending on your cellar of course..
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Getting down to the last few of these and really starting to miss them. WOTN among a '04 Capanna Res BdM and '03 Rottlan Priorat. Floral and silky--real crowd pleaser tonight
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No detailed notes taken. Good enough, although atypical Bordeaux, presumably a product of the vintage. A bit jubey and loose. Drink or hold. (90 Good wine)
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Like all the other 2003 Bordeaux Vintage, the nose is very ripe! Wine is very silk-like and smooth. Mid to full body with purple dark in colour, showing its age.
The palate shows cassie, dark plum, hint of leather and tea (perhaps the tannis?). Consumed with Sirloin and cheese.
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Like all good Larose this is built to age. I realize this is still very young but I couldn't resist. 4 hour decant was needed. Earthy farm, plum, raisin, dark black fruit and a little tobacco on the nose. Plum, raisin, cassis and a hint of crushed flower on the palate.
Very good wine. Very well structured. Will leave my remaining bottles in the cellar. If you have a few of these it is definitely worth drinking. Make sure to decant for at least 4 hours.
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Tobacco and leather on the nose. This has entered maturity and is drinking well now. The palate has some iron or blood - went very well with beef Wellington. Medium finish. Better than expected. 92-93
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Since 2009 tasted 8 or more times. Differing notes but always 92 to 94 points. Sweet blackcurrant and vanilla with good backbone and decent length. I was amazed how good this was at only 6 years old and suspect it will surprise people how long it lasts.
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Quite good extract, no browning, nose a little dumb. Appears well balanced & has good structure so should age a little. Reserve judgement for now. Try 1-3 yrs
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Regular dinner group (By PvD @ Savarin): Tasted completely blind and what a beautiful surprise! With this wine Gruaud is back on top. A beautiful bouquet with dark forest fruits and cassis, chocolate, coffee and a beautiful dose of oak. On the palate a full bodied wine with dark forest fruits, a bit herbaceous and minerality as well. Good acidity and still youthful tannin. I also wrote "a must buy", but luckily I already have a few. The wine is in its young maturity stage now and really complex, refined and lovely. I should put my first bottle away so I will find it again in 2016 or 2017. 93+
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Lovely wine and drniking great - no decant. Bright, dark cherry with a brick note on the rim. Very intense complex nose, filled with earthy, graphite, cedar, cherry and currant notes. Really all together with nothing distinct. Same on the palate, very refined. tannins are well absorbed, acidity is bright and fresh with lovely cherry and currant fruit on the finish. Absoultely delicious and really easy to drink. There is a little hard edge on the finish, which might suggest peak in a couple years, but this is drinking great. Loolking forward to having with dinner.
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Opaque core with crimson rim. Nose of cinnamon candy, sandalwood and ash. The palate on this is surprisingly smooth despite its relative youth, showing deep black fruit underlaid with tannins that have softened significantly. I was hesistant to open this but ought not have been; this is enjoyable now and should hang on for another five years.
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Nice wine, just starting to develop. It is firm, suggesting long life ahead. Lots of fruit, a bit one dimensional for now. Some upfront funk starting to peek, followed by fruit, and lots of oak. I wouldn't touch one of these for 5 years.
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Inky, dense, well extracted, classy. Pencil shavings, moca, dark chocolate. Should age very well. Revisit in 5 years with a view on peak over the next 10-15 years.
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While not as balanced and put together as previous vintages we have enjoyed, this wine was still quite enjoyable. It came on strong on the front of the palette, bringing a warmth to the palette, but then just kind of fell off. With more age I suspect it will improve, but with what I have read about the vintage I am not so sure that age is going to make this wine drink as well as the 1983 that made us fall in love with the chateau.
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2003 was the year when almost 15,000 people died in France do to the massive heat wave that occurred. Bordeaux was said to have produced high alcohol, low acid wines that would not age well This Gruaud consists of : Cabernet Sauvignon 66% Merlot 22% Cabernet Franc 6% Petit Verdot 5% Malbec 1%
Wine was rather muted and not very aromatic. High notes of dried earth, dried black plum, grape pez candy with under tone of sandalwood and saddle leather. The wine is medium weight, with fading tannins and good acidity, black tea and sweet dark fruits make up the mid palate. The fruit is there for a second then tannins and acid roll in to cancel it out, finishing with bitter raisin and wood tannin. As this wine opened after a couple of hours the fruit was primary then faded. Suggest opening and serving after one hour. The alcohol at 13% was well integrated. Consumed with grilled beef and grilled vegetables. Purchased as futures and stored accordingly consumed 60-65, Drink over the next 5 years… Na zdrowie
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Excellent Bordeaux. Based on my previous note, this has continued to evolve. Not as open as my previous bottle. Decanted again for 1 hour, this was still a little tight. This bottle didn't strike me at all as ripe or forward. This was almost austere, with ripe plum and cherry fruit and a strong mineral and earth character. The nose was almost all earth with dirt and cheese rind dominating the aromas. The palate showed ripe plum and dark berry fruit. Maybe slight hints to roasted fruits. The earth and minerality provides excellent structure. Really enjoyed this, a very intriguing bottle.
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50th birthday party. Decanted for 6 hours. Purple black color. Rich and full bodied. Some smoke and tar notes mixed in with the dark berry and cassis notes. Thought this was drinking surprisingly well for being so young. Better than the last time I had it. Of the 10 Gruaud Larose wines I've had, only the 2000 was markedly better (although a few might beat this out slightly). 92-93 points.
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Deep Crimson, rather muted nose but what was decernable was typicallt left bank Bordeaux; cassis, damsons, cedar but a touch of stewed prunes. On the palate, reasonable acidity, very drying tannins, a nice weight of fruit though, a bit hollow in the middle and short finish. I think a half decent effort in this vintage but the remaining bottles could be destined for the saleroom!
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Haven't had for 5 yrs and definitely seems to be getting better. More integrated and balanced and should improve more throughout its drinking window. Beautiful nose of dark fruit, spice, and sweet tobacco. Mouthfeel is balanced and grip is slightly less than 5 yrs ago. Finish is med+ in length. Decanted for 3hrs and hit its stride in 4.
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Decanted for just over 3 hours before having with grilled filet. Had a quick taste before decanting and noticed a good deal of acidity from light red fruit. Aroma is strawberry, plum, and tobacco. Taste hits with some tart red cherry right off the bat and it's tough to get much else out of it. There is a very slight hint of some cocoa that hits after the mid-palate. I wonder about what is going to happen over time with this tartness. Not too tannic, probably about what you would expect from this at the time.
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Cassisy cabernet with earthiness. Some harshness. Quite rich on entry, doesn't quite hold up to produce a solid finish. Seems not to have come together.
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Still pretty dark. Jammy black fruits, toffee, cassis, earth and more noticeable cedar note. Although very ripe the overall expression is pretty fresh. Silky and sweet palate. This particular bottle is showing brighter acidity and quite noticeable tannins. If you are a ripe vintage, you may want to cellar a few of these. Very consistent notes.
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nose of damp earth, espresso, cassis, licorice, and plums. on the palate medium-bodied with quite sweet tannins, very nice concentration, loads of earthy characteristics. medium finish
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Monday Bouteille at Restaurant Carlton in Zürich. Popped and poured. The wine was rather closed at first and only opened-up slowly over time. It offered graphite and red fruits on the nose and palate, with round tannins and great length. The medium-bodied wine was elegant and very balanced. As hard as it might seem to resist the temptation, the wine would clearly benefit from another year or two in the cellar, or at least from extended decanting. Drink mid-term.
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BWC - BDX - St Julien and Margaux (Scenic Loop Cafe): Smokey animal funky nose with very ripe dark fruits. Palate was showing roasted dried fruits, lacking a little definition. Finish showed very dry tannins. Hard to pin down, but after spending some time with it seemed like it shows of lot of the undesirable characteristics of the ’03 vintage.
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This left me wondering what happened. The finish was really short and didn't leave the best taste in your mouth (slight bitterness). Previous bottles showed much better.
It is showing well. Initially some burnt rubber that quickly blew off. Dark ripe black fruit, caramel, cassis, oak, pepper and earth. It hasn’t gain much secondary flavor and still remain dark. I am guessing that this was not achieved phenolic ripeness which in general is not a good thing but not in this case. It keeps the wine fresh and give almost flower/perfume cab franc like characters in the palate. It displays silky texture and integrated tannins that are noticeable at the end. I now am confident that this will develop nicely with another ten years of cellaring.
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Trying to be a bit fairer to this wine than last time, I detected roast coffee and a hint of blueberry on the nose. The colour was impenetrable and the palate distinctly dry and short. Overall, only a minor improvement. I have no idea how long it will last.
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Nose of cassis, spice, menthol and slight earthy/dusty tones. Medium bodied. Enjoyable now and should improve with further integration of acidity and tannins.
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Yet another example of why buying expensive wine is getting harder to justify and, score another one for Ralph Sands with this one. Very dark red in the glass, beautiful bouquet on the nose. Slightly menthol mouth coating flavors. Probably seemed to peak somewhere around 3.5 hours after decanting.
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Another fantastic bottle. This is some of the best '03 Bordeaux I've encountered; it is balanced, measured, not over the top, and most of all fruity (plums, cherries, apples) and delicious. The first bottle I had must have been heat damaged; I'm changing its rating to "flawed". If you like Bordeaux, you should enjoy this.
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Deep crimson, no evolvement at rim. Two hours decanted and poured back into bottle. Cedar, blackcurrent smokey nose. Bright acidity, grippy tannins prnouced black current - the halmarks of a youthful cab sav wine. Despite the fact that wines of this year seem to evolving fast, this wine has plenty of development to come. Everything seems there but the balance will improve with another year or two of age. No hurry to drink the rest of these bottles.
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This has gotten better and better with successive tastings. When first purchased 6 years ago, the wine had a fairly vegetal character. Now quite closed on opening, but after 2 hours in decanter, it becomes sweet, still fairly light in fruit. Beautiful, medium ruby scarlet color, smooth tannins. almost ****
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I can't be reminded enough that the drinking experience says as much about the person as the wine. Anyhow, this bottle was consumed over two nights after a long and pleasant holiday abroad before a reluctant return to work. I'll take the liberty of accusing the wine of a certain grumpy, surliness. We just could not make friends. It smelt of nothing much--mere hints at something lifted and perfumed. I couldn't even accuse it of suffering the 03 bake or pruney character. The colour okay, but the palate smudgy and dry with weight and presence but no definition. A great lump!
A few bottles left so maybe we'll get along better next time...
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Light nose of ripe strawberries, bacon fat, hint of vanilla, leather, sous-bois... in the mouth, ripe red fruit ripe and silky tannins, good lenght, leather, a lot of finesse...maybe a hint of greeness at the end that is lowering the score..
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My note is almost identical to Philippe Camps CT IT ‘Philippe_C'
First night, a hint of licorice, black fruit, a slight hint of oak and green, steak blood. Medium body, silky palate, integrated tannins. The third night, no signed of thinning/oxidation, more expressive nose but very similar to the first night. The green note is no longer there surprisingly. Very fine polished classic wine that I would not be able to guess as a 2003. Highly recommend to decant for a few hours minimum. The first night 90 pts, the third night 93 pts.
*I once rated the wine 100 in the 2003 single blind. It was WOTN and some including myself thought it was the Latour. It certainly is not a 100 pointer but a very nice Bordeaux.
I had to try another one of these after my bad experience last month; they were supposed to be so much better than that! Glad to say, this second one was a vastly more enjoyable experience. Splendid structure, crisp acidity, wonderful balance, smooth tannins, with a light sweetness in the background. This is such a remarkable "night and day" difference that the previous bottle must have been "off" without an obvious flaw.
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Depressing at first: soggy, limp, listless, cloyingly sweet with over-ripe fruit. Granted, after 2 1/2 hours there was improvement: backbone appeared, some of the soupiness dissipated, and at times the quality of the terroir shone through. Still, the wine never lost an overly-simple ripe sweetness that left the palate both overwhelmed and unexcited, though it also had a savoriness that was actually tasty. Quality wine should be complex, not some confused concoction that provokes so many mood swings and mixed emotions.
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Dark, almost black. Nose of ripe plum, some graphite and pencil shaving and black olives too. Fresh ripe blackcurrant fruit on the palate, soft integrated tannins. Very good now but will get better.
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Suprisingly open for business after an hour in the decanter. Velvety tannins, rich berry fruit, cocoa and creamy oak. Drank almost more lke a CA cabernet than Bordeaux.
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Have a case of this bought EP and tend to open one a year. Decanted for an hour.
Immediately impressive nose,of black fruit and herbs. Textured, smoothly polished, creamy with ripe tannin and fresh, direct acidity. A very appealing wine with good back bone and delicious potential. Reckon this is damn good and is developing nicely.Quite a surprise considering the vintage. Look forward to tasting a bottle a year,although may well keep the last few till I am about 80!! Excellent.
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Opened bottle and decanted for two hours before drinking. Cork was in perfect condition. Nose on wine was very closed and initial feel on palate left little impression. as I knew at that time there was nothing special going on. Drank the reamainder of the bottle the next night with my son. Some improved taste and smell of cassis but not worth a second try. Good news was that it had only paid $45, bad news was that I paid $45 and have had $10 bottles that tasted way better.
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Still one of the first '03s I have tasted. I was a little surprised by the color--most notably how light it was at the edge of the glass. I didn't detect a lot of heat or alcohol on the nose. I actually thought the nose had a great balance of sweetness. Not as leathery as some prior vintages I have had. Maybe more cherries and Merlot this time. Surprisingly good given the guarded professional reviews. I'm not selling any more of these.
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Decanted three times in two hours. Dark brooding purple. Vibrant dark chocolate, blackberry, vanilla, blueberry and burnt ash. Very opulent in a voluptuous - obtuse sort of way; this is not shy. Velvety tannins that are plentiful and approachable. Layer upon layer of flavor and this has popping acidity that is evident and yet it does not take away form the fruit. This beautiful St. Julien claret could age for a few decades. She is so juicy in the short term and voluptuously seductive at the same time. how could one not love this? Very '82 and worth seeking out. Pay no attention to the pre-disposed hype - this is classic. I am blown away by how seductive and balanced this claret is. Better than quite a few from the same vintage. Not New World; just showy Bordeaux. Drink 2011 - .
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Gruaud Larose made a fantastic wine in the 2003 vintage. This is in a very nice place right now, and I will support other comments suggesting that you give this wine 2-3 hours in the decanter. Nose: Dark Cherry, Vanillin, Currants, Tobacco, Leather and hints of turned earth. Palate: silky smooth after a few hours and coats the palate very nicely. Flavors gain weight in the midpalate with cherry choclate and tobacco notes leading the way, slight floral notes as well. Finish: The wine ends long and strong with tart wild berry and cigar flavors lingering.
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Double decanted 2 hrs beforehand. Tobacco, pencil lead with a laser beam of dark fruit. Blackberry , black cherry and fig. On the palate, same fruit with a bit of blueberry and vanilla. Grat acid/tannin support. A tiny hint of over ripeness later. A very big wine. A 70/30 mix of traditional and modern.
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This wine really needs at least three hours to decant before the funky moss wears off. The chateau makes its wines to age for decades, so this is still young. Considering the vintage, one would expect a powerful wine, which this is. It's very weighty; initially I thought it was showing no legs, but the wine just coated the surface of the glass entirely. The nose is classic Saint Julien, with earthy tones, a bit of oak and tobacco, floral notes, and black fruit. On the palate, cassis and cinnamon really jump out, and the finish is long and leathery. This is a very serious wine, and I can see why people's impressions were mixed. True to 2003, this is very concentrated; if tasted blind, I might take it for a Napa Cabernet.
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16/20 Refelts ébène fonçé. Au nez complexité et distinction : fruits, épices, bois. Nuances animales en filigrane. En bouche, les tannins sont fondus. l'ensemble est élégant : notes fumées, boisées. Très Bordeaux... et GCC. La finale est exubérante, longue et fine. De la classe ce St-Julien !
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Decanted for an hour. It was quite funky and hard for a while. Got better and better. After 4 hours, it was best. I'll wait several years in hope that it smooths out.
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Would never have picked it as Bordeaux, blame it on the hot summer, but this was a well-made Chilean cabernet in drag. I happen to quite like Chilean cabernet, so it was more than welcome, but the experience felt like waking from an unsettling dream, opening the door expecting Cary Grant only to find him wearing dark jeans and a baseball cap. Not bad, just odd.
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Settling down quite nicely, nice tobacco, earth, truffle and plum on the sweet long finish. The fruit is softening and the oak is integrating, not sure if it will improve or simply hold?
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tasted from a previously opened bottle at a wine bar (Cru West Village, Dallas) Monolithic nose of bretty func that never left or evolved over hour Palate was smooth round with generous fruit and chocolate at the tail end and a 20 second finish. IF the aromatics improve (some St Juliens, and G-L in particular, will have this funk in adolescence) it will merit a higher score and if you like this dirty smell you will give it a higher rating. If I had a cellared bottle, I would hold 2 years and decant 1-2 hours.
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This was a very controversial wine at the en primeur tastings...some say its was just 88points some say its 96 points...wow this is so good so full bodied dark fruit cigar box earth and chocolate and a finish that lasts over 60 seconds...one of the best wines I have...www.everyoneweb.com/chateaujochen
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inky purple color. incredible nose of intense burnt coffee/espresso. black fruit and floral notes. On the palate the nose carries through. Coffee and caramel. Dark fruit. Loads of tannins and bristling acidity. Touch of pleasant green notes on the back end of the tannins. Full bodied. Long finish. Tastes great but needs age. Yet another beautiful Bordeaux.
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Nez de poivron vert, floral, boisé-épicé (aucune exagération), de bleuet et de cèdre. Bouche de très bonne qualité, les tanins sont enveloppés, le vin est équilibré. Très bonne bouteille. Peut se conserver encore de 5 à 10 ans.
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Some barnyard initially that blew off with time. Cassis, cherry, spice dominate the nose. Good balance but is a bit thin overall. Interesting note, my cork was 2/3 soaked, I'm curious how my others are doing as they haven't been sitting but for 2 years.
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wonderful if still rather fresh and young. First whiff - classic cassis. Then there's cream and strawberry, rather bright, in the mouth - suprisingly. Some mid-palate notes of herbs (mint, predominatly). and a lot of tannic structure.
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Graphite, crushed stone, damp earth. Smooth, well integrated. A bit hollow on the mid palate and did not hold together well on day two. Drink in the first 10 years or so I think. This could gain some complexity with a few years but will never be stellar IMO. 89-91.
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HUMMMMM. Drinking like sexy silk right now, Leather, smoke, plum, pepper and a surprisingly complex finish. Found myself enjoying the last glass more than the first.
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(from 375) Started off a bit dumb, opened up, but never excited me. More tannins than fruit, fairly big dose of vanillin oak. Sweet cassis fruit eventually emerges, but this strikes me as rather one-dimensional. Nothing flawed, though finish seems a tad short for a 2nd from a big vintage. Maybe this is just closed, but I'm not sensing a lot underneath, and will pass on buying more. B-
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apparently lighter than other good vintages. 30 minutes of airing revealed smoothness and richness.perfect with the roast we had. even seemed to do well with dessert.never can go wrong with good bordeaux.someday demand and the falling $ will put these wines out of reach. but until then....
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very nice nose. graphite, balsa wood, roasted turkey, game. pleasant mouth with good balance, and some complexity. red fruits, minerals. the fruit fades alittle on the finish. solid wine but no blockbuster.
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From my perspective, this is stunningly underrated. It leads with a wide-open and yet soft, feminine nose of cassis and maybe sandalwood, with a slight feral note that actually adds complexity in an undistracting way. The palate is medium-bodied and grapey, with kirsch, herb, and chocolate in there. It's smooth but certainly not silky; the tannins aren't shy. To me, this is what the best of the '03s are about -- ripeness without bombast. Gruaud-Larose will be making more appearances in our household. 93 may seem high, but I actually think it could even GAIN a point or two with cellar time. Beautiful. (Tasted twice, on 8/5/2007 and 10/11/2008, with consistent notes. It's just as good the second time around, it shows a new floral note.)
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Very nice sweet and lactic nose of licorice, soy sauce, indian spices and slightly smoky. This wine does not have the ripe or jammy nose of other 2003's... In the mounth it is quite tannic with some black fruit, and some meaty and even gamey components.... The intriguing part is that after slow aeration of 24 hours the tannins were present but quite smoothly integrated... and after 1 hour in the glass they started to be more agressive with even some unpleasant greeness at the end... For me still a questionmark if this greeness will dissapear and will become a great wine... I would bet it will! (92?/100)
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Consumed with steaks and potatoes. In the glass, dark red fading to deep pink at the rim. On the nose, initially muted fruit, but opened up to reveal cassis, cedar, and a touch of eucalyptus. Thin on the palate at first, but over the course of a couple of hours, opened up to provide plums, cassis, tobacco, and olive notes, with perhaps a hint of soy. The finish was somewhat tannic and short. I thought I might have been able to get away without decanting, but in retrospect, this needed at least 90 minutes before we touched it. I don't believe this has the goods to be a great wine, but there is enough here to reward a few more years of aging.
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This was poured at a retailer tasting which was attended by several CWM members. Although I would not open one of the bottles I bought of this wine, I could not pass up a free chance to check in on the progress of this wine. It was only splash decanted and I discussed that with the retailer who said they did not have time for any extended decanting. I think all of the CWM in attendance agreed that this was surprisingly approachable despite the firm tannins. Notes of black fruit and tobacco leaf. Medium to full bodied with an earthy character. 92+ points.
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Poured at a retailer tasting. Notes of smoky plum, bell pepper and deep red fruit. Wonderful balance, even at this young stage, with dark fruit and firm but sweet tannins. $44.99.
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2003 Bordeaux Tasting (Binny's, Schaumburg): Deep garnet color. Notes of tobacco, minerals and red bell pepper. Chewy tannins support a nice mix of red and black fruits, turning smoky on the finish. Really nice.
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At first, a faint but pleasant nose of dark berries and hints of leather. Evolved into much more prominent garrigue, plum in brandy on 2nd day. At first, the strong tannins drowned out everything else; not very elegant. Much better balance on 2nd day with more prominent acidity and longer finish. I agree with other users that this wine will need long bottle-ageing. I certainly am not going to touch more of it until after a few more years. Rate it a conservative 88 now, but should get better. Patience!
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im going to take a wild guess and try to peg this at 92-94pts even though it is very hard to say exactly when it will mature and what it will be like when evolved. this is a tannic monster that is about as closed as closed can get. this needs so much aeration its hard to believe. but there are signs that it could be immense one day. no wonder the pros' ratings were so controversial. when first opened it was no better than an 89, if that, then things started to happen days later. open the bottle, leave it out for a week, then try it. or age it for 15-20 years and pop the cork. not unlike other excellent vintages of GL, but still somewhat of a mystery right now.
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Pleasantly surprised, very enjoyable wine. Similar to many of the 03's I've tasted so far. Fresh, lively fruit with the signature toasted oak backdrop and a firm structure.
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Opened 19:30. First glass 20. Agreable nose with vanilla, black fruit and its syrup, black coffee, herbs and some alcohol. Fairly biting tannins on the palate, but also black fruits, herbs, a small lactic touch, spices ... The tannins are dominating however. Some burning alcohol in the fairly long aftertaste. I'll put it away until tomorrow. Next day (evening): The nose has closed down; there's a noticeable green element to it (paprika?). The palate remains tannic, with a lactic element and not much fruit shining through. The alcohol has subsided somewhat. I'm even less impressed then yesterday. I'll put the rest away until tomorrow. Third day (evening): Not much movement in positive sense; the acidity is now more pronounced. We'll see tomoorw. Fourth day (evening): Phew, did DID need its time. The nose has finally opened up a bit, with nice black and red fruit, fruit syrup, graffite, coffee, herbs... Very classical nose. The palate is still a bit weedy, but the fruit is now shining through more; still fairly tanninc and acidic though. Stilll difficult to drink, but hopefully this will integrate and balance out if given A LOT of bottle ageing. For now the nose is much more promising than the palate. Sixth day (evening): I left about a big glass in the bottle and put it away for two days in the fridge, just closed with a cork. Amazing... now we are talking. The wine has blossomed into a balanced, structured, fruity, classy Bordeaux, without a trace of oxidation (and this after six days). While this was a 89 point way on day one to five, this now clearly merits at least 93 if not more. But... it'll need a lot of bottle ageing, or extended decanting (several hours).
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Lots of new oak - too much maybe? Time needs to tell. Other than that the nose offers mainly dark berries and stewed fruits, the latter leading to a somewhat plumb style. The palate is rather fat with low acidity and I was missing grace and that aristocratic touch of great classic Bordeaux. Day two was much better with the oakiness being less noticable. However, it felt somewhat over-extracted. I much preferred 2002 and 2001 vintage (unfortunately I didn't yet have the opportunity to taste 2000).
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TN: 2003 Red Bordeaux (Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting); 1/26/2006-1/27/2006 (Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois): On par with the outstanding 1989 and 2000 bottles that I have had. Better than the 1996 or 2001 in my opinion. A controversial wine since Parker gave it 86-88 from barrel and WS gave it 95-100. I bought on WS's advise and I'm glad I did. Deep red color. Wonderful concentration. Typical Gruaud profile. Notes of tobacco, prune and cedar. An earthy tecture with frim tannins at present. Full bodied with a long finish. 93+ points.
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A meaty nose, but bursting with fruit, too. Notes of menthol and licorice and the palate yields full bodied flavor, and subtle extraction of tannins. Perhaps lacking the profound depth of vintages like 2000 or 1986, but a successful 2003.
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Ch. Branaire-Ducru: Dark notes of bitter chocolate, coffee, with hi-notes of sawdust and sweet orest(!); Big mth, tree bark, earthy big t’s.***A big trees smell with fresh wood.
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1/19/2024 - suitcasewine Likes this wine: 88 Points
Old enough to no longer need a fake ID but still quite young in the grand scheme of things. Quiet and closed at first. Two hours decanted in the Josephinenhutte and now we’re chirping. Apricot jam, bakers chocolate, white pepper. Notes of Italian deli rainbow cookie. Violets, graphite, grip. Lovely claret and delicious now, though would love to check back in another decade.
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11/5/2023 - Jason Wu Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep ruby with onion ring.
Med+intensity on the nose, violet, cranberry, red plum, red cherry, coke, dried orange peel, clove, nutmeg, kumquat, mushroom, prunes, dark chocolate, apricot, developing.
Dry, high acidity, high tannin, high alcohol, full body, med+ intensity, prunes, chocolate, meaty, toasty, still a bit oaky after 30 minutes decant, very perfume after 1 hour decant, med+ finish.
Overall, this is a very good wine. I can feel the warmness of the year with the dominant dark fruit notes coming through. The wine was a bit closed on the palate after 30 minutes decant, but opened up after 1 hour. Floral notes blended with spice, well balance. Drinking perfectly now.
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10/16/2023 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Left bank bordeaux 2008 and older (BLVD): Drank a small glass over 2 hours. This wine is funky and young, clearly Bordeaux. This drank surprisingly well at this age, with cassis, funk, slight bacon and graphite. 92 today with lots of potential.
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10/15/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Bordeaux 2008 and Older (BLVD Kitchen & Bar, Wayzata, MN): Small taste at the end of the night. Cassis,black cherry, approachable now, like the style.
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10/15/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote:
Lots of earthy Bordeaux character, with raspberry and blackberry fruit. Somewhat rustic in structure, but tasty. Ready to enjoy now with some air.
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9/9/2023 - shawnoh wrote: 91 Points
A bit over the hill.
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6/28/2023 - doug374 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tastes of dark fruits- casis, blackberry, strawberry, with notes of forest of mushroom and hay. Tannins are light but present to hold it together. Overall a sense of lightness that does not match the maturity of the wine.
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5/19/2023 - Peter Spijker Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Tasted in a line-up with '98, '99 and 2003. The 1998 was the best of the lot, very classic bordeaux with black fruit, cedar, cigar, some oak and fully integrated tannins. The 1999 was quite similar in style and characteristics, and was also lovely. The 2003 was underwhelming and dull, and I don't think it will develop into something better.
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5/9/2023 - englishman's claret wrote: 92 Points
Tasted at the chateau, this example of the 2003 Gruaud is a little flat on the nose but is considerably better on the palate with dark red fruit, cedar, and a warm, earthy richness. The fruit is delectable, but this finishes short and I get the sense that it's time to drink these.
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5/7/2023 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine: 92 Points
1st of 6. 13% abv. This is pretty fruity still at this point, but it's starting to gain some tertiary complexity. The fruit is quite fresh and delicious. The finish is a bit too quick and the tannins are a hair drying and linger, but they are not harsh or overwhelming. I think this may still need time, but it is enjoyable now, especially with a decant and with some steak or other hearty food. Drink now through 2033.
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3/28/2023 - doug374 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good color, aroma of mature and ripe fruit however a more prononced tannin than a wine of this maturity is expected to carry.
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11/28/2022 - Zweder wrote: flawed
What a pity! My last bottle. Not extremely corked, but not fresh either. No score.
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11/13/2022 - NY Wino Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking nicely, good fruit and spice, smooth tannins with long finish.
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11/13/2022 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
No poker night (Jason and Mariellen's house): Drank a small glass over 2 hours. This wine is funky and young, clearly Bordeaux. This drank surprisingly well at this age, with cassis, funk, slight bacon and graphite. 92 today with lots of potential.
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11/12/2022 - JCGuthrie wrote:
I had stopped taking notes at this point in the evening, but from memory this showed very similarly to my last two bottles. Unfortunately (or fortunately for me!) it was completely outclassed by a '96 Margaux opened by our host. But still a very solid, fairly old-school Bordeaux just entering the drinking window.
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11/12/2022 - WineBurrowingWombat Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wine weekend in the Twin Cities; 11/10/2022-11/12/2022 (Where the frosty air is refreshing.. kind of): N: Buoyant blue berries (slightly pulled back jolly ranchers but not candied nor sweet), gentle earth and a soft and dark underbrush note.
P: A very subtle touch of graphite, fresh and lively red fruit with an almost juicy character (almost like a fresh version of a central coast Grenache) and bright bright river minerals.
First try of this bottle and it was quite pleasant. The freshness in this is quite amazing for something with this kinda age, a very pleasant surprise. This seemed like this can still go on for 6-8+ years without losing any freshness.
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11/12/2022 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sorry, Not Sorry! No Poker on Poker Night! (Jason's House): This a wine that consistently shows well above its price point. Along with Lynch Bages, this wine offers a great value....unfortunately, it requires a lot of age, and is thus now beyond my ability to buy on futures. However, even at current prices (approx $125), this is still a pretty good buy! Typical Gruaud Larose, with plenty of dark fruit (mostly cassis), some graphite and some earthiness, with hints of leather and tobacco. Oak is toasty and well integrated and finish is medium. This leans slightly on the fruit side of the spectrum, which works for me! This may have suffered slightly following a phenomenal 96 Margaux. Easy 93, and that may be slightly conservative. In a very good place for my palate, and has years ahead of it.
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11/10/2022 - doug374 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Enjoyable fruit and light but noticeable tannin. We enjoyed the wine but there was a slight harshness to the finish that kept us from describing this as an 'elegant" choice.
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10/27/2022 - JCGuthrie wrote:
Decanted about 60 to 90 minutes. Similar note to my last bottle. This held up well against a '14 Phelps Backus; both beautiful wines, even if they are at very different points in their evolution. I had a little left over which I saved under vacuum seal; worth noting that it did not show anywhere near as well the next day.
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10/3/2022 - Bertdecab Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful.. red/ black berries, spices, very smooth, medium + body,
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9/10/2022 - cugel_saga Likes this wine: 92 Points
Liquorice and boot straps.
Tannin and acidity.
Balance and poise.
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7/23/2022 - doug374 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good dark red with fruits of dark berries, plums and tobacco.
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7/23/2022 - doug374 Likes this wine: 91 Points
A very enjoyable full fruit wine. Light smoke and minerals with tobacco.
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6/18/2022 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 3 hours before drinking. Fifth time I have had this wine. Moderate to heavy sediment. Crimson color with a little bricking. Notes of charcoal, menthol, tobacco and cassis. This was the earthiest and most rustic of the lineup. Part of a small 2003 Bordeaux horizontal with the Calon Segur and Ducru Beaucaillou. Drink by 2027. 92 points.
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6/5/2022 - doug374 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A nice mouthful of fruits light tobacco, and smooth, rounded tannins. Score is held back for the absence of fireworks or distinctiveness. Happy to have with our grilled salmon and look forward to returning too.
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5/13/2022 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another impeccably-kept bottle from Heritage Auctions. Ruby red color. Opened the bottle and let it breathe for a hour. The nose was very enticing, with lots of cassis, some vanilla, very fresh with not many tertiary or secondary notes. Bright acidity, very good structure, cassis, dark cherries, anise, black licorice, hints of pencil, grippy tannins still, oak and cracked pepper on the medium ending. A very good wine - a great expression of St Julien - and another great 2003 for me.
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5/7/2022 - liber Likes this wine: 90 Points
5th of 12, opened an hour, perfect cork and level, nose more advanced than palate which is still funky and muddled though attractive enough and better than bottle last autumn, upside, 10+ years. For now VGI (17)........suggest decanting!
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4/19/2022 - johnnyrichardson wrote: 87 Points
Wonderful nose on opening which promised much but didn't really deliver for me..still a very powerful St Julien but totally lacking in charm. Lucky I only have one bottle left, I think 2003 is a vintage to forget.
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4/10/2022 - JCGuthrie wrote: 93 Points
Agree wholeheartedly with Binder's description below. My bottle was also purchased at auction (full case) and it was in perfect condition. This has a beautiful nose which shows fruit but also some tertiary development. I gave it about two hours of air in the bottle and showed well from the first sip to the last. I'm hoping these hold at this level for some time. Very happy to have more of these.
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4/1/2022 - Binder Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bottle from mixed auctionlot. Pristine condition. Lots of ripe dark fruit (cassis et al.). Well integrated oak (cedar both in nose and mouth) and a start of forrest floor. If you like mature wine, that still has the fruit - a prime example. A shame this was the only bottle of this wine in the lot.
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3/15/2022 - aroby Likes this wine: 89 Points
I was on the fence with this wine when I tasted it via Coravin, thinking it was unremarkable. Whilst it is past its prime, after about an hour in the decanter, both bottles showed well with decent fruit, smooth tannins and paired well with the lamb loin, salsify, carrot, lamb jus. Definitely drink up, with food.
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3/12/2022 - doug374 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice dark color, some forest and tobacco on the nose with more dark plum and cherry notes. Very nice "juicy" mouthful with tannins that pull lightly at the cheeks.
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1/23/2022 - oenanthe Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep reddish purple. Cork in pristine condition. A superb nose, rich and heady - very left bank. The fruit is on the descent and definitely thinning, but it is still present with cassis still easily detectable; also leather, pencil shavings and that classic claret dustiness coming to the fore in place of the waning dark fruit. Supple and very smooth now at 18 years old, in a good place but I don't think will evolve any further and is time to drink up before the fruit deteriorates any more. There is little sign of the hot vintage, and this of course dates from a time when hot vintages were not always dealt with well. My final bottle, this has aged very well and was a total pleasure with roast lamb and flageolet beans. Great stuff from a solid Chateau.
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12/30/2021 - lzach wrote:
End of a lovely case—missing some fruit but otherwise solid.
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11/11/2021 - wineforth Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drunk over a dozen times since 2009. Was cheap en primeur thanks to a ridiculously low 88 points from Parker. The wine has always had a great nose, complexity and was approachable when young. The best ever claret I've had at 6 years old. What surprises me is how it is different every time and yet the wine is from the same two cases. In the past vanilla, plums, mocha, sweet blackcurrant, bitter cherries and liquorice, although not all from the same bottle. Always with a good tannic backbone and lots of soft fruit. This time with a nose of undergrowth giving way to cedar, meatiness, blackcurrant, coffee, raspberry and liquorice. Excellent persistence on the finish. A lovely wine. 2003 was an unusually hot vintage which explains the early drinking. There are still plentiful tannins and the Gruaud 1985 next week, from a similarly hot vintage, may give an idea what is in store for the 2003.
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11/9/2021 - Paul D wrote:
Tasted at Chateau. Quite a rich nose with slightly baked red fruit, touch of cherry kirsch, but some freshness too. Cedar. Touch powdery on finish but quite balanced, good in the context of the vintage.
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10/10/2021 - jviz wrote: 93 Points
Showing like a champ today. Yes it’s a little warm, ripe, but wearing its age oh so well, with integrated alcohol and no roasted or pruney notes. Instead you have leather and cassis, exactly what one should wants in Bordeaux of this age. Developing nicely with time to go. I continue to be impressed with the way these 03s have performed in time and hope the same will be said of current warm vintages.
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9/26/2021 - DugyDog Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nose is 98 points! Tar, smoke, crushed black fruits with a hint of vegetation. For me instantly recognizable as left bank Bordeaux. Palate much more muted. Primary fruit only.
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8/14/2021 - tom_wine Does not like this wine:
Badly corked.
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5/23/2021 - Shoebox Likes this wine: 90 Points
Purple, thick legs. Blackcurrant nose with hint of graphite.
Clean black fruit.
Still some sticky tannins yet to fully integrate.
Not at its peak yet. Will last.
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5/22/2021 - thebonnydooner wrote: 94 Points
Last bottle and lovely showing. Deep, dark intense with lovely earthy complexity. Tannins are pretty resolved, still nice bite of acidity but mainly beautifully balanced dark currant and plum fruit with a very long savoury finish.
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3/3/2021 - NY Wino Likes this wine: 93 Points
I agree with the comments made by Tomandlu. Drinking nicely.
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2/7/2021 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 93 Points
A ready to drink vintage now. A balance betweeen good fruits and tertiary characters.
Opened up quickly without much airing in glass.
Enticing blackberry, dark chocolate, integrated oak intermixing with leather, hint of truffle and dried leaves. Smooth tannins, mid weight. Definited structure
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1/22/2021 - doug374 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A dark -but not brooding- wine. Carries some tannins that have not smoothed out along with forest floor, smoke and blackberry flavors. Enjoyed with our lamb and veal.
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1/1/2021 - tomandlu wrote: 92 Points
Decanted about 2 hours and consumed over the following 2 hours. Virtually opaque black-red in the glass. The nose was beautiful from the start and didn't seem to develop with time. There were aromas of tar, red clay, ripe fruit, and some smoke. On the palate the wine was very rich and full, some what rustic in a way that I always associate with this vineyard, with great fruit and enough acidity to pull it all together. I was surprised that this tasted pretty classic in light of the vintage. I didn't notice any of the raisiny, over-ripe flavors or aromas that I usually find in Bordeaux from this vintage.
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12/28/2020 - MichielV wrote: 91 Points
W beef stroganoff. Yummy combo. Took a while to open up - 2 hrs but last glasses were very good. Drink in next 5 yrs for top. Fruit is there but not sure tannins will hold together. Solid Bdx!
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11/26/2020 - guitarro28 Likes this wine:
Still crazy (in a typical G-L style) after all these years in 2020 for Thanksgiving.
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10/18/2020 - tom_wine wrote: 85 Points
Flavors seem stripped. Pretty light considering what this tasted like several years ago. No tannin, shallow with tired dark fruit character.
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10/3/2020 - liber wrote: 88 Points
4th of 12, opened 2 hours, perfect cork and level, dumb, little fruit, structure ok, disappointing relative to better bottles like July's. Still VG (16).
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9/1/2020 - winelover1808 Likes this wine: 90 Points
very good but not sublime. currant, some funk, anise/black licorice on the nose. raspberry, some tart cherry, hint of anise on the moughtful. very strong tannins; pretty certain they wont relax enough for the fruit to stay bright and virbant. this is better with food - grilled medium rare lamb chops and duck fat rosemary potatoes for me did the trick. softened the tannins and enhanced some of the flavors and made the wine more smooth. 89/90 without food and 91/92 with food; so 90 it is!
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7/26/2020 - liber Likes this wine: 92 Points
3rd of 12, opened 90 minutes, perfect cork and level, little changed from second bottle, bouquet particularly attractive and classical, underlying reasonably fine tannins more in evidence, fruit nice and cool for vintage, further scope for development. F (17.5).......just lacks the excitement of the best, ie rather too well mannered.
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7/23/2020 - pleigh wrote: 92 Points
Great nose and complexity. Saint julien
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7/23/2020 - wineforth Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drunk more than a dozen times since 2009. The wine has always had a great nose, complexity and was unusually approachable when young. Always with a good tannic backbone and loads of soft fruit. The last bottle was slightly off but this one is back on form. A nose of undergrowth giving way to meatiness, blackcurrant, coffee and liquorice. Very good persistence on the finish. A lovely wine, it will continue on its plateau of maturity for several years but is so perfect now it would be a shame to wait.
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7/21/2020 - Ara Kafafian wrote: 87 Points
Blind, deep ruby, notes of green peppers, little fruit, some ripeness, ending on a lingering austere finish. Preferably to drink before 2025 as it seems to be declining rapidly. A disappointment for the Château and the vintage.
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6/24/2020 - dulcamara wrote: 93 Points
- Ruby color. It's in total harmony with a medium/full body. Round texture with a long finish - Time to drink 'em. Just opened one with two more to go. Peaking now.
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6/21/2020 - thebonnydooner wrote: 93 Points
Almost six years after my last bottle. This is progressing beautifully. Still dark in colour, now dark garnet and plum centre, with a dark garnet brick rim. Nose is medium intensity, earthy, dark fruit, currants and plums, hints of maturity. Palate is medium to full bodied, still nicely structured with good acidity and medium tannins, dark currant and black plum fruit, nice long finish. This probably will not get a lot better, but is drinking great.
Revisited around 3 days later - not really lost any intensity - palate is still nicely sweet with a long drying finish. Seems like this could last a while longer. Same rating. Delicious.
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6/10/2020 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Third Zoom tasting – Blind Bordeaux (Mi Casa): Expressive nose displaying ripe black and red fruit, crème de cassis, cherry, plum, a hint of oak, cedar, lactic, caramel and lead pencil. Fully integrated palate, nicely layered ripe fruit, rich yet silky, and beautifully balanced, good acidity and mineral, and a long ripe black and red fruit driven finish with lactic and caramel at the end. Drinking beautifully.
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4/28/2020 - gout wrote: 89 Points
NIce deep colour, a little maturity at edge, cedary nose & soft tannins still noticeable, but best with food. Good length.
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4/16/2020 - mdanyc Likes this wine: 89 Points
Opened for two hours, no decant. Definitely improved as the night wore on. Maybe decant next time.
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4/6/2020 - farinas wrote: 93 Points
Intense graphite, cassis, with dark berries. Palate was vibrant, had plenty of fruit for its age, but had a nerve of green notes that accented it as a flaw. I think overall a very enjoyable wine but would like to see a bit more freshness out of this vintage. I have another bottle so we will see.
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3/11/2020 - curtr Likes this wine: 90 Points
From a 9L Balthazar at a dinner in Los Angeles. Even in the larger format, this is on the later third of the drinking plateau. The dark fruit made a nice pairing with Roquefort cheese.
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2/23/2020 - swade wrote: 89 Points
I tried this first half it’s life ago. All I recall was it was ridgedly tannic and unpleasant. I soon thereafter decided I should start writing noes. About 900 notes later I’m back. Earthy aromas. Ripe entry. Dark fruit (blackberry/cassis) and fine tannins filter into the finish. Still kind of underwhelmed. 89
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2/14/2020 - InVinjeVeritas wrote: 88 Points
In decent shape, but perhaps a bit on the "plummy" side in my taste.
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1/21/2020 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Expressive nose displaying ripe black fruit, creme de cassis, blackberry, plum, cedar, caramel, lead pencil, a hint of green and mineral. Good concentration, nicely layered crème de cassis, unctuous yet silky, good acidity and mineral, noticeable but fine tannins and a long sweet black fruit driven finish with caramel and cedar at the end. This has aged beautifully and no longer shows the ripe 03 character. Drinking nicely.
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1/10/2020 - liber Likes this wine: 91 Points
2nd of 12, decanted 90 minutes, perfect cork and level, much purer than first bottle last October (bottle variation?), attractive cassis fruit driven, some secondaries and the attractive mid palate punch delivered by the better 03s. A perhaps over-cautious F (17.5) with scope to upgrade based on this second bottle!
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11/19/2019 - Vino Me wrote: 94 Points
4th time I have had this wine. 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec. Not decanted. Deep red color. Excellent balance at 16 years old. Typical Gruaud profile. Notes of tobacco leaf, cassis and cedar. An earthy texture with integrated tannins at present. No oxidation. Medium bodied with a long smooth finish. Not showing any heat for a 2003. Really in a nice spot in my opinion although no rush to drink. 94 points.
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10/25/2019 - liber wrote: 89 Points
1st of 12, decanted 90 minutes, perfect cork and level - dark quite deep ruby, little development; mat plum and cassis, muddy, rich and diffuse but not unattractive if neither complex nor particularly classy for GL; fullish, ok length, persistence and concentration, not particularly hot, just a bit of an undifferentiated blob in a chewy extracted way, reminds me a bit of the 82 when it went through a lumpy oversized period before the delineation became clearer after 20 years but the muddiness is a concern, enough bant to last and reasonable balance in this ripe vintage. VG+ (16.5).
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9/19/2019 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 91 Points
GrandCuvee - Bordeaux 2003 Horizontal (Praelum Wine Bistro): Mostly greenish, twiggy on the nose. Quite some acids and tannins, bit barley-like, raspberry and red cherry, and has that smoky punch whilst having some sweetish red cherries. Mainly a smoky cigar and burnt stems on the finish. Find that this smokiness is something quite unique of Gruaud Larose
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8/15/2019 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 89 Points
Coravined 2 glasses and it was a 92. Repeated next day by finishing the bottle and it was an 88. Split it even. The drop was an unusual drop in power. It was like the body fell apart. For the $125 I paid, I would say not worth it. You can buy better bdx at half the price with equal age.
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7/17/2019 - straight outta iowa Likes this wine: 90 Points
On SAT night, with another couple, we enjoyed a magnum of 2003 Gruaud Larose with rack of lamb (yes, a bit of a lamb kick lately). I don't think I've ever had a GL I didn't like, but still the relative youth and the hot vintage gave me pause. Turned out the wine was perfectly enjoyable, and -- for better or worse -- devoid of both the vaunted GL funk and also any 03 over extraction. The wine had evolved nicely from a tannic perspective, but I must also say it bothered me a bit that, while clearly left bank bdx, it didn't quite scream "Gruaud" as my favorite ones have tended to do. In fact, it didn't even whisper "Gruaud". Just too young for the secondary/tertiary characteristics I so love in GL, I suppose? A perfectly respectable drink though, enjoyed by all. I would return to this one in a decade.
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7/1/2019 - Italiana Likes this wine:
Compelling bottle. Nuanced and smooth. Plenty of fruit mixed with the elements of maturity.
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6/23/2019 - vide Likes this wine: 93 Points
As the comments below indicate, 2003 was volatile vintage for G la R. I drank my first bottle two months ago, and it was clearly oxidised. This bottle from the same merchant in the same shipment is wonderful. Totally opaque deep plum colour; a slightly (but not unattractive) heavy nose of bright earthy fruit; perhaps a little unyielding across the palate but this is compensated by this chateaux's typically generous fruit. Above all, it has good mouthfeel and staying power (longueur), that gives full expression to the smoky-bright fruit that is so characteristic of La Rose, although exactly what it is I can't quite put my finger on. I wonder if it is not a fruit at all, but something else, a certain cut of rare beef or perhaps liquorice. This is a big wine, very solid, but I think it is probably at its peak now.
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4/28/2019 - R2-D2 wrote: 93 Points
Mini-Cellar Diminishment Party & Blind Cabernet Bordeaux Blends (Temecula, CA): My second favorite of the tasting and correctly identified as the Bordeaux. Overall, tied for the groups least favorite. One person did list it as their overall favorite wine.
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12/16/2018 - gmat5497 wrote: 87 Points
Doesn't seem to be getting any better
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10/19/2018 - brian przyzycki wrote: 94 Points
Last of 3 bottles and this one has really hit its stride. In a really good place right now and I regret pulling the cork so early on my previous 2. Shame on me for listening to the experts that said to drink my 03s early.
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9/20/2018 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Deep ruby with barely a hint of age at the rim
Smoky slightly leathery dried dark fruit.
Coming around and starting to open up.
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8/7/2018 - Nels+ Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking wine of a so called „Heat-Year“ during the actual „Heat-Year“ (2018) in the middle of the Heat-Wave ��
Classic Bordeaux, balanced structure but lacks in fruit (nice Cassis though) and loses during the time in the glass and not really hitting the 2em Cru. Nevertheless, very nice wine!
BoW 17/20
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7/29/2018 - megropolis wrote:
Opens up nicely within half hour. Everything I expected and more. Much better than my experience in 2009. Was surprised to get a bit of sweetness on the cassis taste profile.
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7/11/2018 - rwpalmer wrote: 88 Points
This time round the fruit seemed to have receded and while not unpleasant the rather tough tannins have the upper hand. Not exactly drying out or over the hill, just lacking vitality and definition. I see little scope for improvement.
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6/16/2018 - rossi.wine wrote: 90 Points
Tasted next to 2015. Big nose, expressive, dark fruit, spices, tobacco, cedar, graphite. Ripe, but not jammy or cooked. On the palate well balanced - the tannins are soft, there is decent acidity and loads of fruit. Drink up over the next couple of years. 89-91
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4/29/2018 - johnnyrichardson wrote: 89 Points
Tannins more noticeable than a couple of years ago, not as charming as before; I'm thinking it could be worth holding a few more years to see what happens..
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4/7/2018 - wineforth Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark colour. Vanilla nose at first then cassis. Leather on the palate, herbal finish. The only time I’ve preferred a claret at 6 years old when I loved it to 15. The wine seems to have lost it lovely aromatics and got more tannic. Could surprise us all and improve in time.
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4/2/2018 - Leigh Johnson wrote: 92 Points
This wine has really blossomed with an extra couple of years in bottle. Lovely nose, good weight, elegant. Good depth and complexity, beUtifull6 balanced and no sign of the great heatwave. I would suggest drinking over the next 2 to 3 years as I don5 see it getting better and there is always the risk of 2003s falling apart at some point.
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3/24/2018 - Mcbria Likes this wine: 90 Points
Beautifully balanced. Lovely tannins and body. How quickly the bottle went.
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3/16/2018 - dougie Likes this wine: 91 Points
Really came together after 2 hours in decanter. Nothing dominating.
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2/25/2018 - tomlee wrote: 90 Points
Served out of magnum with a one hour decant. Crimson in color with some bricking at the edge of the glass. 13% ABV. Sublime nose of red fruits, leather and earth. Rich, plush and complex with none of the telltale signs sometimes associated with the '03 vintage. Cherries, cassis, pencil and plums on the palate. The finish is long with seemingly resolved tannins. Drink over the next 2-4 years.
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11/12/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
Medium/full bodied, and drinking at close to peak today, the wine offers a ripe, berry nose, wet earth, spice, thyme and herbal profile. The tannins are round and soft, leaving with an herbal, red berry finish.
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10/16/2017 - tom_wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ridiculously good with mature black cherry fruit and hints of licorice, dried herbs, cassis and plums. long in the finish, rich and some fine tannins remain. More medium bodied which is probably a product of the very hot vintage. Drinking well now.
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10/1/2017 - arthurogus Likes this wine: 92 Points
A nice mature bordeaux, with a pleasant nose, plenty of fruit and nicely balanced tannins. Not super complex but drinking very well.
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9/17/2017 - paulst Likes this wine: 90 Points
Austere with some blackberry; structured; nice finish.
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8/14/2017 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nothing particularly wrong with this wine, but it certainly isn't the old school funky gruaud that I know and love. Very much a product of the vintage, a bit too cooked and lacking in acid. I don't know that I would have picked st. Julien blind at all. Already showing age, i wouldn't bet on this for turning haul. Oddly enuff I had a 2003 saint pierre recently that was amazing.
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8/11/2017 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious and about ready after an 3 hour decant, impeccable class and poise
92
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8/10/2017 - Whine-oh Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted tableside. Drank within a half an hour of opening. No real bricking. Plenty of sediment. Nice Bordeaux funk upfront. Lots of good complexity on the palate. Not a stunner, but went well with our French fare. Per tonight, plenty of time to let this sit versus drink now with some air.
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7/2/2017 - richshoes Likes this wine: 92 Points
a little disappointing...had moments of bordeaux greatness, but a little inconsistent, sometimes tight...stemware mattered quite a bit...I probably should have aerated it more.
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6/14/2017 - LIE-user wrote: 94 Points
Sometimes I really don't understand wine critics. This one is around 87 to 88 points in many pro reviews.
But when I taste this one, I see an excellent wine with great potential for the next 20 years. I wouldn't be surprised to see this one melting in its 1982 version in some years.
If you like real Bordeaux and also like to place some safe bet, then buy some bottles of this one. 87 points? No way!
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5/6/2017 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 90 Points
The ripeness of the vintage clearly shows in this wine. Wine is beginning to brown, but still plenty of red highlights. Nose is fragrant, plump and rich. Nice spice notes. And cedar. Gentle, full and rich in the mouth, with a fine, chewy finish. Quite a nice wine. 4-12-16-8: 90/100.
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3/27/2017 - gew71walsh wrote: 93 Points
(Home Wine Dinner). Drank with Beef Tenderloin with Bearnaise alongside a 2001 Leoville Barton. Both wines opened six hours before and decanted three hours before. Wine had ample nose of red fruits upon opening, but needed some air time. By the time it was served, had become fully integrated and matched superbly with the beef. An earthiness with a chewiness had evolved. Finish was nice of medium duration.
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3/4/2017 - thomas@hohn.dk Likes this wine:
Nice Classic Bordeaux - still very Dark and tastefull
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3/4/2017 - SteveVermeer Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is a very good wine, I think it should be a little better. A great producer and a very good vintage, should be better than 91. A little thin on the finish, but nice start with a Bordeaux nose. Good middle palette with an old time Bordeaux feel. We enjoyed it with a nice steak, nice match enjoy.
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2/25/2017 - gout wrote: 89 Points
Approaching maturity but firm tanin structure & fruit will keep it fresh for several years
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12/10/2016 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
UWS 2016 End of year dinner (@ CdW and KvdK): No formal notes. The wine is still in the beginning of its maturity stage with ripe red and dark berries and round, but still a bit sticky tannin. Good acidity. Well balanced wine. Should save my last bottle for the early 2020’s.
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11/19/2016 - rwpalmer wrote: 92 Points
Well, a Princess must have come along and kissed the Frog. Having felt that this wine would linger forever lifeless, imagine my delight at finding a warm aroma of coffee bean and a complex old claret nose. Tannins resolved and with low acidity just too easy to drink. The 2003 clarets have gone through so many incarnations in their relatively short lives that I shy away from making any future predictions.
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10/31/2016 - clarktoews Likes this wine: 89 Points
this needed about an hr of decanting before some of tightness blew off. very constrained at the beginning with little fruit coming through and mostly earthy wood notes. after 1.5hrs fruit started to come out on the mid palate yet still had the earhty surrounding. finish really smoothed out after 2.5hrs. decent wine for sure and not getting any better.
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10/28/2016 - Burgnick wrote: 88 Points
Parker is right on this wine. With 3+ hours of air, the wine is still astringent with sharp edges. It will not improve from here.
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10/3/2016 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Well balanced mature Bordeaux with soft tannins and restrained blackberry fruit. However, there is great complexity with this wine with notes of mushroom, earth and lavender. Must decant for at least an hour for all the secondary notes to emerge.
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5/1/2016 - WineCPA wrote: 92 Points
Found this to be well balanced with integrated tannins & mellow fruit. Smooth with blackberry and some earth notes. Color is perfectly dark and not bricking. Drinking well now & I don't anticipate any real improvement.
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4/30/2016 - shedcellar Likes this wine:
Initially some roasted, over ripe aromas and slightly awkward tannins, without much finesse. After a few days open this resolved into something more classic and balanced. Hard to think it will improve with time.
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4/29/2016 - arthurogus Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep purple color, no trace of bricking. Excellent in the mouth, perfect finish, dark taste with a trace of anise. Mature but definitely not over the hill. Less fruit than a similarly aged Calfornia Cabernet, but a more complex and interesting wine by far.
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2/6/2016 - wineforth Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drunk a dozen times since 2009. Was cheap en primeur thanks to a ridiculously low 88 points from Parker. The wine has always had a great nose, complexity and was approachable when young. What surprises me is how it is different every time and yet the wine is from the same two cases. In the past vanilla, plums, mocha, sweet blackcurrant, bitter cherries and liquorice, although not all from the same bottle. Always with a good tannic backbone and lots of soft fruit. This time with a nose of undergrowth giving way to meatiness, blackcurrant and liquorice. Excellent persistence on the finish. A lovely wine I suspect will continue to evolve although perfect now.
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12/2/2015 - Le Monty wrote:
This was much better years ago. The fruit is fading and acidity is taking the forefront. I would drink up.
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10/23/2015 - alexisrs Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consistente, equilibrado, saboroso. Força de um Bordeaux, com maciez dos taninos. Adorei. Vinho especial.
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10/18/2015 - gout wrote: 89 Points
Full colour, bouquest of cassis & leather now emerging, attractive. Good structure on the palate with plenty of fruit and softish tannins, will keep further but starting to drink well at present
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10/18/2015 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I liked this wine. The fruit is quite concentrated which provides the medium to full weight. I got blueberries, plums and violets on the palate. The finish is long and drying with an almost bitter note. That is probably what I enjoy most about this. The wine will have many years ahead of it. I would love to try it again in 5 years - if only I had another bottle...
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10/15/2015 - rwpalmer wrote: 80 Points
Some blueberry fruit but I still find this an ugly tannic lump of a wine.
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10/11/2015 - AWBryce wrote: 91 Points
Nose of ripe red berries and cedar and herbs. Long red finish. Lovely.
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9/25/2015 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 90 Points
Quite a deep colour. The nose is ripe and forward, the palate quite rich and full. A dense, concentrated wine, perhaps a bit four square but very enjoyable. There was a slightly dry hardness on the finish, which seems to be a characteristic of the vintage, but this may go with time. Should keep well.
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9/11/2015 - Baron Samedi Likes this wine:
Starting to go downhill. Drink.
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8/28/2015 - broadband013 wrote: 89 Points
Bon mais sans plus, en dessous d autres années de ce vin.
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8/24/2015 - johnnyrichardson Likes this wine: 90 Points
No trace of '03 heat so apparent in some other wines - young and brooding with lots of promise of good things to come - hold another few years, depending on your cellar of course..
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8/9/2015 - pikemasterflash wrote: 92 Points
Getting down to the last few of these and really starting to miss them. WOTN among a '04 Capanna Res BdM and '03 Rottlan Priorat. Floral and silky--real crowd pleaser tonight
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8/3/2015 - G.M. wrote: 90 Points
No detailed notes taken. Good enough, although atypical Bordeaux, presumably a product of the vintage. A bit jubey and loose. Drink or hold. (90 Good wine)
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7/27/2015 - pudding Likes this wine: 92 Points
Like all the other 2003 Bordeaux Vintage, the nose is very ripe!
Wine is very silk-like and smooth. Mid to full body with purple dark in colour, showing its age.
The palate shows cassie, dark plum, hint of leather and tea (perhaps the tannis?). Consumed with Sirloin and cheese.
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7/22/2015 - mikeharris Likes this wine: 94 Points
Like all good Larose this is built to age. I realize this is still very young but I couldn't resist. 4 hour decant was needed. Earthy farm, plum, raisin, dark black fruit and a little tobacco on the nose. Plum, raisin, cassis and a hint of crushed flower on the palate.
Very good wine. Very well structured. Will leave my remaining bottles in the cellar. If you have a few of these it is definitely worth drinking. Make sure to decant for at least 4 hours.
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7/15/2015 - henryd1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tobacco and leather on the nose. This has entered maturity and is drinking well now. The palate has some iron or blood - went very well with beef Wellington. Medium finish. Better than expected. 92-93
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3/7/2015 - wineforth Likes this wine: 92 Points
Since 2009 tasted 8 or more times. Differing notes but always 92 to 94 points. Sweet blackcurrant and vanilla with good backbone and decent length. I was amazed how good this was at only 6 years old and suspect it will surprise people how long it lasts.
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2/21/2015 - petenich Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking pretty well now with good balance and bit of earth in nose.
Not sure you would get more with time.
Consume.
Much improved with 6 hours rest in bottle.
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2/1/2015 - magic2coop Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mid term. Changing from child to adolescent. Just starting to see and taste some maturity.
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1/19/2015 - gout wrote: 87 Points
Quite good extract, no browning, nose a little dumb. Appears well balanced & has good structure so should age a little. Reserve judgement for now. Try 1-3 yrs
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1/3/2015 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Regular dinner group (By PvD @ Savarin): Tasted completely blind and what a beautiful surprise! With this wine Gruaud is back on top. A beautiful bouquet with dark forest fruits and cassis, chocolate, coffee and a beautiful dose of oak. On the palate a full bodied wine with dark forest fruits, a bit herbaceous and minerality as well. Good acidity and still youthful tannin. I also wrote "a must buy", but luckily I already have a few. The wine is in its young maturity stage now and really complex, refined and lovely. I should put my first bottle away so I will find it again in 2016 or 2017. 93+
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10/9/2014 - thebonnydooner wrote: 92 Points
Lovely wine and drniking great - no decant. Bright, dark cherry with a brick note on the rim. Very intense complex nose, filled with earthy, graphite, cedar, cherry and currant notes. Really all together with nothing distinct. Same on the palate, very refined. tannins are well absorbed, acidity is bright and fresh with lovely cherry and currant fruit on the finish. Absoultely delicious and really easy to drink. There is a little hard edge on the finish, which might suggest peak in a couple years, but this is drinking great. Loolking forward to having with dinner.
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6/2/2014 - NineteenEightyTwo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opaque core with crimson rim. Nose of cinnamon candy, sandalwood and ash. The palate on this is surprisingly smooth despite its relative youth, showing deep black fruit underlaid with tannins that have softened significantly. I was hesistant to open this but ought not have been; this is enjoyable now and should hang on for another five years.
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4/6/2014 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
Nice wine, just starting to develop. It is firm, suggesting long life ahead. Lots of fruit, a bit one dimensional for now. Some upfront funk starting to peek, followed by fruit, and lots of oak. I wouldn't touch one of these for 5 years.
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1/4/2014 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 93 Points
Inky, dense, well extracted, classy. Pencil shavings, moca, dark chocolate. Should age very well. Revisit in 5 years with a view on peak over the next 10-15 years.
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12/14/2013 - never oenough Likes this wine: 90 Points
While not as balanced and put together as previous vintages we have enjoyed, this wine was still quite enjoyable. It came on strong on the front of the palette, bringing a warmth to the palette, but then just kind of fell off. With more age I suspect it will improve, but with what I have read about the vintage I am not so sure that age is going to make this wine drink as well as the 1983 that made us fall in love with the chateau.
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12/8/2013 - Oechsle Likes this wine: 87 Points
2003 was the year when almost 15,000 people died in France do to the massive heat wave that occurred. Bordeaux was said to have produced high alcohol, low acid wines that would not age well
This Gruaud consists of :
Cabernet Sauvignon 66%
Merlot 22%
Cabernet Franc 6%
Petit Verdot 5%
Malbec 1%
Wine was rather muted and not very aromatic.
High notes of dried earth, dried black plum, grape pez candy with under tone of sandalwood and saddle leather. The wine is medium weight, with fading tannins and good acidity, black tea and sweet dark fruits make up the mid palate. The fruit is there for a second then tannins and acid roll in to cancel it out, finishing with bitter raisin and wood tannin. As this wine opened after a couple of hours the fruit was primary then faded. Suggest opening and serving after one hour. The alcohol at 13% was well integrated. Consumed with grilled beef and grilled vegetables. Purchased as futures and stored accordingly consumed 60-65, Drink over the next 5 years… Na zdrowie
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10/25/2013 - kenthargis wrote: 89 Points
Quite nice, if not outstanding. Not too barnyardy in terms of smells. Rich, not surprising given the vintage. Ready to drink.
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6/21/2013 - Ary wrote: 92 Points
Left Bank Bordeaux 2003 (semi blind) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): Not typical GL but nice and attractive. Full ripe dark fruits and vanilla tones in the nose. Silky and 'warm' medium-bodied palate, good acidity and thick well integrated tannins.
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5/27/2013 - jnanz Likes this wine:
Excellent Bordeaux. Based on my previous note, this has continued to evolve. Not as open as my previous bottle. Decanted again for 1 hour, this was still a little tight. This bottle didn't strike me at all as ripe or forward. This was almost austere, with ripe plum and cherry fruit and a strong mineral and earth character. The nose was almost all earth with dirt and cheese rind dominating the aromas. The palate showed ripe plum and dark berry fruit. Maybe slight hints to roasted fruits. The earth and minerality provides excellent structure. Really enjoyed this, a very intriguing bottle.
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5/1/2013 - Saint-Julien Likes this wine:
Very good wine. Classically styled left bank claret. Drink now.
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4/29/2013 - Vino Me wrote: 93 Points
50th birthday party. Decanted for 6 hours. Purple black color. Rich and full bodied. Some smoke and tar notes mixed in with the dark berry and cassis notes. Thought this was drinking surprisingly well for being so young. Better than the last time I had it. Of the 10 Gruaud Larose wines I've had, only the 2000 was markedly better (although a few might beat this out slightly). 92-93 points.
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4/18/2013 - Leigh Johnson wrote: 88 Points
Deep Crimson, rather muted nose but what was decernable was typicallt left bank Bordeaux; cassis, damsons, cedar but a touch of stewed prunes. On the palate, reasonable acidity, very drying tannins, a nice weight of fruit though, a bit hollow in the middle and short finish. I think a half decent effort in this vintage but the remaining bottles could be destined for the saleroom!
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2/23/2013 - soyhead wrote: 89 Points
nose - earth, sweet vegetal, cigar
mouth - tobacco, earrth, dirt, raspberry. best with food. good complexity, but not a stand alone quaffer.
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2/14/2013 - billyfitness Likes this wine: 91 Points
Haven't had for 5 yrs and definitely seems to be getting better. More integrated and balanced and should improve more throughout its drinking window. Beautiful nose of dark fruit, spice, and sweet tobacco. Mouthfeel is balanced and grip is slightly less than 5 yrs ago. Finish is med+ in length. Decanted for 3hrs and hit its stride in 4.
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1/26/2013 - boxedwine wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 8 hours.
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1/14/2013 - Wine Sparty wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for just over 3 hours before having with grilled filet. Had a quick taste before decanting and noticed a good deal of acidity from light red fruit. Aroma is strawberry, plum, and tobacco. Taste hits with some tart red cherry right off the bat and it's tough to get much else out of it. There is a very slight hint of some cocoa that hits after the mid-palate. I wonder about what is going to happen over time with this tartness. Not too tannic, probably about what you would expect from this at the time.
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12/27/2012 - theusualsuspect Likes this wine: 87 Points
Cassisy cabernet with earthiness. Some harshness. Quite rich on entry, doesn't quite hold up to produce a solid finish. Seems not to have come together.
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11/4/2012 - didij wrote: 79 Points
Still quite tannic, on the harsh side and closed. Either too complex or I have missed the point.
Failed to find the value of the 2003 hot vintage.
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7/31/2012 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Still pretty dark. Jammy black fruits, toffee, cassis, earth and more noticeable cedar note. Although very ripe the overall expression is pretty fresh. Silky and sweet palate. This particular bottle is showing brighter acidity and quite noticeable tannins. If you are a ripe vintage, you may want to cellar a few of these. Very consistent notes.
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6/24/2012 - FastTrack wrote: 90 Points
nose of damp earth, espresso, cassis, licorice, and plums. on the palate medium-bodied with quite sweet tannins, very nice concentration, loads of earthy characteristics. medium finish
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5/21/2012 - PSPatrick wrote: 91 Points
Monday Bouteille at Restaurant Carlton in Zürich. Popped and poured. The wine was rather closed at first and only opened-up slowly over time. It offered graphite and red fruits on the nose and palate, with round tannins and great length. The medium-bodied wine was elegant and very balanced. As hard as it might seem to resist the temptation, the wine would clearly benefit from another year or two in the cellar, or at least from extended decanting. Drink mid-term.
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4/29/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 89 Points
BWC - BDX - St Julien and Margaux (Scenic Loop Cafe): Smokey animal funky nose with very ripe dark fruits. Palate was showing roasted dried fruits, lacking a little definition. Finish showed very dry tannins. Hard to pin down, but after spending some time with it seemed like it shows of lot of the undesirable characteristics of the ’03 vintage.
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1/1/2012 - sharonandroland wrote: 91 Points
Classic Bordeaux
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12/25/2011 - AMM3RD wrote: 90 Points
Enjoyable Gruaud, even if not the best example. Lookong for a little more fruit and length...AM
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12/20/2011 - jtinto wrote: 86 Points
This left me wondering what happened. The finish was really short and didn't leave the best taste in your mouth (slight bitterness). Previous bottles showed much better.
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11/18/2011 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
It is showing well. Initially some burnt rubber that quickly blew off. Dark ripe black fruit, caramel, cassis, oak, pepper and earth. It hasn’t gain much secondary flavor and still remain dark. I am guessing that this was not achieved phenolic ripeness which in general is not a good thing but not in this case. It keeps the wine fresh and give almost flower/perfume cab franc like characters in the palate. It displays silky texture and integrated tannins that are noticeable at the end. I now am confident that this will develop nicely with another ten years of cellaring.
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10/31/2011 - rwpalmer wrote: 85 Points
Trying to be a bit fairer to this wine than last time, I detected roast coffee and a hint of blueberry on the nose. The colour was impenetrable and the palate distinctly dry and short. Overall, only a minor improvement. I have no idea how long it will last.
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9/29/2011 - Ianjaig wrote: 87 Points
Tried at the GGs Bordeaux wine tasting. $227 (NZ). Not particularly interesting. Nice, but nothing amazing and not really my style.
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9/12/2011 - cliftonng wrote: 90 Points
Nose of cassis, spice, menthol and slight earthy/dusty tones. Medium bodied. Enjoyable now and should improve with further integration of acidity and tannins.
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9/11/2011 - pikemasterflash wrote: 92 Points
Yet another example of why buying expensive wine is getting harder to justify and, score another one for Ralph Sands with this one. Very dark red in the glass, beautiful bouquet on the nose. Slightly menthol mouth coating flavors. Probably seemed to peak somewhere around 3.5 hours after decanting.
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8/28/2011 - jtinto wrote: 90 Points
Update: drinking very nicely. For me no need to wait on these.
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7/27/2011 - Mike Ritner Likes this wine:
Another fantastic bottle. This is some of the best '03 Bordeaux I've encountered; it is balanced, measured, not over the top, and most of all fruity (plums, cherries, apples) and delicious. The first bottle I had must have been heat damaged; I'm changing its rating to "flawed". If you like Bordeaux, you should enjoy this.
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7/18/2011 - Arcturus wrote: 88 Points
Nose dominated by toasted oak,thin greenish mid-palate.. dry finish...
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7/2/2011 - VinoServant wrote:
The bottle was flawed. I took it back to K&L two days later and they gave me a full refund no questions asked.
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6/26/2011 - Leigh Johnson wrote: 92 Points
Deep crimson, no evolvement at rim. Two hours decanted and poured back into bottle. Cedar, blackcurrent smokey nose. Bright acidity, grippy tannins prnouced black current - the halmarks of a youthful cab sav wine. Despite the fact that wines of this year seem to evolving fast, this wine has plenty of development to come. Everything seems there but the balance will improve with another year or two of age. No hurry to drink the rest of these bottles.
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6/19/2011 - cos65 wrote:
This has gotten better and better with successive tastings. When first purchased 6 years ago, the wine had a fairly vegetal character. Now quite closed on opening, but after 2 hours in decanter, it becomes sweet, still fairly light in fruit. Beautiful, medium ruby scarlet color, smooth tannins. almost ****
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5/26/2011 - vancouvermatt wrote: 85 Points
I'm jealous of the other tasters... my bottle was a brett bomb.
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5/3/2011 - rwpalmer wrote: 80 Points
I can't be reminded enough that the drinking experience says as much about the person as the wine. Anyhow, this bottle was consumed over two nights after a long and pleasant holiday abroad before a reluctant return to work. I'll take the liberty of accusing the wine of a certain grumpy, surliness. We just could not make friends. It smelt of nothing much--mere hints at something lifted and perfumed. I couldn't even accuse it of suffering the 03 bake or pruney character. The colour okay, but the palate smudgy and dry with weight and presence but no definition. A great lump!
A few bottles left so maybe we'll get along better next time...
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4/24/2011 - ppearson9 wrote: 93 Points
Very good. Still young.
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4/22/2011 - Philippe_C wrote: 91 Points
Light nose of ripe strawberries, bacon fat, hint of vanilla, leather, sous-bois... in the mouth, ripe red fruit ripe and silky tannins, good lenght, leather, a lot of finesse...maybe a hint of greeness at the end that is lowering the score..
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4/21/2011 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
My note is almost identical to Philippe Camps CT IT ‘Philippe_C'
First night, a hint of licorice, black fruit, a slight hint of oak and green, steak blood. Medium body, silky palate, integrated tannins. The third night, no signed of thinning/oxidation, more expressive nose but very similar to the first night. The green note is no longer there surprisingly. Very fine polished classic wine that I would not be able to guess as a 2003. Highly recommend to decant for a few hours minimum. The first night 90 pts, the third night 93 pts.
*I once rated the wine 100 in the 2003 single blind. It was WOTN and some including myself thought it was the Latour. It certainly is not a 100 pointer but a very nice Bordeaux.
http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/showthread.php?t=133414
The top 20 wines are exceptional but there are also hot alcoholic messes.
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4/2/2011 - Mike Ritner wrote:
I had to try another one of these after my bad experience last month; they were supposed to be so much better than that! Glad to say, this second one was a vastly more enjoyable experience. Splendid structure, crisp acidity, wonderful balance, smooth tannins, with a light sweetness in the background. This is such a remarkable "night and day" difference that the previous bottle must have been "off" without an obvious flaw.
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3/22/2011 - Mike Ritner wrote: flawed
Depressing at first: soggy, limp, listless, cloyingly sweet with over-ripe fruit. Granted, after 2 1/2 hours there was improvement: backbone appeared, some of the soupiness dissipated, and at times the quality of the terroir shone through. Still, the wine never lost an overly-simple ripe sweetness that left the palate both overwhelmed and unexcited, though it also had a savoriness that was actually tasty. Quality wine should be complex, not some confused concoction that provokes so many mood swings and mixed emotions.
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2/5/2011 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark, almost black. Nose of ripe plum, some graphite and pencil shaving and black olives too. Fresh ripe blackcurrant fruit on the palate, soft integrated tannins. Very good now but will get better.
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1/16/2011 - jnanz wrote: 91 Points
Suprisingly open for business after an hour in the decanter. Velvety tannins, rich berry fruit, cocoa and creamy oak. Drank almost more lke a CA cabernet than Bordeaux.
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11/23/2010 - ed-d wrote: 86 Points
Tasted blind. Weedy, bordeaux nose. Lush entry that turns herbal & tight on the dusty finish. Very simple.
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8/31/2010 - jtinto Likes this wine: 91 Points
Limited notes- brought to Black Eyed Susans. Medium body, restrained style, nicely balanced. Crowd pleaser. Drinking very well.
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8/21/2010 - keith prothero wrote: 90 Points
Have a case of this bought EP and tend to open one a year.
Decanted for an hour.
Immediately impressive nose,of black fruit and herbs.
Textured, smoothly polished, creamy with ripe tannin and fresh, direct acidity. A very appealing wine with good back bone and delicious potential.
Reckon this is damn good and is developing nicely.Quite a surprise considering the vintage.
Look forward to tasting a bottle a year,although may well keep the last few till I am about 80!! Excellent.
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5/17/2010 - cnovak wrote: 75 Points
Opened bottle and decanted for two hours before drinking. Cork was in perfect condition. Nose on wine was very closed and initial feel on palate left little impression. as I knew at that time there was nothing special going on. Drank the reamainder of the bottle the next night with my son. Some improved taste and smell of cassis but not worth a second try. Good news was that it had only paid $45, bad news was that I paid $45 and have had $10 bottles that tasted way better.
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2/26/2010 - pikemasterflash wrote: 92 Points
Still one of the first '03s I have tasted. I was a little surprised by the color--most notably how light it was at the edge of the glass. I didn't detect a lot of heat or alcohol on the nose. I actually thought the nose had a great balance of sweetness. Not as leathery as some prior vintages I have had. Maybe more cherries and Merlot this time. Surprisingly good given the guarded professional reviews. I'm not selling any more of these.
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2/20/2010 - Matt Scott wrote: 95 Points
Decanted three times in two hours. Dark brooding purple. Vibrant dark chocolate, blackberry, vanilla, blueberry and burnt ash. Very opulent in a voluptuous - obtuse sort of way; this is not shy. Velvety tannins that are plentiful and approachable. Layer upon layer of flavor and this has popping acidity that is evident and yet it does not take away form the fruit. This beautiful St. Julien claret could age for a few decades. She is so juicy in the short term and voluptuously seductive at the same time. how could one not love this? Very '82 and worth seeking out. Pay no attention to the pre-disposed hype - this is classic. I am blown away by how seductive and balanced this claret is. Better than quite a few from the same vintage. Not New World; just showy Bordeaux. Drink 2011 - .
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2/13/2010 - RockinCabs wrote: 92 Points
Gruaud Larose made a fantastic wine in the 2003 vintage. This is in a very nice place right now, and I will support other comments suggesting that you give this wine 2-3 hours in the decanter. Nose: Dark Cherry, Vanillin, Currants, Tobacco, Leather and hints of turned earth. Palate: silky smooth after a few hours and coats the palate very nicely. Flavors gain weight in the midpalate with cherry choclate and tobacco notes leading the way, slight floral notes as well. Finish: The wine ends long and strong with tart wild berry and cigar flavors lingering.
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1/26/2010 - Bob Fyke wrote: 91 Points
Double decanted 2 hrs beforehand. Tobacco, pencil lead with a laser beam of dark fruit. Blackberry , black cherry and fig. On the palate, same fruit with a bit of blueberry and vanilla. Grat acid/tannin support. A tiny hint of over ripeness later. A very big wine. A 70/30 mix of traditional and modern.
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1/15/2010 - Oenoduck wrote: 96 Points
This wine really needs at least three hours to decant before the funky moss wears off. The chateau makes its wines to age for decades, so this is still young. Considering the vintage, one would expect a powerful wine, which this is. It's very weighty; initially I thought it was showing no legs, but the wine just coated the surface of the glass entirely. The nose is classic Saint Julien, with earthy tones, a bit of oak and tobacco, floral notes, and black fruit. On the palate, cassis and cinnamon really jump out, and the finish is long and leathery. This is a very serious wine, and I can see why people's impressions were mixed. True to 2003, this is very concentrated; if tasted blind, I might take it for a Napa Cabernet.
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12/25/2009 - BoireBio wrote: 83 Points
16/20 Refelts ébène fonçé. Au nez complexité et distinction : fruits, épices, bois. Nuances animales en filigrane. En bouche, les tannins sont fondus. l'ensemble est élégant : notes fumées, boisées. Très Bordeaux... et GCC. La finale est exubérante, longue et fine. De la classe ce St-Julien !
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11/21/2009 - dougie wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for an hour. It was quite funky and hard for a while. Got better and better. After 4 hours, it was best. I'll wait several years in hope that it smooths out.
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11/21/2009 - dje69 wrote: 89 Points
Would never have picked it as Bordeaux, blame it on the hot summer, but this was a well-made Chilean cabernet in drag. I happen to quite like Chilean cabernet, so it was more than welcome, but the experience felt like waking from an unsettling dream, opening the door expecting Cary Grant only to find him wearing dark jeans and a baseball cap. Not bad, just odd.
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11/15/2009 - T-Mac wrote:
Stinky Brett bomb...bleech!
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5/21/2009 - rwatkin wrote: 88 Points
This needs 5 years, the sharp tannins on the finish dominated. Perhaps i should have decanted?? It lacked the richness of other 2003s i have tasted
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5/18/2009 - Baron Samedi wrote: 89 Points
Developing very well. Nose of plum and espresso coffee. On palate, full-bodied and well balanced. Tannins are still apparent towards the end.
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4/5/2009 - jivey wrote: 92 Points
Settling down quite nicely, nice tobacco, earth, truffle and plum on the sweet long finish. The fruit is softening and the oak is integrating, not sure if it will improve or simply hold?
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3/8/2009 - VoteferPedro wrote: 88 Points
tasted from a previously opened bottle at a wine bar (Cru West Village, Dallas)
Monolithic nose of bretty func that never left or evolved over hour
Palate was smooth round with generous fruit and chocolate at the tail end and a 20 second finish. IF the aromatics improve (some St Juliens, and G-L in particular, will have this funk in adolescence) it will merit a higher score and if you like this dirty smell you will give it a higher rating. If I had a cellared bottle, I would hold 2 years and decant 1-2 hours.
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2/27/2009 - jivey wrote: flawed
Corked leaked, tasted like it was heat dammaged.
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2/21/2009 - chateaujochen wrote: 95 Points
This was a very controversial wine at the en primeur tastings...some say its was just 88points some say its 96 points...wow this is so good so full bodied dark fruit cigar box earth and chocolate and a finish that lasts over 60 seconds...one of the best wines I have...www.everyoneweb.com/chateaujochen
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2/14/2009 - pbjosh wrote: 89 Points
Rich with lots of tobacco, black fruits, soft earth. Very approachable but also very primary and in need of age to develop complexity. Bodes well.
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1/15/2009 - hrhee wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Served with assorted cheese, clams, and crap cakes. Very nice and sexy.
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1/9/2009 - the godfather wrote: 90 Points
taste very 2003, lots of stuffing, hold for a while
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11/14/2008 - milwaukeewino wrote:
inky purple color.
incredible nose of intense burnt coffee/espresso. black fruit and floral notes.
On the palate the nose carries through. Coffee and caramel. Dark fruit. Loads of tannins and bristling acidity. Touch of pleasant green notes on the back end of the tannins.
Full bodied. Long finish.
Tastes great but needs age.
Yet another beautiful Bordeaux.
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10/24/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 88 Points
Grand Bordeaux Tasting w/ Jill (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Binny's South Loop October Bordeaux Wine Tasting.
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10/5/2008 - Partenaire wrote: 91 Points
Nez de poivron vert, floral, boisé-épicé (aucune exagération), de bleuet et de cèdre. Bouche de très bonne qualité, les tanins sont enveloppés, le vin est équilibré. Très bonne bouteille. Peut se conserver encore de 5 à 10 ans.
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9/4/2008 - jivey wrote: 93 Points
Decanted. consistant with prior notes.
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7/18/2008 - pakabear wrote: 90 Points
Some barnyard initially that blew off with time. Cassis, cherry, spice dominate the nose. Good balance but is a bit thin overall. Interesting note, my cork was 2/3 soaked, I'm curious how my others are doing as they haven't been sitting but for 2 years.
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7/5/2008 - Omar Khayyam wrote: 90 Points
wonderful if still rather fresh and young. First whiff - classic cassis. Then there's cream and strawberry, rather bright, in the mouth - suprisingly. Some mid-palate notes of herbs (mint, predominatly). and a lot of tannic structure.
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5/18/2008 - AzorianMatador wrote: 89 Points
Graphite, crushed stone, damp earth. Smooth, well integrated. A bit hollow on the mid palate and did not hold together well on day two.
Drink in the first 10 years or so I think. This could gain some complexity with a few years but will never be stellar IMO. 89-91.
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5/11/2008 - jivey wrote: 94 Points
Mother's day - Crushed berries, earth, a hint of tobacco and a style that rocks. Nice wine.
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4/26/2008 - jivey wrote: 93 Points
HUMMMMM. Drinking like sexy silk right now, Leather, smoke, plum, pepper and a surprisingly complex finish. Found myself enjoying the last glass more than the first.
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4/11/2008 - Baron Samedi wrote: 88 Points
Showing much more than on previous occasions. Coffee, earth, and licorice all prominent. A pleasure to drink.
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3/22/2008 - LSAngeli wrote: 89 Points
nice...but a bit shallow on the mid palate.
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3/17/2008 - DaleW wrote:
(from 375)
Started off a bit dumb, opened up, but
never excited me. More tannins than fruit, fairly big dose of vanillin
oak. Sweet cassis fruit eventually emerges, but this strikes me as
rather one-dimensional. Nothing flawed, though finish seems a tad
short for a 2nd from a big vintage. Maybe this is just closed, but I'm
not sensing a lot underneath, and will pass on buying more. B-
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2/24/2008 - plitton wrote: 90 Points
Good energy, great fruit. Finishes a little bitter.
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2/8/2008 - pupaes wrote: 92 Points
apparently lighter than other good vintages. 30 minutes of airing revealed smoothness and richness.perfect with the roast we had. even seemed to do well with dessert.never can go wrong with good bordeaux.someday demand and the falling $ will put these wines out of reach. but until then....
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11/14/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 91 Points
very nice nose. graphite, balsa wood, roasted turkey, game. pleasant mouth with good balance, and some complexity. red fruits, minerals. the fruit fades alittle on the finish. solid wine but no blockbuster.
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8/5/2007 - Stephan O wrote: 93 Points
From my perspective, this is stunningly underrated. It leads with a wide-open and yet soft, feminine nose of cassis and maybe sandalwood, with a slight feral note that actually adds complexity in an undistracting way. The palate is medium-bodied and grapey, with kirsch, herb, and chocolate in there. It's smooth but certainly not silky; the tannins aren't shy. To me, this is what the best of the '03s are about -- ripeness without bombast. Gruaud-Larose will be making more appearances in our household. 93 may seem high, but I actually think it could even GAIN a point or two with cellar time. Beautiful. (Tasted twice, on 8/5/2007 and 10/11/2008, with consistent notes. It's just as good the second time around, it shows a new floral note.)
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6/2/2007 - Philippe_C wrote: 92 Points
Very nice sweet and lactic nose of licorice, soy sauce, indian spices and slightly smoky. This wine does not have the ripe or jammy nose of other 2003's...
In the mounth it is quite tannic with some black fruit, and some meaty and even gamey components.... The intriguing part is that after slow aeration of 24 hours the tannins were present but quite smoothly integrated... and after 1 hour in the glass they started to be more agressive with even some unpleasant greeness at the end... For me still a questionmark if this greeness will dissapear and will become a great wine... I would bet it will! (92?/100)
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1/20/2007 - jshufelt wrote: 90 Points
Consumed with steaks and potatoes. In the glass, dark red fading to deep pink at the rim. On the nose, initially muted fruit, but opened up to reveal cassis, cedar, and a touch of eucalyptus. Thin on the palate at first, but over the course of a couple of hours, opened up to provide plums, cassis, tobacco, and olive notes, with perhaps a hint of soy. The finish was somewhat tannic and short. I thought I might have been able to get away without decanting, but in retrospect, this needed at least 90 minutes before we touched it. I don't believe this has the goods to be a great wine, but there is enough here to reward a few more years of aging.
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1/20/2007 - tanglenet wrote:
Served at K&L at a tasting. Strong vegetal and herbal nose with an astringent dry finish that seemed very thin. Mediocre.
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11/6/2006 - tayto wrote: 92 Points
Very good - long finish, dry, full-bodied - Wait til 2010
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10/7/2006 - eldoctore wrote: 87 Points
Grippy, stemmy, not showing much fruit at this stage, but not stewed.
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10/4/2006 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
This was poured at a retailer tasting which was attended by several CWM members. Although I would not open one of the bottles I bought of this wine, I could not pass up a free chance to check in on the progress of this wine. It was only splash decanted and I discussed that with the retailer who said they did not have time for any extended decanting. I think all of the CWM in attendance agreed that this was surprisingly approachable despite the firm tannins. Notes of black fruit and tobacco leaf. Medium to full bodied with an earthy character. 92+ points.
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9/29/2006 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Poured at a retailer tasting. Notes of smoky plum, bell pepper and deep red fruit. Wonderful balance, even at this young stage, with dark fruit and firm but sweet tannins. $44.99.
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9/9/2006 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
2003 Bordeaux Tasting (Binny's, Schaumburg): Deep garnet color. Notes of tobacco, minerals and red bell pepper. Chewy tannins support a nice mix of red and black fruits, turning smoky on the finish. Really nice.
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9/3/2006 - Danny Joe wrote: 89 Points
Oddly shallow finish. Got bette as the night wore on. Nice fruits. Deep red fruits.
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7/29/2006 - Baron Samedi wrote: 88 Points
At first, a faint but pleasant nose of dark berries and hints of leather. Evolved into much more prominent garrigue, plum in brandy on 2nd day. At first, the strong tannins drowned out everything else; not very elegant. Much better balance on 2nd day with more prominent acidity and longer finish. I agree with other users that this wine will need long bottle-ageing. I certainly am not going to touch more of it until after a few more years. Rate it a conservative 88 now, but should get better. Patience!
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7/6/2006 - cormyr wrote: 92 Points
im going to take a wild guess and try to peg this at 92-94pts even though it is very hard to say exactly when it will mature and what it will be like when evolved. this is a tannic monster that is about as closed as closed can get. this needs so much aeration its hard to believe. but there are signs that it could be immense one day. no wonder the pros' ratings were so controversial. when first opened it was no better than an 89, if that, then things started to happen days later. open the bottle, leave it out for a week, then try it. or age it for 15-20 years and pop the cork. not unlike other excellent vintages of GL, but still somewhat of a mystery right now.
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7/1/2006 - Arcturus wrote: 91 Points
Pleasantly surprised, very enjoyable wine. Similar to many of the 03's I've tasted so far. Fresh, lively fruit with the signature toasted oak backdrop and a firm structure.
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4/30/2006 - Jozefs wrote: 93 Points
Opened 19:30. First glass 20. Agreable nose with vanilla, black fruit and its syrup, black coffee, herbs and some alcohol. Fairly biting tannins on the palate, but also black fruits, herbs, a small lactic touch, spices ... The tannins are dominating however. Some burning alcohol in the fairly long aftertaste. I'll put it away until tomorrow.
Next day (evening): The nose has closed down; there's a noticeable green element to it (paprika?). The palate remains tannic, with a lactic element and not much fruit shining through. The alcohol has subsided somewhat. I'm even less impressed then yesterday. I'll put the rest away until tomorrow.
Third day (evening): Not much movement in positive sense; the acidity is now more pronounced. We'll see tomoorw.
Fourth day (evening): Phew, did DID need its time. The nose has finally opened up a bit, with nice black and red fruit, fruit syrup, graffite, coffee, herbs... Very classical nose. The palate is still a bit weedy, but the fruit is now shining through more; still fairly tanninc and acidic though. Stilll difficult to drink, but hopefully this will integrate and balance out if given A LOT of bottle ageing. For now the nose is much more promising than the palate.
Sixth day (evening): I left about a big glass in the bottle and put it away for two days in the fridge, just closed with a cork. Amazing... now we are talking. The wine has blossomed into a balanced, structured, fruity, classy Bordeaux, without a trace of oxidation (and this after six days). While this was a 89 point way on day one to five, this now clearly merits at least 93 if not more. But... it'll need a lot of bottle ageing, or extended decanting (several hours).
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4/8/2006 - Danny Joe wrote: 89 Points
Strong tannins. Developed nicely throughout the evening. Good red fruits. This needs a couple more years.
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2/12/2006 - achim_m wrote: 89 Points
Lots of new oak - too much maybe? Time needs to tell. Other than that the nose offers mainly dark berries and stewed fruits, the latter leading to a somewhat plumb style. The palate is rather fat with low acidity and I was missing grace and that aristocratic touch of great classic Bordeaux. Day two was much better with the oakiness being less noticable. However, it felt somewhat over-extracted. I much preferred 2002 and 2001 vintage (unfortunately I didn't yet have the opportunity to taste 2000).
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1/27/2006 - Vino Me wrote: 93 Points
TN: 2003 Red Bordeaux (Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting); 1/26/2006-1/27/2006 (Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois): On par with the outstanding 1989 and 2000 bottles that I have had. Better than the 1996 or 2001 in my opinion. A controversial wine since Parker gave it 86-88 from barrel and WS gave it 95-100. I bought on WS's advise and I'm glad I did. Deep red color. Wonderful concentration. Typical Gruaud profile. Notes of tobacco, prune and cedar. An earthy tecture with frim tannins at present. Full bodied with a long finish. 93+ points.
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1/23/2006 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 93 Points
A meaty nose, but bursting with fruit, too. Notes of menthol and licorice and the palate yields full bodied flavor, and subtle extraction of tannins. Perhaps lacking the profound depth of vintages like 2000 or 1986, but a successful 2003.
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1/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 94 Points
Bright clean red/purple. Lovely aroma of candied red cherry. Rich luscious red fruit and spicy balanced frame. Nice! 1/06
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3/30/2004 - peternelson wrote: 89 Points
Ch. Branaire-Ducru: Dark notes of bitter chocolate, coffee, with hi-notes of sawdust and sweet orest(!); Big mth, tree bark, earthy big t’s.***A big trees smell with fresh wood.
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