It’s been a while since my last bottle and this has matured and mellowed a lot in the ensuing years. Quite mature with a beautifully resolved and silky palate, medium bodied but integrated and long. It probably qualifies a mid-modern stylistically, as it has some notes of dark chocolate that declare this a merlot, but these more exotic notes are balanced by a real freshness and structure. Hard to resist. Ready to drink, but no hurry, it will probably hold like this for a decade or more.
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Tasted blind. Earthy, eucalyptus notes. Very resolved, soft tannins, velvety texture. Smooth and fully mature, giving a lot of drinking pleasure. Lovely.
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Only regret is to not have grabbed some additional cases of this gem. Fully matured, elegant nose, of cedar, chocolate, leather, licorice. Medium to full bodied on the palate, matured red berries, cedar, leather, cedar, chocolate, licorice, toast and subtle herbal background, with a long, elegant, phenolic and menthol finish. Superb!
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Similar to the bottle two years ago, an excellent, well matured, hedonist right bank. Complex, silky nose, of cedar, chocolate, leather, liquorice. Medium to full bodied on the palate, this extremely balanced and elegant SE has all you can expect after 20+ years of patience: mature red berries, cedar, leather, cedar, chocolate, liquorice, toast and subtle herbal background, with a long, elegant, phenolic and menthol finish. Wonderful!
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Absolutely delicious and drinking at peak. Smoke, cherry and chocolate, lots of pleasure but fully resolved tannins. Still some freshly tilled earth and smokiness. Really quite beguiling.
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Dyp, mørk farge med svakt lilla kant. Ikke mye modning å spore her! Mørke bær på duft, her er bjørnebær og mørke plommer, men også et modent preg av tobakk, lær og fuktig skogbunn. God ‘punch’ i anslaget, stor og bløt munnfølelse med mørke modne bær, et streif av mentol og eucalyptus. Ganske intens på smak med veldig god, moden frukt. Strålende balanse med bløt tanninstruktur og syre som i en munnfull krekling. Lang smakskurve med mørke bær og et streif av eucalyptus i avslutningen. Det er fortsatt mye liv igjen i denne men samtidig helt nydelig å drikke nå
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Lovely showing. Nicely aromatic nose with savory and umami notes, and a little zest. Also shows some classic tobacco and sous bois. The palate is dark fruited and savory with a touch of Gravesy char, and fresh, slightly sour taste to go with the dry and savory fruit. On the medium bodied end, with resolved tannins. With air, some cedar and lead pencil appear. Close to peak probably and delicious now, but no rush to drink these. If a touch more body and complexity develop with more cellar time, this will go from terrific (92-93 pts) to sensational (94-95 pts).
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Was great right on opening but after 2-3hr decant it was not good at all. Not sure what that means. Did not feel past its prime. Plenty of fruit. Maybe in a down period.
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Decanted 2 hours. very fresh on the nose with dried black fruit and well integrated(but waning) tannic structure. Saddle leather, forest floor funk. Acidity is still bright .
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IT Super Peking duck lunch at Maison Dakota. Tasted blind. Drank in Gabriel Standart. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, meidum+ intensity, with aromas of capsicums, red spice, red plums, fragrant fresh herbs, red berries, red cherries, redcurrant. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), soft medium+ tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of fresh capsicums, herbs and spices, red cherries, redcurrant, red plums. Long finish. Very good quality. Feels like classic claret, and yet is so fresh and doesn't feel like a 90s at all. This bottle still feels like it has lots of life, but the soft tannins suggest it is quite integrated and ready for nice drinking.
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Quintessential for an excellent, well matured right bank. Complex, silky nose, of cedar, chocolate, leather, liquorice. Medium to full bodied on the palate, this extremely balanced and elegant SE has all you can expect after 20+ years of patience: mature red berries, cedar, leather, cedar, chocolate, liquorice, toast and subtle herbal background, with a long, elegant, phenolic and mentholic finish. Love it.
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Wine night @ Cc’s place: 3rd try - Black fruits, dried cherries, dried herbs, mushrooms, with an earthy, warm finish. Open soon before it moves out of its drinking window
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Like the last bottle in May '19 this is quintessential for an excellent, well matured right bank. Complex, silky nose, of cedar, chocolate, leather, liquorice. Medium to full bodied on the palate, this extremely balanced and elegant SE has all you can expect after 20+ years of patience: mature red berries, cedar, leather, cedar, chocolate, liquorice, toast and subtle herbal background, with a long, elegant, phenolic and mentholic finish. A hedonist moment.
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2nd try: Dark fruits, dusty, herbs on the nose. Tasted dark fruits, old cherries, oak, cedar, herbs, mushrooms, with an earthy, spicy, bitter finish. Example of a good Bordeaux. Enjoyed it again. Open earlier than later
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Nose of ripe plums, black currants, mushrooms, soil, peppers, with mushroom tertiaries. Tasted red currants, black currants, mushrooms, soil with vegetal tertiaries and slight tobacco on the finish. Classic Bordeaux. Continued to improve over the night. This is in a good place now but nearing the end of its drinking window. Open sooner than later
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I have had a lot of aged bordeaux those over the past two months with friends out in Los Angeles. I never expected this wine and vintage to be so perfect based on the rest of the reviews that I see on here that were very mixed. This wine has entered a perfect drinking window at least the bottle that I was able to procure. It was decanted for an hour before drinking. Lush dense black fruits on the nose and palate. Slight aroma of earthy mushrooms typical of many Wines in this region. The tannins were extremely soft and silky and mellow. The only thing if I could find a fault with this wine was that it lacked a long finish
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Just to reiterate previous notes, the wine is fully mature and has peaked. I possibly think it is at the beginning of a gradual decline, and in fact have scored it a couple of points lower than a a year ago, but this may just be bottle variance. It is very typical of right bank wines from 1998, with a an opulent nose full of ripe fruit, but with quite harsh tannin on the palate. It is a very enjoyable wine but I find it a little light mid palate and out of balance on the finish.
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An absolutely fantastic st Emilion, sweet and melted tannins, wonderful intensity with fruits, forest floor and and cloves, silky flow, medium weight and impressive length. In it’s target window now, enjoy!
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Excellent stuff. Perfect condition, Velvety sweet tobacco, leather , menthol notes and earthy floor. Probably best 1998 recently drunk. Not sure where this is heading from here, so a clear green light to enjoy now!
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The kind of wine you want to have a pile of. Expressive, charming nose, of cedar, chocolate, leather. Medium to full bodied on the palate, this extremely well structured and elegant SE boast all the Bordeaux goodies you expect after 20 years: mature red berries, cedar, leather, chocolate, liquorice, toast aromas, with a long, elegant, phenolic and mentholic finish.
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Terrific showing, still very young with lots of primary fruit but the structure has started to loosen its grip here. Living up to its early promise. Excellent, 93 pts.
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6 hr slow ox and a double decant for sediment and this was humming along nicely with a mellow softness that made this easy to drink. Fully integrated tannins with a nice interplay between ripe fruit and savory elements. not as long on finish to make it truly great but a 20 years since the vintage a fine drinking wine. I do not anticipate further development or upside.
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As per previous tasting note, the wine is fully mature and ready to drink with a short time in the decanter. The nose has a wine gum nose of blackberry and blueberry with hints of raspberry, and the fruits on the nose are strikingly deep. The palate is a little more austere with robust tannin, but with the fruit very evident with everything in excellent balance. I do find the the depth and finish a little disappointing, but overall a very enjoyable wine drinking at its peak, and with a nose that is exceptional.
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Fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; popped, poured and consumed over the next five hours. Dark ruby core with bricking on the rim; it certainly looks like a fully mature wine. Complex and intense bouquet, eagerly offering up scents of ripe plum, savory spices, grilled game meat; hints of forest floor and black truffle. Medium bodied, with a wonderful mouthfeel; lots of velvet, with really impressive depth of flavor and a true sense of expansiveness; a long and focused finish. This was clearly an exceptional bottle that is at peak maturity, and I enjoyed it immensely!
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Fully mature and packed full of dark berry fruits, the wine is drinking at its peak. The nose is deep with wine gum aromas of blackcurrent with blueberry and hints of raspberry. The palate is well balanced with firm tannin and a decent finish. A residual sourness does slightly detract from the overall experience but it is still highly enjoyable. This wine has aged over the last year, and unusually for a right bank 1998, I would recommend consumption over the next 2 years to appreciate the wine at its best. Only a short time in the decanter is needed.
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Dark; Band Aids, whiff of brett, chocolatey; dry, firm, a liitle rugged, refreshing acidity; lively, vibrant finish. Very long. starting to show its age.
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Medium bodied, finesse styled wine, with more complexity on the nose, with its, wet earth, floral, thyme, cherry and tobacco nuance, than on its fresh, soft, elegant, red berry and spice palate. This is at peak and should be drunk up over the next 5-7 years.
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Superbe, un nez et une bouche d'une puissance rarement rencontré. Un nez encore assez jeune avec du fruit encore bien présent, de la complexité avec des épices, des tannins encore présent en finale mais non agressif. Un vin qui a remarquablement vieilli et délicieux !
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Fully mature this is drinking perfectly. It gives off an all enveloping nose of blackberry and rasberry with hints of vanilla giving a big hit of fruit. However, on the palate the fruit explosion is arrested by big resolved satisfying tannins. The finish is rather on the short side. This contradiction between the initial promise of a big smooth fruity punchbowl to the reality of big tannins on the palate seems to be a characteristic of 1998 right bankers. This is at its peak but should stay here for some time time to come.
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A spherical, authoritative almost New World like St-Emilion. Has aged well. Fullish aromas of dusty mulberries, coffee, spice, minerals, earth, blackberries and plums. Full.bodied powerful and muscular palate which has some elegance nonetheless. What is impressive is its brooding, spectacular, potent, blackfruited and cedar mid palate with good acidity. Ends long, savoury and impressive with soft tannins. Gorgeous!
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Amazing nose of sweet black fruit - almost new world! Plums and a hint of meat and black olive in the mouth, a great match to roast chicken (stuffed with haggis...), very long slightly tannic finish, good for another 5+ years.
Medium deep starting to turn brown. Mellow plum and red berry fruits with cedar and tobacco. Elegant, medium bodied with good balance. Still youthful with soft tannins on finish. Drunk with strongly herby lamb and potatoes. Would have been better with a more powerful wine, try with plainer dish next time. 4+/5
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Incredibly youthful, would have guessed in the late 2000's. Fresh nose of dark fruit and liquorice. Still tannic, this has the fruit to age gracefully.
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UWS (@ JB): Beautiful and smoky bouquet with cedar and sweet spices. On the palate ripe red as well as dark fruits, chocolate, but bell pepper as well. A lot of sweetness, but nicely balanced by acidity. Firm tannin with still a lot of future. A beautiful and concentrated wine. Early maturity now, but around 2018 this is probably even better. For today 92+.
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Despite its age, it was still very powerful and young with bright fruity notes on the first palate. (We drank with some after-2000 right bank in a blind tasting game, and all guessed this one was after 2000 one)
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Dark in the glass. Opulent nose of black fruit; plum, blackcurrant, black cherry, candied orange zest. Vegetal - cut grass. At palate round and juicy. Nice structure, with a firm tannins backbone. At peak, very enjoyable. Drunk with 4 other S. Emilion 98, this bottle was ready before the others, and probably the best together with the 98 troplong-mondot.
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Gorgeous mature St Emillion right at its peak. Cedar nose, Plum and dark fruit core, some spice and a hint of tannic stalk that melted away in conjunction with some rare beef.
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Dark; Victoria plums, bing cherries, mocha; dry, velvety, core of black fruit, with backbone, vigorous, well crafted; very long, this has the balance & structure to age effortlessly for 5+ years.
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Garnet color. Decanted, consumed over 2 days. Nose of dried cherry, strawberry, and faint cedar. Dusty earth also. More forthcoming on day 2. Medium length finish. Very good. I had this as a young wine, in 2003, I think, and remember it being more enjoyable back then.
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Charity Auction Dinner (The Farm): Somehow, I can best remember this wine in comparison to the other two we drank at the same time ('07 Sorella and '05 Croix du Beaucaillou). It was lighter and smoother than the Beaucaillou, but far less floral and expressive than the Sorella.
The color was still dark, opaque and with minimal bricking. Nose was a little muted, but showed some coffee and tobacco. Palate was smooth and medium bodied with plums and other black fruit. Smooth medium finish. (4+13+17+7)
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Finished a case of magnums over dinner with friends. Bold wine with blackberries, cassis, blueberries, tar, licorice, really fresh and young. This is just starting to show its potential.
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Very consistent with previous notes: dark purple color - little signs of evolution. A tad alcoholic nose, fruit in the mouth, well integrated tannins but a good backbone still present. Good length.
Consistent avec mes notes précédentes: robe pourpre sombre - peu de signes d'évolution. Nez quelque peu alcoolique initialement, fruits en bouche, tannins superbement intégrés avec encore une belle structure. Bonne longueur.
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This opaque garnet wine was tasted in double-blind fashion with our Friday tasting group. The nose shows moderately intense aromas of tobacco, mint and coffee, with stone fruits lingering in the background. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, medium rustic tannins and well-integrated alcohol (listed as 13%). The flavors, like the nose, seem to have the fruit component playing second-fiddle. The middle palate is solid and leads to a medium-length, astringent finish. At 14-years-old, I would be reluctant to say that this wine has "shut down," but I certainly would not exclude the possibility that additional aeration would have proved beneficial. That said, the rustic nature of the wine (in conjunction with a bit of a "greenness") makes me think that any benefit from aeration would not have vaulted this wine to outstanding status. Because the fruit seems to be drying out, I would recommend consumption within the next five years. Drink now-12/17.
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Tasted side by side with Las Cases 85. Decanted for an extra hour vs Las Cases. Initially, did not taste great. Felt very much closed, sleepy. Much darker color, less evolved, inky vs the orangey rims of the Las Cases. Took a good extra hour to start revealing itself but even then, tannins, alcohol superseded the fruits - for me. Solid wine with plenty of legs and good structure but I think you decant for 3+ hours or wait another 3-5 years to appreciate in earnest.
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Brought to a double blind tasting with 11 wines total. Consensus top two wine behind a 98 Alain Voge Cornas. Drinking better than ever with hints of tabacco and coffee. Very balanced.
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Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs-III(Double Blind): Brian's wine. WOW, WILL WONDERS NEVER CEASE, I CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED IT AS ST EMILLON OF AN APPROXIMATE AGE. I liked it. I see from Bob R's April note that the group previously had this wine in April at Two CHEF'S.
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Smoke and freshly tilled earth. Fascinating but young nose. The palate is wound up in mineral and tannin, grippy, young, rather locked up tonight, some nice blackberry. I will follow this for a day or two to see it unwind. Still a baby.
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nose - powerful, scents of earth, minerals, plum compote, floral. Smells funky. mouth - sleek & elegant, well delineated blackberry and black cherry fruit followed by immense minerality, almost on the verge of tasting salty. Roasted coffee on the finish with fine grained tannins. A very unique wine, reminds me most of a more recent bottle of Chateua La Gaffeliere that i've had. A St Emilion classic. Interestingly my wife wasnt nearly as impressed. I think you have to like to style of wine. Drink now, i see no reason why to cellar these much longer.
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Not very sophisticated, but classic power. The colour shows development and the bouquet and taste shows ripeness. Earthy, fleshy, body and ripe tannins; it is a wine for dinner or with cheese. I will drink my remaining bottles the next two/three years.
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Tour de Bordeaux; Next stop: St. Emilion @ Roel's (Netherlands): Volatile, (over-?)ripe, intoxicating, not very fresh. Overextracted? Rum bonbons, balsamico, vanilla, ink, meat. The volatile, macerated, overripe fruitcomponent also recurs in the mouth. Bitter finish of iced moccachino. Lots of toasted oak. Sorry, don't like it. Where's the fruit? 14/20
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Right Bank Tasting with a Flight of 1998s: Classic, traditional Bordeaux which is now nicely aromatic with tobacco and black cherries. Medium bodied and very classy to taste, the palate impact is rich yet bone-bone dry with lots of finishing tannins to resolve. My WOTN, but still needs time to really shine (at least 5 years). A-/A with upside.
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Initially, right out of the bottle a disjointed smell of VA, green vegetables and plums. But over the course of three hours, it just melded together, opened beautifully with sweet black/red fruits, a touch seasoned salt. Taste was smooth but there is a presence of tannins on the end. Mouth was mildly tobacco, red fruits. Nice. If you open one decant an hour+.
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This is an outstanding wine from one of the greatest right bank vintages ever. It is Robert Parker's favorite vintage of Grand Mayne and he knows what he's talking about, man. This wine reminded me of one of those rare right-bankers Stuart brings to his big dinners at BWE conventions. Wonderful complexity, this offers up great tobacco and coffee notes and chocolate flavors that can be found only on the right bank of the River Gironde. This was my lone bottle from the 1998 vintage, sadly, but I have six more from 2005 in my cellar, although I don't think Robert Parker likes that vintage quite as much, and he is the man. I think the 1998 right bank vintage in Bordeaux is immense, one of the greatest vintages I have ever experienced. It just never disappoints. This bottle was evolved, but it will be great for another ten years at least before beginning a slow demise into one of those old tobacco, coffee, and leather beauties that we get to taste every now and then at a Stuart dinner. Ruby/purple. I loved this wine. I'm going to try to get ahold of a half dozen or so bottles from the 2009 vintage going for about $42+ right now on futures.
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Tight and with plenty of acidity. Good ruby color and medium-weight in the mouth. Not much finish, and somewhat disappointing compared to what I was expecting. Is it too young?
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A lovely ripe wine with a ripe red/brown colour confirming age. A very deep and classic, soft, spicy, merlot bouquet and a balanced and round taste and nearly massive aftertaste; no agressive tannins. My wife said: a powerful old wine. How many bottles do you still have? Although I objected that 'old' wasn't the right word, in the core she was right. It is a lovey, super ripe wine, so don't wait too long with opening your bottles. To answer her question, I still have six bottles and I will really enjoy them the next 2 to 3 years.
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Dark purple color - little signs of evolution. A tad alcoholic nose, evolving towards red fruits. Gobs of fruit in the mouth, well integrated tannins but a good backbone still present. Good length. Really excellent over lunch, even better when finishing the bottle in the evening.
Robe pourpre sombre - peu de signes d'évolution. Nez quelque peu alcoolique initialement, évoluant vers des fruits rouges. Tout plein de fruits en bouche, tannins superbement intégrés avec encore une belle structure. Bonne longueur. Déjà excellent à l'heure du déjeuner, encore meilleur finissant la bouteille au souper.
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Dark ruby, not showing much age on the rim. Plum, black fruit, cedar and cigar box in the glass. Not very complex on the palate, but nice and smooth. Well balanced and showing hardly any tannins.
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Bromley Wine Circle does RB 98 and LB 96 (Neil H's house, Sarf Bromley, London): A little darker in colour. Notable and offputting tinned asparagus nose and some slight dustiness in the background. This was notably chunkier and even more tannic. I found this hard to like – even quite austere. It does start to open up later and some of the stink blew off but then returned. Probably the youngest wine of the night. Needs a lot of time, assuming the fruit will match it.
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3/4 bottle brought by Cliff and Noy (opened earlier that evening). Had during Thanksgiving preparations, no formal notes. Predominant cedar nose, black cherry, lush mouth feel, gentle finish. Drinking really well. I wish I had more time..... (kitchen duties)
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took one to Rick B Gave it 3 hr decant & back in the bottle -soft and tasty St E some nice dark red fruit notes and spice. Well balanced. Entering a nice drinking point. I like the way this is turning out.
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Difficult to describe this one. Dark ruby; high toned cedar, capsicum, dark fruits, warm savouriness. Medium bodied, quite alcoholic, almost CDP feel to the palate but much firmer grip. Long and spicy finish that retains a hint of greenery.
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We decanted this wine for approximately 2 hours and it had a nice deep color accompanied with a fantastic nose with a lot of fruit, smoke, and licorice aromas. The texture was luscious with a nice finish. This wine is going to be good for at least another 10 years.
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What a great nose of dark fruit, cigar boxes and a bit of liquorice. Lovely velvety taste en sweet dark fruits again. Delicious. Does not show any age at all.
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Opened this bottle at Kelly and Bonnie's, and didn't take tasting notes at the time.
The smell of this wine upon opening offered a faint hint of licorice and dark fruit. Not particularly strong, but I have some allergy issues which may have contributed to the muted nose. Clarity of the wine was high, but still crimson in color without any hint of bricking on the edges.
On the initial attack, this wine immediately impressed with loads of fruit, which faded slightly on the mid-palate. Of all the '98 Right Banks I have had, this bottle has packed the most fruit. Tannins were almost completely subdued. The finish was medium length, probably 15-20 seconds.
I'd call this wine/vintage at the peak of its drinking window. Drink one now if you have a few, or if you need a go-to wine with little risk of disappointment.
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This was fabulous -- canonical great St. Emilion. Better than I expected. Not throwing much sediment; not showing much age at all, though the tannins have definitely softened. Did well straight from the bottle, and improved over a few hours. What a treat!
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What a dream wine... Opens up very slowly, refusing to reveal its true power for the first 2 hours. So please decant! Beautiful Bordeaux, which will last for 3 to 5 years. Strongly recommended.
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Rode kleur, geur is klassiek met rood fruit, cassis met daarnaast behoorlijk wat cederhout en licht wat aards. smaak is mooi rond en soepel met zachtr tannines en lange afdronk. mooi rijp glas
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Dark robe, signs of evolution. Generous nose. Smooth as silk in the mouth, great balance. At early maturity, will keep for a long time still. Drank a couple of degrees too warm to enjoy full complexity and length.
Robe sombre, des signes d'evolution. Nez genereux. Texture douce et complexe, comme de la soie. Equilibre fantastique. Arrive a maturite, se gardera encore longtemps. Bu quelques degres trop chauds pour profiter de la complexite et de la longueur.
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This wine is drinking well, but will be better in the long haul. Very floral on the nose, nice fruit, rich complex with strong sweet tanins on the finish. Very well made wine
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Chocolate covered raisins. Rich and smooth with low acidity. Accessible now but has potential to score higher if it can gain some complexity with more bottle age.
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Drank over the Thanksgiving holiday and I didn't take extensive notes on this wine. Generally, this wine was rich in flavor and spicy for Bordeaux. Finish was medium in length. I should hold a year or two before trying another bottle.
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A trip to Bordeaux's Right Bank (Very long); 10/22/2006-10/30/2006 (Bordeaux, France): This is a wine I loved. The incredible complex nose of dark chocolate, ground coffee and cedar is identical to the 1998 Clos de l'Oratoire I recently had (and loved!). Low acid, full to medium bodied, greatly accessible and a great match for food. Highly recommended.
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diep donker rood. geur van diep rood fruit, kersen zwarte bes, mooie stevige houttonen, cederhout, sigaeren kistje, mooie volle dronk met stevige tannines en vrij geconcentreerd. body met een lange stevige afdronk. de wijn komt nog vrij jeugdig over en kan zeker nog een poosje mee.
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This had a fantastic aroma right out of the bottle, loads of fruit. Dark purple color, still youthful. The finish was a little lacking until we had it open about 3 hours. At this point it seemed to develop a sweetness and really came alive. Going to cellar my other bottle for 5 years and check it out. Great wine!
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Nice wine! Out of the bottle this was TIGHT with lots of obvious wood and a very 'scorched' smell to it. Slowly over the course of two hours this started to flex, displaying some very obvious coffee aromae, black berry, and a hint of tobacco. Suddenly at hour three this has gained a remarkable smoothness and a surprisingly full and sweet mid-palate. The finish has come alive and gained length and intensity but also shows lots of evident structure. The nose is now much more obvious with the tobacco, and the fruit is gaining while the dustiness is receding. It has been stunning to watch this wine unfold, one of the largest changes I have ever seen in a wine over a 3 hour period. Goodness do I love Bordeaux!!!
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4/13/2024 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
It’s been a while since my last bottle and this has matured and mellowed a lot in the ensuing years. Quite mature with a beautifully resolved and silky palate, medium bodied but integrated and long. It probably qualifies a mid-modern stylistically, as it has some notes of dark chocolate that declare this a merlot, but these more exotic notes are balanced by a real freshness and structure. Hard to resist. Ready to drink, but no hurry, it will probably hold like this for a decade or more.
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2/3/2024 - Rani Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted blind. Earthy, eucalyptus notes. Very resolved, soft tannins, velvety texture. Smooth and fully mature, giving a lot of drinking pleasure. Lovely.
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1/18/2024 - Vinumming & Ahhing Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bromley Wine Circle does Bordeaux - 18th January 2024 (Chez Moi): A hint of graphite here, there is some grated dark milk chocolate here and some subtle pungent greenness. This is good but bottles from my first case some years ago were outstanding.
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10/13/2023 - CarpeDiem! Likes this wine: 94 Points
Only regret is to not have grabbed some additional cases of this gem. Fully matured, elegant nose, of cedar, chocolate, leather, licorice. Medium to full bodied on the palate, matured red berries, cedar, leather, cedar, chocolate, licorice, toast and subtle herbal background, with a long, elegant, phenolic and menthol finish. Superb!
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6/1/2023 - Ardross wrote: 88 Points
Still very enjoyable but the fruit in retreat and some drying tannins - drink up i suspect .
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3/16/2023 - robmatic wrote:
Most of the charm was gone from this bottle. Pretty drinkable but disappointing showing.
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10/3/2022 - CarpeDiem! Likes this wine: 94 Points
Similar to the bottle two years ago, an excellent, well matured, hedonist right bank. Complex, silky nose, of cedar, chocolate, leather, liquorice. Medium to full bodied on the palate, this extremely balanced and elegant SE has all you can expect after 20+ years of patience: mature red berries, cedar, leather, cedar, chocolate, liquorice, toast and subtle herbal background, with a long, elegant, phenolic and menthol finish. Wonderful!
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1/18/2022 - Eric Likes this wine: 93 Points
Absolutely delicious and drinking at peak. Smoke, cherry and chocolate, lots of pleasure but fully resolved tannins. Still some freshly tilled earth and smokiness. Really quite beguiling.
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1/15/2022 - GuWin wrote: 92 Points
Dyp, mørk farge med svakt lilla kant. Ikke mye modning å spore her! Mørke bær på duft, her er bjørnebær og mørke plommer, men også et modent preg av tobakk, lær og fuktig skogbunn. God ‘punch’ i anslaget, stor og bløt munnfølelse med mørke modne bær, et streif av mentol og eucalyptus. Ganske intens på smak med veldig god, moden frukt. Strålende balanse med bløt tanninstruktur og syre som i en munnfull krekling. Lang smakskurve med mørke bær og et streif av eucalyptus i avslutningen. Det er fortsatt mye liv igjen i denne men samtidig helt nydelig å drikke nå
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5/2/2021 - blanquito wrote:
Lovely showing. Nicely aromatic nose with savory and umami notes, and a little zest. Also shows some classic tobacco and sous bois. The palate is dark fruited and savory with a touch of Gravesy char, and fresh, slightly sour taste to go with the dry and savory fruit. On the medium bodied end, with resolved tannins. With air, some cedar and lead pencil appear. Close to peak probably and delicious now, but no rush to drink these. If a touch more body and complexity develop with more cellar time, this will go from terrific (92-93 pts) to sensational (94-95 pts).
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12/31/2020 - brooklynJ&O wrote: 84 Points
Was great right on opening but after 2-3hr decant it was not good at all. Not sure what that means. Did not feel past its prime. Plenty of fruit. Maybe in a down period.
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12/6/2020 - havana4 🍾🍇 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours. very fresh on the nose with dried black fruit and well integrated(but waning) tannic structure. Saddle leather, forest floor funk. Acidity is still bright .
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12/6/2020 - Frank@verjans.eu wrote: flawed
Stopsmaak
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11/9/2020 - empire80 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delightful mature claret with all the cedar notes, but still some generous black fruit. Probably at the end of its peak, but no great rush.
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11/5/2020 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 93 Points
IT Super Peking duck lunch at Maison Dakota. Tasted blind. Drank in Gabriel Standart.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, meidum+ intensity, with aromas of capsicums, red spice, red plums, fragrant fresh herbs, red berries, red cherries, redcurrant. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), soft medium+ tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of fresh capsicums, herbs and spices, red cherries, redcurrant, red plums. Long finish.
Very good quality. Feels like classic claret, and yet is so fresh and doesn't feel like a 90s at all. This bottle still feels like it has lots of life, but the soft tannins suggest it is quite integrated and ready for nice drinking.
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10/24/2020 - CarpeDiem! Likes this wine: 94 Points
Quintessential for an excellent, well matured right bank. Complex, silky nose, of cedar, chocolate, leather, liquorice. Medium to full bodied on the palate, this extremely balanced and elegant SE has all you can expect after 20+ years of patience: mature red berries, cedar, leather, cedar, chocolate, liquorice, toast and subtle herbal background, with a long, elegant, phenolic and mentholic finish. Love it.
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5/18/2020 - bluepeter2020@outlook.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still drinking beautifully
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4/7/2020 - bluepeter2020@outlook.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
This bottle had some uncharacteristic aroma. I agree, drink up!
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1/18/2020 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 91 Points
Académie des Cinquante Saint-Emilion Tasting (Restaurant Bolenius *, Amsterdam, NL): Tasted blind twice (1, wine 15): classical nose, fully mature, cedar, firm tannins, beautiful, 93. (2) Fully mature, little fruit left, drying finish. Drink up, 89. Bottle difference?
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1/16/2020 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wine night @ Cc’s place: 3rd try - Black fruits, dried cherries, dried herbs, mushrooms, with an earthy, warm finish. Open soon before it moves out of its drinking window
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12/23/2019 - Ardross Likes this wine: 93 Points
Second case of this wine - less gushing more Medoc like but still very very fine claret
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12/14/2019 - CarpeDiem! Likes this wine: 94 Points
Like the last bottle in May '19 this is quintessential for an excellent, well matured right bank. Complex, silky nose, of cedar, chocolate, leather, liquorice. Medium to full bodied on the palate, this extremely balanced and elegant SE has all you can expect after 20+ years of patience: mature red berries, cedar, leather, cedar, chocolate, liquorice, toast and subtle herbal background, with a long, elegant, phenolic and mentholic finish. A hedonist moment.
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11/15/2019 - djhammond Likes this wine: 90 Points
As per previous note from March, this is at the beginning of a decline. It is still very enjoyable, but has seen better days.
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8/9/2019 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 91 Points
2nd try: Dark fruits, dusty, herbs on the nose. Tasted dark fruits, old cherries, oak, cedar, herbs, mushrooms, with an earthy, spicy, bitter finish. Example of a good Bordeaux. Enjoyed it again. Open earlier than later
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7/28/2019 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose of ripe plums, black currants, mushrooms, soil, peppers, with mushroom tertiaries. Tasted red currants, black currants, mushrooms, soil with vegetal tertiaries and slight tobacco on the finish. Classic Bordeaux. Continued to improve over the night. This is in a good place now but nearing the end of its drinking window. Open sooner than later
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7/4/2019 - havana4 🍾🍇 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I have had a lot of aged bordeaux those over the past two months with friends out in Los Angeles. I never expected this wine and vintage to be so perfect based on the rest of the reviews that I see on here that were very mixed. This wine has entered a perfect drinking window at least the bottle that I was able to procure. It was decanted for an hour before drinking. Lush dense black fruits on the nose and palate. Slight aroma of earthy mushrooms typical of many Wines in this region. The tannins were extremely soft and silky and mellow. The only thing if I could find a fault with this wine was that it lacked a long finish
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7/3/2019 - djhammond Likes this wine: 90 Points
Just to reiterate previous notes, the wine is fully mature and has peaked. I possibly think it is at the beginning of a gradual decline, and in fact have scored it a couple of points lower than a a year ago, but this may just be bottle variance. It is very typical of right bank wines from 1998, with a an opulent nose full of ripe fruit, but with quite harsh tannin on the palate. It is a very enjoyable wine but I find it a little light mid palate and out of balance on the finish.
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6/9/2019 - Willi Vinotti wrote: 94 Points
An absolutely fantastic st Emilion, sweet and melted tannins, wonderful intensity with fruits, forest floor and and cloves, silky flow, medium weight and impressive length. In it’s target window now, enjoy!
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5/18/2019 - Willi Vinotti Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent stuff. Perfect condition, Velvety sweet tobacco, leather , menthol notes and earthy floor. Probably best 1998 recently drunk. Not sure where this is heading from here, so a clear green light to enjoy now!
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5/11/2019 - CarpeDiem! Likes this wine: 94 Points
The kind of wine you want to have a pile of. Expressive, charming nose, of cedar, chocolate, leather. Medium to full bodied on the palate, this extremely well structured and elegant SE boast all the Bordeaux goodies you expect after 20 years: mature red berries, cedar, leather, chocolate, liquorice, toast aromas, with a long, elegant, phenolic and mentholic finish.
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12/11/2018 - blanquito wrote:
Terrific showing, still very young with lots of primary fruit but the structure has started to loosen its grip here. Living up to its early promise. Excellent, 93 pts.
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11/10/2018 - bon vivant wrote: 92 Points
6 hr slow ox and a double decant for sediment and this was humming along nicely with a mellow softness that made this easy to drink. Fully integrated tannins with a nice interplay between ripe fruit and savory elements. not as long on finish to make it truly great but a 20 years since the vintage a fine drinking wine. I do not anticipate further development or upside.
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11/3/2018 - G_H wrote: 90 Points
20 years tasting - 1998: Cassis, smoked bacon, bell peppers, classic bordeaux, but rather left bank notes...
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10/19/2018 - empire80 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful black fruit core, almost new world, but plenty of tannin and structure. Great value.
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5/29/2018 - bluepeter2020@outlook.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
a fine wine, still drinking nicely. very fine sediment in the bottle.
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4/17/2018 - djhammond Likes this wine: 92 Points
As per previous tasting note, the wine is fully mature and ready to drink with a short time in the decanter. The nose has a wine gum nose of blackberry and blueberry with hints of raspberry, and the fruits on the nose are strikingly deep. The palate is a little more austere with robust tannin, but with the fruit very evident with everything in excellent balance. I do find the the depth and finish a little disappointing, but overall a very enjoyable wine drinking at its peak, and with a nose that is exceptional.
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4/3/2018 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; popped, poured and consumed over the next five hours. Dark ruby core with bricking on the rim; it certainly looks like a fully mature wine. Complex and intense bouquet, eagerly offering up scents of ripe plum, savory spices, grilled game meat; hints of forest floor and black truffle. Medium bodied, with a wonderful mouthfeel; lots of velvet, with really impressive depth of flavor and a true sense of expansiveness; a long and focused finish. This was clearly an exceptional bottle that is at peak maturity, and I enjoyed it immensely!
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11/16/2017 - djhammond Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fully mature and packed full of dark berry fruits, the wine is drinking at its peak. The nose is deep with wine gum aromas of blackcurrent with blueberry and hints of raspberry. The palate is well balanced with firm tannin and a decent finish. A residual sourness does slightly detract from the overall experience but it is still highly enjoyable. This wine has aged over the last year, and unusually for a right bank 1998, I would recommend consumption over the next 2 years to appreciate the wine at its best. Only a short time in the decanter is needed.
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9/8/2017 - chbeaumont wrote: 90 Points
Dark; Band Aids, whiff of brett, chocolatey; dry, firm, a liitle rugged, refreshing acidity; lively, vibrant finish. Very long. starting to show its age.
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9/3/2017 - empire80 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious and very consistent, sweet black fruit at the front but quite a long dense tannic finish that works well with food.
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8/2/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Medium bodied, finesse styled wine, with more complexity on the nose, with its, wet earth, floral, thyme, cherry and tobacco nuance, than on its fresh, soft, elegant, red berry and spice palate. This is at peak and should be drunk up over the next 5-7 years.
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6/11/2017 - mlawren1 wrote: 93 Points
Earthy with plums and currants. Long smooth finish.
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6/6/2017 - mouton45 Likes this wine: 92 Points
wine group dinner
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1/1/2017 - Igloo30 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Superbe, un nez et une bouche d'une puissance rarement rencontré. Un nez encore assez jeune avec du fruit encore bien présent, de la complexité avec des épices, des tannins encore présent en finale mais non agressif. Un vin qui a remarquablement vieilli et délicieux !
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12/14/2016 - rashcar Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great nose of dark fruits and mushrooms. Medium delicious finish. Worth the admission ticket of $69.
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11/11/2016 - djhammond Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fully mature this is drinking perfectly. It gives off an all enveloping nose of blackberry and rasberry with hints of vanilla giving a big hit of fruit. However, on the palate the fruit explosion is arrested by big resolved satisfying tannins. The finish is rather on the short side. This contradiction between the initial promise of a big smooth fruity punchbowl to the reality of big tannins on the palate seems to be a characteristic of 1998 right bankers. This is at its peak but should stay here for some time time to come.
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9/26/2016 - Bil Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cedar when opened. Lucious black fruit as it opens. Nice mouthfeel with smooth tannins. Drinking really well.
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1/28/2016 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
Russk. Allan's WOFL tasting at the Ritz Carlton Hotel. My 3rd. WOTN. Cedar, bandaid and Barnyard. 92-.
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9/25/2015 - macaujames Likes this wine: 93 Points
A spherical, authoritative almost New World like St-Emilion. Has aged well.
Fullish aromas of dusty mulberries, coffee, spice, minerals, earth, blackberries and plums. Full.bodied powerful and muscular palate which has some elegance nonetheless. What is impressive is its brooding, spectacular, potent, blackfruited and cedar mid palate with good acidity. Ends long, savoury and impressive with soft tannins. Gorgeous!
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8/30/2015 - empire80 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Amazing nose of sweet black fruit - almost new world! Plums and a hint of meat and black olive in the mouth, a great match to roast chicken (stuffed with haggis...), very long slightly tannic finish, good for another 5+ years.
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6/24/2015 - nstow Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium deep starting to turn brown. Mellow plum and red berry fruits with cedar and tobacco. Elegant, medium bodied with good balance. Still youthful with soft tannins on finish. Drunk with strongly herby lamb and potatoes. Would have been better with a more powerful wine, try with plainer dish next time. 4+/5
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9/20/2014 - AWBryce wrote: 92 Points
Incredibly youthful, would have guessed in the late 2000's. Fresh nose of dark fruit and liquorice. Still tannic, this has the fruit to age gracefully.
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6/19/2014 - capacious Likes this wine: 91 Points
PNP with duck a'lorange and a good match. Got better and better over evening and probably has 8-10 years to go or more.
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6/12/2014 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
UWS (@ JB): Beautiful and smoky bouquet with cedar and sweet spices. On the palate ripe red as well as dark fruits, chocolate, but bell pepper as well. A lot of sweetness, but nicely balanced by acidity. Firm tannin with still a lot of future. A beautiful and concentrated wine. Early maturity now, but around 2018 this is probably even better. For today 92+.
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3/14/2014 - enochling Likes this wine: 94 Points
Despite its age, it was still very powerful and young with bright fruity notes on the first palate. (We drank with some after-2000 right bank in a blind tasting game, and all guessed this one was after 2000 one)
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2/16/2014 - Bluespolo wrote: 92 Points
Dark in the glass. Opulent nose of black fruit; plum, blackcurrant, black cherry, candied orange zest. Vegetal - cut grass. At palate round and juicy. Nice structure, with a firm tannins backbone. At peak, very enjoyable. Drunk with 4 other S. Emilion 98, this bottle was ready before the others, and probably the best together with the 98 troplong-mondot.
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1/26/2014 - empire80 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Gorgeous mature St Emillion right at its peak. Cedar nose, Plum and dark fruit core, some spice and a hint of tannic stalk that melted away in conjunction with some rare beef.
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1/1/2014 - chbeaumont wrote: 94 Points
Dark; Victoria plums, bing cherries, mocha; dry, velvety, core of black fruit, with backbone, vigorous, well crafted; very long, this has the balance & structure to age effortlessly for 5+ years.
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10/10/2013 - empire80 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Extremely enjoyable, perfectly mature but with at least another 5 years ahead. Classic St Emillion.
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8/29/2013 - nectar14 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Garnet color. Decanted, consumed over 2 days. Nose of dried cherry, strawberry, and faint cedar. Dusty earth also. More forthcoming on day 2. Medium length finish. Very good. I had this as a young wine, in 2003, I think, and remember it being more enjoyable back then.
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3/3/2013 - gbm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Charity Auction Dinner (The Farm): Somehow, I can best remember this wine in comparison to the other two we drank at the same time ('07 Sorella and '05 Croix du Beaucaillou). It was lighter and smoother than the Beaucaillou, but far less floral and expressive than the Sorella.
The color was still dark, opaque and with minimal bricking. Nose was a little muted, but showed some coffee and tobacco. Palate was smooth and medium bodied with plums and other black fruit. Smooth medium finish. (4+13+17+7)
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1/26/2013 - Jhcwine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Nose - limited. Palette - decent.
Needed decant time.
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1/10/2013 - mwanasheria wrote: 92 Points
Finished a case of magnums over dinner with friends. Bold wine with blackberries, cassis, blueberries, tar, licorice, really fresh and young. This is just starting to show its potential.
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10/14/2012 - wahoff wrote: 92 Points
Very consistent with previous notes: dark purple color - little signs of evolution. A tad alcoholic nose, fruit in the mouth, well integrated tannins but a good backbone still present. Good length.
Consistent avec mes notes précédentes: robe pourpre sombre - peu de signes d'évolution. Nez quelque peu alcoolique initialement, fruits en bouche, tannins superbement intégrés avec encore une belle structure. Bonne longueur.
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10/12/2012 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 87 Points
This opaque garnet wine was tasted in double-blind fashion with our Friday tasting group. The nose shows moderately intense aromas of tobacco, mint and coffee, with stone fruits lingering in the background. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, medium rustic tannins and well-integrated alcohol (listed as 13%). The flavors, like the nose, seem to have the fruit component playing second-fiddle. The middle palate is solid and leads to a medium-length, astringent finish. At 14-years-old, I would be reluctant to say that this wine has "shut down," but I certainly would not exclude the possibility that additional aeration would have proved beneficial. That said, the rustic nature of the wine (in conjunction with a bit of a "greenness") makes me think that any benefit from aeration would not have vaulted this wine to outstanding status. Because the fruit seems to be drying out, I would recommend consumption within the next five years. Drink now-12/17.
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8/13/2012 - mlawren1 wrote: 92 Points
Very earthy with some cedar and fall leaves mixed in with some berries and stone fruit.
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4/28/2012 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 90 Points
Beefstock and limestone, sweet cherries, hint of creaminess, ripe tannins, good structure, balance and length, good classic St-Emilion.
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8/13/2011 - Alexis A wrote: 90 Points
Tasted side by side with Las Cases 85. Decanted for an extra hour vs Las Cases. Initially, did not taste great. Felt very much closed, sleepy. Much darker color, less evolved, inky vs the orangey rims of the Las Cases. Took a good extra hour to start revealing itself but even then, tannins, alcohol superseded the fruits - for me. Solid wine with plenty of legs and good structure but I think you decant for 3+ hours or wait another 3-5 years to appreciate in earnest.
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7/29/2011 - bvanbower wrote: 92 Points
Brought to a double blind tasting with 11 wines total. Consensus top two wine behind a 98 Alain Voge Cornas. Drinking better than ever with hints of tabacco and coffee. Very balanced.
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7/26/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs-III(Double Blind): Brian's wine. WOW, WILL WONDERS NEVER CEASE, I CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED IT AS ST EMILLON OF AN APPROXIMATE AGE. I liked it.
I see from Bob R's April note that the group previously had this wine in April at Two CHEF'S.
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6/4/2011 - Marcyrillo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fantastico bordeaux! Ainda jovem com grande complexidade, belos aromas e boa/longa persistencia. Tomamos no Piselli.
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5/5/2011 - Eric wrote: 91 Points
Smoke and freshly tilled earth. Fascinating but young nose. The palate is wound up in mineral and tannin, grippy, young, rather locked up tonight, some nice blackberry. I will follow this for a day or two to see it unwind. Still a baby.
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4/23/2011 - soyhead wrote: 94 Points
nose - powerful, scents of earth, minerals, plum compote, floral. Smells funky.
mouth - sleek & elegant, well delineated blackberry and black cherry fruit followed by immense minerality, almost on the verge of tasting salty. Roasted coffee on the finish with fine grained tannins. A very unique wine, reminds me most of a more recent bottle of Chateua La Gaffeliere that i've had. A St Emilion classic. Interestingly my wife wasnt nearly as impressed. I think you have to like to style of wine. Drink now, i see no reason why to cellar these much longer.
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4/22/2011 - FransS wrote: 92 Points
Not very sophisticated, but classic power. The colour shows development and the
bouquet and taste shows ripeness. Earthy, fleshy, body and ripe tannins; it is a wine
for dinner or with cheese. I will drink my remaining bottles the next two/three years.
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4/13/2011 - mouton45 wrote: 92 Points
Showed very well at wine group dinner at Two Chefs. Ready to drink but it can be held for a few more years too
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3/21/2011 - lappedchips wrote: flawed
PIP
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3/12/2011 - chbeaumont wrote: 91 Points
Mid garnet; impressive nose, forthcoming, explosive; bags of character, taut fruit, rich, concentrated; severe finish. Needs more time.
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2/21/2011 - jkoenen wrote: 83 Points
Tour de Bordeaux; Next stop: St. Emilion @ Roel's (Netherlands): Volatile, (over-?)ripe, intoxicating, not very fresh. Overextracted? Rum bonbons, balsamico, vanilla, ink, meat. The volatile, macerated, overripe fruitcomponent also recurs in the mouth. Bitter finish of iced moccachino. Lots of toasted oak. Sorry, don't like it. Where's the fruit? 14/20
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12/5/2010 - Ardross wrote: 94 Points
Simply gorgeous St.Emilion - drinking beautifully now.
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9/16/2010 - blanquito wrote:
Right Bank Tasting with a Flight of 1998s: Classic, traditional Bordeaux which is now nicely aromatic with tobacco and black cherries. Medium bodied and very classy to taste, the palate impact is rich yet bone-bone dry with lots of finishing tannins to resolve. My WOTN, but still needs time to really shine (at least 5 years). A-/A with upside.
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7/10/2010 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 93 Points
Initially, right out of the bottle a disjointed smell of VA, green vegetables and plums. But over the course of three hours, it just melded together, opened beautifully with sweet black/red fruits, a touch seasoned salt. Taste was smooth but there is a presence of tannins on the end. Mouth was mildly tobacco, red fruits. Nice. If you open one decant an hour+.
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7/9/2010 - JimHow wrote: 94 Points
This is an outstanding wine from one of the greatest right bank vintages ever. It is Robert Parker's favorite vintage of Grand Mayne and he knows what he's talking about, man. This wine reminded me of one of those rare right-bankers Stuart brings to his big dinners at BWE conventions. Wonderful complexity, this offers up great tobacco and coffee notes and chocolate flavors that can be found only on the right bank of the River Gironde. This was my lone bottle from the 1998 vintage, sadly, but I have six more from 2005 in my cellar, although I don't think Robert Parker likes that vintage quite as much, and he is the man. I think the 1998 right bank vintage in Bordeaux is immense, one of the greatest vintages I have ever experienced. It just never disappoints. This bottle was evolved, but it will be great for another ten years at least before beginning a slow demise into one of those old tobacco, coffee, and leather beauties that we get to taste every now and then at a Stuart dinner. Ruby/purple. I loved this wine. I'm going to try to get ahold of a half dozen or so bottles from the 2009 vintage going for about $42+ right now on futures.
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5/23/2010 - winestem wrote: 88 Points
Tight and with plenty of acidity. Good ruby color and medium-weight in the mouth. Not much finish, and somewhat disappointing compared to what I was expecting. Is it too young?
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4/6/2010 - FransS wrote: 92 Points
A lovely ripe wine with a ripe red/brown colour confirming age. A very deep and classic, soft, spicy, merlot bouquet and
a balanced and round taste and nearly massive aftertaste; no agressive tannins. My wife said: a powerful old wine. How many bottles do you still have?
Although I objected that 'old' wasn't the right word, in the core she was right. It is a lovey, super ripe wine, so don't wait too long
with opening your bottles. To answer her question, I still have six bottles and I will really enjoy them the next 2 to 3 years.
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3/28/2010 - wahoff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark purple color - little signs of evolution. A tad alcoholic nose, evolving towards red fruits. Gobs of fruit in the mouth, well integrated tannins but a good backbone still present. Good length. Really excellent over lunch, even better when finishing the bottle in the evening.
Robe pourpre sombre - peu de signes d'évolution. Nez quelque peu alcoolique initialement, évoluant vers des fruits rouges. Tout plein de fruits en bouche, tannins superbement intégrés avec encore une belle structure. Bonne longueur. Déjà excellent à l'heure du déjeuner, encore meilleur finissant la bouteille au souper.
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12/5/2009 - G&A wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby, not showing much age on the rim.
Plum, black fruit, cedar and cigar box in the glass. Not very complex on the palate, but nice and smooth.
Well balanced and showing hardly any tannins.
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11/26/2009 - king-bing wrote: 85 Points
Bromley Wine Circle does RB 98 and LB 96 (Neil H's house, Sarf Bromley, London): A little darker in colour. Notable and offputting tinned asparagus nose and some slight dustiness in the background. This was notably chunkier and even more tannic. I found this hard to like – even quite austere. It does start to open up later and some of the stink blew off but then returned. Probably the youngest wine of the night. Needs a lot of time, assuming the fruit will match it.
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10/18/2009 - rob1869 wrote: 90 Points
Best bottle yet. As meaty/savoury as the others with a similar herby profile but with more richness of fruit and less greenery.
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10/11/2009 - lumpyelbow wrote: 90 Points
3/4 bottle brought by Cliff and Noy (opened earlier that evening). Had during Thanksgiving preparations, no formal notes. Predominant cedar nose, black cherry, lush mouth feel, gentle finish. Drinking really well. I wish I had more time..... (kitchen duties)
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8/21/2009 - bon vivant wrote: 93 Points
took one to Rick B Gave it 3 hr decant & back in the bottle -soft and tasty St E some nice dark red fruit notes and spice. Well balanced. Entering a nice drinking point. I like the way this is turning out.
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5/26/2009 - rob1869 wrote: 89 Points
Difficult to describe this one. Dark ruby; high toned cedar, capsicum, dark fruits, warm savouriness. Medium bodied, quite alcoholic, almost CDP feel to the palate but much firmer grip. Long and spicy finish that retains a hint of greenery.
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5/9/2009 - Chuck Miller wrote: 90 Points
Second btl (after first was slighly corked). Still with some tannic grip, hold another couple years.
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5/9/2009 - Chuck Miller wrote: flawed
First btl ever so slightly corked, almost imperceptible, but confirmed when a second btl was opened.
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12/6/2008 - morewine wrote: 94 Points
We decanted this wine for approximately 2 hours and it had a nice deep color accompanied with a fantastic nose with a lot of fruit, smoke, and licorice aromas. The texture was luscious with a nice finish. This wine is going to be good for at least another 10 years.
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11/1/2008 - Ltim BE wrote: 93 Points
What a great nose of dark fruit, cigar boxes and a bit of liquorice. Lovely velvety taste en sweet dark fruits again. Delicious. Does not show any age at all.
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10/5/2008 - dmbaggett wrote:
In contrast to the last bottle of this I had, this one had enough sediment to be bitter. So you may want to decant this one.
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9/1/2008 - WaltH wrote: 90 Points
Opened this bottle at Kelly and Bonnie's, and didn't take tasting notes at the time.
The smell of this wine upon opening offered a faint hint of licorice and dark fruit. Not particularly strong, but I have some allergy issues which may have contributed to the muted nose. Clarity of the wine was high, but still crimson in color without any hint of bricking on the edges.
On the initial attack, this wine immediately impressed with loads of fruit, which faded slightly on the mid-palate. Of all the '98 Right Banks I have had, this bottle has packed the most fruit. Tannins were almost completely subdued. The finish was medium length, probably 15-20 seconds.
I'd call this wine/vintage at the peak of its drinking window. Drink one now if you have a few, or if you need a go-to wine with little risk of disappointment.
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5/6/2008 - dmbaggett wrote: 95 Points
This was fabulous -- canonical great St. Emilion. Better than I expected. Not throwing much sediment; not showing much age at all, though the tannins have definitely softened. Did well straight from the bottle, and improved over a few hours. What a treat!
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4/29/2008 - chbeaumont wrote: 85 Points
Touch brighter; bell pepper; capsicum also on palate. Concentrated. 14. Other people liked this. The previous bottle I tried far superior.
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1/7/2008 - tbuysse wrote: 93 Points
What a dream wine... Opens up very slowly, refusing to reveal its true power for the first 2 hours. So please decant! Beautiful Bordeaux, which will last for 3 to 5 years. Strongly recommended.
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10/9/2007 - Biglama wrote: 90 Points
Rode kleur, geur is klassiek met rood fruit, cassis met daarnaast behoorlijk wat cederhout en licht wat aards. smaak is mooi rond en soepel met zachtr tannines en lange afdronk. mooi rijp glas
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7/8/2007 - wahoff wrote: 92 Points
Dark robe, signs of evolution. Generous nose. Smooth as silk in the mouth, great balance. At early maturity, will keep for a long time still. Drank a couple of degrees too warm to enjoy full complexity and length.
Robe sombre, des signes d'evolution. Nez genereux. Texture douce et complexe, comme de la soie. Equilibre fantastique. Arrive a maturite, se gardera encore longtemps. Bu quelques degres trop chauds pour profiter de la complexite et de la longueur.
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7/3/2007 - bon vivant wrote: flawed
Corked
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7/3/2007 - BradE wrote: flawed
Corked.
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4/1/2007 - Cellarmaster wrote: 91 Points
This wine is drinking well, but will be better in the long haul. Very floral on the nose, nice fruit, rich complex with strong sweet tanins on the finish. Very well made wine
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2/24/2007 - cortoncharlie wrote: 90 Points
Chocolate covered raisins. Rich and smooth with low acidity. Accessible now but has potential to score higher if it can gain some complexity with more bottle age.
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11/29/2006 - WaltH wrote: 89 Points
Drank over the Thanksgiving holiday and I didn't take extensive notes on this wine. Generally, this wine was rich in flavor and spicy for Bordeaux. Finish was medium in length. I should hold a year or two before trying another bottle.
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11/26/2006 - chbeaumont wrote: 92 Points
Remains deep coloured; cedary, toffeed, bold moderne (sic) fruit, grilled meats; savoury, still tannic but ripe, fleshy, expansive, rounded. Drink 2008-18. score 17.
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10/23/2006 - hcampana wrote: 93 Points
A trip to Bordeaux's Right Bank (Very long); 10/22/2006-10/30/2006 (Bordeaux, France): This is a wine I loved. The incredible complex nose of dark chocolate, ground coffee and cedar is identical to the 1998 Clos de l'Oratoire I recently had (and loved!). Low acid, full to medium bodied, greatly accessible and a great match for food. Highly recommended.
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10/7/2006 - paulg936 wrote: 94 Points
Great wine. Beautiful nose. Mouthful of flavor with right bank softness.
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7/30/2006 - Biglama wrote: 92 Points
diep donker rood. geur van diep rood fruit, kersen zwarte bes, mooie stevige houttonen, cederhout, sigaeren kistje, mooie volle dronk met stevige tannines en vrij geconcentreerd. body met een lange stevige afdronk. de wijn komt nog vrij jeugdig over en kan zeker nog een poosje mee.
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7/16/2006 - Gulelin wrote: 92 Points
This had a fantastic aroma right out of the bottle, loads of fruit. Dark purple color, still youthful. The finish was a little lacking until we had it open about 3 hours. At this point it seemed to develop a sweetness and really came alive. Going to cellar my other bottle for 5 years and check it out. Great wine!
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6/12/2006 - gksmith wrote: 92 Points
Hints of chocolate? Quite enjoyable. I'm really starting to appreciate the French.
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4/30/2003 - Eric wrote: 92 Points
Nice wine! Out of the bottle this was TIGHT with lots of obvious wood and a very 'scorched' smell to it. Slowly over the course of two hours this started to flex, displaying some very obvious coffee aromae, black berry, and a hint of tobacco. Suddenly at hour three this has gained a remarkable smoothness and a surprisingly full and sweet mid-palate. The finish has come alive and gained length and intensity but also shows lots of evident structure. The nose is now much more obvious with the tobacco, and the fruit is gaining while the dustiness is receding. It has been stunning to watch this wine unfold, one of the largest changes I have ever seen in a wine over a 3 hour period. Goodness do I love Bordeaux!!!
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