Prince - Cabernets of the world (Prince Sydney, 40 Hansard Street): Plums, blackcurrant, biscuit, sweet spice, slight red berry here as well as a little leafiness. Juicy, plentiful slightly coarse tannins prove drying, plums, blackcurrant, cream, sweet spice in support. Okay.
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Shutting down a bit. Splash decanted and shit showing the rather plush back fruits, but now seeing chunky austere tannins that are much more pronounced on the palate and finish. Delicious upon entry--structure really showing on the back end. Debating holding my last 2 bottles or drinking now.
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Nose: Cigar box, thick cassis, cedar spice; cinnamon; with time, a tar-like anise emerges. Palate: Lean; a mingling of wood and chalky mildly tart dark plum; quite spicy (black pepper sensation but not flavor) with sinewy tannins that leaves a "hot" flavor of dried-out wood. While not super enjoyable now, I think time in the cellar will help this come together in a positive way; with time in the glass, there is a strong wood souring effect that becomes a bit distracting.
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Elegant and a nice floral nose. Nice finish, and went surprisingly well with lightly fried calamari and squid tempura. Fleshy tannins, firm structure, and just a nice wine altogether.
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Really dark in colour, with notes of tobacco leaf, cedar, blackberries, some stone minerals on the nose, full body, with lots a fruit, ripe tannins, medium acidity and a nice long finish
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Deep ruby red. Deeply fragrant blackberry, cassis and cedar on the nose. Lovely purity and definition. Layered and structured on the palate. Quite drinkable now but clearly will improve with further cellaring. 92-93 pts
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Elegant and restrained in style, light to medium bodied. Fruit perfume aroma, the flavors are high pitched cranberry and cherry with mineral and flint finish.
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You know, sipping on Lafon Rochet from a vintage -- 2018 -- that is not really my cup of tea... This is my second time sampling it from this high alcohol year, they have everything under control.... But, really, since the mid-nineties, when have they not? This property just excels, consistently, year after year. The 2018 is rich and powerful, with beautiful fruit, licorice, cedar, lovely bouquet, rich deep/ruby color... coming in at 14.5% but, unlike most of the other 2018 beasts I've tried, the alcohol doesn't seem to dominate. Not my favorite Lafon Rochet ever -- the 2016 beats this out handily -- but another consistent, solid effort nonetheless.... 92 points.
www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com
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from half. I liked this more than i expected to. Its a little spoofy, sure, and the fruit is dark and curranty and a bit sweet, but its got plenty of graphite and herbs and is pleasantly correct to its appellation. Some rugged tannins which help cut the fruit. Its best with the tiniest chill to take the edge off the alcohol. Very well done, especially for such a reasonable price.
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High alc on nose. Pine, eucalyptus, green. Super old world. Herbaceous. Medium finish. On palate, acl is not high. Medium acidity. Medium tannin. Bay leaf. Funky. Someone thought it was montrose blind. St Estephe characters shine through.
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Followed over 2 nights. Holds up well and was more expressive on night 2. Black fruits, quite forward and polished with fine tannins in the background. Leans towards black fruits. Strong flint/pencil note on the nose. Finishes with some charcoal notes. Lovely typicity. Has impressive balance despite the challenges of the vintage.
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Tasted over two days. Among the best 2018 Bordeaux I have tasted to date. So far, I have found many Left Bank Bordeaux excessively fruity, if more substantive than the hollow 2016 vintage.
Equal parts red and purple fruits and berries. The red fruit featuring dryness (cranberry and pomegranate) and the purple fruits showing juiciness. Quite a harmonious blend. Appealing interplay of pepper garden, blackcurrant, mint, drying tobacco, espresso beans, pure cacao, gravel, and black earth, on the bouquet and palate. The wine features appealing tension, precision, and lift, backed by considerable grip.
Oak, somewhat toasty, also makes an appearance, but is quite judicious, particularly compared to the stuffing. It seemed there were scorched earth and smoky elements here as well. These could have been barrel char, but seemed too well integrated to be be just oak.
It strengthens from front to back, a hallmark of quality, and finishes clean, pure, and long. A perfect example of young Left Bank Bordeaux that will add weight, range, and depth as it evolves. A better wine than the 2016 vintage, tasted January this year. Found this for about $50, a steal. Easily a 92 point wine as it sits now. Very likely to improve. Approachable now, better after 2027, or so. 92-93...94?
2018 BDX Blind (Chapel Hill, NC): #13 of 15 wines in our '18 BDX blind tasting; decanted 6h before serving. 64% cabernet sauvignon, 26% merlot, 6% PV, 4% CF; 14.5% ABV. Like several of the other wines in this tasting, I had the chance to sample a glass days before the tasting thanks to my trusty Coravin. My pre-tasting notes read: "I was expecting more and found this a bit disappointing, though it is still a very nice wine. Admittedly, this would probably benefit from a lot more air, so I will continue to revisit this bottle over the coming days/weeks. Mocha, berries and a bit of mineral on the nose. Leans toward the red fruit side of the spectrum (like a lovely '18 Sociando-Mallet I had the other night), with a bit of rhubarb, cigar leaf, and forest floor. The tannins are fine for a wine so young. Update on day 2 (pre-tasting still): Coravin'ed another glass, and tonight, for whatever reason, this is really doing it for me. Loads of smoke, minerals, cigar box (oak) on the nose, with some floral notes as well. Tasted alongside the '18 Phelan Segur, and this is the much more complete wine IMO. The Phelan is a stylish, modern wine, while this is a bit more old school and slightly rustic. Shows a lot more St. Estephe character. I've found the terroir to be a bit muted in many '18s and so, appreciate it all that much more when it can shine through. Notes from the tasting read: "Cedar, coffee, herbs, smoke, leather. Fiercely tannic and a bit thin, needs time." I like this estate, but there are better wines out there in this vintage for $50.
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Amsterdam UGCB Tasting (Amstel Boathouse, Amsterdam, NL): A successful 2018, very complete, the terroir clearly excelled in this vintage. Rich and rounded but precise and fresh, ripe but with lovely lift, creamy texture, perfectly integrated oak, very fine tannins, excellent length. An outperformer.
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Espresso, flowers, cocoa, tobacco leaf, wet earth and red pit fruit aromas are all over the place. The wine is rich, round, juicy and loaded with sweet, lifted red fruits. The tannins are soft, the freshness provides the right amount of lift and you find intriguing notes of spice and spearmint in the finish. Give it a just a few years to soften and develop additional nuances and enjoy it over the following 2 decades or more. The wine was made from blending 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc.
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Bordeaux 2018 from bottle (Bordeaux and Strasbourg): From the start, vivid dark fruit juiciness and ripeness but with a fine frame of suave and very present tannin (this is a baby). I love the “amplitude”, the palate density, too. It has already softened since the barrel tasting, and it comes across rather approachable and refined. The quality is excellent and well worth the $50 tax included price tag in the U.S. (94+) Full notes in wine-chronicles.com
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Arvi Bordeaux 2018 Arrivage (Dolder Grand, Zurich): Tasting of 2018 Bordeaux in the bottle. A mixed vintage where St. Emilion often ended up over-ripe and cooked while Pomerol seems to have fared better, as did the left bank. Wine of the tasting was Rauzan Ségla, but the Léovilles (Barton and Poyferré), Pichon Lalande and Clinet presented themselves brilliantly as well.
Tasting note: Intense nose with depth, showing mostly dark berries but also elements of floral notes and herbs. Plush and concentrated with pretty high intensity palate and more distinctly herbal flavours. Not an estate I'm familiar with and first time having actually, but I see how you can like this – especially at this price.
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Quite floral in nature, from there you find black and dark red fruits, spice box, tobacco leaf and cocoa. Full-bodied, deep, rich and ripe, the palate enjoys layers of opulent, fleshy, dark red fruits, bitter chocolate and licorice. The wine was made from blending 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14.75% alcohol with a pH of 3.75. 5% of the wine is aging in foudres. This is the finest vintage of Lafon Rochet I have ever tasted. Basile Tesseron is doing a great job managing the estate today. 93-95 Pts
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3/5/2024 - Mr_Jinx Likes this wine: 88 Points
Dark fruit, nicely structured, good tannins
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11/8/2023 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
Deep and powerful. I tend to like this Chateau, and this was a very good example. Penetrating, has a slightly smoky aspect that is welcome.
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8/19/2023 - chatters wrote:
Prince - Cabernets of the world (Prince Sydney, 40 Hansard Street): Plums, blackcurrant, biscuit, sweet spice, slight red berry here as well as a little leafiness. Juicy, plentiful slightly coarse tannins prove drying, plums, blackcurrant, cream, sweet spice in support. Okay.
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7/23/2023 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Shutting down a bit. Splash decanted and shit showing the rather plush back fruits, but now seeing chunky austere tannins that are much more pronounced on the palate and finish. Delicious upon entry--structure really showing on the back end. Debating holding my last 2 bottles or drinking now.
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7/12/2023 - stamperb Likes this wine: 87 Points
Nose: Cigar box, thick cassis, cedar spice; cinnamon; with time, a tar-like anise emerges. Palate: Lean; a mingling of wood and chalky mildly tart dark plum; quite spicy (black pepper sensation but not flavor) with sinewy tannins that leaves a "hot" flavor of dried-out wood. While not super enjoyable now, I think time in the cellar will help this come together in a positive way; with time in the glass, there is a strong wood souring effect that becomes a bit distracting.
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2/17/2023 - Brinanstacy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Didn’t need to decant for very long. Drank at Brown County cabin vacation.
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2/5/2023 - FrenchyDannyV Likes this wine: 89 Points
Wait a few years
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12/24/2022 - stschutz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Elegant and a nice floral nose. Nice finish, and went surprisingly well with lightly fried calamari and squid tempura. Fleshy tannins, firm structure, and just a nice wine altogether.
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10/17/2022 - eoinhharkins Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really dark in colour, with notes of tobacco leaf, cedar, blackberries, some stone minerals on the nose, full body, with lots a fruit, ripe tannins, medium acidity and a nice long finish
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10/1/2022 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ripe lush bdx that is well crafted for the vintage. See prior notes for details.
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8/21/2022 - sjw_11 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep ruby red. Deeply fragrant blackberry, cassis and cedar on the nose. Lovely purity and definition. Layered and structured on the palate. Quite drinkable now but clearly will improve with further cellaring. 92-93 pts
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8/16/2022 - wineotim wrote: 90 Points
Elegant and restrained in style, light to medium bodied. Fruit perfume aroma, the flavors are high pitched cranberry and cherry with mineral and flint finish.
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5/25/2022 - JimHow Likes this wine: 92 Points
You know, sipping on Lafon Rochet from a vintage -- 2018 -- that is not really my cup of tea... This is my second time sampling it from this high alcohol year, they have everything under control.... But, really, since the mid-nineties, when have they not? This property just excels, consistently, year after year. The 2018 is rich and powerful, with beautiful fruit, licorice, cedar, lovely bouquet, rich deep/ruby color... coming in at 14.5% but, unlike most of the other 2018 beasts I've tried, the alcohol doesn't seem to dominate. Not my favorite Lafon Rochet ever -- the 2016 beats this out handily -- but another consistent, solid effort nonetheless.... 92 points.
www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com
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4/24/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Assic smeeling bordeaux. Concentrated on thr nose but with good energy. I could think outstanding.
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3/25/2022 - blank blank wrote: 90 Points
from half. I liked this more than i expected to. Its a little spoofy, sure, and the fruit is dark and curranty and a bit sweet, but its got plenty of graphite and herbs and is pleasantly correct to its appellation. Some rugged tannins which help cut the fruit. Its best with the tiniest chill to take the edge off the alcohol. Very well done, especially for such a reasonable price.
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3/20/2022 - KAT9 Likes this wine: 92 Points
High alc on nose. Pine, eucalyptus, green. Super old world. Herbaceous. Medium finish. On palate, acl is not high. Medium acidity. Medium tannin. Bay leaf. Funky. Someone thought it was montrose blind. St Estephe characters shine through.
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2/21/2022 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Followed over 2 nights. Holds up well and was more expressive on night 2. Black fruits, quite forward and polished with fine tannins in the background. Leans towards black fruits. Strong flint/pencil note on the nose. Finishes with some charcoal notes. Lovely typicity. Has impressive balance despite the challenges of the vintage.
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12/18/2021 - Motz wrote: 93 Points
Tasted over two days. Among the best 2018 Bordeaux I have tasted to date. So far, I have found many Left Bank Bordeaux excessively fruity, if more substantive than the hollow 2016 vintage.
Equal parts red and purple fruits and berries. The red fruit featuring dryness (cranberry and pomegranate) and the purple fruits showing juiciness. Quite a harmonious blend. Appealing interplay of pepper garden, blackcurrant, mint, drying tobacco, espresso beans, pure cacao, gravel, and black earth, on the bouquet and palate. The wine features appealing tension, precision, and lift, backed by considerable grip.
Oak, somewhat toasty, also makes an appearance, but is quite judicious, particularly compared to the stuffing. It seemed there were scorched earth and smoky elements here as well. These could have been barrel char, but seemed too well integrated to be be just oak.
It strengthens from front to back, a hallmark of quality, and finishes clean, pure, and long. A perfect example of young Left Bank Bordeaux that will add weight, range, and depth as it evolves. A better wine than the 2016 vintage, tasted January this year. Found this for about $50, a steal. Easily a 92 point wine as it sits now. Very likely to improve. Approachable now, better after 2027, or so. 92-93...94?
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11/28/2021 - BradA Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pretty good. Decent depth some secondary notes and well crafted. While nothing superlative, it shines as a value at 35. Drink from 2025 forward.
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9/5/2021 - GrapeScott wrote: 92 Points
2018 BDX Blind (Chapel Hill, NC): #13 of 15 wines in our '18 BDX blind tasting; decanted 6h before serving. 64% cabernet sauvignon, 26% merlot, 6% PV, 4% CF; 14.5% ABV. Like several of the other wines in this tasting, I had the chance to sample a glass days before the tasting thanks to my trusty Coravin. My pre-tasting notes read: "I was expecting more and found this a bit disappointing, though it is still a very nice wine. Admittedly, this would probably benefit from a lot more air, so I will continue to revisit this bottle over the coming days/weeks. Mocha, berries and a bit of mineral on the nose. Leans toward the red fruit side of the spectrum (like a lovely '18 Sociando-Mallet I had the other night), with a bit of rhubarb, cigar leaf, and forest floor. The tannins are fine for a wine so young. Update on day 2 (pre-tasting still): Coravin'ed another glass, and tonight, for whatever reason, this is really doing it for me. Loads of smoke, minerals, cigar box (oak) on the nose, with some floral notes as well. Tasted alongside the '18 Phelan Segur, and this is the much more complete wine IMO. The Phelan is a stylish, modern wine, while this is a bit more old school and slightly rustic. Shows a lot more St. Estephe character. I've found the terroir to be a bit muted in many '18s and so, appreciate it all that much more when it can shine through. Notes from the tasting read: "Cedar, coffee, herbs, smoke, leather. Fiercely tannic and a bit thin, needs time." I like this estate, but there are better wines out there in this vintage for $50.
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7/25/2021 - Slics wrote: 90 Points
Fruit forward new world style. Good but I won’t seek it out.
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6/21/2021 - FransS wrote: 91 Points
The 2018 UGCB tasting Amsterdam 6/21/2021 (Amsterdam, Amstel Boathouse): The bouquet is 'bien corsé', but after this bouquet the wine does not really fill in the promises.
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6/21/2021 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
Amsterdam UGCB Tasting (Amstel Boathouse, Amsterdam, NL): A successful 2018, very complete, the terroir clearly excelled in this vintage. Rich and rounded but precise and fresh, ripe but with lovely lift, creamy texture, perfectly integrated oak, very fine tannins, excellent length. An outperformer.
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3/9/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Espresso, flowers, cocoa, tobacco leaf, wet earth and red pit fruit aromas are all over the place. The wine is rich, round, juicy and loaded with sweet, lifted red fruits. The tannins are soft, the freshness provides the right amount of lift and you find intriguing notes of spice and spearmint in the finish. Give it a just a few years to soften and develop additional nuances and enjoy it over the following 2 decades or more. The wine was made from blending 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc.
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1/26/2021 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bordeaux 2018 from bottle (Bordeaux and Strasbourg): From the start, vivid dark fruit juiciness and ripeness but with a fine frame of suave and very present tannin (this is a baby). I love the “amplitude”, the palate density, too. It has already softened since the barrel tasting, and it comes across rather approachable and refined. The quality is excellent and well worth the $50 tax included price tag in the U.S. (94+) Full notes in wine-chronicles.com
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11/2/2020 - sirpat00 wrote: 93 Points
Arvi Bordeaux 2018 Arrivage (Dolder Grand, Zurich): Tasting of 2018 Bordeaux in the bottle. A mixed vintage where St. Emilion often ended up over-ripe and cooked while Pomerol seems to have fared better, as did the left bank. Wine of the tasting was Rauzan Ségla, but the Léovilles (Barton and Poyferré), Pichon Lalande and Clinet presented themselves brilliantly as well.
Tasting note:
Intense nose with depth, showing mostly dark berries but also elements of floral notes and herbs. Plush and concentrated with pretty high intensity palate and more distinctly herbal flavours. Not an estate I'm familiar with and first time having actually, but I see how you can like this – especially at this price.
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9/25/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Quite floral in nature, from there you find black and dark red fruits, spice box, tobacco leaf and cocoa. Full-bodied, deep, rich and ripe, the palate enjoys layers of opulent, fleshy, dark red fruits, bitter chocolate and licorice. The wine was made from blending 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, reaching 14.75% alcohol with a pH of 3.75. 5% of the wine is aging in foudres. This is the finest vintage of Lafon Rochet I have ever tasted. Basile Tesseron is doing a great job managing the estate today. 93-95 Pts
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