Kräftiges Bordeauxrot. Erdige Nase, Kräuter, Tee, Rauch, tiefgründig, was für ein Duft. Top Gaumen, elegant, feinmaschiges Tannin, perfekt gereift, da ist noch Frucht, da ist Leben, ein perfektes Beispiel, dass 2003 eben nicht nur schlechte Weine hervorgebracht hat. Grosses Kino, jetzt bis 2033+
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Last of our birthyear bottles for our son. Drank with beef bourguignon, which paired quite nicely.
Gave it a 90 minute decant while the stew was simmering. In the glass dark ruby core to a bricking meniscus. On opening nose showed smoked meats, spices, and some fading brambly fruit. Palate was silky with spices and leather notes dominating. Finish was balanced and long.
After 90 minutes in the decanter the smoked meat note was gone, but replaced with leather, dried tobacco and bay leaf. The spice and brambly fruit remained. Palate was similar maybe a little rounder than on opening and enjoyable through the couple of hours it took us to finish the bottle.
Since he'll be studying abroad and we won't be with him on his 21st this was a nice way to celebrate a little early.
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PNP- Mostly secondary notes and flavors. Initially some bright acidity that faded quickly in the glass. Not bad just not memorable and somewhat flat. Drank a decade older than it is imho. Drink up!
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En Primeur campaign for the 2022 vintage Day Four (Bordeaux): From Magnum. Slightly meaty dark hued fruits, touch of sour bois, a little fruit tea and sweet spice. Nice nose but a little forward. Juicy, fleshy, slight alcohol prickle is the early indicator of the vintage, savoury dark fruits, chalky tannins. Rather nice.
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Beautiful dry cocoa/chocolate notes - like hot cocoa. Tannins we’re velvety and balanced nicely. Fruit faded nicely into the background and this opened beautifully over 2 hours
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Drank from a magnum. We enjoyed this with smoked prime rib for Christmas dinner and it did not disappoint. Fully mature, yet still lively, with beautiful pure fruit that is enticing and luscious. Tannins fully refined adding a modest amount of complexity to the finish. But it is the sweet core of fruit that really made this a winner.
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Huge nose of roasted bacon, soy sauce, animal, very nice smoky BBQ nose...Delicious ripe pepers, red sappy fruit, soft tannin, nice acidity... Perfect maturityat 19 years of age!!
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375 ml bottle. Better than expected, fully integrated and showing complexity. An open nose with classic old world elements of leather, cedar, stone fruit and Christmas spice. The palate is intact and structured with classic notes of gravel, lead, dusty cherry and cellar floor. A touch of dryness on the finish which is lighter than would like. Overall a better bottle than other notes would have one believe.
Elegant classic bordeaux. Drinking very well right now. Very nice nose of cherries dust and stone. Palate is classic, not showing the warmth of the vintage. Everything in balance.
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Bought from someone who apparently stored in a cellar since release, but I can't vouch. Super impressed for an '03. Has that graves minerality, fantastic nose that was great from start to finish. Fruit has mostly faded but still has lots of power, just how I like it! Drank well from get go, opens up slightly then plateaued over the next few hrs,maybe slight delcine at end which tell me... Peak? I dunno, drink one! It's great!
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Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2003 Decant from bottle 120 mins Color of aged Bordeaux wine, garnet with orange rim. Nose of age Bordeaux style, profound old leather, aged oak, both black and red fruit, black cherry, cranberry, raspberry, aged spices, herbs, pepper corn, capsicon. Entry is elegance, savory, silky smooth, mid palate is medium body, mineral, earthy, mainly reflects the nose. Finished is reasonable for such aged wine. This wine bouquet over cast her palate, where you can enjoy her nose hours after hours. Already at her peak, drink within next 3 years. 91+ pts
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Aged bouquet of preserved plums and cherries, aromatic balsamic, eucalyptus and old leather. Palate echoed the nose with complex earthy mushroom, tobacco and plush blue fruits. Silky and polished structure. Seamless transitions from the medium-bodied palate to an equally smooth finish. It is at its peak now and should continue to hold for the next 2-3 years.
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Pnp, no decant, smell full of stable, underbrush, dusty aromas, maybe some dark cassis in the background, on the palate this is smooth and full bodied and deep, very much secondary and tertiary aromas here, very spicy with black pepper, maybe from this hot year? This is the first bottle from this vintage with hardly no fruit left, I do like more fruit in a higher class Bordeaux, long finish, drink up, due to this bottle declining, ***, around 89, 90
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To celebrate our son's 18th birthday, we opened this vintage from his birth year. Drank with Portuguese Chicken. Notes of vanilla, raspberry and pepper. Smell like run. Complex and smooth. Still very good, even if it's passed its drink date.
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I have no idea how SHL produced a Burgundian wine in such a hot vintage, but this wine is Burgundian in every way. Maybe the misleading thick appearance gives it away, but then again, that too is possible. Very musky and earthy, without being overly sweet or heavy, this wine is all about terroir and class. Lacks the length to score higher, but the taste is all Bordeaux, I mean...Burgundy:-) Drink
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Opened to celebrate Ethan finishing his college applications (now the waiting game). Drank with slow cooked Moroccan spiced chicken.
Decanted 90+ min (thanks rollerball) and while I don't have much experience with aged wines, this was lovely and what I had pictured/hoped for. Dark ruby in the glass to a bricking meniscus. Great nose that the only word I have to describe it would be autumnal. Like walking through a forest after most of the leaves have fallen. To my senses at least no noticeable fruit notes. The palate was round and silky smooth with spices, earth and leather notes. The finish lingered nicely, was balanced and any tannins were fully resolved.
Deep ruby and garnet red. Lovely and integrated nose with leather, red berries and a bit wooded. Heavy tannins (7/10) with a medium plus body. Well rounded palate with red cherries, forest floor, plums, earth and tobacco. Long finish. Drink till 2028.
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End of Summer get together: 30 minute decant. This wine is in a really good place. The nose is open, the palate is slightly austere. Graphite, herbs, earth, plum, red to black cherries. This wine exceeded my expectation tonight.
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Weirdly hollow for the first 2 hours in the decanter - big, meaty, almost herbal nose, but weak on the palate with just no weight to it. picked up steam and structure started emerging only towards the last glass. give it at least 2 hours of air. plenty of life left here.
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W duck breast from skillet. Much better than the last bottle. Medium body, good fruit an decent length. Typical bdox. Drink up but enjoy. This bottle was not over the hill. The petering out was much less.
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W leftover smoked ribs. Great meal. Wine is losing its luster. Upon opening the nose was great typical bordeaux but on palate it petered out fast. Too bad
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Drinking well right now. Paired with a nice Filet Mignon after about a 60 minute decant. Very smooth and almost delicate for such a warm vintage. Cherry, dark berries and a bit of black tea. Some nice minerals with just a touch of vanilla. Not overpowering in the least for an aged Bordeaux. I would worry about aging too much longer.
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Next bottle of this, for me SHL is not always a try, sometimes overoaked, too concentrated, not rearly Bordeaux for me........., this bottle is all about spice, herbs and minerals, tar, licorice, black pepper, in the background some black cassis, fully mature bottle, but with a very good grip and tension, seriously balanced and with lively tannin in the long finish, will hold cellared in good condition for some 5(+) years surely, ***-**** , around 90-92
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Beautifully aged--and surprisingly almost as good PnP as it was after 2 hoir decant--nicely mellowed tannins--everything you expect a 15+ year old Bordeaux to be...wish I had more
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Popped and poured. Nose of red cherry, black raspberry, currant, graphite and herbs de Provence. Ripe red fruit, tobacco leaf, graphite and red licorice on the palate. Very long finish with excellent balance. Medium to full bodied. Drinking very well, but drink soon. Served with grilled duck breast and a cherry sauce.
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Recently purchased vintage and couldn't wait any longer to taste it.
- Preparation = no decanter this time, just pop and pour, drank over two nights - Colour = still deep red, but with watery rim - Nose = 100 points for me, vulcanic stone, mineral, tarmac on a hot day, cherry, woody, herbal, coffee, chocolate, sharp, edgy, vibrant - Taste = can't follow the nose any more, most fruit has gone, but still some dried red fruits to be found, a bit too light for me, to watery - Finish = classic SHL style, goes on quite long, quite spicy, less fruity then I was hoping
Again, lovely bottle of SHL, drink now as this won't improve. But it will still impress those who love their classic aged Bordeaux wines.
Mathijs
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Old world style. Delicate and refined. Strange thing is there has not been too much nose to speak of for the last three bottles since 2016. Tea and tobacco on the palate. smooth and balanced
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Aromatic, with old Bordeaux bouquet. Fruit has faded and the wine is starting to fall out of balance...I would say in 750's this is on decline and in Magnum its at peak. Delicious old bordeaux experience. DRINK
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Dark red color, no decant, PnP, nose of dark fruits, plum paste, cassis, cherries, blackberries mixed with smoke, bacon, gravel, mushrooms, scorched earth. Palate is medium to full body, sweetness slightly overwhelms acidity but overall good balance, palate of black fruits, plum, licorice, with hints of BBQ and smoke finishing medium too long. Excellent Pessac for the price and delivers despite suboptimal hot year. Ready to drink or hold few more years but will not improve
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Drank at Father's Day BBQ so no formal tasting note.
However- this is a gorgeous Pessac that is drinking very well.
Beautiful medium ruby appearance, pronounced and evolved nose of black fruits, tobacco, spice and vanilla all in proportion.
Plenty of acidity and life on the palate with a medium plus finish. Just delicious and completely refutes the reputation of this vintage as stewed or cooked.
I would drink up, but this will keep for another decade if stored properly.
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Medium red/ruby, some cloudiness. Nose showing plum, currant, tobacco. Palate of red and blue fruits, cedar, faded mocha, smoke, pencil. Mild secondary notes. Medium weight and finish. Tannins resolved and balanced
Very pleasant bottle at this stage, would not expect much improvement from here. Would drink over next few years
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Beautiful and elegant wine. Long finish. Taste of oak, tobacco, cedar, and black and red berries. Drinking very well at the moment and should hold well for another 7-10 years.
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Not as hot or baked as some 03s, but relatively uninteresting - generic fruit, a mix of blue and black, oak, a touch of smoke. Doesn’t seem like it needs more time, just won’t take off. Perhaps it had specious charm years ago
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Totally awesome! Drank from the bottle without decanting! Shows some aging in the color but totally different at the nose! Lot of fruits (berries) and a very long finish!! Sad that was my last bottle.
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A Classic Bordeaux! Deep dark garnet red. Impressive dark fruits Bouquet, somewhat conservative, but unmistakable Bordeaux nose. It drinks fabulously, very sedative, deep, complex, layers of blackberries, currants, black cherries, licorice, dates, minerals, earthy, creamy smooth, expressive, full body, perfectly balanced, black chocolate, it is going on and on, really long long finish. It is peaking right now. Should be drinking well for next 10 years. A wonderful wine at an affordable price!
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Concentrated nose of smoke, BBQ meat, red & black cherries, cedar wood... Super delicious ripe tannin, red cherries, refreshing acidity, good lenght 20 sec
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Slow ox for theee hours befor pouring. Definitely has progressed towards maturity than two years ago. Could feel a little heat to start. However, the alcohol soon integrated nicely. I enjoyed it.
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(Non) Blind 2004 and Older Bordeaux (Meritage): Decanted 90 minutes and followed a good sized glass for 2+ hours. It has youthful Bordeaux properties, good complexity, tannins are strong. The fruit is enticing and to me the highlight at this time - kind of a red/black mix. There's enough secondary qualities right now to make it interesting, and its only getting better.
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Bu lors du Souper du mois de janvier 2018 au resto AVV La Suite de Sherbrooke avec les FOUDUVIN.CA Un autre beau 2003 qui fut loin d’être sur le fruit compoté, aucune lourdeur ou chaleur. Nez sur le cuir, la terre, les prunes et la fumée. En bouche, champignons, tabac, cerises et graphite avec des tannins assez serrés. Finale longue et soutenu.
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the 2003 was one of the last SHL with a modest price tag. After decanting, it showed very satisfying, a rounded, supple and enjoyable Leognan. nothing exclusive, but very good for meats or by its own. still expected more from this prestigious name. drink - do not hold more than untill 2020.
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Opaque color. Nose of oak and cedar shavings. Taste starts with a reserved cassis dark fruit and quickly transitions to a mare tannic tart finish. Enjoyable but not a block buster. Not sure that this is one to keep for 50 years.
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From magnum. Medium ruby. Immediately open, plum, Christmas cake and leather spicy notes. Soft mouthfeel, tannins fully resolved and a balanced and fruity mouthful without being over-the-top. Medium length and wonderful easy drinking and at its peak. Alcohol just becomes noticeable after an hour in the glass and not as fresh as when first poured. Charming drinking for right now.
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Monthly Wine Group: Bordeaux 2005 and Older (Lela, Bloomington MN): Very dark/purple red color. Decanted for 3 hours. Drank a small pour over 45 minutes. Good to have a chance to revisit this wine. A little more ripeness than some of the'03's showed tonight with a touch heat; but on the whole it had classic PL character with black fruits, scorched earth, blackberry, earthy, and tobacco infused wood notes.The tannins have mellowed and this is drinking well.
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Drank for thanksgiving at my place with potato soup. Opened and decanted; this wine really improved as the night went by. The nose was beautiful and screamed Bordeaux with hints of vainilla. Full body on the palate with coffee and chocolate... Give it at least one hr in the decanter This was truly a treat
Smith Haute Lafitte Vertical 2003, 2004, 2005 (New York): Medium(-) body, color more towards garnet than the '04 or '05, fully mature tannins, medium acidity. Light nose and on the palate hints of cassis, blackberry and cedar. Touch of leather and cigar box. Developed remarkably with air, as it gained more substance and power. Really blossomed over time.
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Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte mini vertical (My apartment): Had this as part of a mini vertical, which included the 2005 and 2004 vintages. The wine was opened for about 60 minutes and about a quarter of the bottle was poured into 4 glasses, before we tried it.
This started out very muted, flat and a little low in the taste department. But after about an hour, it really showed well, and for a while, it gave the 2005 a run for the money.
For a less than stellar vintage (according to WA) it showed well, provided you have the patience to allow it to open up.
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NYC Tasters Guild: 2003 Bordeaux Retrospective: Drank at NYC Tasters Guild for 2003 Bordeaux tasting. Certainly the bargain wine of the night, if not the WOTN. Clear rim, ruby core. Nose exudes cedar and sweet fruits. Lots of earthiness here, as well as some funk, mushrooms, cigar box and tobacco. A bit tannic but the wine's elements are very nicely integrated. Lots of funky barnyard, very dry with lots of cedar. Very enjoyable.
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Started out with a bit funk and hidden fruit. It took more than 6 hour decant for the funk to mostly blow off. Balanced and fine tannins. Not as impressive on the nose though.
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Already mature. Brickish rim. Muted nose of toast saddle leather and dried plums. Pleasant nicely balanced fruiting acid with some heat on the finish. Don't think this will get any better.
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Pronounced nose of red and black fruits- raspberry, boysenberry and black berry. Very complex aromas of smoke, vanilla and spices.
Medium bodied with plenty of freshness and acidity- not always the case for 2003 Bordeaux. Lots of fruit, smoke and tobacco on the palette and the finish is long and complex. This will easily last for the foreseeable future in a cold cellar.
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This wine is traveling at light speed in maturity. I have noticed that with many 2003's. They seem to be developing fast. A couple of years ago it was showing secondary development and now it is fully developed and maybe at peak. Its packed with black truffles, raw mushrooms, earth, and lush sweetness. This one doesnt bring the barn with it, it brings the whole stable. Un-typical slight sweetness for a SHL makes this one a fascinating experience. DRINK or hold...
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This is what I expect when I'm drinking bordeaux. Dark purple with a hint of brick around the rim. Mature dried berry fruit with pencil lead, cigar but good underlying fruit. Great balance and lots of layers, it delivers a lot for a good price. Tannins were chalky and harmonious with everything else. Drink it now, it's good.
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Browns suck - Wine Don't (Seahawk edition) SHL, Pride Reserve (My Basement): Pop and pour, this really took about 3 hours to hit its stride. Ruby/purple. On opening the nose had cassis, cigar box and a ton of barnyard funk. I like that quality and it was at the limit for me. The wine was good but had drying tannins. I scored it around 88. At about the three hour mark, the barnyard had 80% blown off. What was left was classic Bordeaux nose. Cassis, black cherries, cigar box and a touch of funk. On the palate, this put on some weight. The tannins softened and the wine unwound. Dark cherries intermixed with tobacco and a slight forest floor notes. Reasonable acidity for the vintage. The drying quality was gone. In short, a very nice aged Bordeaux. Give it plenty of air though.
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Medium depth of colour; open, fragrant nose; soft, plummy fruit on the palate, well rounded with some sweetness, and discreet oak adding polish. Elegant and composed; very appealing and without the hardness of some 2003s.
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Super ripe node of red cherries, cigar box, blond tobacco leaves, roasted bacon, mushrooms... Very concentrated ripe cherries, nice refreshing acidity, good lenght, perfect maturity, doesn't have the bad side of some 2003's, great wine!!
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From imperial. Rich and ripe, slightly sweet fruit on the intense nose, mixed with spices, cedar and tobacco. Quite big and intense on the palate as well, again quite sweet and low in acidity. Not too much fruit, drying tannins and a bit hollow. Drying, persistent finish. I wouldn't keep these for much longer. 89-91
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Aroma: Graphite, barnyard, smoky dried cherry. Palate: Smooth tannins Flavor: Smoky, earthy, dried cassis, dried cherry, graphite. Comment: I doubt I'll ever tire of the classic earthy and smoky dried berry character that makes up a good, aged Bordeaux wine. Lovely.
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Elegance and near perfect balance. This is well made with great finesse. Not big, but it does strut its stuff. Nice fresh finish. Lots of barnyard funk to this one with blue and blackberry, vanilla, flowers and earth notes. A lovely harmonious thing. A joy to drink. Now to 2020.
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This wine had a great nose on the opening. This is a more modern L bank wine, but not bad at all. This grew more appealing as it was open for an hour or 90 minutes. Singing at 2 hours.....wow
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sweet ripe fruit on the nose, cab notes dominate. Shows the ripeness of 2003. With time - more tobacco and coffee notes, sweaty earth. mid is rich with silky black fruit and cassis, touch of ripe leather. Finish started a bit soft then cleared but by the end of the evening was closing again. Good wine - i would give it more time though still very pleasurable now.
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Deep ruby color. Nose of tobacco, loamy earth, and black fruit. Full bodied on the palate with lots of black currant character. Good presence and length but perhaps a touch flat on the end.
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Medium red that catches the light nicely. Pencil shavings and raspberry on the nose. The same notes in the wine, with pencil shavings carrying into a long finish.
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Second 375, which is now perfectly ready to drink. Decanted for 30 minutes. A very pleasant Bordeaux to accompany a fowl or cheese. No hint of complexity or any interest in the nose, but also no tannins or alcohol to interfere. Pure velvet and dark forest berries with a suave delivery and earth- bound scent. As a big fan of their other vintages, I find this a nice but not special bottling.
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Monthly Tasting Group: Right Bank Bordeaux (Levain, Mpls): There was an herbal edge to this wine tonight that I found distracting. Herbal, black fruit, tar, . The palate, is herbal, black fruits, full bodied, scorched earth, graphite, medium plus finish. 90+ to 91pts.
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Open 5 hrs. Beginning of drinking window, Drinking well. Dark fruit, plum, currants, earth, coffee, and toast. Palate rounding into shape, with more currants and a little less oak. Gaining complexity from last bottle 18 months ago - softening nicely. 92 points
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From a hot vintage and it shows with funk, cherry, wood and very bitter. Might settle down over time but I would not risk the purchase. Needs a big decant.
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popped and poured, started with a fine cassisnose, some graphite, spices, concentrated and well balanced appearence on the palate, fullbodied, for me full matured now with noticeable tannin, cacao, mocha,licorice and little hints of cassis, some minerals, long finish, a fine bottle, 90- 92?
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Both the son and I received great pleasure from this bottle. I opened it up 5 hours before dinner and decanted it ~1 hour before. The wine was open and ready for business by the time we sat down to enjoy it with our filet mignon. I caught just the hint of green pepper, but it was did not get in the way of the smooth fruit. The finish was exceedingly long. Just a great bottle of wine.
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Much, much better than prior bottles who were marred by strong barnyard odors. Purple in color with a bit of bricking. This was from a 375. The nose has a slight barnyard, but plenty of cassis and a bit of charred gravel. On the palate, still drinking young but showing some development into layers. Fruit, charred rock and earth. Finishes all the way thru. My last 375, hope my 750's show like this. To be fair, my 375's were purchased from a friend with less than ideal cellaring.
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Decanted 90 minutes and followed 2 2.5 oz pours over about 2 hours. It has youthful Bordeaux properties, good complexity, tannins are strong. The fruit is enticing and to me the highlight at this time - kind of a red/black mix. There's enough secondary qualities right now to make it interesting, and its only getting better.
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decanted 45 min (modest sediment). deep, dark red; blackcurrants, blackberry, woodsmoke & tobacco, warm gravel; med-full bodied; blackberries & currants, hardwood charcoal, iodine, dark minerals, nice, pure fruit & subdued tannins on a softer acid frame. better than last bottle & quite fine w/dinner.
grilled quail marinated w/rosemary, black pepper & pomegranate molasses; roasted fingerlings w/garlic scapes, turnips, peas, pancetta & pea tendrils in pickled ramp vinaigrette
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Bordeaux Offline (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color. Decanted for 1.5hrs. Drank two 2.5oz pours over 90 minutes plus. This was the first time revisiting this wine in three years and it was showing fairly well. The nose was nicely floral, , potpourri, dill, vanilla, spice, cigar. The palate was full bodied, more firnly tannic, cigar box, cassis, blackberry, big, smoke, a touch of alcohol at times. Long finish now. Evolving nicely. My #3 WOTN.
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Colour was still dark with rim in garnet. Nose showed citrus and aged Bordeaux characteristic. Oak was almost fully integrated. Medium+ body. I could sense energy for its biting tannin (like it!) low acidity typical for 03. The most noticeable memory of this wine was the intense mineral aftertaste. In fact, the aftertaste was salty! Reach early drinking stage. Should leave it for a couple of years.
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Smokiness. All things smoked. Cold winter's night...fire...aging Bordeaux. Comfortable and familiarity with each sip as the hours progress. Did not change with the spiciness of our dinner, held it's ground. But age gives steadiness, reliability...even with it's thinness. Sort of a familiar face from the past, just a little older, a little receding hairline. Maybe in a smoking jacket with a hand-rolled cigar. But hey- if you got 'em - light 'em up.
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Very ripe nose of black fruit, strawberries, leather, cèpes de Bordeaux, cedar box... Loads of fine and ripe tannins, some ripe fruit, hint of greeness... good but not great
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Very enjoyable. Decanted for 1 hour. Inviting nose. Ruby color. Smooth texture and well integrated tannins. I appreciated mostly dark fruit, crush rocks, earthiness and hints of cigar box. This wine is drinking well now. Enjoy.
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Gently entering its state of decline. With air, the wine loses its freshness and soft textures. While there is still some dark red cherries, blackberry, truffle and smoke character remaining, this is best consumed sooner than later
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Un nez très expressif et animal à l'ouverture. Il développe de belles notes de café, de cerises et de graphite. Il n'a cessé d'évoluer! En bouche, belle texture fine et velouté. De belles saveurs de mures et de mine de crayon avec un peu de cèdre. Les tannins sont foudu et c'est pas mal long en finale. Un très beau vin à point, sur le fruit!
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Classic Graves. Everything in order after a 4 hour decant: earth, garrigue, minerals, all nicely integrated. Air is good, the longer the decant the better. Still young.
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This Bordeaux gets better and better with each passing day. Eight months later this wine has gained weight and depth, along with better complexity between the dark fruit, earth notes and continued hint of crushed rocks. Shows the value of being patient with a wine...or having many bottles to experiment with.
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Full bodied, dark garnet colored, this was full bodied, a bit tight and firm with black berry and black currant fruits, lead pencil, licorice, cigar box, herbs and cedar. This comes across with a bit of a woody almost slight green grassy taste that I can't get over. This was consistent with other tastings and other vintages of this wine. My experience isn't consistent with other's tastings and ratings.
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Delicious. Such purity of fruit and flavor at this stage. Still fairly primary, and will probably improve with patience, but very joyous at this stage.
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Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2003 Bordeaux (Mike & Judi's): Garnet color. Aromas of iodine, red fruit, herbs and asphalt. Medium-bodied with notes of red currants, cherries and black fruit. Finishes very well with good length and balance. Textbook Graves. 92+ pts.
My #1, Domino's #2 Group #1, 43 pts
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This grande dame may not retain her former glory, but given some time to breathe is still complex and rewarding. Not for the faint of palate, but pairs well with a robust meat entrée.
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Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of barnyard, dark cocoa powder, smoke and mixed dark fruits. Flavors of berries, cherries and currants. Bright acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
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There is a lot going on here. When I first popped the cork, it smelled and tasted like toasted sesame. Once decanted, this wine smelled like cedar and tobacco, leather, smoke, a hint of wet animal fur, and lots of fern in your face. On the palate, there are blackberry, cherry, and plum fruits, a hint of black pepper, a hint of wet stone (but just a hint), and a solid bunch of thyme, followed by sweet glycerol before a finish of bitter tannins, a touch of heat, and some tartness (a Bordeaux finish is not a Burgundy finish).
On day two, I got more plumy, jammy fruit (almost in a Horse Heaven Hills sort of way), with bitter tannins (in a good way - think coffee grounds), and a nice sweet cinnamon spice on the finish. I might have even liked it a bit better on day 2, though it had lots some of the flavors from day 1.
This wine paired well with the grilled porterhouse steak, but went really well with smoked gouda and blue cheese bruschetta. I’d say that it drank at it’s price, but I wouldn’t say that it is a good value - I'm not sure that Bordeaux can be good value wine.
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Liked this bottl more than he last . Dark blackberry fruit seamlessly integrated with earth, grass and crushed rocks. Complex and totally Bordeaux. Must decant for an hour.
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Décanté 1 heure. Pas de notes formelles car bu pendant Barça - Milan (4-0), très agréable. Je me souviens tout de même des notes de fumée typiques de la région, d'un corps moyennement puissant et d'une belle finale avec des tanins bien assimilés. Beau potentiel.
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Not just earth, but pure barnyard on the nose and palate, with blackberry fruit ascendant. Medium to long finish. All one could ask for in a S-H L--and that's saying something!
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Wineflock - 2003 Bordeaux (Kenny's): My #8, Group #2 - Opaque red color. Nice nose of red fruit, earth, rose, and blood. Medium palate of graphite black fruit and a tight finish. Generally like SHL, but have never loved the 03. I guessed this was Pessac blind. Not sure what the group found here to like so much that I missed...
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Had this with roast reindeer and sweet potatoes. This wine is really peaking now, very balanced and well-structured. The more traditional words to describe this wine would be smooth, earth, leather, tobacco and dark berries, but the words coming up from the dinner table were "do we have more of this?", "Why do you pour more for yourself than for me?" and "can we open another one?"
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Strong earth and licorice on the nose. Wine exhibits very strong earth tones particularly on the finish. Nice dark berry fruit with hints of pencil shavings, licorice and tobacco. The tannins calm down after 90 minutes...strongly recommend a two hour decant.
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Smoke, licorice, black cherry, tobacco, earth, coffee and herb notes create the perfume. Close to mature, the round, soft textured wine ends with blackberries, cherry and fresh herbs.
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Decanted for 5 hours based on prior experience with this one. Bold complex black licorice at front black fruit in the back. Stood up to some great high profile Cali Cabs/blends side by side. Glad didn't wait any longer on this one. 92 PTS.
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Pop and pour. Notes of cedar, tobacco and stewed red fruits. Shows a bit of the hot weather from the 2003 vintage. Nonetheless a very enjoyable bottle of wine that is approachable now.
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Belle couleur grenat. Ocelle aqueuse. Belle mobilité. 13°. Un beau nez de violette, de fruits noirs (cassis et mûres) sur un fond de bois brûlé. Epicé. Belle torréfaction. On sent la sécheresse de l'année ! Attaque veloutée parfaite. Pas de creux en milieu de bouche, mais beaucoup de richesse ! Très empyreumatique (brûlé, fumé et toasté). Fruits noirs mûre et cassis parfait. A noter une pointe de cerise. Finale explosive sur des tanins veloutés et charnus. Arrière goût de fruits noirs et de vanille. Finale sur le café torréfié. Spécifique et très original, très puissant. Très grand vin au niveau d'un Lascombes ou d'un Kirwan en 2003, mais l'évolution après 10 ans reste à vérifier.
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Drinking well. Note of dark fruit, plum, currants, smoke, coffee, and toast. Palate is rather round, with more currants and toasty oak notes. Finish is similar, some cedar pokes through with some mild dry tannins. Prominent toast oak treatment, but solid ripe fruit without any sense of raisin/prune notes. Certainly a more modern style. Drinking well enough, though still prefer '04.
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My first try of an 03 bordeaux. Decanted 90 minutes of so. Liked it and very good, just not great. Dark fruit (perhaps a bit more in the background than ideal), earthy, and tobacco flavors. Tannins seem reasonably mellowed out at this point.
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Carnivore Club does Harvest Moon (Sonoma, California): Fortunately not showing a pruney character, which I often find in 2003s, this was still a bit blocky, and showing some bitter oak. Densely packed with fruit, this needs more time, but I'm not sure it can overcome its somewhat rustic character.
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I decanted it for 3 hours. Lots of leather funk on the nose. Blackberries, wonderful smooth finish. I am going to buy more of this. Wonderful QPR and very approachable now.
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my first impression on popping and pouring was "this is what bordeaux should smell and taste like." earthy and funky but with some sweet fruit buried underneath. but after about 4 or 5 hours it just started getting heavy and monolithic - maybe it got too warm? pleasant, but not remarkable. will save the other bottle for 7-10 years.
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And again a bottle of this, because I have bought the rest of the case for nuts! And a lot of people are interested to taste this.....the nose spices, coffee, it´s a little bit like perfume....., on the palate fullbodied, this bottle doesn`t need any more cellaring...., blackberrys, hints of licorice, very long, super!
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FC St. Pauli Football ICE- outwardstourtasting to Aachen, Germany: the Highlight, no doubt! What a nose: hints of tobacco, coffee, a whole spicery, on the palate Power, deep, earthy, coffee, very dark fruits, very long aftertaste, hope, will improve by more cellaring the next years! 91-94?
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After 30 minutes in the glass - Smoky, leather funk on the nose, with underlying hints of fruit sweetness. More of the same on the palate, though the fruit shines through somewhat more here than on the nose. Nice balancing acidity keeps it from being monolithic. Overall, the flavor profile trends towards masculine / dark for me. I don't at this stage pick up anything but some fine and unobtrusive tannins on the finish. Relatively lush mouthfeel, though the acidity at present contributes to a somewhat youthful impression. Assuming the acids fold in with additional bottle age, this should be as RP would say "a sleeper of the vintage". Whatever - I'm pleased with the QPR at $45. 91 points for current consumption, though I expect (with fingers crossed) that this will really shine with another 3+ years.
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Nose of black currant & fern. Taste of dark fruit, black currant, saddle leather. Long full bodied taste with plenty of life to go. I hope to be tasting this wine in 2022.
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Maybe my fault for opening a Bordeaux at the 8 year from vintage mark (just 9 actually), but 03's have been so advanced. I am not convinced that this was too early, but maybe. Lots of funk on the nose with some green tobacco leaves, but no fruit. On the palate, drying tannins, some of the funk, but no fruit. Texture is ok, but this is just ok and quite disappointing. I won't open any more of these for a while and will hope it comes back.
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bought myself two new Riedel sommelier Grand Cru glases. for inauguration opened this one, which I found last week at a wholesale store in Hamburg, Germany for "only" 42,50€. Wow, what a nose: earthy, very roasty, vanilla, fat black berrys, on the palate quite smooth tannins, thick, fat black fruit but no marmelade stile, compact wine, normally I prefer the less alcohol elegant Bordeaux wines like in the 90ties and older. But this one is really impressive! very long aftertaste, I think it will improve for some more years, but store these bottles not too long ;-) 90 for those, who dislike too oaky clarets and for the rest of us the range is from this 90 up to maybe 94!
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Dark red, dense colored. Nose with leather, cowshed and dried meat. Some fruit too. Taste very fruity with lots of mature dark fruits. And licorice. Tannins deep in the fruity juice. Aftertaste medium-long and very pleasent. A very nice and interesting glass of wine.The bottle was a half sizer, and screamed out for more!
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Welcoming Craig C to DC - Marks duckhouse Part 1 (Marks duckhouse, Falls Church, Va): SHL – A good showing, tell tell signs of 2003, very ripe dark fruit, a hint of green that is not bothersome perhaps even adding extra complexity. The nose displays chocolate, mocha, cassis, tobacco, lead pencil and etc. The recently SHL seem to be very ripe and highly extracted as well as showing a hint of green and this fits that mold. Quite approachable and jammy fruit driven.
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PHMG WAG Blind Pairs (Lyon's): I loved this wine! The cedar and tobacco were almost overwhelming at first, but I think I have an idiosyncratic attraction to those notes along with the pencil, blackberry, cassis, and earth. More austere than the '03 Montelena it was paired with but the definition and the Graves terroir are very appealing. Texture is smooth and it goes on and on...
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Excellent effort. Initial funk on the nose upon opening took some time to dissipate. Dark red color. No sediment on decant. Classic Bordeaux earth, dirt, farm tast followed by dark cherry, cassis, blood like rare meat. Still has firm tannin structure indicating plenty of aging potential. Glad I have a couple more.
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NY Commanderie Bordeaux visit] Showing the character of this vintage, the wine shows a very sweet, ripe and showy nose, with floral and perfumed emanations right from the start; lots of red fruit aromas, and a nice fresh quality to the nose; sweet cherries and strawberries on the palate; nice layer of polished tannins in the mid-mouth, and this wine shows more structure than many others from this vintage that I have tasted; smooth and silky finish, a very appealing wine. (18)
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Bordeaux Tasting Highlights at Levain (Levain, Mpls): Dark red/purple color. Second time with this in a few weeks. Very consistent with previous notes: decanted 2-3 hours, funky, cigar, cassis, blackberry, meat. Palate has medium-full body and a medium finish. 92+pts.
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Nose of herbs, earth, cedar and dark fruits. A lot going on, huge wine, lacking some elegance. Finish was lush and satisfying. Tasted blind with 8 others, all from USA, and this easily stood out as the BDX. Loved it and my favorite of the night.
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A Tasting with Colorado Wine Press (Englewood, CO): This wine screams Bordeaux – while the fruit is there (blackberries and cranberries), it seems both under-ripe and lightly roasted. Along with the fruit, there’s a ton of tobacco, cedar, cigar box, dirt, bitter herbs, and an appealing hint of roasted pistachio. Behind all that is some green olive and green pepper. The wine has good concentration, tannins are very soft. Overall, too green for my palate.
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Minneapolis Wine Club Mixed Bag of $50 plus Reds (John's House): A young wine that will improve in a decade. A big nose of gravel, cedar, blackberries, chocolate and cranberry. Concentrated on the palate and very New World in style. Decanted 2 plus hours.
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Another great earthy Bordeaux nose (I haven't come across many BDX's that didn't). The color is muddy brown/red turning orange towards the rim. Tobacco and leather, not fruity, medium palate with tannins that have just a hint of graininess lending some complexity. This is very elegant and somewhat light for a BDX, not at all overcooked considering the vintage. It paired perfectly with grilled salmon. It is ready to drink and should last another few years.
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Mini Offline with Bordeaux and Napa Wines featuring 1996 Poyferre & Mondavi (John's House): Very dark red/purple color. This bottle had significant decanting of 2.5 hr and aeration. Nose is quite funky, loads of earth, cigar, creme de cassis, blackberry, smokey, meaty, develops some florals and adds choclate notes as well. The palate is medium body, actually a tad thin in the middle, gravelly, spice, meaty, black fruited, medium finish. Excellent and should get better over the next five years.
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Popped and poured. Dark purple color with a slightly lighter rim. Nose of blackberries, campfire smoke and some earthy mushroom. Medium body, medium acidity. Concentrated palate of slightly roasted blackberry, leather, pencil lead and oak. 30-40 second finish that mirrors the palate with some anise notes.
Very nice and well within the drinking window. Tastes fully mature. The slightly roasted fruit profile is reminiscent of a lot of Rhone wines in style. Drink now through 2015.
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Outstanding. This was basically ready to go from the moment the cork was popped and didn't really change much over the next couple of hours. I think this is at it's peak (as in it isn't going to get any better), but will hold for another couple of years. Classic Bordeaux with lots of secondary characteristics (pencil lead, forest floor, tobacco, etc.). Drank 2 bottles and they were consistent.
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Ruby or garnet colour. Nose of forest and fungus, maybe raspberry, violet. Palate is vague; leather, mild & quickly integrating tannins into the finish. Very good.
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Again, what an awesome surprise. Opened on vacation in Colorado. My friend cooked veal. Unfortunately we finished the bottle before dinner was served (we took hours to cook). Would have been great with meal. Complex, not fruit driven. Graves characteristics. Only wish I had lots more. Also, can't beat the QPR! I rarely score a wine this high. See my other tasting note.
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Dinner w/Nutty. This wine was very cold when served and took quite a bit a time to develop. A very impressive nose started to develop after an hour of plums, currant, and a hint of tobacco. This is a dense and lush wine that is sweet with mulberries, black fruit, and some smoky oak on the palate. The mineral component was there, although muted. And although a bit fat, the wine does have a good portion of acidity. Finish has good length, however a note of astringency. It did not have the same complexity as the Le Gay, which was also served. The wine had that distinctive '03 taste (cali.), and not necessarily the elegance and typicity of pessac. Once again, I preferred the '04 version tasted last year.
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A disappointing showing. opened the night before and kept at slightly lower than cellar temp. Was slightly cold when served, but even when warmed never seemed to open up. Nose of roasted dark fruit and mocha. Palate was refined with a smooth round mouthfeel, and fine prominent tannins on the back end. Dark fruits, with currants and touch of plum, with cassis highlights. Toasty oak finish was a tad short. Prominent oak notes throughout. Never really seemed to come together though dinner. Showed some of the roasted notes I associate with the '03 vintage. I prefer the '04. Will try again tomorrow.
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I must say this is an absolutely stunning bottle of wine at its current stage and I will be buying more. The wine is opaque, almost black with a strange clarity about it and a robe that is turning brick orange and showing some advance in age for an 03'. Aromatics upon opening are flamboyant and rife with earthy notes of crushed rock, hot asphalt, roasted coffee and dark chocolate. After sitting in the glass for about half an hour the black currant, dried plum and licorice character starts to show. On the palate this wine attacks with a fleshy texture and opulent notes of sweet creme de cassis, roasted coffee and cedar followed by a stunning finish of graphite, dusty underbrush and leather that lasts and lasts. The structure of this now 8 year old wine is still intact and muscular with well integrated and complex tannins and a somewhat low, but present acidity. This wine is surprisingly rich for its age and stunningly complex. I would be afraid of it shutting down soon, but it seems to show no signs of it as the vibrant fruit character is still alive and kicking. Drinking beautifully now, but this will reward patient drinkers in 5-6 years time and continue to drink for another decade at the very least. Bravo!
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I am a big SHL fan since 1999. I read the 111 reviews on CT and thought this was ready. It may be. I t is the nly SHL I have drunk that has not wowed me. It is medium bodied, does not have the a barnyard smells about which others complained, but also lacks the complexity and smokey deep dark fruit/smokey elegance of the 2001, 2005 or 1999. In fact, I thought this a pleasant but not memorable bottle of wine.
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Superb bottle of wine. What stands out is the sheer fragrance/bouquet for a bottle in this price range. A great bordeaux at a reasonable price that is drinking very nicely and will continue to do so for quite sometime.
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A lot more ready to drink than I would have thought. Wonderful flavors and not much sharpness. The fruit became more complex throughout the night. Decanted for two hours and drank over 3 hours.
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On opening the bottle - straight from the cellar... Medium dark color. Nose of chocolate & coffee. Tasted of crushed cherry & blackberry. Medium finish and a little tight. 2 hours later, much more integrated nose of crushed dark fruit, a little mocha. Tast is more open, but still young. More dark fruit, well integrated, but this wine will be much better in 5 years.
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As with the last, a somewhat peculiar nose and aftertaste, very dirty and funky. Tasted along with a Calon Segur and L'eglise Clinet. Of the three, by far the least refined and complex. Disappointing.
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From the color it looks much lighter and more amber than an 2003 should= first clue. The nose is insane. There is an abundance of perfume (graves and a feminine undertone that is maybe more Margaux). Yet, the nose is completely encapsulated in dirty diaper. Sexy dirty diaper. The wine is smooth in the mouth. It maintains the plushness of the 2003 fruit. There is not a hard hedge to be found. The finish is relatively long and pleasing. I have had 95 point wines fall short of this glass.
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This bottle was decanted and drunk over a 24 hour period. I thought I'd try this as the proprietor mentioned on their website that it was drinking well.The nose on this was pleasant,; leather, cassis. The tannins were smooth at first but became more astringent after a half hour. I can't say the mouth feel was ever great. The best thing about it was the nose. The finish is modest at best, not much of a lasting impression. Overall, a disappointing experience.
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Upon opening this was pure horse butt. Back in the cellar sans two ounces. Day two more earthy, more bandaidy, cassis, cherry fruit, white herb. Nice density with a minerally, herbal finish. Good but would be much better without the brett.
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Anonymous Tasting (Lucio's BYOB, Houston): Popped and poured. Nice floral nose with black fruit, cedar, hint of tobacco, vanilla, spice. On the palate, cassis, cedar, tobacco, mocha, vanilla, spice. Finishes with a nice mouthfeel. Definitely near the end of its slumber. Hold over the medium term. Not scored
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This was straight out of the traps with a rich, dark, brooding nose full of Parkerisms. Good definition to begin but slowly it began to become a little blurred, unfocused and a touch cloying even. Perhaps i should have kept it cellar cool as it started out as a good 03 and ended as the type i try to avoid.
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Rich and dark, with a strong undertone of tobacco or musk -- couldn't decide through the bottle when that undertone was too much. In the end, may need some more time to even out.
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Nose of dark cherries and black raspberries. As is typical of Bordeaux, it showed better with food. The black raspberries and dark cherries had the addition of some spice.
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Unbelievable! 2nd best WOTN behind Grace Family @ my 45 bday winefest. My friends did not disappoint. 20+ meritages and Bordeaux bottles. Last time I opened one (1.5 yrs ago) almost thought the bottle was bad with huge funk, maybe a hint of cork. Now its a powerhouse of tobacco, earth, leather with integrated tannins and nice finish (great finish but not spectacular). Now that the barnyard is mellowing its hard to beat this one especially considering the price.
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Took it to my parents in law 40 year maried party. It decanted only for one hour and it should have given some air longer. The best drink of the evening (not to much competition :o). The aromas came out once the glass was stirred a bit and where very nice. The color is still nice dark red no aging what so ever. Complex and strong taste altough not a blokbuster. On the background were some sharp edges that are not yet fully integrated. I would say it will get better in the comming years but it is verry drinkable right now. The finish could have lasted a bit longer (doesn't that goes for all wines this good :O) Now find the patience to let some bottles age......
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Dark ruby with a pinkish rim. The nose is bloody and iron-rich with tobacco, wet flint and a hint of tomato. Quite youthful with grippy tannins, concentrated blackcurrant fruit and spicy cedar. The most youthful wine of the day.
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Very contemporary style. Medium aromatics that stayed strong throughout the night. Toased and caramelized with some fruit. Nice tannins. No sharp corners. Drink or hold.
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Decanted for 1 hour. Great nose of red currant, berry, and plum with cedar, tobacco leaf, and graphite. A ripe and fruit forward palate, but lacking a little bit from what I expected from the nose; the backend was somewhat hollow and the finish was shorter than I woudl have liked. Still has a good bit of tannin. Nice.
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The nose, to some, is OFFENSIVE! I barely got my friends to get past it before they actually sipped the wine. It is beautiful, complex, and really does benefit from some serious decanting. Barnyard is putting it mildly. The way a fantastic French wine should be crafted....
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Decanted one hour prior. Very dark with a purple core. Pure blackberry cobbler with a nice ripe cherry oak nose that weaves together and buoyantly embraces your senses. Very soft tannins and a nice finish. The mid-palate is persistent and the has great ripeness and elegance at the same time. 2003 was a very hot year, however, this opulent gem from the Pessac is not too jammy or raisiny at all and still has the Bordeaux essence. Should hold up fine for another ten years, no problem. Very approachable, especially after three hours. Drink now - 2020.
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This is complex character, nothing to drink away. 2h aired: Woody nose and some wild taste things going on: strong berries with some wood and pencil (?) – robust. This is a seriously good Bordeaux! Am very sensitive if it comes to tannins but this Smith 03 is ready, the tannins are nicely there for a strong long finish. Very well balanced. Can keep or drink immediately!
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Complex - Leather, some dark cherry, little chocolate, v. little tobacco Dark brick red color Little acidity, balanced structure, Light to medium body Cabernet Sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, 2% petit verdot
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Decanted 2h+, drank over two nights. High-toned nose, with a ton of brambly green vegetation and cigarette butt. On the palate, earthy bramble and garrigue, banana peel, toasty oak and very little fruit left. Light tannins and acid, medium body. A creamy texture on the mid palate. Flabby at room temperature, but much better with a bit of a chill. No idea on the age here - the rough edges are long gone along with the fruit, but I'm curious where this'll be in 5 years. This definitely isn't for everyone, and at the price you're paying more for interest than quaffability, but I really enjoy this one. $72
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Trip to Bordeaux; 8/9/2009-8/14/2009: (tasted in the chateau) Its purple color is not as bright as I would have thought it would be, quite earthy notes in the nose and not as much fruits. The oak is still dominant, the tannins have softened up and a medium aftertaste. I was not impressed, but I think I must give it another try sometime.
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BWE does Manhattan: a 1996 & 2003 Bordeaux Retrospective: My first from the chateau, I liked this wine but it seemed more typically 2003-like than the blind flight, and that’s not a compliment. There as a strong caramel note in the bouquet and an herby perfume. On the palate it was more balanced, lush but not over the top. In general, not my style at least in such a hot growing season.
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An incredibly rich wine. Nose of cassis, blueberries, smoke and blackberries. Full bodied with black fruits, vanilla, and graphite on the palate. Tannins perfectly integrated at this point and a long finish.
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As some people have stated, this wine definitely has an herbaceous, earthy thing going on. I would add to that a slight touch of anise and raspberry. It is my seventh or eighth time having this; it has never fallen short. You really cannot go wrong with Bordeaux that is both pleasant and drinkable now despite its relatively young age. I am giving it 93 based on its consistency, balance, solid fruit, and reliability.
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PWS 2009-01: Bordeaux: Left bank. (@ PdV): Some barnyard in the bouquet, but quite overwhelming is the cedar and cigar box of the toasted oak. The wine is full bodied and round with a lot of tastes. Sweet liquorice, black forest fruits. Beautiful soft tannin. Given enough air this wine is already very tempting, but this wine will evolve for at least another 5+ years. Now let's hope the toasted oak will integrate nicely in the long term.
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East Bay Offline IV March 25 at The Counter; 3/25/2009-3/26/2009 (Walnut Creek): Opened not decanted.Served at an offline at the Counter in Walnut Creek. Surprised me by showing some age in color with some brown rimming at the edge. Very pretty nose with smoke, chocolate, and leather. With time, this became a smooth integrated drinker with dark bramble fruit. Very subtle. This was my 2nd favorite wine of the night. Good to Very Good.
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Dark garnet color. Clear nose of licorice. Licorice, sweet red fruit, meat, some tannins, low acidity, toasty oak on the finish. Excellent, but then I love Sambuca. Tasted at Arnie Millan's Bordeaux Round Table at Esquin.
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Is this Bordeaux? Ripe berry nose gives way to a full-bodied, sweet, ripe new-world red with little to no noticeable tannins. Just a touch of earth buried under the gobs of fruit. Good, but if I wanted this, I'd have spent half the price on an Aussie bomb.
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Stimmel's Market: 2003 Bordeaux Horizontal: Decanted for a few hours. Crazy nose - lambic beer! Some graphite and bacon also. Medium+ body. Smooth. Medium fruit - blueberry. Pepper. Juicy. Very interesting. $72
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whoah, give me more of that. Bought for a table of people with little familiarity with BDX--I needed to somehow pay back a previous night'a potlatch mooching at Elaine's. with the expesnive pinot noir I had secretly ordered without consent Surprisingly mature (smoky, earthy) for a 2003er, but still young enough to pack a fruit punch to the nose. It has the typical SHL white chocolate/vanilla thing going in full wraparound stereo. In comparison to the $40 closed-down Ribero served side-by-side, the clear winner. But, hey, this SHL cost twice as much. Give me more...
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opened for a new years gathering in bulk and I have to say I wish I would have sat on it longer. I think this wine will be great in 5-10 more yrs. It was a bit hot but it was very good and loaded with berry fruit and tobacco with serious earth clay. The gathering thought more of this wine than I did but I do see it getting better with time.
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This bottle was singing after 2 hours of decanting. Black currant, dark cherries, cocoa, espresso, and some earthiness provide good complexity at this stage of development. Soft and elegant on the mid-palate with well integrated tannins on the finish. Great!
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Very musty barnyard on nose, may be brett, but not at all unpleasant on the mid-palate, sl mineral on the finish but reasonable well balanced and can see the attraction
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92 out of the bottle - lovely hay barnyard aroma. Slightly tannic, but possesses the powerful finish I whore out 90+ ratings for. Nice cassis, fruit jam elements integrated with cedar and oak.
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Nice perfumed nose. Good balance Tasted this against the 2005 Sondraia IGT Toscana ( a Bolgheri). The SHL was more refined, better balanced and lower in alcohol. The Sondraia was also quite good and fruitier. I served after only 20 minutes of decanting. A mistake since both wines kept improving.
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Cedar, tar, leather, with a touch of vanilla. Good aromas of cedar. Integrated, concentrated flavors rather than complex. I liked the fact that this was not overly fruity. But also, it was kind of low acid and tannin, and the package didn't really come together to impress me. I'm not good enough to know what will happen with time.
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This is probably not a fair comparison. 2003 SHL vs 1990 Ducru B. I wanted to do this since I am considering buying more 2003 SHL. The SHL had a distinctive bouguet (slight smoke) and perfume almost from the time I pulled the cork. We served it together with a1990 Ducru at a restaurant in Princeton NJ. At first the SHL grabbed everyones attention since it had the nose and the smoke and it was distinctive. It said "wow pay attention to me". I noticed that although everyone liked the SHL, they kept drinking the DB even though it didn't have much fruit and was not particularly speciall. That said something. Always watch what they drink not what they say. In the end the SHL is good but it fades fast. Pop decant and drink quick.
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Opened in the bottle for an hour before drinking. Nice red and good aroma of fruits & some leather and coffee. Preferred the nose of the 97 vintage. After about 1.30hrs started to smell like green leaf which then died out after about 2hours. Medium bodied, dominent of cherries and moderate oak. Nice finish 30+ seconds Should get better with some more time
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I decant it for 2 hours and then drink it 1) Appearance : purple in colour 2) Nose : medium intensity of cherry , leather , oaky, vanille on the nose , later , coffee come out . 3) Palate : It is dry , medium-bodied wine with silky texture , low acidity , medium length of aftertaste (about 3-4 sec) and good complexity . Sour cherry ,spicy , leather , oaky vanille on the palate . I buy it for HK$500 only and it is good french wine( The nature is similar to bahans haut-brion)
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Dinner for 4 at home. First course was filet mignon with a mustard sauce etc and 2001 Rizzi Boito Barbaresco. 88 pts nice ready to drink but not very big or powerful. We cleansed our palates with a salad of greens and moved on to the cheese course and the 2003 SHL. At this point the SHL had been opened and decanted for about 2 hours. The SHL stole the show for the entire evening. Hint of cedar, exotic perfume, subdued tannin. Subtle and very, very seductive. This is what we want in a good Bordeaux (as opposed to those in your face new world 14% - 15% monsters that some people rave about.) We lingered over that wine. I only have 8 bottles left so I am immediately going to buy another case since this wine is still available at reasonable prices.
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Not sure if this bottle was a little turned... cork was ok, but lacking the punch that I would have expected from a bottle of this ilk. I bit muted on the nose and while pleasant through the mid-palate, very ordinary... Perhaps in a dumb phase?
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Didn't really smell like Grave, to me it's more of the right bank with a little grave nose. nice in a mouth, forward wine with a little impression of new world ( lots of oak)
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Dinner at my friend Costa's home with our spouses. Not decanted bottle. A deep ruby color, with gray hues. Opulent and fleshy, with scents of smoke, tar, leather, animal, barnyard and ripe sweet red fruits. On the palate is full-bodied, with silky texture and an almost refreshing acidity, plenty of flavors of bitter chocolate, oaky vanilla, sour cherry, hand-made cherry liquer and menthol. The aftertaste lasts over 35 sec. It paired nicely with roast lamb. Excellent!!!
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A classic Bordeaux. Huge nose wit ha predominance of new smoked oak. Silky tannins; a full mouth experience. A very rich, long finish. Drinkable now, but needs at least 5 years to peak.
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nice dark ruby color. Very classic Bordeaux. Nose: nice dark earth tones with some vanilla, chocolate, cigar, and berry undertones. Taste: excellent tones of berries and vanilla. A bit of the chocolate and a nice finish
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Decanted for two hours before drinking. Nose of cigar box and graphite with an earthy compost aroma. Medium body, nice round flavors of red currants, oak, fruit is subdued at this point but very present. Very well balanced now, will definitely integrate and gain complexity with age. Tannins are a little harsh right now, but there is enough back there to make this a very interesting wine in 5-10 years. 92-94 pts with a little upside.
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Very interesting wine; has an earthy nose that I associate more with Italian wines. Initial notes of tobacco; the fruit taking some time to arrive but there was plenty of it. Perhaps some subtle drops of mint, too. But the ladies didn't enjoy this one as much as the evening's pinot noir.
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A very nice wine. Aromas of tobacco -but not at all green-that I associate with Pessac-Leognan. Over the course of the evening, the tobacco faded to the background, and aromas of spice and dark fruits came to the fore. Great mouthfeel, not heavy at all. Not super long in the finish and not too complex, but very nice. I guess this is modern or international in style, but I don't think anybody in California makes a wine with this nose. Drinking very well now and might develop more complexity in a few years.
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Not decanted but aired for about 90 minutes in the big Reidel glass. Oak well integrated with nice secondary flavors and subdued ripe fruit. A firm but not overly tannic mouthfeel. Should improve but drinking nicely now, particularly with steak.
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Drank two bottle at dinner....decanted for an hour beforehand, big, beautiful nose with floral aromatics....Medium bodied, abit of funk but great notesm of spice and minerality...look forward to this settling in and speaking mid pallate
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Bright purple in color, big nose of toasted oak, vanilla, sappy red fruit and meaty/earthy undertones, big, sweet, fruit driven mid-palate with a firm backbone, amazing long finish with layer after layer of complexity from olives to tar to mocha to...
Update 10 yrs later: Dark ruby, bouquet is on the subtle side with tobacco, vanilla bean, pencil shavings, mocha and cassis, palate is a perfect balance of ripe juicy black fruit, acidity, well integrated tannins and oak, finish is long and complex with red and black fruit, spice, earth, wood, mint and much, much more
Same 93 pts.
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2003 Bordeaux Horizontal Tasting (Wentworth Hotel, New Castle, NH): Ruby color with some lightening at the edges. Complex nose of dark fruit, wet stone, smoke, cigar box with similar flavors on the palate. Good backbone of tannins which are still slightly harsh. Should mellow nicely in next 5-10 years.
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Consumed over 3 days. I believe this was my first '03 Bordeaux, and it immediatelt stood out for it's uber-ripe, almost shiraz-like style. The dark fruit and oak are showing prominently at this stage, and I hope these elements will integrate with time and result in a more complex, balanced wine.
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On the nose, very prominent oak with some brownish tobacco notes and cherries. On the palate, medium to full-bodied, round and lush with creamy cherries and red currants. Very smooth, leading to a medium to long finish where some minerality and spice kick in. Tannins are very present, but fairly round.
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Dark, almost purple color with medium legs. Aromas of pencil shavings, cedar, dirt, rose, and dark fruit. Dark currant flavor hits the front palate and continues thru the mid-palate. Lots of layers of dark fruit: currant, plum, as well as licorice. Medium structure in the front to mid-palate. Medium finish which starts a little rough but ends smooth and silky.
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Very interesting in comparison to the 2002. You might assume that the '03 would be the sappier, fruitier, denser, riper wine, but you'd be wrong: this one, in addition to being more prominently structured, also lacks the plush roundness of the '02, and the fruit profile is very red rather than very blue. The result is that the lighter body makes the wine easier to drink and conveys the cedarwood and tobacco details more transparently, but it is also thinner and flatter without nearly the constitution of the '02.
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Nose is a tad oaky, and there is jamminess, too, but agreeable tobacco notes. The palate is New Wordly, so it depends on your taste. I do not like how it has evolved since the barrel tasting, as it seems to have lost some of the Indian Tonic like freshness it possessed in 2004. But I am sure it will please some palates.
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Good persistence of color and an attractive nose of tobacco, smoke red fruit and a hint of minerality. In the mouth it has a velvety attack but quite straight without a lot of complexity. Nice, well done and good tannin integration for the vintage
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4/5/2024 - super007 Likes this wine:
Delicious. Soft and showing age, I’d say within its peak range
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3/1/2024 - vvWine.ch wrote: 94 Points
Kräftiges Bordeauxrot. Erdige Nase, Kräuter, Tee, Rauch, tiefgründig, was für ein Duft. Top Gaumen, elegant, feinmaschiges Tannin, perfekt gereift, da ist noch Frucht, da ist Leben, ein perfektes Beispiel, dass 2003 eben nicht nur schlechte Weine hervorgebracht hat. Grosses Kino, jetzt bis 2033+
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12/25/2023 - slulkin wrote: 92 Points
Last of our birthyear bottles for our son. Drank with beef bourguignon, which paired quite nicely.
Gave it a 90 minute decant while the stew was simmering. In the glass dark ruby core to a bricking meniscus. On opening nose showed smoked meats, spices, and some fading brambly fruit. Palate was silky with spices and leather notes dominating. Finish was balanced and long.
After 90 minutes in the decanter the smoked meat note was gone, but replaced with leather, dried tobacco and bay leaf. The spice and brambly fruit remained. Palate was similar maybe a little rounder than on opening and enjoyable through the couple of hours it took us to finish the bottle.
Since he'll be studying abroad and we won't be with him on his 21st this was a nice way to celebrate a little early.
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7/29/2023 - The Wine Monkeys wrote: 88 Points
PNP- Mostly secondary notes and flavors. Initially some bright acidity that faded quickly in the glass. Not bad just not memorable and somewhat flat. Drank a decade older than it is imho. Drink up!
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4/25/2023 - chatters wrote:
En Primeur campaign for the 2022 vintage Day Four (Bordeaux): From Magnum. Slightly meaty dark hued fruits, touch of sour bois, a little fruit tea and sweet spice. Nice nose but a little forward. Juicy, fleshy, slight alcohol prickle is the early indicator of the vintage, savoury dark fruits, chalky tannins. Rather nice.
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4/1/2023 - wineappreciation wrote: 92 Points
Cigar box, brambleberry, leather; full, rich, smooth, expansive, long, and well-developed; not exceptional but very good
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3/18/2023 - oldcabman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Elegant and balanced - not a WOW wine, but so well made and holding up well.
Everything works well together - and no sharp edges.
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2/18/2023 - super007 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful dry cocoa/chocolate notes - like hot cocoa. Tannins we’re velvety and balanced nicely. Fruit faded nicely into the background and this opened beautifully over 2 hours
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2/16/2023 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ikke dekantert. Fet, men behag. Utvikler seg posituvt, pen sak.
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12/26/2022 - Radboy wrote: 95 Points
Drank from a magnum. We enjoyed this with smoked prime rib for Christmas dinner and it did not disappoint. Fully mature, yet still lively, with beautiful pure fruit that is enticing and luscious. Tannins fully refined adding a modest amount of complexity to the finish. But it is the sweet core of fruit that really made this a winner.
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12/25/2022 - Philippe_C wrote: 94 Points
Huge nose of roasted bacon, soy sauce, animal, very nice smoky BBQ nose...Delicious ripe pepers, red sappy fruit, soft tannin, nice acidity... Perfect maturityat 19 years of age!!
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7/14/2022 - jhw425 wrote: 91 Points
Solid. Not heavy or anything just not my favorite
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2/3/2022 - T.E.D. wrote: 93 Points
375 ml bottle. Better than expected, fully integrated and showing complexity. An open nose with classic old world elements of leather, cedar, stone fruit and Christmas spice. The palate is intact and structured with classic notes of gravel, lead, dusty cherry and cellar floor. A touch of dryness on the finish which is lighter than would like. Overall a better bottle than other notes would have one believe.
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12/29/2021 - ron m wrote:
Elegant classic bordeaux. Drinking very well right now. Very nice nose of cherries dust and stone. Palate is classic, not showing the warmth of the vintage. Everything in balance.
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9/10/2021 - WinoD wrote: 93 Points
Bought from someone who apparently stored in a cellar since release, but I can't vouch. Super impressed for an '03. Has that graves minerality, fantastic nose that was great from start to finish. Fruit has mostly faded but still has lots of power, just how I like it! Drank well from get go, opens up slightly then plateaued over the next few hrs,maybe slight delcine at end which tell me... Peak? I dunno, drink one! It's great!
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9/7/2021 - thalver wrote:
Drinking well, nice nose....no indications of being over-ripe or fat as the vintage might suggest.
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9/5/2021 - GraffCellar Likes this wine: 89 Points
Past its prime drinking window.
Little fruit evident.
Heavy bramble and dried flowers.
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7/26/2021 - EricLi wrote: 89 Points
Drink now.
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7/19/2021 - WK88 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte 2003
Decant from bottle 120 mins
Color of aged Bordeaux wine, garnet with orange rim. Nose of age Bordeaux style, profound old leather, aged oak, both black and red fruit, black cherry, cranberry, raspberry, aged spices, herbs, pepper corn, capsicon. Entry is elegance, savory, silky smooth, mid palate is medium body, mineral, earthy, mainly reflects the nose. Finished is reasonable for such aged wine. This wine bouquet over cast her palate, where you can enjoy her nose hours after hours. Already at her peak, drink within next 3 years. 91+ pts
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7/19/2021 - Psdycp wrote: 92 Points
Aged bouquet of preserved plums and cherries, aromatic balsamic, eucalyptus and old leather. Palate echoed the nose with complex earthy mushroom, tobacco and plush blue fruits. Silky and polished structure. Seamless transitions from the medium-bodied palate to an equally smooth finish. It is at its peak now and should continue to hold for the next 2-3 years.
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6/12/2021 - SteveVermeer Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good balance, it has lost a lot of it’s fruit. Time to drink.
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5/23/2021 - SparkyMI Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful claret with age.
This running faster than other SHT I have had.
In a beautiful.spot now, but will not improve with more time.
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4/10/2021 - fc1910 wrote:
Pnp, no decant,
smell full of stable, underbrush, dusty aromas, maybe some dark cassis in the background,
on the palate this is smooth and full bodied and deep, very much secondary and tertiary aromas here, very spicy with black pepper, maybe from this hot year?
This is the first bottle from this vintage with hardly no fruit left, I do like more fruit in a higher class Bordeaux, long finish, drink up, due to this bottle declining, ***, around 89, 90
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2/2/2021 - plavoie Likes this wine: 93 Points
To celebrate our son's 18th birthday, we opened this vintage from his birth year. Drank with Portuguese Chicken. Notes of vanilla, raspberry and pepper. Smell like run. Complex and smooth. Still very good, even if it's passed its drink date.
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11/10/2020 - Purple Tooth wrote: 93 Points
I have no idea how SHL produced a Burgundian wine in such a hot vintage, but this wine is Burgundian in every way. Maybe the misleading thick appearance gives it away, but then again, that too is possible. Very musky and earthy, without being overly sweet or heavy, this wine is all about terroir and class. Lacks the length to score higher, but the taste is all Bordeaux, I mean...Burgundy:-) Drink
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10/29/2020 - slulkin wrote: 92 Points
Opened to celebrate Ethan finishing his college applications (now the waiting game). Drank with slow cooked Moroccan spiced chicken.
Decanted 90+ min (thanks rollerball) and while I don't have much experience with aged wines, this was lovely and what I had pictured/hoped for. Dark ruby in the glass to a bricking meniscus. Great nose that the only word I have to describe it would be autumnal. Like walking through a forest after most of the leaves have fallen. To my senses at least no noticeable fruit notes. The palate was round and silky smooth with spices, earth and leather notes. The finish lingered nicely, was balanced and any tannins were fully resolved.
Ethan liked it. Jill gave it a thumbs down.
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9/30/2020 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 93 Points
Deep ruby and garnet red. Lovely and integrated nose with leather, red berries and a bit wooded. Heavy tannins (7/10) with a medium plus body. Well rounded palate with red cherries, forest floor, plums, earth and tobacco. Long finish. Drink till 2028.
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9/6/2020 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
End of Summer get together: 30 minute decant. This wine is in a really good place. The nose is open, the palate is slightly austere. Graphite, herbs, earth, plum, red to black cherries. This wine exceeded my expectation tonight.
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8/22/2020 - Flipper36 wrote: 93 Points
Really enjoyed. Worth waiting 15 years to drink. Especially during an evacuation.
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8/17/2020 - mtaczak Likes this wine: 92 Points
Weirdly hollow for the first 2 hours in the decanter - big, meaty, almost herbal nose, but weak on the palate with just no weight to it. picked up steam and structure started emerging only towards the last glass. give it at least 2 hours of air. plenty of life left here.
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8/15/2020 - MichielV wrote: 90 Points
W duck breast from skillet. Much better than the last bottle. Medium body, good fruit an decent length. Typical bdox. Drink up but enjoy. This bottle was not over the hill. The petering out was much less.
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7/26/2020 - MichielV wrote: 89 Points
W leftover smoked ribs. Great meal. Wine is losing its luster. Upon opening the nose was great typical bordeaux but on palate it petered out fast. Too bad
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6/6/2020 - Jalexander Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking well right now. Paired with a nice Filet Mignon after about a 60 minute decant. Very smooth and almost delicate for such a warm vintage. Cherry, dark berries and a bit of black tea. Some nice minerals with just a touch of vanilla. Not overpowering in the least for an aged Bordeaux. I would worry about aging too much longer.
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5/2/2020 - fc1910 wrote: 92 Points
Next bottle of this, for me SHL is not always a try, sometimes overoaked, too concentrated, not rearly Bordeaux for me.........,
this bottle is all about spice, herbs and minerals, tar, licorice, black pepper, in the background some black cassis, fully mature bottle, but with a very good grip and tension, seriously balanced and with lively tannin in the long finish, will hold cellared in good condition for some 5(+) years surely, ***-**** , around 90-92
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4/12/2020 - bsmall Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautifully aged--and surprisingly almost as good PnP as it was after 2 hoir decant--nicely mellowed tannins--everything you expect a 15+ year old Bordeaux to be...wish I had more
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4/6/2020 - vlada Likes this wine: 93 Points
beautiful aged wine, great nose, long finish, no decanting needed, glad to have two more
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2/15/2020 - jmh st louis Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautifully balanced with floral notes and pretty red fruits.
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1/1/2020 - hoservin wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Nose of red cherry, black raspberry, currant, graphite and herbs de Provence. Ripe red fruit, tobacco leaf, graphite and red licorice on the palate. Very long finish with excellent balance. Medium to full bodied. Drinking very well, but drink soon. Served with grilled duck breast and a cherry sauce.
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12/21/2019 - Mathijs81 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Recently purchased vintage and couldn't wait any longer to taste it.
- Preparation = no decanter this time, just pop and pour, drank over two nights
- Colour = still deep red, but with watery rim
- Nose = 100 points for me, vulcanic stone, mineral, tarmac on a hot day, cherry, woody, herbal, coffee, chocolate, sharp, edgy, vibrant
- Taste = can't follow the nose any more, most fruit has gone, but still some dried red fruits to be found, a bit too light for me, to watery
- Finish = classic SHL style, goes on quite long, quite spicy, less fruity then I was hoping
Again, lovely bottle of SHL, drink now as this won't improve. But it will still impress those who love their classic aged Bordeaux wines.
Mathijs
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12/13/2019 - S-C-S Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drink now, don‘t decant.
Full bodied, perfect with steak.
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11/16/2019 - EricLi wrote: 90 Points
Old world style. Delicate and refined. Strange thing is there has not been too much nose to speak of for the last three bottles since 2016. Tea and tobacco on the palate. smooth and balanced
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11/15/2019 - Purple Tooth wrote: 92 Points
Aromatic, with old Bordeaux bouquet. Fruit has faded and the wine is starting to fall out of balance...I would say in 750's this is on decline and in Magnum its at peak. Delicious old bordeaux experience. DRINK
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10/12/2019 - 1rmcohen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful fruit bold
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7/28/2019 - advinm41 wrote: 92 Points
Dark red color, no decant, PnP, nose of dark fruits, plum paste, cassis, cherries, blackberries mixed with smoke, bacon, gravel, mushrooms, scorched earth. Palate is medium to full body, sweetness slightly overwhelms acidity but overall good balance, palate of black fruits, plum, licorice, with hints of BBQ and smoke finishing medium too long. Excellent Pessac for the price and delivers despite suboptimal hot year.
Ready to drink or hold few more years but will not improve
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6/20/2019 - Radboy wrote: 94 Points
A wonderful drink. Lovely at this time.
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6/20/2019 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank at Father's Day BBQ so no formal tasting note.
However- this is a gorgeous Pessac that is drinking very well.
Beautiful medium ruby appearance, pronounced and evolved nose of black fruits, tobacco, spice and vanilla all in proportion.
Plenty of acidity and life on the palate with a medium plus finish. Just delicious and completely refutes the reputation of this vintage as stewed or cooked.
I would drink up, but this will keep for another decade if stored properly.
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6/10/2019 - walkerjfw wrote:
Coravin'd over a few nights in Chicago...
Medium red/ruby, some cloudiness. Nose showing plum, currant, tobacco. Palate of red and blue fruits, cedar, faded mocha, smoke, pencil. Mild secondary notes. Medium weight and finish. Tannins resolved and balanced
Very pleasant bottle at this stage, would not expect much improvement from here. Would drink over next few years
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5/29/2019 - mike410 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful and elegant wine. Long finish. Taste of oak, tobacco, cedar, and black and red berries. Drinking very well at the moment and should hold well for another 7-10 years.
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4/18/2019 - englishman's claret wrote: 89 Points
Not as hot or baked as some 03s, but relatively uninteresting - generic fruit, a mix of blue and black, oak, a touch of smoke. Doesn’t seem like it needs more time, just won’t take off. Perhaps it had specious charm years ago
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2/17/2019 - wardamnwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasty and ready for prime enjoyment.
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2/16/2019 - Soxwin Likes this wine: 88 Points
Not as good as ~same time last year.
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2/9/2019 - TGLeroy Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was all that: beautiful blue fruit, gravel, pencil lead, medium length, nicely balanced tannins - a classic Bordeaux. This is drinking very well.
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1/25/2019 - ATL wrote:
Soft, with good fruit, balanced, lovely. Ready.
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1/11/2019 - DAguayo Likes this wine: 96 Points
Totally awesome! Drank from the bottle without decanting! Shows some aging in the color but totally different at the nose! Lot of fruits (berries) and a very long finish!! Sad that was my last bottle.
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12/24/2018 - Chrisinroch wrote:
PnP. Singing. Great funky secondary notes.
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11/15/2018 - Hawk94 Likes this wine: 95 Points
A Classic Bordeaux! Deep dark garnet red. Impressive dark fruits Bouquet, somewhat conservative, but unmistakable Bordeaux nose. It drinks fabulously, very sedative, deep, complex, layers of blackberries, currants, black cherries, licorice, dates, minerals, earthy, creamy smooth, expressive, full body, perfectly balanced, black chocolate, it is going on and on, really long long finish. It is peaking right now. Should be drinking well for next 10 years. A wonderful wine at an affordable price!
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9/21/2018 - Philippe_C wrote: 92 Points
Concentrated nose of smoke, BBQ meat, red & black cherries, cedar wood... Super delicious ripe tannin, red cherries, refreshing acidity, good lenght 20 sec
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8/12/2018 - EricLi wrote: 90 Points
Slow ox for theee hours befor pouring. Definitely has progressed towards maturity than two years ago. Could feel a little heat to start. However, the alcohol soon integrated nicely. I enjoyed it.
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8/7/2018 - overkloud wrote: 91 Points
Matured now. dark fruit with notes of mushroom and stony minerality. a little bit dry on the finish.
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4/24/2018 - galewskj wrote: 91 Points
(Non) Blind 2004 and Older Bordeaux (Meritage): Decanted 90 minutes and followed a good sized glass for 2+ hours. It has youthful Bordeaux properties, good complexity, tannins are strong. The fruit is enticing and to me the highlight at this time - kind of a red/black mix. There's enough secondary qualities right now to make it interesting, and its only getting better.
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2/12/2018 - davergny wrote: flawed
Corked.
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1/19/2018 - Soxwin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quite impressive. Based on review research I was nervous this would be disappointing. It was delish. Not dead yet.
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1/19/2018 - maxima wrote: 90 Points
Bu lors du Souper du mois de janvier 2018 au resto AVV La Suite de Sherbrooke avec les FOUDUVIN.CA
Un autre beau 2003 qui fut loin d’être sur le fruit compoté, aucune lourdeur ou chaleur.
Nez sur le cuir, la terre, les prunes et la fumée.
En bouche, champignons, tabac, cerises et graphite avec des tannins assez serrés.
Finale longue et soutenu.
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11/25/2017 - winebargainchaser Likes this wine: 89 Points
the 2003 was one of the last SHL with a modest price tag. After decanting, it showed very satisfying, a rounded, supple and enjoyable Leognan. nothing exclusive, but very good for meats or by its own. still expected more from this prestigious name. drink - do not hold more than untill 2020.
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10/20/2017 - Bordeauxman wrote: 89 Points
Opaque color. Nose of oak and cedar shavings. Taste starts with a reserved cassis dark fruit and quickly transitions to a mare tannic tart finish. Enjoyable but not a block buster. Not sure that this is one to keep for 50 years.
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9/16/2017 - dchain Likes this wine: 91 Points
From magnum. Medium ruby. Immediately open, plum, Christmas cake and leather spicy notes. Soft mouthfeel, tannins fully resolved and a balanced and fruity mouthful without being over-the-top. Medium length and wonderful easy drinking and at its peak. Alcohol just becomes noticeable after an hour in the glass and not as fresh as when first poured. Charming drinking for right now.
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7/23/2017 - dougie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice. Drink next two during next 4 years. May Lise what makes it good.
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6/1/2017 - DugyDog Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice full mouth feel, fruit not stewed/overripe like some 03s. Downside was a bit too much sweetness but other than that impressed
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5/27/2017 - partylikeakennedy wrote: 92 Points
Whoa. They did a great job circumventing the effects of a super hot year. Nice dank, very smooth, mellow. Not a crazy fruit punch-in-the-face.
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4/14/2017 - NJwineguy wrote: 90 Points
At peak
Very pleasant.
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2/24/2017 - lmbernstein Likes this wine: 93 Points
Garnet color, heavy sediment. Earthy, organic, graphite. Long finish. Amazing. Tannins are there but soft and supple.
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2/19/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Wine Group: Bordeaux 2005 and Older (Lela, Bloomington MN): Very dark/purple red color. Decanted for 3 hours. Drank a small pour over 45 minutes. Good to have a chance to revisit this wine. A little more ripeness than some of the'03's showed tonight with a touch heat; but on the whole it had classic PL character with black fruits, scorched earth, blackberry, earthy, and tobacco infused wood notes.The tannins have mellowed and this is drinking well.
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12/18/2016 - SMZ wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed the wine... smooth and flavorful...only complaint was that the wine felt a little washed out.
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11/25/2016 - redknife Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank for thanksgiving at my place with potato soup. Opened and decanted; this wine really improved as the night went by. The nose was beautiful and screamed Bordeaux with hints of vainilla. Full body on the palate with coffee and chocolate...
Give it at least one hr in the decanter
This was truly a treat
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11/5/2016 - HankS77 wrote: 94 Points
Smith Haute Lafitte Vertical 2003, 2004, 2005 (New York): Medium(-) body, color more towards garnet than the '04 or '05, fully mature tannins, medium acidity. Light nose and on the palate hints of cassis, blackberry and cedar. Touch of leather and cigar box. Developed remarkably with air, as it gained more substance and power. Really blossomed over time.
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11/5/2016 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 92 Points
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte mini vertical (My apartment): Had this as part of a mini vertical, which included the 2005 and 2004 vintages. The wine was opened for about 60 minutes and about a quarter of the bottle was poured into 4 glasses, before we tried it.
This started out very muted, flat and a little low in the taste department. But after about an hour, it really showed well, and for a while, it gave the 2005 a run for the money.
For a less than stellar vintage (according to WA) it showed well, provided you have the patience to allow it to open up.
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10/27/2016 - cephomer Likes this wine: 94 Points
NYC Tasters Guild: 2003 Bordeaux Retrospective: Drank at NYC Tasters Guild for 2003 Bordeaux tasting. Certainly the bargain wine of the night, if not the WOTN. Clear rim, ruby core. Nose exudes cedar and sweet fruits. Lots of earthiness here, as well as some funk, mushrooms, cigar box and tobacco. A bit tannic but the wine's elements are very nicely integrated. Lots of funky barnyard, very dry with lots of cedar. Very enjoyable.
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6/19/2016 - EricLi wrote: 90 Points
Started out with a bit funk and hidden fruit. It took more than 6 hour decant for the funk to mostly blow off. Balanced and fine tannins. Not as impressive on the nose though.
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6/3/2016 - michael47 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Already mature. Brickish rim. Muted nose of toast saddle leather and dried plums. Pleasant nicely balanced fruiting acid with some heat on the finish. Don't think this will get any better.
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3/5/2016 - Vancouver wrote: 94 Points
Medium ruby in appearance
Pronounced nose of red and black fruits- raspberry, boysenberry and black berry. Very complex aromas of smoke, vanilla and spices.
Medium bodied with plenty of freshness and acidity- not always the case for 2003 Bordeaux. Lots of fruit, smoke and tobacco on the palette and the finish is long and complex. This will easily last for the foreseeable future in a cold cellar.
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2/14/2016 - Purple Tooth wrote: 94 Points
This wine is traveling at light speed in maturity. I have noticed that with many 2003's. They seem to be developing fast. A couple of years ago it was showing secondary development and now it is fully developed and maybe at peak. Its packed with black truffles, raw mushrooms, earth, and lush sweetness. This one doesnt bring the barn with it, it brings the whole stable. Un-typical slight sweetness for a SHL makes this one a fascinating experience. DRINK or hold...
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1/23/2016 - Thirsty1 Likes this wine:
This is what I expect when I'm drinking bordeaux. Dark purple with a hint of brick around the rim. Mature dried berry fruit with pencil lead, cigar but good underlying fruit. Great balance and lots of layers, it delivers a lot for a good price. Tannins were chalky and harmonious with everything else. Drink it now, it's good.
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12/29/2015 - mhartley wrote: 93 Points
Still somewhat tannic and could use another year or two I think. Typically leathery notes as opposed to fruit, but a solid, pleasant taste.
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12/21/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
Browns suck - Wine Don't (Seahawk edition) SHL, Pride Reserve (My Basement): Pop and pour, this really took about 3 hours to hit its stride. Ruby/purple. On opening the nose had cassis, cigar box and a ton of barnyard funk. I like that quality and it was at the limit for me. The wine was good but had drying tannins. I scored it around 88. At about the three hour mark, the barnyard had 80% blown off. What was left was classic Bordeaux nose. Cassis, black cherries, cigar box and a touch of funk. On the palate, this put on some weight. The tannins softened and the wine unwound. Dark cherries intermixed with tobacco and a slight forest floor notes. Reasonable acidity for the vintage. The drying quality was gone. In short, a very nice aged Bordeaux. Give it plenty of air though.
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11/20/2015 - La Grappe wrote: 90 Points
Medium depth of colour; open, fragrant nose; soft, plummy fruit on the palate, well rounded with some sweetness, and discreet oak adding polish. Elegant and composed; very appealing and without the hardness of some 2003s.
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11/7/2015 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
At Ad Hoc. Ripe and ready to go. Cherries, plums and smoke.
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10/13/2015 - Philippe_C wrote: 94 Points
Super ripe node of red cherries, cigar box, blond tobacco leaves, roasted bacon, mushrooms... Very concentrated ripe cherries, nice refreshing acidity, good lenght, perfect maturity, doesn't have the bad side of some 2003's, great wine!!
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10/11/2015 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is in a really nice place right now. Still has a good amount of fruit, and age has made this silky smooth.
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9/16/2015 - Yagil Likes this wine: 92 Points
1st match of Mac TLV at the Champions League 2015 (At Hugo's): Classic claret
Superb outstanding tertiary aroma
Medium bodied, firm tannins, somewhat lean structure, dry woody tannins, short finish.
But the outstanding aroma made it!!!
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6/18/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 89 Points
From imperial. Rich and ripe, slightly sweet fruit on the intense nose, mixed with spices, cedar and tobacco. Quite big and intense on the palate as well, again quite sweet and low in acidity. Not too much fruit, drying tannins and a bit hollow. Drying, persistent finish. I wouldn't keep these for much longer. 89-91
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5/30/2015 - wombat Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aroma: Graphite, barnyard, smoky dried cherry.
Palate: Smooth tannins
Flavor: Smoky, earthy, dried cassis, dried cherry, graphite.
Comment: I doubt I'll ever tire of the classic earthy and smoky dried berry character that makes up a good, aged Bordeaux wine. Lovely.
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4/4/2015 - Poisey Likes this wine: 93 Points
Elegance and near perfect balance. This is well made with great finesse. Not big, but it does strut its stuff. Nice fresh finish. Lots of barnyard funk to this one with blue and blackberry, vanilla, flowers and earth notes. A lovely harmonious thing. A joy to drink. Now to 2020.
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3/13/2015 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine had a great nose on the opening. This is a more modern L bank wine, but not bad at all. This grew more appealing as it was open for an hour or 90 minutes. Singing at 2 hours.....wow
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3/12/2015 - Mlermontov wrote: 93 Points
sweet ripe fruit on the nose, cab notes dominate. Shows the ripeness of 2003. With time - more tobacco and coffee notes, sweaty earth. mid is rich with silky black fruit and cassis, touch of ripe leather. Finish started a bit soft then cleared but by the end of the evening was closing again. Good wine - i would give it more time though still very pleasurable now.
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3/11/2015 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep ruby color. Nose of tobacco, loamy earth, and black fruit. Full bodied on the palate with lots of black currant character. Good presence and length but perhaps a touch flat on the end.
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2/28/2015 - Hawk94 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for a couple of hours, excellent nose, earthy tone, sweet subtle tannins, well balanced, dark fruits, chocolate, espresso, long after taste.
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2/5/2015 - Ivin Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Into my 2nd case. A sloppy overoaked mess compared to the 2001. No improvement after 24 hour decanting.
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2/2/2015 - Kris G Likes this wine: 93 Points
a perfect time to drink this, doens't show any of the typical heat/alcohol of the vintage, well balanced spiciness, smoke, a great wine
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1/8/2015 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium red that catches the light nicely. Pencil shavings and raspberry on the nose. The same notes in the wine, with pencil shavings carrying into a long finish.
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12/20/2014 - Sotto325 wrote: 89 Points
Second 375, which is now perfectly ready to drink. Decanted for 30 minutes. A very pleasant Bordeaux to accompany a fowl or cheese. No hint of complexity or any interest in the nose, but also no tannins or alcohol to interfere. Pure velvet and dark forest berries with a suave delivery and earth- bound scent. As a big fan of their other vintages, I find this a nice but not special bottling.
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10/20/2014 - galewskj wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with previous note.
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10/19/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Right Bank Bordeaux (Levain, Mpls): There was an herbal edge to this wine tonight that I found distracting. Herbal, black fruit, tar, . The palate, is herbal, black fruits, full bodied, scorched earth, graphite, medium plus finish. 90+ to 91pts.
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8/2/2014 - sastewart wrote: 92 Points
Open 5 hrs. Beginning of drinking window, Drinking well. Dark fruit, plum, currants, earth, coffee, and toast. Palate rounding into shape, with more currants and a little less oak. Gaining complexity from last bottle 18 months ago - softening nicely. 92 points
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7/12/2014 - Tonythefish wrote: 92 Points
Really good - surprisingly - from an off year. Not too hot and really good after 90 minute decant
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7/5/2014 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
From a hot vintage and it shows with funk, cherry, wood and very bitter. Might settle down over time but I would not risk the purchase. Needs a big decant.
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6/22/2014 - BordeauxMN Likes this wine: 93 Points
I decanted for 2 hours. Wonderful barnyard funk on the nose. This is drinking so great right now.
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6/21/2014 - fc1910 wrote: 91 Points
popped and poured, started with a fine cassisnose, some graphite, spices, concentrated and well balanced appearence on the palate, fullbodied, for me full matured now with noticeable tannin, cacao, mocha,licorice and little hints of cassis, some minerals, long finish, a fine bottle, 90- 92?
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6/21/2014 - up4wine wrote: 92 Points
Both the son and I received great pleasure from this bottle. I opened it up 5 hours before dinner and decanted it ~1 hour before. The wine was open and ready for business by the time we sat down to enjoy it with our filet mignon. I caught just the hint of green pepper, but it was did not get in the way of the smooth fruit. The finish was exceedingly long. Just a great bottle of wine.
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5/31/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Much, much better than prior bottles who were marred by strong barnyard odors. Purple in color with a bit of bricking. This was from a 375. The nose has a slight barnyard, but plenty of cassis and a bit of charred gravel. On the palate, still drinking young but showing some development into layers. Fruit, charred rock and earth. Finishes all the way thru. My last 375, hope my 750's show like this. To be fair, my 375's were purchased from a friend with less than ideal cellaring.
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5/19/2014 - galewskj wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 90 minutes and followed 2 2.5 oz pours over about 2 hours. It has youthful Bordeaux properties, good complexity, tannins are strong. The fruit is enticing and to me the highlight at this time - kind of a red/black mix. There's enough secondary qualities right now to make it interesting, and its only getting better.
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5/17/2014 - pigdaddy wrote: 91 Points
decanted 45 min (modest sediment). deep, dark red; blackcurrants, blackberry, woodsmoke & tobacco, warm gravel; med-full bodied; blackberries & currants, hardwood charcoal, iodine, dark minerals, nice, pure fruit & subdued tannins on a softer acid frame. better than last bottle & quite fine w/dinner.
grilled quail marinated w/rosemary, black pepper & pomegranate molasses; roasted fingerlings w/garlic scapes, turnips, peas, pancetta & pea tendrils in pickled ramp vinaigrette
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5/15/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux Offline (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color. Decanted for 1.5hrs. Drank two 2.5oz pours over 90 minutes plus. This was the first time revisiting this wine in three years and it was showing fairly well. The nose was nicely floral, , potpourri, dill, vanilla, spice, cigar. The palate was full bodied, more firnly tannic, cigar box, cassis, blackberry, big, smoke, a touch of alcohol at times. Long finish now. Evolving nicely. My #3 WOTN.
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3/29/2014 - skifree wrote: 93 Points
Took to Scott's Leonetti Reserve tasting. Found it mature and with secondary notes, very enjoyable. No formal notes
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3/15/2014 - WineKen Likes this wine: 88 Points
Colour was still dark with rim in garnet. Nose showed citrus and aged Bordeaux characteristic. Oak was almost fully integrated. Medium+ body. I could sense energy for its biting tannin (like it!) low acidity typical for 03. The most noticeable memory of this wine was the intense mineral aftertaste. In fact, the aftertaste was salty! Reach early drinking stage. Should leave it for a couple of years.
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1/17/2014 - MaximusT Likes this wine: 92 Points
Smokiness. All things smoked. Cold winter's night...fire...aging Bordeaux. Comfortable and familiarity with each sip as the hours progress. Did not change with the spiciness of our dinner, held it's ground. But age gives steadiness, reliability...even with it's thinness. Sort of a familiar face from the past, just a little older, a little receding hairline. Maybe in a smoking jacket with a hand-rolled cigar. But hey- if you got 'em - light 'em up.
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1/11/2014 - Philippe_C wrote: 91 Points
Very ripe nose of black fruit, strawberries, leather, cèpes de Bordeaux, cedar box... Loads of fine and ripe tannins, some ripe fruit, hint of greeness... good but not great
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12/31/2013 - docvino wrote: 92 Points
Very enjoyable. Decanted for 1 hour. Inviting nose. Ruby color. Smooth texture and well integrated tannins. I appreciated mostly dark fruit, crush rocks, earthiness and hints of cigar box. This wine is drinking well now. Enjoy.
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12/18/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Gently entering its state of decline. With air, the wine loses its freshness and soft textures. While there is still some dark red cherries, blackberry, truffle and smoke character remaining, this is best consumed sooner than later
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12/18/2013 - maxima wrote: 90 Points
Un nez très expressif et animal à l'ouverture.
Il développe de belles notes de café, de cerises et de graphite. Il n'a cessé d'évoluer!
En bouche, belle texture fine et velouté. De belles saveurs de mures et de mine de crayon avec un peu de cèdre.
Les tannins sont foudu et c'est pas mal long en finale.
Un très beau vin à point, sur le fruit!
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11/28/2013 - markydecker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic Graves. Everything in order after a 4 hour decant: earth, garrigue, minerals, all nicely integrated. Air is good, the longer the decant the better. Still young.
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11/13/2013 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 93 Points
This Bordeaux gets better and better with each passing day. Eight months later this wine has gained weight and depth, along with better complexity between the dark fruit, earth notes and continued hint of crushed rocks. Shows the value of being patient with a wine...or having many bottles to experiment with.
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11/3/2013 - Grinner wrote: 93 Points
17th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (The Lyon's Tree House): Wine of the flight for me, this has blackberry, cigar box, wet stone/ mineral, and herbs. Very smooth tannins on its long backside. 92 on day 2.
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10/15/2013 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep ruby color. Flavors of black currant and tobacco with a hint of honey and cinnamon. Lots of fine tannins on the finish. Medium bodied.
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9/21/2013 - rmcnees wrote: 89 Points
Full bodied, dark garnet colored, this was full bodied, a bit tight and firm with black berry and black currant fruits, lead pencil, licorice, cigar box, herbs and cedar. This comes across with a bit of a woody almost slight green grassy taste that I can't get over. This was consistent with other tastings and other vintages of this wine. My experience isn't consistent with other's tastings and ratings.
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7/17/2013 - Counselor Chris wrote: 93 Points
Delicious. Such purity of fruit and flavor at this stage. Still fairly primary, and will probably improve with patience, but very joyous at this stage.
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7/14/2013 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2003 Bordeaux (Mike & Judi's): Garnet color. Aromas of iodine, red fruit, herbs and asphalt. Medium-bodied with notes of red currants, cherries and black fruit. Finishes very well with good length and balance. Textbook Graves. 92+ pts.
My #1, Domino's #2
Group #1, 43 pts
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6/18/2013 - BarryInSeattle wrote: 89 Points
This grande dame may not retain her former glory, but given some time to breathe is still complex and rewarding. Not for the faint of palate, but pairs well with a robust meat entrée.
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6/5/2013 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted non blind at a wine dinner.
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of barnyard, dark cocoa powder, smoke and mixed dark fruits. Flavors of berries, cherries and currants. Bright acidity, firm tannin, full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
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4/9/2013 - jkscully Likes this wine:
There is a lot going on here. When I first popped the cork, it smelled and tasted like toasted sesame. Once decanted, this wine smelled like cedar and tobacco, leather, smoke, a hint of wet animal fur, and lots of fern in your face. On the palate, there are blackberry, cherry, and plum fruits, a hint of black pepper, a hint of wet stone (but just a hint), and a solid bunch of thyme, followed by sweet glycerol before a finish of bitter tannins, a touch of heat, and some tartness (a Bordeaux finish is not a Burgundy finish).
On day two, I got more plumy, jammy fruit (almost in a Horse Heaven Hills sort of way), with bitter tannins (in a good way - think coffee grounds), and a nice sweet cinnamon spice on the finish. I might have even liked it a bit better on day 2, though it had lots some of the flavors from day 1.
This wine paired well with the grilled porterhouse steak, but went really well with smoked gouda and blue cheese bruschetta. I’d say that it drank at it’s price, but I wouldn’t say that it is a good value - I'm not sure that Bordeaux can be good value wine.
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3/24/2013 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Liked this bottl more than he last . Dark blackberry fruit seamlessly integrated with earth, grass and crushed rocks. Complex and totally Bordeaux. Must decant for an hour.
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3/12/2013 - Ericsson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Décanté 1 heure. Pas de notes formelles car bu pendant Barça - Milan (4-0), très agréable. Je me souviens tout de même des notes de fumée typiques de la région, d'un corps moyennement puissant et d'une belle finale avec des tanins bien assimilés. Beau potentiel.
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3/9/2013 - isdblm@lsu.edu Likes this wine: 93 Points
Not just earth, but pure barnyard on the nose and palate, with blackberry fruit ascendant. Medium to long finish. All one could ask for in a S-H L--and that's saying something!
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1/10/2013 - winefool wrote: 88 Points
Wineflock - 2003 Bordeaux (Kenny's): My #8, Group #2 - Opaque red color. Nice nose of red fruit, earth, rose, and blood. Medium palate of graphite black fruit and a tight finish. Generally like SHL, but have never loved the 03. I guessed this was Pessac blind. Not sure what the group found here to like so much that I missed...
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12/29/2012 - Loli Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had this with roast reindeer and sweet potatoes. This wine is really peaking now, very balanced and well-structured. The more traditional words to describe this wine would be smooth, earth, leather, tobacco and dark berries, but the words coming up from the dinner table were "do we have more of this?", "Why do you pour more for yourself than for me?" and "can we open another one?"
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12/28/2012 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Strong earth and licorice on the nose. Wine exhibits very strong earth tones particularly on the finish. Nice dark berry fruit with hints of pencil shavings, licorice and tobacco. The tannins calm down after 90 minutes...strongly recommend a two hour decant.
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11/24/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Smoke, licorice, black cherry, tobacco, earth, coffee and herb notes create the perfume. Close to mature, the round, soft textured wine ends with blackberries, cherry and fresh herbs.
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11/19/2012 - MikeZ wrote:
Mocha with a hint of tobacco on the nose, lots to like with the round dark fruits on the palate but its gone before you want it to leave...
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11/18/2012 - WDSteers wrote: 91 Points
Tobacco prune and smoke,. Drinking well noe
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11/12/2012 - DLV24 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 5 hours based on prior experience with this one. Bold complex black licorice at front black fruit in the back. Stood up to some great high profile Cali Cabs/blends side by side. Glad didn't wait any longer on this one. 92 PTS.
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10/25/2012 - cookie7 wrote:
Pop and pour. Notes of cedar, tobacco and stewed red fruits. Shows a bit of the hot weather from the 2003 vintage. Nonetheless a very enjoyable bottle of wine that is approachable now.
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9/22/2012 - n2wine wrote: 93 Points
Big barnyard on the nose. Softened after opening up after an hour. A very smooth wine. Delayed flavors of cherry.
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8/11/2012 - OW_SOSPEL Likes this wine: 92 Points
Belle couleur grenat. Ocelle aqueuse. Belle mobilité. 13°.
Un beau nez de violette, de fruits noirs (cassis et mûres) sur un fond de bois brûlé. Epicé. Belle torréfaction. On sent la sécheresse de l'année !
Attaque veloutée parfaite. Pas de creux en milieu de bouche, mais beaucoup de richesse ! Très empyreumatique (brûlé, fumé et toasté). Fruits noirs mûre et cassis parfait. A noter une pointe de cerise.
Finale explosive sur des tanins veloutés et charnus. Arrière goût de fruits noirs et de vanille. Finale sur le café torréfié. Spécifique et très original, très puissant.
Très grand vin au niveau d'un Lascombes ou d'un Kirwan en 2003, mais l'évolution après 10 ans reste à vérifier.
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8/8/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 91 Points
Drinking well. Note of dark fruit, plum, currants, smoke, coffee, and toast. Palate is rather round, with more currants and toasty oak notes. Finish is similar, some cedar pokes through with some mild dry tannins. Prominent toast oak treatment, but solid ripe fruit without any sense of raisin/prune notes. Certainly a more modern style. Drinking well enough, though still prefer '04.
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7/29/2012 - yeti575rider wrote: 91 Points
My first try of an 03 bordeaux. Decanted 90 minutes of so. Liked it and very good, just not great. Dark fruit (perhaps a bit more in the background than ideal), earthy, and tobacco flavors. Tannins seem reasonably mellowed out at this point.
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6/20/2012 - xwine wrote:
Carnivore Club does Harvest Moon (Sonoma, California): Fortunately not showing a pruney character, which I often find in 2003s, this was still a bit blocky, and showing some bitter oak. Densely packed with fruit, this needs more time, but I'm not sure it can overcome its somewhat rustic character.
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6/5/2012 - n2wine wrote: 92 Points
Earthy / musty on the nose. Great bordeaux flavors.
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5/26/2012 - BordeauxMN wrote: 93 Points
I decanted it for 3 hours. Lots of leather funk on the nose. Blackberries, wonderful smooth finish. I am going to buy more of this. Wonderful QPR and very approachable now.
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4/22/2012 - kidsmurf2000 wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyable, mature Bordeaux.
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4/13/2012 - mtaczak wrote: 90 Points
my first impression on popping and pouring was "this is what bordeaux should smell and taste like." earthy and funky but with some sweet fruit buried underneath. but after about 4 or 5 hours it just started getting heavy and monolithic - maybe it got too warm? pleasant, but not remarkable. will save the other bottle for 7-10 years.
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2/18/2012 - fc1910 wrote: 92 Points
And again a bottle of this, because I have bought the rest of the case for nuts! And a lot of people are interested to taste this.....the nose spices, coffee, it´s a little bit like perfume....., on the palate fullbodied, this bottle doesn`t need any more cellaring...., blackberrys, hints of licorice, very long, super!
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2/5/2012 - fc1910 wrote: 92 Points
FC St. Pauli Football ICE- outwardstourtasting to Aachen, Germany: the Highlight, no doubt! What a nose: hints of tobacco, coffee, a whole spicery, on the palate Power, deep, earthy, coffee, very dark fruits, very long aftertaste, hope, will improve by more cellaring the next years! 91-94?
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1/26/2012 - n2wine wrote: 92 Points
An earth/musty cellar scent with flavors of leather, woody and blackberries. A great value for a 3rd growth. Still young.
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1/25/2012 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
After 30 minutes in the glass - Smoky, leather funk on the nose, with underlying hints of fruit sweetness. More of the same on the palate, though the fruit shines through somewhat more here than on the nose. Nice balancing acidity keeps it from being monolithic. Overall, the flavor profile trends towards masculine / dark for me. I don't at this stage pick up anything but some fine and unobtrusive tannins on the finish. Relatively lush mouthfeel, though the acidity at present contributes to a somewhat youthful impression. Assuming the acids fold in with additional bottle age, this should be as RP would say "a sleeper of the vintage". Whatever - I'm pleased with the QPR at $45. 91 points for current consumption, though I expect (with fingers crossed) that this will really shine with another 3+ years.
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1/21/2012 - Bordeauxman wrote: 91 Points
Nose of black currant & fern. Taste of dark fruit, black currant, saddle leather. Long full bodied taste with plenty of life to go. I hope to be tasting this wine in 2022.
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1/19/2012 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 88 Points
Maybe my fault for opening a Bordeaux at the 8 year from vintage mark (just 9 actually), but 03's have been so advanced. I am not convinced that this was too early, but maybe. Lots of funk on the nose with some green tobacco leaves, but no fruit. On the palate, drying tannins, some of the funk, but no fruit. Texture is ok, but this is just ok and quite disappointing. I won't open any more of these for a while and will hope it comes back.
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1/13/2012 - fc1910 wrote: 92 Points
bought myself two new Riedel sommelier Grand Cru glases. for inauguration opened this one, which I found last week at a wholesale store in Hamburg, Germany for "only" 42,50€. Wow, what a nose: earthy, very roasty, vanilla, fat black berrys, on the palate quite smooth tannins, thick, fat black fruit but no marmelade stile, compact wine, normally I prefer the less alcohol elegant Bordeaux wines like in the 90ties and older. But this one is really impressive! very long aftertaste, I think it will improve for some more years, but store these bottles not too long ;-) 90 for those, who dislike too oaky clarets and for the rest of us the range is from this 90 up to maybe 94!
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12/24/2011 - PrebenDK wrote: 92 Points
Dark red, dense colored. Nose with leather, cowshed and dried meat. Some fruit too. Taste very fruity with lots of mature dark fruits. And licorice. Tannins deep in the fruity juice. Aftertaste medium-long and very pleasent. A very nice and interesting glass of wine.The bottle was a half sizer, and screamed out for more!
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12/15/2011 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Welcoming Craig C to DC - Marks duckhouse Part 1 (Marks duckhouse, Falls Church, Va): SHL – A good showing, tell tell signs of 2003, very ripe dark fruit, a hint of green that is not bothersome perhaps even adding extra complexity. The nose displays chocolate, mocha, cassis, tobacco, lead pencil and etc. The recently SHL seem to be very ripe and highly extracted as well as showing a hint of green and this fits that mold. Quite approachable and jammy fruit driven.
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12/9/2011 - Grinner wrote: 93 Points
PHMG WAG Blind Pairs (Lyon's): I loved this wine! The cedar and tobacco were almost overwhelming at first, but I think I have an idiosyncratic attraction to those notes along with the pencil, blackberry, cassis, and earth. More austere than the '03 Montelena it was paired with but the definition and the Graves terroir are very appealing. Texture is smooth and it goes on and on...
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11/11/2011 - 911SCracer wrote: 92 Points
Excellent effort. Initial funk on the nose upon opening took some time to dissipate. Dark red color. No sediment on decant. Classic Bordeaux earth, dirt, farm tast followed by dark cherry, cassis, blood like rare meat. Still has firm tannin structure indicating plenty of aging potential. Glad I have a couple more.
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10/11/2011 - JLG wrote:
NY Commanderie Bordeaux visit] Showing the character of this vintage, the wine shows a very sweet, ripe and showy nose, with floral and perfumed emanations right from the start; lots of red fruit aromas, and a nice fresh quality to the nose; sweet cherries and strawberries on the palate; nice layer of polished tannins in the mid-mouth, and this wine shows more structure than many others from this vintage that I have tasted; smooth and silky finish, a very appealing wine. (18)
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10/5/2011 - DemeesterWim wrote: 89 Points
nice birthday wine :)
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9/28/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
Nice enough from a 375. A bit more funk than I would have expected. Another 03 that did not seem to shut down? Life expectancy? Good question.
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9/18/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux Tasting Highlights at Levain (Levain, Mpls): Dark red/purple color. Second time with this in a few weeks. Very consistent with previous notes: decanted 2-3 hours, funky, cigar, cassis, blackberry, meat. Palate has medium-full body and a medium finish. 92+pts.
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9/5/2011 - pilot360 wrote:
Nose of herbs, earth, cedar and dark fruits. A lot going on, huge wine, lacking some elegance. Finish was lush and satisfying. Tasted blind with 8 others, all from USA, and this easily stood out as the BDX. Loved it and my favorite of the night.
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9/4/2011 - davidwhitedc wrote: 85 Points
A Tasting with Colorado Wine Press (Englewood, CO): This wine screams Bordeaux – while the fruit is there (blackberries and cranberries), it seems both under-ripe and lightly roasted. Along with the fruit, there’s a ton of tobacco, cedar, cigar box, dirt, bitter herbs, and an appealing hint of roasted pistachio. Behind all that is some green olive and green pepper. The wine has good concentration, tannins are very soft. Overall, too green for my palate.
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8/31/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club Mixed Bag of $50 plus Reds (John's House): A young wine that will improve in a decade. A big nose of gravel, cedar, blackberries, chocolate and cranberry. Concentrated on the palate and very New World in style. Decanted 2 plus hours.
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8/28/2011 - bullmrkt wrote: 91 Points
Another great earthy Bordeaux nose (I haven't come across many BDX's that didn't). The color is muddy brown/red turning orange towards the rim. Tobacco and leather, not fruity, medium palate with tannins that have just a hint of graininess lending some complexity. This is very elegant and somewhat light for a BDX, not at all overcooked considering the vintage. It paired perfectly with grilled salmon. It is ready to drink and should last another few years.
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8/10/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Mini Offline with Bordeaux and Napa Wines featuring 1996 Poyferre & Mondavi (John's House): Very dark red/purple color. This bottle had significant decanting of 2.5 hr and aeration. Nose is quite funky, loads of earth, cigar, creme de cassis, blackberry, smokey, meaty, develops some florals and adds choclate notes as well. The palate is medium body, actually a tad thin in the middle, gravelly, spice, meaty, black fruited, medium finish. Excellent and should get better over the next five years.
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6/23/2011 - j30 wrote: 92 Points
Poped and pour and it was ready to go. Complex nose, concentrated palate, very smooth. Slight bitterness in aftertaste.
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6/12/2011 - huntinpagan wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Dark purple color with a slightly lighter rim. Nose of blackberries, campfire smoke and some earthy mushroom. Medium body, medium acidity. Concentrated palate of slightly roasted blackberry, leather, pencil lead and oak. 30-40 second finish that mirrors the palate with some anise notes.
Very nice and well within the drinking window. Tastes fully mature. The slightly roasted fruit profile is reminiscent of a lot of Rhone wines in style. Drink now through 2015.
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4/16/2011 - MWes wrote: 92 Points
Outstanding. This was basically ready to go from the moment the cork was popped and didn't really change much over the next couple of hours. I think this is at it's peak (as in it isn't going to get any better), but will hold for another couple of years. Classic Bordeaux with lots of secondary characteristics (pencil lead, forest floor, tobacco, etc.). Drank 2 bottles and they were consistent.
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3/30/2011 - asaselzer wrote: 92 Points
Ruby or garnet colour. Nose of forest and fungus, maybe raspberry, violet. Palate is vague; leather, mild & quickly integrating tannins into the finish. Very good.
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3/27/2011 - spineguy wrote: 94 Points
Again, what an awesome surprise. Opened on vacation in Colorado. My friend cooked veal. Unfortunately we finished the bottle before dinner was served (we took hours to cook). Would have been great with meal. Complex, not fruit driven. Graves characteristics. Only wish I had lots more. Also, can't beat the QPR! I rarely score a wine this high. See my other tasting note.
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3/19/2011 - kliu112 wrote: 89 Points
Earth and mineral dominate with very little fruit. Very smooth on the finish.
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2/9/2011 - macker100 wrote: 90 Points
Dinner w/Nutty. This wine was very cold when served and took quite a bit a time to develop. A very impressive nose started to develop after an hour of plums, currant, and a hint of tobacco. This is a dense and lush wine that is sweet with mulberries, black fruit, and some smoky oak on the palate. The mineral component was there, although muted. And although a bit fat, the wine does have a good portion of acidity. Finish has good length, however a note of astringency. It did not have the same complexity as the Le Gay, which was also served. The wine had that distinctive '03 taste (cali.), and not necessarily the elegance and typicity of pessac. Once again, I preferred the '04 version tasted last year.
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2/9/2011 - Nutty08 wrote: 89 Points
A disappointing showing. opened the night before and kept at slightly lower than cellar temp. Was slightly cold when served, but even when warmed never seemed to open up. Nose of roasted dark fruit and mocha. Palate was refined with a smooth round mouthfeel, and fine prominent tannins on the back end. Dark fruits, with currants and touch of plum, with cassis highlights. Toasty oak finish was a tad short. Prominent oak notes throughout. Never really seemed to come together though dinner. Showed some of the roasted notes I associate with the '03 vintage. I prefer the '04. Will try again tomorrow.
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1/28/2011 - Sweet_Berry_Wine!! wrote: 94 Points
I must say this is an absolutely stunning bottle of wine at its current stage and I will be buying more. The wine is opaque, almost black with a strange clarity about it and a robe that is turning brick orange and showing some advance in age for an 03'. Aromatics upon opening are flamboyant and rife with earthy notes of crushed rock, hot asphalt, roasted coffee and dark chocolate. After sitting in the glass for about half an hour the black currant, dried plum and licorice character starts to show. On the palate this wine attacks with a fleshy texture and opulent notes of sweet creme de cassis, roasted coffee and cedar followed by a stunning finish of graphite, dusty underbrush and leather that lasts and lasts. The structure of this now 8 year old wine is still intact and muscular with well integrated and complex tannins and a somewhat low, but present acidity. This wine is surprisingly rich for its age and stunningly complex. I would be afraid of it shutting down soon, but it seems to show no signs of it as the vibrant fruit character is still alive and kicking. Drinking beautifully now, but this will reward patient drinkers in 5-6 years time and continue to drink for another decade at the very least. Bravo!
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12/28/2010 - Sotto325 wrote: 89 Points
I am a big SHL fan since 1999. I read the 111 reviews on CT and thought this was ready. It may be. I t is the nly SHL I have drunk that has not wowed me. It is medium bodied, does not have the a barnyard smells about which others complained, but also lacks the complexity and smokey deep dark fruit/smokey elegance of the 2001, 2005 or 1999. In fact, I thought this a pleasant but not memorable bottle of wine.
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12/23/2010 - tturner2b wrote: 93 Points
Superb bottle of wine. What stands out is the sheer fragrance/bouquet for a bottle in this price range. A great bordeaux at a reasonable price that is drinking very nicely and will continue to do so for quite sometime.
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12/20/2010 - dougie wrote: 92 Points
A lot more ready to drink than I would have thought. Wonderful flavors and not much sharpness. The fruit became more complex throughout the night. Decanted for two hours and drank over 3 hours.
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12/12/2010 - Bordeauxman wrote: 90 Points
On opening the bottle - straight from the cellar... Medium dark color. Nose of chocolate & coffee. Tasted of crushed cherry & blackberry. Medium finish and a little tight. 2 hours later, much more integrated nose of crushed dark fruit, a little mocha. Tast is more open, but still young. More dark fruit, well integrated, but this wine will be much better in 5 years.
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12/9/2010 - awise45 wrote: 88 Points
As with the last, a somewhat peculiar nose and aftertaste, very dirty and funky. Tasted along with a Calon Segur and L'eglise Clinet. Of the three, by far the least refined and complex. Disappointing.
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12/4/2010 - Sakswine wrote:
Disappointing wine for this price range. Uninteresting. Earthy bordering on dirty. Uncomplicated. Sorry we have two more bottles.
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12/3/2010 - jordanj wrote: 95 Points
From the color it looks much lighter and more amber than an 2003 should= first clue. The nose is insane. There is an abundance of perfume (graves and a feminine undertone that is maybe more Margaux). Yet, the nose is completely encapsulated in dirty diaper. Sexy dirty diaper. The wine is smooth in the mouth. It maintains the plushness of the 2003 fruit. There is not a hard hedge to be found. The finish is relatively long and pleasing. I have had 95 point wines fall short of this glass.
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11/17/2010 - Bill Brout wrote: 88 Points
This bottle was decanted and drunk over a 24 hour period. I thought I'd try this as the proprietor mentioned on their website that it was drinking well.The nose on this was pleasant,; leather, cassis. The tannins were smooth at first but became more astringent after a half hour. I can't say the mouth feel was ever great. The best thing about it was the nose. The finish is modest at best, not much of a lasting impression. Overall, a disappointing experience.
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11/11/2010 - pgordon62 wrote: 87 Points
Upon opening this was pure horse butt. Back in the cellar sans two ounces. Day two more earthy, more bandaidy, cassis, cherry fruit, white herb. Nice density with a minerally, herbal finish. Good but would be much better without the brett.
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11/4/2010 - GalvezGuy wrote:
Anonymous Tasting (Lucio's BYOB, Houston): Popped and poured. Nice floral nose with black fruit, cedar, hint of tobacco, vanilla, spice. On the palate, cassis, cedar, tobacco, mocha, vanilla, spice. Finishes with a nice mouthfeel. Definitely near the end of its slumber. Hold over the medium term. Not scored
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11/2/2010 - Tenuk wrote: 93 Points
Opened and decanted for 1 hour. Full bodied, classic "locker room" scent. Amazing nose. One of my favorite bottles. Will get better with age.
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10/27/2010 - jaggeral1 wrote: 89 Points
This was straight out of the traps with a rich, dark, brooding nose full of Parkerisms. Good definition to begin but slowly it began to become a little blurred, unfocused and a touch cloying even. Perhaps i should have kept it cellar cool as it started out as a good 03 and ended as the type i try to avoid.
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10/17/2010 - pgmr0001 wrote: 91 Points
Drank too early. At least 2 years away
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9/5/2010 - sjk7 wrote: 90 Points
Earth and tobacco flavors mix with a slightly hot alcohol overbite. Unique nose is memorable. Finish is rather muted. Generally speaking, a nice wine.
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8/22/2010 - DrinkThis wrote: 92 Points
An earthy wine that is drinking beautiful right now but will age for much longer. Yummy!!!
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6/24/2010 - awise45 wrote: 91 Points
Rich and dark, with a strong undertone of tobacco or musk -- couldn't decide through the bottle when that undertone was too much. In the end, may need some more time to even out.
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6/5/2010 - jbehrendt wrote: 92 Points
After decanting for an hour or so, it really hit its stride. Very enjoyable.
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5/15/2010 - witkinddavis wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Nose of dark cherries, tast of tobacco, think it needs a couple more years in the cellar.
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4/27/2010 - depdoc wrote: 89 Points
Nose of dark cherries and black raspberries. As is typical of Bordeaux, it showed better with food. The black raspberries and dark cherries had the addition of some spice.
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4/25/2010 - spineguy wrote: 95 Points
Unbelievable! 2nd best WOTN behind Grace Family @ my 45 bday winefest. My friends did not disappoint. 20+ meritages and Bordeaux bottles. Last time I opened one (1.5 yrs ago) almost thought the bottle was bad with huge funk, maybe a hint of cork. Now its a powerhouse of tobacco, earth, leather with integrated tannins and nice finish (great finish but not spectacular). Now that the barnyard is mellowing its hard to beat this one especially considering the price.
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4/7/2010 - Ho Bryan wrote:
Very earthy. Everything in balance, though still tart in the mouth, showing it has a long way to go yet. A lovely drinker.
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3/23/2010 - winejohn wrote: 90 Points
Took it to my parents in law 40 year maried party.
It decanted only for one hour and it should have given some air longer.
The best drink of the evening (not to much competition :o).
The aromas came out once the glass was stirred a bit and where very nice.
The color is still nice dark red no aging what so ever.
Complex and strong taste altough not a blokbuster.
On the background were some sharp edges that are not yet fully integrated.
I would say it will get better in the comming years but it is verry drinkable right now.
The finish could have lasted a bit longer (doesn't that goes for all wines this good :O)
Now find the patience to let some bottles age......
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2/20/2010 - Biggsy wrote: 89 Points
Dark ruby with a pinkish rim. The nose is bloody and iron-rich with tobacco, wet flint and a hint of tomato. Quite youthful with grippy tannins, concentrated blackcurrant fruit and spicy cedar. The most youthful wine of the day.
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2/8/2010 - Roentgen Ray wrote: 92 Points
Very contemporary style. Medium aromatics that stayed strong throughout the night. Toased and caramelized with some fruit. Nice tannins. No sharp corners. Drink or hold.
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12/21/2009 - Counselor Chris wrote: flawed
Mildly corked. Seemed as though the underlying wine would have been quite good, for what it's worth.
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11/26/2009 - ptheimer wrote: 91 Points
Needs at least a 12 hour decant
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11/22/2009 - MatthewF wrote:
Decanted for 1 hour. Great nose of red currant, berry, and plum with cedar, tobacco leaf, and graphite. A ripe and fruit forward palate, but lacking a little bit from what I expected from the nose; the backend was somewhat hollow and the finish was shorter than I woudl have liked. Still has a good bit of tannin. Nice.
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11/8/2009 - fayboys wrote: 92 Points
The nose, to some, is OFFENSIVE! I barely got my friends to get past it before they actually sipped the wine. It is beautiful, complex, and really does benefit from some serious decanting. Barnyard is putting it mildly. The way a fantastic French wine should be crafted....
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10/9/2009 - enos8 wrote: 94 Points
Love it
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10/6/2009 - Matt Scott wrote: 92 Points
Decanted one hour prior. Very dark with a purple core. Pure blackberry cobbler with a nice ripe cherry oak nose that weaves together and buoyantly embraces your senses. Very soft tannins and a nice finish. The mid-palate is persistent and the has great ripeness and elegance at the same time. 2003 was a very hot year, however, this opulent gem from the Pessac is not too jammy or raisiny at all and still has the Bordeaux essence. Should hold up fine for another ten years, no problem. Very approachable, especially after three hours. Drink now - 2020.
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9/15/2009 - spore wrote: 93 Points
This is complex character, nothing to drink away. 2h aired: Woody nose and some wild taste things going on: strong berries with some wood and pencil (?) – robust. This is a seriously good Bordeaux! Am very sensitive if it comes to tannins but this Smith 03 is ready, the tannins are nicely there for a strong long finish. Very well balanced. Can keep or drink immediately!
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9/11/2009 - arabhammerhead wrote: 87 Points
Complex - Leather, some dark cherry, little chocolate, v. little tobacco
Dark brick red color
Little acidity, balanced structure,
Light to medium body
Cabernet Sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, 2% petit verdot
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9/9/2009 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #039; Bordeaux GCC 2nd wines (By BS): Loaded with toasted oak and also blackberry fruits. Beautiful and complex. See also previous note.
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9/7/2009 - joshwoodward wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2h+, drank over two nights. High-toned nose, with a ton of brambly green vegetation and cigarette butt. On the palate, earthy bramble and garrigue, banana peel, toasty oak and very little fruit left. Light tannins and acid, medium body. A creamy texture on the mid palate. Flabby at room temperature, but much better with a bit of a chill. No idea on the age here - the rough edges are long gone along with the fruit, but I'm curious where this'll be in 5 years. This definitely isn't for everyone, and at the price you're paying more for interest than quaffability, but I really enjoy this one. $72
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8/14/2009 - kostaslonis wrote: 89 Points
Trip to Bordeaux; 8/9/2009-8/14/2009: (tasted in the chateau) Its purple color is not as bright as I would have thought it would be, quite earthy notes in the nose and not as much fruits. The oak is still dominant, the tannins have softened up and a medium aftertaste. I was not impressed, but I think I must give it another try sometime.
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7/21/2009 - toontune wrote: 92 Points
A powerhouse from the moment the bottle opened till the very end. Another good but forgettable 2003 Graves opened suffered in comparison.
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7/12/2009 - blanquito wrote: 89 Points
BWE does Manhattan: a 1996 & 2003 Bordeaux Retrospective: My first from the chateau, I liked this wine but it seemed more typically 2003-like than the blind flight, and that’s not a compliment. There as a strong caramel note in the bouquet and an herby perfume. On the palate it was more balanced, lush but not over the top. In general, not my style at least in such a hot growing season.
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5/25/2009 - puterdewd wrote: 91 Points
Nice earthy bord. Very approachable. Falls down on the finish a little but overall a good value wine.
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5/8/2009 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 94 Points
An incredibly rich wine. Nose of cassis, blueberries, smoke and blackberries. Full bodied with black fruits, vanilla, and graphite on the palate. Tannins perfectly integrated at this point and a long finish.
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4/11/2009 - Simoncino wrote: 93 Points
As some people have stated, this wine definitely has an herbaceous, earthy thing going on. I would add to that a slight touch of anise and raspberry. It is my seventh or eighth time having this; it has never fallen short. You really cannot go wrong with Bordeaux that is both pleasant and drinkable now despite its relatively young age. I am giving it 93 based on its consistency, balance, solid fruit, and reliability.
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3/28/2009 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
PWS 2009-01: Bordeaux: Left bank. (@ PdV): Some barnyard in the bouquet, but quite overwhelming is the cedar and cigar box of the toasted oak. The wine is full bodied and round with a lot of tastes. Sweet liquorice, black forest fruits. Beautiful soft tannin. Given enough air this wine is already very tempting, but this wine will evolve for at least another 5+ years. Now let's hope the toasted oak will integrate nicely in the long term.
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3/26/2009 - tanglenet wrote:
East Bay Offline IV March 25 at The Counter; 3/25/2009-3/26/2009 (Walnut Creek): Opened not decanted.Served at an offline at the Counter in Walnut Creek. Surprised me by showing some age in color with some brown rimming at the edge. Very pretty nose with smoke, chocolate, and leather. With time, this became a smooth integrated drinker with dark bramble fruit. Very subtle. This was my 2nd favorite wine of the night. Good to Very Good.
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3/18/2009 - skifree wrote: 92 Points
Dark garnet color. Clear nose of licorice. Licorice, sweet red fruit, meat, some tannins, low acidity, toasty oak on the finish. Excellent, but then I love Sambuca. Tasted at Arnie Millan's Bordeaux Round Table at Esquin.
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3/9/2009 - ziavino wrote: 90 Points
Is this Bordeaux? Ripe berry nose gives way to a full-bodied, sweet, ripe new-world red with little to no noticeable tannins. Just a touch of earth buried under the gobs of fruit. Good, but if I wanted this, I'd have spent half the price on an Aussie bomb.
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3/5/2009 - joshwoodward wrote: 96 Points
Stimmel's Market: 2003 Bordeaux Horizontal: Decanted for a few hours. Crazy nose - lambic beer! Some graphite and bacon also. Medium+ body. Smooth. Medium fruit - blueberry. Pepper. Juicy. Very interesting. $72
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1/27/2009 - slaughterer wrote: 93 Points
whoah, give me more of that. Bought for a table of people with little familiarity with BDX--I needed to somehow pay back a previous night'a potlatch mooching at Elaine's. with the expesnive pinot noir I had secretly ordered without consent Surprisingly mature (smoky, earthy) for a 2003er, but still young enough to pack a fruit punch to the nose. It has the typical SHL white chocolate/vanilla thing going in full wraparound stereo. In comparison to the $40 closed-down Ribero served side-by-side, the clear winner. But, hey, this SHL cost twice as much. Give me more...
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1/4/2009 - Pavie Princess wrote: 93 Points
opened for a new years gathering in bulk and I have to say I wish I would have sat on it longer. I think this wine will be great in 5-10 more yrs. It was a bit hot but it was very good and loaded with berry fruit and tobacco with serious earth clay. The gathering thought more of this wine than I did but I do see it getting better with time.
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1/1/2009 - rlysecky wrote: 93 Points
This bottle was singing after 2 hours of decanting. Black currant, dark cherries, cocoa, espresso, and some earthiness provide good complexity at this stage of development. Soft and elegant on the mid-palate with well integrated tannins on the finish. Great!
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12/31/2008 - kennyg wrote: 89 Points
Very musty barnyard on nose, may be brett, but not at all unpleasant on the mid-palate, sl mineral on the finish but reasonable well balanced and can see the attraction
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12/26/2008 - riffcold wrote: 92 Points
92 out of the bottle - lovely hay barnyard aroma. Slightly tannic, but possesses the powerful finish I whore out 90+ ratings for. Nice cassis, fruit jam elements integrated with cedar and oak.
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12/15/2008 - brownman6 wrote: 92 Points
Earthy nose, opened nicely and complimented appetizers.
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11/1/2008 - dthompson wrote: 90 Points
Nice perfumed nose. Good balance Tasted this against the 2005 Sondraia IGT Toscana ( a Bolgheri). The SHL was more refined, better balanced and lower in alcohol. The Sondraia was also quite good and fruitier. I served after only 20 minutes of decanting. A mistake since both wines kept improving.
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9/30/2008 - vinamok wrote: 91 Points
little bit earthy in aroma but very fine fruit and juicy. a good bottle.
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8/23/2008 - ParkHill wrote: 88 Points
Cedar, tar, leather, with a touch of vanilla. Good aromas of cedar. Integrated, concentrated flavors rather than complex. I liked the fact that this was not overly fruity. But also, it was kind of low acid and tannin, and the package didn't really come together to impress me. I'm not good enough to know what will happen with time.
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8/1/2008 - skidave74 wrote: 92 Points
Drank on my Birthday. Typically dirty-dirty, very nice. Wish I had a few more.
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6/23/2008 - dthompson wrote: 89 Points
This is probably not a fair comparison. 2003 SHL vs 1990 Ducru B. I wanted to do this since I am considering buying more 2003 SHL. The SHL had a distinctive bouguet (slight smoke) and perfume almost from the time I pulled the cork. We served it together with a1990 Ducru at a restaurant in Princeton NJ. At first the SHL grabbed everyones attention since it had the nose and the smoke and it was distinctive. It said "wow pay attention to me". I noticed that although everyone liked the SHL, they kept drinking the DB even though it didn't have much fruit and was not particularly speciall. That said something. Always watch what they drink not what they say. In the end the SHL is good but it fades fast. Pop decant and drink quick.
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5/20/2008 - JJA wrote: 88 Points
Not as good as the other SHL's we have had. A bit too sweet and syrupy.
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4/21/2008 - sonakul_t wrote: 90 Points
Opened in the bottle for an hour before drinking. Nice red and good aroma of fruits & some leather and coffee. Preferred the nose of the 97 vintage. After about 1.30hrs started to smell like green leaf which then died out after about 2hours. Medium bodied, dominent of cherries and moderate oak. Nice finish 30+ seconds Should get better with some more time
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4/13/2008 - Deschat wrote: 91 Points
I decant it for 2 hours and then drink it
1) Appearance : purple in colour
2) Nose : medium intensity of cherry , leather , oaky, vanille on the nose , later , coffee come out .
3) Palate : It is dry , medium-bodied wine with silky texture , low acidity , medium length of aftertaste (about 3-4 sec) and good complexity . Sour cherry ,spicy , leather , oaky vanille on the palate . I buy it for HK$500 only and it is good french wine( The nature is similar to bahans haut-brion)
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3/17/2008 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Really classy. Took a little while to open up but not much. Leather and Chocolate, very concentrated.
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2/23/2008 - dthompson wrote:
Dinner for 4 at home. First course was filet mignon with a mustard sauce etc and 2001 Rizzi Boito Barbaresco. 88 pts nice ready to drink but not very big or powerful. We cleansed our palates with a salad of greens and moved on to the cheese course and the 2003 SHL. At this point the SHL had been opened and decanted for about 2 hours. The SHL stole the show for the entire evening. Hint of cedar, exotic perfume, subdued tannin. Subtle and very, very seductive. This is what we want in a good Bordeaux (as opposed to those in your face new world 14% - 15% monsters that some people rave about.) We lingered over that wine. I only have 8 bottles left so I am immediately going to buy another case since this wine is still available at reasonable prices.
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2/9/2008 - mikeweav wrote: 88 Points
Not sure if this bottle was a little turned... cork was ok, but lacking the punch that I would have expected from a bottle of this ilk. I bit muted on the nose and while pleasant through the mid-palate, very ordinary... Perhaps in a dumb phase?
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2/5/2008 - loverboy wrote: 90 Points
Didn't really smell like Grave, to me it's more of the right bank with a little grave nose. nice in a mouth, forward wine with a little impression of new world ( lots of oak)
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2/3/2008 - paulst wrote: 94 Points
Leather nose; earthy noticable tannic structure with black currant and blackberry and chocolate; well balanced and smooth; long finish.
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1/10/2008 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Little barnyard in the start. Little lead pencil as well. Firm and rustic. A powerful and full bodied wine.
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1/3/2008 - mattiasjansson wrote: 91 Points
Backstreet - No theme (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Young but promising
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1/3/2008 - goofy Yno wrote: 93 Points
vanilla oak, red fruits. good balanced mouth with a strong fruit presence, blueberry.
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12/28/2007 - noppakit s. wrote: 92 Points
Full toasted oaky that's very seductive. medium to full-bodied. Good texture, well round and balance. Delicious !!!
A little bit too young but deep impact...Need time...2008 - 2018
: )
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12/24/2007 - balassis wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at my friend Costa's home with our spouses.
Not decanted bottle.
A deep ruby color, with gray hues.
Opulent and fleshy, with scents of smoke, tar, leather, animal, barnyard and ripe sweet red fruits.
On the palate is full-bodied, with silky texture and an almost refreshing acidity, plenty of flavors of bitter chocolate, oaky vanilla, sour cherry, hand-made cherry liquer and menthol.
The aftertaste lasts over 35 sec.
It paired nicely with roast lamb.
Excellent!!!
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11/25/2007 - dthompson wrote: 90 Points
With Les & Mike. Nice ready to drink
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11/9/2007 - Mad Dane wrote: 88 Points
Not as expected, musty, raw, rather rough tannins.
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10/31/2007 - Mad Dane wrote: 88 Points
Not as expected. Very musty.
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10/1/2007 - John wrote: 89 Points
solid b b+
will be a 90+ in a few years
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8/25/2007 - goofy Yno wrote: 87 Points
a chared oak nose, with some raspberry. a touch out of balance in the mouth with acitiy ecliping the fruit.
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8/25/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 91 Points
French, toasted oak on the nose than needs time to better integrate. Blackberry and black pepper with a touch of barnyard. Rich finish. Young.
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6/25/2007 - brewking wrote: 89 Points
bottle was better when open for about 1-2 hours, my bottle fell apart after a day. Huge nose with the typical wet barnyard.
not my favorite bordeaux
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5/30/2007 - PSirah Tampa wrote: 94 Points
A classic Bordeaux. Huge nose wit ha predominance of new smoked oak. Silky tannins; a full mouth experience. A very rich, long finish. Drinkable now, but needs at least 5 years to peak.
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5/17/2007 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
nice dark ruby color. Very classic Bordeaux. Nose: nice dark earth tones with some vanilla, chocolate, cigar, and berry undertones. Taste: excellent tones of berries and vanilla. A bit of the chocolate and a nice finish
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5/7/2007 - espia wrote:
MDH: nice with lots of Graves character, pencil lead, etc
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5/1/2007 - cab blends wrote: 90 Points
earthy and smooth
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4/16/2007 - GalvezGuy wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for two hours before drinking. Nose of cigar box and graphite with an earthy compost aroma. Medium body, nice round flavors of red currants, oak, fruit is subdued at this point but very present. Very well balanced now, will definitely integrate and gain complexity with age. Tannins are a little harsh right now, but there is enough back there to make this a very interesting wine in 5-10 years. 92-94 pts with a little upside.
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4/15/2007 - zeke26 wrote: 91 Points
Very interesting wine; has an earthy nose that I associate more with Italian wines. Initial notes of tobacco; the fruit taking some time to arrive but there was plenty of it. Perhaps some subtle drops of mint, too. But the ladies didn't enjoy this one as much as the evening's pinot noir.
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4/11/2007 - EBoyer wrote: 93 Points
A very nice wine. Aromas of tobacco -but not at all green-that I associate with Pessac-Leognan. Over the course of the evening, the tobacco faded to the background, and aromas of spice and dark fruits came to the fore. Great mouthfeel, not heavy at all. Not super long in the finish and not too complex, but very nice. I guess this is modern or international in style, but I don't think anybody in California makes a wine with this nose. Drinking very well now and might develop more complexity in a few years.
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4/9/2007 - MJTed wrote: 91 Points
Not decanted but aired for about 90 minutes in the big Reidel glass. Oak well integrated with nice secondary flavors and subdued ripe fruit. A firm but not overly tannic mouthfeel. Should improve but drinking nicely now, particularly with steak.
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2/17/2007 - jmd60611 wrote: 92 Points
Drank two bottle at dinner....decanted for an hour beforehand, big, beautiful nose with floral aromatics....Medium bodied, abit of funk but great notesm of spice and minerality...look forward to this settling in and speaking mid pallate
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2/12/2007 - duchamp Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bright purple in color, big nose of toasted oak, vanilla, sappy red fruit and meaty/earthy undertones, big, sweet, fruit driven mid-palate with a firm backbone, amazing long finish with layer after layer of complexity from olives to tar to mocha to...
Update 10 yrs later:
Dark ruby, bouquet is on the subtle side with tobacco, vanilla bean, pencil shavings, mocha and cassis, palate is a perfect balance of ripe juicy black fruit, acidity, well integrated tannins and oak, finish is long and complex with red and black fruit, spice, earth, wood, mint and much, much more
Same 93 pts.
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2/4/2007 - cgrimes wrote: 90 Points
2003 Bordeaux Horizontal Tasting (Wentworth Hotel, New Castle, NH): Ruby color with some lightening at the edges. Complex nose of dark fruit, wet stone, smoke, cigar box with similar flavors on the palate. Good backbone of tannins which are still slightly harsh. Should mellow nicely in next 5-10 years.
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12/25/2006 - JasonHofmann wrote: 95 Points
Earthy, like mushrooms. Red Peppers. Well rounded. Loved it.
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11/29/2006 - MRichman wrote:
2003 Bordeaux Horizontal at Post House, NYC
Sweet, smooth, soft, dark fruit, toasted oak. Simple.
B
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11/2/2006 - Myownscale wrote: 85 Points
Nose:
a little funky
Palate:
bordeaux, nice fruits, woood, long finish, vanilla
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10/20/2006 - Wineosseur wrote: 89 Points
Consumed over 3 days. I believe this was my first '03 Bordeaux, and it immediatelt stood out for it's uber-ripe, almost shiraz-like style. The dark fruit and oak are showing prominently at this stage, and I hope these elements will integrate with time and result in a more complex, balanced wine.
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10/20/2006 - SacredCow wrote: 90 Points
On the nose, very prominent oak with some brownish tobacco notes and cherries. On the palate, medium to full-bodied, round and lush with creamy cherries and red currants. Very smooth, leading to a medium to long finish where some minerality and spice kick in. Tannins are very present, but fairly round.
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10/14/2006 - ashegedyn wrote: 89 Points
Dark, almost purple color with medium legs. Aromas of pencil shavings, cedar, dirt, rose, and dark fruit. Dark currant flavor hits the front palate and continues thru the mid-palate. Lots of layers of dark fruit: currant, plum, as well as licorice. Medium structure in the front to mid-palate. Medium finish which starts a little rough but ends smooth and silky.
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4/16/2006 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 87 Points
Very interesting in comparison to the 2002. You might assume that the '03 would be the sappier, fruitier, denser, riper wine, but you'd be wrong: this one, in addition to being more prominently structured, also lacks the plush roundness of the '02, and the fruit profile is very red rather than very blue. The result is that the lighter body makes the wine easier to drink and conveys the cedarwood and tobacco details more transparently, but it is also thinner and flatter without nearly the constitution of the '02.
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1/26/2006 - 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): Clearly the cream of the crop among the Pessc Leognan wines poured at this tasting. Much more substantial than its brethren. A nose of dreid tobacco leaves. Good concentration with notes of fig and mushroom compost. Medium to full bodied. Firm tannins. This is better than the 2001 and even the 2000 vintage of this wine at the same age. 92-93 points.
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1/23/2006 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose is a tad oaky, and there is jamminess, too, but agreeable tobacco notes. The palate is New Wordly, so it depends on your taste. I do not like how it has evolved since the barrel tasting, as it seems to have lost some of the Indian Tonic like freshness it possessed in 2004. But I am sure it will please some palates.
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1/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 90 Points
Pale aroma. Still pretty big, tight, and tannic. Needs time. 1/06
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10/19/2005 - claudio_bxl wrote:
Good persistence of color and an attractive nose of tobacco, smoke red fruit and a hint of minerality. In the mouth it has a velvety attack but quite straight without a lot of complexity. Nice, well done and good tannin integration for the vintage
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4/1/2004 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Ch. Carbonnieux: Grt. up front frt., light blkberry; some hint of vanilla, cedar; grt smooth attack, t’s med. ++, long fin., excellent structure.
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