Out of magnum. This beat my expectations. I liked it quite a bit. Beautiful BDX perfume with cigar box, cedar, earth, bay leaf with dried fruit in the background. Nothing profound but a good example of how even modest BDX can develop into a gentle beauty. 4- (out of 5)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Enjoyed after two hour decant. Beautiful nose redolent of light perfume. This wine is at a good place and the tannins have softened but still there. Improved over the course of four hours. Tobacco, red fruit (plum), leather, and earth notes. Not a rustic wine anymore, very elegant and balanced. Drink up soon!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lots of earth in the nose with cigar box, pencil shavings, and spice. Nice texture here, med weight, med acid, med+ tannin. Fruit is hanging on but the tannin seemingly will not fully settle before things turn the corner. It’s a nice wine that should go well with richer cuts of meat. Drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is still hanging on. Dried red fruit, some tobacco and leather on the nose. Medium weight palate and fully integrated tannin. The acidity is medium and not overwhelming this wine. The fruit is still there just enough. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delicious, classic claret. Red fruited nose has both earthy and vegetal notes. Maybe some saddle leather. Fully resolved and elegant palate. Good balance. Good depth. A nice dinner companion. Not going to get any better. (89)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Had with a bottle of 1982 which showed much better. Wine was in fine condition. Still dark in color. What put me off was the medicinal quality of the nose. I have another. I am going to let it go anther year or so.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A better day for wines after some disappointment last night. Still deep garnet color. Classic dark plum, earth and slightly vegetal aromas. Silky texture, medium body and a slightly clipped finish. Not great but perfectly mature and delicious. Worth every penny of the $20 I paid back in the day. Drink soon. (89)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From a magnum. Decanted and served over 2 1/2 hours. Kept getting stronger over that time. Surprisingly strong dark fruit with tobacco and sandalwood. Excellent match for savoury-spiced filet mignon roast and smoked turkey. This showed very, very well. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Similar to last time. Very classic and traditional Margaux. Nice balance. Not the last word about complexity or persistance but a really nice glass of Bordeaux.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium Garnet. Fragrant and fine Margaux; wonderfully mature and well developed nose of tobacco, oak, farmyard and savoury. Palate well balanced; tobacco, blackcurrants leaf, mint, and some plum and red fruits; nicely balanced with rounded tannins. Good and fully matured wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium purple/ruby color. First slightly holding back but opening up with some air. Pretty and very classic notes of graphite, cassis, sour cherries, some horse saddle, spices and some cedar wood. It's medium+ bodied with still medium-high acidity and medium tannin that is pretty silky for the vintage but has a little touch of green. Medium length. A very classic, old-school Margaux that pairs really well with meat dishes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
We tasted alongside an aged Napa Cab. This wine really opened up after a two hour decant. The nose seemed to switch between vegetal and floral. The wine is showing well, and only increased my desire to pursue older French wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Vegetal and herbal nose with hints of dark fruit and balsamic vinegar. In the mouth it is very acidic. Definitely a food wine; a wine to pair with something earthy and herbal like a bean stew. On the descent in terms of drinkability, but for people who like European-style wines with less ripe fruit and higher acidity, this wine should be drinkable for several years.
I drank this next to the 2009 du Tetre. I strongly preferred the 2009. The 1996 is a completely different wine--leaner, more acidic, more rustic. This is certainly due in large part to the age, but I think it's probably due to the vintage as well.
Let me be a little more clear: If you buy wines simply for pleasure and you're considering whether to buy this from K&L, the answer is no.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice and elegant 5th growth. Clear ruby color with narrow brown rim. Flower and red fruit bouquet after 1 hour of bottle breathing. 2nd nose of little earthy and plume in the 2nd hour. Silky tannin. balance acidity and fruitiness. medium finish. Already at peak window and going down.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bordeaux Flight Featuring 2009 Margaux Reds (K&L Wines, San Francisco): Mature, tawny color. Stalky, green nose. Light weight and lively, but the fruit has given way to fennel and green herbs. The best part of it is its light, resolved, silky feel, but overall, only OK at best for its lack of flavor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep bright ruby. DD + two hours. Full rich black fruits. Touch of redcurrant too. Medium plus body. But dances not pushes through. Just getting into its secondary phase. Some fine sandalwood. Very decent fine grained tannins. Medium length. Long time ahead still.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium light body. A nose of graphite, plum, and game. With little fruit and much secondary development, the '96 is past prime, but still drinking well. The remaining tannin delivers a welcome sharpness, which in this experience helped cut through bites of crispy duck skin, but it is largely resolved. Pencil lead and game were the main notes. The structure was unimpressive. Despite the aged palate, the wine was sort of delicate and an easy drinker. This was a prototypical aged Margaux. Delicate and earthy. It lacked fruit, though.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Our predominant impression was of persistent tartness. Fell apart by second night. Hope this isn't typical. Based on other ct notes hoping this was just an off bottle
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A dark and quite full ruby. bright. Classic left bank blackcurrant and a dusty minerality with floral top notes.. A touch of cigar box too. Classic dark red fruit profile, nicely focused, a pretty florality. Not hugely complex or long but savoury, refreshing and very drinkable. Great vfm at its 2001 purchase price. ***
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Yum, this was a delicious bottle of claret, punching well above its weight. I had this wine a few times about 10 year ago, and it wasn't very nice. It was sour (the profile of the fruit of many young Bordeaux from the 1996 vintage) and a little shrill, but bottle age has brought out its inner sweetness and complexity. This still needed a few hours to really shine/sweeten, but it had lovely aromatics from the get-go with telltale notes of cigarbox and leather and wood smoke. The texture is becoming smooth, the weight is medium-bodied and food friendly. Just turning the corner into full maturity, I wager this should provide another decade of enjoyment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted for two hours. Dark Bordeaux red with lighter shades towards the rim. In the nose, this is elegant and fragrant with notes of prunes in red wine, dried tobacco, hints of green pepper and coolish notes (mint?). On the palate, it's very lively, suave at first, but then quite tart, the tannins are fine, the acidity is equally fine, there's good grip. Long, tart finish. Very good and a lot there for the future.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Although the claret still maintains a healthy ruby appearance, and notes of coffee, flowers, red fruits and tobacco, it likely has passed its prime drinking window. Tannins seem fully resolved, and losing the balance, with acidity runs higher than desired. Maybe it's time to consider drinking up.
Opened and aerated for about 1.5 hour. Bright ruby red in color, with no bricking on the rim. Fasinating nose of black currant, truffle, leather, vanilla and bacon fat. Similar note on the palate, with addition of licorice, wet earth, wood and spice. Can still feel the chewy tannin in the mid palate, but it has integrated quite nicely at this stage. The wine evolved quite nicely over the evening, and the nose just kept getting better. Could easily score a point or two higher, if not for the rather short finishing. Got one more bottle in the cellar, hope it will be as good or better.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Initially, the nose was reticent and the palate was a little thin and herbal. But with time in a decanter, it put on a little weight. It gave aromas of cedar, pencil shavings and tobacco. And the palate showed typical green bean notes and cassis. One feels it's a little beyond it's peak now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From 750ml. Decanted and served over 2+ hours. Colour is bright, with great red core, no brown. Nose is fascinating. Loads of cassis, some earthiness, perfumed with some Margaux pretty floral notes. Incredibly, a little Cheval Blanc like, thanks to Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with some chocolate and truffle. Palate is equally good. Loads more cassis, pencil lead, some animal notes and a robust core of tannin. Really improved with 2 hours of air. Medium long finish. This is a great wine that punches well above its reputation in this vintage. Plentry of tannin and life left in this wine. Give this at least an hour or more of air before drinking. I think Chris Kissack (aka the Winedoctor) got this spot on by the way. First of case and lots more pleasure to come.
Fully mature now. Fading colour around the edges. Nose of pencil shavings and cedar. Medium bodied palate with fruits almost diminished completely now. Elegant tannins and some mild astringency complete a finish that is of reasonable length. It's beyond it's prime now, but this bottle was holding ok.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by Marshall Banker. This is an opaque garnet wine which shows moderately intense aromas of plums, cocoa and coffee...unfortunately also a "stemmy" element. Medium-to-full-bodied on the palate, with medium-to-high acidity, medium residual tannins (which are coarse) and flavors mirroring the nose (including the lurking green). The middle is solid and the medium-length finish is a bit astringent. To my palate, this wine has too much of a vegetal component to ever become something special. I suspect that the fruit component will dry out before the stems and tannins give in. Drink now-12/20.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nose emits a mixture of licorice and herbs that is unique and very interesting. None I've smelled before. Tannins are balanced and soft after 15 years in the bottle. Fruits have somewhat faded but still present very softly. Overall a very unique wine that has blossomed over the years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Assez évolué à l'oeil d'un rubis au pourtour légèrement briquelé. Le nez s'ouvre des notes de poivrons, de cuir, de roses fanées et de terre mouillée. En bouche, l'ensemble est assez austère et par des tannins encore assez présents. Finale moyenne.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Garnet color. Leather, pencil lead and green pepper on the nose. Thin red fruit on the palate, along with graphite and pepper. Finish also a bit thin, but tannins still there. Drank alongside a much more fruit forward Sonoma Cab, which provided a distinctive contrast.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Colour - Redish brown Nose - Black current Body - Thinish Palette - Blackcurrent, intergrated tanins, not alot of complexity, still needs 2 years. Would have expected more by now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
this one is changed compare with the one I had before. The gas smell is gone, decant for 2 hours, is a drinkable daily wine now. one direction. little rough, after two hours decanting, the balance is good, before acid. finishing is short.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose is nice and complex, with pencil lead, smoke, herbs, cedar & a bit of darker fruits. Not as flavourful as the nose, but nice balance. Dark cherry, herbs, cedar. Good structure, still holding up and could go for a bit longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
not like after 2000 du tertre, smell and tasting like grass and herbs. good balance, finishing short. not so tannis and strong. need decant for 1-2 hours before drinking. not so impressive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
12.5%. Another Margaux property that changed owner in the last decade, currently same owner as Ch. Giscours? I have also known du Tertre as a good Bordeaux quaffer and this bottle confirms it. Straight nose of asian spice, earthy and hints of dark fruits. Quite a light-weight, traditional bordeaux style palate with good mid palate of fruits. Green pepper. Simple finish and matured.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Acidity dominant. Simple red fruit is buried somewhere underneath. Dying, if not already dead. Definitely not impressed. A few years too late to drink this one ...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The colour looks quite dark for a 12 years old wine. The nose does impress at the beginning with the roasted herbs, earthy, dark fruits and hint of flowery. The palate is fine with nice black fruits and melting tannins. But surprisingly, after abt an hour or more, this wine seems to be going down the slope, the nose become like a ash tray and the palate fruits is drying.Is this a bottle vairation, but I do suggest drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mid-ruby. Lovely nose of blackcurrant, lighter and more floral than a Pauillac. Positive entry, good middle with fruit and minerality and a refreshing and balanced finish. Quite a light-weight, traditional style and all the better for it. Delicate, floral and feminine Margaux. Now and a good ten years plus. ***1/2
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aromatic, pepper jelly and teriyaki sauce nose. Medium bodied with rounded tannins; good acidity; peppery finish. Good wine but may already be too mature tasting for some.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A little monolithic at present. My wife thought it was still too young but I would have expected more of a Margaux perfume by now. I will try again in 12 months time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely colour, a mid blood red, quite dense and fleshy texture, but the nose and palate dominated by the woodiness. Seems to be approachable now with air, but still some development to do and plenty of life yet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mmm, this was being poured at a party (a fund-raiser for Maria Cantwell with Carole King entertaining). What a nice little wine! Lead pencil with thick notes of cassis and mineral on the palate of unmistakeable Bordeaux. This is far from mature yet already reveals hints of secondary nuance, a pure pleasure to sip at a party.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
12/25/2023 - NMSteve Likes this wine:
Out of magnum. This beat my expectations. I liked it quite a bit. Beautiful BDX perfume with cigar box, cedar, earth, bay leaf with dried fruit in the background. Nothing profound but a good example of how even modest BDX can develop into a gentle beauty. 4- (out of 5)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2023 - Art_Vandelay1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Enjoyed after two hour decant. Beautiful nose redolent of light perfume. This wine is at a good place and the tannins have softened but still there. Improved over the course of four hours. Tobacco, red fruit (plum), leather, and earth notes. Not a rustic wine anymore, very elegant and balanced. Drink up soon!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/8/2023 - ONEFIVE wrote:
Lots of earth in the nose with cigar box, pencil shavings, and spice.
Nice texture here, med weight, med acid, med+ tannin.
Fruit is hanging on but the tannin seemingly will not fully settle before things turn the corner.
It’s a nice wine that should go well with richer cuts of meat.
Drink now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2022 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
This is still hanging on.
Dried red fruit, some tobacco and leather on the nose.
Medium weight palate and fully integrated tannin. The acidity is medium and not overwhelming this wine. The fruit is still there just enough. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2021 - asgerG wrote: 92 Points
P2h. Very fine mature left bank Bdx. Drink now -2030
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/10/2021 - nongrata wrote: 87 Points
Over the hill
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2020 - eyesnwine wrote: 89 Points
Mature classic claret. past peak but enjoyable. DOA day 2
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/27/2020 - dbkitc wrote: 89 Points
Delicious, classic claret. Red fruited nose has both earthy and vegetal notes. Maybe some saddle leather. Fully resolved and elegant palate. Good balance. Good depth. A nice dinner companion. Not going to get any better. (89)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2019 - JAKjr wrote: 85 Points
Had with a bottle of 1982 which showed much better. Wine was in fine condition. Still dark in color. What put me off was the medicinal quality of the nose. I have another. I am going to let it go anther year or so.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2019 - dbkitc wrote: 89 Points
A better day for wines after some disappointment last night. Still deep garnet color. Classic dark plum, earth and slightly vegetal aromas. Silky texture, medium body and a slightly clipped finish. Not great but perfectly mature and delicious. Worth every penny of the $20 I paid back in the day. Drink soon. (89)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2016 - theRealPepe Likes this wine: 90 Points
From a magnum. Decanted and served over 2 1/2 hours. Kept getting stronger over that time. Surprisingly strong dark fruit with tobacco and sandalwood. Excellent match for savoury-spiced filet mignon roast and smoked turkey. This showed very, very well. Excellent.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/3/2016 - Teamcrev wrote: 90 Points
Last of a case bought on release. Still lots of time here I believe. Very tannic still with nice dark fruits,
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2016 - Teamcrev wrote: 88 Points
Needs to breath for 30 minutes. Tannins fully faded, nice dark fruits.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2016 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 89 Points
Similar to last time. Very classic and traditional Margaux. Nice balance. Not the last word about complexity or persistance but a really nice glass of Bordeaux.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/12/2016 - Samuel Sze wrote: 90 Points
Random tasting with Nic and Bryan
Medium Garnet. Fragrant and fine Margaux; wonderfully mature and well developed nose of tobacco, oak, farmyard and savoury. Palate well balanced; tobacco, blackcurrants leaf, mint, and some plum and red fruits; nicely balanced with rounded tannins. Good and fully matured wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/25/2015 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 89 Points
Medium purple/ruby color. First slightly holding back but opening up with some air. Pretty and very classic notes of graphite, cassis, sour cherries, some horse saddle, spices and some cedar wood. It's medium+ bodied with still medium-high acidity and medium tannin that is pretty silky for the vintage but has a little touch of green. Medium length. A very classic, old-school Margaux that pairs really well with meat dishes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/5/2015 - BigRedKT Likes this wine: 90 Points
We tasted alongside an aged Napa Cab. This wine really opened up after a two hour decant. The nose seemed to switch between vegetal and floral. The wine is showing well, and only increased my desire to pursue older French wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/20/2015 - rmalloy wrote: 85 Points
Vegetal and herbal nose with hints of dark fruit and balsamic vinegar. In the mouth it is very acidic. Definitely a food wine; a wine to pair with something earthy and herbal like a bean stew. On the descent in terms of drinkability, but for people who like European-style wines with less ripe fruit and higher acidity, this wine should be drinkable for several years.
I drank this next to the 2009 du Tetre. I strongly preferred the 2009. The 1996 is a completely different wine--leaner, more acidic, more rustic. This is certainly due in large part to the age, but I think it's probably due to the vintage as well.
Let me be a little more clear: If you buy wines simply for pleasure and you're considering whether to buy this from K&L, the answer is no.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/14/2015 - Moko_hk Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice and elegant 5th growth. Clear ruby color with narrow brown rim. Flower and red fruit bouquet after 1 hour of bottle breathing. 2nd nose of little earthy and plume in the 2nd hour. Silky tannin. balance acidity and fruitiness. medium finish. Already at peak window and going down.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
Bordeaux Flight Featuring 2009 Margaux Reds (K&L Wines, San Francisco): Mature, tawny color. Stalky, green nose. Light weight and lively, but the fruit has given way to fennel and green herbs. The best part of it is its light, resolved, silky feel, but overall, only OK at best for its lack of flavor.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/20/2015 - cannym Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep bright ruby. DD + two hours. Full rich black fruits. Touch of redcurrant too. Medium plus body. But dances not pushes through. Just getting into its secondary phase. Some fine sandalwood. Very decent fine grained tannins. Medium length. Long time ahead still.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2014 - abh wrote:
Not in great shape. Dried out and some rather bitter tannins still there. Maybe lightly corked, but whatever it was not showing very graciously.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2014 - misterstarre Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium light body. A nose of graphite, plum, and game. With little fruit and much secondary development, the '96 is past prime, but still drinking well. The remaining tannin delivers a welcome sharpness, which in this experience helped cut through bites of crispy duck skin, but it is largely resolved. Pencil lead and game were the main notes. The structure was unimpressive. Despite the aged palate, the wine was sort of delicate and an easy drinker. This was a prototypical aged Margaux. Delicate and earthy. It lacked fruit, though.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2014 - capacious wrote: flawed
Our predominant impression was of persistent tartness. Fell apart by second night. Hope this isn't typical. Based on other ct notes hoping this was just an off bottle
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/10/2014 - SimonG wrote: 89 Points
A dark and quite full ruby. bright. Classic left bank blackcurrant and a dusty minerality with floral top notes.. A touch of cigar box too. Classic dark red fruit profile, nicely focused, a pretty florality. Not hugely complex or long but savoury, refreshing and very drinkable. Great vfm at its 2001 purchase price. ***
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/17/2014 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
Yum, this was a delicious bottle of claret, punching well above its weight. I had this wine a few times about 10 year ago, and it wasn't very nice. It was sour (the profile of the fruit of many young Bordeaux from the 1996 vintage) and a little shrill, but bottle age has brought out its inner sweetness and complexity. This still needed a few hours to really shine/sweeten, but it had lovely aromatics from the get-go with telltale notes of cigarbox and leather and wood smoke. The texture is becoming smooth, the weight is medium-bodied and food friendly. Just turning the corner into full maturity, I wager this should provide another decade of enjoyment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/18/2013 - octopussy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for two hours. Dark Bordeaux red with lighter shades towards the rim. In the nose, this is elegant and fragrant with notes of prunes in red wine, dried tobacco, hints of green pepper and coolish notes (mint?). On the palate, it's very lively, suave at first, but then quite tart, the tannins are fine, the acidity is equally fine, there's good grip. Long, tart finish. Very good and a lot there for the future.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/2/2013 - Cheungtp wrote: 85 Points
Although the claret still maintains a healthy ruby appearance, and notes of coffee, flowers, red fruits and tobacco, it likely has passed its prime drinking window. Tannins seem fully resolved, and losing the balance, with acidity runs higher than desired. Maybe it's time to consider drinking up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/6/2013 - Cheungtp wrote: 90 Points
Opened and aerated for about 1.5 hour. Bright ruby red in color, with no bricking on the rim. Fasinating nose of black currant, truffle, leather, vanilla and bacon fat. Similar note on the palate, with addition of licorice, wet earth, wood and spice. Can still feel the chewy tannin in the mid palate, but it has integrated quite nicely at this stage. The wine evolved quite nicely over the evening, and the nose just kept getting better. Could easily score a point or two higher, if not for the rather short finishing. Got one more bottle in the cellar, hope it will be as good or better.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/5/2012 - fizz wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured. Initially, the nose was reticent and the palate was a little thin and herbal. But with time in a decanter, it put on a little weight. It gave aromas of cedar, pencil shavings and tobacco. And the palate showed typical green bean notes and cassis. One feels it's a little beyond it's peak now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2012 - JamesTye wrote: 90 Points
From 750ml. Decanted and served over 2+ hours. Colour is bright, with great red core, no brown. Nose is fascinating. Loads of cassis, some earthiness, perfumed with some Margaux pretty floral notes. Incredibly, a little Cheval Blanc like, thanks to Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with some chocolate and truffle. Palate is equally good. Loads more cassis, pencil lead, some animal notes and a robust core of tannin. Really improved with 2 hours of air. Medium long finish. This is a great wine that punches well above its reputation in this vintage. Plentry of tannin and life left in this wine. Give this at least an hour or more of air before drinking. I think Chris Kissack (aka the Winedoctor) got this spot on by the way. First of case and lots more pleasure to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
9/25/2011 - RTaylor wrote: 88 Points
Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2011 - fizz wrote: 89 Points
Fully mature now. Fading colour around the edges. Nose of pencil shavings and cedar. Medium bodied palate with fruits almost diminished completely now. Elegant tannins and some mild astringency complete a finish that is of reasonable length. It's beyond it's prime now, but this bottle was holding ok.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2011 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 84 Points
This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by Marshall Banker. This is an opaque garnet wine which shows moderately intense aromas of plums, cocoa and coffee...unfortunately also a "stemmy" element. Medium-to-full-bodied on the palate, with medium-to-high acidity, medium residual tannins (which are coarse) and flavors mirroring the nose (including the lurking green). The middle is solid and the medium-length finish is a bit astringent. To my palate, this wine has too much of a vegetal component to ever become something special. I suspect that the fruit component will dry out before the stems and tannins give in. Drink now-12/20.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/7/2011 - Tartiflette wrote: 85 Points
faded and uninteressant...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/2/2011 - Keith.Teo wrote: 90 Points
The nose emits a mixture of licorice and herbs that is unique and very interesting. None I've smelled before. Tannins are balanced and soft after 15 years in the bottle. Fruits have somewhat faded but still present very softly. Overall a very unique wine that has blossomed over the years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2010 - Teamcrev wrote:
Still drinking well.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2010 - ggb wrote: 89 Points
Assez évolué à l'oeil d'un rubis au pourtour légèrement briquelé. Le nez s'ouvre des notes de poivrons, de cuir, de roses fanées et de terre mouillée. En bouche, l'ensemble est assez austère et par des tannins encore assez présents. Finale moyenne.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2010 - vino_per_tutti wrote: 90 Points
Garnet color. Leather, pencil lead and green pepper on the nose. Thin red fruit on the palate, along with graphite and pepper. Finish also a bit thin, but tannins still there. Drank alongside a much more fruit forward Sonoma Cab, which provided a distinctive contrast.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2010 - spore wrote: 88 Points
Nothing wrong with the wine, nothing too special - ready to drink light to medium bodied.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/26/2010 - Jhcwine wrote: 91 Points
Colour - Redish brown
Nose - Black current
Body - Thinish
Palette - Blackcurrent, intergrated tanins, not alot of complexity, still needs 2 years. Would have expected more by now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/17/2009 - winenuts wrote: 85 Points
this one is changed compare with the one I had before. The gas smell is gone, decant for 2 hours, is a drinkable daily wine now. one direction. little rough, after two hours decanting, the balance is good, before acid. finishing is short.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2009 - Dandiophile wrote: 92 Points
Nose is nice and complex, with pencil lead, smoke, herbs, cedar & a bit of darker fruits. Not as flavourful as the nose, but nice balance. Dark cherry, herbs, cedar. Good structure, still holding up and could go for a bit longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/29/2009 - winenuts wrote: 86 Points
not like after 2000 du tertre, smell and tasting like grass and herbs. good balance, finishing short. not so tannis and strong. need decant for 1-2 hours before drinking. not so impressive.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2009 - windgod wrote: 87 Points
12.5%. Another Margaux property that changed owner in the last decade, currently same owner as Ch. Giscours? I have also known du Tertre as a good Bordeaux quaffer and this bottle confirms it. Straight nose of asian spice, earthy and hints of dark fruits. Quite a light-weight, traditional bordeaux style palate with good mid palate of fruits. Green pepper. Simple finish and matured.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/14/2009 - VinumCA wrote: 80 Points
Acidity dominant. Simple red fruit is buried somewhere underneath. Dying, if not already dead. Definitely not impressed. A few years too late to drink this one ...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2009 - gverreydt wrote:
Nog goed te drinken, begint al wel wat platjes aan te voelen
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/24/2008 - yeoman wrote:
The colour looks quite dark for a 12 years old wine. The nose does impress at the beginning with the roasted herbs, earthy, dark fruits and hint of flowery. The palate is fine with nice black fruits and melting tannins. But surprisingly, after abt an hour or more, this wine seems to be going down the slope, the nose become like a ash tray and the palate fruits is drying.Is this a bottle vairation, but I do suggest drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/5/2008 - SimonG wrote:
Mid-ruby. Lovely nose of blackcurrant, lighter and more floral than a Pauillac. Positive entry, good middle with fruit and minerality and a refreshing and balanced finish. Quite a light-weight, traditional style and all the better for it. Delicate, floral and feminine Margaux. Now and a good ten years plus. ***1/2
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2008 - Double-A wrote:
Aromatic, pepper jelly and teriyaki sauce nose. Medium bodied with rounded tannins; good acidity; peppery finish. Good wine but may already be too mature tasting for some.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2008 - scb05 wrote: 91 Points
A lovely Margaux with many years still left in it- definitely opened too soon. Nice/aging color, even tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2007 - ricksmith wrote: 88 Points
Christmas 2007 - Mature Grand Crus (Kathy and Adrien's House, Noisy le Roi, France): Slight green pepper smell (may mean grapes werepicked slightly early)
Black Currant flavor with smooth taste and clean finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/7/2007 - vodrich wrote: 87 Points
A little monolithic at present. My wife thought it was still too young but I would have expected more of a Margaux perfume by now. I will try again in 12 months time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2006 - SimonG wrote: flawed
Lovely colour, a mid blood red, quite dense and fleshy texture, but the nose and palate dominated by the woodiness. Seems to be approachable now with air, but still some development to do and plenty of life yet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/24/2005 - 1800kidney wrote: 86 Points
Off bottle? not much complexity or richness. Had this two years ago and thorougly enjoyed it, but this bottle just didn't jump out of the glass
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2005 - Eric wrote: 88 Points
Mmm, this was being poured at a party (a fund-raiser for Maria Cantwell with Carole King entertaining). What a nice little wine! Lead pencil with thick notes of cassis and mineral on the palate of unmistakeable Bordeaux. This is far from mature yet already reveals hints of secondary nuance, a pure pleasure to sip at a party.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/15/2004 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 87 Points
Académie des Cinquante Du Tertre / Giscours Tasting (Hostellerie van Gaalen, Heeze, the Netherlands): Approximately 20-25% CF in the assemblage. Quite vegetal, tighter than the 1995, épicé.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/13/1998 - Zweder wrote: 86 Points
Pleasant bitterness, forest fruits and soft tannin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment