Nose of black berry, forest floor, plum, and hint of barnyard, same on the palate, big body, very tasty, at peak drinking, time to enjoy is now, almost elegant, mouth filling fruit, typical Bordeaux complexity, the barnyard on the nose and palate continued to improve over day 2 and day 3, at $40 a real deal, and a long, flavorful finish.
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Enjoyed over two evenings, the 2000 Le Fleur de Bouard far outperformed expectations. Still dark in color and resembling a just-released wine, this was a showcase of beautiful dark Merlot fruit. Time has rounded the tannins and added subtle tertiary notes (forest floor, mostly), but this is still drinking on its Merlot fruit. Not the last word in complexity, but there's no denying the rich dark fruit so nicely balanced by acidity. That this wine was $45 is why I am looking at Bordeaux in a new light. So glad I have 7 more.
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Impressive value in Bordeaux. 2000 is showing well here but the age is getting to it. Dark red, zero bricking. Leather, cassis, tobacco notes. Best 1 hour into opening (no decanter). Dead after 3 hours. Decent amount of sentiment in my bottle. Drink now.
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As noted by others, the color on this looks nearly as to the day it was bottled - deep ruby-purple, with no bricking. Though, tertiary notes of forest floor, dried plum, decaying leaves, and a hint of a barnyard are more indicative of its 22-year-old age. The tannins are resolved, acids yet to turn, and bountiful currant and plum still abound. By no means is this near end of its drinking window.
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This 2000 vintage is absolutely eternal. Still deep purple. No bricking whatsoever and very little sediment in the bottle. I’m shocked at the quality given its modest cost at release.
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Majestic nose, very dark ruby in colour! And yet another proof of the wonderful vintage two thousand is, can't fault this vintage! Rich, rounded palate, ripe currant fruits and a relatively long finish, superb!
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The 2000 is an excellent, most enjoyable - and affordable wine. Still good colour and nuanced taste. No signs of tiredness. Nothing forced and overfabricated here, just class and good craftsmanship. The only difference to the top Pomerols is that its tannins are not quite as smooth and refined. This wine is a total steal en primeur.
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This was a big surprise, given the community drink-by date. Still going strong (well cellared since purchase upon release) with no pruney or over the hill characteristics. Nice drinking, and well worth the long wait, especially assuming I paid around $20-25 15 years ago.
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Still going strong. PNP and drunk over 2 Nights. Still dark vibrant purple with rich fruit. Tannin resolved bit for me no reason to wait. I don’t think becomes Old Bones Bordeaux and fine by me. This is ripe generous right bank with lush merlot. Very pleasant 92-93
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This was delicious, but not ready. I mean, it was a pleasure to drink, but jammy--not what I hope for when drinking Bdx. There were no detractors, but if I want that experience I will drink Shiraz or Zin. This was a well-made delicious wine in the pocket of midterm drinking, and if you like that sort of thing go for it. It did have great balance, loads of fruit and good supporting tannins and acidity. Just not Old World. Has all the stuff to keep going, and I wish I had one to drink twenty years from now.
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Nose of black berry, forest floor, plum, and hint of barnyard, same on the palate, big body, very tasty, at peak drinking, time to enjoy is now, almost elegant, mouth filling fruit, typical Bordeaux complexity, at $40 a real deal, and a long, flavorful finish.
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In a perfect window. An hour decant perhaps, but this is drinking quite nicely. On the nose you will detect blackberry. On the palate, black fruit, cassis and earth notes. Fantastic QPR. Enjoy.
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Just great and at peak. Stupendous value. Rich and ripe, not overdone. Ready to go. Drink now. Second night wasn't quite as good. Anyone have a connection to get me a wine of this quality for $32 today??
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Was fortunate to have found a 3 liter bottle of this wine several years ago. Enjoyed with many family members over the Thanksgiving break. Well balanced, plenty of fruit and drank well over three days.
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Wow! This is fighting way above its class. Not decanted. The nose is gorgeous and room-filling- A slight spice, but I'm completely hung up on the dark chocolate powder character and ripe rich fruit. In the mouth there is a bit of bite from the tannin but so much rich mouth-filling goodness. The finish is gorgeous, but I think it might benefit from 2-5 more years in the cellar. Right now there is nothing wrong with drinking this. It might even improve with a few more years. This is a stunning wine.
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Great value and payoff for an 18 year old mid-tier $30 Bordeaux. Nice balance and flavors, getting better each of three nights under pump. No rush, but no reason to wait.
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Occasional dinner group; Bordeaux 2000 (@ Merlet): Beautiful bouquet with stable smells and autumn impressions, red berries and also some bell pepper. On the palate beautiful red fruits acidity and a good length. Beautiful drinking stage and not tired yet.
Fully mature, my last bottle of this charmer was the best of the bunch. A dead ringer for a Pomerol, with its soft, voluptuous textures, the wine displays its truffle, mocha, dark chocolate and plums with ease. This is not a wine to hold for further development, as it's already at peak today.
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Dark fruit, coffee, some dried herbs, rosemary. Muscular wine, but lacks a little concentration in the mid-palate. Opened up after an hour or two. Good. Ready to drink, but will hold on for a while.
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Mixed feelings; twice I thought the wine was corked, but it was only old/wet wood. The bouquet has a mix of red fruit, vanilla and goes to a powerful, creamy, but also hefty midtaste. The power disturbs the balance. So my conclusion: a lot to eat, but little refinement.
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Drank using a Coravin over a few months. I agree with prior reviewers. This wine drank quite young. The first few coravin pours showed a big tannic wine with lots of primary fruit a a certain heaviness. Aeration improved the wine, and as I often find with Coravin, the wine seems to evolve in the bottle (faster than normal). This was a perk as when I opened the wine with 2/3s left and served it to guests, it was really nice. The tannins had dissipated and the aromatics improved becoming multi-dimensional with black and red fruits, nice oak, cigar, and some earthiness.
In the earlier state of all tannins and primary fruit, I was not particularly impressed with the wine and all the praise it received. But with the air/Coravin time, I agree this wine is an overachiever for its pedigree.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for two hours. Nose of blackberry, currant, tobacco, graphite, leather and spice. Red and black fruit, tobacco, black licorice, leather, graphite and spice on the palate. Finishes soft and dry with very good persistence. Full bodied. A beautiful, mature Bdx. Excellent QPR. Served with grilled Greek tenderloin.
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decanted 45 minutes. deep purple. dark red fruit nose. dark cherry, leather, and blood through to a moderate finish. still pretty primary.... great qpr, if you can find it.
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Nary a sign of age. Light aromas of earth and cherry bowl. Full bodied. Powdery, velvety entry. Dark cherry covered in dark chocolate, a thread of iron and a pebble finish. Some grip on the finish. This is stacked. 92
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Nose of blackberry and black cherry fruit, more of the same on the palate, tasty, medium body, at it's best so suggest you drink up, went well with the mushroom pate, long finish and aftertaste.
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Opened last night and was immediately uninteresting with a high acid palate. It opened and got thinner within an hour and my opinion was past its prime. 2nd night, lightly corked; now this is more interesting! Palate of dense chocolate, coffee, and crushed berries with smooth tannins. This evolved quickly in the glass and these flavors softened. The first night fooled me and I thought this was a "drink now" wine, which I am inclined to believe that this is in the "window of opportunity" for sure.
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This is very slowly making it way to maturity. There is still a great deal of ripe fruit, and some obvious oak, but it is softening, melding and gaining in elegance. The balance seems right to allow for further aging to full maturity, so I am going to let my last few bottles sit a while longer.
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A very nice surprise here. Plum, black cherry, truffle, mushroom, and a hint of chocolate. Broad on the mid-palate. Tannins are round and very well-integrated. Medium finish. Likely to continue drinking at its peak for at least 3-5 years. Would not hesitate opening if you have it in your cellar.
Black cherry and raspberry compote aromas leading to a lower acid, but balanced and slightly mineral finish. Resolved tannins, with no signs of fading. While not terribly complex, was a very nice pairing with beef stew.
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A medium to dark red with some brown tints hinting at its 14 years of age. The nose on day one was strong earth and minerals with a bit more fruit on day two. The aromas from the wine were very powerful and my wife/sister-in-law could smell the wine from 2 metres away. To taste, it was medium bodied with smooth tannins, well integrated, with slight sticking to the teeth.
To conclude, without doubt one of the nicest Merlots I have tried at this price point, and would recommend wholeheartedly. I have 2005 and 2010 in the cellar so hope they are this good. No rush to drink this up though as suspect it has at least 3-5 years left minimum.
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No notes taken, but this was a step up from the '00 L'Arrosee. Lots of dark fruit, but still with plenty of structure. I would guess these are in a peak drinking window right now, but will be drinkable for quite a few years.
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Dark, dark purple. Nose of blackberry, coffee, and raspberry. This is the time to drink. Quite balanced throughout. 20+ second finish that pulls you back for more.
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Karolina's Birthday: Deep but quite opaque red (reminding of Angelus), looks like unfiltered grape juice. Nose shows plenty of chocolate, sweet red berries and coffee. Well balanced wine, but on the sweet/opulent side for a 2000. Overall a great value and kept up nicely with the more expensive Grandes Murailles 2000 and Carmes Haut Brion 2000. Now fully mature, drink now - 2017.
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A bit more advanced than my last bottle. Dark fruit, bracing acid, black toast, oak. Black black black. Modern, full bodied, with a bitter finish. Drinking well, perhaps a little young. No rush. B
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Second Sunday Group: 2000 Bordeaux (R&D's): Notes of incense, dark fruit and perfumed florals; pretty. Medium-bodied with a little bit of tannin to integrate yet, but it is drinkable and quite lovely. Black currants and plum, florals and licorice with red fruit nuances on the finish. 92-93 pts.
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Rich tasting wine; not a big bouquet; great mouth feel and the wine had a purity; very good wine and we enjoyed with friends; drank with a pork roast; balanced with great flavor;
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. Aromas of currant, blackberry, mocha, tobacco, cedar, red licorice and dried herb. Dark fruit core of currant and blackberry with integrated mocha, dried herb and smooth tannins. Rich, layered and velvety on the palate. Leads to a long, dry finish. Full bodied. Drinking beautifully.
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Wine has nicely evolved since last time I tried it. Nose displays blackcurrant, chocolate and a hint of tobacco. On the palate the wine is big and balanced, tannins need to resolve but there is a nice blend of fruit, chocolate and a touch of green pepper with a hint of spiciness that leads to a nice 45-60 sec finish. No rush to drink
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from 375. A wine that seems to be able to follow most any other wine. Which says a lot A very good thing, because we often "need" a 375 as one 750 is often not enough.
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I had the last bottle of this one about a year ago - and it's both amazing and a bit sad to see the change. This 2000 is already getting old now and should definitely be drunk soon. Nose of meat and leather, only later some cassis. Grainy tannins and a surprisingly aggressive acidity, not perfectly woven into the wine anymore.
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Donkerrood, paars. Lekkere vette neus met zwarte bes, ceder, toast, gesteente. Geconcentreerde smaak met zwarte bes, drop, pure chocolade en flink wat hout. Behoorlijk stevige tannines, lang aanhoudend.
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This is certainly drinking well, and while it still shows more oak than I would prefer, it also has a great depth of flavor with not just ripe fruit, but also meaty accents. Still has plenty of everything (including some tannin) to keep going and even improving for quite a while longer as well. Quite impressive for a very modern right bank wine.
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This one opened fairly quickly as a PNP with steak dinner and quite tasty. Ripe, mature merlot is soft, round, and rich and not playing hard to get. Very little Bdx funk or barnyard and Sue actually quite fond of it. This stayed fairly cool and no particular sense of excess ripeness but probably right at the limit....certainly lovely for the money. No rush although I wonder how much if any this one improves with time.
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Lovely nose of cedar, tobacco, and earth along with dark cherry fruit, more of the same on the palate, tasted over two nights, much better tasting the second night. Medium body, medium finish, two more years to peak is my opinion.
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Aerated with Vinturi and decanted for 2.5 hours. Nose of black currant, blackberry, leather, licorice, cedar and vanilla. A beautiful dark berry core with soft, fine tannins. Leads to a long, dusty finish. Full bodied and well balanced. This drinking at its prime; mature and elegant. Paired well with lamb.
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Lovely nose of cedar, tobacco, and earth along with dark cherry fruit, more of the same on the palate, tasted over two nights, the first night it was subdued and brooding, much better tasting the second night with mouth filling silkiness and elegance. Medium body, medium finish, four more years to peak is my opinion.
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Nice nose but went into a dull phase around 2 hrs after opening. A bit young with plenty of dark fruits and chocolate. Tannis are soft. No rush to drink will try again in 2-3 years.
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Amazing dark red, almost black. Good blackberry, cherry nose, with open time. Balance tilts toward acid. Firm tannins. 1st bottle from case purchased as future. Good with a steak.
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2009 Bordeaux (for Public TV) (World Series of Wine): This was put in as a bonus to have a taste of a "mature" wine. Purple and opaque in color although a bit flat. The nose has lots of cigar box and cassis. It is mature, at or near peak but no hurry. Showing a nice layering of fruit - cassis and plums, with some earthy qualities. Very smooth and a long finish. Very nice wine.
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Very nice wine with rich fruit (still relatively primary) and very silky tannin. Ready to drink now, while fruit is still shining...great with my veal chop & creamy polenta.
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this is a nice wine. i have to admit i bought the wrong wine when i ordered this, i was trying to get Le Plus and the order got mixed up so i was a little disappointed...sometimes that's a tough hurdle to get over mentally, but i've had this wine on several occasions and it's pretty good. for the price it's excellent.
the wine is a nice marriage of fruit and structure, there's good depth on the palate with plums and toffee complementing a floral bouquet. The tannins are not heavy or intrusive and there's good balance. Goes well with food and on its own.
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Aerated with Vinturi and 1.5 hour decant. Beautiful nose with rich notes of currant, blackberry, cedar, tobacco, and spice. On the palate, dark fruit and soft fine tannins lead to long dry finish. Medium-to-full bodied. Well balanced, smooth, and mature. Drinking beautifully and paired well with Filet Béarnaise.
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Cherry, plum, tobacco, oak. Surprisingly young vibrant color. Nice round feel. A little hot and thin at times if not paired with meat. Obviously aging well. A nice drink.
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Very good pairing with grilled veal chops. More fruit than I expected. From 375 and popped and poured. Very dark and aromatic. Quite youthful with lots of life left. Tannins have sorftened but surprisingly fruity considering age and region.
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Be sure if you say I'am sure (see my first note). This was the first bottle with a good balance and a certain maturity. If this evolution continues this wine will become a full-bodied and round wine; never very elegant, but who cares? The colour of the wine is extremely young and deep, the nose full of black fruit and in the mid- and aftertaste the roundness of the merlot is recognizable.
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Sunday Group: 2000 Bordeaux (Barb's): Deep color. Notes of chocolate, vanilla, lavender and red fruit. Firm tannins, with chocolate, red fruit and spice flavors. Long finish.
My #2, Domino's #1 Group #2, 37 pts
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A solid nice drinking wine with a terrfic velvetly feel on the palate. Still dense with nice fruit, I do not feel the wine is at its apex. I have about 3 bottles left and probably will drink them over the next 3 to 5 years. The finish was smooth but lacked the sweetness and length that would give it a higher score. I probably did not decant it as well I should have though. I was very satisfied.
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I can't say that I've ever had a bad bottle of this, from a case of 12 purchased as futures for $23.75/bottle. It's always been a fabulously structured, intensely fruity, rich wine that should be avoided by anyone with an aversion to oak, but sought out by tannin-heads. This is not "unxious," or over-ripe. It has a fabulous, angular quality to it. Great stuff. I suspect I will not see these bottles at peak, which I anticipate is a decade away, since I enjoy drinking it so much now.
Wait. It seems in 2010 I did have a bad bottle from this case. But that hardly counts. It was corked.
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1.5 hour decant. Sour cherry, black currant, cassis, vanilla, cedar, and black olive notes. Medium-to-full bodied. Dark fruit and soft tannins on the mid-palate. Long, dry finish, but short of fruit when compared to the bottle from earlier this year. Paired with beef tenderloin.
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This is the third bottle i have tasted and it is not loosing the bitter tannins and the unbalanced flavors. I could be wrong, but I don't think time will help this problem.
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pretty good stuff.....still quite dark purple and not a lot on nose initially...ultimately as wine warms and volume falls, there is an odor of quite ripe to almost decaying fruit....perhaps this is what late harvest produces...I assume late.....wine is minerally and plenty of fruit, but not hard to place in Bdx.....good..not great
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Pop and pour. Again, with the disclaimer of poor Resdince Inn stems, but what a stellar steak from Costco tonight!! Nice coloring, an hour after opening this has a muted nose with dark cherries - if any aroma is really discernable. The wine puts puts on a little weight with time and "feels" like a bordeaux, but if this weren't an 11yo wine I'd think it was in a dumb phase. The fruit is a little sour, with a faint cola/red cherry note. Will sample another bottle within 6 months to truly gauge its position, as I found this drinkable and somewhat enjoyable, but not something I'd drink again if I didn't have a few more bottles remaining. I will still blame some of this on the stems and will promise myself that I buy a decent stem tomorrow!
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Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of forest floor, tobacco, currants and dark plums. Flavors of black licorice, dark berries and black cherries. Bright acidity, firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Served double blind. Craig picked it straight away, typical Bordeaux merlot nose that shouts right bank. Sour cherries with a bit of leather. On the taste, tannins fully resolved, smooth. Not overly complex with a little more fruit - a more new world type of Bordeaux. A nice wine
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Decanted 2 hours and served single blind alongside a 2006 Anderson's Conn Valley Estate Reserve Cab with grilled lamb kebobs. Dark, damp, leathery earthiness to it with some truffles, light cherries and plums. Velvety and very well integrated with good acidity. This seemed to be at its apex and was quite good. Drink now.
This was the groups concensus #1 and I originally had them scored equal but am now raising my score from 90 to 91 upon quiet, contemplative retasting post dinner. Very nice wine and punches well above it's pedegree!
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2000 Bordeaux Retrospect: Alcohol :: 13% Bottle 1. The nose is austere, less expressive with mineral and some fruits hiding underneath. Structured, sweet, less acid and quite opulent, this is the style of the maker or the wine himself? This is actually quite good but seems pretty modern with the sweet fruits and a bit over-extracted bitter tannin that move on to the long bitter finish.
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1.5 hour decant. Dark purple color. Notes of plums, sour cherry, blackberry, tobacco, chocolate, and olives. Medium to full bodied. Dark berries are predominant on the mid-palate and combine with soft integrated tannins. A long finish and nice complexity. Agreed it is more of a new world style Bordeaux, but a very good QPR if you like this style. Paired well with Beef Wellington.
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Really showed well. Aromatic nose, balanced with nice finish. Will improve with a couple more years I expect. Smooth, some complexity and nuance. Fresh, lighter fruits but still substantial. Favorite of the 5 "bargain" '00s tasted.
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Lovely, rich bordeaux although this is a Parkeresque bordeaux. This does not seem to need more age as the fruit and tannins are integrated nicely. Very dark and velvety rich with sweet leather and dark red fruits and old bing cherries with sweet dustiness. Nice!
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Dark purple. Salty meat and ink in the first nose, followed by an deep perfume of ink, raw dark meat, plum and almost dried, notes of smoke and coffee liqueor like Baileys. Really velvety in the mouth, rich and opulent, full-bodied and round, deep and a bit savory of meat, ripe plum with just a slight note of cassis, hedonistic. Long finish of ripe black fruits like plum and a bit freshness, leather, and a classy roasted meat endnote. Showed some cassis afterwards. With parma ham, it really matched and demonstrated a nice lift with a salty meat endnote. With some lead pencil too. No alcohol standing out, velvety mouthfeel and typical Pomerol-styled, this is well-worth 30 pounds. Complex, meaty and deep, this is a warm wine.
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A perfect time to open this bottle. Just beginning to show tertiary attributes. Loads of crushed dark berry fruit, some leather and mineral. Nice stuff.
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Tour de Bordeaux; Next stop: Right bank Satellites @ Roel's (Netherlands): Full, ripe and masculine bouquet leaving a slight modernistic (dare I say international...?) impression, which is certainly not overdone. Classy and individual. Very powerful and concentrated. On the palate I get beautiful notes of dark chocolade, dark cherries, blackbarries and licorice. Great balance and long finish. Tasty, voluptuous glass of wine. Quite young and lively. 18/20
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Regular dinner group (@ CdW Bordeaux 2000 vs 2001.): Beautiful, somewhat perfumed bouquet. Red and black fruits, well dosed beautiful oak. Same on the palate. Good juice. Some chocolate as well. Good concentration. Very good balance between acidity, sweetness and bitterness. Beautiful round tannin. My score is extremely high because everything fell together in a beautiful way and, although there is plenty of future, the wine seems to be in a beautiful drinking stage at the moment.
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1/2 hour after opening this wine was very new worldish......fruity but only 1 dimensional i would have given this 85 type rating good but not better not very Bordeaux at all had a glass the next morning and the rest of the grip and flavor showed up with very drying tannins this wine needs more time in the cellar is my guess
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After the 1990 Bollinger Grande Année and the 2000 Pavilllon Rouge came the 2000 La Fleur de Boüard. In contrast with the Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux this wine was clumsy. Too dark and too heavy extracted, the wine showed no elegance. I am aware of the fact that I am less positive than in my previous tasting note, but the comparison with the extreme elegant Pavillon Rouge was negative for this wine. I will wait at least one year with retasting this wine.
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This wine remains very primary and unevolved. It was decanted for 1.5-2 hours and yet still not really open with dinner. The next night, still tight after spending the night in the fridge. I will leave this alone for a while.
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A big, juicy wine that benefited from a couple of hours of air. Very nice core of rich, sweet fruit, beautiful aromatics. This bottle seems to have hardly aged at all, and was still a bit rough around the edges for my tastes, but went very nicely with a steak dinner.
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Wow......this was stunning. Aromas of truffle, cherry, coffee, caramel and olive dominate the nose. The palate is just so svelt! spice, cherry, coffee, roasted nuts, and just so integrated and seemless....no edges! The finish is long......cherry, chocolate, caramel, olive, spice and truffle come at you in waves......awesome!
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This is really drinking great now, silky smoothe, with a great nose and palate of black cherries and chocolate. Drank a Shafer cab 01 right after this, and though the Shafer was quite good, it seemed a little sweet and simple compared to the Bouard. This clearly has life ahead, but I suspect it is already at or near peak, and I'll likely drink my last few bottles over the next year or two and wait to re-load with the multiple cases of 2008 I bought EP.
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This wine has been consistently good from the first bottle opened 3/31/07, and my note then captures the wine as it is today, except it might be a bit smoother, more complex and just better from the extra time. I just bought some 2008 futures of this, because this 2000 is a terrific BDX, interesting enough to serve at a fine dinner, but for a price under $30, I wouldn't hestitate to throw it in the basket for a picnic at Tanglewood. Great drink, with years of positive evolution ahead.
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Difficult to assess, smooth and closed, lots of tannins and ripe; this wine is not fully evolved. Beware, in the positive sense, of 2000. Now, after eight years, the wines are more closed than expected just after bottling. The amount of tannins seems to me less heavy and overloaded than in the 2005's, but the wines of 2000 need lots of patience. I suggest opening the premier league from 2010/12. The nose of the La fleur de Boüard is hidden behind hints of dark fruit and sweetness. The color is extremely deep and the midtaste is full and shows coming complexity. Overall is the impression of ripeness. The aftertaste continues quite long and is still a bit severe. I'm sure I can give the wine more points next time.
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Pratt's Bordeaux table and then some: Served double blind. Young and tight with green wood tannins and barrel char. There’s some upfront fruit that’s quite polished, but overall the wine is coarse and hollow. I guess a new fangled right bank wine that Rolland had his hand in. Not what I look for in Bordeaux. B-/C+.
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This wine is nowhere close to ready. Still it's a compelling drink, stuffed to the cork with mineral backed red and black fruit. What oak there was has blended into the background, and now it's just a youthful, balanced, fruity, young Bordeaux. Why I keep opening bottles is beyond me, as this wine needs another 5-7 years to start to reach its peak.
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Far too young to enjoy now due to massive tannins,but this will be a very fine drink someday. Hints of Petrus, Very dark and concentrated with rich fruits of cherries and prunes. Coffee and spices.
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Tasting Group Dinner - Post-Election Grab Bag (Heidi's, Minneapolis): Popped and slow oxygenated for ~3 hours. The palate shows concentrated, youthful dark fruit, green pepper, herbs, and meat juice. I'm guessing there is a fair amount of Cabernet Franc in the blend here. Still tannic. Improved significantly with food.
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The best bottle I've had yet....presumably the year or so in bottle since my last try has really helped. Fruit has not yet even mildly become impaired, but the tannin has softened considerably. This is likely at or near peak, but should hold easily for 4-8 more years.
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This wine is truely coming into it's own. Drinking better with each tasting, and probably getting to be about as good as it's going to get! Wonderful layers, mid palet and finish.
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Ripe plums, cherries and figs on the nose; beautifully resolved tannins; excellent fruit/pencil led and chalk. Really drinks better than the 92 scores I've often given this wine.
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Beautiful wine. Clean pour, minimal sediment, decanted and served at a French BYOB. Rich, ripe, fragrant, deep, sumptuous and a favorite at the table. Vintage drinking "as well as needed". Hard to believe but tonight, this wine out-classed The Maiden 2004, a very good CA Cult 2nd wine at 5x the price.
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Wonderful nose, full, dark, deep and smoky with a light floral character. This wine is slightly sweet with a dark base. It has a smooth, suave profile with some toasted oak, tobacco and leather, and light juicy tannins. It has a sweet character without being too sweet, tight tannins, and a long dark finish. I think this has more to give and will open up well with a little more age. Currently it comes off just a bit flat. B
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I served this bottle at a wine tasting and it was a huge hit. It was decanted for 4 hours prior to serving. When I opened the bottle, I tasted to make sure the bottle was not "off" and was not sure how it would turn out. It was closed, with a bit of fruit and some funky tastes. Over the next 2-3 hours I repeatedly tasted was amazed how the wine opened, the flavors mellowed, and it turned out to be an awesome wine. There was definitely a smoked meat taste which which first hit, then a deep, dark fruity taste developed that stayed on the tounge for 30-40 seconds. I wish I had more!!
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Consistently good wine that could actually be improving now. Still a bit of baby fat, but the minerality is starting to emerge. Excellent fruit and silky tannins.
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I took this wine to one of our finer Restaurants in town, I guess their policy has gotten tighter, good this I brought this magnum in a discrete bag! I had to pull rank to get them to open this, the owner was out of the restaurant, and I had to deal with a gatekeeper that was a bit of an annoyance.
I had a group with me who drinks alot of big California Cabs, they mentioned Plumpjack, Quintessa, Shafer HSS to give you a sense of their interest. I have mostly Bordeaux in the cellar to put it mildly. Anyway, this wine knocked them out. Great color as they decanted the wine for me, they didn't seem to realize that a magnum wouldn't fit in a decanter but I let her hand herself. These are always amusing situations when they pour me a class after putting the cork down. Send it back!
Anyway, this was a big hit. It was roaring tonight, black rasberry, great complex aromatics, and fat, lush fruit lashing across the palate, absolute killer QPR, this is a real winner and as I explained to them, this winemaker is a master.
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Scent of light rasberries and sweet cherries. Dark purple colour. Heavy pencil led and leather along with fine grained tannins and dark fruit which, tonight, stayed on my tongue for over a minute. I hadn't experienced that before with this wine. Overall a very enjoyable experience.
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Medium bodied with lovely balance and dark fruit flavors, cassis, and some nice oak notes on the nose and the palate. Lively acidity reminds you that it's Bordeaux. The finish was a little shorter than I would have expected at 20-25 secs, hurting the score a little. Overall, a very nice wine.
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Not much to add to my previous note, another terrific bottle, purchased 5 years ago EP for what I remember as less than $200 per case. Truly shows the wisdom of buying humbler wines in great years like 2000 and probably 2005.
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Dark purple. Nice complexity on the nose, with coffee, chocolate and cassis notes. Smoothe. Oak is very well integrated. First bottle of 2 cases, looks like we have a lot of drinking pleasure ahead. A highly enjoyable wine, clearly superior to the solid but uninspiring 1999. Drinking very well now but I'd guess that it will evolve nicely for at least 3 - 5 years
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Drank at a Vinum Bordeaux 2000 tasting. One of my favourites of the night. Nice perfumy nose, very sumptuous, rasberry and plum flavours on the palate. Good balance, and much better concentration than a few of the other right bank wines that we tasted. Another very good wine from the 2000 vintage, just lacking a little in complexity and length. I'm not complaining though.
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Deep purple color with slight bricking on the edge. Wine somewhat cloudy with a musty smell. Still some fruit left underneath but not a pleasure to drink. Suspect this to be slightly corked.
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Highly enjoyable, with light tannins giving way to chocolate, coffee, vanillin and spice. Tasted again in 24 hours and the wine had turned velvety. Really loved it.
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Good wine, but I don't think it matched the Annereaux that we compared it to on the same day. I think this could benefit from a little more cellaring, b/c it was still somewhat tannic.
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After an evening of tasting sub-par wines, I sought refuge in this well developed Pomerol. What a delight! First tastes of led pencil and bitter chocolate and then cranberries and sweet cherries. Now I can sleep with my palate rejuvenated!
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This bottle was a bit further along than the previous bottle and is just beginning to fulfill its potential. It was a really good wine. Note that it didn't quite have a Bordeaux (Pomerol) profile.
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Opened and allowed to sit for 45 mins. Black-cherry coloring, pleasant floral nose, lots of licorice/anise, red cherry flavors with a sweetness that was closer to a zin or port. Not unlikeable, but not a bordeaux. Three hours later this is a different wine, retaining its nose but becoming a more complete and full wine, with hints of cherry, leather, tobacco and fine-grained tanins. Concur with Lord Parker at 91pts, and one of the best QPRs I've had in the last year, at $25.
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EOTC Riesling tasting (McNulty's): "Mystery Wine" I brought this so I knew what it was. Nose of leather and dark red fruits. Dark red, with a touch of purple. A bit of sweetness and good minerality. Full-bodied and enjoyable. Threw the others for a loop because it didn't quite taste like bordeaux.
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No decanting, just straight into the glass. Black wine which is a little lighter at the edges. Very tight nose but hints of fruit energe as I swirled the wine in the glass. Nice leggs and an incredible coverage in my mouth. Thw wine opened up with about an hour of air and showed notes of fruits - cranburry dark cherry and chocolate. It just got better and better and left us wanting more and more. The bottle seemed to disapear quickly. 03/03/06 Wanted to share this wine with a great friend, so we opened up another bottle. This time I let it breath for 1 1/2 hrs before we drank it. What a difference the time made. The scent of Merlot wafted from the glass and the bottle did not last long for the four of us.
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Decanted for one hour plus. Dark, rich, decadent. Superb nose of cassis liqueur, mocha, olives and ripe black fruits. Pure and long in the finish. Structured with stuffing to go years. With adequate decanting, this is drinking beautifully today. Wow, what a bargain - why didn't I buy cases of this stuff when it was (I think) around $20??! Just awesome.
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Actually a 91+ with upside potential. I tasted this on release and ended up buying a few bottles as it was stood out even in a 2000 Bordeaux Tasting. It was an impenetrable dark purple in color with a reddish rim and espresso and blackberry aromas. The flavors included espresso, blackberry, other dark fruit (plum came to mind) and a bit of vanilla. It was not totally primary but there was little evidence of secondary characteristics other than an interesting herbal component. After evolving in the decanter and glasses for over an hour it started to show complexity and the tannic edge receded a bit. It was somewhat tannic but the tannins are refined. This doesn't strike me as a long-term ager (10+ years) so I'm scheduling my next bottle for 2007-2008. If I can keep my hands off of them.... this wine can dust comparable wines twice its price. [~$35 on release; Decanted one hour and would benefit from an even longer decant]
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Three Wines Blind: Opaque red/purple in color. Nose of black licorice and raspberry. A little fat in the mouth but with mouth coating fruit. Very tannic, with a lingering finish.
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A saturated, blackish-red color. Thick red streaks coat the glass when swirled. I have never seen this much color stay on the glass. Amazing. The nose shows espresso, licorice, soy sauce, and a dominant aroma I can't identify (but that is familiar from other recent 2000 Bordeaux). Overall the nose is more muted than I would expect. The wine is mouth-coating with a long finish. The flavors are bitter chocolate and oak. This is very tannic, and the tannins are slightly astringent at first (better later). This wine is very well balanced. It reminds me of the 2000 Clos Fourtet, except there is more of everything here. A very good wine that I look forward to experiencing many times in the future.
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Half a bottle decanted for 3 hours, the rest finished the next day. Nose shows cassis, smoke, minerals, licorice. Very rich, concentrated, and opulent. Sweet fruit leads into slightly bitter, assertive tannins. I'm glad I finally popped one of these open!
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Decanted for 2 hours and drank over the next 24. Very dark purple. Darker than many other Bordeaux that I am used to. Initially the nose seemd somewhat closed, not revealing itself for the first few hours. Later aromas of vanilla and berry fruits were showing with a hint of soy? By the next day some of the more mineral notes were present. The palate is dominated by huge and somewhat sweet fruit, a touch of earth, and bitter chocolate. Very opulent. Finishing with some moderate to high tannins with excellent length. Very nice and even better on day 2.
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I have had this wine 4 times now, this was by far the most tannic and and a wall of wood and tannins kept this in check. Black as night.Very nice, complex nose, with toasty oak, black and red fruits, mocha,soy sauce notes. On the palate...this wine needs some time, it is a baby Angelus, it reminds me of the style of the 90 Angelus young. Lots of wood, not vanilla-new oak, but a firm backbone, little big bottle. Thought this would be a experience like the last bottles. Wrong, this needs time, I am going to wait at leat 4 years befor trying it again. This could turn out to be really nice, as it has all the component parts to be really good. Hard to believe this is a satellite wine...
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Blind tasting with David and Steve. An incredible coincidence occurred: with absolutely no theme other than 'red wine', David and I both opened this same wine (we were both influenced by the recent GJE report). His had been purchased as a future and in his possession since release. I had just recently picked up a bottle off a retailer's shelf. Both were decanted about 45 minutes before serving. Mine was poured (double blind to David and Steve) first. Defintely open for business, showing great ripe fruit and balance. Strong merlot character, and pretty much what I expected from this wine. David managed to keep a straight face when the wine was revealed, and didn't let on that the next wine we poured was the same thing. Tight and closed, with firm tannins and much more backbone than the first bottle. I guessed '01 Left Bank. Boy was I shocked when it was revealed. Two very different wines. The little bit of David's bottle that was left over was very similar to mine by the next night however. Sitting on a retailers shelf for a year or two had definitely aged my bottle a bit, although it was drinking very well. All in all a very nice wine, although not terribly complex.
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12/30/03 at home. Gorgeous dark ruby color, absolutely saturated. Deeply and attractively fruited, with black fruits, walnuts, and minerals. Very rich mouthful, full-bodied, with an unmistakeable purity of fruit. Will need several years to soften. 5-12-16-8-91/100 H says 86.
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10/31/2023 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of black berry, forest floor, plum, and hint of barnyard, same on the palate, big body, very tasty, at peak drinking, time to enjoy is now, almost elegant, mouth filling fruit, typical Bordeaux complexity, the barnyard on the nose and palate continued to improve over day 2 and day 3, at $40 a real deal, and a long, flavorful finish.
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6/14/2023 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:
Enjoyed over two evenings, the 2000 Le Fleur de Bouard far outperformed expectations. Still dark in color and resembling a just-released wine, this was a showcase of beautiful dark Merlot fruit. Time has rounded the tannins and added subtle tertiary notes (forest floor, mostly), but this is still drinking on its Merlot fruit. Not the last word in complexity, but there's no denying the rich dark fruit so nicely balanced by acidity. That this wine was $45 is why I am looking at Bordeaux in a new light. So glad I have 7 more.
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1/28/2023 - zach thielemann Likes this wine: 90 Points
Impressive value in Bordeaux. 2000 is showing well here but the age is getting to it. Dark red, zero bricking. Leather, cassis, tobacco notes.
Best 1 hour into opening (no decanter). Dead after 3 hours. Decent amount of sentiment in my bottle. Drink now.
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11/24/2022 - R2-D2 wrote: 91 Points
As noted by others, the color on this looks nearly as to the day it was bottled - deep ruby-purple, with no bricking. Though, tertiary notes of forest floor, dried plum, decaying leaves, and a hint of a barnyard are more indicative of its 22-year-old age. The tannins are resolved, acids yet to turn, and bountiful currant and plum still abound. By no means is this near end of its drinking window.
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11/19/2022 - STLMIKE Likes this wine: 91 Points
This 2000 vintage is absolutely eternal. Still deep purple. No bricking whatsoever and very little sediment in the bottle. I’m shocked at the quality given its modest cost at release.
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9/23/2022 - Tao wrote: 92 Points
Majestic nose, very dark ruby in colour! And yet another proof of the wonderful vintage two thousand is, can't fault this vintage! Rich, rounded palate, ripe currant fruits and a relatively long finish, superb!
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8/14/2021 - glassofhans Likes this wine: 91 Points
My first lalande, tastes similar to pomerol, albeit somewhat more earthy and less elegant, but a great wine all the same
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5/20/2021 - Member 592 Likes this wine:
The 2000 is an excellent, most enjoyable - and affordable wine. Still good colour and nuanced taste. No signs of tiredness. Nothing forced and overfabricated here, just class and good craftsmanship. The only difference to the top Pomerols is that its tannins are not quite as smooth and refined. This wine is a total steal en primeur.
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2/7/2021 - Jhstock Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank with a friend. Soft tannins. Opened up after 1/2 hour. Smokey, earthy with some fruit on the finish. Very good
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9/27/2020 - PolarBear22 wrote: 91 Points
Similar tasting notes to last bottle over a year ago. Still doing well. No cork issues. With a lot of sediment. Agree that this was a great QPR wine.
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5/30/2020 - Mr T wrote:
Rey similar to the last bottle. Still lovely and what a value this is or was.
True deligjt
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5/10/2020 - levinml wrote: 92 Points
This was a big surprise, given the community drink-by date. Still going strong (well cellared since purchase upon release) with no pruney or over the hill characteristics. Nice drinking, and well worth the long wait, especially assuming I paid around $20-25 15 years ago.
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4/14/2020 - Mr T wrote:
Still going strong. PNP and drunk over 2
Nights. Still dark vibrant purple with rich fruit.
Tannin resolved bit for me no reason to wait. I don’t think becomes
Old Bones Bordeaux and fine by me. This is ripe generous right bank with lush merlot. Very pleasant
92-93
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4/8/2020 - dptrevelyan Likes this wine:
This was delicious, but not ready. I mean, it was a pleasure to drink, but jammy--not what I hope for when drinking Bdx. There were no detractors, but if I want that experience I will drink Shiraz or Zin. This was a well-made delicious wine in the pocket of midterm drinking, and if you like that sort of thing go for it. It did have great balance, loads of fruit and good supporting tannins and acidity. Just not Old World. Has all the stuff to keep going, and I wish I had one to drink twenty years from now.
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10/3/2019 - bklynwine wrote:
Black plums (not stewed or dried), dark chocolate, fresh tobacco; mouth-filling and pleasant Bdx that is "mature" but not "old"
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8/19/2019 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of black berry, forest floor, plum, and hint of barnyard, same on the palate, big body, very tasty, at peak drinking, time to enjoy is now, almost elegant, mouth filling fruit, typical Bordeaux complexity, at $40 a real deal, and a long, flavorful finish.
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7/13/2019 - PolarBear22 wrote: 91 Points
Still drinking very nicely. Dark fruit on nose and palate. Smooth. Cork broke.
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4/12/2019 - The Bugle Likes this wine:
Very interesting , dark fruit, sting strong bouquet and taste of prune..: good balance , nice body
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1/11/2019 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 92 Points
Fresh plum, truffle, dark chocolate, and a touch of mint. Hasn't really evolved much in the past few years, and is still drinking at its peak.
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12/18/2018 - ClaytonDave Likes this wine: 94 Points
In a perfect window. An hour decant perhaps, but this is drinking quite nicely. On the nose you will detect blackberry. On the palate, black fruit, cassis and earth notes. Fantastic QPR. Enjoy.
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12/8/2018 - grossie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Just great and at peak. Stupendous value. Rich and ripe, not overdone. Ready to go. Drink now. Second night wasn't quite as good. Anyone have a connection to get me a wine of this quality for $32 today??
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11/23/2018 - Vitispulmonus Likes this wine: 92 Points
Was fortunate to have found a 3 liter bottle of this wine several years ago. Enjoyed with many family members over the Thanksgiving break. Well balanced, plenty of fruit and drank well over three days.
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9/16/2018 - grossie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow! This is fighting way above its class. Not decanted. The nose is gorgeous and room-filling- A slight spice, but I'm completely hung up on the dark chocolate powder character and ripe rich fruit. In the mouth there is a bit of bite from the tannin but so much rich mouth-filling goodness. The finish is gorgeous, but I think it might benefit from 2-5 more years in the cellar. Right now there is nothing wrong with drinking this. It might even improve with a few more years. This is a stunning wine.
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3/14/2018 - levinml wrote: 91 Points
Great value and payoff for an 18 year old mid-tier $30 Bordeaux. Nice balance and flavors, getting better each of three nights under pump. No rush, but no reason to wait.
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1/27/2018 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Occasional dinner group; Bordeaux 2000 (@ Merlet): Beautiful bouquet with stable smells and autumn impressions, red berries and also some bell pepper. On the palate beautiful red fruits acidity and a good length. Beautiful drinking stage and not tired yet.
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1/11/2018 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 90 Points
in a good drinking spot
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12/19/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Fully mature, my last bottle of this charmer was the best of the bunch. A dead ringer for a Pomerol, with its soft, voluptuous textures, the wine displays its truffle, mocha, dark chocolate and plums with ease. This is not a wine to hold for further development, as it's already at peak today.
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12/15/2017 - MRichman wrote:
Dark fruit, coffee, some dried herbs, rosemary. Muscular wine, but lacks a little concentration in the mid-palate. Opened up after an hour or two. Good. Ready to drink, but will hold on for a while.
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12/15/2017 - FredF wrote: 90 Points
Fruit is almost gone. Aromas of wet wood, leather, earth, graphite. SOft tannins but bold flavor.
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10/14/2017 - FransS wrote: 90 Points
Mixed feelings; twice I thought the wine was corked, but it was only old/wet wood. The bouquet has a mix of red fruit, vanilla and goes to a powerful, creamy, but also hefty midtaste. The power disturbs the balance. So my conclusion: a lot to eat, but little refinement.
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4/15/2017 - Mr T wrote:
1-2 hour decant.....drinking mature if not quite as generous as I might hope...pleasant wine
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1/27/2017 - TashNYC wrote: 89 Points
Coravin pour. Drinking quite primary, with lots of tannins and cherry fruit. Needs time or a long decant.
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11/26/2016 - Bordeaux_Jon Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank using a Coravin over a few months. I agree with prior reviewers. This wine drank quite young. The first few coravin pours showed a big tannic wine with lots of primary fruit a a certain heaviness. Aeration improved the wine, and as I often find with Coravin, the wine seems to evolve in the bottle (faster than normal). This was a perk as when I opened the wine with 2/3s left and served it to guests, it was really nice. The tannins had dissipated and the aromatics improved becoming multi-dimensional with black and red fruits, nice oak, cigar, and some earthiness.
In the earlier state of all tannins and primary fruit, I was not particularly impressed with the wine and all the praise it received. But with the air/Coravin time, I agree this wine is an overachiever for its pedigree.
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11/19/2016 - hoservin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for two hours. Nose of blackberry, currant, tobacco, graphite, leather and spice. Red and black fruit, tobacco, black licorice, leather, graphite and spice on the palate. Finishes soft and dry with very good persistence. Full bodied. A beautiful, mature Bdx. Excellent QPR. Served with grilled Greek tenderloin.
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4/10/2016 - Mr T wrote:
PNP with crowd so only fleeting impressions
This drank young and needed air to really open and no time for that
Will decant next bottle
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2/20/2016 - roasted hill wrote:
decanted 45 minutes. deep purple. dark red fruit nose. dark cherry, leather, and blood through to a moderate finish. still pretty primary.... great qpr, if you can find it.
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11/7/2015 - Coachron13 wrote: 88 Points
Nothing overly special, still pretty tannic. Lots of minerality when first opened, but that changed after a few hours and the fruit came into balance.
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10/16/2015 - swade wrote: 92 Points
Nary a sign of age. Light aromas of earth and cherry bowl. Full bodied. Powdery, velvety entry. Dark cherry covered in dark chocolate, a thread of iron and a pebble finish. Some grip on the finish. This is stacked. 92
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9/28/2015 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium to dark red, some bricking. Chocolate nose. Leather. Smooth. Medium to full body. Definitely in its window to drink.
Such a great wine. I wish I had cases of this. A wonderful QPR and I can't wait to drink my 05 and 10s.
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9/27/2015 - Kevin Staveley Likes this wine:
had this with Omar the 1st night we were in Kuala Lumpur
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8/13/2015 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose of blackberry and black cherry fruit, more of the same on the palate, tasty, medium body, at it's best so suggest you drink up, went well with the mushroom pate, long finish and aftertaste.
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8/11/2015 - redknife Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ruths Chris.
30 min decant
Solid nice qpr drinking well now and should hold for another 5 - 10 years
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7/13/2015 - aerosol Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened last night and was immediately uninteresting with a high acid palate. It opened and got thinner within an hour and my opinion was past its prime. 2nd night, lightly corked; now this is more interesting! Palate of dense chocolate, coffee, and crushed berries with smooth tannins. This evolved quickly in the glass and these flavors softened. The first night fooled me and I thought this was a "drink now" wine, which I am inclined to believe that this is in the "window of opportunity" for sure.
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7/11/2015 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
Russk WSW at Las Pampa's P&L Rt Bank Bx Tasting. One of my favorites 92-, showing lively acidity, earth and fruit. Seemed younger.
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3/14/2015 - FredF Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very dark. Tannins are integrated nicely. Fruit of blackberries, currants, cherries. Long aftertaste.
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2/10/2015 - Rieslingfan wrote:
This is very slowly making it way to maturity. There is still a great deal of ripe fruit, and some obvious oak, but it is softening, melding and gaining in elegance. The balance seems right to allow for further aging to full maturity, so I am going to let my last few bottles sit a while longer.
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12/20/2014 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 93 Points
A very nice surprise here. Plum, black cherry, truffle, mushroom, and a hint of chocolate. Broad on the mid-palate. Tannins are round and very well-integrated. Medium finish. Likely to continue drinking at its peak for at least 3-5 years. Would not hesitate opening if you have it in your cellar.
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11/19/2014 - bcg14 wrote: 91 Points
Black cherry and raspberry compote aromas leading to a lower acid, but balanced and slightly mineral finish. Resolved tannins, with no signs of fading. While not terribly complex, was a very nice pairing with beef stew.
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10/16/2014 - RR47 wrote: 91 Points
Drinking similar to my June 2014 note.
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7/20/2014 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 92 Points
A medium to dark red with some brown tints hinting at its 14 years of age. The nose on day one was strong earth and minerals with a bit more fruit on day two. The aromas from the wine were very powerful and my wife/sister-in-law could smell the wine from 2 metres away. To taste, it was medium bodied with smooth tannins, well integrated, with slight sticking to the teeth.
To conclude, without doubt one of the nicest Merlots I have tried at this price point, and would recommend wholeheartedly. I have 2005 and 2010 in the cellar so hope they are this good. No rush to drink this up though as suspect it has at least 3-5 years left minimum.
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7/6/2014 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
No notes taken, but this was a step up from the '00 L'Arrosee. Lots of dark fruit, but still with plenty of structure. I would guess these are in a peak drinking window right now, but will be drinkable for quite a few years.
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6/23/2014 - RR47 wrote: 91 Points
Dark, dark purple. Nose of blackberry, coffee, and raspberry. This is the time to drink. Quite balanced throughout. 20+ second finish that pulls you back for more.
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6/21/2014 - Wine_lvr wrote: 91 Points
Karolina's Birthday: Deep but quite opaque red (reminding of Angelus), looks like unfiltered grape juice. Nose shows plenty of chocolate, sweet red berries and coffee. Well balanced wine, but on the sweet/opulent side for a 2000. Overall a great value and kept up nicely with the more expensive Grandes Murailles 2000 and Carmes Haut Brion 2000. Now fully mature, drink now - 2017.
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6/1/2014 - Spencer wrote:
This has held up very well. Complex, mineral. Very Pomerol-like.
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5/24/2014 - MRichman wrote:
A bit more advanced than my last bottle. Dark fruit, bracing acid, black toast, oak. Black black black. Modern, full bodied, with a bitter finish. Drinking well, perhaps a little young. No rush.
B
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4/20/2014 - Teamcrev Likes this wine: 92 Points
Needs to breathe at least 30 minutes. Seems to have plenty of time left with prevalent tannins and big fruit flavors.
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4/13/2014 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2000 Bordeaux (R&D's): Notes of incense, dark fruit and perfumed florals; pretty. Medium-bodied with a little bit of tannin to integrate yet, but it is drinkable and quite lovely. Black currants and plum, florals and licorice with red fruit nuances on the finish. 92-93 pts.
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3/2/2014 - mwneil Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich tasting wine; not a big bouquet; great mouth feel and the wine had a purity; very good wine and we enjoyed with friends; drank with a pork roast; balanced with great flavor;
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2/8/2014 - hoservin wrote: 92 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. Aromas of currant, blackberry, mocha, tobacco, cedar, red licorice and dried herb. Dark fruit core of currant and blackberry with integrated mocha, dried herb and smooth tannins. Rich, layered and velvety on the palate. Leads to a long, dry finish. Full bodied. Drinking beautifully.
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2/3/2014 - petenich Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice right now, but easily will go another 5 years. Very substantial will good body and finish. Rich color with few brown edges. Pleased.
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1/18/2014 - redknife wrote: 92 Points
Wine has nicely evolved since last time I tried it. Nose displays blackcurrant, chocolate and a hint of tobacco. On the palate the wine is big and balanced, tannins need to resolve but there is a nice blend of fruit, chocolate and a touch of green pepper with a hint of spiciness that leads to a nice 45-60 sec finish. No rush to drink
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1/8/2014 - grapist Likes this wine: 92 Points
from 375. A wine that seems to be able to follow most any other wine. Which says a lot A very good thing, because we often "need" a 375 as one 750 is often not enough.
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12/28/2013 - MRichman wrote:
This is all about dark fruit. Some leather and toast. Fairly modern style. In early maturity. Great nose. Very nice.
B
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12/13/2013 - kflex Likes this wine: 89 Points
I had the last bottle of this one about a year ago - and it's both amazing and a bit sad to see the change. This 2000 is already getting old now and should definitely be drunk soon. Nose of meat and leather, only later some cassis. Grainy tannins and a surprisingly aggressive acidity, not perfectly woven into the wine anymore.
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12/5/2013 - grapist Likes this wine: 92 Points
modest appellation but great winemaker and great vintage yielded a very good wine. Rich and full.
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9/5/2013 - Strikermax wrote: 92 Points
Donkerrood, paars. Lekkere vette neus met zwarte bes, ceder, toast, gesteente. Geconcentreerde smaak met zwarte bes, drop, pure chocolade en flink wat hout. Behoorlijk stevige tannines, lang aanhoudend.
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8/7/2013 - grapist wrote: 92 Points
From 375. Dark and opaque. Nose of black cherries and plums. Open for business soon after popping a cork. Soft round and full-bodied. 92-93
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8/6/2013 - Rieslingfan Likes this wine:
This is certainly drinking well, and while it still shows more oak than I would prefer, it also has a great depth of flavor with not just ripe fruit, but also meaty accents. Still has plenty of everything (including some tannin) to keep going and even improving for quite a while longer as well. Quite impressive for a very modern right bank wine.
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7/3/2013 - grapist wrote: 91 Points
All the great Merlot characteristics.
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6/30/2013 - Mr T wrote:
This one opened fairly quickly as a PNP with steak dinner and quite tasty. Ripe, mature merlot is soft, round, and rich and not playing hard to get. Very little Bdx funk or barnyard and Sue actually quite fond of it. This stayed fairly cool and no particular sense of excess ripeness but probably right at the limit....certainly lovely for the money. No rush although I wonder how much if any this one improves with time.
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6/13/2013 - grapist wrote: 92 Points
From 375. Dark and opaque. Nose of black cherries and plums. Open for business soon after popping a cork. Soft round and full-bodied.
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5/8/2013 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely nose of cedar, tobacco, and earth along with dark cherry fruit, more of the same on the palate, tasted over two nights, much better tasting the second night. Medium body, medium finish, two more years to peak is my opinion.
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3/31/2013 - hoservin wrote: 93 Points
Aerated with Vinturi and decanted for 2.5 hours. Nose of black currant, blackberry, leather, licorice, cedar and vanilla. A beautiful dark berry core with soft, fine tannins. Leads to a long, dusty finish. Full bodied and well balanced. This drinking at its prime; mature and elegant. Paired well with lamb.
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3/12/2013 - bestdamncab wrote: 92 Points
Lovely nose of cedar, tobacco, and earth along with dark cherry fruit, more of the same on the palate, tasted over two nights, the first night it was subdued and brooding, much better tasting the second night with mouth filling silkiness and elegance. Medium body, medium finish, four more years to peak is my opinion.
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2/6/2013 - redknife wrote: 91 Points
Nice nose but went into a dull phase around 2 hrs after opening. A bit young with plenty of dark fruits and chocolate. Tannis are soft. No rush to drink will try again in 2-3 years.
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1/26/2013 - FredF Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark, almost black in color. Flavor of blackberries, red fruits, earth, with excellent balance of tannin, acid, fruit.
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12/11/2012 - RR47 wrote: 90 Points
Amazing dark red, almost black. Good blackberry, cherry nose, with open time. Balance tilts toward acid. Firm tannins. 1st bottle from case purchased as future. Good with a steak.
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11/4/2012 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
2009 Bordeaux (for Public TV) (World Series of Wine): This was put in as a bonus to have a taste of a "mature" wine. Purple and opaque in color although a bit flat. The nose has lots of cigar box and cassis. It is mature, at or near peak but no hurry. Showing a nice layering of fruit - cassis and plums, with some earthy qualities. Very smooth and a long finish. Very nice wine.
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10/3/2012 - Employee500 wrote: 90 Points
Very nice wine with rich fruit (still relatively primary) and very silky tannin. Ready to drink now, while fruit is still shining...great with my veal chop & creamy polenta.
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9/24/2012 - kr522 wrote: 91 Points
this is a nice wine. i have to admit i bought the wrong wine when i ordered this, i was trying to get Le Plus and the order got mixed up so i was a little disappointed...sometimes that's a tough hurdle to get over mentally, but i've had this wine on several occasions and it's pretty good. for the price it's excellent.
the wine is a nice marriage of fruit and structure, there's good depth on the palate with plums and toffee complementing a floral bouquet. The tannins are not heavy or intrusive and there's good balance. Goes well with food and on its own.
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9/22/2012 - hoservin wrote: 93 Points
Aerated with Vinturi and 1.5 hour decant. Beautiful nose with rich notes of currant, blackberry, cedar, tobacco, and spice. On the palate, dark fruit and soft fine tannins lead to long dry finish. Medium-to-full bodied. Well balanced, smooth, and mature. Drinking beautifully and paired well with Filet Béarnaise.
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9/20/2012 - budh wrote: 90 Points
Cherry, plum, tobacco, oak. Surprisingly young vibrant color. Nice round feel. A little hot and thin at times if not paired with meat. Obviously aging well. A nice drink.
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8/24/2012 - grapist wrote:
Very good pairing with grilled veal chops. More fruit than I expected. From 375 and popped and poured. Very dark and aromatic. Quite youthful with lots of life left. Tannins have sorftened but surprisingly fruity considering age and region.
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6/19/2012 - FransS wrote: 91 Points
Be sure if you say I'am sure (see my first note). This was the first bottle with a good balance and a certain maturity.
If this evolution continues this wine will become a full-bodied and round wine; never very elegant, but who cares?
The colour of the wine is extremely young and deep, the nose full of black fruit and in the mid- and aftertaste the roundness
of the merlot is recognizable.
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6/10/2012 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
Sunday Group: 2000 Bordeaux (Barb's): Deep color. Notes of chocolate, vanilla, lavender and red fruit. Firm tannins, with chocolate, red fruit and spice flavors. Long finish.
My #2, Domino's #1
Group #2, 37 pts
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4/15/2012 - unc0rked wrote: 91 Points
A solid nice drinking wine with a terrfic velvetly feel on the palate. Still dense with nice fruit, I do not feel the wine is at its apex. I have about 3 bottles left and probably will drink them over the next 3 to 5 years. The finish was smooth but lacked the sweetness and length that would give it a higher score. I probably did not decant it as well I should have though. I was very satisfied.
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2/24/2012 - SteveHyde wrote:
I can't say that I've ever had a bad bottle of this, from a case of 12 purchased as futures for $23.75/bottle. It's always been a fabulously structured, intensely fruity, rich wine that should be avoided by anyone with an aversion to oak, but sought out by tannin-heads. This is not "unxious," or over-ripe. It has a fabulous, angular quality to it. Great stuff. I suspect I will not see these bottles at peak, which I anticipate is a decade away, since I enjoy drinking it so much now.
Wait. It seems in 2010 I did have a bad bottle from this case. But that hardly counts. It was corked.
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12/22/2011 - jeanluc07 wrote: 91 Points
still young and evolving. classic right bank.
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12/3/2011 - hoservin wrote: 89 Points
1.5 hour decant. Sour cherry, black currant, cassis, vanilla, cedar, and black olive notes. Medium-to-full bodied. Dark fruit and soft tannins on the mid-palate. Long, dry finish, but short of fruit when compared to the bottle from earlier this year. Paired with beef tenderloin.
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10/19/2011 - bluevespa wrote: 88 Points
This is the third bottle i have tasted and it is not loosing the bitter tannins and the unbalanced flavors. I could be wrong, but I don't think time will help this problem.
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8/24/2011 - Mr T wrote:
pretty good stuff.....still quite dark purple and not a lot on nose initially...ultimately as wine warms and volume falls, there is an odor of quite ripe to almost decaying fruit....perhaps this is what late harvest produces...I assume late.....wine is minerally and plenty of fruit, but not hard to place in Bdx.....good..not great
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8/23/2011 - davidandrose wrote: 90 Points
Pop and pour. Again, with the disclaimer of poor Resdince Inn stems, but what a stellar steak from Costco tonight!! Nice coloring, an hour after opening this has a muted nose with dark cherries - if any aroma is really discernable. The wine puts puts on a little weight with time and "feels" like a bordeaux, but if this weren't an 11yo wine I'd think it was in a dumb phase. The fruit is a little sour, with a faint cola/red cherry note. Will sample another bottle within 6 months to truly gauge its position, as I found this drinkable and somewhat enjoyable, but not something I'd drink again if I didn't have a few more bottles remaining. I will still blame some of this on the stems and will promise myself that I buy a decent stem tomorrow!
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6/24/2011 - floydtp wrote: 92 Points
CellarTracker Wisconsin June 2011; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI- various venues): Tasted non blind at a wine dinner. Nose of red fruit, cedar and some barnyard. Similar taste profile with some sour cherries toward the end. A fairly modern style to be sure, but quite enjoyable. Drink now and over the next 3-5 years.
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6/24/2011 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
CellarTracker Wisconsin Offline I - Part One (Madison, WI): WIML91+/-?
Tasted non blind at a wine dinner.
Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of forest floor, tobacco, currants and dark plums. Flavors of black licorice, dark berries and black cherries. Bright acidity, firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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6/24/2011 - petitblanc wrote:
CT Wisconsin Offline; 6/24/2011-6/25/2011 (Madison, WI): A bit green and hot, but nicely balanced for current drinking. Not scored.
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5/29/2011 - JeremyQ wrote: 90 Points
Served double blind. Craig picked it straight away, typical Bordeaux merlot nose that shouts right bank. Sour cherries with a bit of leather. On the taste, tannins fully resolved, smooth. Not overly complex with a little more fruit - a more new world type of Bordeaux. A nice wine
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5/28/2011 - Redguy wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours and served single blind alongside a 2006 Anderson's Conn Valley Estate Reserve Cab with grilled lamb kebobs. Dark, damp, leathery earthiness to it with some truffles, light cherries and plums. Velvety and very well integrated with good acidity. This seemed to be at its apex and was quite good. Drink now.
This was the groups concensus #1 and I originally had them scored equal but am now raising my score from 90 to 91 upon quiet, contemplative retasting post dinner. Very nice wine and punches well above it's pedegree!
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5/21/2011 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 85 Points
2000 Bordeaux Retrospect: Alcohol :: 13%
Bottle 2. Consistent note with bottle 1.
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5/21/2011 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 85 Points
2000 Bordeaux Retrospect: Alcohol :: 13%
Bottle 1. The nose is austere, less expressive with mineral and some fruits hiding underneath. Structured, sweet, less acid and quite opulent, this is the style of the maker or the wine himself? This is actually quite good but seems pretty modern with the sweet fruits and a bit over-extracted bitter tannin that move on to the long bitter finish.
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5/21/2011 - hoservin Likes this wine: 92 Points
1.5 hour decant. Dark purple color. Notes of plums, sour cherry, blackberry, tobacco, chocolate, and olives. Medium to full bodied. Dark berries are predominant on the mid-palate and combine with soft integrated tannins. A long finish and nice complexity. Agreed it is more of a new world style Bordeaux, but a very good QPR if you like this style. Paired well with Beef Wellington.
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2/12/2011 - envirovino wrote: 91 Points
Really showed well. Aromatic nose, balanced with nice finish. Will improve with a couple more years I expect. Smooth, some complexity and nuance. Fresh, lighter fruits but still substantial. Favorite of the 5 "bargain" '00s tasted.
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1/27/2011 - redrhonewine wrote: 92 Points
Lovely, rich bordeaux although this is a Parkeresque bordeaux. This does not seem to need more age as the fruit and tannins are integrated nicely. Very dark and velvety rich with sweet leather and dark red fruits and old bing cherries with sweet dustiness. Nice!
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12/3/2010 - Dave Canada wrote: 94 Points
from memory.....dark cherry, earth and black truffle galore!
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11/8/2010 - Ambrose wrote: 94 Points
Dark purple. Salty meat and ink in the first nose, followed by an deep perfume of ink, raw dark meat, plum and almost dried, notes of smoke and coffee liqueor like Baileys. Really velvety in the mouth, rich and opulent, full-bodied and round, deep and a bit savory of meat, ripe plum with just a slight note of cassis, hedonistic. Long finish of ripe black fruits like plum and a bit freshness, leather, and a classy roasted meat endnote.
Showed some cassis afterwards. With parma ham, it really matched and demonstrated a nice lift with a salty meat endnote. With some lead pencil too.
No alcohol standing out, velvety mouthfeel and typical Pomerol-styled, this is well-worth 30 pounds. Complex, meaty and deep, this is a warm wine.
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10/14/2010 - SteveHyde wrote: flawed
Corked.
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10/13/2010 - SteveHyde wrote:
A perfect time to open this bottle. Just beginning to show tertiary attributes. Loads of crushed dark berry fruit, some leather and mineral. Nice stuff.
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8/29/2010 - ditka85 wrote: 87 Points
Still very unevolved. Will wait at least a year before drinking another.
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8/3/2010 - vinole Likes this wine: 91 Points
More red fruit & complexity, and longer finish than my note of 8/07. A very lovely wine, especially for its price.
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7/20/2010 - jkoenen wrote: 92 Points
Tour de Bordeaux; Next stop: Right bank Satellites @ Roel's (Netherlands): Full, ripe and masculine bouquet leaving a slight modernistic (dare I say international...?) impression, which is certainly not overdone. Classy and individual. Very powerful and concentrated. On the palate I get beautiful notes of dark chocolade, dark cherries, blackbarries and licorice. Great balance and long finish. Tasty, voluptuous glass of wine. Quite young and lively. 18/20
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1/23/2010 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
Regular dinner group (@ CdW Bordeaux 2000 vs 2001.): Beautiful, somewhat perfumed bouquet. Red and black fruits, well dosed beautiful oak. Same on the palate. Good juice. Some chocolate as well. Good concentration. Very good balance between acidity, sweetness and bitterness. Beautiful round tannin. My score is extremely high because everything fell together in a beautiful way and, although there is plenty of future, the wine seems to be in a beautiful drinking stage at the moment.
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12/20/2009 - jsebiri wrote: 85 Points
1/2 hour after opening this wine was very new worldish......fruity but only 1 dimensional i would have given this 85 type rating good but not better not very Bordeaux at all had a glass the next morning and the rest of the grip and flavor showed up with very drying tannins this wine needs more time in the cellar is my guess
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11/19/2009 - FransS wrote: 88 Points
After the 1990 Bollinger Grande Année and the 2000 Pavilllon Rouge came the 2000 La Fleur de Boüard. In contrast with the Pavillon Rouge de Château Margaux this wine was clumsy.
Too dark and too heavy extracted, the wine showed no elegance. I am aware of the fact that I am less positive than in my previous tasting note, but the comparison with the extreme elegant
Pavillon Rouge was negative for this wine. I will wait at least one year with retasting this wine.
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11/18/2009 - Mr T wrote:
This wine remains very primary and unevolved. It was decanted for 1.5-2 hours and yet still not really open with dinner. The next night, still tight after spending the night in the fridge. I will leave this alone for a while.
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11/9/2009 - tedlegs wrote: 91 Points
Very nice bottle. decanted for 2 hours. Went very well with prime rib and yorkshire pudding.
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10/3/2009 - jwwinec wrote:
A big, juicy wine that benefited from a couple of hours of air. Very nice core of rich, sweet fruit, beautiful aromatics. This bottle seems to have hardly aged at all, and was still a bit rough around the edges for my tastes, but went very nicely with a steak dinner.
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8/29/2009 - Dave Canada wrote: 96 Points
Wow......this was stunning. Aromas of truffle, cherry, coffee, caramel and olive dominate the nose. The palate is just so svelt! spice, cherry, coffee, roasted nuts, and just so integrated and seemless....no edges! The finish is long......cherry, chocolate, caramel, olive, spice and truffle come at you in waves......awesome!
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8/2/2009 - Ibetian wrote: 93 Points
This is really drinking great now, silky smoothe, with a great nose and palate of black cherries and chocolate. Drank a Shafer cab 01 right after this, and though the Shafer was quite good, it seemed a little sweet and simple compared to the Bouard. This clearly has life ahead, but I suspect it is already at or near peak, and I'll likely drink my last few bottles over the next year or two and wait to re-load with the multiple cases of 2008 I bought EP.
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7/19/2009 - idrinkvino wrote: 92 Points
Continues to drink above it's pricetag.
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6/13/2009 - Ibetian wrote: 91 Points
This wine is drinking great now, with the rich chocolate cherries on the nose and smoothe lingering finish.
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6/2/2009 - Ibetian wrote: 92 Points
This wine has been consistently good from the first bottle opened 3/31/07, and my note then captures the wine as it is today, except it might be a bit smoother, more complex and just better from the extra time. I just bought some 2008 futures of this, because this 2000 is a terrific BDX, interesting enough to serve at a fine dinner, but for a price under $30, I wouldn't hestitate to throw it in the basket for a picnic at Tanglewood. Great drink, with years of positive evolution ahead.
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5/24/2009 - jwwinec wrote:
Tight, dominated by structure and tannins at this point.
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3/30/2009 - bluevespa wrote: 93 Points
Consistent to prior notes. Needs time, heavy tanins distract from the wine.
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3/27/2009 - FransS wrote: 91 Points
Difficult to assess, smooth and closed, lots of tannins and ripe; this wine is not fully evolved. Beware, in the positive sense, of 2000.
Now, after eight years, the wines are more closed than expected just after bottling. The amount of tannins seems to me less heavy and overloaded than in the 2005's,
but the wines of 2000 need lots of patience. I suggest opening the premier league from 2010/12.
The nose of the La fleur de Boüard is hidden behind hints of dark fruit and sweetness. The color is extremely deep and the midtaste is full and shows coming complexity.
Overall is the impression of ripeness. The aftertaste continues quite long and is still a bit severe. I'm sure I can give the wine more points next time.
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2/15/2009 - grossie wrote: flawed
corked. I thought it had potential underneath, but it's hard to tell behind the TCA.
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1/28/2009 - Employee500 wrote: 90 Points
Very good stuff, great QPR.
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1/25/2009 - BradKNYC wrote:
Pratt's Bordeaux table and then some: Served double blind. Young and tight with green wood tannins and barrel char. There’s some upfront fruit that’s quite polished, but overall the wine is coarse and hollow. I guess a new fangled right bank wine that Rolland had his hand in. Not what I look for in Bordeaux. B-/C+.
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1/9/2009 - davidandrose wrote: 93 Points
Pop and pour. Still in outstanding shape, and just fine for today. Been a year, and its improved over prior tasting.
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11/14/2008 - Rieslingfan wrote:
This wine is nowhere close to ready. Still it's a compelling drink, stuffed to the cork with mineral backed red and black fruit. What oak there was has blended into the background, and now it's just a youthful, balanced, fruity, young Bordeaux. Why I keep opening bottles is beyond me, as this wine needs another 5-7 years to start to reach its peak.
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11/11/2008 - Ibetian wrote: 91 Points
Not much to add to my 3/31/07 note except that this is drinking great now, with at least a few years of pleasant evolution ahead.
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11/8/2008 - bluevespa wrote: 93 Points
Far too young to enjoy now due to massive tannins,but this will be a very fine drink someday. Hints of Petrus, Very dark and concentrated with rich fruits of cherries and prunes. Coffee and spices.
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11/5/2008 - Siggy wrote: 88 Points
Tasting Group Dinner - Post-Election Grab Bag (Heidi's, Minneapolis): Popped and slow oxygenated for ~3 hours. The palate shows concentrated, youthful dark fruit, green pepper, herbs, and meat juice. I'm guessing there is a fair amount of Cabernet Franc in the blend here. Still tannic. Improved significantly with food.
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10/1/2008 - SteveHyde wrote:
unbelievable stuff. Inky purple, stunningly young, fabulous grip. Decades to go on this one.
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9/24/2008 - Employee500 wrote: 91 Points
The best bottle I've had yet....presumably the year or so in bottle since my last try has really helped. Fruit has not yet even mildly become impaired, but the tannin has softened considerably. This is likely at or near peak, but should hold easily for 4-8 more years.
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9/21/2008 - idrinkvino wrote: 93 Points
This wine is truely coming into it's own. Drinking better with each tasting, and probably getting to be about as good as it's going to get! Wonderful layers, mid palet and finish.
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5/19/2008 - idrinkvino wrote: 92 Points
Ripe plums, cherries and figs on the nose; beautifully resolved tannins; excellent fruit/pencil led and chalk. Really drinks better than the 92 scores I've often given this wine.
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5/11/2008 - City Wine Journal wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful wine. Clean pour, minimal sediment, decanted and served at a French BYOB. Rich, ripe, fragrant, deep, sumptuous and a favorite at the table. Vintage drinking "as well as needed". Hard to believe but tonight, this wine out-classed The Maiden 2004, a very good CA Cult 2nd wine at 5x the price.
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4/20/2008 - TheFoodieTraveler wrote: 94 Points
beautiful bordeaux, decanted about 30 min, smooth and voluptuous
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4/6/2008 - Employee500 wrote: flawed
corked
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3/11/2008 - ajr wrote:
agree with the 2/28 and 1/08 notes. beautiful wine. still young. no rush here.
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2/21/2008 - idrinkvino wrote: 92 Points
Fruit forward and very enjoyable out of the bottle. Excellent.
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2/21/2008 - MRichman wrote:
Wonderful nose, full, dark, deep and smoky with a light floral character. This wine is slightly sweet with a dark base. It has a smooth, suave profile with some toasted oak, tobacco and leather, and light juicy tannins. It has a sweet character without being too sweet, tight tannins, and a long dark finish. I think this has more to give and will open up well with a little more age. Currently it comes off just a bit flat.
B
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2/16/2008 - jeffm_fla wrote: 88 Points
OK nothing special. Dan preferred the 2003
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1/1/2008 - moudy wrote: 93 Points
I served this bottle at a wine tasting and it was a huge hit. It was decanted for 4 hours prior to serving. When I opened the bottle, I tasted to make sure the bottle was not "off" and was not sure how it would turn out. It was closed, with a bit of fruit and some funky tastes. Over the next 2-3 hours I repeatedly tasted was amazed how the wine opened, the flavors mellowed, and it turned out to be an awesome wine. There was definitely a smoked meat taste which which first hit, then a deep, dark fruity taste developed that stayed on the tounge for 30-40 seconds. I wish I had more!!
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12/29/2007 - Melli wrote: 93 Points
This is a sleeper. No noticable tannins. Smooth finish. Great price!
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12/15/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 92 Points
Consistently good wine that could actually be improving now. Still a bit of baby fat, but the minerality is starting to emerge. Excellent fruit and silky tannins.
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12/9/2007 - davidandrose wrote: 92 Points
45 mins in the decanter. As good as always.
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12/8/2007 - MichaelB wrote: 92 Points
I took this wine to one of our finer Restaurants in town, I guess their policy has gotten tighter, good this I brought this magnum in a discrete bag! I had to pull rank to get them to open this, the owner was out of the restaurant, and I had to deal with a gatekeeper that was a bit of an annoyance.
I had a group with me who drinks alot of big California Cabs, they mentioned Plumpjack, Quintessa, Shafer HSS to give you a sense of their interest. I have mostly Bordeaux in the cellar to put it mildly. Anyway, this wine knocked them out. Great color as they decanted the wine for me, they didn't seem to realize that a magnum wouldn't fit in a decanter but I let her hand herself. These are always amusing situations when they pour me a class after putting the cork down. Send it back!
Anyway, this was a big hit. It was roaring tonight, black rasberry, great complex aromatics, and fat, lush fruit lashing across the palate, absolute killer QPR, this is a real winner and as I explained to them, this winemaker is a master.
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11/4/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 92 Points
Drinking beautifully now.
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10/7/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 91 Points
Scent of light rasberries and sweet cherries. Dark purple colour. Heavy pencil led and leather along with fine grained tannins and dark fruit which, tonight, stayed on my tongue for over a minute. I hadn't experienced that before with this wine. Overall a very enjoyable experience.
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8/26/2007 - vinole wrote: 90 Points
Medium bodied with lovely balance and dark fruit flavors, cassis, and some nice oak notes on the nose and the palate. Lively acidity reminds you that it's Bordeaux. The finish was a little shorter than I would have expected at 20-25 secs, hurting the score a little. Overall, a very nice wine.
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7/9/2007 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful with lamb kabobs. Bettered the 2000 Clos L'Eglise in a side-by-side thanks to its significant fruit.
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7/8/2007 - Ibetian wrote: 91 Points
Not much to add to my previous note, another terrific bottle, purchased 5 years ago EP for what I remember as less than $200 per case. Truly shows the wisdom of buying humbler wines in great years like 2000 and probably 2005.
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5/20/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 92 Points
Dark fruits, cassis, a little chocolate and pepper. What's not to like?
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3/31/2007 - paulst wrote: 91 Points
Earthy blackberry, currant, thick fruit with cherry cassis.
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3/31/2007 - Ibetian wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple. Nice complexity on the nose, with coffee, chocolate and cassis notes. Smoothe. Oak is very well integrated. First bottle of 2 cases, looks like we have a lot of drinking pleasure ahead. A highly enjoyable wine, clearly superior to the solid but uninspiring 1999. Drinking very well now but I'd guess that it will evolve nicely for at least 3 - 5 years
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3/27/2007 - davidandrose wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour on a weeknight. No wine should go down this easily. As good as ever, very complete wine, extraordinary at $25-30.
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3/20/2007 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Drank at a Vinum Bordeaux 2000 tasting. One of my favourites of the night. Nice perfumy nose, very sumptuous, rasberry and plum flavours on the palate. Good balance, and much better concentration than a few of the other right bank wines that we tasted. Another very good wine from the 2000 vintage, just lacking a little in complexity and length. I'm not complaining though.
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3/15/2007 - Cynthia wrote: flawed
Deep purple color with slight bricking on the edge. Wine somewhat cloudy with a musty smell. Still some fruit left underneath but not a pleasure to drink. Suspect this to be slightly corked.
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2/16/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 93 Points
Highly enjoyable, with light tannins giving way to chocolate, coffee, vanillin and spice. Tasted again in 24 hours and the wine had turned velvety. Really loved it.
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1/24/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 89 Points
Opaque, dark purple in color. Blackberries and nice toasted oak on the nose. Rich and concentrated. Nice finish. Modern style of Bordeaux.
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12/17/2006 - davidandrose wrote: 91 Points
Decanted and consumed over 2.5 hours. Reaffirms prior notes.
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12/15/2006 - ND1995 wrote: 91 Points
Good qpr
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12/3/2006 - bradm wrote: 88 Points
Good wine, but I don't think it matched the Annereaux that we compared it to on the same day. I think this could benefit from a little more cellaring, b/c it was still somewhat tannic.
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10/20/2006 - idrinkvino wrote: 93 Points
After an evening of tasting sub-par wines, I sought refuge in this well developed Pomerol. What a delight! First tastes of led pencil and bitter chocolate and then cranberries and sweet cherries. Now I can sleep with my palate rejuvenated!
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10/12/2006 - Winetex wrote: 92 Points
This bottle was a bit further along than the previous bottle and is just beginning to fulfill its potential. It was a really good wine. Note that it didn't quite have a Bordeaux (Pomerol) profile.
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9/22/2006 - davidandrose wrote: 91 Points
Opened and allowed to sit for 45 mins. Black-cherry coloring, pleasant floral nose, lots of licorice/anise, red cherry flavors with a sweetness that was closer to a zin or port. Not unlikeable, but not a bordeaux. Three hours later this is a different wine, retaining its nose but becoming a more complete and full wine, with hints of cherry, leather, tobacco and fine-grained tanins. Concur with Lord Parker at 91pts, and one of the best QPRs I've had in the last year, at $25.
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5/20/2006 - trankin wrote: 90 Points
EOTC Riesling tasting (McNulty's): "Mystery Wine" I brought this so I knew what it was. Nose of leather and dark red fruits. Dark red, with a touch of purple. A bit of sweetness and good minerality. Full-bodied and enjoyable. Threw the others for a loop because it didn't quite taste like bordeaux.
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3/14/2006 - Rieslingfan wrote: 89 Points
This is not ready yet. Don't believe the hype. Lots of fruit, but also lots of tannins. Needs time.
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2/25/2006 - repoper wrote: 92 Points
No decanting, just straight into the glass. Black wine which is a little lighter at the edges. Very tight nose but hints of fruit energe as I swirled the wine in the glass. Nice leggs and an incredible coverage in my mouth. Thw wine opened up with about an hour of air and showed notes of fruits - cranburry dark cherry and chocolate. It just got better and better and left us wanting more and more. The bottle seemed to disapear quickly.
03/03/06 Wanted to share this wine with a great friend, so we opened up another bottle. This time I let it breath for 1 1/2 hrs before we drank it. What a difference the time made. The scent of Merlot wafted from the glass and the bottle did not last long for the four of us.
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2/8/2006 - Dteng wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for one hour plus. Dark, rich, decadent. Superb nose of cassis liqueur, mocha, olives and ripe black fruits. Pure and long in the finish. Structured with stuffing to go years. With adequate decanting, this is drinking beautifully today. Wow, what a bargain - why didn't I buy cases of this stuff when it was (I think) around $20??! Just awesome.
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12/27/2005 - Winetex wrote: 91 Points
Actually a 91+ with upside potential. I tasted this on release and ended up buying a few bottles as it was stood out even in a 2000 Bordeaux Tasting. It was an impenetrable dark purple in color with a reddish rim and espresso and blackberry aromas. The flavors included espresso, blackberry, other dark fruit (plum came to mind) and a bit of vanilla. It was not totally primary but there was little evidence of secondary characteristics other than an interesting herbal component. After evolving in the decanter and glasses for over an hour it started to show complexity and the tannic edge receded a bit. It was somewhat tannic but the tannins are refined. This doesn't strike me as a long-term ager (10+ years) so I'm scheduling my next bottle for 2007-2008. If I can keep my hands off of them.... this wine can dust comparable wines twice its price. [~$35 on release; Decanted one hour and would benefit from an even longer decant]
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11/20/2005 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 92 Points
Three Wines Blind: Opaque red/purple in color. Nose of black licorice and raspberry. A little fat in the mouth but with mouth coating fruit. Very tannic, with a lingering finish.
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7/1/2005 - Dave Dalluge wrote: 90 Points
A saturated, blackish-red color. Thick red streaks coat the glass when swirled. I have never seen this much color stay on the glass. Amazing. The nose shows espresso, licorice, soy sauce, and a dominant aroma I can't identify (but that is familiar from other recent 2000 Bordeaux). Overall the nose is more muted than I would expect. The wine is mouth-coating with a long finish. The flavors are bitter chocolate and oak. This is very tannic, and the tannins are slightly astringent at first (better later). This wine is very well balanced. It reminds me of the 2000 Clos Fourtet, except there is more of everything here. A very good wine that I look forward to experiencing many times in the future.
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4/21/2005 - jwwinec wrote: 92 Points
Half a bottle decanted for 3 hours, the rest finished the next day. Nose shows cassis, smoke, minerals, licorice. Very rich, concentrated, and opulent. Sweet fruit leads into slightly bitter, assertive tannins. I'm glad I finally popped one of these open!
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4/3/2005 - Wusman wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and drank over the next 24. Very dark purple. Darker than many other Bordeaux that I am used to. Initially the nose seemd somewhat closed, not revealing itself for the first few hours. Later aromas of vanilla and berry fruits were showing with a hint of soy? By the next day some of the more mineral notes were present. The palate is dominated by huge and somewhat sweet fruit, a touch of earth, and bitter chocolate. Very opulent. Finishing with some moderate to high tannins with excellent length. Very nice and even better on day 2.
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3/2/2005 - MichaelB wrote: 91 Points
I have had this wine 4 times now, this was by far the most tannic and and a wall of wood and tannins kept this in check. Black as night.Very nice, complex nose, with toasty oak, black and red fruits, mocha,soy sauce notes. On the palate...this wine needs some time, it is a baby Angelus, it reminds me of the style of the 90 Angelus young. Lots of wood, not vanilla-new oak, but a firm backbone, little big bottle. Thought this would be a experience like the last bottles. Wrong, this needs time, I am going to wait at leat 4 years befor trying it again. This could turn out to be really nice, as it has all the component parts to be really good. Hard to believe this is a satellite wine...
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2/7/2005 - Spencer wrote: 89 Points
Blind tasting with David and Steve. An incredible coincidence occurred: with absolutely no theme other than 'red wine', David and I both opened this same wine (we were both influenced by the recent GJE report). His had been purchased as a future and in his possession since release. I had just recently picked up a bottle off a retailer's shelf. Both were decanted about 45 minutes before serving. Mine was poured (double blind to David and Steve) first. Defintely open for business, showing great ripe fruit and balance. Strong merlot character, and pretty much what I expected from this wine. David managed to keep a straight face when the wine was revealed, and didn't let on that the next wine we poured was the same thing. Tight and closed, with firm tannins and much more backbone than the first bottle. I guessed '01 Left Bank. Boy was I shocked when it was revealed. Two very different wines. The little bit of David's bottle that was left over was very similar to mine by the next night however. Sitting on a retailers shelf for a year or two had definitely aged my bottle a bit, although it was drinking very well. All in all a very nice wine, although not terribly complex.
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8/26/2004 - BobBachus wrote:
At Chatham Bars Inn. Seemed very closed and ungiving.. Going through its dumb period?
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12/30/2003 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 91 Points
2000 La Fleur de Bouard red bordeaux
12/30/03 at home. Gorgeous dark ruby color, absolutely saturated. Deeply and attractively fruited, with black fruits, walnuts, and minerals. Very rich mouthful, full-bodied, with an unmistakeable purity of fruit. Will need several years to soften. 5-12-16-8-91/100 H says 86.
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