Very nice QPR, opened with bordeaux funk which quickly blew off. Opened up over the followingp3 hours. Great mix of primary and tertiary flavors, plenty of tannic/acidic structure to continue ageing, but in a nice place now.
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2005 Chateau Le Crock, St Estephe. This is a well known and deservedly highly regarded Cru Bourgeois situated on the left bank of the Gironde in Bordeaux. A favourite of mine particularly because it offers really great value for money for consistently high quality wines. 🔝👌
This two hundred year old Domaine has been owned by the Cuvelier Famille, who also own the excellent Leoville Poyferré in St Julien, since 1903.
The estate includes 32 hectares of vineyard land which is planted to vines averaging over 40 years old. The terroir is deep gravel and clay & is planted in proportions around 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc & 3% Petit Verdot.
Hand-harvesting of the yield from the vines on average normally takes two weeks. Macération & fermentation is in temperature controlled concrete & stainless steel tanks for up to four weeks. The different varieties are tben kept separate to mature in French oak for around six months before assemblage. The blended wine then spends another 12 months in oak barriques before bottling. Lots of care, lots of attention, but minimal intervention.
The 2005 vintage from a good, but slow maturing year is actually 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc & 5% Petit Verdot. This cépage shows on the nose & palate with some very masculine & well - structured generous peppery blackcurrant fruit graphite with some minor persistent stalkiness & slight green notes. Cedar, leather, slight oak aromas but with still some slightly unresolved but softening tannins. Well-balanced and drinking very nicely. 90, but maybe 91 or better in about 3 - 5 years.
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Zombie Wines at Terra Rossa (Terra Rossa, Islington): A mere infant on the night, this was a classic mature claret that provided some fruit, a rare commodity! Dark red, graphite and cassis, not as austere as St Estephe can be, quite soft actually and very easy going. No hurry.
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This is classic, mature Bordeaux, but nothing to write home about. Big nose of sweet black currant and dried out, charred wood with a hint of mint. Medium-bodied and a bit dry, this has more black currant, charred wood, sour cherries and a hint of dark chocolate. Very solid bottle of wine that still has tannin, but given the lack of fruit, I would opt to drink up! 89
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Quite light nose. Not really the opulence of the 2005 in this one. Bit austere and restrained. Med-bodied. Not convinced by this one, not sure how far this will go
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Classic nose of sweet black currant, creme de cassis, new oak, mint and spice. Medium-bodied and again, classic on the palate. Sweet and bright black currant, oak and mint. Supple texture, fully mature and open with just a tug of tannin on the finish. Always a solid bottle. Drink now-2022 89
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Aging well. Dark And fruit is moving into spiced stew. Tannins still holding and full upfront mouthfeel although somewhat linear down the tongue. Relatively short finish.
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Dark garnet with very little fade to the edge. This is well made, ripe, if fairly straight forward. A nose of bell peppers, cassis, a bit of lavender and spice. None of the St Estephe earthy / mushroom / clay feel to it. However, a really good mouthfeel, quite sweet and elegant fruit, and still a very well composed frame. This feels like it has only recently entered its peak drinking window, and should last another 10 years. Good.
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Much more balanced and approachable now than a year or so back. Enticing nose. Leather, tobacco, lead shavings, cassis, red fruits, chocolate, and spice. Fairly soft palate, with sufficient depth of fruit. Nice acidity. Tannins becoming well knitted but chewy still.
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PnP from half. Dense deep red colour. Initially reticent on nose with a slightly austere Cabernet profile; this slowly evolved into a distinctly St Estephe character with a hint of lead and a nice chocolatey note. Probably better after another year or two but drinking nicely now. **(1/2)
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Terroir-istes International - France, Bordeaux 2005 Vintage (Rodwell House): Red-black in colour the nose is restrained with notes of warm gravel, tar, tilled earth, spice, graphite and a mix of black and red fruits. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is warm and sultry with lots of juicy, soft, and appealing fruits. The mid-palate is fleshy, and fairly rich, with some extract but with a lively acid that keeps the palate flowing and firm, slightly blocky tannins. Nicely integrated, the wine is complex with notes of cassis, chocolate, spicy oak, pencil lead and dried orange. Lacks a little concentration and the tannins need some time to resolve as they stunt the finish.
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P&P. Black and red fruits with oak and hints of eucalyptus. Medium plus bodied with integrating tannins. Medium plus acidity and length. Must remember to decant this wine when serving it again.
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Totally agree with previous note, this SE is still surprisingly tannic and backwards. Certainly a nice core of red & black fruits, hints of minerals and earth. This should be something special in a couple of years! 89+
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Spicy, fresh, tannic, firm and structured, with fresh black and red fruits, this is still young and should be better with another year or two in the bottle which should help it soften and come together.
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chateau le crock st-estèphe 2005, vin au nez assez charmeur, mais en bouche c'est un peu mince,s'ouvre tranquillement après quelques heures en carafe, au début cerise au nez mais tourne vers le cassis subtil et poivre? tannins assez fin et asséchants quelque peu, finale moyenne sans nécessairement être complexe. Pour le prix, je crois qu'il y a mieux. Ne rachèterai pas
87/100
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Still needs time to balance. Forest fruits, lead shavings, some smoke but a lot of wood. Full bodied, tannic and oaky. Just beginning to come round. Maybe another year & it'll be drinking better.
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I had this wine several times in the past 1 year and it is the first time that I find it a bit closed and quite dry in the first day as least. The wine opened up considerably on the second day.
Red garnet color with plenty of sediment that settled down in the bottle. The nose is shy in the first day but it develops very well on the second day, showing those great truffles aromas that I absolutely loved when I tried it for the first time during my visit at Chateau Leoville Poyferre in 2011. The nose exhibits aromas of red and blue forest fruits, smoke, truffles and pencil shavings. Full bodied, with a firm tannins backbone and grippy on the palate, the wine has a long life ahead of it and it mirrors the excellent conditions of the 2005 vintage: great structure, long aging potential and still not accessible. The finish is medium plus long with a roasted coffee and smoky aftertaste. It might seem to be a bit astringent due to its assertive tannins on its own, but, with baby lamb, this wine sings as all the fatness is pleasantly washed away by the same assertive tannins. Correct pairing is the key. (89/100)
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- It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry, prune and vanilla with a medium body. Polished texture with a medium finish - mineral, tight tanins, can hold few years and will be better.
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Delicious through the last drop - packed with juicy berries and cassis, and accented by notes of toast and mocha. Integrated tannins, and seems to be in a good drinking window, yet still retains a fresh vibrancy and velvety mouthfeel.
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Nez un peu évolué mais le fruit mûr reste dominant. Au palais, l'alcool est bien présent, la structure tannique pas trop imposante. Les arômes d'élevage en fût persistent au long de la dégustation mais le vin pêche surtout par sa finale creuse et fade. Toujours dommage car dans ce millésime on trouve des perles bordelaises à prix abordable.
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belle robe, un beau nez sur les fruits, épices et un côté quelque peu minéral. En bouche, l'attaque est sur le fruit, mais la fin manque nettement de couleur!! sans saveur vraiment, le fruit s'estompe, donant place à la chaleur de l'alcool...un peu triste.
finale unidimensionelle pour moi
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Light in style, this medium bodied, charming St. Estephe offers black frutis, spice and earth. This is not a wine to age. Starting in 2009, the quality of Le Crock took a big leap forward.
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Cedar, cassis aromas. Lead shavings. Earthy. Just seemed somewhat more closed than the first bottle. Full black fruit palate. Still very oaky and tannic. Needs more time.
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2e bouteille de ce vin. bouteille ouverte 8h à l'avance. Meilleur que la première fois. Neaz animal (cuir) avec des pointes de framboise et de sirop d'érable. Bouche assez ouverte, ample avec tannins très fins et bien intégrés. Texture légèrement crayeuse avec du sapinage en arrière bouche.
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Good nose of tobacco, cassis, cigar box and dry earth. Sweet glycerin entry, silky and full bodied, deep with solid tannin backbone. Medium to long finish with cigar sweetness. An excellent St Estephe wine to muse with. My favourite. 'DEEP' is the word here.
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Bought this baed on the review in Decanter. Saw it was a few dollars less now then at release. Time to try one - still tanninc, but an underlying juiciness that bodes well. Black fruits with some cranberry. Not getting the minerality the Decanter panel noticed. Drinking the last bit now three hours after decanting and it is the best. Wait a few more years.
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Bright cherry red colour. Nose of blackcurrant and cedar. Fresh palate, lively fruit and noticeable vanilla cream. Lovely feel, velvet and not very tannic. Nicely balanced with good length. Best decanted, if for no other reason than draining the extensive sediment in the bottle. Drank well with lamb shanks.
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Un peu déçu de ce le Crock en 2005. Bel équilibre et les tannins ont de la classe et n'ont rien d'accrochant. Le nez est assez discret. Le vin est probablement dans une phase de fermeture et devrait bien vieillir.
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Decanted for 90 mins. Dark purple in colour. Where do we start with the nose - menthol and eucalyptus initially with black fruits before evolving to manuka honey and milk chocolate! Still tight on the palate with plenty of black fruits and some oak. Tannins evident but was still very smooth and velvety on the finish. Good balance. Medium length. Went very well with medium rare lamb chops.
Even on our inexperience palates, this wine has plenty of mileage in it and we look forward to charting its evolution.
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1/15/2024 - johnhz Likes this wine:
Very good
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9/24/2023 - beef1020 wrote:
Very nice QPR, opened with bordeaux funk which quickly blew off. Opened up over the followingp3 hours. Great mix of primary and tertiary flavors, plenty of tannic/acidic structure to continue ageing, but in a nice place now.
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6/7/2023 - Wine and food wrote: 90 Points
2005 Chateau Le Crock, St Estephe. This is a well known and deservedly highly regarded Cru Bourgeois situated on the left bank of the Gironde in Bordeaux. A favourite of mine particularly because it offers really great value for money for consistently high quality wines. 🔝👌
This two hundred year old Domaine has been owned by the Cuvelier Famille, who also own the excellent Leoville Poyferré in St Julien, since 1903.
The estate includes 32 hectares of vineyard land which is planted to vines averaging over 40 years old. The terroir is deep gravel and clay & is planted in proportions around 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc & 3% Petit Verdot.
Hand-harvesting of the yield from the vines on average normally takes two weeks. Macération & fermentation is in temperature controlled concrete & stainless steel tanks for up to four weeks. The different varieties are tben kept separate to mature in French oak for around six months before assemblage. The blended wine then spends another 12 months in oak barriques before bottling. Lots of care, lots of attention, but minimal intervention.
The 2005 vintage from a good, but slow maturing year is actually 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc & 5% Petit Verdot. This cépage shows on the nose & palate with some very masculine & well - structured generous peppery blackcurrant fruit graphite with some minor persistent stalkiness & slight green notes. Cedar, leather, slight oak aromas but with still some slightly unresolved but softening tannins. Well-balanced and drinking very nicely. 90, but maybe 91 or better in about 3 - 5 years.
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5/20/2023 - Good2drink Likes this wine:
Opened for sipping. Decanted. Vickey commented “strong nose” and thought it was tasty.
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2/9/2023 - oenanthe Likes this wine: 89 Points
Zombie Wines at Terra Rossa (Terra Rossa, Islington): A mere infant on the night, this was a classic mature claret that provided some fruit, a rare commodity! Dark red, graphite and cassis, not as austere as St Estephe can be, quite soft actually and very easy going. No hurry.
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1/5/2021 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 89 Points
This is classic, mature Bordeaux, but nothing to write home about. Big nose of sweet black currant and dried out, charred wood with a hint of mint. Medium-bodied and a bit dry, this has more black currant, charred wood, sour cherries and a hint of dark chocolate. Very solid bottle of wine that still has tannin, but given the lack of fruit, I would opt to drink up! 89
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6/2/2020 - RED AND BLACK wrote: 88 Points
Quite light nose. Not really the opulence of the 2005 in this one. Bit austere and restrained. Med-bodied. Not convinced by this one, not sure how far this will go
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1/12/2019 - Blacksmith450 wrote: 90 Points
Tout ce qu'il y a des plus classiques Bordeaux rive-gauche. En pleine forme !
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5/1/2018 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 89 Points
Classic nose of sweet black currant, creme de cassis, new oak, mint and spice. Medium-bodied and again, classic on the palate. Sweet and bright black currant, oak and mint. Supple texture, fully mature and open with just a tug of tannin on the finish. Always a solid bottle. Drink now-2022 89
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11/17/2017 - MikeATL Likes this wine: 89 Points
More on the red fruited side of St.-Estephe, a little polished and a little chocolate comes out with air, a pleasant wine.
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6/17/2017 - Pfleonard Likes this wine: 89 Points
Aging well. Dark And fruit is moving into spiced stew. Tannins still holding and full upfront mouthfeel although somewhat linear down the tongue. Relatively short finish.
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9/16/2016 - moods wrote: 85 Points
Plenty of fruit but also somewhat woody and stalky. Probably worth decanting and allowing to soften up.
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7/19/2015 - Phenol73 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark garnet with very little fade to the edge. This is well made, ripe, if fairly straight forward. A nose of bell peppers, cassis, a bit of lavender and spice. None of the St Estephe earthy / mushroom / clay feel to it. However, a really good mouthfeel, quite sweet and elegant fruit, and still a very well composed frame. This feels like it has only recently entered its peak drinking window, and should last another 10 years. Good.
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4/24/2015 - moods wrote: 88 Points
Much more balanced and approachable now than a year or so back. Enticing nose. Leather, tobacco, lead shavings, cassis, red fruits, chocolate, and spice. Fairly soft palate, with sufficient depth of fruit. Nice acidity. Tannins becoming well knitted but chewy still.
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3/3/2015 - MAOC wrote:
PnP from half. Dense deep red colour. Initially reticent on nose with a slightly austere Cabernet profile; this slowly evolved into a distinctly St Estephe character with a hint of lead and a nice chocolatey note. Probably better after another year or two but drinking nicely now. **(1/2)
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11/3/2014 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 88 Points
Terroir-istes International - France, Bordeaux 2005 Vintage (Rodwell House): Red-black in colour the nose is restrained with notes of warm gravel, tar, tilled earth, spice, graphite and a mix of black and red fruits.
Medium to full-bodied, the wine is warm and sultry with lots of juicy, soft, and appealing fruits.
The mid-palate is fleshy, and fairly rich, with some extract but with a lively acid that keeps the palate flowing and firm, slightly blocky tannins.
Nicely integrated, the wine is complex with notes of cassis, chocolate, spicy oak, pencil lead and dried orange. Lacks a little concentration and the tannins need some time to resolve as they stunt the finish.
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8/23/2014 - Yme wrote:
P&P. Black and red fruits with oak and hints of eucalyptus. Medium plus bodied with integrating tannins. Medium plus acidity and length. Must remember to decant this wine when serving it again.
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2/8/2014 - wineshaman wrote: 89 Points
Totally agree with previous note, this SE is still surprisingly tannic and backwards. Certainly a nice core of red & black fruits, hints of minerals and earth. This should be something special in a couple of years! 89+
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7/25/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
Spicy, fresh, tannic, firm and structured, with fresh black and red fruits, this is still young and should be better with another year or two in the bottle which should help it soften and come together.
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3/29/2013 - Frank&Steph wrote: 87 Points
chateau le crock st-estèphe 2005, vin au nez assez charmeur, mais en bouche c'est un peu mince,s'ouvre tranquillement après quelques heures en carafe, au début cerise au nez mais tourne vers le cassis subtil et poivre? tannins assez fin et asséchants quelque peu, finale moyenne sans nécessairement être complexe. Pour le prix, je crois qu'il y a mieux. Ne rachèterai pas
87/100
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12/19/2012 - alain@driesassur.com wrote:
Top
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9/15/2012 - moods wrote: 87 Points
Still needs time to balance. Forest fruits, lead shavings, some smoke but a lot of wood. Full bodied, tannic and oaky. Just beginning to come round. Maybe another year & it'll be drinking better.
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9/6/2012 - cosmin_grozea wrote: 89 Points
I had this wine several times in the past 1 year and it is the first time that I find it a bit closed and quite dry in the first day as least. The wine opened up considerably on the second day.
Red garnet color with plenty of sediment that settled down in the bottle. The nose is shy in the first day but it develops very well on the second day, showing those great truffles aromas that I absolutely loved when I tried it for the first time during my visit at Chateau Leoville Poyferre in 2011. The nose exhibits aromas of red and blue forest fruits, smoke, truffles and pencil shavings. Full bodied, with a firm tannins backbone and grippy on the palate, the wine has a long life ahead of it and it mirrors the excellent conditions of the 2005 vintage: great structure, long aging potential and still not accessible. The finish is medium plus long with a roasted coffee and smoky aftertaste. It might seem to be a bit astringent due to its assertive tannins on its own, but, with baby lamb, this wine sings as all the fatness is pleasantly washed away by the same assertive tannins. Correct pairing is the key. (89/100)
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6/25/2012 - treph wrote: 89 Points
- It's balanced and has flavours of blackberry, prune and vanilla with a medium body. Polished texture with a medium finish - mineral, tight tanins, can hold few years and will be better.
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6/23/2012 - pgb67 wrote: 93 Points
Delicious through the last drop - packed with juicy berries and cassis, and accented by notes of toast and mocha. Integrated tannins, and seems to be in a good drinking window, yet still retains a fresh vibrancy and velvety mouthfeel.
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12/25/2011 - stadler wrote:
Nez un peu évolué mais le fruit mûr reste dominant. Au palais, l'alcool est bien présent, la structure tannique pas trop imposante. Les arômes d'élevage en fût persistent au long de la dégustation mais le vin pêche surtout par sa finale creuse et fade. Toujours dommage car dans ce millésime on trouve des perles bordelaises à prix abordable.
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11/14/2011 - Frank&Steph wrote: 88 Points
belle robe, un beau nez sur les fruits, épices et un côté quelque peu minéral. En bouche, l'attaque est sur le fruit, mais la fin manque nettement de couleur!! sans saveur vraiment, le fruit s'estompe, donant place à la chaleur de l'alcool...un peu triste.
finale unidimensionelle pour moi
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10/11/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 87 Points
Light in style, this medium bodied, charming St. Estephe offers black frutis, spice and earth. This is not a wine to age. Starting in 2009, the quality of Le Crock took a big leap forward.
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9/23/2011 - Cabailey wrote: 89 Points
Deep color, good complexity. Good value for the price.
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9/4/2011 - moods wrote: 87 Points
Cedar, cassis aromas. Lead shavings. Earthy. Just seemed somewhat more closed than the first bottle. Full black fruit palate. Still very oaky and tannic. Needs more time.
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2/26/2011 - Esteban wrote: 90 Points
2e bouteille de ce vin. bouteille ouverte 8h à l'avance. Meilleur que la première fois. Neaz animal (cuir) avec des pointes de framboise et de sirop d'érable. Bouche assez ouverte, ample avec tannins très fins et bien intégrés. Texture légèrement crayeuse avec du sapinage en arrière bouche.
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1/3/2011 - Ambrose wrote: 89 Points
Good nose of tobacco, cassis, cigar box and dry earth. Sweet glycerin entry, silky and full bodied, deep with solid tannin backbone. Medium to long finish with cigar sweetness. An excellent St Estephe wine to muse with. My favourite. 'DEEP' is the word here.
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10/3/2010 - jimkay21 wrote: 89 Points
Bought this baed on the review in Decanter. Saw it was a few dollars less now then at release. Time to try one - still tanninc, but an underlying juiciness that bodes well. Black fruits with some cranberry. Not getting the minerality the Decanter panel noticed. Drinking the last bit now three hours after decanting and it is the best. Wait a few more years.
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9/19/2010 - moods wrote: 90 Points
Bright cherry red colour. Nose of blackcurrant and cedar. Fresh palate, lively fruit and noticeable vanilla cream. Lovely feel, velvet and not very tannic. Nicely balanced with good length. Best decanted, if for no other reason than draining the extensive sediment in the bottle. Drank well with lamb shanks.
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8/12/2010 - Esteban wrote: 89 Points
Un peu déçu de ce le Crock en 2005. Bel équilibre et les tannins ont de la classe et n'ont rien d'accrochant. Le nez est assez discret. Le vin est probablement dans une phase de fermeture et devrait bien vieillir.
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3/9/2010 - Yme wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 90 mins. Dark purple in colour. Where do we start with the nose - menthol and eucalyptus initially with black fruits before evolving to manuka honey and milk chocolate! Still tight on the palate with plenty of black fruits and some oak. Tannins evident but was still very smooth and velvety on the finish. Good balance. Medium length. Went very well with medium rare lamb chops.
Even on our inexperience palates, this wine has plenty of mileage in it and we look forward to charting its evolution.
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