Bouquet of Red fruit initially at opening. Then notes of black plum, blackberry with a touch of floral. Smooth & roundness on the palate with 2hrs + decant. I’d say it still needs +/-5yrs of bottle aging to be in a better drinking window for my taste
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After stumbling on the 2010 and again being blown away by the 2015, I was so enamored by this producer that I contacted them, asking for recommendations on a hidden gem. They immediately responded 2016! I tried it in person at UGC, with the owners of the property and was too embarrassed to disagree. I love 2016 and think its the best vintage of Bordeaux for the long haul, above and beyond 2009,2010, and 2015 and 2018. But....Here, you need lots of patience and for me...Another case of the 2015 please. HOLD____Its got lots of power under the hood.
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Double decanted for about 3 hours before tasting. Paired with grilled T-bone steaks. Juicy and delicious! More rustic than I remember from my last tasting, the nose was full of fresh red fruits and a bit of smoke. These qualities carried through on the palate. Really quite delicious.
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Served directly from the wine fridge, nose delicious, taste very fresh and stunning good, in this hot weather you need, that. Next day more normal temperature and very different, I prefer them cooled.
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Webinar hosted by The Wine Society, UK, with tasting wines sent in advance. "Bordeaux Blends from around the World."
My first tasting of this wine and I thought it was superb. Dark cassis colour. As soon as it's in the glass, huge aromas fill the air and I could happily just inhale for an hour. The nose shows cigar, leather, chocolate. Gorgeous soft fruit, plummy. And long. Excellent.
Black currants, dark cherries, black raspberries. Mild citrus, vanilla, and cinnamon on the nose. I agree with the other note that this isn't as interesting on the pallette at this point, but the nice tannins make up for the lack of intricacy on the mouth.
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Took a while to open up, but showed very nice concentration, stacked and packed, black and blue fruit; always a go-to Bordeaux for me at this pricepoint. Held up pretty well on day #3 and further underscores its great price/quality for me and consistency across vintages. Tempted to pick up a half case of the '19.
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Tett og mørk på farge, rød med blålig skjær. Ved åpning er vinen rik på duft med mye solbær og noe krydret preg. Nesten solbærtoddy med julekrydder. Tett og konsentrert på nese. Etter 4 timer på karaffel er duften mer samlet og dempet, bærtoner mer mot modne små blå-plummer og bjørnebær med integrert fat. Noen dager etter under vakum har duften fått mer karakter av hengt kjøtt og svisker. Medium munnfølelse, medium pluss syre og ferske tanniner. Lang. En velkomponert, flott vin som lover mye men drikker godt også nå.
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The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like oak. It tastes like vanilla and black currant (cassis). The body is medium. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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The nose comes across more serious than the palate with whiffs of charcoal and wet wood, with a creamy vanilla core. The palate is more subdued, and comes across rather soft for the 2016 and feels very youthful but too tame. With some opening time in a big glass, finally, some of the greener cabernet notes started dancing around and the smoke started showing up. I would not touch these now, this really needs about 3 years, but I think I prefer the 2015 either way. This softness is unusual for a 2016. Will revisit...91 tops for now. Drink with 45 minutes air or Hold
Oh my was this good. Beautiful aromas sing immediately upon pouring into decanter. 30-45 minutes is enough to start enjoying a sip or two. Deep purple color with black and blue fruits. Worth drinking now, and plenty of aging potential. You do not need to wait if you want to try it now. Delicious. The window has opened.
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-- double decanted 30 min before 1st -- -- tasted non-blind over 3 hours on Day 1; revisited on Day 2 -- -- 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot --
N: red licorice rope; new plastic; some earthy pencil shavings after about 2 hours; very tight, even after 3 hours after opening. Day 2: more open; still red licorice rope; tobacco a bit; plum/blueberry mix;
B: violet-garnet color of great depth; medium bodied
T: medium tannins; good acidity; oak; scorched earth; starting to open after 3.5 hours --- little bits of dark cherry; floral a bit. Day 2: dark-fruited; good acidity (medium+); deeply-embedded mineral; better on Day 2 than on Day 1, and I find this very impressive. Will be looking to add some of this to the cellar.
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Deep in both color and taste. It has a certain fatness in mouth that slides into acidity in finish. Very elegant with a good balance and generous complexity. Drinking window starts now.
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Ode to France, les Accabailles and the Crus Classés de Grave (Château Carbonnieux): It has closed down a bit since my more positive review from January this year, which - as we all know - shows that wine is a living product :-). You get the bright red fruit and the fresh lifting aspect on the palate but some 10 months later in bottle, it shows a slightly steelier aspect, which could use a bit more richness. Warmer vintages such as 2018 may serve this estate reds better, but this 2016 is lovely. It recalls the structure of the 2005 vintage, which we enjoyed over dinner later that evening, and that wine is a keeper, as I think 2016 will be.
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Deep, dark, ox-blood full bodied bomb Some vanilla and oak, floral notes, red berries. (cranberries) cherries. Soft tannin, well balanced. Lots of berries on the palate. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries. Longish finish. Very good wine for the price and will age well. Young but approachable now. Get some!
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Smoke, thyme, cherry and red plum scents kick off the perfume. But the best part of the wine is on the palate, which is so poised, refined, fresh, sweet and juicy. The red fruits offer sweetness and grip along with silky tannins and a spicy nuance to the fruit in the end note. The wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot. Smoke, thyme, red plum and cherry
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The smoky, black and red fruits shine with ease here. Polished, soft, silky and fresh, this will deliver pleasure early, yet age quite well too. This has definitely stepped up in quality from barre to bottle.
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Zachys Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2016 (New York City, NY): I did not find this special but did find it enjoyable. Fruits were more present than most tonight which made this wine not entirely unlikable. Black cherry dominated with a balanced character and approachable right now.
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Tasting some Pessac-Léognans 2016 vintage (Château Bouscaut): Bright red fruit on the nose. You want to keep smelling this wine! This is lovely, chipper and smooth. There is crackling red fruit appeal! For some, however, it may seem just a tad under-ripe in terms of “optimal ripeness”? But I like this style, especially with richer foods to achieve optimal fat-acidity balance. A fine choice for sommeliers and I say hurray!
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5/3/2024 - Ben2502 wrote: 92 Points
Bouquet of Red fruit initially at opening. Then notes of black plum, blackberry with a touch of floral. Smooth & roundness on the palate with 2hrs + decant. I’d say it still needs +/-5yrs of bottle aging to be in a better drinking window for my taste
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3/25/2024 - Purple Tooth wrote: 92 Points
After stumbling on the 2010 and again being blown away by the 2015, I was so enamored by this producer that I contacted them, asking for recommendations on a hidden gem. They immediately responded 2016! I tried it in person at UGC, with the owners of the property and was too embarrassed to disagree. I love 2016 and think its the best vintage of Bordeaux for the long haul, above and beyond 2009,2010, and 2015 and 2018. But....Here, you need lots of patience and for me...Another case of the 2015 please. HOLD____Its got lots of power under the hood.
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12/15/2023 - Voodoo_Champagne Likes this wine:
Decanted for 60 min, the tannis were still there, but worked with the steak, needs though more time until 2026.
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10/26/2023 - BuckeyeBenS Likes this wine: 92 Points
Double decanted for about 3 hours before tasting. Paired with grilled T-bone steaks. Juicy and delicious! More rustic than I remember from my last tasting, the nose was full of fresh red fruits and a bit of smoke. These qualities carried through on the palate. Really quite delicious.
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7/1/2023 - Voodoo_Champagne Likes this wine:
Served directly from the wine fridge, nose delicious, taste very fresh and stunning good, in this hot weather you need, that. Next day more normal temperature and very different, I prefer them cooled.
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6/30/2023 - Burtle wrote:
Completely closed at this time, imho. Doesn't seem flawed or anything. Had higher expectations given recent tasting of other left bank 2016s.
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6/25/2023 - treph Likes this wine: 91 Points
Très bien, un peu jeune, belle structure.
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4/11/2023 - Jaber wrote: 92 Points
Beau vin , à revoir dans 2 ans.
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3/26/2023 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Similar to previous notes. Great house style, always very good value. Classy and delicious.
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3/23/2023 - Keith Cooper Likes this wine: 94 Points
Webinar hosted by The Wine Society, UK, with tasting wines sent in advance. "Bordeaux Blends from around the World."
My first tasting of this wine and I thought it was superb. Dark cassis colour. As soon as it's in the glass, huge aromas fill the air and I could happily just inhale for an hour. The nose shows cigar, leather, chocolate. Gorgeous soft fruit, plummy. And long. Excellent.
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1/14/2023 - Steve Cub Likes this wine: 92 Points
Black currants, dark cherries, black raspberries. Mild citrus, vanilla, and cinnamon on the nose. I agree with the other note that this isn't as interesting on the pallette at this point, but the nice tannins make up for the lack of intricacy on the mouth.
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8/21/2022 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Took a while to open up, but showed very nice concentration, stacked and packed, black and blue fruit; always a go-to Bordeaux for me at this pricepoint. Held up pretty well on day #3 and further underscores its great price/quality for me and consistency across vintages. Tempted to pick up a half case of the '19.
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3/9/2022 - Vanja1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tett og mørk på farge, rød med blålig skjær.
Ved åpning er vinen rik på duft med mye solbær og noe krydret preg. Nesten solbærtoddy med julekrydder. Tett og konsentrert på nese. Etter 4 timer på karaffel er duften mer samlet og dempet, bærtoner mer mot modne små blå-plummer og bjørnebær med integrert fat.
Noen dager etter under vakum har duften fått mer karakter av hengt kjøtt og svisker.
Medium munnfølelse, medium pluss syre og ferske tanniner. Lang.
En velkomponert, flott vin som lover mye men drikker godt også nå.
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11/28/2021 - Stian Thorgaard wrote:
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like oak. It tastes like vanilla and black currant (cassis). The body is medium. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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6/23/2021 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
The nose comes across more serious than the palate with whiffs of charcoal and wet wood, with a creamy vanilla core. The palate is more subdued, and comes across rather soft for the 2016 and feels very youthful but too tame. With some opening time in a big glass, finally, some of the greener cabernet notes started dancing around and the smoke started showing up. I would not touch these now, this really needs about 3 years, but I think I prefer the 2015 either way. This softness is unusual for a 2016. Will revisit...91 tops for now. Drink with 45 minutes air or Hold
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5/30/2021 - BuckeyeBenS Likes this wine: 93 Points
Oh my was this good. Beautiful aromas sing immediately upon pouring into decanter. 30-45 minutes is enough to start enjoying a sip or two. Deep purple color with black and blue fruits. Worth drinking now, and plenty of aging potential. You do not need to wait if you want to try it now. Delicious. The window has opened.
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4/25/2021 - Vince_chip Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bien ordinaire, franchement.
Un peu de graphite, fruits noirs. Un peu amer. Rien de mémorable ici.
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2/16/2021 - grafstrb wrote:
-- double decanted 30 min before 1st --
-- tasted non-blind over 3 hours on Day 1; revisited on Day 2 --
-- 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot --
N: red licorice rope; new plastic; some earthy pencil shavings after about 2 hours; very tight, even after 3 hours after opening. Day 2: more open; still red licorice rope; tobacco a bit; plum/blueberry mix;
B: violet-garnet color of great depth; medium bodied
T: medium tannins; good acidity; oak; scorched earth; starting to open after 3.5 hours --- little bits of dark cherry; floral a bit. Day 2: dark-fruited; good acidity (medium+); deeply-embedded mineral; better on Day 2 than on Day 1, and I find this very impressive. Will be looking to add some of this to the cellar.
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2/3/2021 - tluk wrote: 93 Points
Awesome. Fruits, tanins, long all that it takes. Love it. Early but very ready to drink.
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9/9/2020 - Birdmountain wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep in both color and taste. It has a certain fatness in mouth that slides into acidity in finish. Very elegant with a good balance and generous complexity. Drinking window starts now.
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8/22/2020 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
I always like this producer and this is no exception. Bright, pretty blue and black fruit. Very young now but still showing some appeal.
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11/13/2019 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ode to France, les Accabailles and the Crus Classés de Grave (Château Carbonnieux): It has closed down a bit since my more positive review from January this year, which - as we all know - shows that wine is a living product :-). You get the bright red fruit and the fresh lifting aspect on the palate but some 10 months later in bottle, it shows a slightly steelier aspect, which could use a bit more richness. Warmer vintages such as 2018 may serve this estate reds better, but this 2016 is lovely. It recalls the structure of the 2005 vintage, which we enjoyed over dinner later that evening, and that wine is a keeper, as I think 2016 will be.
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10/10/2019 - Genghis88 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Thanks l'il Rob
Deep, dark, ox-blood full bodied bomb
Some vanilla and oak, floral notes, red berries. (cranberries) cherries.
Soft tannin, well balanced. Lots of berries on the palate. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries. Longish finish. Very good wine for the price and will age well. Young but approachable now. Get some!
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9/21/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Smoke, thyme, cherry and red plum scents kick off the perfume. But the best part of the wine is on the palate, which is so poised, refined, fresh, sweet and juicy. The red fruits offer sweetness and grip along with silky tannins and a spicy nuance to the fruit in the end note. The wine is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot. Smoke, thyme, red plum and cherry
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2/25/2019 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
UCGB tasting Bordeaux 2016 (Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam.): Dark berries, lead pencil shavings, good acidity and a firm amount of round tannin. 92+
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2/25/2019 - FransS wrote: 94 Points
The 2016 vintage UGCB tasting in Amsterdam 2/25/2019; 2/25/2019-2/27/2019 (Amsterdam): A deep bouquet with dark fruit, spices and minerals, also flowers, robust, firm tannins, but ripe. This is not the most sophisticated wine, but it has a lot of character; compliments!
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2/10/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
The smoky, black and red fruits shine with ease here. Polished, soft, silky and fresh, this will deliver pleasure early, yet age quite well too. This has definitely stepped up in quality from barre to bottle.
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1/21/2019 - tomoem Likes this wine: 90 Points
Zachys Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2016 (New York City, NY): I did not find this special but did find it enjoyable. Fruits were more present than most tonight which made this wine not entirely unlikable. Black cherry dominated with a balanced character and approachable right now.
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1/15/2019 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasting some Pessac-Léognans 2016 vintage (Château Bouscaut): Bright red fruit on the nose. You want to keep smelling this wine! This is lovely, chipper and smooth. There is crackling red fruit appeal! For some, however, it may seem just a tad under-ripe in terms of “optimal ripeness”? But I like this style, especially with richer foods to achieve optimal fat-acidity balance. A fine choice for sommeliers and I say hurray!
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5/21/2017 - wineforth Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasted barrel sample en primeur. Good fruit laden nose. Not as balanced as many.
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4/29/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Juicy, smoky, dark ripe cherries, nice flesh on the fruits, freshness and complexity, and for a fair price to quality ratio too!
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