Medium garnet. Some dried fruits on the nose, but fairly muted really. Leather, earthy palate, no real fruits left. This has peaked and started to regress and needs drinking up in my opinion.
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Dark ruby. Blackcurrants, cherries, plums nose/palate with caramel, fig & tar. 13% alcohol. Well balanced, still drinking well. Very good wine. Another 4/5 years of life I think.
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90 pts on the nose (lovely black fruit and cassis), 91 pts on the mid-palate (round and smooth), 89 pts on the finish (slightly austere). Overall, this has evolved nicely over all my tasting notes of this wine since 2015.
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Dark ruby. Plums, damsons on the nose. Medium/full bodied. A little closed and muted finish. Enjoyable nevertheless. May improve, although RP said drink by 2019. 4 bottles left, will try again later in the year or early 2021.
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Its been 3 yrs since the last time I’ve had this vintage of this Chateau. So glad I had patience as it is drinking great now. Fully mature... loads of secondary character, tobacco, leather, plums, black licorice, and damp earth. Tannin is now round and soft. Drink up.
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Cassis and black plum overtones. Extremely smooth and refined palate. Long finish with perfectly balanced tannins. Very very good. Much better than expected for a 2006. Not the first time I have been pleasantly suprised by a Bordeaux from (the I think) under rated 2006 vintage.
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This is the second magnum I opened since my below tasting note from November of 2014. The wine has evolved much less than I expected; it's been stored at a constant 55 degrees. Very similar to my experience 4 and a half years ago, as the wine did not truly open up until the next day. My partners in drinking were staying somewhat sober as we were playing pinochle, so at the end of the evening we had half of the wine in the magnum decanter. This time I poured the wine back into the magnum bottle, as I wanted to limit the oxygen contact. The next morning, much more evolved without any maderisation, showing plenty of fruit and was still fine 2 hours later with lunch. I can't recommend opening properly stored bottles of this wine, based on how it showed and evolved with air. Thus, I will try again in 3 years.
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Double decanted. Aromas of leather, black fruits, plums and sweet spice. Fresh but with quite leathery tannins on the palate, fruits less to the fore though with time this fruit gets more savoury and also tends to be broader and longer and is joined by cedary notes. This is, for me, a good solid midweek Claret. Pretty yum.
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Decanted 1 hours. Nose of red fruit, pencil wood, medium bodied. Good balance of tannin and acidity. Easy drink and a nice food wine. Great value for money.
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Similar to prior tasting notes... Very classic St. Estephe in the glass and on the finish. This time there was a little more heat and tannin on the finish than I would prefer, but it is still a great wine for the $$. This is entering its maturity window.
Better tonight than in the past... Coming into its own and maturity. Classic St. Estephe... Iron, beef blood, mineral, black cherry, licorice, bitter dark chocolate, and coffee grounds. Great value wine!
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blackcurrant and brambly fruit, crushed rock, spice, cedar, wet stone...fresh and juicy with black fruit liquorice chalky tannins...rather nice in a rustic fashion.
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From Coravin. Brambles and plums, star anise, soy sauce and a slight metallic notes initially then an earthy pungency and a touch of funk married to warm vanilla and biscuit on the nose. In the mouth it's more juicy than fleshy with warming alcohol and savoury blackcurrant fruit. Tannins are slightly floury but smooth none the less. A touch of spice joins on the long finish. I understand the ethereal elegance of Burgundy but Bordeaux just consistently delivers at all price points: this relatively cheap St. Estephe is a prime example.
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A good Bordeaux. Reasonable bouquet with reasonable balance and both dark plum and earthy notes. A little harsh on the backend and may still improve with some time.
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Better than the last time I had this wine. 12 months in the cellar has been good to this wine. It has mellowed out...the tannins are much softer and the nose is much more expressive. Little bit of iodine and beef blood / iron on both the nose and finish, which speaks to its origin in St. Estephe. Still has a strong core of black fruit. For < $20 bucks and from the producers of Chateau Montrose, it is a great value wine.
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a bit boring / think even after 2 hour decant. Slightly better the 2nd day with ripe, medicinal tan is showing. Not much length, depth, or aromatic complexity.
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First of a 6 pack of magnums purchased from The Chicago Wine Company. Great provenance, cork in pristine shape. Poured into a Reidel Magnum Decanter, and tried immediately - showing slight fruit on the nose, plenty of acid and tannin but not much fruit and earth. (86) Tried almost 3 hours later and it began to open up showing fruit flavors but still not much nose. (87) 5 hours after the decant it began to additionally show some dark fruits in the nose. (88) About 1/3 of the wine was left in this decanter which is quite broad exposing a large amount of the wine to the air, which lead me to believe it would be dead and showing no fruit the next day....I was proven wrong. It was at it's best 20 hours after the initial decant, it showed hints of minerality together with enough dark fruit to merit a solid 90 rating. The moral of this story.....decant the hell out of this wine unless you want to wait 5 to 8 years. For magnums stored in proper cellaring conditions, I suggest a drinking window of 2018 to 2025.
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Tried 3 hour decant this time to see if improved. If anything lost some of the initial fruit without gaining in weight or length. A pleasant wine but not particularly interesting at moment. Next time will either pop and pour to enjoy merlot fruit or else wait 5 years to see if evolution.
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From a blend of 59% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Petit Verdot, this has developed nicely since release. Lots of blackberry, cassis, earth, tobacco and forest floor scents create the perfume. This round wine is drinking quite well today. It might get better, but why wait?
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Le Salon du Vin de la Revue du Vin de France 2012 (Brussels): Fresh cabernet dominated nose with hints of coffee, burnt oak, pepper and chocolate. No real signs of evolution. Good depth of fruit on the palate with round tannins. Will still improve over the next few years but also really liked it at this moment.
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Surprisingly open. No sign of evolution on the rim. Very nice nose, very savory with ripe fruits but still with 'droit'. Rich but firm, dark fruits with some tobacco and again those savory notes. Hint of graphite and clay. The finish is not very long but this should age pretty well for a 7-9 years. Overall a good St-Estephe, true to its origins, from a rather warm year.
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Inky garnet color. Quite reticent, this just really never opened up. Subtle red currant and vanilla tones. The cork was pulled about half an hour before its flight came up for tasting.
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The wine looked much older than an '06, a lighter red, almost brick color bt not qite. The legs are Medium. It smells like licorice with some classic bordeaux smells of earth and dust. The body is Light/Medium. The wine is textured Smooth and drinking really well right now. The wine finishes Medium.
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Cab profile on the nose (despite being 59% Merlot). Tannins have mellowed since last bottle (a year ago). Fresh acidity that grew more prominent over time. Impressive for its class and very approachable for a 2006. A rare treat for the price from the Medoc. A bit simple at the moment and I'm not sure how much time will bring out of this but for the price it is worth finding out.
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8/28/2022 - foyfrcs Likes this wine: 85 Points
Medium garnet.
Some dried fruits on the nose, but fairly muted really.
Leather, earthy palate, no real fruits left.
This has peaked and started to regress and needs drinking up in my opinion.
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2/16/2021 - foyfrcs Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark ruby.
Blackcurrants, cherries, plums nose/palate with caramel, fig & tar.
13% alcohol.
Well balanced, still drinking well.
Very good wine.
Another 4/5 years of life I think.
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9/28/2020 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
90 pts on the nose (lovely black fruit and cassis), 91 pts on the mid-palate (round and smooth), 89 pts on the finish (slightly austere). Overall, this has evolved nicely over all my tasting notes of this wine since 2015.
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5/17/2020 - foyfrcs Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark ruby. Plums, damsons on the nose. Medium/full bodied. A little closed and muted finish. Enjoyable nevertheless.
May improve, although RP said drink by 2019.
4 bottles left, will try again later in the year or early 2021.
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12/13/2019 - Kriz wrote: flawed
this isn't a perfect bottle. A hint of inperfection and therefore not rated.
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9/28/2019 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Its been 3 yrs since the last time I’ve had this vintage of this Chateau. So glad I had patience as it is drinking great now. Fully mature... loads of secondary character, tobacco, leather, plums, black licorice, and damp earth. Tannin is now round and soft. Drink up.
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8/21/2019 - black fruits Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cassis and black plum overtones. Extremely smooth and refined palate. Long finish with perfectly balanced tannins. Very very good. Much better than expected for a 2006. Not the first time I have been pleasantly suprised by a Bordeaux from (the I think) under rated 2006 vintage.
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5/7/2019 - Eclectic Palate Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is the second magnum I opened since my below tasting note from November of 2014. The wine has evolved much less than I expected; it's been stored at a constant 55 degrees. Very similar to my experience 4 and a half years ago, as the wine did not truly open up until the next day. My partners in drinking were staying somewhat sober as we were playing pinochle, so at the end of the evening we had half of the wine in the magnum decanter. This time I poured the wine back into the magnum bottle, as I wanted to limit the oxygen contact. The next morning, much more evolved without any maderisation, showing plenty of fruit and was still fine 2 hours later with lunch. I can't recommend opening properly stored bottles of this wine, based on how it showed and evolved with air. Thus, I will try again in 3 years.
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2/12/2019 - srp_gc Likes this wine:
Excellent wine, full of body and character. Particularly for the price.
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1/5/2019 - chatters wrote:
Double decanted. Aromas of leather, black fruits, plums and sweet spice. Fresh but with quite leathery tannins on the palate, fruits less to the fore though with time this fruit gets more savoury and also tends to be broader and longer and is joined by cedary notes. This is, for me, a good solid midweek Claret. Pretty yum.
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12/6/2018 - Khon Kaen Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good wine. Very concentrated black fruit, a bit herbal. Tannins are slightly strong but smooth, red fruit, fresh with a good length.
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10/14/2018 - Khon Kaen Likes this wine: 89 Points
Classic Bordeaux. Much better than my previous bottle. Very good balance. Very tasty and very good price.
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9/5/2018 - Khon Kaen Likes this wine: 88 Points
Decanted 1 hours. Nose of red fruit, pencil wood, medium bodied. Good balance of tannin and acidity. Easy drink and a nice food wine. Great value for money.
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4/6/2017 - dexterng wrote:
.
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7/2/2016 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Similar to prior tasting notes... Very classic St. Estephe in the glass and on the finish. This time there was a little more heat and tannin on the finish than I would prefer, but it is still a great wine for the $$. This is entering its maturity window.
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2/21/2016 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Better tonight than in the past... Coming into its own and maturity. Classic St. Estephe... Iron, beef blood, mineral, black cherry, licorice, bitter dark chocolate, and coffee grounds. Great value wine!
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1/31/2016 - chatters wrote:
blackcurrant and brambly fruit, crushed rock, spice, cedar, wet stone...fresh and juicy with black fruit liquorice chalky tannins...rather nice in a rustic fashion.
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1/26/2016 - Mads Eriksen wrote: 91 Points
Dejlig Bordeaux. Ikke så rank og stram, men ikke desto mindre klassik venstrebred. Perfekt drikkeklar.
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1/13/2016 - chatters wrote:
From Coravin. Brambles and plums, star anise, soy sauce and a slight metallic notes initially then an earthy pungency and a touch of funk married to warm vanilla and biscuit on the nose. In the mouth it's more juicy than fleshy with warming alcohol and savoury blackcurrant fruit. Tannins are slightly floury but smooth none the less. A touch of spice joins on the long finish. I understand the ethereal elegance of Burgundy but Bordeaux just consistently delivers at all price points: this relatively cheap St. Estephe is a prime example.
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6/30/2015 - czender1 Likes this wine: 87 Points
A good Bordeaux. Reasonable bouquet with reasonable balance and both dark plum and earthy notes. A little harsh on the backend and may still improve with some time.
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4/15/2015 - Paul Benigeri Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great Bordeaux. Not the best I've ever had but still very good.
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2/13/2015 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Better than the last time I had this wine. 12 months in the cellar has been good to this wine. It has mellowed out...the tannins are much softer and the nose is much more expressive. Little bit of iodine and beef blood / iron on both the nose and finish, which speaks to its origin in St. Estephe. Still has a strong core of black fruit. For < $20 bucks and from the producers of Chateau Montrose, it is a great value wine.
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1/13/2015 - ccn Does not like this wine: 88 Points
a bit boring / think even after 2 hour decant. Slightly better the 2nd day with ripe, medicinal tan is showing. Not much length, depth, or aromatic complexity.
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11/22/2014 - Eclectic Palate wrote: 90 Points
First of a 6 pack of magnums purchased from The Chicago Wine Company. Great provenance, cork in pristine shape. Poured into a Reidel Magnum Decanter, and tried immediately - showing slight fruit on the nose, plenty of acid and tannin but not much fruit and earth. (86) Tried almost 3 hours later and it began to open up showing fruit flavors but still not much nose. (87) 5 hours after the decant it began to additionally show some dark fruits in the nose. (88) About 1/3 of the wine was left in this decanter which is quite broad exposing a large amount of the wine to the air, which lead me to believe it would be dead and showing no fruit the next day....I was proven wrong. It was at it's best 20 hours after the initial decant, it showed hints of minerality together with enough dark fruit to merit a solid 90 rating. The moral of this story.....decant the hell out of this wine unless you want to wait 5 to 8 years. For magnums stored in proper cellaring conditions, I suggest a drinking window of 2018 to 2025.
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4/6/2014 - ccn wrote: 88 Points
Tried 3 hour decant this time to see if improved. If anything lost some of the initial fruit without gaining in weight or length. A pleasant wine but not particularly interesting at moment. Next time will either pop and pour to enjoy merlot fruit or else wait 5 years to see if evolution.
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2/10/2014 - ccn wrote: 89 Points
Pleasant wine drinking well but with structure to age. Shows the merlot without being overly modern/new-world.
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11/23/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
From a blend of 59% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Petit Verdot, this has developed nicely since release. Lots of blackberry, cassis, earth, tobacco and forest floor scents create the perfume. This round wine is drinking quite well today. It might get better, but why wait?
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11/10/2012 - stassivo wrote:
Le Salon du Vin de la Revue du Vin de France 2012 (Brussels): Fresh cabernet dominated nose with hints of coffee, burnt oak, pepper and chocolate. No real signs of evolution. Good depth of fruit on the palate with round tannins. Will still improve over the next few years but also really liked it at this moment.
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1/7/2012 - french16 wrote:
Surprisingly open. No sign of evolution on the rim. Very nice nose, very savory with ripe fruits but still with 'droit'.
Rich but firm, dark fruits with some tobacco and again those savory notes. Hint of graphite and clay. The finish is not very long but this should age pretty well for a 7-9 years.
Overall a good St-Estephe, true to its origins, from a rather warm year.
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8/15/2010 - AllRed wrote:
Inky garnet color. Quite reticent, this just really never opened up. Subtle red currant and vanilla tones. The cork was pulled about half an hour before its flight came up for tasting.
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5/6/2010 - rschoemehl Likes this wine: 90 Points
The wine looked much older than an '06, a lighter red, almost brick color bt not qite. The legs are Medium. It smells like licorice with some classic bordeaux smells of earth and dust. The body is Light/Medium. The wine is textured Smooth and drinking really well right now. The wine finishes Medium.
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5/6/2010 - DevinW wrote: 90 Points
Cab profile on the nose (despite being 59% Merlot). Tannins have mellowed since last bottle (a year ago). Fresh acidity that grew more prominent over time. Impressive for its class and very approachable for a 2006. A rare treat for the price from the Medoc. A bit simple at the moment and I'm not sure how much time will bring out of this but for the price it is worth finding out.
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