Tasted annually, this was one the best bottles so far. Whether this is down to variance, or the last 12 months has finally moved it to its peak. I suspect the latter. Everything is integrated and well balanced with secondary and early tertiary notes. My only barrier to a higher rating is the finish, which has become a little over tannic as the fruit has faded. 93+
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Super classic Bordeaux. Pencil shave and cigar box. No fruit but still vibrant and fresh. Plenty of life in this one still. Most underrated Bordeaux vintage ever?
Very dark red. Graphite and black currant nose. Full bodied, black and red fruit, some fruit liqueur. Tannin is obvious but fine and attractive. Will live until its 30th birthday, no problem.
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Bordeaux 2003 – 20 Years On – 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind, not decanted (some wines would have needed it). Observations: 1) 2003 is not a good vintage. The wines don’t have the depth and elegance of good years. But I was positively surprised, that while it’s clearly a hot year, there are less overripe, over-extracted and prematurely dying wines than in 09/10. Still, there is no comparison to how Chateauxs handle hot years today. 2) Compared to five other vintage retrospectives, the 2003 came in last place (lower average score than 2011), with just Chateau Margaux reaching a group score above 95pts. 3) Margaux wines showed best, with the typical immediate charm, while St. Estephe and Pauillac have potential but will need more time (and/or would have needed more air). 4) Right bank wines did not show as good with some alcohol showing and a few wines being on a downhill path. I would not chase 2003 right banks.
TN: Medium expressive nose circling around a ripe darker fruit core with a bit of minerality alongside. On the palate red berries, blue fruit, some seductive toasty notes. Not overly complex but well defined. The structure is good here with fine tannins and a good freshness. No excess weight. One of the positive surprises for but others liked it a bit less.
Decanting: A short decant should be sufficient.
Group average: 90.3 pts Group rank: Shared 21st out of 29 reds
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Im so glad I opened my last bottle, a mag, now thanks to everyones recent notes. Audozed it 2 hours prior to pouring. Gorgeous notes of dark cherry and spice on the back end. No evidence of the hot vintage and very well balanced along with smooth tanins.
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Auction bottle, impeccable storage. Fill almost to the cork! Double decanted and slo ox for 90 minutes. Capsule, cork,label intact. Deep garnet with minimal bricking. Moderate fruit driven nose belies the complexity of this wine when it hits the palate. The acidity and silky smooth tannins are balanced by the fruit but the wine loses some flavor and fruit over our 3 hour drinking period. Drink up.
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Grand Bordeaux 2003 horizontal tasting (Fribourg): Bordeaux 2003 vintage horizontal hosted by a private collector and moderated by Jean-Marc Quarin. Main observations: 1/ Average quality is acceptable, but weighted down by various low-lights, esp. on the right bank. 2/ In general a tannic vintage, lacking balance. 3/ Top 3 wines were Lafite, Mouton and Margaux (all 95). See the tasting story for a complete overview and additional vintage comments.
Tasting note: Red cherry and raspberry fruit, extracted but still fresh with herbs adding more freshness. Not overly expressive but with a certain plushness to it. The palate was a mix of unripe and cooked fruit with too much tannin. While the 2002 was a surprise winner in the vintage, Lagrance dropped down close to the bottom in 2003.
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I was expecting a bolder wine given the vintage, but this was fairly light and elegant. A little reticent on the nose, very smooth dusty fruit on the palate. A nice wine, but a bit less expressive than I was hoping.
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Beautiful and mature bouquet with dark and red berries and some autumn forest. Fully developed, also on the palate. Beautiful and fully mature wine. No real hurry, but don’t wait too long anymore.
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This wine continues to show its ability to maintain its reputation as a great Bordeaux red. Opened and decanted with an aerator. Held in decanter for three plus hours, tasting along the way. Initialy seemed to be hollow at midpalate, but after three hours, opened up nicely in the glass. Tasted along side a 92 point Napa cab, and all our guests preferred the Lagrange by a large margin. Glad I’ve got more in the cellar - this seems to be at a plateau, with no signs of decline.
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Medium red. Nose has graphite, dark red berry, kiss of vanilla. It is medium body with black currant and silky tannin. The mid-palate lacks some oomph. Nonetheless, its in fine form today.
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Not sure how I had another one but I did, and it was past prime. Uncertain if passive cellar conditions impacted aging but still difficult to imagine a 30+ year window for this bottle.
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Hmmm. Not sure where this is heading. Quite harsh on opening and improves after some time in the decanter, but the fruit is fading and is still a bit dominated by the heat on the finish.
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Hot year wine but much restrained from toast. Elegant wine made in a feminine style. Not aggressive tannins or acids. All tamed. It was opened 2-hours before a further 1-hour in decanter, went perfect with lamb chops.
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It’s come a long way over the past four years. No longer a tannic beast. Coffee notes mingle with the red fruit and slightly herbaceous elements. The dark ruby color is inviting. The palate is still a touch hollow but it’s solid Bordeaux to drink soon. The finish remains a bit harsh. (88)
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4th time I have had this wine and it is in a great spot right now. The cork came out in 2 pieces. Decanted 2 hours before dinner. Lightly sedimented. Paired with a smoked chicken. Ruby color. Creamy texture. Floral nose. Round and elegant with cherry, leather and plum notes. 94 points.
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Crimson in color. 13% ABV. Classic nose of black fruits, leather and cigar box. Rich and plush with gorgeous fruits and mostly resolved tannins. Black currants, cassis, smoke and earth on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. There is a lot to like here at almost 20 years of age from what most consider a problematic vintage. Best over the next several years.
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Beautiful Bordeaux at it’s peak. Still some fruit, but the tertiary notes are taking over. Quite classical sensation of cedar and cigar box. Mellow and smooth. Nice for meditation purpuses… Have only one left, which I will drink before long.
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Decanted for 2 hours first and drunk over 2 hours. Mellow, smooth and refined. Fruit still apparent with red berries and plum. Menthol, licorice, cedar and hint of graphite. Degree of earthy warmness. Balanced. Tannins are smooth and fine. Still a good acidic backbone. Very moreish.
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Instructive. A lot of people I know hated this wine on release. For all I know they continue to hate it. This wine remains true to pedigree-and the vintage. Cedary-menthol bouquet, a full palate that is marvelously balanced between sweetness, dryness, structure and moreish acidity. Drinking well (as it always has) and will keep.
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3rd time I have had this 3rd growth but not since 2013. A blend of 57% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot and 10% petit verdot. Not decanted. Dark purple color. The cork came out in 2 pieces and crumbled in the bottle. Fruitier than the 2000 Branaire Ducru that we drank before it. Notes of black currant, cedar and pencil lead. 92 points.
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Red and black fruits on the nose with a touch of chocolate and loam. A lively wine, not always the case with 03s, with modest length. This is a good effort for a overhyped vintage that has largely never produced; give me 2001 over 2003 any day.
Addendum: After 24 hours of slow-ox, the nose is a bit muted. However, the wine itself was a tad better balanced, with the acidity a little less pointed (92)
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UWS a random set of wines (@ JB): Beautiful bouquet which shows some development, buts is also still nicely fresh. On the palate beautiful acidity, some bitterness and tannin which shows that the wine can last some more years.
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Decanted for 45 mins, though was open at first pour. Much better than my last bottle in 2014. Very shy on the nose, but the palate is much better, with dark fruit, resolved tannin, and enough balancing acidity (often a concern for 03's). The fruit seemed a little dense or concentrated, in a good way, but did not have as much nuance or complexity as you would normally expect from a St Julien of this age, though not atypical of 03. Overall, a very enjoyable wine and I would say is likely at or near its peak window, as little to gain with more aging given its profile, and the fruit is in its prime.
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4th Saturday Brown Bagger (EBCC): Double blind. Herb, iron and crrant notes with an earthy undertone. Medium-bodied with softened tannin. Red berry fruit on the palate with iodine hints. Guessed Bordeaux. (MM)
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Bought 5 of these, drank one 5 years or so ago, and this last one was in character for both, my memory of the wine and 2003 Bordeaux. What I found funny was that one of the newbies at the table, preferred this to many better wines, some being from 1990! GO figure...Different strokes, for different folks was in mind.
Deep fruited and lush with very little secondary development, with the vibe of a cedar dusted old wine. Really well kept with good dryness and firmness, but now, it seems to be losing the freshness and hesitant to punch through the roof and become a classy Bordeaux. I would drink this in the next 3 years at most and think it is now officially in sunset mode..DRINK
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Quite a step back from the 2000 Lagrange we enjoyed over the weekend. The 2003 lacked both the vibrancy of fruit and the depth of the flavor and finish. It was good, or at least good enough anyway, but we won't be scouring the web searching for another.
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Tasted annually, I think I have been a little harsh the last couple of times out. This peaked at a relatively young age and some bottles are starting to be better than others, and this was one of those. It is very easy to drink with or without food, and even as the fruit fades there is still a great mouthfeel with everything integrated. The finish is is on the shorter side but well balanced. The wine lacks complexity and is one dimensional, but it is highly enjoyable and if you are not careful you could easily sup a bottle in an hour or two. 92+
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Not hundred percent sure, if the bottle is flawless. The bouquet comes with black and blueberries as well as some graphite and underbrush. The palate is medium bodied and surprisingly fresh for this hot vintage. Since there is a slight doubt about TCA, I refrain from giving a score.
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Medium+ red, pink edge. Opened early in the day and drunk at dinner. Plummy, dark berries, green pepper and only a little oak on the nose. Cleanly fruity, tannin is suave and supportive. Great drinking over next few years.
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This was great. Tannins integrated. Mild fruit. Showed better through the night. The alcohol and tannins made me think it could age longer. But it’s gone now. Chris and I had it with thanksgiving dinner but drank most of it before dinner was ready.
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This has never been a great wine but has improved over the years though there is still a pinched feel on the palate and the tannins continue to dominate the fruit even if it is in better balance Not showing much on the nose but there is some decent fruit with cassis and blackfruits.
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This started to peak at a relatively young age, and I really think this will start on a gradual decline in the not too distant future. Indeed 4 years ago I gave this a rating of 94. That said, it is a well balanced and integrated wine in full maturity, and only needing a short time in the decanter. The nose is aromatic with ripe fruit and the tannin has fully resolved and everything is smooth on the palate. The finish is a little clipped and on the harsh side.
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Opened and drank over 3 nights. Inky dark color, sweet ripe fruit, integrated tannins with a hint of bitterness. Improved with air. Offers a lot of pleasure Ready to rock and roll.
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Sad to see my last bottle go. Delightful. Dominated by secondaries now but with still present red berry fruit. Some tea flavors that I usually get in Oregon Pinot and seem quite unusual here, but pleasant. A soft undercurrent of minerality. Well balanced with a medium length finish.
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I don't get why this 2003 gets beat up. While I have noticed a bit of bottle variability in this vintage, most were quite enjoyable (granted some 03s are truly flabby). This one had a slightly extruded cork so I was a bit worried but pleasantly surprised. The 2003 Lagrange palate is medium bodied with ample black fruit, cassis, and tobacco. Generally, I prefer the 00s and the 05s, but this was a really good 03 value. The tannins are still a bit overwhelming but there is ample acidity and fruit to let this go another decade, when I predict it will be outstanding. Too bad only one left (talked into working through by the "experts").
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Light ruby appearance, going to garnet but quite there yet.
Pronounced and evolved aromas of black fruits , crème de cassis, tobacco and vanilla. Textbook St Julien.
Medium plus body with (still ) noticeable tannin, acidity and structure. Similar flavor characteristics on the palate- minus the fruit.
Still going strong at age 16 or so and refutes the reputation of 2003 as a hot or overcooked vintage. Will keep another decade in a cold cellar, but not sure it will improve.
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Dark mahogany colour betraying some age. Opened and let sit a couple of hours without decanting. Reticent nose to start with. Smooth full taste, with very few tannins left. Good warm long spicy finish, clearly a hot vintage (although 13% makes us laugh nowadays). A tad dry at the back end. Solid, not very refined.
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I feel the wine has found its level of performance, and has not really lived up to its initial promise when it first was entering its drinking window. However, that said, it is a good solid wine, that is drinking beautifully with a structure to stay here for a few years. The nose is full of cedar, cherry, and red berry. The fruit is prominent on the palate, but the tannin is quite dominant. Depth and balance are good, but the finish is on the shorter side and a little unbalanced and harsh with the tannin.
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Damn - this is gorgeous... mature, and in full command. Despite 2003's reputation (hot & ripe), I find this wine to be anything but... powerful yet restrained fruit, cedar spice & graphite woven throughout, balanced acid that carries it across the palate. Wonderful. Delicious St. Julien.
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Drinking very well right now. Medium weight, ruby red fruit with muted nose initially and then opens up. After a mandatory two hour decant, Bordeaux becomes fruit forward with terrific secondary flavors of cigar box, leather, cassis and forecast floor...all nicely integrated. Despite this hot vintage, this wine is restrained and delicious.
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Ruby with red cherry, slight orange rim; bright cherry, funky, with cranberry skin, orange peel, toostie roll (again!)and old oak. Some VA, acetone or some such, seemed almost faulty to me, med++ dry chunky tannins, Med+ acidity, not sure about this but seemed slightly off to me. Blind group at Teviot
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Two bottles in 10 days. The first one was a bit floppy and on the edge of decline (88 Points). The second one had more spine, fruit and length, and had somehow unevolved potential. It showed pretty nice on day two in a rather classic claret style. A 89-90 score. How ever 2003 wasn´t a real success for Chat. Lagrange like for many others in this hot year. Drink up during the coming 3-4 years. Bottle Variation will increase.
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Consistent with recent notes in the 88-90 range, classic claret, pleasant and straightforward, fruit/acid felt a bit muted and finished short, fair amount of sediment filtered out but seriously doubt holding more than a couple more years improves this.
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Crimson in color. 14% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red and black fruits, leather and cigar box. Plush and full bodied. Fruit forward with light, silky tannins. Currants, cassis, black licorice, plums and earth on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Perhaps a little atypical due to the vintage but absolutely delicious Bordeaux nonetheless. I suspect this will drink well to twenty years of age.
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Muted on the nose. Soft tannins, fully resolved. Cranberry. Full but a little drying on end. A good, aged, one-dimensional bordeaux from a difficult year. Drink up over next few months.
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Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #037: Bordeaux 2003, 2004 and 2006 (By me): In the bouquet dark berries, some metal, tea and tobacco. On the palate a touch of barnyard, dark and red berries, sweet spices, forest floor, cherry liquor bonbon, beautifully fresh acidity, some sweetness and round tannin with still a soft bite.
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Fully mature, this should be consumed over the next 5 years to enjoy it at its best. Possessing a very deep aromatic nose of cedar and dark berry fruits, the tannin is prominent on the palate but well balanced and does not over dominate. The finish is decent but is bitter towards the end.
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Mature claret with some cedar, still some primary black fruit, but also some tertiary and evolved notes. I think this is at its peak and is best drunk over the next two or three years.
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Monthly Tasting Group EEE; Educational blind tasting (@ My place): Beautiful, complex and mature bouquet with red and dark berries, cherries, vanilla and sweet spices. On the palate the same impressions, some bell pepper, raisins, beautifully dosed oak, good acidity and round, soft tannin with still a good bite. A pleasant touch of sweetness as well.
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Deep ruby red color. Indian spices and milk chocolate on the nose. Notes of cassis, Indian spices, crabapple. A bit thin-bodied, and the Indian spices are slightly off-putting.
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Plum and black currant fruit. Ripe and plush, with velvety, nearly fully integrated tannins on the finish. Still maturing, and better than my last bottle consumed ~ 1 year ago.
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Opened and poured but let sit for an hour. Served w filet sautéd mushrooms and onions. Silky smooth soft. slightly musty in pleasant way. Earlthy. Dry? Floral. No alcohol no bite Best of old world cab. All at the table commenting. Thoroughly enjoyed. Bottle empty. But we will keep drinking the 10 we have left. No raisin las mentioned in previous notes. But we all agreed drink sooner than later
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Black/red fruit profile. No raisin on the nose in this bottle. Garnet color is very youthful. The palate is a bit of a letdown. Simple, fruit forward and still tannic. Lacking interest and complexity. Not heavy but seems to be missing something - plus the oak is a bit intrusive. Out of sorts tonight. Try again in a few years. (87+?)
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Really enjoyed this bottle. Dark red, I thought it would have been a bit lighter. Clear left bank nose and palate. Had it with a rib eye steak. Plenty of life in this bottle, but not one to keep for decades.
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Rated lower than previous tasting a year ago, the wine has moved further in its drinking plateau, but has not quite matched the promise it showed at the last tasting. The nose is still bursting with ripe blackberry and blackcurrent, and the tannin is very well balanced with the fruit. However, the palate is now a little stringent, with an overly acrid finish. It is very enjoyable, but it was never held up at release with some of its acclaimed siblings from this fantastic vintage, and this is now apparent. It is probably better to consume this over the next couple of years.
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Tasted this alongside its 2002 counterpart. A black and white comparison.
57 CS, 33 M, 10 PV.
Red floral note. Subtle and elegant. Dried flower, sun dried tomato, fig, balance of primary and secondary characters. Smoky, animalistic/gamey which I find a lot in an older Lagrange. Structurally still going strong. Tannic presence, acidic frame and med full body. Finished on a nutty oak flavor but not over the top. Round.
This is a monumental effort in a less than ideal vintage. I generally don't prefer the vintage 2003 since I have been irked by flabby acidity and stewed fruit profile so many times. This had neither of the two. This will keep for a decade or more. Probably will improve too. It's that good. 92+
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Very nice bottle. Red berry fruit is definitely in the background behind the secondaries now. Quite smooth and well balanced. Some black pepper flavors add interest on the finish.
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This is why I buy and keep Bordeaux. Beautiful wine, faultless, fruit with tamed soft tannins, perfect drinking widow. Just so easy, balanced and perfect to drink with any beef and greens.
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Last bottle and great showing, smells of blackcurrant and black cherries with dry forest floor and blond tobacco. On the palate perfectly matured fruit, nice level of acidity and a good dose of resolved tannins keeping the wine together and fresh; alcohol in check, some luxury sweet oak in the background. Many hints of spices like all-spice throughout and some dried herbs like thyme. Good aftertaste. Might be at peak. Fantastic QPR for the €20 I paid back then.
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Nice nose of leather, cèpes de Bordeaux, bacon, black & red fruit... quite light but silky tannin, meaty with strawberries, nice feminine and delicate!
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Decanted for 1 hour. Huge nose, of earthy forest floor, graphite, tart fruit. Good color, very pinot dark raspberry red, translucent, not a ton of extraction. Lots of tannins and acid, probably needed more time to age because they were not well integrated. Good flavor but not a lot of depth. The finish was fairly short and unexciting but I am used to drinking heavily extracted/concentrated California Cabs. What left the most negative impression on me was the astringent aftertaste, like bitter grapefruit rind. It was not what I was expecting for a 16yr old Bordeaux. I think more aging would 3-5 years would have done the bottle some good.
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Chateau Lagrange dinner (Blacksalt, Washington DC): Not showing the roasted fruit, cherry liqueur and plum that I associate with the vintage. Sweet strawberry, plum, cinnamon and a hint of alcohol. Medium concentration, warm, soft and round, medium acidity, no noticeable tannins and a medium long subtle red fruit driven finish. It is an easy drinking wine that is fully ready to go.
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Consumed in Riedel Bordeaux glassware. Sweet oak still in the aromatics from the barrels (alcohol?). Tannins have resolved leaving a smooth mouthfeel and rather monolithic palate. Nothing herbal, nor classic in style. This is my 3rd bottle and i fail to detect any red fruits or clear distinction. I would have guessed 2005 California. Good.....not great.
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No detailed note... Nose of cloves, star anise and blackberries with a little black pepper - later some wet wool becomes more evident. Soft and mellow taste. Gentle aniseed spice, maybe some liquorice, blackberries. Probably at its peak, and fabulous it is too. My last bottle.
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Huge nose of ripe casssis, leather, cèpes de Bordeaux, sandalwood, cigar box... Classic Bordeaux with ripe and silky tannins, red berries, strawberries, mushrooms. Delicious but not very concentrated
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My Grade: VG+. Despite a broken cork, showed very well after two hours of air. Straight down the line St. Julien, medium body, medium tannins, good dark berry and black cherry fruit. A little one-note and doesn't have the back-bone of a 2000 or 2005, so should be drunk now, but enjoyable nonetheless. A very good example of the underrated 2003 vintage (see my profile for grades).
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Weekly tasting group RWP : 10 completely different wines fully blind (@ My place): The bouquet shows some signs of maturity, dark and red berries, autumn forest, coffee, chocolate and caramel as well as beautiful oak. On the palate the same impressions, beautiful acidity and slightly drying tannin with still a pleasant bite.
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Had same meal as 2002. This has more sweet fruit and apparent tannins, some heat in the back end. Really delicious while obviuosly different vs 2002 style. Another really enjoyable bottle of Lagrange. Last one from 02/03 vintages.
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From magnum bought en primeur. Hard to add much to philippe’s note below. Nose of sweet plums then sandalwood, cedar and dark blackcurrant. Quite a long dry finish. Drinking well now and given the tannic backbone will I suspect drink well for a decade. I don’t buy magnums often as whilst great for long ageing I prefer a range of wines and they’re a pain to decant. The barrel sample of 2016 Lagrange was so superb I got them in magnum. Both vintages are great value.
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very good value. decanted 3-4 hours, then showed homogenous. great with filet de boeuf and other dark meats. not the utmost finely ciseled wine, still very powerful. but think could eventually dry out, so do not hold longer than max. 5 years.
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Color is still pretty dark for a 14 year old wine... Huge nose of cedar, leather, ripe black fruit, sandalwood, textbook St-Julien nose... Very black taste, fresh integrated tannin with black fruit in the background, very nice!
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The cork on this bottle crumbled and was very difficult to extract. It had to be picked out piece by piece with the balance of the cork pushed into the bottle. The wine was then filtered to get rid of all of the cork pieces before we could drink it. Despite the horrible cork the wine was in good shape. There was no bouquet. The color was dark red with no signs of oxidation. The flavor was a nice balance of tannin, oak and fruit though the fruit was a bit subdued.
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Very typical of the good left bank wines of 2003, the wine is entering into its optimum drinking window. It has a deeply perfumed nose of pure blackcurrent and on the palate the tannins have resolved giving good fruit well balanced with harsher notes. With a decent finish, although not up there with the best St Juliens and St Estephes of the vintage, I would venture to say that it is the best Lagrange drinking are present. Decanting is recommended, and I would think it has a good few years ahead staying at this level.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Aromas of currant, cherry, cedar, graphite and dried herbs. Black and red fruit, tobacco leaves, graphite and soft tannins on the palate. Medium to long finish. Medium to full bodied. Served with grilled T-bone steak.
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Last bottle 3 years ago. After my last sceptical note, this wine is back in business. Rich and round, tannins have softened and all is in nice balance again. Not the most complex Bdx out there but nice to drink now and over the next couple years
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Eðalklúbbur, wine tasting #5 spring 2017 (Marbakkabraut 12): Ruby coloured. The rim has started to show a bit of orange. A bit closed to start with but when swirled it reveals honey, prunes, liquorice and cut grass. Beautifully balanced wine. Very soft and you can find cherries, prunes, cocoa and chocolate on the tongue. Much more developed than the 2009 and 2010 tasted before. We discussed that the 2009 would probably end up similar to this in five to six years.
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Enjoyed from a 375ml bottle with a nose of black berry, mint, allspice, and a touch of black cherry, same on the palate, medium/big body, very tasty, lots of mouth filling fruit, sweet on the palate and a touch sour on the mid palate, needs 3 years to peak, still very easy to enjoy tonight, only a medium finish which hurt the score.
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No detailed note. Starting to drink brilliantly. Big but not OTT. Lovely Bordeaux berry flavours - primarily black, some red. A touch of tobacco. Still some well-integrated tannins.
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Quite concentrated and firm, maybe missing the nuances of better vintages though. Ripe dark black currant fruit, oak is present, grippy tannins and a plush mouthfeel. A little blocky but enough typicity to carry it through. Hoping this may develop a little more complexity in time but perhaps a function of a tougher vintage.
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Very ripe, big bodied cassis and blackberry fruit. Pencil lead and leather on the smooth finish. The tannins are better integrated than last tasting. Decent balance, and while not particularly typical Bordeaux- very drinkable and pleasant.
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Enofusión 2017; 1/23/2017-1/25/2017 (IFEMA - Madrid): I've fallen in love with this wine with 10% of PV. That elegant and spicy touch is ... tremendous. A soft varnish that drags during its passage through the palate ... seductive. Anthracite notes too. Everything in balance and full of elegance. Although I think it can still improve a bit, I will start to open this vintage. Totally decided.
Me ha enamorado este vino con un 10% de PV. Ese toque elegante y especiado es tremendo. Ese barniz suave que arrastra durante su paso por el paladar...seductor. Notas de antracita también. Todo en equilibrio y lleno de elegancia. Aunque creo que todavía puede mejorar un poco, voy a empezar a abrir esta añada. Decidido.
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Evolved nose of cassis, blackberry, vanilla and tobacco.
Medium plus body with plenty of acidity and medium tannin. Black fruit, vanilla , tobacco and spice on the palate. The finish is long.
Another 2003 that defies the reputation of the vintage as being flabby or over cooked. This is a text book St Julien that is drinking well now and will easily keep for another decade (if stored properly)
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An easy afternoon with close friends; Pauillac, Pomerol, St. Julien (@ My place): This wine was still as youthful as Grand Puy Lacoste 2008 and that in itself tells enough when you know about Bordeaux wines. Impressive for Lagrange 2003 in any case! The wine has a beautiful and creamy bouquet with good red and dark forest fruit. On the palate juicy and creamy with ripe fruits. a beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness and vanilla. Very well balanced and integrated wine.
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Amazing wine, exceeded all expectations. A wonderful "mouth-feel", tannic yet smooth, slight aftertaste wish it had more, but just enough fruit with complex wood and mushrooms textures. No acidity. Paired very well with a filet but also stood solo perfectly well without any need for decanting. Sad I only have 1 left in the cellar. Drink now or +2 years. Enjoy this St. Julien! Cheers.
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PHMG WAG: Tour de France 2016 (Chateau Lyon): This bottle was better than my last one 3 years ago, no funk. Just loads of black fruit / cassis, graphite, mocha, tobacco, cedar, tar, and stone. Tannins are nearly resolved on the long finish. Now-2023
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With Prawn & Pancetta rice. Double decanted for (modest) sediment. Light florals on the nose with some coaxing, great acidity in the mouth, light on its feet, a refreshingly dry finish. No noticeable 2003ness. Excellent.
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Not nearly as nice as the last bottle. Took awhile to open - about an hour in the decanter. Some dark fruit, but most everything was overshadowed by the cigar box flavors. Smelled better than it tasted. The finish was long and nice.
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Great juice. Opened for 4 hours before sharing with the group. Upon the pull, it already had a great nose that wreaked of cedar. 4 hours later the nose had developed into a wonderfully complex dame of a Lagrange. Cedar, graphite, cocoa, mint, and tobacco. Classic stuff. The palate was full and smooth with some polished tannins on the milk chocolate finish. Alas, it was my last bottle.
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This wine really needed a decant. I had the third coravinned glass tonight and although it was aromatic, it was a bit weird at first. There was fruit but I think it was a bit roasted. The palate was tight and tannic, and the wine got a bit hard to drink. But, after 2 hours of decanting, boom, the wine had a sexy oak and red fruit nose, and a smooth enticing palate. I don't usually see this much change with air, but this time, oh yeah. I would drink this with food as well.
Update [11/26/2016]: Finished the bottle tonight. Upgraded the score from 92 to 93. The experience of this wine was great overall. As I said before, this wine has a really lovely evolution with air which brings out a lot of aromatic complexity. I served this wine to my father-in-law a couple days before our wedding and he preferred it to the 1995 Lagrange and 1988 Lafite. I agree that it was way more approachable and hedonistic than those wines. This was also served at the cocktail hour at my wedding and the guests enjoyed it more than the other wines - 1995 Whitehall Lane Leonardini Vineyard, 1995 Whitehall Lane Reserve Cabernet, and 1995 Lagrange.
This is delicious and my periodic reminder of how much I love bordeaux. Dark in the glass, it started off with some earthy notes and berries. You can feel the tension between its food-friendly acidity and some fine tannins on the back end. It is a wine that has some weight yet still manages to be fresh. As dinner went on, the dark fruits were more prominent and the wine really smoothed out. Paired very well with our skirt steaks. This is ready to drink now. Decant for sediment (lots of it) and if you want to avoid the earthier notes in the first 10-15 minutes. 92-93.
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Bright red crusts after stoic of funky barnyard. Along with the red, we have some dark cherry and cassis. Great acidity and mineral keep this wine in check. I probably should have waited longer as this was my last 2003 Lagrange and this hasn't peaked. I save a glass and it was still beautiful on day 2. The acid and tannin keep this as more of a food wine, but this was a very nice bottle.
89 for a Bordeaux and 93 as a California wine... Still full throttle and big bodied with lots of structure and heft. Lots of deep black fruit and spice, with a cedar nose that leans toward old world. Palate was vibrant and luxurious from the evident quality of the oak, and well balanced between sweetness of the ripe fruit and the acid and tannins from well timed harvesting for the hot vintage...A great wine, an ok 2003, and an unusual Bordeaux. Drink or Hold...
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IMHO the 2003 vintage is incredibly overrated. This wine was fine, but as another reviewer mentioned, I tasted a tremendous amount of eucalyptus. I will say that the wine was very smooth, and it did coat the tongue nicely, but too much green / eucalyptus flavors for my liking.
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Excellent, and great value! Really nice drinker that opened up over a couple hours. Rich but not cloying nose with plum, licorice and a hint of eucalyptus and a well rounded palate that blended freshness and depth. This will be very good for a long while to come but is great to drink now.
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Super nose of roasted steak, patanegra, sandalwood, exotic spices, ripe red strawberries... tastes beautiful silky tannins, ripe red fruit, nice freshness, quite long for a Lagrange!
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Good medium color. Nose has lots going on dark fruits, cherries etc. quite a modern vein (Napa) on tasting & still very fresh with a bit to go on the development front. No over extraction here. Long lasting finish but not quite as good as some lagranges that have come before it eg; 85,86, 00. Outmaneuvered by a more evolved beychevelle 03 on this occasion.
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Purple black colour, thick legs, sweet nose of tobacco/cedar. Clean sweet black fruit; blackberries, blackcurrants. No austerity Atypical for Bordeaux - no graphite/leather. Delicious. Should last 15+ years more
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Wine Club Jr (Bordeaux) (Sommerfeld's Place, SF): Medium garnet. Nose was a bit more primary than I expected (compared to 2000 vintage consumed a few weeks back). Crushed raspberries, black cherry, ripe plum, eucalyptus, cedar, and mint. Elegant and a bit light on the palate. Body, acid, alcohol, tannins were well balanced and all medium. Medium+ length finish.
A classy beauty, just beginning to shine. Not super extracted, a more delicate style. I expect it will be in it's prime over the next ten years.
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Drinking brilliantly but with a little life left too. Beautiful deep burgundy, with notes of polished dark redwood and few signs of age. On the nose cassis with hints of chocolate and a little mint - which become more menthol-like at the back of the nose. The smell is both restrained and powerful. Good structure. Black fruits with notes of mushroom and wood. Dryness resulting from some soft, nicely integrated tannins. Cassis and some slight spice on the long finish.
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First bottle from a case aligns with recent notes from 2015. Drinking nicely, with several years of life left IMHO. Big, rich, full bodied wine. Nice QPR at $25 en primeur
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Popped and poured. It was showing nicely in the glass after 30 mins. A mature, young to drink bordeaux. The nose had dark currants, herbs, mushroom, and a sweet nose. The wine reflected the ripe vintage. However, the palate was not as deep and concentrated as Lagrange 2000. The finish was a bit dry. Better than 2007 Lagrange but not as good as his 2000 vintage. I would drink this now as I dont see it to improve with more aging.
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Drinking just as good as last time. Had with a New York strip and was just perfect. Don't see this getting better but will drink for many years to come.
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I think this was opened right when it needed to be. I'm not sure what purpose there is to keep holding it (the '03 Lafon Rochet, opened the day before, was slightly more structured and can go a little longer), at least based on my experience: I'm glad I opened it (my only bottle). Compared to the '00, opened 1.5 years ago, the '03 is less of a wine (medium bodied at the most), and not at all on par with the depth, structure, and potential of the '00. With that said, the '03 was enjoyed by all at the able, shining above the '05 CdP Vatican Cuvee Sixteen, which was not quite ready yet. The '03 Lagrange, however, featured a lovely nose of cedar, roasted herbs, a hint of mocha, graphite, and with time, olive, mushroom, and red fruits (not particularly deep or dark though). In the mouth, it's silky and smooth, with no harshness or notable tannic presence to speak of, and dominated by raspberry, plum, and blueberry fruit flavors.
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Not as good as prior bottles. Mocha and spice nose, with dark somewhat roasted fruit on the palate. Course tannins on the backend. Moderate mocha finish. Good, not great, but this bottling has been better in the past (and should be at this price point.)
Awesome. Everything is well balanced now. Red berry fruit, some tobacco, maybe a little chocolate, and a bit smoky. Delicious with a long smooth finish. Did not throw any sediment.
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A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, this wine was made in a hotter vintage. Slightly stewed black berry fruit and vegetal aromas on the nose. Savoury tobacco and cigar characters.
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Double decanted for 1.5 hours. Nose of currant, cherry, chocolate and spice. Blackberry, cherry, chocolate, currant and leather on the palate. Leads to a medium to long dry finish. Medium bodied with good tannins. Paired with roast beef.
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Not quite as heavy and overripe as some 2003 but still showing some jammy and stewed fruit. Still well balanced, enough freshness, good finish. Slowly drink up. 88-90
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Had a 750ml and a magnum. The magnum was a bit fresher. 750 had noticeably more mushroom and leather notes, which points to development. The 750 was a bit more enjoyable / interesting for the group tonight.
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Deep colour, impressive nose (red and blue fruits, leather aromas), the palate offers very rich dark fruit, soft chocolaty tannins; deep, full of harmony, good length. Now and the next 5 years at its top.
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A bottle I bought right after release and that was perfectly stored since then. PnP. Medium ruby-purple color. Nose of cassis/black currant, but also some red fruit, rubber, touch of cooked berries, slightly sirupy, cedar wood and also some minerality. On the palate there are similar notes again, mainly slightly cooked fruit, minerals. It's medium+ bodied with low acidity and medium+ tannin that is pretty rough and drying. Average length. A good wine for the vintage but there are too many "hot notes" and not enough acidity for my taste. Also the tannin is a little dry.
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Nose was pretty closed down on opening, but improved after a couple of hours. Dark fruits became evident, but cedar and tobacco were dominant. The wine grew on me after 2 hour decant. Excellent St. Julien wine, especially considering the price.
of the two 2003 Bordeaux's we enjoyed at the WFFT auction mtg, this was slightly more rustic. Currant and red plum and gripping tannins, but well structured and built for the long haul.
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Cellared since release... still quite primary, with many years of life left. Didn't find it "sporty" or high alcohol at all. A bit short on the finish, but silky with well integrated tannins.
Cedary yet rich nose - with a curious hint of furniture polish. Possibly blueberry with distinct floral notes. Drying. Bramble, especially black fruits. Spicy, spirity finish - including coriander seed.
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Excellent mouthfeel with wonderful fruit and long finish, nice classic perfume. This is in a great drinking window now and has stuffing to go longer, did not feel any obtrusive heat from the vintage, just quality fruit.
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Deep nose with moderate cedar and blackberry notes. Soft silky texture. In its drinking window. Any development from here would be secondary/tertiary. Very nice to drink now.
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3 hours in the decanter on night one, this drank very well with ribeye steaks. 2 nights later however this was absolutely singing . . . perfumed nose with serious cassis and plum on the palate -- classic St Julien. Wish I had a few more to cellar.
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Slightly corked, not scored. Consumed over 2 days. Thought this might come around on day 2 after showing slightly corked on day 1, but if anything it was worse on day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, dominated by earthiness and wet newspaper with undertones of ripe dark fruit and licorice. Palate: Medium-full bodied, definite dark fruit appears on the attack but the tell-tale damp earthy cardboard flavors appear mid-palate and overshadow all the goodness that is there in the background. Made it thru the entire bottle and would have rated 86-88 as tasted, but having had this previously I know it shows much better than this experience.
This is drinking really nice. Dark red but starting to brown on the rim. Ripe red raspberry, vanilla, wet stone and spice on the nose. Red fruit white chocolate on the palate. Still fruit, acid and tannins to last. I have found many of the 03's that I love and some that make me believe they won't hold up. I would buy more of the 03 Lagrange.
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Drank at home with the last guests from a BBQ. I have had several bottles of the 03 Lagrange over the last 2 years and this one unfortunately confirms the not very positive impression from the last bottle about a year ago. Lagrange was my favorite affordable 03 some 2 years ago, with a beautiful creamy palate and great balance, but has now shed it's richness and you are left with what I dislike so much about most wines in the hot 03 vintage. A dark profile with the typical burnt fruit flavors and not the finest tannins. Short to medium finish. Makes me a bit worried about my 03 Duhart's which I liked so much some years ago, and also need to pull the cork on those big 03s (Leoville Barton, Cos, Montrose), which I have not yet dared to open, before it's perhaps too late.
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Since I had the 2000 a week ago - which I liked - my expectations for this one were quite high. Unfortunately, the wine was rather mute: There was some structure, and the acidity was nice, but regarding flavours it lacked intensity as well as complexity. The nose was non-existent and the palate was rather a bit dull. It was more than OK to go with food, but for itself it was uninspiring
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without decanting in the glass and let stand for half an hour. Medium garnet red, deep dark core, at the edge of no maturity reflexes. The nose is very restrained, almost reductive, cool Cabernetaromatik, cassis, some cedar, light roasted notes, some leather and Tatar. On the palate, dense and compact, elegant, good structure, firm, initially a slightly sharp acidity, fat and sweet tannins, sweet fruit, cassis, cedar, well-poised and balanced. The finish is of medium length with dark berries.
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Dirty, tangy tannins and stinky earth, classic graphite, red currants and black currants with a touch of mushroom, spices form the oak, with an acidic biting finish. I like the bitters on this. Lagrange is classic St. Julien and showing well for this bottle had a cork that was obviously elevated. Not a stellar long, long finish, but the classic claret that sticks with you.
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Currant and dark cherry fruit on a medium body frame with medium acidity with hints of cedar and tobacco. The ripeness and forwardness was not as pronounced as many 03's, but did come across as round, though somewhat monolithic and lacked complexity at this stage, with a finish on the short side.
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Some cedar, leather, and spicy dark fruit but otherwise a fairly muted nose. Medium body with similar profile to the nose. Short finish. Based on other scores this wine is a big disappointment. Could be bottle variation or maybe a storage issue. This was one of the first wines I purchased when first getting into Bordeaux. Bummer!
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We had this with dinner (baked polenta with sausage and tomato-pepper sauce) on 1/23/14. It had a fragrant, earthy bouquet of leather, cedar, tobacco, black currant, black cherry, mineral and spice aromas. The palate was smooth, elegant, earthy and dry with flavors of leather, tobacco, minerals, anise, spice, black currant, and tart cherry…very enjoyable!
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Wunderbar balanciert, ausgewogen. In der Nase immer wieder neue Geschmacksrichtungen zeigend, lädt regelrecht auf einen Schluck ein. Im Gaumen herrlich rund, elegant und wunderbar stimmig. Mittellanger Abgang. Mit den Jahren wurde der zu einem richtigen "Wow-Wein". Wirklich schade, war die letzte Flasche.
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Opened 4 hours. Nice fruit on the nose along with some cedar. Decent acid, firm tannins. Lots of dark fruits and chocolate along with some minerality. Early maturity, solid 91 points
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Decent but not great although my wife liked this much more than I did. Last of my 03 Bordeaux's and honestly wasn't overly impressed with any of them. This had a storng iron/ mineral core to it along with the usual currant / blackberry flavors. Nose was probably strongest part of wine. Held up on day 2 after being stored in fridge so think has some life left but no reason to hold.
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Very nice wine and a perfect example of pure St. Julien harmony. Silky smooth with a great nose. Would love to get my hands on another couple of bottles.
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This is the reason I started drinking reds. Smooth, elegant and refined. Nose of dark fruit and pencil box followed by an explosion on the palate. Wish I had more.
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Just now starting to dry out a bit, there is still plenty of tobacco, cassis, cranberry and earthy notes in the nose, but this is not for long term aging. The tannins are firm and the finish is slightly drying in the end notes.
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Dark ruby. Initially very closed but after double decanting and leaving it for 2 hours the nose opens and reveals ripe dark cherry, blackberry, cassis, lead pencil and tobacco leaf, smoked bacon. Textbook Cabernet nose in its infancy but revealing some secondary nuances. Palate is lovely textured, certianly ripe and fruit-forward, but balanced and complemented by fresh acidity and grainy tannins. A ripe and modern bx but in no way overly extracted or stewed in character. finishes medium-long with tobacco and lead pencil.
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A WineBid bottle I purchased in '08. Perfect fill and cork. This was acting like it saw some heat it its life. Nose was shy, palate with plums and roasted fruit, clipped metallic finish. No obvious TCA. Very unlike prior bottles with solid providence. 83 if scored.
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17th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (The Lyon's Tree House): First slightly funky Bordeaux of the night, that blew off a bit to reveal ripe black fruit aromas with cedar, spice, tar, and minerals. Nice muscular texture on the palate. 90 on day 2.
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Brick colour, great spicy nose with something like all-spice and cedar. This put on some weight over the last 3.5 years and definitely improved. Rich taste, ripe black cherry fruit mostly, juicy, mineral tones, soft but not velvety. Concentrated, spicy and smokey aftertaste with tannins still present but well rounded out. Drinking very well now and developed over the 30 hours this bottle was open. Who knows what more may be in store with a few years more. Excellent QPR at 20 euro!
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This was bigger, more full, nicely balanced, smoother and more polished than I expected, one of the best LaGrange I have tasted. Medium to full bodied, dark inky purple colored, aromas and flavors of black berry, black cherry, violet floral with hints of coffee bean, mocha, tobacco and earth with soft smooth lingering tannins.
Decanted for about an hour, then drank over the course of 4 hours. Aroma is dark cherry and plum, along with some leather and cedar. Taste is red cherry, with a moderate level of acidity. Also a bit of tobacco on the palate. This is OK, but doesn't do have anything too exciting going on.
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Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2003 Bordeaux (Mike & Judi's): Garnet color. Aromas of coffee beans, dark fruit and herbs. Medium- to full-bodied with flavors of dark fruit, cherry and currants. Has a bitterness on the finish that I did not care for. 88+ pts.
My #7, Domino's #3 Group #2, 45 pts
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I hate sitting and waiting on a bottle for close to 10 years and being disappointed. It was fine and I'm glad I had it but it was nothing's special. Dark purple so it has some time left. Fine tannins and some dark fruit. It was good and maybe my expectations were too much but still...
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Enjoyed this one quite a bit. Very dark purple/black color in the glass. Superb nose - dusty and fruity. Bright fruit and you can really taste the cabernet in here. For the price, I think Lagrange is one of the better values out there in Bordeaux, and this 2003 is a perfect example. I think a lot of people would enjoy this wine - very hard not to like it.
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A beautiful Bordeaux if not a great one. A little toasted oak on the nose along with reddish fruit and a bit of chocolate on the palate. . A really nice creamy quality across the palate but the length is not really impressive. Maybe a little more over-cropped -dilute; than I might like; but the end result is really excellent nonetheless. Really great with dinner, but won't knock you in a horizontal tasting of 2003 Saint-Juliens.
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très beau nez de fruits noirs, boite à cigares, cèdre, en bouche le vin est très ample, frais, fruits noirs, tannins très veloutés. bonne structure sans dureté avec des notes de sous bois. grande longueur. encore une belle vie devant lui tres bon rapport qualité prix
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From 3L bottle, drank over pop-'n-pour to about 2 hours of decanting. Opened with gravel, pencil lead and earthy nose. Immediate comments were about the soft, integrated tannins which lead to questions about how much Merlot was included in the composition (~ 30%). Overall an easy-going wine with softening tannins, medium body, and slightly prevalent alcohol.
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Beautiful bouquet with good oak and beautiful black as well as red berry fruits. Same on the palate. Quite supple. Creamy and round with good ripe and lush fruits. Early maturity and really nice. No problem keeping this for another 5+ years. 90+
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Pulled on a whim to see what'd it be like at 10; based on the change from popping the cork to end of dinner two-three hours later, this could still use a few years, but is going to be a nice wine. Nose flat at first, as it opened it 'richened' up with dark fruits and a hint of ceder. On the palate, a medium weight claret with definite dark chocolate notes over some plum. Tannins still there but do not detract, just say to me that there is still structure to support more aging. At opening, 90, then with air maybe 92 heading up a point or two in a couple-few years?
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Funky nose, cedar, herbs, and dark berries. Palate has chunky tannins and black berry notes. Smooth entry and a moderate chocolate finish. A very nice Bdx with a nose stronger than the palate. Has the big fruit of '03 but restrained and still has balance. This doesn't strike me as a Bdx that will gain complexity, but will continue to change. Not falling off a cliff anytime soon.
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Hello, sweet spot. The once-imposing tannin has melted into a silky textured wine with a beautiful balance between primary fruit and cedary complexity. Wonderful with rack of lamb. 93.
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With its showy nose of coffee bean, cocoa powder, black cherry, plum jam, tobacco and earth, the wine is starting to soften and open up. From a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, this stylish wine is probably my favorite of Lagrange to date.
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From a magnum yesterday and did not take notes. Decanted for about 2 hours. Lovely, classic left bank bordeaux. Cassis, cherry, earth and oak on the nose. Aromas carry over to the palate with the addition of a bit of leather and forest floor. Medium, just slightly lean body with a silky texture, nice balance and a soft structure. Medium finish. Never going to be a superstar, but overall a seamless blend of very enjoyable bordeaux flavors and textures.
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Commanderie de Bordeaux: 2003 Left Bank Dinner (Pastis - Vancouver, BC): Quite ripe on the nose, showing rich black cherry, cola, spearmint, and plenty of spicy black pepper. The richness carries through to the palate, offering ripe black cherry, red licorice, candied red cherry, earth, and menthol. High acidity with drying tannins. Medium+ length finish ending on notes of red licorice and candied red cherry. Lots of ripe red fruit on this but quite austere and a drying mouth feel. This was served blind, and while enjoyable didn't show the typical characteristics I look for from St Julien. Very good
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Opened by Vino Me at dinner with Longboarder and Otis. This bottle was quite enjoyable, and I agree that it changed greatly over the course of 2 hours. Forest floor, nice medium plummy fruit, fine grained tannins. A nice drink, could use another few years. I agree with 91-92 points.
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This was the first of my 6 bottles although I had this once before in 2006 at the UGC tasting. This was part of a 4 bottle 2003 Bordeaux retrospective dinner. Not decanted but opened 5 hours before dinner. This wine opened up the most during the course of the dinner. Muted at first but much deeper when I revisited it. Reddish purple color. Herbal nose with some forest floor. Notes of roasted coffee beans, and plum. Medium body. Thought this wine was better than the 1995 and 2001 vintages but inferior to the 2005 and 2009 vintages. Moderately closed now and not showing as much character as when it was first released. 91-92+ points.
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This is in a very nice place. Opened it and poured off a glass, but did not decant. It did not throw any sediment. Early on quite minty but this dissipated over time. Blackberry fruit, and perhaps some red berry, slightly ripe. After awhile evolved into a bit of fresh tobacco then more of the classic cigar box nose. Crisp acidity. Dusty tannins. Longish finish.
This was a bit of a disappointment. Upon opening, it seemed as though wine had breached the top of the cork. The nose was fine, but the taste was a bit off. Not corked, not tainted, but something just wasn't rich and vibrant. Rest of the evening, it was not bad, had some nice fruit, short finish. Next day it was better. Never got to where I hoped it would, but still decent enough.
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Opened, poured through a vinturi into a decanter and drank over the next 2-3 hours. Both tannins and fruit have receded, but no secondary development. Got very little off the nose and palate was flat. Not unpleasent, but was clearly expecting more. Seems to be in an odd place now and not sure if a few more years in the bottle will change anything....
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Somewhat herbal on the aromatics along with some noticeable alcohol, with a similiar palate and a short non descript finish. No good flavors at all.....and not corked. Big disappointment. Drank from a 375 ml.
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Opened this bottle as I had noticed slight leakage into the capsule, so it could be that my impression below are from a bottle that was not 100% ok. This bottle has developed a fair bit since I first tried this wine 9 months ago, and seems to be going where my initially very nice 05 Cru Bourgeois went some 2 years ago (and have not come back yet): While the nose and the attack are still very nice - dark fruit, a fair bit of toasted oak (upon opening too much for my taste), barnyard, coffee - the formerly abundant fruit on the mid-palate has been substantially shed and what you get now is first a bit of a hollow mid-palate, particularly given the very creamy attack, and then fairly serious, drying tannins. This applied to the rest of the bottle on day 2 even more so than to the first glasses on day 1. If you have a couple bottles and have not tried, would PnP one to enjoy what could be the last months of primary fruit pleasure, if you have already tried, I will put mine aside for some 2+ years and hope that this will be even better to drink once / if the tannins start to soften.
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Good. Needs air. Dark ruby medium body, nose of ripe cassis. Mineral, plum and blackberry on the palate. Firm tannins and lots of acid for an '03. Med finish.
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I have had several bottles of this. Each has been the same: lots of fruit, but one-dimensional, muted and short. Giving it air does not improve it significantly. Disappointing.
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60 min decant but just like the 03 Duhart needs more like 90 - 120 min before it shows its best. Dark garnet almost to the rim. Initially barnyard, then earth, dark fruit, toasted oak. Smooth, medium to full bodied palate. Fine tannins apear after about 2h in the decanter. Medium finish. Nice
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Nose still has good fruit and freshness. Cedar, cherries, blueberries. Full and supple in the mouth with sweet tannin. Not a lot in terms of secondary flavours but this is drinking really well. 91
Day 2 reveals that this still hasn't peaked; likely in the next 2-3 years.
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Deep red, fat legs, nose of rich red fruit, cherry and licorice. On the palate very juicy cherry and smooth but present tannins. Fruitiness however is outlasting the tannins and a beautiful licorice note on the mid-palate. Good length. A powerful fruity yet smooth claret.
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Very aromatic, with a musky perfume note, some leafy green, and a bit of heat on the nose. While the oak still front-and-center, it's now swathed in really dark fruit and a balsamic-like quality reminding me of Ribera del Duero. It's rich but short. I've had this a half dozen times since release and this may be the best it's been. I'm not sure it will improve, but it's a nice drink now.
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Very nice as always, but I have a different reaction than many of the other reviews. This was not tasting nearly as rich and structured as it was over the past 2-3 years. Maybe just this particular bottle, but it seems to be in early stage decline. I have 5 more so I'll test that theory in 6-12 months from now.
This was my 8th or 9th bottle of the 2003...
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Still young. A special nose full of dark berries and heavy on the cabernet. Tannic in the mouth with notes of plums and chocolate giving way to a medium to long finish. Superior, with its best years still ahead.
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This is a fantastic wine! Very smooth, berry like juicy pass through my throat, so balanced. When paired with beef or pork, it is even better. 1 hour decanting is already enough to show it potential.
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Having a relatively young cellar I often have to dive into bottles at the earliest part of their drinking window and that was the case last night as the '03 vintage is my oldest Bordeaux in stock. I had the Lagrange right after release in 2006 and then again in Feb of 2010 so I wanted to see if there was any change. I splash decanted this and we went about sampling it and found a nice mature nose of cigar box and leather that are typical in Bdx. The tannins were smooth and the wine had a simple elegance to it. There was some decent fruit still present but not like I recalled from my tasting note in 2006 when it had that youthful exuberance. I would call this a medium weight wine but not a real star.
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Still a purple hue in the color. Beautiful bouquet with dark cassis fruit and good oak. The color shows there already is some development. In the mouth a slightly sweet start, juicy and round tannin with still a good bite and pleasant bitterness. There are cassis and dark forest fruits. Really a beautiful wine, but I have the impression it still needs a few more years in the bottle. 90+
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A whiff of funk upon opening, but it blew off quickly. Decanted five hours. Nose of menthol and underbrush. Slight, clenched palate. Tobacco and dirt. This has been my Bordeaux house wine lately and this was more tannic and closed than it's siblings. Good with garlic peppercorn rubbed tenderloin. This is good and it will get better.
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Dried leaves mixed w menthol on the nose, still rather closed. Fortunately the palate is open for business - brooding, dark, serious and v ripe. Towering tannic structure. Heavy tobacco w tertiary flavors already in development. After 30 mins softened a bit but fruit is still dark and bitter.Stylistically, backward but full of polish and potential. >10 sec finish. http://sgbordeaux.blogspot.com/2012/01/lagrange-2003.html
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1h decant. After many - slightly - disappointing bottles of Bordeaux over the last few weeks, this is finally one above my expectations. Nose with red berry and then some earth, more earth on the palate, which is - despite the reputation of the vintage - not jammy or fat at all, the oak which I do not appreciate in young Lagrange vintages has been perfectly integrated, fine tannins, attractive medium plus finish. An elegant claret which might go another point higher in a year or two.
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Fairly closed after pop and pour. This opened up after an hour or so, revealing smoky cassis and leather flavors. I didn't find this particularly over ripe. Firm tannins remain on long finish.
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This was a very interesting wine in a group of St. Julien, Margaux and Piedmont. Probably my #7 wine out of the 10 or 12, but it was up against some great wines. Very nice.
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P&P. Dark red, nose matches palate with casis and blackberry. Good concentration, but the wine is fat and very tannic. Hopefully will smooth out and integrate in coming years.
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Labor day BBQ with Jennifer and James. Fourth bottle of a case. Every time I come back to this wine I like it more and more. Basically popped and poured and delightful from the start. Soaring black fruit and spicy aromatics. Delicious, with plenty of plum and cassis and a nice undertone of minerality and additional spice. Not particularly Bordeaux-like in terms of an earthy component but fans of Lagrange will not be disappointed. Better than the 1996 and 2001 IMO.
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Still needs time. Had some tannic bite on opening but was softened after a couple hours in the decanter. Reticent nose became more pronounced with swirling. Leather, a hint of smoke, dark fruit. Very long finish. Promising.
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Cassis & blackberries, with a little espresso and graphite. Tannins have softened so that this is drinking well now, but it's got many years of improvement ahead. Good acidity balances out the tannins and creates a bit of a silky mouth feel.
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Decanter 2hrs prior. Bright red fruit on the nose with sage and cedar. Palate was smooth, quite ripe buy not roasted, showing pure silky red fruits with cassis being most prominent. Nice length on the finish. More fruits but a touch a vanilla and cedar coming in on the finish. A nicely put together wine in a tough vintage. Very Bordeaux but modern and forward with low acidity. Will get better, but surprisingly open now. A step down from the leoville's but still tasty.
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Very nice nose of black fruits, florals, tobacco and graphite. Well structured palate with modern oak and ripeness. Lenghthy finish showing red berries and some more dark fruit with good complexity. Long life ahead, but excellent now.
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Much better second night than first; once opened and aerated, shows long and full fruit finish, berries and something deeper, maybe plums. Hint of chocolate and nice, soft tannins. Very good.
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i found this a bit tight, like it needs 2 years. Maybe a 2 hour decant would have done the trick? Anyway, there is a lot here, but i would give it 2 yrs.
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tasted blind. bottle had been open for 24 hours. nose of twizler, coconut, and cherry. palate of raspberry, chocolate covered cherries, and oak. soft tannins, nice complexity. $41
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Decanted for 2hrs. Muted nose at first and then nice nose of dark fruits, leather and earth. Mouth is fully rounded with tannins starting to integrate and a well balanced and long finish. Really great wine for the price. Will revisit in about 2yrs. or so.
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Wonderful aroma and taste of dark fruit, a bit of dark chocolate, saddle leather as well as some cinnamon. Well balanced wine was decanted for 2 hours and had quite a long finish. Smooth well integrated tannins combined with crisp acidity make this wine the value of St. Julien in '03. What a year for St. Julien!
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Very tight and tannic when opened. Decanted for 4 hours, and much improved. Still too young for this this wine - will wait another few years for the next bottle.
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Retail purchase, held 3 years. Great cork. Decanted 2 hours. Deeply help aromas -- dark fruit, cedar and cassis all show up in a great glass of wine to drink. Tannic dry finish, not advancing in a hurry. This is an outstanding St Julien in a great spot if you like the peak of a flush youth before secondary flavors emerge. Well made, well balanced. Great bargain in 2003 Bordeaux.
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Obviously made from extremely ripe fruit, with big, jammy notes of plum, cherry, cassis and spicy oak. A lush texture, good cocentration and depth. Goes just as well by itself as with food; made in an "international" style.
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Very nice nose of ripe red berries, strawberries, mushrooms, sous-bois, tobacco leaves... in the mouth, loads of ripe and sily tannins, ripe red fruit finish, refreshing acidity, very nice and classic St-Julien... looks like the original "explosive and jammy" is moving into a classic ageing curve
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PW205 Wines of the World - Lesson 2 (Bordeaux) (Plumpton College, East Sussex, UK): Opaqueish deep colour, the nose was classically austere and reserved, yet the high acid and voluptuous fruit led us to believe that. although this wine may have a decade in it, the flavours and the concentration are abundant now and is approaching its peak. The earthiness and the red fruits combined witht the tertiary oak characters make this an exemplary wine, I just wish that there was more time in class to go into more detail! ****
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Practice Tasting 1 (Reno, NV): Rubyish rim that has quite a bit of depth of color and a moderate + amount of extraction at the rim. Aromatically the wine is has a really nice mix of fruit (cassis and dark raspberry), earth (soily), and new barrique use (very well integrated baking spices) with a hint of florality. On the palate the wine has moderate + acidity, a firmish, very cabernet midpalate that is slightly narrow... the wine trasnitions nicely into a firmish, ripe tannin finish that is quite noticeable, moderate ETOH. Very good balance with the barrique use much more of a side note to the profile of the wine, longest length of the 4, very good intensity and easily the most complexity of the 4. Finesse is there in spades and the texture is appropriately storng without being coarse. Very left bank and terroir driven wine with the most agebility of the 4 and the seemingly best site and winemaking.
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Nose has some light graphite, sauteed mushrooms, dense florals, pine bark and bright cherry. This is a very juicy Lagrange with really pure cherry, cream, and a hint of bitter chocolate. The wine is medium bodied, and a very pretty dark ruby/light purple color. The tannis are nice and drying on the finish, but do not become intrusive. Overall, I think this is a nice Lagrange that would benefit from a couple more years of cellaring.
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Second bottle. Deep nose of cassis, strong damped earth and a hint of smoked cedar. Palate matched with the nose of cassis and earth, concentrated, medium-full. tannin still need time to smoothen. Medium earth and blackberry finish. Overall very typical and excellent Bordeaux with the high alcohol of 2003. Palate and finish have an uncommon trace of cheese.
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Very nice. Drinking well now, and hard to argue that one needs any more years of ageing. Shows the '03 character - very fresh, fruity, ripe and bright.
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Medium purple. Bouquet of sweet cassis and smoked cedarwood, followed by strong ripe candied cassis, cherry, chocolate and damped earth. Palate was harmonious and heady and showed blackcurrant, low acidity but balanced, concentrated and medium-full bodied. A decent medium plum finish with chocolate and earth. After 3 hours: Nose of creme de cassis, creamy blackcurrant palate with good mouthfill, cherry and plum finish. Notes of lead pencil graudually became obvious. Opulent and very Bordeaux. Though the palate was a bit tight upon opening, it was a typical St Julien with complexity and evolved over the night. It was accessible maybe because it was a half bottle, and I am looking forward to my next one now. Perfect harmony.
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Dekantert i ca en time. Drukket til grillet entrecote m kryddersmør, god match. Vinen startet litt trangt, men åpnet seg fint opp etterhvert, selvfølgelig best mot slutten av flasken! En veldig bra Bordeaux som har mer å gå på...
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Very nice bottle of wine that was tight for at-least 2 hours. Stored in cellar since release. No formal notes, but don't open another bottle until 2012.
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Decanted for 45minutes before drinking. Dark ruby color, very opaque. Some licorice on the nose with red berries and spices. In the mouth it's very pleasant but not as long lasting as I was expecting. The tannins are very well integrated at this stage and I would say that although it can certainly last another decade, it probably won't improve much more.
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I had one bottle when these were 1st released and the wine had a youthful exuberance with ripe fruit. I decided to try another because I was in the mood for a nice Bordeaux and it is hard to wait for my cellar to mature. I decanted this for 2+ hours and it had a really nice nose but was very light on the palate and was somewhat disappointing and lacking any secondary notes. Maybe it will put on some weight and complexity with a few more years in the bottle.
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One of the finest clarets of the 2003 vintage with a very decent price point. Elegant and balanced, despite the obvious sense of a hot and overripe vintage. Plenty of cassis, cherry, meat, earth, and licorice drive the aromas. The palate is balanced, although a touch of heat does come through. But the wine is quite attractive, opulent and downright tasty. From now until 2020.
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Don't drink much Bordeaux but thought this was amazing. Deep purple/black color, full weighty mouth-feel with a palate of dark fruit, cassis, and oak. Amazing!
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Black fruits, chocolate and toasted oak in the bouquet. Full bodied, creamy, chocolate again, sweetness, also good acidity and firm tannin and pleasant oak. The wine is becoming better and better when it matures a bit. It will be interesting to see if it will score even higher in the longer term. Can be a point or 2 maybe.
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Bordeaux Night (Binny's Grand Ave.): nose: real well balanced and red fruited nose of red currants, leather, red fruits, bits of berries, a whole lot of red cherries and a touch of red florals. Attractive, but also has a brighter quality to the fruit while still being a st julien
taste: rich medium/full feel with good chewy tannins and well balanced tones of red fruits, red cherries, cedar, red currants, and some bits of blackberries
overall: certainly shows off the vintage, but is far from over ripe. It has a ripe quality to it, but it works and with a few more years this should really come together and be a rather pretty lagrange
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A strong St Julien nose immediately after opening, but light in the mouth and not very rewarding. I poured one glass and double-decanted the rest of the bottle to three .1875s. Drank those over the next three days and the last .1875 was the best. It gained significant weight in the little bottles and in the end was quite delicious, though still tannic. I'm going to keep my last bottle of this wine for at least five years before trying again.
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Decanted 1 hour. Nose: A bit tight but showing black cherry, vanilla, and a bit of smokiness. Palate: Nice mouth feel - More cherry with a little blue berry and black berry. Mid-palate there is a little vegetable note. Finish: Short to medium finish with a mixture of fruitiness and vegetable aftertaste - I like it.
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BWE does Manhattan: a 1996 & 2003 Bordeaux Retrospective: I had this on release, and I really disliked it. It’s improved over the last 3 years, but it still has the pins’n’needles tannins and an odd burnt taste. There’s good palate density and a creamy texture, this might pull together in the cellar, but I’m not betting on it.
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This wine was tasted over 2 days...first day it was closed ceder cigarbox and a little bit fruit and of course very sweet(2003BDX)and big tannin...second day it was much much better...chocolat silky typical lagrange style...needs time to come round...for the moment i prefer lagrange 2001 which is very very hard to resist...www.everyoneweb.com/chateaujochen
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nose: a real thud of leather strikes right off the bat with very dark tones of red cherries, black currants, and cedar. A very dark and almost stewed profile that certainly shows off the 03 vintage
taste: very bold and full bodied with good medium/full tannins with big tones of smoke, leather, dark red cherries, and black currants along with a touch of cedar
overall: still needs some time. Certainly shows off the vintage with a bold and dark profile. Not stewed or overdone, just different from what one would normally expect from bordeaux
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Bouquet tightly wound, opened up after half-hour in the glass with classic tobacco, cedar nose -- maybe a whiff of licorice. Not a ton of fruit -- less than I would have expected -- but a very nice example of the vintage.
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Decanted for about an hour then drank over another hour. Opaque purple in the glass. Nose was a little barnyardy and a little bit of barnyard on the finish. A little bit of dark fruit and smoke on the nose. Still tannic, a little heavier than dusty tannins. Palate of dark fruit and leather with some leather mixing with the barnyardy after taste. Will wait a few more years before opening mine.
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We drank this with grilled Ribeye on 3/11/09. It decanted an hour (should have been longer) and had a great, earthy bouquet of black currant, blackberry, cherry, licorice, tobacco and dark chocolate aromas. It was dense and tannic, so the first taste was a bit of an assault. Then, it was smooth, a little sour and dusty dry with flavors that followed the nose. It had a long, 60 second, finish, was complex, elegant and extremely pleasant. 91+
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Opened the bottle and poured into a decanter. Great smell of blackcurrants which turns into burnt rubber and pencil shavings after 2 hours. Dark purple core with a deep red rim. Good concentration of fruit with very fine tannins which are well integrated. Low in acidity probably as a result of the hot vintage that it was. It is a little jammy and flabby however the concentration just about makes it hold its own.
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2003 Bordeaux tasting (New York): Decanted about 2 hrs before tasting. This was tough to distinguish from the Grand Puy Lacoste. On the initial nose, a bit of floral red fruits and earthiness, together with a slight sweet tobacco note, and with time a strong licorice note develops. This was still quite tannic - we should have given it more decant time; my guess is 5-6 hours would've had it in its sweet spot. Tasty but still hard on the palate; I got a lot of graphite rockiness. Did not detect any overripeness/jamminess that people talk about with this vintage. Has many years ahead of it.
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Decanted several hours. Pretty nose of flowers, coffee and cedar. Classic Left Bank notes. On the palate, bright acidity and integrated chewy tannins. Rich and full bodied. Would have guessed much higher alcohol than 13.5%. Red fruit, pomegranate, cranberries. Dry and tart but juicy. Longish finish. Great stuff, esp. at $40 for an '03 classed growth.
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I realized I bought 5 cases worth of 2003 bord and have not really know it; only drank a couple of cheapies more than a year ago. Well, this is a little step up of what I have drank, and wow. Great depth and richness of cherry, berry and sweet wood. It all blended together well. If age mellows the wood a bit, I probably will add a point or two.
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Pop the cork and you will revere and regret. Revere the aroma as this suggests a great vintage -- cassis, blackberry, earth and cedar. This is a classy wine of beautiful color, outstanding character and lasting power, showing off St. Julien in a very flamboyant manner. Where some vintages from this large estate are marking time, this one races forward. And it shows no sign of early fatigue. Outstanding. Regrets? Yes, why didn't I buy more.
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Had this 2 years ago at the same tasting and then I did not buy this wine because it was overly sweet...but 2years later it became classic but with the flamboyant 2003 style...today this wine has the tipical vanilla cassis earthy taste with a good tannin structure...you have to like this...bought this for the same price as 2 years before 30 euro...if you see the prices for 2005...www.everyoneweb.com/chateaujochen
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bordeaux tasting (Binny's Highland Park): nose: big nose showing off the vintage of red licorice, herbs, spice, red currants, mocha, and some bright cherries too
taste: big and firm with spice, cherries, red licorice, red currants, and mocha notes
overall: a really good wine and a interesting contrast to the 2000. You can really tell the 03 vintage with this one. There is still a ton of tannins on this and this one will need a good 5 more years to start its window
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Cassis black fruity through and through with plenty of new wood. Very, very supple. Plenty rich, but plenty of tannin still present. My guess 4-7 years this wine will come together beautifully.
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Offers a lot more complexity than the Fiefs the Lagrange. Beautiful new oak. Ripe cassis and cherries and a lot of juice. Already very nice, but will probably evolve in even a better wine.
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Color very dark and gloomy. Killer nose of dark fruit, cedar, and a pleasant note of broken plastic. I love this expression. Coasts mouth well and fells nice as it ends in a pleasent 15+ sec finish. Good now, but can be cellared for many yrs.
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Drinking really well with several hours of air. Very open and accessible. Quite a bit of oak but the super-ripe fruit keeps it in balance. Great wine for $30 on futures.
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Chocolate with blackberry notes and that sweet cherry cheesecake texture on the palate. Medium finish. Modern. Should be a bit more interesting in 5 years.
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Still very young. A lot of vanilla and fruit in the bouquet. Round and creamy with good soft bitterness. Cassis and a little sweetness. Still very closed. For the moment 89, but several points to gain with cellaring.
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Super-rich. Extremely ripe. Nose of bananas and Christmas cake, but the fruit is fresh - -blueberries and strawberries. Singularly 2003 vintage. Reminds me of 2003 St. Pierre and 2003 Sociando Mallet.
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Delicious St. Julian, it's got an earthy, meaty fullness, almost chewy after opened for a couple of hours, really opened up with a hint of sweetness, almost a hint of cocoa, plum, wonderful wine, opened a little strong, but softened up nicely, number of good years left, will need to ge get more of this wine.
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Decanted for three hours before drinking, sampling every hour to see how the wine evolved. It clearly benefited from the decanting, and after three hours it was a smooth, balanced wine that went well with prime rib. While not a blockbuster wine, it was very enjoyable.
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G8 - França (Ilha das Flores): Rubi-violáceo. Muita fruta madura, mentol suave, cassis e chocolate. Em boca é menos doce do que o nariz indica. Mineral, levemente herbáceo e com um traço de salinidade. Acidez apenas média, sedoso, taninos numerosos e finos, mas marcantes. Muito longo. Estilo moderno, lembrando vinhos do novo mundo. Talvez pela fruta em compota e salinidade remete à opulência do Vale Meão 03. 91-92pts. E.
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Beautiful nose of cassis, blackberry, and a little portobello. Over two nights, it really got better as time went on. It is very well structured and nice chewy tannins. The finish was 45+ sec of cedary black cherry. We really enjoyed this wine. I will get a few more bottles to set for a few years.
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A pleasant surprise. Popped and poured from 375. Surprisingly accessible. Some currant, dark cherry and milk chocolate notes both aromatically and in the mouth. Medium body. Tannins quite evident still. Perfect with a charred ribeye.
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This one is very different compared with the vintage 2000, in short, in a different category, a little bit alcoholic and a little bit thin, still believe the wine will turn out be a good thing, wait and see! From a 375ml!
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Decided to try from 375 and was impressed, given the inconsistency of the notes I've seen. This has lovely weight and ripe, dark fruit, but sufficient freshness and hints of future complexity (cedar, stones, tobacco). Tannins with a hour's air are less prominent than expected. This seems like one of the better buys of the vintage, though I wouldn't describe it as classic bord. Upside potential seems there, too.
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Always a fan of the Grand Cru, obvously.. but St Julien has really done it right this time, With a Blackcurrent nose taste and a smooth floral finsh, Great legnth and acidity! Would deffnatly recommend this to anyone who wants to spend a little bit more than usual on there wine!
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Tasted at a retailer tasting. This wine was weird! Puprle in color, showing a tad bit of bricking. Nose showed herbal components along with buttered popcorn! Cherry and currant on the palate with medium acidity and tannins leading to a medium, herbal finish. I think this is just in a strange phase right now.
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The ratings are correct on the drinking time. Nose was very tight and the fruit never really let out. Hints of chocolate and ruby spice. Deep earth, almost tar. Decanted for about 45 min. Will be a nice wine in 4-5 years.
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Pop-and-pour. Glowing dark red. A bit tight on the nose, with minerals dominating and some floral elements as well. Sweetened with air for a little while, showing good blackberry/blackcurrant fruit. Well-fruited in the mouth but still dry. Tannins are subdued. Long finish. Impressively balanced; it seems all the elements are in place here for a positive evolution. Supporting this conclusion also was how the nose opened up on the 3rd day. At first it was showing high-toned, perfumy floral and oaky notes, then with air it picked up some char and licorice. The licorice grew in intensity and sweetened to an impressive degree as yet more complexity, in the form of tobacco, also emerged.
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This was very different from what I was expecting. Seems like it hasn't yet been able to deal with it's depth of flavors, alcohol and oak. All the elements seems to be fighting with each other. There isn't that amazing balance and coordination that I found on the 02 at this point. I think it has all the potential to became a great wine, but right now it isn't ready to show all it's got. Let's see what will happen with these roasted berries.
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This wine has shut down. I've drunk about 10 bottles over the last 6 months (and 2 bottles in the case were corked!) and it was an enjoyable if atypical St. Julien. A few months ago it was open with very ripe fruit, sweet tannin, and a lot of oak (too much?) , but the bottle I had last night was closed even after 2 hours of decanting. I did not expect this wine to shut down - it had been so open and expressive and charming, but it might be a good sign that it has a long life ahead.
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We had this bottle side by side with the 1989 Leoville-Barton and they were surprisingly similar. The Lagrange still has a lot of baby fat but it evolves quickly in your glass. This one should be quite good in another 3-4 years.
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Very dark wine. Nose of strong coffee and great flint/lead pencil. Very full-bodied with sweet blackberry and cassis. There's a lot of mouth-gripping tannin, and I get the sense that the acidity is relatively low for bdx. This will be an interesting wine to age, but I bet it'll be a beaut. It reminds me a little of 2000 Pichon Baron, but with a little less intensity. Still, a great wine, I'll probably get more for $33 each.
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Served in a flight at the Wine Club SF. Opened but not decanted approximately 3 1/2 hours. Dark purple red in color; earth and cherries on the nose. Unfortunately the rest of my note just says "average".
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I opened this bottle and let it air for an hour. The wine is very well integrated for its young age. Aromas of currant, tobacco and deep fruits, The flavors of black licorice and deep fruits are very nice as is the finish. I am sure this wine will age very well for many years (it is already drinking as well as the 96 I recently enjoyed), but it will be tough to keep my case for that long!
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From a 375. Dar ruby. Beautiful perfume of vanilla, cedar, tobacco and some dark fruit that more than delivers on the palate. Plenty of tannin, but it is unbelievably well integrated in such a young wine and doesn't detract at all. Lively acidity makes this a nice food option, too, although it's so smooth that its more than fine on its own as well. Spectacular QPR at $33 for a 750 (or $19 for this 375). Definitely has the stuffing to age, but why wait?
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Outstanding! Deep dark red. A lot of vanilla, sweet, cherries, caramel and some melon in the bouquet. Full bodied, round wine with also in the taste a bit of caramel. A good dose of good bitterness and good soft sticky tannins. This is definitely a very good glass of wine already, but when the harmony is complete it will even be better.
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Dark color, with purple edge. Some currant, peber, mocca and cream on the nose. Covers the palate with tastes of currant, dark cherries, black berries, pepper and other spices. Good balance between acidity level, fruity sweetness and tannins. A nice long and complex after taste. Delicious. Even better on the second day.
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Deep ruby red. Restrained aromas of cassis and fainter tobacco. In the mouth, the wine is full and round, with decent tannin levels suggesting it should age reasonably well. Short to medium finish, this is a good wine that currently lacks length and complexity. Sseems typical for the year, not overripe, but also not particularly long or complex, a pale shade currently of the much better 2000 Lagrange, for example.
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2003 Bordeaux Tasting (Binny's, Schaumburg): Garnet color. Notes of cedar, smoky plum and mushrooms. Full-bodied and structured, with a wealth of red fruit and smoke flavors. Long finish.
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Serious Bordeaux for $33. Very dark color, eggplant black purple. Nose predominately cassis and dark red fruits, held back by good structure and tannin. This bottle had just a hint of cork when opened, but drank it anyway in the interest of science. Two of us finished the bottle in about 2.5 hours and it never really opened up. The cork did seem to disipate, which I did not think possible??? Needs time, at least 5 to 10 years, but great wine considering the cost.
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From 375 - rich nose of blackberry and light cedar, adding plum with some air time. On the palate, nice tannins that weren't obtrusive and went well with the fruit. After several hours of air, a little leather came through. Moderate length finish.
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Winestreet Does 2003 Bordeaux (Kozlak's, North Oaks, MN): I liked this wine less than just about everyone else at the tasting. Maroon color. Moderate red fruits and green pepper. Turned a bit acidic and herbaceous in the glass.
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This is my second taste and it easily exceeded expectations. Dark hue, vanilla, toasted oak, and cigar tobacco dominate the nose. Sweet, rich, black, juicy fruit, full bodied, followed by a great finish.
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Previous review is spot on. Decanted for 4 hours before tasting beside Fombrauge and Lynch Bages. Suprisingly this was very similar to the St Emillion and much more powerful than the Lynch Bages. Moved from the tasting on to dinner and the wine was even better. Will age well but not sure I can wait--Boa Pinga!
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deep deep ruby. gushes forth floral and berry bouquet like a spilled perfume bottle. vanilla, tar and blackberry with some oak standing out but i bet in several years when its fully integrated it will be a knockout. big ripe tannins to age for a long time. this is a serious st julien. gotta love it. 93-95 pts day 2: oak integrated nicely, wow this is fantastic stuff.
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Decided to pop the cork and taste a young '03 to see if I should buy more to hold. Tried a splash in the glass first and then decanted for 2 hours prior to drinking. The initial nose was very promising with ripe berries and a hint of earth. This was very well integrated without any harsh tannins and reminded me of some Cali-cabs. The palate immediately senses blackberry and finishes with soft tannins that should diminish with age. My wife is not a fan of young Bordeaux but remarked this should be excellent in 5+ years. Will buy more.
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I got overzealous on Friday night and had to pop a 2003 bordeaux. Decanted for about an hour and it showed nicely. Deep purple inky color. The nose is unique, licorice and cedar. In the mouth, fleshy, currants (but not fruity), road tar, and vanilla from the oak, all integrated. Long and tasty, sweet tannins on the finish. This will be great in a few years. Very good.
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Crimson colour. Not much on the nose. Taste of dark fruit, leather. Very long finish. Good oak and tannins but integrated into a whole. Pleasing weight in mouth. Not overstated, excellent.
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This is my first tasting note, and my first real Bordeaux. Nose is pretty fruity, strong and nice. First thing you notice is strong fruit on the pallet, not very strong tannins. Tastes a little ripe. Maybe a hint of oak. Smooth finish, not too long. Very good, seems like something is missing though to make it a outstanding wine, but very close. And there you go
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Dark and inky. To me the nose seemed a bit muted even after 3-4 hours. The wine did exhibit a strong sense of balance as neither the dark fruit nor tannins were overwhelming. Needs some time but feels like one of the better Lagranges I've tasted. Also, sometimes Lagrange comes across as over oaked,not this one. 91+
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Color is dark garnet to the rim. Nose reveals cassis, cedar, smoke, and a hint of incense. On the palate, cassis, tobacco, leather, and spice intermingle with sweet tannin to produce a very nice Bordeaux experience. Fairly forward now, but should improve with additional age.
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Nice, deep color, nose open (compared to the barrel tasting), with some roasted coffee notes. Palate is spicy, though not as full-bodied as either Branaire Ducru or Gruaud Larose. Nice, medium term drinking?
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Such an impenetrable claret that even the tannin doesn't appear in the usual dimension; instead it just infuses the juice from top to bottom. But there's such density and roundness to it, practically glutinous in mouthfeel, that it doesn't come across as overly tannic. The black fruit is rich and augmented by herbs and the usual cedarwood details. Better and better with air.
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Whaouwww! This is the kind of nose I 'm looking for in a St-Julien! Okay... at opening there is maybe a little bit too much of vanilla...but after 30 min in the glass, it is full of mokka and coffee, with ripe (not jammy!) strawberries and cassis, with even a hint of saddle leather at the end...This reminds me so much of the 2000! The month was light at opening, but with 1 hour aeration, it had a good concentration red fruit with ripe and silky tannins. My personal conclusion would be that the 2003 could be more concentrated with riper tannins that the great 2000... If the taste of green peperoni in the middle dissapears, this is going to be an extraordinary wine!
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3/1/2024 - Grondal Likes this wine: 94 Points
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1/12/2024 - maxima wrote: flawed
Réduite/déviante!
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11/2/2023 - djhammond Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted annually, this was one the best bottles so far. Whether this is down to variance, or the last 12 months has finally moved it to its peak. I suspect the latter. Everything is integrated and well balanced with secondary and early tertiary notes. My only barrier to a higher rating is the finish, which has become a little over tannic as the fruit has faded. 93+
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10/12/2023 - Thomas123 wrote: 94 Points
Super classic Bordeaux. Pencil shave and cigar box. No fruit but still vibrant and fresh. Plenty of life in this one still. Most underrated Bordeaux vintage ever?
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7/22/2023 - KVM wrote:
Very dark red. Graphite and black currant nose. Full bodied, black and red fruit, some fruit liqueur. Tannin is obvious but fine and attractive. Will live until its 30th birthday, no problem.
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7/6/2023 - bordeauxman777 Likes this wine:
Fully matured now, will drink well for sometime. This is a classic SJ. Lovely
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6/20/2023 - Reynaldo Dabus Abucham wrote:
Atualizando adega
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6/7/2023 - eudora Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another stellar 2003 shining at age 20. These wines are excelling.
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5/15/2023 - KVM wrote:
Young, sturdy.
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5/7/2023 - Cailles wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux 2003 – 20 Years On – 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind, not decanted (some wines would have needed it). Observations: 1) 2003 is not a good vintage. The wines don’t have the depth and elegance of good years. But I was positively surprised, that while it’s clearly a hot year, there are less overripe, over-extracted and prematurely dying wines than in 09/10. Still, there is no comparison to how Chateauxs handle hot years today. 2) Compared to five other vintage retrospectives, the 2003 came in last place (lower average score than 2011), with just Chateau Margaux reaching a group score above 95pts. 3) Margaux wines showed best, with the typical immediate charm, while St. Estephe and Pauillac have potential but will need more time (and/or would have needed more air). 4) Right bank wines did not show as good with some alcohol showing and a few wines being on a downhill path. I would not chase 2003 right banks.
TN: Medium expressive nose circling around a ripe darker fruit core with a bit of minerality alongside. On the palate red berries, blue fruit, some seductive toasty notes. Not overly complex but well defined. The structure is good here with fine tannins and a good freshness. No excess weight. One of the positive surprises for but others liked it a bit less.
Decanting: A short decant should be sufficient.
Group average: 90.3 pts
Group rank: Shared 21st out of 29 reds
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4/22/2023 - SadEdjo Likes this wine: 91 Points
cassis & lots of tobacco. polished sweet tannins. Plenty of life left
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4/2/2023 - g-man wrote: 93 Points
Im so glad I opened my last bottle, a mag, now thanks to everyones recent notes. Audozed it 2 hours prior to pouring. Gorgeous notes of dark cherry and spice on the back end. No evidence of the hot vintage and very well balanced along with smooth tanins.
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3/25/2023 - lozon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Auction bottle, impeccable storage. Fill almost to the cork! Double decanted and slo ox for 90 minutes. Capsule, cork,label intact. Deep garnet with minimal bricking. Moderate fruit driven nose belies the complexity of this wine when it hits the palate. The acidity and silky smooth tannins are balanced by the fruit but the wine loses some flavor and fruit over our 3 hour drinking period. Drink up.
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3/20/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 88 Points
Grand Bordeaux 2003 horizontal tasting (Fribourg): Bordeaux 2003 vintage horizontal hosted by a private collector and moderated by Jean-Marc Quarin. Main observations: 1/ Average quality is acceptable, but weighted down by various low-lights, esp. on the right bank. 2/ In general a tannic vintage, lacking balance. 3/ Top 3 wines were Lafite, Mouton and Margaux (all 95). See the tasting story for a complete overview and additional vintage comments.
Tasting note:
Red cherry and raspberry fruit, extracted but still fresh with herbs adding more freshness. Not overly expressive but with a certain plushness to it. The palate was a mix of unripe and cooked fruit with too much tannin. While the 2002 was a surprise winner in the vintage, Lagrance dropped down close to the bottom in 2003.
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3/4/2023 - KVM wrote:
Fresh berries, some vanilla. Still so fresh and young. Tannin is smooth. Hard to believe it was an unusually hot vintage.
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2/8/2023 - Janstan Likes this wine: 89 Points
A very nice older bourdeaux with cassis and dark fruit. Went well with beef and barley soup
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1/20/2023 - JCGuthrie wrote:
I was expecting a bolder wine given the vintage, but this was fairly light and elegant. A little reticent on the nose, very smooth dusty fruit on the palate. A nice wine, but a bit less expressive than I was hoping.
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12/27/2022 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful and mature bouquet with dark and red berries and some autumn forest. Fully developed, also on the palate. Beautiful and fully mature wine. No real hurry, but don’t wait too long anymore.
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12/26/2022 - Otis Wine Lover Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine continues to show its ability to maintain its reputation as a great Bordeaux red. Opened and decanted with an aerator. Held in decanter for three plus hours, tasting along the way. Initialy seemed to be hollow at midpalate, but after three hours, opened up nicely in the glass. Tasted along side a 92 point Napa cab, and all our guests preferred the Lagrange by a large margin. Glad I’ve got more in the cellar - this seems to be at a plateau, with no signs of decline.
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12/13/2022 - KVM wrote:
Medium red. Nose has graphite, dark red berry, kiss of vanilla. It is medium body with black currant and silky tannin. The mid-palate lacks some oomph. Nonetheless, its in fine form today.
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11/16/2022 - Metro1 wrote:
The tannins have mellowed. Great drinkable wine with a very smooth finish. Drink now and enjoy.
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11/15/2022 - Laz4wine wrote:
Not sure how I had another one but I did, and it was past prime. Uncertain if passive cellar conditions impacted aging but still difficult to imagine a 30+ year window for this bottle.
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10/2/2022 - empire80 wrote: 89 Points
Hmmm. Not sure where this is heading. Quite harsh on opening and improves after some time in the decanter, but the fruit is fading and is still a bit dominated by the heat on the finish.
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10/1/2022 - stevenc.rees@gmail.com Likes this wine:
Ready, but can hold a while yet
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9/30/2022 - dannyg Likes this wine: 93 Points
Hot year wine but much restrained from toast. Elegant wine made in a feminine style. Not aggressive tannins or acids. All tamed. It was opened 2-hours before a further 1-hour in decanter, went perfect with lamb chops.
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8/16/2022 - dbkitc wrote: 88 Points
It’s come a long way over the past four years. No longer a tannic beast. Coffee notes mingle with the red fruit and slightly herbaceous elements. The dark ruby color is inviting. The palate is still a touch hollow but it’s solid Bordeaux to drink soon. The finish remains a bit harsh. (88)
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8/15/2022 - Vino Me wrote: 94 Points
4th time I have had this wine and it is in a great spot right now. The cork came out in 2 pieces. Decanted 2 hours before dinner. Lightly sedimented. Paired with a smoked chicken. Ruby color. Creamy texture. Floral nose. Round and elegant with cherry, leather and plum notes. 94 points.
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7/16/2022 - djhammond wrote: flawed
Drinkable, but it was slightly tainted. It was still enjoyable, but probably it should be drunk in the nearer term.
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6/17/2022 - tomlee wrote: 92 Points
Crimson in color. 13% ABV. Classic nose of black fruits, leather and cigar box. Rich and plush with gorgeous fruits and mostly resolved tannins. Black currants, cassis, smoke and earth on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. There is a lot to like here at almost 20 years of age from what most consider a problematic vintage. Best over the next several years.
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5/28/2022 - NY Wino Likes this wine: 92 Points
After a 3 hour decant, this wine was in peak drinking form. Nice bouquet, excellent fruit, smooth tannins, long finish
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5/27/2022 - Thomas123 wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful Bordeaux at it’s peak. Still some fruit, but the tertiary notes are taking over. Quite classical sensation of cedar and cigar box. Mellow and smooth. Nice for meditation purpuses… Have only one left, which I will drink before long.
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2/22/2022 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured at a restaurant. Right in the prime of the drinking window as far as I am concerned.
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2/17/2022 - DanielOsman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours first and drunk over 2 hours. Mellow, smooth and refined. Fruit still apparent with red berries and plum. Menthol, licorice, cedar and hint of graphite. Degree of earthy warmness. Balanced. Tannins are smooth and fine. Still a good acidic backbone. Very moreish.
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2/13/2022 - RightBankKane Likes this wine:
Instructive. A lot of people I know hated this wine on release. For all I know they continue to hate it. This wine remains true to pedigree-and the vintage. Cedary-menthol bouquet, a full palate that is marvelously balanced between sweetness, dryness, structure and moreish acidity. Drinking well (as it always has) and will keep.
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2/11/2022 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
3rd time I have had this 3rd growth but not since 2013. A blend of 57% cabernet sauvignon, 33% merlot and 10% petit verdot. Not decanted. Dark purple color. The cork came out in 2 pieces and crumbled in the bottle. Fruitier than the 2000 Branaire Ducru that we drank before it. Notes of black currant, cedar and pencil lead. 92 points.
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10/14/2021 - Shugs_Claret wrote: 91 Points
Red and black fruits on the nose with a touch of chocolate and loam. A lively wine, not always the case with 03s, with modest length. This is a good effort for a overhyped vintage that has largely never produced; give me 2001 over 2003 any day.
Addendum: After 24 hours of slow-ox, the nose is a bit muted. However, the wine itself was a tad better balanced, with the acidity a little less pointed (92)
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9/24/2021 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
UWS a random set of wines (@ JB): Beautiful bouquet which shows some development, buts is also still nicely fresh. On the palate beautiful acidity, some bitterness and tannin which shows that the wine can last some more years.
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9/6/2021 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 45 mins, though was open at first pour. Much better than my last bottle in 2014. Very shy on the nose, but the palate is much better, with dark fruit, resolved tannin, and enough balancing acidity (often a concern for 03's). The fruit seemed a little dense or concentrated, in a good way, but did not have as much nuance or complexity as you would normally expect from a St Julien of this age, though not atypical of 03. Overall, a very enjoyable wine and I would say is likely at or near its peak window, as little to gain with more aging given its profile, and the fruit is in its prime.
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8/28/2021 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
4th Saturday Brown Bagger (EBCC): Double blind. Herb, iron and crrant notes with an earthy undertone. Medium-bodied with softened tannin. Red berry fruit on the palate with iodine hints. Guessed Bordeaux. (MM)
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7/22/2021 - Tao wrote: 91 Points
375ml
Woody, leathery nose of dark fruits, kind of sweet on the palate! Fine but lacking some precision here!
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7/1/2021 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
Bought 5 of these, drank one 5 years or so ago, and this last one was in character for both, my memory of the wine and 2003 Bordeaux. What I found funny was that one of the newbies at the table, preferred this to many better wines, some being from 1990! GO figure...Different strokes, for different folks was in mind.
Deep fruited and lush with very little secondary development, with the vibe of a cedar dusted old wine. Really well kept with good dryness and firmness, but now, it seems to be losing the freshness and hesitant to punch through the roof and become a classy Bordeaux. I would drink this in the next 3 years at most and think it is now officially in sunset mode..DRINK
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6/4/2021 - gsomers Likes this wine: 89 Points
Quite a step back from the 2000 Lagrange we enjoyed over the weekend. The 2003 lacked both the vibrancy of fruit and the depth of the flavor and finish. It was good, or at least good enough anyway, but we won't be scouring the web searching for another.
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6/3/2021 - djhammond Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted annually, I think I have been a little harsh the last couple of times out. This peaked at a relatively young age and some bottles are starting to be better than others, and this was one of those. It is very easy to drink with or without food, and even as the fruit fades there is still a great mouthfeel with everything integrated. The finish is is on the shorter side but well balanced. The wine lacks complexity and is one dimensional, but it is highly enjoyable and if you are not careful you could easily sup a bottle in an hour or two. 92+
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6/1/2021 - Herve Likes this wine: 90 Points
At peak.
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2/24/2021 - Klugi Wine wrote:
Not hundred percent sure, if the bottle is flawless. The bouquet comes with black and blueberries as well as some graphite and underbrush. The palate is medium bodied and surprisingly fresh for this hot vintage. Since there is a slight doubt about TCA, I refrain from giving a score.
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2/6/2021 - chefdilletante wrote:
Has pulled together nicely. Coffee-predominated, with some crunchy gravel and earth. In its prime.
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1/11/2021 - Gian wrote: 90 Points
In a good shape, in his drinking window. Fruits, pencil, earth , rounded on the palate , smooth tannins, medium long finish
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12/23/2020 - KVM wrote:
Medium+ red, pink edge. Opened early in the day and drunk at dinner. Plummy, dark berries, green pepper and only a little oak on the nose. Cleanly fruity, tannin is suave and supportive. Great drinking over next few years.
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11/26/2020 - elinge42 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was great. Tannins integrated. Mild fruit. Showed better through the night. The alcohol and tannins made me think it could age longer. But it’s gone now. Chris and I had it with thanksgiving dinner but drank most of it before dinner was ready.
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10/12/2020 - burlingtonm Likes this wine: 89 Points
This has never been a great wine but has improved over the years though there is still a pinched feel on the palate and the tannins continue to dominate the fruit even if it is in better balance Not showing much on the nose but there is some decent fruit with cassis and blackfruits.
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9/11/2020 - djhammond Likes this wine: 90 Points
This started to peak at a relatively young age, and I really think this will start on a gradual decline in the not too distant future. Indeed 4 years ago I gave this a rating of 94. That said, it is a well balanced and integrated wine in full maturity, and only needing a short time in the decanter. The nose is aromatic with ripe fruit and the tannin has fully resolved and everything is smooth on the palate. The finish is a little clipped and on the harsh side.
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6/7/2020 - Rmjchen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened and drank over 3 nights. Inky dark color, sweet ripe fruit, integrated tannins with a hint of bitterness. Improved with air. Offers a lot of pleasure Ready to rock and roll.
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3/22/2020 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Sad to see my last bottle go. Delightful. Dominated by secondaries now but with still present red berry fruit. Some tea flavors that I usually get in Oregon Pinot and seem quite unusual here, but pleasant. A soft undercurrent of minerality. Well balanced with a medium length finish.
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2/28/2020 - dougie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. Really became more elegant 2-3 hours on. Tannins are totally integrated. Beautiful, bright fruit that’s juicy.
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2/23/2020 - Shugs_Claret wrote: 94 Points
I don't get why this 2003 gets beat up. While I have noticed a bit of bottle variability in this vintage, most were quite enjoyable (granted some 03s are truly flabby). This one had a slightly extruded cork so I was a bit worried but pleasantly surprised. The 2003 Lagrange palate is medium bodied with ample black fruit, cassis, and tobacco. Generally, I prefer the 00s and the 05s, but this was a really good 03 value. The tannins are still a bit overwhelming but there is ample acidity and fruit to let this go another decade, when I predict it will be outstanding. Too bad only one left (talked into working through by the "experts").
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2/2/2020 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light ruby appearance, going to garnet but quite there yet.
Pronounced and evolved aromas of black fruits , crème de cassis, tobacco and vanilla. Textbook St Julien.
Medium plus body with (still ) noticeable tannin, acidity and structure. Similar flavor characteristics on the palate- minus the fruit.
Still going strong at age 16 or so and refutes the reputation of 2003 as a hot or overcooked vintage. Will keep another decade in a cold cellar, but not sure it will improve.
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11/30/2019 - Whitelion Likes this wine: 90 Points
Outstanding
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10/27/2019 - roelof.ligtmans@gmail.com Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark mahogany colour betraying some age. Opened and let sit a couple of hours without decanting. Reticent nose to start with. Smooth full taste, with very few tannins left. Good warm long spicy finish, clearly a hot vintage (although 13% makes us laugh nowadays). A tad dry at the back end. Solid, not very refined.
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10/14/2019 - djhammond Likes this wine: 91 Points
I feel the wine has found its level of performance, and has not really lived up to its initial promise when it first was entering its drinking window. However, that said, it is a good solid wine, that is drinking beautifully with a structure to stay here for a few years. The nose is full of cedar, cherry, and red berry. The fruit is prominent on the palate, but the tannin is quite dominant. Depth and balance are good, but the finish is on the shorter side and a little unbalanced and harsh with the tannin.
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10/6/2019 - vino vidi vici Likes this wine:
Damn - this is gorgeous... mature, and in full command. Despite 2003's reputation (hot & ripe), I find this wine to be anything but... powerful yet restrained fruit, cedar spice & graphite woven throughout, balanced acid that carries it across the palate. Wonderful. Delicious St. Julien.
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9/13/2019 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking very well right now. Medium weight, ruby red fruit with muted nose initially and then opens up. After a mandatory two hour decant, Bordeaux becomes fruit forward with terrific secondary flavors of cigar box, leather, cassis and forecast floor...all nicely integrated. Despite this hot vintage, this wine is restrained and delicious.
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8/20/2019 - peternelson wrote: 87 Points
Ruby with red cherry, slight orange rim; bright cherry, funky, with cranberry skin, orange peel, toostie roll (again!)and old oak. Some VA, acetone or some such, seemed almost faulty to me, med++ dry chunky tannins, Med+ acidity, not sure about this but seemed slightly off to me. Blind group at Teviot
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7/12/2019 - Dancing with bottles Likes this wine: 89 Points
Two bottles in 10 days. The first one was a bit floppy and on the edge of decline (88 Points). The second one had more spine, fruit and length, and had somehow unevolved potential. It showed pretty nice on day two in a rather classic claret style. A 89-90 score.
How ever 2003 wasn´t a real success for Chat. Lagrange like for many others in this hot year.
Drink up during the coming 3-4 years. Bottle Variation will increase.
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6/22/2019 - Laz4wine Likes this wine: 88 Points
Consistent with recent notes in the 88-90 range, classic claret, pleasant and straightforward, fruit/acid felt a bit muted and finished short, fair amount of sediment filtered out but seriously doubt holding more than a couple more years improves this.
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5/6/2019 - tomlee wrote: 93 Points
Crimson in color. 14% ABV. Gorgeous nose of red and black fruits, leather and cigar box. Plush and full bodied. Fruit forward with light, silky tannins. Currants, cassis, black licorice, plums and earth on the palate. Tremendous length on the finish. Perhaps a little atypical due to the vintage but absolutely delicious Bordeaux nonetheless. I suspect this will drink well to twenty years of age.
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4/24/2019 - Alc13%byvol Likes this wine: 90 Points
Muted on the nose. Soft tannins, fully resolved. Cranberry. Full but a little drying on end. A good, aged, one-dimensional bordeaux from a difficult year. Drink up over next few months.
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3/27/2019 - ThalesGaspar Likes this wine: 93 Points
A great Bordeaux at it's peak, great!
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3/19/2019 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #037: Bordeaux 2003, 2004 and 2006 (By me): In the bouquet dark berries, some metal, tea and tobacco. On the palate a touch of barnyard, dark and red berries, sweet spices, forest floor, cherry liquor bonbon, beautifully fresh acidity, some sweetness and round tannin with still a soft bite.
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3/7/2019 - djhammond Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fully mature, this should be consumed over the next 5 years to enjoy it at its best. Possessing a very deep aromatic nose of cedar and dark berry fruits, the tannin is prominent on the palate but well balanced and does not over dominate. The finish is decent but is bitter towards the end.
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3/3/2019 - empire80 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Mature claret with some cedar, still some primary black fruit, but also some tertiary and evolved notes. I think this is at its peak and is best drunk over the next two or three years.
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2/6/2019 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tasting Group EEE; Educational blind tasting (@ My place): Beautiful, complex and mature bouquet with red and dark berries, cherries, vanilla and sweet spices. On the palate the same impressions, some bell pepper, raisins, beautifully dosed oak, good acidity and round, soft tannin with still a good bite. A pleasant touch of sweetness as well.
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2/2/2019 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 88 Points
Deep ruby red color. Indian spices and milk chocolate on the nose. Notes of cassis, Indian spices, crabapple. A bit thin-bodied, and the Indian spices are slightly off-putting.
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1/11/2019 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 92 Points
Plum and black currant fruit. Ripe and plush, with velvety, nearly fully integrated tannins on the finish. Still maturing, and better than my last bottle consumed ~ 1 year ago.
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1/6/2019 - hadlieh2 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened and poured but let sit for an hour. Served w filet sautéd mushrooms and onions. Silky smooth soft. slightly musty in pleasant way. Earlthy. Dry? Floral. No alcohol no bite Best of old world cab. All at the table commenting. Thoroughly enjoyed. Bottle empty. But we will keep drinking the 10 we have left. No raisin las mentioned in previous notes. But we all agreed drink sooner than later
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12/26/2018 - dbkitc wrote: 87 Points
Black/red fruit profile. No raisin on the nose in this bottle. Garnet color is very youthful. The palate is a bit of a letdown. Simple, fruit forward and still tannic. Lacking interest and complexity. Not heavy but seems to be missing something - plus the oak is a bit intrusive. Out of sorts tonight. Try again in a few years. (87+?)
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12/16/2018 - Pooogles Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very hot year and it shows. Raisiny flavours, not surprising. Primary/secondary flavours well balanced.
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10/27/2018 - SLB83 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really enjoyed this bottle. Dark red, I thought it would have been a bit lighter. Clear left bank nose and palate. Had it with a rib eye steak.
Plenty of life in this bottle, but not one to keep for decades.
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10/24/2018 - djhammond Likes this wine: 90 Points
Rated lower than previous tasting a year ago, the wine has moved further in its drinking plateau, but has not quite matched the promise it showed at the last tasting. The nose is still bursting with ripe blackberry and blackcurrent, and the tannin is very well balanced with the fruit. However, the palate is now a little stringent, with an overly acrid finish. It is very enjoyable, but it was never held up at release with some of its acclaimed siblings from this fantastic vintage, and this is now apparent. It is probably better to consume this over the next couple of years.
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10/9/2018 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great aged Medoc, with an hour decant showing lots of leather on the palate, fruity acid, medium finish. At or a little past peak.
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9/23/2018 - mr_swirl Likes this wine: 86 Points
Disappointing Lagrange. Overly ripe fruits, quite hollow mid palate, quite short length and leather and dusty aromas. On the come down
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9/12/2018 - NarunP wrote: 92 Points
Tasted this alongside its 2002 counterpart. A black and white comparison.
57 CS, 33 M, 10 PV.
Red floral note. Subtle and elegant. Dried flower, sun dried tomato, fig, balance of primary and secondary characters. Smoky, animalistic/gamey which I find a lot in an older Lagrange.
Structurally still going strong. Tannic presence, acidic frame and med full body. Finished on a nutty oak flavor but not over the top. Round.
This is a monumental effort in a less than ideal vintage. I generally don't prefer the vintage 2003 since I have been irked by flabby acidity and stewed fruit profile so many times. This had neither of the two. This will keep for a decade or more. Probably will improve too. It's that good. 92+
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9/11/2018 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Very nice bottle. Red berry fruit is definitely in the background behind the secondaries now. Quite smooth and well balanced. Some black pepper flavors add interest on the finish.
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9/1/2018 - Vandiner Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is why I buy and keep Bordeaux. Beautiful wine, faultless, fruit with tamed soft tannins, perfect drinking widow. Just so easy, balanced and perfect to drink with any beef and greens.
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8/31/2018 - df1962 wrote: 91 Points
PnD let air for 90 mins
Bright and fresh. Cassis plums touch of tobacco touch of green pepper. Lingering ripe finish. Excellent no sign of stewing given the vintage.
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8/18/2018 - G.O. wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful wine. Unmistakable left bank Bordeaux. Long aftertaste. Drink now or hold.
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8/6/2018 - Zorba Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last bottle and great showing, smells of blackcurrant and black cherries with dry forest floor and blond tobacco. On the palate perfectly matured fruit, nice level of acidity and a good dose of resolved tannins keeping the wine together and fresh; alcohol in check, some luxury sweet oak in the background. Many hints of spices like all-spice throughout and some dried herbs like thyme. Good aftertaste. Might be at peak. Fantastic QPR for the €20 I paid back then.
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6/5/2018 - Philippe_C wrote: 92 Points
Nice nose of leather, cèpes de Bordeaux, bacon, black & red fruit... quite light but silky tannin, meaty with strawberries, nice feminine and delicate!
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5/12/2018 - mpalestini wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Huge nose, of earthy forest floor, graphite, tart fruit. Good color, very pinot dark raspberry red, translucent, not a ton of extraction. Lots of tannins and acid, probably needed more time to age because they were not well integrated. Good flavor but not a lot of depth. The finish was fairly short and unexciting but I am used to drinking heavily extracted/concentrated California Cabs. What left the most negative impression on me was the astringent aftertaste, like bitter grapefruit rind. It was not what I was expecting for a 16yr old Bordeaux. I think more aging would 3-5 years would have done the bottle some good.
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5/8/2018 - dcwino wrote: 91 Points
Chateau Lagrange dinner (Blacksalt, Washington DC): Not showing the roasted fruit, cherry liqueur and plum that I associate with the vintage. Sweet strawberry, plum, cinnamon and a hint of alcohol. Medium concentration, warm, soft and round, medium acidity, no noticeable tannins and a medium long subtle red fruit driven finish. It is an easy drinking wine that is fully ready to go.
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5/2/2018 - khmark7 wrote: 86 Points
Consumed in Riedel Bordeaux glassware. Sweet oak still in the aromatics from the barrels (alcohol?). Tannins have resolved leaving a smooth mouthfeel and rather monolithic palate. Nothing herbal, nor classic in style. This is my 3rd bottle and i fail to detect any red fruits or clear distinction. I would have guessed 2005 California. Good.....not great.
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3/31/2018 - GNW Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mature and ready to drink. Decanted for 2 hours. Smooth and rich. Classic St Julien.
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3/17/2018 - Eric wrote:
2003 Bordeaux at 15 years courtesy of Mark Taylor; 3/17/2018-3/18/2018 (Atlanta, GA): Iron, blood and cherry cola on a relatively forthcoming nose. Mmm, I love the palate, deep, rich, and pure with tart, lively cranberry notes, tart red fruit, fresh and very pleased. Guessed incorrectly as Poyferre. Ranked 1 out of 6.
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2/26/2018 - Enfantterrible wrote: 90 Points
A nice wine to savor over a few hours and big glasses. Needs time to breath but not too much.
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2/24/2018 - Keith Clark Likes this wine: 93 Points
No detailed note... Nose of cloves, star anise and blackberries with a little black pepper - later some wet wool becomes more evident. Soft and mellow taste. Gentle aniseed spice, maybe some liquorice, blackberries. Probably at its peak, and fabulous it is too. My last bottle.
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2/18/2018 - Philippe_C wrote: 92 Points
Huge nose of ripe casssis, leather, cèpes de Bordeaux, sandalwood, cigar box... Classic Bordeaux with ripe and silky tannins, red berries, strawberries, mushrooms. Delicious but not very concentrated
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1/27/2018 - Joesap wrote:
My Grade: VG+. Despite a broken cork, showed very well after two hours of air. Straight down the line St. Julien, medium body, medium tannins, good dark berry and black cherry fruit. A little one-note and doesn't have the back-bone of a 2000 or 2005, so should be drunk now, but enjoyable nonetheless. A very good example of the underrated 2003 vintage (see my profile for grades).
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1/15/2018 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Weekly tasting group RWP : 10 completely different wines fully blind (@ My place): The bouquet shows some signs of maturity, dark and red berries, autumn forest, coffee, chocolate and caramel as well as beautiful oak. On the palate the same impressions, beautiful acidity and slightly drying tannin with still a pleasant bite.
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12/26/2017 - pjhr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious blackberry and cassis aromas with leather and lead pencil notes on a tasty moderately long finish with soft tannins.
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12/26/2017 - NiklasT Likes this wine: 91 Points
Had same meal as 2002. This has more sweet fruit and apparent tannins, some heat in the back end. Really delicious while obviuosly different vs 2002 style. Another really enjoyable bottle of Lagrange. Last one from 02/03 vintages.
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12/25/2017 - wineforth Likes this wine: 92 Points
From magnum bought en primeur. Hard to add much to philippe’s note below. Nose of sweet plums then sandalwood, cedar and dark blackcurrant. Quite a long dry finish. Drinking well now and given the tannic backbone will I suspect drink well for a decade. I don’t buy magnums often as whilst great for long ageing I prefer a range of wines and they’re a pain to decant. The barrel sample of 2016 Lagrange was so superb I got them in magnum. Both vintages are great value.
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12/9/2017 - winebargainchaser Likes this wine: 91 Points
very good value. decanted 3-4 hours, then showed homogenous. great with filet de boeuf and other dark meats. not the utmost finely ciseled wine, still very powerful. but think could eventually dry out, so do not hold longer than max. 5 years.
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11/27/2017 - Kent111 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Carried this St Julien fine wine all the way from Hong Kong. Opened the bottle in L'appart @ rooftop of sofitel hotel.
It definitely surprised me. Dark ruby color, pronounced wet forrest floor on the nose for the first 1.5 hours, then the black fruit surfaced.
Perfect balance of black fruit, cedar, earth, tannin, acidity... with a hint of green pepper ( ). It was just so smooth.
It was a classic demonstration of how drinkable and enjoyable that a well aged quality Bordeaux can be.
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11/13/2017 - Philippe_C wrote: 92 Points
Color is still pretty dark for a 14 year old wine... Huge nose of cedar, leather, ripe black fruit, sandalwood, textbook St-Julien nose... Very black taste, fresh integrated tannin with black fruit in the background, very nice!
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10/25/2017 - dssmith wrote: 85 Points
The cork on this bottle crumbled and was very difficult to extract. It had to be picked out piece by piece with the balance of the cork pushed into the bottle. The wine was then filtered to get rid of all of the cork pieces before we could drink it. Despite the horrible cork the wine was in good shape. There was no bouquet. The color was dark red with no signs of oxidation. The flavor was a nice balance of tannin, oak and fruit though the fruit was a bit subdued.
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10/11/2017 - djhammond Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very typical of the good left bank wines of 2003, the wine is entering into its optimum drinking window. It has a deeply perfumed nose of pure blackcurrent and on the palate the tannins have resolved giving good fruit well balanced with harsher notes. With a decent finish, although not up there with the best St Juliens and St Estephes of the vintage, I would venture to say that it is the best Lagrange drinking are present. Decanting is recommended, and I would think it has a good few years ahead staying at this level.
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9/13/2017 - Tim Heaton wrote: flawed
tca
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9/9/2017 - Escher Cellars wrote: 92 Points
Great balance, opened up for smooth maturity after 1-2 hours, drink now. Cheers.
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9/2/2017 - hoservin wrote: 92 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Aromas of currant, cherry, cedar, graphite and dried herbs. Black and red fruit, tobacco leaves, graphite and soft tannins on the palate. Medium to long finish. Medium to full bodied. Served with grilled T-bone steak.
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8/9/2017 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 91 Points
Last bottle 3 years ago. After my last sceptical note, this wine is back in business. Rich and round, tannins have softened and all is in nice balance again. Not the most complex Bdx out there but nice to drink now and over the next couple years
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7/23/2017 - La Grappe wrote: 89 Points
Quite full, a bit solid, lacking a little acidity, a typical 2003. Good now, but should keep well.
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5/25/2017 - bitdrerik wrote: 92 Points
Eðalklúbbur, wine tasting #5 spring 2017 (Marbakkabraut 12): Ruby coloured. The rim has started to show a bit of orange. A bit closed to start with but when swirled it reveals honey, prunes, liquorice and cut grass. Beautifully balanced wine. Very soft and you can find cherries, prunes, cocoa and chocolate on the tongue. Much more developed than the 2009 and 2010 tasted before. We discussed that the 2009 would probably end up similar to this in five to six years.
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5/19/2017 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Enjoyed from a 375ml bottle with a nose of black berry, mint, allspice, and a touch of black cherry, same on the palate, medium/big body, very tasty, lots of mouth filling fruit, sweet on the palate and a touch sour on the mid palate, needs 3 years to peak, still very easy to enjoy tonight, only a medium finish which hurt the score.
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5/5/2017 - sc03852 wrote:
4 - Smokey, cigar, tobacco, cedar, spice, mint, soft and silky tannins. 57% cab, 33% merlot, 10% petit Verdot.
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4/2/2017 - Keith Clark Likes this wine: 93 Points
No detailed note. Starting to drink brilliantly. Big but not OTT. Lovely Bordeaux berry flavours - primarily black, some red. A touch of tobacco. Still some well-integrated tannins.
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4/2/2017 - colin107 wrote:
Sweet notes, decanted the magnum for well over 2 hours. Nicely balanced, no issues at all. Drink now.
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3/20/2017 - deverett wrote: 91 Points
Quite concentrated and firm, maybe missing the nuances of better vintages though. Ripe dark black currant fruit, oak is present, grippy tannins and a plush mouthfeel. A little blocky but enough typicity to carry it through. Hoping this may develop a little more complexity in time but perhaps a function of a tougher vintage.
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2/7/2017 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 90 Points
Very ripe, big bodied cassis and blackberry fruit. Pencil lead and leather on the smooth finish. The tannins are better integrated than last tasting. Decent balance, and while not particularly typical Bordeaux- very drinkable and pleasant.
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1/25/2017 - Harley1199 wrote:
Enofusión 2017; 1/23/2017-1/25/2017 (IFEMA - Madrid): I've fallen in love with this wine with 10% of PV. That elegant and spicy touch is ... tremendous. A soft varnish that drags during its passage through the palate ... seductive. Anthracite notes too. Everything in balance and full of elegance. Although I think it can still improve a bit, I will start to open this vintage. Totally decided.
Me ha enamorado este vino con un 10% de PV. Ese toque elegante y especiado es tremendo. Ese barniz suave que arrastra durante su paso por el paladar...seductor. Notas de antracita también. Todo en equilibrio y lleno de elegancia. Aunque creo que todavía puede mejorar un poco, voy a empezar a abrir esta añada. Decidido.
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1/1/2017 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium ruby appearance.
Evolved nose of cassis, blackberry, vanilla and tobacco.
Medium plus body with plenty of acidity and medium tannin. Black fruit, vanilla , tobacco and spice on the palate. The finish is long.
Another 2003 that defies the reputation of the vintage as being flabby or over cooked. This is a text book St Julien that is drinking well now and will easily keep for another decade (if stored properly)
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12/21/2016 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 94 Points
My second bottle, still showing beautifully.
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12/1/2016 - lumpyelbow wrote:
'04 earlier this week trumped it.
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10/15/2016 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
An easy afternoon with close friends; Pauillac, Pomerol, St. Julien (@ My place): This wine was still as youthful as Grand Puy Lacoste 2008 and that in itself tells enough when you know about Bordeaux wines. Impressive for Lagrange 2003 in any case! The wine has a beautiful and creamy bouquet with good red and dark forest fruit. On the palate juicy and creamy with ripe fruits. a beautiful balance between acidity and sweetness and vanilla. Very well balanced and integrated wine.
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9/3/2016 - Escher Cellars wrote: 95 Points
Amazing wine, exceeded all expectations. A wonderful "mouth-feel", tannic yet smooth, slight aftertaste wish it had more, but just enough fruit with complex wood and mushrooms textures. No acidity. Paired very well with a filet but also stood solo perfectly well without any need for decanting. Sad I only have 1 left in the cellar. Drink now or +2 years. Enjoy this St. Julien! Cheers.
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7/18/2016 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 95 Points
Perfectly balanced, elegant Medoc showing very well and more youthful than I would expect. On the pauillac-like side of St.-Julien. Great QPR.
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7/17/2016 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic claret, with good balance and length. One of the better 2003s I have come across, which is drinking very well now, but will keep.
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7/9/2016 - Grinner wrote: 93 Points
PHMG WAG: Tour de France 2016 (Chateau Lyon): This bottle was better than my last one 3 years ago, no funk. Just loads of black fruit / cassis, graphite, mocha, tobacco, cedar, tar, and stone. Tannins are nearly resolved on the long finish. Now-2023
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7/5/2016 - dave747400 wrote: 92 Points
With Prawn & Pancetta rice. Double decanted for (modest) sediment. Light florals on the nose with some coaxing, great acidity in the mouth, light on its feet, a refreshingly dry finish. No noticeable 2003ness. Excellent.
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6/27/2016 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Not nearly as nice as the last bottle. Took awhile to open - about an hour in the decanter. Some dark fruit, but most everything was overshadowed by the cigar box flavors. Smelled better than it tasted. The finish was long and nice.
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6/4/2016 - Serge Birbrair Likes this wine:
loooovely
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5/20/2016 - O'Meara Likes this wine:
Great juice. Opened for 4 hours before sharing with the group. Upon the pull, it already had a great nose that wreaked of cedar. 4 hours later the nose had developed into a wonderfully complex dame of a Lagrange. Cedar, graphite, cocoa, mint, and tobacco. Classic stuff. The palate was full and smooth with some polished tannins on the milk chocolate finish. Alas, it was my last bottle.
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5/10/2016 - Bordeaux_Jon Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine really needed a decant. I had the third coravinned glass tonight and although it was aromatic, it was a bit weird at first. There was fruit but I think it was a bit roasted. The palate was tight and tannic, and the wine got a bit hard to drink. But, after 2 hours of decanting, boom, the wine had a sexy oak and red fruit nose, and a smooth enticing palate. I don't usually see this much change with air, but this time, oh yeah. I would drink this with food as well.
Update [11/26/2016]: Finished the bottle tonight. Upgraded the score from 92 to 93. The experience of this wine was great overall. As I said before, this wine has a really lovely evolution with air which brings out a lot of aromatic complexity. I served this wine to my father-in-law a couple days before our wedding and he preferred it to the 1995 Lagrange and 1988 Lafite. I agree that it was way more approachable and hedonistic than those wines. This was also served at the cocktail hour at my wedding and the guests enjoyed it more than the other wines - 1995 Whitehall Lane Leonardini Vineyard, 1995 Whitehall Lane Reserve Cabernet, and 1995 Lagrange.
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4/24/2016 - Philippe_C wrote: 91 Points
Nose of leather, ripe strawberries, bacon fat.... very light but nice red fruit, super silky and integrated tannins, beautiful mature claret!
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4/22/2016 - Decanthor Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is delicious and my periodic reminder of how much I love bordeaux. Dark in the glass, it started off with some earthy notes and berries. You can feel the tension between its food-friendly acidity and some fine tannins on the back end. It is a wine that has some weight yet still manages to be fresh. As dinner went on, the dark fruits were more prominent and the wine really smoothed out. Paired very well with our skirt steaks. This is ready to drink now. Decant for sediment (lots of it) and if you want to avoid the earthier notes in the first 10-15 minutes. 92-93.
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2/14/2016 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bright red crusts after stoic of funky barnyard. Along with the red, we have some dark cherry and cassis. Great acidity and mineral keep this wine in check. I probably should have waited longer as this was my last 2003 Lagrange and this hasn't peaked. I save a glass and it was still beautiful on day 2. The acid and tannin keep this as more of a food wine, but this was a very nice bottle.
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12/24/2015 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
89 for a Bordeaux and 93 as a California wine...
Still full throttle and big bodied with lots of structure and heft. Lots of deep black fruit and spice, with a cedar nose that leans toward old world. Palate was vibrant and luxurious from the evident quality of the oak, and well balanced between sweetness of the ripe fruit and the acid and tannins from well timed harvesting for the hot vintage...A great wine, an ok 2003, and an unusual Bordeaux. Drink or Hold...
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12/3/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Dinner after HDH Tasting (The Duck Inn - Chicago IL): Ripe on nose and palate, but with enough structure that enables this to retain a nice balance, even if it will never be an elegant wine.
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11/19/2015 - VinoServant wrote: 88 Points
IMHO the 2003 vintage is incredibly overrated. This wine was fine, but as another reviewer mentioned, I tasted a tremendous amount of eucalyptus. I will say that the wine was very smooth, and it did coat the tongue nicely, but too much green / eucalyptus flavors for my liking.
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11/18/2015 - Squirreljam wrote: 93 Points
Excellent, and great value! Really nice drinker that opened up over a couple hours. Rich but not cloying nose with plum, licorice and a hint of eucalyptus and a well rounded palate that blended freshness and depth. This will be very good for a long while to come but is great to drink now.
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11/16/2015 - Philippe_C wrote: 93 Points
Super nose of roasted steak, patanegra, sandalwood, exotic spices, ripe red strawberries... tastes beautiful silky tannins, ripe red fruit, nice freshness, quite long for a Lagrange!
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11/1/2015 - CJDillon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good medium color. Nose has lots going on dark fruits, cherries etc. quite a modern vein (Napa) on tasting & still very fresh with a bit to go on the development front. No over extraction here. Long lasting finish but not quite as good as some lagranges that have come before it eg; 85,86, 00. Outmaneuvered by a more evolved beychevelle 03 on this occasion.
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8/2/2015 - Shoebox Likes this wine: 92 Points
Purple black colour, thick legs, sweet nose of tobacco/cedar.
Clean sweet black fruit; blackberries, blackcurrants.
No austerity
Atypical for Bordeaux - no graphite/leather.
Delicious. Should last 15+ years more
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7/25/2015 - Desal-Cordeny Likes this wine: 92 Points
Superb wine. Right at the top, but will certainly stay there a few more years. Luckily I still have a few bottels left to enjoy.
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7/24/2015 - JWSOMMERFELD Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine Club Jr (Bordeaux) (Sommerfeld's Place, SF): Medium garnet. Nose was a bit more primary than I expected (compared to 2000 vintage consumed a few weeks back). Crushed raspberries, black cherry, ripe plum, eucalyptus, cedar, and mint. Elegant and a bit light on the palate. Body, acid, alcohol, tannins were well balanced and all medium. Medium+ length finish.
A classy beauty, just beginning to shine. Not super extracted, a more delicate style. I expect it will be in it's prime over the next ten years.
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7/5/2015 - Keith Clark Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking brilliantly but with a little life left too. Beautiful deep burgundy, with notes of polished dark redwood and few signs of age. On the nose cassis with hints of chocolate and a little mint - which become more menthol-like at the back of the nose. The smell is both restrained and powerful. Good structure. Black fruits with notes of mushroom and wood. Dryness resulting from some soft, nicely integrated tannins. Cassis and some slight spice on the long finish.
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6/30/2015 - mortenva Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep warm red colour. Very aromatic: blackberry, earth tones coffee, chocolate, vanilla and pepper. Full bodied with good balance. Lots of fruit left!
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6/12/2015 - vino vidi vici Likes this wine:
Opened and poured. Chocolate, roasted coffee, clove, cassis - lingering tobacco finish. Very good. Balanced and ready to go. Delish.
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5/31/2015 - Enfantterrible wrote: 90 Points
First bottle from a case aligns with recent notes from 2015. Drinking nicely, with several years of life left IMHO. Big, rich, full bodied wine. Nice QPR at $25 en primeur
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5/15/2015 - Burgnick wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. It was showing nicely in the glass after 30 mins. A mature, young to drink bordeaux. The nose had dark currants, herbs, mushroom, and a sweet nose. The wine reflected the ripe vintage. However, the palate was not as deep and concentrated as Lagrange 2000. The finish was a bit dry. Better than 2007 Lagrange but not as good as his 2000 vintage. I would drink this now as I dont see it to improve with more aging.
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5/9/2015 - CabIsKing wrote: 92 Points
Drinking just as good as last time. Had with a New York strip and was just perfect. Don't see this getting better but will drink for many years to come.
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4/30/2015 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Continues to drink well!
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4/28/2015 - Apollo5710 wrote: 92 Points
I think this was opened right when it needed to be. I'm not sure what purpose there is to keep holding it (the '03 Lafon Rochet, opened the day before, was slightly more structured and can go a little longer), at least based on my experience: I'm glad I opened it (my only bottle). Compared to the '00, opened 1.5 years ago, the '03 is less of a wine (medium bodied at the most), and not at all on par with the depth, structure, and potential of the '00. With that said, the '03 was enjoyed by all at the able, shining above the '05 CdP Vatican Cuvee Sixteen, which was not quite ready yet. The '03 Lagrange, however, featured a lovely nose of cedar, roasted herbs, a hint of mocha, graphite, and with time, olive, mushroom, and red fruits (not particularly deep or dark though). In the mouth, it's silky and smooth, with no harshness or notable tannic presence to speak of, and dominated by raspberry, plum, and blueberry fruit flavors.
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4/5/2015 - Nutty08 wrote: 90 Points
Not as good as prior bottles. Mocha and spice nose, with dark somewhat roasted fruit on the palate. Course tannins on the backend. Moderate mocha finish. Good, not great, but this bottling has been better in the past (and should be at this price point.)
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3/31/2015 - spillwine wrote: 88 Points
"hot" mais pas trop, à boire
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3/7/2015 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Awesome. Everything is well balanced now. Red berry fruit, some tobacco, maybe a little chocolate, and a bit smoky. Delicious with a long smooth finish.
Did not throw any sediment.
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2/8/2015 - Serge Birbrair Likes this wine:
ready for business and I liked it a lot!
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1/9/2015 - stevenjstein wrote: flawed
Not undrinkable, but was a bit corked. Seems like it had plenty of fruit, so it probably would have drank well and had years left otherwise.
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1/1/2015 - jamieirving Likes this wine: 89 Points
A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, this wine was made in a hotter vintage. Slightly stewed black berry fruit and vegetal aromas on the nose. Savoury tobacco and cigar characters.
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12/28/2014 - vancouvermatt wrote: 93 Points
Black fruit, leather, charcoal, cedarl notes. Still lots of stuffing.
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12/27/2014 - Janstan Likes this wine: 89 Points
smooth tannins, dark fruit, cassis, herbacous finish. Had with rib roast
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12/25/2014 - hoservin wrote: 90 Points
Double decanted for 1.5 hours. Nose of currant, cherry, chocolate and spice. Blackberry, cherry, chocolate, currant and leather on the palate. Leads to a medium to long dry finish. Medium bodied with good tannins. Paired with roast beef.
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11/28/2014 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 90 Points
Quite a deep colour. Ripe, full-flavoured fruit, with some complexity and a good finish. Ready now, but should last well and may develop further.
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11/13/2014 - rossi.wine wrote: 89 Points
Not quite as heavy and overripe as some 2003 but still showing some jammy and stewed fruit. Still well balanced, enough freshness, good finish. Slowly drink up. 88-90
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10/17/2014 - Sixchips600 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Had a 750ml and a magnum. The magnum was a bit fresher. 750 had noticeably more mushroom and leather notes, which points to development. The 750 was a bit more enjoyable / interesting for the group tonight.
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10/12/2014 - dufferdan Likes this wine: 89 Points
Loads of fruit, tannins well balanced. Not sure I want to leave the other two bottles much longer.
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10/11/2014 - agricola Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep colour, impressive nose (red and blue fruits, leather aromas), the palate offers very rich dark fruit, soft chocolaty tannins; deep, full of harmony, good length. Now and the next 5 years at its top.
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9/28/2014 - NostraBacchus wrote: 89 Points
A bottle I bought right after release and that was perfectly stored since then. PnP. Medium ruby-purple color. Nose of cassis/black currant, but also some red fruit, rubber, touch of cooked berries, slightly sirupy, cedar wood and also some minerality. On the palate there are similar notes again, mainly slightly cooked fruit, minerals. It's medium+ bodied with low acidity and medium+ tannin that is pretty rough and drying. Average length. A good wine for the vintage but there are too many "hot notes" and not enough acidity for my taste. Also the tannin is a little dry.
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9/25/2014 - DrinkBordeaux Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose was pretty closed down on opening, but improved after a couple of hours. Dark fruits became evident, but cedar and tobacco were dominant. The wine grew on me after 2 hour decant. Excellent St. Julien wine, especially considering the price.
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7/10/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 91 Points
of the two 2003 Bordeaux's we enjoyed at the WFFT auction mtg, this was slightly more rustic. Currant and red plum and gripping tannins, but well structured and built for the long haul.
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6/17/2014 - mark_m_owen wrote: 90 Points
Rught in its prime. Light cedar, dark fruit, chocolate and leather and smoooooth finish. Very nice indeed.
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6/1/2014 - vancouvermatt wrote: 91 Points
Cellared since release... still quite primary, with many years of life left. Didn't find it "sporty" or high alcohol at all. A bit short on the finish, but silky with well integrated tannins.
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5/3/2014 - Keith Clark Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cedary yet rich nose - with a curious hint of furniture polish. Possibly blueberry with distinct floral notes. Drying. Bramble, especially black fruits. Spicy, spirity finish - including coriander seed.
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4/19/2014 - NiklasT wrote: 92 Points
Excellent mouthfeel with wonderful fruit and long finish, nice classic perfume. This is in a great drinking window now and has stuffing to go longer, did not feel any obtrusive heat from the vintage, just quality fruit.
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3/29/2014 - Philippe_C wrote: 92 Points
Heavy nose of bacon roasted meat, ripe cherries, leather, cigar box… taste of red cherries, strawberries, very silky tannins
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3/28/2014 - Sixchips600 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep nose with moderate cedar and blackberry notes. Soft silky texture. In its drinking window. Any development from here would be secondary/tertiary. Very nice to drink now.
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3/17/2014 - jheathw wrote: 93 Points
3 hours in the decanter on night one, this drank very well with ribeye steaks. 2 nights later however this was absolutely singing . . . perfumed nose with serious cassis and plum on the palate -- classic St Julien. Wish I had a few more to cellar.
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3/15/2014 - Sixchips600 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank really well tonight. Soft berry flavors, appropriate ripeness for 2003, and nice medium cedary finish.
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3/12/2014 - prasm wrote: flawed
Slightly corked, not scored. Consumed over 2 days. Thought this might come around on day 2 after showing slightly corked on day 1, but if anything it was worse on day 2. Nose: Medium expressiveness, dominated by earthiness and wet newspaper with undertones of ripe dark fruit and licorice. Palate: Medium-full bodied, definite dark fruit appears on the attack but the tell-tale damp earthy cardboard flavors appear mid-palate and overshadow all the goodness that is there in the background. Made it thru the entire bottle and would have rated 86-88 as tasted, but having had this previously I know it shows much better than this experience.
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3/11/2014 - MarkMich wrote: 92 Points
This is drinking really nice. Dark red but starting to brown on the rim. Ripe red raspberry, vanilla, wet stone and spice on the nose. Red fruit white chocolate on the palate. Still fruit, acid and tannins to last. I have found many of the 03's that I love and some that make me believe they won't hold up. I would buy more of the 03 Lagrange.
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3/1/2014 - pavel_p Does not like this wine: 89 Points
Drank at home with the last guests from a BBQ.
I have had several bottles of the 03 Lagrange over the last 2 years and this one unfortunately confirms the not very positive impression from the last bottle about a year ago. Lagrange was my favorite affordable 03 some 2 years ago, with a beautiful creamy palate and great balance, but has now shed it's richness and you are left with what I dislike so much about most wines in the hot 03 vintage. A dark profile with the typical burnt fruit flavors and not the finest tannins. Short to medium finish.
Makes me a bit worried about my 03 Duhart's which I liked so much some years ago, and also need to pull the cork on those big 03s (Leoville Barton, Cos, Montrose), which I have not yet dared to open, before it's perhaps too late.
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2/23/2014 - janbecker wrote: 89 Points
Since I had the 2000 a week ago - which I liked - my expectations for this one were quite high. Unfortunately, the wine was rather mute: There was some structure, and the acidity was nice, but regarding flavours it lacked intensity as well as complexity. The nose was non-existent and the palate was rather a bit dull. It was more than OK to go with food, but for itself it was uninspiring
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2/16/2014 - John Pauillac Likes this wine: 91 Points
without decanting in the glass and let stand for half an hour.
Medium garnet red, deep dark core, at the edge of no maturity reflexes.
The nose is very restrained, almost reductive, cool Cabernetaromatik, cassis, some cedar, light roasted notes, some leather and Tatar.
On the palate, dense and compact, elegant, good structure, firm, initially a slightly sharp acidity, fat and sweet tannins, sweet fruit, cassis, cedar, well-poised and balanced.
The finish is of medium length with dark berries.
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2/6/2014 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dirty, tangy tannins and stinky earth, classic graphite, red currants and black currants with a touch of mushroom, spices form the oak, with an acidic biting finish. I like the bitters on this. Lagrange is classic St. Julien and showing well for this bottle had a cork that was obviously elevated. Not a stellar long, long finish, but the classic claret that sticks with you.
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1/25/2014 - vinole wrote: 89 Points
Currant and dark cherry fruit on a medium body frame with medium acidity with hints of cedar and tobacco. The ripeness and forwardness was not as pronounced as many 03's, but did come across as round, though somewhat monolithic and lacked complexity at this stage, with a finish on the short side.
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1/25/2014 - epiphany wrote: 85 Points
Some cedar, leather, and spicy dark fruit but otherwise a fairly muted nose. Medium body with similar profile to the nose. Short finish. Based on other scores this wine is a big disappointment. Could be bottle variation or maybe a storage issue. This was one of the first wines I purchased when first getting into Bordeaux. Bummer!
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1/23/2014 - garambler wrote: 92 Points
We had this with dinner (baked polenta with sausage and tomato-pepper sauce) on 1/23/14. It had a fragrant, earthy bouquet of leather, cedar, tobacco, black currant, black cherry, mineral and spice aromas. The palate was smooth, elegant, earthy and dry with flavors of leather, tobacco, minerals, anise, spice, black currant, and tart cherry…very enjoyable!
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1/12/2014 - roelof.ligtmans@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
I won't be repeating all the nice things that previous tasters have said - they are right. This is a scrumptious bottle. Go, buy, drink, enjoy.
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1/9/2014 - schiwi wrote: 93 Points
Wunderbar balanciert, ausgewogen. In der Nase immer wieder neue Geschmacksrichtungen zeigend, lädt regelrecht auf einen Schluck ein. Im Gaumen herrlich rund, elegant und wunderbar stimmig. Mittellanger Abgang. Mit den Jahren wurde der zu einem richtigen "Wow-Wein". Wirklich schade, war die letzte Flasche.
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1/2/2014 - sastewart wrote: 91 Points
Opened 4 hours. Nice fruit on the nose along with some cedar. Decent acid, firm tannins. Lots of dark fruits and chocolate along with some minerality. Early maturity, solid 91 points
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1/1/2014 - yeti575rider wrote: 90 Points
Decent but not great although my wife liked this much more than I did. Last of my 03 Bordeaux's and honestly wasn't overly impressed with any of them. This had a storng iron/ mineral core to it along with the usual currant / blackberry flavors. Nose was probably strongest part of wine. Held up on day 2 after being stored in fridge so think has some life left but no reason to hold.
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12/26/2013 - Morrisson Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tres impressione. Un bel equilibre avec beaucoup de puissance. Les tannins sont parfaitement fondus. Decante pendant 1h30.
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12/25/2013 - GA Old World Guy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice wine and a perfect example of pure St. Julien harmony. Silky smooth with a great nose. Would love to get my hands on another couple of bottles.
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12/25/2013 - Wee Dram Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is the reason I started drinking reds. Smooth, elegant and refined. Nose of dark fruit and pencil box followed by an explosion on the palate. Wish I had more.
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12/19/2013 - Vinterest Angus Likes this wine: 92 Points
Textbook St Julien. Medium weight with medium finish. Decanted for 1hr, though dropped off after 2hrs. A very reliable bdx with good QPR.
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12/18/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
Just now starting to dry out a bit, there is still plenty of tobacco, cassis, cranberry and earthy notes in the nose, but this is not for long term aging. The tannins are firm and the finish is slightly drying in the end notes.
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12/13/2013 - eudora Likes this wine: 93 Points
Hits a height at 10 years. Drinking great.
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11/23/2013 - mattias_hansen@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark ruby. Initially very closed but after double decanting and leaving it for 2 hours the nose opens and reveals ripe dark cherry, blackberry, cassis, lead pencil and tobacco leaf, smoked bacon. Textbook Cabernet nose in its infancy but revealing some secondary nuances. Palate is lovely textured, certianly ripe and fruit-forward, but balanced and complemented by fresh acidity and grainy tannins. A ripe and modern bx but in no way overly extracted or stewed in character. finishes medium-long with tobacco and lead pencil.
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11/22/2013 - mclanew wrote: 91 Points
Open knit style bordeaux with flavors of black fruits, mocha, oak. Full bodied with nice layers of fruit but a little fat, lacking structure.
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11/10/2013 - Nutty08 wrote: flawed
A WineBid bottle I purchased in '08. Perfect fill and cork. This was acting like it saw some heat it its life. Nose was shy, palate with plums and roasted fruit, clipped metallic finish. No obvious TCA. Very unlike prior bottles with solid providence. 83 if scored.
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11/3/2013 - Grinner wrote: 92 Points
17th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (The Lyon's Tree House): First slightly funky Bordeaux of the night, that blew off a bit to reveal ripe black fruit aromas with cedar, spice, tar, and minerals. Nice muscular texture on the palate. 90 on day 2.
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10/22/2013 - Zorba wrote: 91 Points
Brick colour, great spicy nose with something like all-spice and cedar. This put on some weight over the last 3.5 years and definitely improved. Rich taste, ripe black cherry fruit mostly, juicy, mineral tones, soft but not velvety. Concentrated, spicy and smokey aftertaste with tannins still present but well rounded out. Drinking very well now and developed over the 30 hours this bottle was open. Who knows what more may be in store with a few years more. Excellent QPR at 20 euro!
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10/21/2013 - Rupert wrote: 89 Points
Ripe, a bit chocolately, but cedar and mint tones give it some freshness; good tangy claret
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10/13/2013 - Sixchips600 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking really well. Integrated cedar and mix of red and black fruits. Soft tannins.
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9/24/2013 - brianakrin wrote: 91 Points
dark smokey nose, rich, structured,spicy, some cassis and graphite. opened up after decant. D/H
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9/21/2013 - rmcnees wrote: 91 Points
This was bigger, more full, nicely balanced, smoother and more polished than I expected, one of the best LaGrange I have tasted. Medium to full bodied, dark inky purple colored, aromas and flavors of black berry, black cherry, violet floral with hints of coffee bean, mocha, tobacco and earth with soft smooth lingering tannins.
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9/6/2013 - Wine Sparty wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for about an hour, then drank over the course of 4 hours. Aroma is dark cherry and plum, along with some leather and cedar. Taste is red cherry, with a moderate level of acidity. Also a bit of tobacco on the palate. This is OK, but doesn't do have anything too exciting going on.
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9/1/2013 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good fruit, but maybe a bit simple for a Bordeaux. Might have benefitted from decanting. Some herbal notes and a good tannin and acid backbone.
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8/20/2013 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 91 Points
Probably needed 3-4 more hours to decant, still a lovely plum, tar, licorice, and mineral mixture. Medium bodied, but powerful flavors.
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7/14/2013 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
Sunday Brown Bag Tasting: 2003 Bordeaux (Mike & Judi's): Garnet color. Aromas of coffee beans, dark fruit and herbs. Medium- to full-bodied with flavors of dark fruit, cherry and currants. Has a bitterness on the finish that I did not care for. 88+ pts.
My #7, Domino's #3
Group #2, 45 pts
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6/21/2013 - Ary wrote: 89 Points
Left Bank Bordeaux 2003 (semi blind) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): Thick red fruits and some minerality on the supple medium-bodied palate, nice 'bite' (bitterness) at the end. Not very complex but easily pleasing wine. Drink from now until 2020.
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6/19/2013 - Jayarr wrote: 88 Points
I hate sitting and waiting on a bottle for close to 10 years and being disappointed. It was fine and I'm glad I had it but it was nothing's special. Dark purple so it has some time left. Fine tannins and some dark fruit. It was good and maybe my expectations were too much but still...
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6/1/2013 - SonnyChiba wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed this one quite a bit. Very dark purple/black color in the glass. Superb nose - dusty and fruity. Bright fruit and you can really taste the cabernet in here. For the price, I think Lagrange is one of the better values out there in Bordeaux, and this 2003 is a perfect example. I think a lot of people would enjoy this wine - very hard not to like it.
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5/19/2013 - Serge Birbrair Likes this wine:
seems like it is going all the right places.
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5/17/2013 - theusualsuspect wrote: 91 Points
A beautiful Bordeaux if not a great one. A little toasted oak on the nose along with reddish fruit and a bit of chocolate on the palate. . A really nice creamy quality across the palate but the length is not really impressive. Maybe a little more over-cropped -dilute; than I might like; but the end result is really excellent nonetheless. Really great with dinner, but won't knock you in a horizontal tasting of 2003 Saint-Juliens.
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5/11/2013 - zarped wrote: 92 Points
très beau nez de fruits noirs, boite à cigares, cèdre, en bouche le vin est très ample, frais, fruits noirs, tannins très veloutés. bonne structure sans dureté avec des notes de sous bois. grande longueur. encore une belle vie devant lui tres bon rapport qualité prix
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5/1/2013 - Wil78 wrote: 93 Points
very good on first day. but fades away on day 2
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4/30/2013 - dallons wrote: 92 Points
soft tannins. Well balanced
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4/29/2013 - Cellarhead wrote: 91 Points
From 3L bottle, drank over pop-'n-pour to about 2 hours of decanting. Opened with gravel, pencil lead and earthy nose. Immediate comments were about the soft, integrated tannins which lead to questions about how much Merlot was included in the composition (~ 30%). Overall an easy-going wine with softening tannins, medium body, and slightly prevalent alcohol.
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4/12/2013 - Strikermax wrote: 92 Points
Donkerrood. Zwoele geur van rijp zwart en rood fruit, luxe hout. Romig en uitbundig van smaak met rijp fruit, chocolade. Zachte tannines.
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3/26/2013 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Beautiful bouquet with good oak and beautiful black as well as red berry fruits. Same on the palate. Quite supple. Creamy and round with good ripe and lush fruits. Early maturity and really nice. No problem keeping this for another 5+ years. 90+
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3/24/2013 - Squirreljam wrote: 92 Points
Pulled on a whim to see what'd it be like at 10; based on the change from popping the cork to end of dinner two-three hours later, this could still use a few years, but is going to be a nice wine. Nose flat at first, as it opened it 'richened' up with dark fruits and a hint of ceder. On the palate, a medium weight claret with definite dark chocolate notes over some plum. Tannins still there but do not detract, just say to me that there is still structure to support more aging. At opening, 90, then with air maybe 92 heading up a point or two in a couple-few years?
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3/11/2013 - Nutty08 wrote: 92 Points
Funky nose, cedar, herbs, and dark berries. Palate has chunky tannins and black berry notes. Smooth entry and a moderate chocolate finish. A very nice Bdx with a nose stronger than the palate. Has the big fruit of '03 but restrained and still has balance. This doesn't strike me as a Bdx that will gain complexity, but will continue to change. Not falling off a cliff anytime soon.
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3/10/2013 - jmull wrote: 93 Points
Hello, sweet spot. The once-imposing tannin has melted into a silky textured wine with a beautiful balance between primary fruit and cedary complexity. Wonderful with rack of lamb. 93.
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2/17/2013 - ddahl Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice. Well aged. Dry and bold.
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2/15/2013 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Continues to drink beautifully and at $29 in 2005, a great QPR!
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2/15/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
With its showy nose of coffee bean, cocoa powder, black cherry, plum jam, tobacco and earth, the wine is starting to soften and open up. From a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot, this stylish wine is probably my favorite of Lagrange to date.
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1/24/2013 - rickspicks wrote: 92 Points
From a magnum yesterday and did not take notes. Decanted for about 2 hours. Lovely, classic left bank bordeaux. Cassis, cherry, earth and oak on the nose. Aromas carry over to the palate with the addition of a bit of leather and forest floor. Medium, just slightly lean body with a silky texture, nice balance and a soft structure. Medium finish. Never going to be a superstar, but overall a seamless blend of very enjoyable bordeaux flavors and textures.
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1/21/2013 - MattTM wrote:
Commanderie de Bordeaux: 2003 Left Bank Dinner (Pastis - Vancouver, BC): Quite ripe on the nose, showing rich black cherry, cola, spearmint, and plenty of spicy black pepper. The richness carries through to the palate, offering ripe black cherry, red licorice, candied red cherry, earth, and menthol. High acidity with drying tannins. Medium+ length finish ending on notes of red licorice and candied red cherry. Lots of ripe red fruit on this but quite austere and a drying mouth feel. This was served blind, and while enjoyable didn't show the typical characteristics I look for from St Julien. Very good
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1/17/2013 - grossie wrote: 92 Points
Opened by Vino Me at dinner with Longboarder and Otis.
This bottle was quite enjoyable, and I agree that it changed greatly over the course of 2 hours. Forest floor, nice medium plummy fruit, fine grained tannins. A nice drink, could use another few years. I agree with 91-92 points.
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1/16/2013 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
This was the first of my 6 bottles although I had this once before in 2006 at the UGC tasting. This was part of a 4 bottle 2003 Bordeaux retrospective dinner. Not decanted but opened 5 hours before dinner. This wine opened up the most during the course of the dinner. Muted at first but much deeper when I revisited it. Reddish purple color. Herbal nose with some forest floor. Notes of roasted coffee beans, and plum. Medium body. Thought this wine was better than the 1995 and 2001 vintages but inferior to the 2005 and 2009 vintages. Moderately closed now and not showing as much character as when it was first released. 91-92+ points.
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1/11/2013 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Outstanding.
This is in a very nice place. Opened it and poured off a glass, but did not decant. It did not throw any sediment. Early on quite minty but this dissipated over time. Blackberry fruit, and perhaps some red berry, slightly ripe. After awhile evolved into a bit of fresh tobacco then more of the classic cigar box nose. Crisp acidity. Dusty tannins. Longish finish.
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11/15/2012 - kenthargis wrote: 81 Points
This was a bit of a disappointment. Upon opening, it seemed as though wine had breached the top of the cork. The nose was fine, but the taste was a bit off. Not corked, not tainted, but something just wasn't rich and vibrant. Rest of the evening, it was not bad, had some nice fruit, short finish. Next day it was better. Never got to where I hoped it would, but still decent enough.
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11/6/2012 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Most open bottle of 3 so far!
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10/31/2012 - TakeFullOdds wrote: 89 Points
Coffee and dark red fruit on the nose. Very dark garnet color. Pleasant tannins balanced with just the right amount of acidity. Delicious!
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10/30/2012 - Fantomas Likes this wine: 89 Points
Rich nose of red fruit, strawberry jam and cherry. On the palate, Strawberry, jammy plum, some cinnamon and nutmeg. Good length.
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10/27/2012 - Philippe_C wrote: 89 Points
Light nose of leather, jammy cherries, cigar box, sous-bois, ... in the mouth, quite light red fruit, light tannins, average aftertaste, mushrooms
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10/24/2012 - g-man wrote: 89 Points
I have to agree with kwl's assessment, pretty much my experience. It was nice on the palate showing good red fruit but the finish fell flat
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10/20/2012 - kwl wrote: 85 Points
Opened, poured through a vinturi into a decanter and drank over the next 2-3 hours. Both tannins and fruit have receded, but no secondary development. Got very little off the nose and palate was flat. Not unpleasent, but was clearly expecting more. Seems to be in an odd place now and not sure if a few more years in the bottle will change anything....
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10/7/2012 - khmark7 wrote: 83 Points
Somewhat herbal on the aromatics along with some noticeable alcohol, with a similiar palate and a short non descript finish. No good flavors at all.....and not corked. Big disappointment. Drank from a 375 ml.
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9/29/2012 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
baby flesh is gone and fruit is receding. I have difficulties evaluating where this wine is going.
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9/15/2012 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
As delicious as the last bottle. Needs a bit of air to soften the tannins on the finish.
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9/10/2012 - pavel_p wrote:
Opened this bottle as I had noticed slight leakage into the capsule, so it could be that my impression below are from a bottle that was not 100% ok.
This bottle has developed a fair bit since I first tried this wine 9 months ago, and seems to be going where my initially very nice 05 Cru Bourgeois went some 2 years ago (and have not come back yet): While the nose and the attack are still very nice - dark fruit, a fair bit of toasted oak (upon opening too much for my taste), barnyard, coffee - the formerly abundant fruit on the mid-palate has been substantially shed and what you get now is first a bit of a hollow mid-palate, particularly given the very creamy attack, and then fairly serious, drying tannins. This applied to the rest of the bottle on day 2 even more so than to the first glasses on day 1.
If you have a couple bottles and have not tried, would PnP one to enjoy what could be the last months of primary fruit pleasure, if you have already tried, I will put mine aside for some 2+ years and hope that this will be even better to drink once / if the tannins start to soften.
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8/18/2012 - WDK wrote: 91 Points
Good. Needs air. Dark ruby medium body, nose of ripe cassis. Mineral, plum and blackberry on the palate. Firm tannins and lots of acid for an '03. Med finish.
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8/4/2012 - topherg3 wrote: 88 Points
A little disappointed, drank with friends tasting Bordeaux vs. Napa and the big Napa over powered the Lagrange.
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7/27/2012 - TheGreenFrog wrote: 87 Points
I have had several bottles of this. Each has been the same: lots of fruit, but one-dimensional, muted and short. Giving it air does not improve it significantly. Disappointing.
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7/26/2012 - awise45 wrote: 89 Points
A bit muted and musty, with light fruits and green herbs flavors.
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7/1/2012 - pavel_p wrote: 91 Points
60 min decant but just like the 03 Duhart needs more like 90 - 120 min before it shows its best. Dark garnet almost to the rim. Initially barnyard, then earth, dark fruit, toasted oak. Smooth, medium to full bodied palate. Fine tannins apear after about 2h in the decanter. Medium finish. Nice
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6/24/2012 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 90 Points
Opened up nicely over a couple of hours. Ripe, typical for the vintage. This faded pretty quickly after the 2 hour post opening mark.
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6/24/2012 - lumpyelbow wrote: 91 Points
Nose still has good fruit and freshness. Cedar, cherries, blueberries. Full and supple in the mouth with sweet tannin. Not a lot in terms of secondary flavours but this is drinking really well. 91
Day 2 reveals that this still hasn't peaked; likely in the next 2-3 years.
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5/22/2012 - Fantomas Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep red, fat legs, nose of rich red fruit, cherry and licorice. On the palate very juicy cherry and smooth but present tannins. Fruitiness however is outlasting the tannins and a beautiful licorice note on the mid-palate. Good length. A powerful fruity yet smooth claret.
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5/20/2012 - vino vidi vici wrote:
Very good mature wine - smooth and round with deep flavor.
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5/8/2012 - BordeauxNut wrote: 89 Points
Very aromatic, with a musky perfume note, some leafy green, and a bit of heat on the nose. While the oak still front-and-center, it's now swathed in really dark fruit and a balsamic-like quality reminding me of Ribera del Duero. It's rich but short. I've had this a half dozen times since release and this may be the best it's been. I'm not sure it will improve, but it's a nice drink now.
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4/28/2012 - IamNotDrinkingAny#@!%Merlot wrote: 90 Points
Very nice as always, but I have a different reaction than many of the other reviews. This was not tasting nearly as rich and structured as it was over the past 2-3 years. Maybe just this particular bottle, but it seems to be in early stage decline. I have 5 more so I'll test that theory in 6-12 months from now.
This was my 8th or 9th bottle of the 2003...
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4/21/2012 - teamhams Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still young. A special nose full of dark berries and heavy on the cabernet. Tannic in the mouth with notes of plums and chocolate giving way to a medium to long finish. Superior, with its best years still ahead.
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4/14/2012 - Rania wrote: 90 Points
Drinking well but will be better in another 2-3 years. Decanted for about an hour. Drank with Osso Bucco at Napoleon. 2001 Faugeres is fantastic.
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4/5/2012 - pjhr wrote: 92 Points
Delicate blackberry and cassis aromas with leather and lead pencil notes on a tasty finish with moderate tannins. Still young!
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3/19/2012 - liondream wrote: 92 Points
This is a fantastic wine! Very smooth, berry like juicy pass through my throat, so balanced. When paired with beef or pork, it is even better. 1 hour decanting is already enough to show it potential.
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3/10/2012 - Arch57 wrote: 89 Points
Having a relatively young cellar I often have to dive into bottles at the earliest part of their drinking window and that was the case last night as the '03 vintage is my oldest Bordeaux in stock. I had the Lagrange right after release in 2006 and then again in Feb of 2010 so I wanted to see if there was any change.
I splash decanted this and we went about sampling it and found a nice mature nose of cigar box and leather that are typical in Bdx. The tannins were smooth and the wine had a simple elegance to it. There was some decent fruit still present but not like I recalled from my tasting note in 2006 when it had that youthful exuberance. I would call this a medium weight wine but not a real star.
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2/17/2012 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Still a purple hue in the color. Beautiful bouquet with dark cassis fruit and good oak. The color shows there already is some development. In the mouth a slightly sweet start, juicy and round tannin with still a good bite and pleasant bitterness. There are cassis and dark forest fruits. Really a beautiful wine, but I have the impression it still needs a few more years in the bottle. 90+
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2/11/2012 - swade wrote: 91 Points
A whiff of funk upon opening, but it blew off quickly. Decanted five hours. Nose of menthol and underbrush. Slight, clenched palate. Tobacco and dirt. This has been my Bordeaux house wine lately and this was more tannic and closed than it's siblings. Good with garlic peppercorn rubbed tenderloin. This is good and it will get better.
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1/21/2012 - Andice wrote: 90 Points
Dried leaves mixed w menthol on the nose, still rather closed. Fortunately the palate is open for business - brooding, dark, serious and v ripe. Towering tannic structure. Heavy tobacco w tertiary flavors already in development. After 30 mins softened a bit but fruit is still dark and bitter.Stylistically, backward but full of polish and potential. >10 sec finish. http://sgbordeaux.blogspot.com/2012/01/lagrange-2003.html
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1/3/2012 - pavel_p wrote: 92 Points
1h decant. After many - slightly - disappointing bottles of Bordeaux over the last few weeks, this is finally one above my expectations. Nose with red berry and then some earth, more earth on the palate, which is - despite the reputation of the vintage - not jammy or fat at all, the oak which I do not appreciate in young Lagrange vintages has been perfectly integrated, fine tannins, attractive medium plus finish. An elegant claret which might go another point higher in a year or two.
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12/20/2011 - Captain Haddock Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good wine, a halfway house between classic and modern-styled claret. Does what it says on the tin but not particularly exciting.
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11/18/2011 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 87 Points
Fairly closed after pop and pour. This opened up after an hour or so, revealing smoky cassis and leather flavors. I didn't find this particularly over ripe. Firm tannins remain on long finish.
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10/15/2011 - wineguysf wrote: 90 Points
This was a very interesting wine in a group of St. Julien, Margaux and Piedmont. Probably my #7 wine out of the 10 or 12, but it was up against some great wines. Very nice.
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10/14/2011 - kamalp wrote: 91 Points
Excellent wine. Wish I had more of 2003 left. Looking forward to 2005 few years from now.
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9/21/2011 - WDK wrote: 88 Points
P&P. Dark red, nose matches palate with casis and blackberry. Good concentration, but the wine is fat and very tannic. Hopefully will smooth out and integrate in coming years.
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9/4/2011 - Jdog wrote: 92 Points
Labor day BBQ with Jennifer and James. Fourth bottle of a case. Every time I come back to this wine I like it more and more. Basically popped and poured and delightful from the start. Soaring black fruit and spicy aromatics. Delicious, with plenty of plum and cassis and a nice undertone of minerality and additional spice. Not particularly Bordeaux-like in terms of an earthy component but fans of Lagrange will not be disappointed. Better than the 1996 and 2001 IMO.
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8/27/2011 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Still needs time. Had some tannic bite on opening but was softened after a couple hours in the decanter. Reticent nose became more pronounced with swirling. Leather, a hint of smoke, dark fruit. Very long finish. Promising.
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8/23/2011 - GGinSF wrote: 91 Points
Cassis & blackberries, with a little espresso and graphite. Tannins have softened so that this is drinking well now, but it's got many years of improvement ahead. Good acidity balances out the tannins and creates a bit of a silky mouth feel.
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8/20/2011 - Nutty08 wrote: 92 Points
Decanter 2hrs prior. Bright red fruit on the nose with sage and cedar. Palate was smooth, quite ripe buy not roasted, showing pure silky red fruits with cassis being most prominent. Nice length on the finish. More fruits but a touch a vanilla and cedar coming in on the finish. A nicely put together wine in a tough vintage. Very Bordeaux but modern and forward with low acidity. Will get better, but surprisingly open now. A step down from the leoville's but still tasty.
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8/3/2011 - RockinCabs wrote: 92 Points
Very nice nose of black fruits, florals, tobacco and graphite. Well structured palate with modern oak and ripeness. Lenghthy finish showing red berries and some more dark fruit with good complexity. Long life ahead, but excellent now.
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7/26/2011 - Champagneinhand wrote: 91 Points
Typical St. Julie taste. Black fruit, dominated by cassis, forest floor and wild flower notes. Medium finish. Good acid/tannin balance.
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6/14/2011 - awise45 wrote: 92 Points
Much better second night than first; once opened and aerated, shows long and full fruit finish, berries and something deeper, maybe plums. Hint of chocolate and nice, soft tannins. Very good.
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6/8/2011 - rwatkin wrote: 89 Points
i found this a bit tight, like it needs 2 years. Maybe a 2 hour decant would have done the trick?
Anyway, there is a lot here, but i would give it 2 yrs.
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5/21/2011 - ihavezinned wrote: 90 Points
tasted blind. bottle had been open for 24 hours.
nose of twizler, coconut, and cherry. palate of raspberry, chocolate covered cherries, and oak. soft tannins, nice complexity. $41
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4/23/2011 - CabIsKing wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2hrs. Muted nose at first and then nice nose of dark fruits, leather and earth. Mouth is fully rounded with tannins starting to integrate and a well balanced and long finish. Really great wine for the price. Will revisit in about 2yrs. or so.
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4/22/2011 - Philippe_C wrote: 91 Points
Light nose of ripe red and black cherries, black currants.... in the mouth, fresh red fruit, hint of tannins, mushrooms, sous-bois
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3/15/2011 - Champagneinhand wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful aroma and taste of dark fruit, a bit of dark chocolate, saddle leather as well as some cinnamon. Well balanced wine was decanted for 2 hours and had quite a long finish. Smooth well integrated tannins combined with crisp acidity make this wine the value of St. Julien in '03. What a year for St. Julien!
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3/12/2011 - paulst wrote: 89 Points
Muted nose; noticable acidity and lack of balance; blackberry; nice earth.
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2/27/2011 - dmlove18 wrote: 90 Points
Very tight and tannic when opened. Decanted for 4 hours, and much improved. Still too young for this this wine - will wait another few years for the next bottle.
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2/24/2011 - City Wine Journal wrote: 93 Points
Retail purchase, held 3 years. Great cork. Decanted 2 hours. Deeply help aromas -- dark fruit, cedar and cassis all show up in a great glass of wine to drink. Tannic dry finish, not advancing in a hurry. This is an outstanding St Julien in a great spot if you like the peak of a flush youth before secondary flavors emerge. Well made, well balanced. Great bargain in 2003 Bordeaux.
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1/26/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 88 Points
Nice nose and soft tannins. Short finish but enough fruit to be enjoyable.
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1/25/2011 - Shaun_35871 wrote: 89 Points
Deep purplish, strong fruit on nose and palate. Well balanced, Decently long finish and meaty.
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1/14/2011 - tbabes wrote: 92 Points
Obviously made from extremely ripe fruit, with big, jammy notes of plum, cherry, cassis and spicy oak. A lush texture, good cocentration and depth. Goes just as well by itself as with food; made in an "international" style.
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1/9/2011 - Philippe_C wrote: 94 Points
Very nice nose of ripe red berries, strawberries, mushrooms, sous-bois, tobacco leaves... in the mouth, loads of ripe and sily tannins, ripe red fruit finish, refreshing acidity, very nice and classic St-Julien... looks like the original "explosive and jammy" is moving into a classic ageing curve
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11/22/2010 - signotim wrote: 90 Points
spicy red plum and licorice on the nose. red rasberry, cherry fruit and dry tannins on the palate. Very good wine but not outstanding
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10/5/2010 - TheArtisan wrote:
PW205 Wines of the World - Lesson 2 (Bordeaux) (Plumpton College, East Sussex, UK): Opaqueish deep colour, the nose was classically austere and reserved, yet the high acid and voluptuous fruit led us to believe that. although this wine may have a decade in it, the flavours and the concentration are abundant now and is approaching its peak. The earthiness and the red fruits combined witht the tertiary oak characters make this an exemplary wine, I just wish that there was more time in class to go into more detail! ****
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9/28/2010 - markjanes wrote: 90 Points
Practice Tasting 1 (Reno, NV): Rubyish rim that has quite a bit of depth of color and a moderate + amount of extraction at the rim. Aromatically the wine is has a really nice mix of fruit (cassis and dark raspberry), earth (soily), and new barrique use (very well integrated baking spices) with a hint of florality. On the palate the wine has moderate + acidity, a firmish, very cabernet midpalate that is slightly narrow... the wine trasnitions nicely into a firmish, ripe tannin finish that is quite noticeable, moderate ETOH. Very good balance with the barrique use much more of a side note to the profile of the wine, longest length of the 4, very good intensity and easily the most complexity of the 4. Finesse is there in spades and the texture is appropriately storng without being coarse. Very left bank and terroir driven wine with the most agebility of the 4 and the seemingly best site and winemaking.
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6/24/2010 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
Nose has some light graphite, sauteed mushrooms, dense florals, pine bark and bright cherry. This is a very juicy Lagrange with really pure cherry, cream, and a hint of bitter chocolate. The wine is medium bodied, and a very pretty dark ruby/light purple color. The tannis are nice and drying on the finish, but do not become intrusive. Overall, I think this is a nice Lagrange that would benefit from a couple more years of cellaring.
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5/29/2010 - Ambrose wrote: 90 Points
Second bottle. Deep nose of cassis, strong damped earth and a hint of smoked cedar. Palate matched with the nose of cassis and earth, concentrated, medium-full. tannin still need time to smoothen. Medium earth and blackberry finish. Overall very typical and excellent Bordeaux with the high alcohol of 2003. Palate and finish have an uncommon trace of cheese.
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5/28/2010 - John McCabe wrote: 92 Points
Very nice. Drinking well now, and hard to argue that one needs any more years of ageing. Shows the '03 character - very fresh, fruity, ripe and bright.
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5/26/2010 - Ambrose wrote: 93 Points
Medium purple. Bouquet of sweet cassis and smoked cedarwood, followed by strong ripe candied cassis, cherry, chocolate and damped earth. Palate was harmonious and heady and showed blackcurrant, low acidity but balanced, concentrated and medium-full bodied. A decent medium plum finish with chocolate and earth.
After 3 hours: Nose of creme de cassis, creamy blackcurrant palate with good mouthfill, cherry and plum finish. Notes of lead pencil graudually became obvious.
Opulent and very Bordeaux. Though the palate was a bit tight upon opening, it was a typical St Julien with complexity and evolved over the night. It was accessible maybe because it was a half bottle, and I am looking forward to my next one now. Perfect harmony.
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5/4/2010 - torcams wrote: 90 Points
Fruity and fairly oaky. Expressive, but needs more age for the classic Bordeaux complexity to emerge.
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4/17/2010 - Bernt Olav wrote: 92 Points
Dekantert i ca en time. Drukket til grillet entrecote m kryddersmør, god match. Vinen startet litt trangt, men åpnet seg fint opp etterhvert, selvfølgelig best mot slutten av flasken! En veldig bra Bordeaux som har mer å gå på...
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3/28/2010 - MWes wrote: 90 Points
Very nice bottle of wine that was tight for at-least 2 hours. Stored in cellar since release. No formal notes, but don't open another bottle until 2012.
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3/15/2010 - nightfire wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 45minutes before drinking. Dark ruby color, very opaque. Some licorice on the nose with red berries and spices. In the mouth it's very pleasant but not as long lasting as I was expecting. The tannins are very well integrated at this stage and I would say that although it can certainly last another decade, it probably won't improve much more.
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3/13/2010 - awise45 wrote: 90 Points
Very smooth, with deep cherry and berry flavors. Opened quickly -- accessible within 15 minutes.
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2/20/2010 - Arch57 wrote: 89 Points
I had one bottle when these were 1st released and the wine had a youthful exuberance with ripe fruit. I decided to try another because I was in the mood for a nice Bordeaux and it is hard to wait for my cellar to mature. I decanted this for 2+ hours and it had a really nice nose but was very light on the palate and was somewhat disappointing and lacking any secondary notes. Maybe it will put on some weight and complexity with a few more years in the bottle.
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2/10/2010 - cookie7 wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured. Red currant and dark cherries. Structured yet elegant. Very enjoyable.
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2/6/2010 - Maestro wrote: 91 Points
One of the finest clarets of the 2003 vintage with a very decent price point. Elegant and balanced, despite the obvious sense of a hot and overripe vintage. Plenty of cassis, cherry, meat, earth, and licorice drive the aromas. The palate is balanced, although a touch of heat does come through. But the wine is quite attractive, opulent and downright tasty. From now until 2020.
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12/15/2009 - jctaylor wrote: 93 Points
Don't drink much Bordeaux but thought this was amazing. Deep purple/black color, full weighty mouth-feel with a palate of dark fruit, cassis, and oak. Amazing!
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11/20/2009 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Black fruits, chocolate and toasted oak in the bouquet. Full bodied, creamy, chocolate again, sweetness, also good acidity and firm tannin and pleasant oak. The wine is becoming better and better when it matures a bit. It will be interesting to see if it will score even higher in the longer term. Can be a point or 2 maybe.
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11/5/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux Night (Binny's Grand Ave.): nose: real well balanced and red fruited nose of red currants, leather, red fruits, bits of berries, a whole lot of red cherries and a touch of red florals. Attractive, but also has a brighter quality to the fruit while still being a st julien
taste: rich medium/full feel with good chewy tannins and well balanced tones of red fruits, red cherries, cedar, red currants, and some bits of blackberries
overall: certainly shows off the vintage, but is far from over ripe. It has a ripe quality to it, but it works and with a few more years this should really come together and be a rather pretty lagrange
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10/11/2009 - mkho wrote: 92 Points
Nice bouquet and medium body. Lovely fruit and colour. Opened up considerably after one hour. Still too young.
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10/10/2009 - VHJV wrote: 90 Points
A strong St Julien nose immediately after opening, but light in the mouth and not very rewarding. I poured one glass and double-decanted the rest of the bottle to three .1875s. Drank those over the next three days and the last .1875 was the best. It gained significant weight in the little bottles and in the end was quite delicious, though still tannic. I'm going to keep my last bottle of this wine for at least five years before trying again.
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8/15/2009 - prasm wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Nose: A bit tight but showing black cherry, vanilla, and a bit of smokiness. Palate: Nice mouth feel - More cherry with a little blue berry and black berry. Mid-palate there is a little vegetable note. Finish: Short to medium finish with a mixture of fruitiness and vegetable aftertaste - I like it.
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8/5/2009 - DanielChan wrote: 91 Points
strong leather noise initially with a hint of black currants, and cedar. OK finish(about 7~8 seconds). Value for money.
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7/12/2009 - blanquito wrote: 87 Points
BWE does Manhattan: a 1996 & 2003 Bordeaux Retrospective: I had this on release, and I really disliked it. It’s improved over the last 3 years, but it still has the pins’n’needles tannins and an odd burnt taste. There’s good palate density and a creamy texture, this might pull together in the cellar, but I’m not betting on it.
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6/16/2009 - chateaujochen wrote: 90 Points
This wine was tasted over 2 days...first day it was closed ceder cigarbox and a little bit fruit and of course very sweet(2003BDX)and big tannin...second day it was much much better...chocolat silky typical lagrange style...needs time to come round...for the moment i prefer lagrange 2001 which is very very hard to resist...www.everyoneweb.com/chateaujochen
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5/15/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
nose: a real thud of leather strikes right off the bat with very dark tones of red cherries, black currants, and cedar. A very dark and almost stewed profile that certainly shows off the 03 vintage
taste: very bold and full bodied with good medium/full tannins with big tones of smoke, leather, dark red cherries, and black currants along with a touch of cedar
overall: still needs some time. Certainly shows off the vintage with a bold and dark profile. Not stewed or overdone, just different from what one would normally expect from bordeaux
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4/5/2009 - europat55 wrote: 89 Points
Good balance. Not sure if I would buy more.
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3/28/2009 - eudora wrote: 91 Points
Bouquet tightly wound, opened up after half-hour in the glass with classic tobacco, cedar nose -- maybe a whiff of licorice. Not a ton of fruit -- less than I would have expected -- but a very nice example of the vintage.
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3/23/2009 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Decanted for about an hour then drank over another hour. Opaque purple in the glass. Nose was a little barnyardy and a little bit of barnyard on the finish. A little bit of dark fruit and smoke on the nose. Still tannic, a little heavier than dusty tannins. Palate of dark fruit and leather with some leather mixing with the barnyardy after taste. Will wait a few more years before opening mine.
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3/11/2009 - garambler wrote: 91 Points
We drank this with grilled Ribeye on 3/11/09. It decanted an hour (should have been longer) and had a great, earthy bouquet of black currant, blackberry, cherry, licorice, tobacco and dark chocolate aromas. It was dense and tannic, so the first taste was a bit of an assault. Then, it was smooth, a little sour and dusty dry with flavors that followed the nose. It had a long, 60 second, finish, was complex, elegant and extremely pleasant. 91+
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1/24/2009 - ctwomey wrote: 90 Points
Opened the bottle and poured into a decanter. Great smell of blackcurrants which turns into burnt rubber and pencil shavings after 2 hours. Dark purple core with a deep red rim. Good concentration of fruit with very fine tannins which are well integrated. Low in acidity probably as a result of the hot vintage that it was. It is a little jammy and flabby however the concentration just about makes it hold its own.
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12/6/2008 - amateurwino wrote: 91 Points
2003 Bordeaux tasting (New York): Decanted about 2 hrs before tasting. This was tough to distinguish from the Grand Puy Lacoste. On the initial nose, a bit of floral red fruits and earthiness, together with a slight sweet tobacco note, and with time a strong licorice note develops. This was still quite tannic - we should have given it more decant time; my guess is 5-6 hours would've had it in its sweet spot. Tasty but still hard on the palate; I got a lot of graphite rockiness. Did not detect any overripeness/jamminess that people talk about with this vintage. Has many years ahead of it.
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10/24/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 91 Points
Grand Bordeaux Tasting w/ Jill (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Binny's South Loop October Bordeaux Wine Tasting.
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10/18/2008 - milwaukeewino wrote:
Decanted several hours.
Pretty nose of flowers, coffee and cedar. Classic Left Bank notes.
On the palate, bright acidity and integrated chewy tannins. Rich and full bodied. Would have guessed much higher alcohol than 13.5%. Red fruit, pomegranate, cranberries. Dry and tart but juicy.
Longish finish.
Great stuff, esp. at $40 for an '03 classed growth.
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9/6/2008 - dougie wrote: 91 Points
I realized I bought 5 cases worth of 2003 bord and have not really know it; only drank a couple of cheapies more than a year ago. Well, this is a little step up of what I have drank, and wow.
Great depth and richness of cherry, berry and sweet wood. It all blended together well. If age mellows the wood a bit, I probably will add a point or two.
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7/5/2008 - City Wine Journal wrote: 93 Points
Pop the cork and you will revere and regret. Revere the aroma as this suggests a great vintage -- cassis, blackberry, earth and cedar. This is a classy wine of beautiful color, outstanding character and lasting power, showing off St. Julien in a very flamboyant manner. Where some vintages from this large estate are marking time, this one races forward. And it shows no sign of early fatigue. Outstanding. Regrets? Yes, why didn't I buy more.
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6/17/2008 - Rupert wrote: 90 Points
Rich cassis fruit, velvet texture, lively, tannin nicely buffered, not at all overripe, very attractive young classic claret
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5/17/2008 - chateaujochen wrote: 93 Points
Had this 2 years ago at the same tasting and then I did not buy this wine because it was overly sweet...but 2years later it became classic but with the flamboyant 2003 style...today this wine has the tipical vanilla cassis earthy taste with a good tannin structure...you have to like this...bought this for the same price as 2 years before 30 euro...if you see the prices for 2005...www.everyoneweb.com/chateaujochen
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5/16/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
bordeaux tasting (Binny's Highland Park): nose: big nose showing off the vintage of red licorice, herbs, spice, red currants, mocha, and some bright cherries too
taste: big and firm with spice, cherries, red licorice, red currants, and mocha notes
overall: a really good wine and a interesting contrast to the 2000. You can really tell the 03 vintage with this one. There is still a ton of tannins on this and this one will need a good 5 more years to start its window
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5/16/2008 - theusualsuspect wrote: 92 Points
Cassis black fruity through and through with plenty of new wood. Very, very supple. Plenty rich, but plenty of tannin still present. My guess 4-7 years this wine will come together beautifully.
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5/2/2008 - jkoenen wrote: flawed
Lagrange and Poujeaux @ my place (Netherlands): Corked.
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4/29/2008 - cormyr wrote: 93 Points
absolutely exquisite. tasting so young now that it may end up really surprising us in ten years. resist the urge, keep it cellared for alot longer.
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4/20/2008 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Offers a lot more complexity than the Fiefs the Lagrange. Beautiful new oak. Ripe cassis and cherries and a lot of juice. Already very nice, but will probably evolve in even a better wine.
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2/13/2008 - mortenef wrote: 92 Points
Color very dark and gloomy. Killer nose of dark fruit, cedar, and a pleasant note of broken plastic. I love this expression. Coasts mouth well and fells nice as it ends in a pleasent 15+ sec finish. Good now, but can be cellared for many yrs.
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2/3/2008 - Ivin wrote: 92 Points
Drinking really well with several hours of air. Very open and accessible. Quite a bit of oak but the super-ripe fruit keeps it in balance. Great wine for $30 on futures.
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12/20/2007 - mimik wrote: 89 Points
Chocolate with blackberry notes and that sweet cherry cheesecake texture on the palate. Medium finish. Modern. Should be a bit more interesting in 5 years.
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11/23/2007 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
Still very young. A lot of vanilla and fruit in the bouquet. Round and creamy with good soft bitterness. Cassis and a little sweetness. Still very closed. For the moment 89, but several points to gain with cellaring.
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11/16/2007 - Ivin wrote: 92 Points
Super-rich. Extremely ripe. Nose of bananas and Christmas cake, but the fruit is fresh - -blueberries and strawberries. Singularly 2003 vintage. Reminds me of 2003 St. Pierre and 2003 Sociando Mallet.
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11/4/2007 - leftbankwine wrote: 90 Points
Delicious St. Julian, it's got an earthy, meaty fullness, almost chewy after opened for a couple of hours, really opened up with a hint of sweetness, almost a hint of cocoa, plum, wonderful wine, opened a little strong, but softened up nicely, number of good years left, will need to ge get more of this wine.
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11/2/2007 - gotvno wrote:
Decanted for three hours before drinking, sampling every hour to see how the wine evolved. It clearly benefited from the decanting, and after three hours it was a smooth, balanced wine that went well with prime rib. While not a blockbuster wine, it was very enjoyable.
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9/21/2007 - Vinho wrote: 91 Points
G8 - França (Ilha das Flores): Rubi-violáceo. Muita fruta madura, mentol suave, cassis e chocolate. Em boca é menos doce do que o nariz indica. Mineral, levemente herbáceo e com um traço de salinidade. Acidez apenas média, sedoso, taninos numerosos e finos, mas marcantes. Muito longo. Estilo moderno, lembrando vinhos do novo mundo. Talvez pela fruta em compota e salinidade remete à opulência do Vale Meão 03. 91-92pts. E.
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8/18/2007 - polimeri wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful nose of cassis, blackberry, and a little portobello. Over two nights, it really got better as time went on. It is very well structured and nice chewy tannins. The finish was 45+ sec of cedary black cherry. We really enjoyed this wine. I will get a few more bottles to set for a few years.
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7/25/2007 - brewking wrote: 89 Points
cedar bomb wow! i thought it was a bit hollow in midapalate but i did not decant either. Lovely wine, definately would drink more!
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7/16/2007 - otisabdul wrote: flawed
Horribly corked.
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6/23/2007 - PathDoc wrote:
drank with tim in mammoth. this one surprised me --much better than i thought it was going to be. probably should have bought more of this
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4/11/2007 - PurpleHaze wrote: 91 Points
A pleasant surprise. Popped and poured from 375. Surprisingly accessible. Some currant, dark cherry and milk chocolate notes both aromatically and in the mouth. Medium body. Tannins quite evident still. Perfect with a charred ribeye.
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4/2/2007 - Tao wrote: 90 Points
This one is very different compared with the vintage 2000, in short, in a different category, a little bit alcoholic and a little bit thin, still believe the wine will turn out be a good thing, wait and see! From a 375ml!
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3/11/2007 - djb wrote: 91 Points
Decided to try from 375 and was impressed, given the inconsistency of the notes I've seen. This has lovely weight and ripe, dark fruit, but sufficient freshness and hints of future complexity (cedar, stones, tobacco). Tannins with a hour's air are less prominent than expected. This seems like one of the better buys of the vintage, though I wouldn't describe it as classic bord. Upside potential seems there, too.
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2/26/2007 - datguy wrote: 97 Points
Always a fan of the Grand Cru, obvously.. but St Julien has really done it right this time, With a Blackcurrent nose taste and a smooth floral finsh, Great legnth and acidity!
Would deffnatly recommend this to anyone who wants to spend a little bit more than usual on there wine!
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2/22/2007 - wkhoward wrote: 93 Points
Lovely bottle. I won't even describe the flavor profile, this is simply great Bordeaux and the next thing you know the bottle is empty.
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2/17/2007 - drcbarroso wrote:
Tasted at a retailer tasting. This wine was weird! Puprle in color, showing a tad bit of bricking. Nose showed herbal components along with buttered popcorn! Cherry and currant on the palate with medium acidity and tannins leading to a medium, herbal finish. I think this is just in a strange phase right now.
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1/28/2007 - wineguysf wrote: 91 Points
The ratings are correct on the drinking time. Nose was very tight and the fruit never really let out. Hints of chocolate and ruby spice. Deep earth, almost tar. Decanted for about 45 min. Will be a nice wine in 4-5 years.
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1/7/2007 - tcfishler wrote: 93 Points
Pop-and-pour. Glowing dark red. A bit tight on the nose, with minerals dominating and some floral elements as well. Sweetened with air for a little while, showing good blackberry/blackcurrant fruit. Well-fruited in the mouth but still dry. Tannins are subdued. Long finish. Impressively balanced; it seems all the elements are in place here for a positive evolution. Supporting this conclusion also was how the nose opened up on the 3rd day. At first it was showing high-toned, perfumy floral and oaky notes, then with air it picked up some char and licorice. The licorice grew in intensity and sweetened to an impressive degree as yet more complexity, in the form of tobacco, also emerged.
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12/25/2006 - cousteau wrote: 92 Points
This was very different from what I was expecting. Seems like it hasn't yet been able to deal with it's depth of flavors, alcohol and oak. All the elements seems to be fighting with each other. There isn't that amazing balance and coordination that I found on the 02 at this point. I think it has all the potential to became a great wine, but right now it isn't ready to show all it's got. Let's see what will happen with these roasted berries.
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12/9/2006 - Ivin wrote:
This wine has shut down. I've drunk about 10 bottles over the last 6 months (and 2 bottles in the case were corked!) and it was an enjoyable if atypical St. Julien. A few months ago it was open with very ripe fruit, sweet tannin, and a lot of oak (too much?) , but the bottle I had last night was closed even after 2 hours of decanting. I did not expect this wine to shut down - it had been so open and expressive and charming, but it might be a good sign that it has a long life ahead.
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11/29/2006 - MRichman wrote:
2003 Bordeaux Horizontal at Post House, NYC
Dark dark core, espresso. Dense & plain.
B-
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11/27/2006 - Art Vandelay wrote: 92 Points
A pleasant surprise. Better then I was expecting.
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11/25/2006 - Rob MacKay wrote: 92 Points
We had this bottle side by side with the 1989 Leoville-Barton and they were surprisingly similar. The Lagrange still has a lot of baby fat but it evolves quickly in your glass. This one should be quite good in another 3-4 years.
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11/5/2006 - grossie wrote: 93 Points
Day 3 of this wine and it's still singing- mellowed out tannin but still structured, incredible fruit core. This one's a winner.
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11/3/2006 - grossie wrote: 93 Points
Very dark wine. Nose of strong coffee and great flint/lead pencil. Very full-bodied with sweet blackberry and cassis. There's a lot of mouth-gripping tannin, and I get the sense that the acidity is relatively low for bdx. This will be an interesting wine to age, but I bet it'll be a beaut. It reminds me a little of 2000 Pichon Baron, but with a little less intensity. Still, a great wine, I'll probably get more for $33 each.
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10/28/2006 - tanglenet wrote:
Served in a flight at the Wine Club SF. Opened but not decanted approximately 3 1/2 hours. Dark purple red in color; earth and cherries on the nose. Unfortunately the rest of my note just says "average".
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10/20/2006 - matthen wrote: 92 Points
I opened this bottle and let it air for an hour. The wine is very well integrated for its young age. Aromas of currant, tobacco and deep fruits, The flavors of black licorice and deep fruits are very nice as is the finish. I am sure this wine will age very well for many years (it is already drinking as well as the 96 I recently enjoyed), but it will be tough to keep my case for that long!
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10/19/2006 - jmull wrote: 93 Points
From a 375. Dar ruby. Beautiful perfume of vanilla, cedar, tobacco and some dark fruit that more than delivers on the palate. Plenty of tannin, but it is unbelievably well integrated in such a young wine and doesn't detract at all. Lively acidity makes this a nice food option, too, although it's so smooth that its more than fine on its own as well. Spectacular QPR at $33 for a 750 (or $19 for this 375). Definitely has the stuffing to age, but why wait?
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10/14/2006 - Wine Bill wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding! Deep dark red. A lot of vanilla, sweet, cherries, caramel and some melon in the bouquet. Full bodied, round wine with also in the taste a bit of caramel. A good dose of good bitterness and good soft sticky tannins. This is definitely a very good glass of wine already, but when the harmony is complete it will even be better.
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10/6/2006 - Terkel wrote:
Dark color, with purple edge. Some currant, peber, mocca and cream on the nose. Covers the palate with tastes of currant, dark cherries, black berries, pepper and other spices. Good balance between acidity level, fruity sweetness and tannins. A nice long and complex after taste. Delicious. Even better on the second day.
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10/6/2006 - CSteefel wrote: 90 Points
Deep ruby red. Restrained aromas of cassis and fainter tobacco. In the mouth, the wine is full and round, with decent tannin levels suggesting it should age reasonably well. Short to medium finish, this is a good wine that currently lacks length and complexity. Sseems typical for the year, not overripe, but also not particularly long or complex, a pale shade currently of the much better 2000 Lagrange, for example.
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9/9/2006 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
2003 Bordeaux Tasting (Binny's, Schaumburg): Garnet color. Notes of cedar, smoky plum and mushrooms. Full-bodied and structured, with a wealth of red fruit and smoke flavors. Long finish.
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8/28/2006 - vintage61 wrote: 92 Points
Serious Bordeaux for $33. Very dark color, eggplant black purple. Nose predominately cassis and dark red fruits, held back by good structure and tannin. This bottle had just a hint of cork when opened, but drank it anyway in the interest of science. Two of us finished the bottle in about 2.5 hours and it never really opened up. The cork did seem to disipate, which I did not think possible??? Needs time, at least 5 to 10 years, but great wine considering the cost.
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8/19/2006 - Squirreljam wrote:
From 375 - rich nose of blackberry and light cedar, adding plum with some air time. On the palate, nice tannins that weren't obtrusive and went well with the fruit. After several hours of air, a little leather came through. Moderate length finish.
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7/27/2006 - Siggy wrote: 86 Points
Winestreet Does 2003 Bordeaux (Kozlak's, North Oaks, MN): I liked this wine less than just about everyone else at the tasting. Maroon color. Moderate red fruits and green pepper. Turned a bit acidic and herbaceous in the glass.
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7/27/2006 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 92 Points
2003 Bordeaux (Mouton, Haut Brion, Cos, Ducru, Trotanoy, Lynch, many others): Dark red color. Great nose of red fruit and tobacco. Very expressive. In the mouth this is medium bodied with chunky tannin and very refined red cherry liquor taste. Mouth coating and luxurious with a very, very long finish.
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7/21/2006 - Arcturus wrote: 92 Points
This is my second taste and it easily exceeded expectations. Dark hue, vanilla, toasted oak, and cigar tobacco dominate the nose. Sweet, rich, black, juicy fruit, full bodied, followed by a great finish.
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7/14/2006 - win wrote: 92 Points
Dark red color, with nice hints of oak. Beautiful wine.
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7/1/2006 - AzorianMatador wrote: 93 Points
Previous review is spot on. Decanted for 4 hours before tasting beside Fombrauge and Lynch Bages. Suprisingly this was very similar to the St Emillion and much more powerful than the Lynch Bages. Moved from the tasting on to dinner and the wine was even better. Will age well but not sure I can wait--Boa Pinga!
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7/1/2006 - cormyr wrote: 93 Points
deep deep ruby. gushes forth floral and berry bouquet like a spilled perfume bottle. vanilla, tar and blackberry with some oak standing out but i bet in several years when its fully integrated it will be a knockout. big ripe tannins to age for a long time. this is a serious st julien. gotta love it. 93-95 pts
day 2: oak integrated nicely, wow this is fantastic stuff.
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6/9/2006 - Arch57 wrote: 91 Points
Decided to pop the cork and taste a young '03 to see if I should buy more to hold. Tried a splash in the glass first and then decanted for 2 hours prior to drinking. The initial nose was very promising with ripe berries and a hint of earth. This was very well integrated without any harsh tannins and reminded me of some Cali-cabs. The palate immediately senses blackberry and finishes with soft tannins that should diminish with age. My wife is not a fan of young Bordeaux but remarked this should be excellent in 5+ years. Will buy more.
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5/5/2006 - toddjerry wrote: 92 Points
I got overzealous on Friday night and had to pop a 2003 bordeaux. Decanted for about an hour and it showed nicely. Deep purple inky color. The nose is unique, licorice and cedar. In the mouth, fleshy, currants (but not fruity), road tar, and vanilla from the oak, all integrated. Long and tasty, sweet tannins on the finish. This will be great in a few years. Very good.
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5/2/2006 - MTC wrote: 92 Points
Balanced. Did not need too much aeration. Nice fruit and tannins.
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4/15/2006 - Markdo wrote: 90 Points
Crimson colour. Not much on the nose. Taste of dark fruit, leather. Very long finish. Good oak and tannins but integrated into a whole. Pleasing weight in mouth. Not overstated, excellent.
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3/22/2006 - Kevitykev wrote: 89 Points
This is my first tasting note, and my first real Bordeaux. Nose is pretty fruity, strong and nice. First thing you notice is strong fruit on the pallet, not very strong tannins. Tastes a little ripe. Maybe a hint of oak. Smooth finish, not too long. Very good, seems like something is missing though to make it a outstanding wine, but very close. And there you go
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1/30/2006 - Arcturus wrote: 91 Points
Dark and inky. To me the nose seemed a bit muted even after 3-4 hours. The wine did exhibit a strong sense of balance as neither the dark fruit nor tannins were overwhelming. Needs some time but feels like one of the better Lagranges I've tasted. Also, sometimes Lagrange comes across as over oaked,not this one. 91+
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1/28/2006 - Thilo wrote: 93 Points
Color is dark garnet to the rim. Nose reveals cassis, cedar, smoke, and a hint of incense. On the palate, cassis, tobacco, leather, and spice intermingle with sweet tannin to produce a very nice Bordeaux experience. Fairly forward now, but should improve with additional age.
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1/27/2006 - Vino Me wrote: 94 Points
TN: 2003 Red Bordeaux (Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting); 1/26/2006-1/27/2006 (Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois): I've only had a few vintages of Lagrange but this was head and shoulders above anything else I have had from this estate. Bordering on classic. Excellent nose filled with cedar aromas. Sweet ripe fruit notes of black currant, cassis, milky red fruit and toasted oak. Creamy texture with some vanilla on the finish. 94 points.
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1/23/2006 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice, deep color, nose open (compared to the barrel tasting), with some roasted coffee notes. Palate is spicy, though not as full-bodied as either Branaire Ducru or Gruaud Larose. Nice, medium term drinking?
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1/16/2006 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 89 Points
Such an impenetrable claret that even the tannin doesn't appear in the usual dimension; instead it just infuses the juice from top to bottom. But there's such density and roundness to it, practically glutinous in mouthfeel, that it doesn't come across as overly tannic. The black fruit is rich and augmented by herbs and the usual cedarwood details. Better and better with air.
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11/1/2005 - Philippe_C wrote: 93 Points
Whaouwww! This is the kind of nose I 'm looking for in a St-Julien! Okay... at opening there is maybe a little bit too much of vanilla...but after 30 min in the glass, it is full of mokka and coffee, with ripe (not jammy!) strawberries and cassis, with even a hint of saddle leather at the end...This reminds me so much of the 2000! The month was light at opening, but with 1 hour aeration, it had a good concentration red fruit with ripe and silky tannins. My personal conclusion would be that the 2003 could be more concentrated with riper tannins that the great 2000... If the taste of green peperoni in the middle dissapears, this is going to be an extraordinary wine!
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