Should have pulled and decanted this earlier than the 2+ hours I gave it. VA and green notes at first taste. Smashed it around in both glass and decanter and that brought out all the leather and cedar you expect from a wine with this pedigree. Had the '86 Grand Vin a couple of times and it is so great that you can see why this little brother shows such class. Moments like this are why we cellar wines.
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I'd bought a case of this on release, but for some reason it remained untouched until now. I'd had a bottle of the Grand Vin from this vintage and it was spectacular, so hopes were high that this would have survived. It did more than that: Perfectly secure cork and surprising amount of youngish fruit jumped out of the bottle on opening. Left in a decanting cradle to slow ox for about 4 hours and then decanted. Perfectly mature, balanced Bordeaux. I have a large group coming to my home this weekend and 3 more bottles will go down the hatch with some Wagyu beef. Here's hoping the others are as lovely as this 1st of 12 was.
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Perfect garnet color. After half an hour in the glass perfect balance with very smooth red fruited and mature aromatics. Great balance and tastet at least ten years younger than it is. Only aspect were the rather grippy tannins and lacking some intensity as the nose was rather shy even after 3h. Delicious but loosing focus.
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Very fun Margaux night - '86 Pavillon vs '00 Palmer. 4hrs of decanting for the latter before dinner and could have even used more air! Both bottles were great although the Pavillon is just a touch past peak and the Palmer needs some more time. That said, both were still enjoyable!
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The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Strawberry, Black currant (cassis), and Forest floor. It tastes like Forest floor, Clove, Raspberry, Black currant (cassis), and Cool/Menthol with a Gamey undertone. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Long.
So I'm a sucker for a nice Margaux, but drunk with Christmas dinner of pheasant and Venison, this was absolutely spot on. Tasted much more youthful than it's years, opened 2 hours before drinking, it was still going strong and evolving 5 hours later.
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Opened and breath from 2:30 pm in the bottle, tasted in 1 hour interval and served around 7:30 pm. Nice and beautiful aromas, medium ruby color, fruity taste, top around 9:00 pm Not as complex as 1st growth.
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As decanted the smell filled the room with beautiful aromas.
The wines appearance was a medium deep garnet/tawny colour with legs. On the nose this wine showed a bouquet of stewed,sour,raspberry,cherry,stewed strawberry,plums and earthy pooy notes, with complex caramel and slight cinnamon also pick up noted of ripe strawberrys and pomegranate.
On the palate I found this wine to be dry soft tannin good smooth body with flavours of again sour cherry. Strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate and plum with french oak spice earty slightly meaty with some coco/dark chocolate and a earthy fruity finish.
A real gem of a wine for drinking now .
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Agree with LMA tasting note. Opened and allowed to breathe for about 45 minutes then poured into glasses. The wine was pretty impressive in its youthful appearance. Clear ruby color. Very little fading. Nose of red fruits, cedar, wet earth. An hour later the cigar box characteristic comes through. Silky tannins although not much fruit coming through on the palate and turns slightly acidic. Very enjoyable nonetheless.
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Horribly corked. What a shame but in line with others at this tasting (5 of 14 Bordeaux were corked!) Otherwise still relatively young and powerful, although the cork taint made any other assessment difficult.
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Wow! First and foremost... wow! I could not believe this was twenty years old (my buddy who tasted this blind guessed Bordeaux, but thought it was from 2000 or 2001). This was so fresh and alive. The color was so vibrant and deep; a dark shade of ruby. Absolutely no hint of bricking or rust. The nose was jumping out of the decanter (I let this breathe for 1.5hr) with cedar, cigar, wet earth and dried flowers being the most prominent. The palate brought a fair amount of tannins, tobacco, a touch of blueberry and a slight sense of oak and wet wood in general. Overall, this such a nice wine and I have to believe that it has at least another 5-7 years in it; if not 10.
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6 Wines 1986 Bordeaux vs. Cabernet Sauvignon. Slightly weak on edges but red color, big, tannic, earthy, rich nose, fruity, open, rich but average mouth feel and finish. My # 4 and Group #4 tied of 6.
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5/28/2022 - Trickyone wrote:
Should have pulled and decanted this earlier than the 2+ hours I gave it. VA and green notes at first taste. Smashed it around in both glass and decanter and that brought out all the leather and cedar you expect from a wine with this pedigree. Had the '86 Grand Vin a couple of times and it is so great that you can see why this little brother shows such class. Moments like this are why we cellar wines.
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10/9/2021 - IWFS Arkansas Likes this wine:
ROME on The Ridge: From a previously unopened case, a real treat with the magnificent beef.
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10/8/2021 - Trickyone Likes this wine:
I'd bought a case of this on release, but for some reason it remained untouched until now. I'd had a bottle of the Grand Vin from this vintage and it was spectacular, so hopes were high that this would have survived. It did more than that: Perfectly secure cork and surprising amount of youngish fruit jumped out of the bottle on opening. Left in a decanting cradle to slow ox for about 4 hours and then decanted. Perfectly mature, balanced Bordeaux. I have a large group coming to my home this weekend and 3 more bottles will go down the hatch with some Wagyu beef. Here's hoping the others are as lovely as this 1st of 12 was.
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1/23/2021 - afot Likes this wine:
Perfect garnet color. After half an hour in the glass perfect balance with very smooth red fruited and mature aromatics. Great balance and tastet at least ten years younger than it is. Only aspect were the rather grippy tannins and lacking some intensity as the nose was rather shy even after 3h. Delicious but loosing focus.
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12/30/2020 - MPC61 wrote: 93 Points
Very fun Margaux night - '86 Pavillon vs '00 Palmer. 4hrs of decanting for the latter before dinner and could have even used more air! Both bottles were great although the Pavillon is just a touch past peak and the Palmer needs some more time. That said, both were still enjoyable!
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1/2/2017 - Jane22 Likes this wine: 92 Points
perfect, zacht, soepel
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12/25/2012 - rickibc Likes this wine: 94 Points
The wine looks Garnet colored. The legs are Medium. It smells like Strawberry, Black currant (cassis), and Forest floor. It tastes like Forest floor, Clove, Raspberry, Black currant (cassis), and Cool/Menthol with a Gamey undertone. The body is Medium/Full. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Long.
So I'm a sucker for a nice Margaux, but drunk with Christmas dinner of pheasant and Venison, this was absolutely spot on. Tasted much more youthful than it's years, opened 2 hours before drinking, it was still going strong and evolving 5 hours later.
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9/10/2010 - vince2047 wrote: 89 Points
Opened and breath from 2:30 pm in the bottle, tasted in 1 hour interval and served around 7:30 pm. Nice and beautiful aromas, medium ruby color, fruity taste, top around 9:00 pm
Not as complex as 1st growth.
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2/24/2010 - Undertaker wrote: 80 Points
Beste Zeit leider vorüber. Jedoch durchaus noch genießbar und lässt teilweise die alte Größe erkennen. Vor allem im Abgang durchaus respektabel.
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12/5/2009 - WineManWill90 wrote: 93 Points
As decanted the smell filled the room with beautiful aromas.
The wines appearance was a medium deep garnet/tawny colour with legs. On the nose this wine showed a bouquet of stewed,sour,raspberry,cherry,stewed strawberry,plums and earthy pooy notes, with complex caramel and slight cinnamon also pick up noted of ripe strawberrys and pomegranate.
On the palate I found this wine to be dry soft tannin good smooth body with flavours of again sour cherry. Strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate and plum with french oak spice earty slightly meaty with some coco/dark chocolate and a earthy fruity finish.
A real gem of a wine for drinking now .
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7/25/2009 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 91 Points
Agree with LMA tasting note. Opened and allowed to breathe for about 45 minutes then poured into glasses. The wine was pretty impressive in its youthful appearance. Clear ruby color. Very little fading. Nose of red fruits, cedar, wet earth. An hour later the cigar box characteristic comes through. Silky tannins although not much fruit coming through on the palate and turns slightly acidic. Very enjoyable nonetheless.
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5/3/2008 - LOD wrote:
Bad nose at first, but within 30 minutes, was one of the best I have had
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10/26/2007 - micha_e wrote:
Horribly corked. What a shame but in line with others at this tasting (5 of 14 Bordeaux were corked!) Otherwise still relatively young and powerful, although the cork taint made any other assessment difficult.
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10/6/2006 - LMA wrote: 93 Points
Wow! First and foremost... wow! I could not believe this was twenty years old (my buddy who tasted this blind guessed Bordeaux, but thought it was from 2000 or 2001). This was so fresh and alive. The color was so vibrant and deep; a dark shade of ruby. Absolutely no hint of bricking or rust. The nose was jumping out of the decanter (I let this breathe for 1.5hr) with cedar, cigar, wet earth and dried flowers being the most prominent. The palate brought a fair amount of tannins, tobacco, a touch of blueberry and a slight sense of oak and wet wood in general. Overall, this such a nice wine and I have to believe that it has at least another 5-7 years in it; if not 10.
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6/4/2004 - buckeye76 wrote: 89 Points
BLACKBERRIES AND BLACKCHERRIES IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR WITH TOUCHES OF MINT IN THE NOSE AND CHOCOLATE IN THE FLAVOR. MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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11/28/1989 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
6 Wines 1986 Bordeaux vs. Cabernet Sauvignon.
Slightly weak on edges but red color, big, tannic, earthy, rich nose, fruity, open, rich but average mouth feel and finish.
My # 4 and Group #4 tied of 6.
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