Medium to dark garnet colour. Mixed berries, cherry, tobacco, earth, mushroom, spices, cinnamon, and light balsamic notes, with medium-level acidity, and very good length. Notable old age sweetness. The tannin was sandpapery at first, but smoothed out with aeration, and the wine became sweet, smooth and balanced, with very good persistence. Mature, drink now.
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Decanted for about an hour; nose is classic Bordeaux: gravel path, forest floor in the fall, wild mushrooms but also holding on to some black berry bramble and fruit. Palate is still totally alive, great acidity, more secondary notes like tomato leaf but also underripe blackberry and a worn leather quality. Tannins are totally resolved, a fantastic wine for a 30-day dry-aged porterhouse.
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Lucky bottle when reading all previous comments. Appearance of the wine ok, dark with only a slight brownish edge. Nose unfortunately corked, preventing a higher score. Palate miraculously untouched, strong, in balance and with a nice mix of primary and tertiary flavours. I wouldn’t buy again, but this was a nice surprise.
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excellent long cork and good level for age, lowermost neck, colour still vibrant, only narrow brown rim, lovely nose that improves in the glass and with time in the decanter, powerful, concentrated and intense but still with "lift" and finesse, still very typical austere St Estephe character, now acid rather than tannin dominated palate, intense but of medium weight overall, very long lingering aftertaste, quite a positive surprise, considering pedigree (Lafon was not generally considered to be on form in this period), year and age really quite remarkable, maybe just a good bottle
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Opend by Otis. 1983 was an average vintage on the left bank. I did not think this wine was showing well. It had very little fruit character and tasted thin. No off putting flavors though. 83 points.
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No formal notes. Quite mature with still some mature cassis, but also a bit too much old age acidity. Still a lovely and mature wine, but certainly performed better some years ago. No score.
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12/24/2022 - PSPatrick wrote: 91 Points
Medium to dark garnet colour. Mixed berries, cherry, tobacco, earth, mushroom, spices, cinnamon, and light balsamic notes, with medium-level acidity, and very good length. Notable old age sweetness. The tannin was sandpapery at first, but smoothed out with aeration, and the wine became sweet, smooth and balanced, with very good persistence. Mature, drink now.
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12/11/2021 - mattym19 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for about an hour; nose is classic Bordeaux: gravel path, forest floor in the fall, wild mushrooms but also holding on to some black berry bramble and fruit. Palate is still totally alive, great acidity, more secondary notes like tomato leaf but also underripe blackberry and a worn leather quality. Tannins are totally resolved, a fantastic wine for a 30-day dry-aged porterhouse.
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9/15/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Soft blackberry; light mocha-coffee; smooth and balanced; nice integrated finish with cedar.
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9/1/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Light nose; mocha-berry; some earth; light and easy; soft and lean; light elegant finish.
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8/6/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Earthy mocha; soft tannin; crunchy and easy; soft smooth mocha - coffee finish.
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5/1/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 90 Points
Coffee and blackberry; mature; light; balanced; soft and lean; soft light elegant finish.
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8/26/2020 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
A sleeper; earthy tobacco blackberry nose; complex and layered; elegant; balanced; sweet blackberry finish.
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6/24/2020 - paulst Likes this wine: 88 Points
Wet cork; soft and linear with some blackberry.
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5/31/2020 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light earthy coffee nose; concentrated; soft tannins; balanced but with acidity; nice smooth sweet long finish.
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5/25/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cedar nose; light earth and balance with lean blackberry; coarse; elegant finish.
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5/2/2019 - sean7711 wrote: 86 Points
Cork and bottle fill in good condition, but tired and past its prime. Always a pleasure to taste these old bottles!
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2/23/2018 - vinero Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lucky bottle when reading all previous comments. Appearance of the wine ok, dark with only a slight brownish edge. Nose unfortunately corked, preventing a higher score. Palate miraculously untouched, strong, in balance and with a nice mix of primary and tertiary flavours. I wouldn’t buy again, but this was a nice surprise.
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9/22/2017 - canan wrote: 86 Points
Lovely aged wine with a little fruit left. Has developed nicely and are showing as a very classic wine. Nice, but have seen better days.
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10/29/2016 - red_man Likes this wine: 92 Points
excellent long cork and good level for age, lowermost neck, colour still vibrant, only narrow brown rim, lovely nose that improves in the glass and with time in the decanter, powerful, concentrated and intense but still with "lift" and finesse, still very typical austere St Estephe character, now acid rather than tannin dominated palate, intense but of medium weight overall, very long lingering aftertaste, quite a positive surprise, considering pedigree (Lafon was not generally considered to be on form in this period), year and age really quite remarkable, maybe just a good bottle
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10/6/2011 - Vino Me wrote: 83 Points
Opend by Otis. 1983 was an average vintage on the left bank. I did not think this wine was showing well. It had very little fruit character and tasted thin. No off putting flavors though. 83 points.
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8/27/2011 - AllRed wrote: 85 Points
Pale ruby color. Tired red fruit notes on the bouquet. Not much left on the palate- a little thin red fruit and earth.
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9/20/2010 - DavidKehler wrote:
This bottle was flawed.
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3/29/2008 - otisabdul wrote: 85 Points
Decidedly earthy, with very little fruit remaining. Some nice tobacco and dill notes, but certainly on the back nine of its life cycle. Drink up.
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7/17/2003 - Zweder wrote:
No formal notes. Quite mature with still some mature cassis, but also a bit too much old age acidity. Still a lovely and mature wine, but certainly performed better some years ago. No score.
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5/31/1997 - Zweder wrote: 85 Points
Not so many notes. Just that this is an ok wine, but not great. Now ready.
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