Dark red color with lots of sediment. Dark, spicy and concentrated nose. Plums, vanilla, leather, pepper, cherry. Somewhat rough without food, and more rounded with. Will still last some time, but probably not improve more. Good glass and not complicated. Rather short aftertaste.
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Garnet with brick at the edge; perfume of plum, raisin, leather, a little rosemary/herbes de provence. Lovely raisin, plum, black cherry, tar on the palate. Concentrated and integrated--no rough edges. Most enjoyable with dinner (steak with aioli--really nice with the garlic); still very good, but not quite as enjoyable, by itself, at least in my opinion (for me, Mourvèdre can have a touch of bitterness that evens out with food).
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Black smokey secondary fruit, rich and full but not heavy, tannins still there but ready to drink - and tasty. Will probably last a while but might not improve
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Lovely deep garnet color. Unmistakable nose of ash, fresh dirt, coffee and blackberries. There is a sweet roundness to the nose which is so inviting. The palate is more complete, less rustic and less edgy than past bottles. I think we have hit maturity here as the mellow (for Bandol) sweetness of the finish balances the classic oomph of this wine very well. By far the best bottle of this vintage I have tasted. Super. Only nit is that it falls off a touch faster than expected. (92)
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EWG does Mourvedre (Elements Kitchen, Pasadena,Ca): Subtle, complex nose with a sweet 'n spicy character. Light notes of brett and animal fur. Complex and clean. Gentle yet substantial tannin. Lovely.
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Showed better than the bottle I had 10 months ago. More dusty red fruit on the palate with very nice dried tobacco and autumnal tones. Palate was INCREDIBLY dry with red fruit, dried florals and tobacco. The finish had good length and was full of gritty tannin. This bottle could have used more time.
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Deep ruby, clearing at rim. Typical Bandol leather and plum fruit nose with a touch of dirt and saltiness that speaks of the sea. Medium bodied, a little rustic and husky. There is an acidic finish that could use some smoothing. Still like it, however. (88)
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red berries, rustic earthy tones. silky with a firm aftertaste, meaty and earthy, blueberries and plum fruit, sweet and rich, inky/tar spice, pencil shavings, still youthfull.
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Medium garnet to clear at rim. Nice nose of classic blackberry fruit and tanned leather. You can smell a field of wild herbs in the glass. After 35 minutes the nose integrates and really shines. Medium bodied and a bit crusty. There is still tannin on the finish. Good mid palate sweetness but needs a bit of time still due to the tannin. (89+)
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Deep and dark nose with strong meat, leather, balsamic, olives and black cherry. Showing its age on the nose, the fruit seems to have shrunk into the background. The palate is a bit angular at first with brisk acidity, sous bois, leather, graphite, cherry and mushrooms. The wine smoothed out with air and lost its rough edges. Definitely a mature Bandol at this point without a ton of complexity.
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Full red. Good earth and barnyard red fruit aromatics typical of Bandol. Probably needs more age to be at peak - acids still firm with balanced fruit. Went very nicely with bbq.
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Melange of forest floor, old leather, beef jerkey, stewed tomatoe, black pepper, bramble, beginnings of secondary aromas. Large scaled, firm tannic backbone, crisp acidity, but loads of fruit as well including a dollop of blackberry pie filling. Long warm finish with a bit of heat, dusty tannins. This is wonderful of the earth wine that is drinking extremely well but no hurry at all to drink.
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I bought this wine because I wanted to give Bandol a try and it's a Kermit Lynch selection. I have yet to go wrong with one of Kermit's wines. However I was a little leery as this was only my second Bandol and the first was absolutely retched, (not flawed, just awful - we poured it down the drain.) Out of the chute this was thick and round with a floral bouqet. A dark maroonish purple, this wine has plenty of tannin and needed time to settle down. In the first half hour this had a waxy feel with a cherry flavor reminiscent of a Luden's cough drop. After two hours of decanting it shed it's medicinal overcoat and filled the mouth with an irresistable meaty cherry flavor that tempted me to gulp rather than sip. I highly recommend this wine, I'm tempted to open my other bottle right now! (With decanting this is excellent now and will undoubtedly last for at least 15 more years.)
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A bright, even, youngish purple. An excellent fruity nose: slightly floral and very elegant. Lovely and smooth on the attack, with forward fruit. It has good character on the palate with rather feisty fruit and supple tannins, which develop towards the finish. Just a touch spirity on the finish and after. A very appealing, soft, yet very serious wine - not one for quaffing. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
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2/16/2024 - presterjohn wrote:
Rich warm and old, still some sweet red fruit, slightly dilute but very pleasant. Drink now
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3/26/2023 - presterjohn wrote:
Old fruit, warm and plump, very pleasant but not much character left
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11/20/2020 - essconsults Does not like this wine: 80 Points
Bad wine or bad bottle? Heavy, Bretty, shoe polish tannins, hot alcoholic finish. Ugly!
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2/10/2018 - presterjohn wrote:
Stunning rich black fruit, dark brambles, plenty of structure. Delicious but no hurry
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5/25/2016 - presterjohn wrote:
Quite thick and chewy, balanced with acidity, luscious dark warm fruit, enveloping. Lovely.
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6/29/2014 - Tartiflette wrote: 88 Points
Dark red color with lots of sediment. Dark, spicy and concentrated nose. Plums, vanilla, leather, pepper, cherry. Somewhat rough without food, and more rounded with. Will still last some time, but probably not improve more. Good glass and not complicated. Rather short aftertaste.
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5/6/2014 - Baudelaire wrote: 90 Points
Garnet with brick at the edge; perfume of plum, raisin, leather, a little rosemary/herbes de provence. Lovely raisin, plum, black cherry, tar on the palate. Concentrated and integrated--no rough edges. Most enjoyable with dinner (steak with aioli--really nice with the garlic); still very good, but not quite as enjoyable, by itself, at least in my opinion (for me, Mourvèdre can have a touch of bitterness that evens out with food).
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3/26/2014 - presterjohn wrote:
Black smokey secondary fruit, rich and full but not heavy, tannins still there but ready to drink - and tasty. Will probably last a while but might not improve
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10/14/2012 - AJG wrote: flawed
Corked.
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6/24/2012 - dbkitc wrote: 92 Points
Lovely deep garnet color. Unmistakable nose of ash, fresh dirt, coffee and blackberries. There is a sweet roundness to the nose which is so inviting. The palate is more complete, less rustic and less edgy than past bottles. I think we have hit maturity here as the mellow (for Bandol) sweetness of the finish balances the classic oomph of this wine very well. By far the best bottle of this vintage I have tasted. Super. Only nit is that it falls off a touch faster than expected. (92)
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10/23/2011 - WetRock wrote:
EWG does Mourvedre (Elements Kitchen, Pasadena,Ca): Subtle, complex nose with a sweet 'n spicy character. Light notes of brett and animal fur. Complex and clean. Gentle yet substantial tannin. Lovely.
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8/6/2011 - tooch wrote: 90 Points
Showed better than the bottle I had 10 months ago. More dusty red fruit on the palate with very nice dried tobacco and autumnal tones. Palate was INCREDIBLY dry with red fruit, dried florals and tobacco. The finish had good length and was full of gritty tannin. This bottle could have used more time.
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8/3/2011 - presterjohn wrote:
animal nose, big juicy mouth, sweet finish with nicely balanced acidity. not complex, but very nice. should last a few years with the strong fruit
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5/1/2011 - dbkitc wrote: 88 Points
Deep ruby, clearing at rim. Typical Bandol leather and plum fruit nose with a touch of dirt and saltiness that speaks of the sea. Medium bodied, a little rustic and husky. There is an acidic finish that could use some smoothing. Still like it, however. (88)
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2/28/2011 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 92 Points
red berries, rustic earthy tones.
silky with a firm aftertaste, meaty and earthy, blueberries and plum fruit, sweet and rich, inky/tar spice, pencil shavings, still youthfull.
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11/29/2010 - dbkitc wrote: 89 Points
Medium garnet to clear at rim. Nice nose of classic blackberry fruit and tanned leather. You can smell a field of wild herbs in the glass. After 35 minutes the nose integrates and really shines. Medium bodied and a bit crusty. There is still tannin on the finish. Good mid palate sweetness but needs a bit of time still due to the tannin. (89+)
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10/16/2010 - tooch wrote: 87 Points
Deep and dark nose with strong meat, leather, balsamic, olives and black cherry. Showing its age on the nose, the fruit seems to have shrunk into the background. The palate is a bit angular at first with brisk acidity, sous bois, leather, graphite, cherry and mushrooms. The wine smoothed out with air and lost its rough edges. Definitely a mature Bandol at this point without a ton of complexity.
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1/25/2009 - cfe wrote: flawed
corked
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10/13/2008 - La Grappe wrote: 85 Points
Attractively mature, with ripe, black fruit flavours, tar, spice and a hint of compost. This has lasted well and is still going strong.
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9/6/2008 - La Grappe wrote: 86 Points
Quite dense, with a flavour of dark fruits, and some rather smoky overtones; full and long. Vigorous and by no means too old.
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7/20/2008 - La Grappe wrote: 84 Points
Mature, light to medium weight, with good, slightly burnt, mourvèdre fruit. Good for a village wine.
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7/4/2008 - La Grappe wrote: 84 Points
Soft and fragrant with hints of tar and slightly burnt fruit; medium weight, mature but still fresh. Very good for the basic village wine.
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1/1/2008 - Brad L wrote:
Nice, solid Bandol, classic, open and drinking well, typical meat and funk elements, but clean. Young, secondaries emerging.
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12/27/2007 - pbjosh wrote: 90 Points
Still quite young, pure vibrant red fruit, lifted acidic streak but a bit closed aromatically, in need of more time. Very good.
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11/16/2007 - cfe wrote:
nice Bandol. Didn't focus alot on the wine, but seems in midlife. Went well with flank steak on a Friday night.
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8/26/2007 - cfe wrote: 89 Points
Full red. Good earth and barnyard red fruit aromatics typical of Bandol. Probably needs more age to be at peak - acids still firm with balanced fruit. Went very nicely with bbq.
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1/20/2007 - antiwood wrote:
Melange of forest floor, old leather, beef jerkey, stewed tomatoe, black pepper, bramble, beginnings of secondary aromas. Large scaled, firm tannic backbone, crisp acidity, but loads of fruit as well including a dollop of blackberry pie filling. Long warm finish with a bit of heat, dusty tannins. This is wonderful of the earth wine that is drinking extremely well but no hurry at all to drink.
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1/4/2005 - Tubbs wrote: 92 Points
I bought this wine because I wanted to give Bandol a try and it's a Kermit Lynch selection. I have yet to go wrong with one of Kermit's wines. However I was a little leery as this was only my second Bandol and the first was absolutely retched, (not flawed, just awful - we poured it down the drain.) Out of the chute this was thick and round with a floral bouqet. A dark maroonish purple, this wine has plenty of tannin and needed time to settle down. In the first half hour this had a waxy feel with a cherry flavor reminiscent of a Luden's cough drop. After two hours of decanting it shed it's medicinal overcoat and filled the mouth with an irresistable meaty cherry flavor that tempted me to gulp rather than sip. I highly recommend this wine, I'm tempted to open my other bottle right now! (With decanting this is excellent now and will undoubtedly last for at least 15 more years.)
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6/11/2003 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 88 Points
A bright, even, youngish purple. An excellent fruity nose: slightly floral and very elegant. Lovely and smooth on the attack, with forward fruit. It has good character on the palate with rather feisty fruit and supple tannins, which develop towards the finish. Just a touch spirity on the finish and after. A very appealing, soft, yet very serious wine - not one for quaffing. Very Good/Very Good Indeed.
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