3 hour decant helped this open up substantially. Initial nose was grilled meats, like a burger with gorgonzola or bleu cheese on top. With time the fruit came through. Ultimately this was a bit thin...a consistent problem with 2000s. At or slightly past peak
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This is still early to consume without a long decant and venturi treatment for my tastes....That being said, after that the wine is balanced with good fruit and a nice finish.....try again in 5 years.
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This is a marvelous bordeaux, drinking exceptionally well right now. We decanted the wine with an aerator, let stand 30-45 minutes and then enjoyed this great pauillac. There was nice soft fruit with well integrated tannins. There was none of the typical paulliac harshness. I was most pleasantly surprised, having drunk one about 18 months ago that seemed past its prime. If you have one, it is time to open and enjoy -- probably won't peak anymore.
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Drank over 2 nights on a sailing trip - last night and tonight. This is absolutely in its prime with at least t good years left- although I sadly don't have any more bottles. The nose is dark fruit, graphite and leather. The palate has some well integrated tannins that softened on the second night. The fruit was still sweet and full. Absolutely fantastic Bordeaux
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Drunk annually, this is unusually forward for a left bank 2000, but should have a good few years ahead of it. This time out the gravel notes were more prominent with some of the early fruit receding. As noted previously, I do find the finish, althoughy lengthy, challenging with its astringency. Minimal decanting is needed.
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Three flawed bordeaux reds (Tilia): Three Bordeaux enthusiasts meet for dinner, and all three Bordeaux wines are flawed the same way? I think these were. All three decanted 1-2 hours, put back into the bottle, and then I drank about 1/3rd of each bottles over 3 hours.
1995 Château Léoville Poyferré - St. Julien 1996 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 2000 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte
The Lagrange was mine, I'd had it a couple years ago with a 1 hour decant and it was gangbusters. Tonight, some bordeaux nuance on the nose, and the palate is slightly sour and forgettable. Same with the other 2, the Leoville was the most sour, such that the owner had brought a backup and seemed concerned. At the very beginning, I got a distinct but light whiff of nail polish. These weren't obviously flawed, not corked, but they didn't show the way that they should. I'm leaving them unscored and likely flawed with volatile acidity. If I had to score them, they'd probably be 88-89.
Funny but under these circumstances, my starter white, an inexpensive Condrieu, was clearly wine of the night. And no one brought a Sauternes. So sad.
Amazingly, despite all these issues, we still had a good time. Maybe there's hope for the world after all, cuz this tasting was endtimes.
A Margaux at Margaux's Table (Margaux's Table, White Bear Lake, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Double decanted for an hour. Drank 2 glasses over 2.5 hours. My oh my, this was in great place and actually held its own next to a stellar '96 Margaux. Man the nose is awesome, even better than the Margaux at first. Leather, creosote, tar, crushed flowers, bacon fat and gamey sauvage character, dark fruits, graphite. The palate is very good too, showing tangy cassis and succelent dark berries, mineral dense, graphite, dark chocolate, hints of blue fruits, very polished and long. Way out kicked its coverage. Great future.
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Excellent showing of this bottle. Complex tertiary Bordeaux notes with forest floor, dark fruit, gingebread. Generous mid mouth palate, solid tannins that provide structure. Excellent Claret.
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Vinetasters: 2000 Bordeaux (Park Ridge, IL): Served double blind. Slightly bretty nose with a touch of oak as well. Very sweet and quite ripe, with large-scaled structure on the palate. A leathery profile, with nice acids on the finish. Not as pronounced as far as the fruit goes, but there's enough to keep all of the previous notes in check. My 3rd, group's 1st.
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Ok...The last third of the bottle was frozen after a long night open. Fruit is lighter on the last cm towards the glass. The nose has a streak of minerality, Now there is medium to full body; sweet dark fruit on the palate. Mostly primary, but secondary elements are creeping in. The structure is balanced enough to evolve for a decade or more....
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No formal note - enjoyable. A gentleman of a wine - in the twilight years. Nicely aged and comfortable in its own skin - tannins softened but present, wonderful nose - solid. Quite nice. I have a few more but will drink in the next 2-5 years.
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Similar notes to last bottle; aromas of dark tobacco, herbs, flowers, and cocoa. Youthful and alive on palate with some dark black fruit, great minerality and tension, velvety textures and a long finish. Upside likely but excellent today
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Fully mature, with a smoke, espresso, earth and cocoa set of nuances add to the ripe black currants in the nose and on the palate. Medium/full bodied, round and fruity, drink from 2022-2030.
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Opened, tasted immediately, decanted for 25 minutes and drank for next 90 minutes (since it was very popular). Initial nose and taste suggested a much younger wine, evolution as it decanted was perfect. Opened a second bottle and drank without decanting. Fantastic drinking now, as numerous other notes stated. Proof of the power of aeration resulting in full integration of grapes. I think it will stay at this plateau for 3-5 years, maybe longer bottle to bottle.
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Color/App: deep, dark purple/ruby core -> moderately dense garnet rim; medium++ viscosity. Bouquet intensified to a peak at about 90 minutes. Cedar, leather, tobacco, earth/gravel and lovely black fruit elements. Moderate tannins left on palate, excellent acidity and a great finish make this quite the compelling Graves. Definitely on the plateau of maturity to me and will likely hold for 10 years+.
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Dry tobacco, dark black fruit, some plum, dried herbs, and cool fresh cedar. Palate is a bit tighter than nose with warm plummy fruits, quite dryish tannins and a long finish. Nose is optimal but palate is a bit dry. No rush to pop these and quite enjoyable.
Drank next to 2000 Baron and was a bit behind and likely to remain there…nevertheless is a classic claret and quite delicious. Highly recommended.
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Tasted with 2000 Papa Clement, which we preferred. This was still excellent, with very characteristic Left Bank aromas of tobacco, cedar and toasty French oak. On the palate almost entirely black fruits, still a bit tight and tannic. This might soften a bit more with age, though I'm not sure. Ric
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Very good older Bordeaux. Classic leather, woodsy notes, dark fruits. Some secondary characteristics. Great QPR at what this is currently going for (got this bottle for $179). Comparable to the 2000 Lynch Bages from last night that is now retailing for about twice as much. Really nice stuff.
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4/19/22 Vinum55 Phoenix BYOB Tasting (Vinum55 Phoenix): [Decanted for sediment] Med+ intensity of Brett, game, savory, leather, tomato leaf, coffee. Fruit flavor is still holding strong with noticeable dried strawberries, dried cherries, dried plum. Herbaceous bright green bell pepper on back palette towards the finish. Quite intense on the palette initially with a smooth mouthfeel. This wine is quite funky though, with lots of animal gamey notes and smoke that kept building over the next hour. The strong intensity makes you hesitate for a wine of this age. Med+ body, still holding great structure, this is amazing to drink now. While it could definitely age, I personally think further cellaring could make the funk too strong, would definitely say it is time to drink this sooner than later. This is kind of a steal right now for a singing mature Bordeaux from 2000. 95pt
2000 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte vs 2000 Chateau Latour: Smith Haut Lafite is more intense initially, with substantial game, smoke, meat and animal/barnyard funk. It just slaps you with its initial flavor and makes you question if it really is this old. This was clearly a great vintage for the Smith Haut Lafite and it shows that it can be as good as a second growth here. The Latour is just exquisite and immaculate. With every sip it changes, and never in a bad way. The balance of the primary fruit notes to tertiary notes is perfect right now. Just suave and elegant and ever so mysterious, as if it’s hiding something. Fun comparison: Smith Haut Lafite is like a bass heavy dubstep song while the Latour is a grand orchestra hitting every note on every level.
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Confirming my note of 9 months ago, this is in a glorious spot and is remarkably forward for a left bank 2000. It possesses a beautifully deep nose with plum, blackcurrant, tobacco and leather aromas. The palate has a delightful freshness with crunchy well integrated tannin and secondary notes present. The finish is a little anticlimactic, being on the shorter side and is a little light. However, until the 2009 is ready to drink, this has to be the best Smith Haut Lafitte ready to go. An hour in the decanter is perfectly sufficient.
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Immaculate cork! Pure, deep ruby red with a hint of garent at the very edge. Brambly black berries, charred earth, black currant leaf, purple plum, graphite, tobacco leaf and just a hint of feralness at the end. Beautiful nose! Super smooth, medium weight, nicely dry, squeeky acidity and still a bit of chalky tannins hanging on. Fully mature flavours of crunchy black and red fruits, ink, cedar mulch, more black currant and leaf, graphite and fine minerality on the finish. Really fills out over time and becomes rounder, seemingly riper and richer. Lovely, lovely wine!
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Gang of 4 in Covid19 times; Bordeaux, Pessac (@ RW): Beautiful and smoky bouquet with dark berries, tobacco and barnyard impressions. Same on the palate. Chocolate, mild acidity and soft, mature and round tannin. A mouth filling wine which is ready now, but there is no hurry.
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A solid but not a great showing. Dense and ripe but with the balance of 2000, the period before everything was dialed up even further... I like the classicism here but as to complexity this is a clear step behind Pape Clement 2000 for example.
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lovely - certainly mature with the tannins fully resolved - the fruit is quite dried now but there is good complexity - maybe only lacking only in length - drink soonish
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Better after being opened for 24 hours, but never quite as concentrated or complex as I expected. As others have noted, the nose is full of dried tobacco, black currant, dried cherries, treacle, olive, and red pepper. Again, i found it more expressive on the second day. The palate is smooth and balanced, with the tertiary elements, fruit, acid, and tannin at a comfortable point.
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I’ve been a fan of the 2010 for years but otherwise SHF wasn’t a wine that I’ve tried. Until I read Cailles review. We decanted the wine for :45 prior to dinner at Craft. This was incredibly mature for a 2000 BDX which for my palate is a relatively austere vintage for LB wines. Dark fruit, tannin acidity and balance with those secondary flavors that you look for in an aged BDX . The finish was smooth , lasting and elegant. I could see upside from here
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Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot
Relatively fresh looking red garnet hue, clear and transparent, compact rim. Youthful still.
Aromatics is complex. Savory black fruit smell, organic dirt, crushed leaves, barnyard, black olive, dry herbs.
Palate is uplifting and tight still. Tannic with bright acidity. Dry and medium plus body. Black fruit, smoke, leather, graphite, pencil lead, gravel soil tone. Salted chocolate. This is a great wine to drink. Finish is also long and pleasing.
Probably the first 2000 that I really like. SHL knocks it out of the park here. And the great news is this is just the beginning. I believe this wine has just entered its best drinking windows with lots of stuffing to run the distance. Drink now or in 10 years with ease. 93.
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45 minute decant that got better with more time in the glass. So much better than my premature experiment years ago. Very smooth. Nice elements of black, blue and red fruits with some minerals, cedar, tobacco.
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This is in a great window. 3 hour decant and drank over a couple of hours. Cedar, plum, leather, and well balanced tannin. No doubt this has many years left in front of it, but not sure it will get much better with age. all in all pretty damn good and on point. I love 2000 Bordeaux. Many are still way to young (Ducru for example) but this is in a great window with some decanting.
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Cassis, Blaubeeren, Schokolade, Leder und erdige Noten, Menthol und Leder; am Gaumen reichlich weiches, fein- bis mittelkörniges Tannin, elegant zwischen Frucht und Säure ausbalanciert, gute Länge, weniger komplex als gedacht. Hat noch Potential!
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A really lovely wine. Medium carmine with mahogany hints. Beautiful nose with hints of cedar, black currant and spice. Nice intensity on the palate, some mature flavours, ripe tannins which were present on opening but faded into the background over three hours. Great balance and a nice long finish. Lovely. Didn't want the bottle to be done.
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It’s definitely at the apex of its drinking window though I wouldn’t be surprised if it continues to improve or hold this spot for 3-4 more years. Opulent yet reserved, with round tannins, black currant and earthy notes. Fat but balanced.
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Decanted briefly at Ca'Mea in Hudson last nite with the Jersey boys & FAD. Expressive nose of coffee beans, leather and black fruit/cassis. Silky smooth elegance exudes from the glass, openly inviting one to partake. Medium body, the soft, round tannins are mostly resolved, just the right touch of alcohol, with a good amount of plum and black currant fruit. There are tertiary notes of mint or eucalyptus, leather and earth, and the finish and length are spot on. I see this wine as peaking and thus no reason to continue holding. I've had this wine before and I don't think I've seen it in better form.
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Last tasted nearly a year ago I decided to open another bottle after reading a few recent reviews from Switzerland and Tbabes,. They are spot on and this has blossomed, and is firing on all cylinders, and is probably the best SHL drinking until the 2009 is ready to go. It is unusually forward for a left banker from 2000, but is drinking beautifully with a couple of hours in the decanter. Plum, blackcurrant, tobacco and leather are prominent with the crushed stone receding to a background note. Balance and depth are excellent with a powerful finish. Perhaps the latter could be longer, but it's nit picking. .
Bordeaux 2000 - 20 Years On - 48 Reds: All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
TN: Believe it or not, this was not only my but the consensus winner from the left bank beating all the 1st Growths (narrowly). Compared to the top shots, this wine was open and ready for business which is the main reason it got the top spot. On the medium+ expressive nose this the was a lot of inviting pure dark cassis fruit, coffee scents and herbs. Voluptuous, sexy and round. On the palate it showed more complex with dark and red berries, floral aromas, coffee, herbs, mint and earthy notes. Medium+ to full bodied but without excess weight, round and soft tannins with a high but well integrated acidity. Very open and harmonious wine and one of the few left banks that was drinking very well tonight. 95 to 96 points.
Decanting: Even without decanting, this shined bright. Still, my guess is that a 2 hours decant would have helped even more.
Group average: 95.0 pts Group rank: 4th out of 48
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Grand Bordeaux 2000 horizontal tasting; 6/20/2021-6/21/2021: Grand Bordeaux 2000 tasting with ~60 wines from the vintage hosted by a private collector. All wines were poured directly from the bottle with no decant and served in flights of 4. As general observations I would highlight: 1/ Today the 2000 is, without a doubt, a right bank vintage with Pomerol the star, 2/ the vast majority of wines are still going strong with hardly any past their peak 3/ On the left bank, St Estèphe was most ready to drink with a lot of wines in a closed stage right now, 4/ On the left bank, 2nd to 4th growths were generally more open for business than the 1st growths which almost all closed, only hinting at their full potential. 5/ If you must open a left bank bottle, Margaux is the safest place to look. Complete scoring overview and additional commentary included in the tasting story.
Tasting note: Amazing notes of coffee, incredibly fine and refined, dried leaves, bit of leather and tobacco, whiffs of mint and rather red type of fruit. Palate perfectly balances fine aging notes with fresh berry fruit, tannins are tangible but silky. Leads into a finish that keeps going on and on. This is one of the best SHL's I've had so far and on a par with 2009 and 2016. In great spot right now with plenty of bottle age left.
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Popped and poured; deep garnet core with a hint of bricking. Extroverted and impressive bouquet, offering up scents of dried plums, black truffle, scorched earth, roasted fennel, with hints of cigar box and crushed stone. Medium bodied, great depth and balance, with a velvety texture, impressive delineation and grip on the long and savory finish. Fantastic showing!
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enjoyed this way more than prior bottle. Plenty of fruit with resolved tannic structure and earthiness....excellent Pessac with the softness of higher merlot. Very pretty wine. well worth the $60 paid in the day.
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Still a very young wine. Lovely dark cherry, currant and blackberry notes on the front end, before transitioning to an earthy finish. Tannins and oak are still readily apparent, but in equilibrium with the rest of the wine. This tasted so young, I can't help but think this is going to be even better in 5-10 years.
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Everything is in place. Nose of cedar and violets. On the mouth plenty of acidity. Accompanied with home made levain bread and charcuterie. Perfect Saturday night!
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The 2000 SHL is a fantastic sip of grape-art from Pessac --- thanks family Cahtiard. You are the reason why I am building a vertical.
For those who like the tannins a bit chewy and woody, you can start popping your bottles now. For those who prefer round, well-integrated and harmonic wines like me, wait another 5 - 10 years. By then the primary, secondary and tertiary notes will fill your nose and palate with a symphony of wine art! I love this. Did I thank family Cathiard already? Btw: for those who want to enjoy an aged SHL, try 2001. Difficult vintage, but as expected, fantastic job by Cathiards!
The SHL 2000 has a fantastic nose even a few inches away from the glass you can enjoy the smell of cherries and cherry jam, fine peppers, coffee, and some fine and elegant nuances of oak. On the palate, especially the taste of berries goes to the background and some nice tertiary notes fill the mouth. Length is looooong and the oaky taste is a bit more dominant now (which is why I believe that another 5-10 years will add up to 2 points on the rating.
Be patient or enjoy today. The choice is yours.
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Still what it's always been - textbook Pessac, but intense, like Pessac with a Super Mario power-up. Bold aromatics right from the pop of the cork - no need to stick your nose in the glass for this one - evoking molten asphalt and charred campfire remains. The fruit is commensurately bold, redder-toned than it was on release but not coming across substantially more aged. Still has fairly ripping tannin, at least given that we were drinking outside on a cool night, so while this is fully ready to go on sheer expressiveness it is still young-showing and ought to have plenty development ahead of it.
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This is a delightful surprise. The nose is full of spice, more reminiscent of right bank than left. Medium body, with deep purple color, and little bricking. Typical notes of cassis and red berries. Finish lingers with balanced tannins.
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Maybe we got a bad bottle, but we were decidedly underwhelmed by this 20 year old wine. Despite a 4 hour decant, this SHL never found its legs. The fact it was an aged BDX of high quality was apparent, but there was no memorable mojo offered in any way. A shame, because after being blown away by the 2016, I picked up several other vintages including this 2000. Hoping for more out of the 05, 09, 10, and 11.
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Bottle in perfect condition with pristine cork. Opaque purple. Classic Pessac nose of cassis, berries, cedar, minerals and toasty oak right out of the gate. Fruit forward still with good depth and mid-palate presence but quite drying on the back-end. After initial disappointment with the finish, this started to come alive after about 3 hours and then knocked it out of the park when paired with Greek country-style lamb. Key takeaway for this to shine is to drink with a good piece of meat rather than on its own.
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Decanted for about 2h. Deep and clear red Bdx. color. On the nose more or less closed. On the palate soft mouthfeel, freshness, black from toasting, can't define any fruit, one-dimensional, charmless, possibly too much and unsophisticated work in the cellar. Very disappointing for the year and Chateaux!
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A very interesting wine. I was getting a lot of BBQ pork spare ribs on the finish here, but the body and the entry and the nose all seemed to be black fruit dominant until that time. The nose was a mixture of grandma's closet, cobwebs, earth, spice, and black fruit. The entry was black fruit, mushroom and truffle. The middle and finish is where the smoked pork spare ribs started to come right on in! I definitely respect these wines for what they are, but it's not really my preferred style. But this one was definitely better than most as it seemed to have the "best of both words," both earthy and aged-fruit sides exist here on this wine. Definitely would reach for it if I saw it again, but not so sure I'd be compelled to buy it.
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In development, but ready to drink, it does need a decent time in the decanter to show it at its best. It is a very earthy wine but does display a sophistication to elevate it above a rustic drinker. It still has prominent notes of blackcurrant and plum, but a real background of crushed stone and graphite is coming more and more to the fore. Likewise the finish is dominated by harsher notes. However, it is redeemed by an almost perfect balance and with good depth and a length of over 30 seconds. In many ways this is a throwback to an older style lacking some elegance, but this is attractive in its own right, and I would hope that age will be a friend to this wine.
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Fine, mid-weight Bordeaux. Pure ruby color lightening at rim. Cassis, stones and tobacco on the nose. Classic. Palate is pure yet a bit meager. A touch under-ripe. That said, it’s way better than the over-the-top abominations that Bordeaux was pumping out during this period. Excellent material. Enjoyable wine though I was hoping for more. Should drink well for the next 5 to 10 years. (91)
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After going through a dumb phase, the 3.5+yrs in my cellar since my last note has paid real dividends. 2 bottles decanted together for an hour. Dense mature brulé plum and hedgeberries, earthy with truffle nuances. Fully integrated velvety tannins and enough capsid acidity to maintain grip. Classic tip-top old fashioned Graves! Should hold up for a few more years but probably won't gain much for it.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine. Slow ox for an hour before dinner; in hindsight I should have double decanted. Deep garnet with no bricking. Notes of dried plums, black truffle, crushed stones; hints of crisp red fruits and bramble. Medium bodied, a bit more high toned than previous bottles, with the acidity bringing impressive grip and focus. Good depth, ripe tannins, and a long finish.
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Second bottle of this vintage 15 months on from first, identical notes with the exception the tannins were more tamed, a little bit more tamed and this ill go up a notch, but don't see any change elsewhere in the wine.
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First time with this wine, and I think probably a turning point for SHL. This still shows that earthy and pungent pessac style of Bordeaux and does not seem as perfectly polished as the wines to come. This vintage has the soul of Bordeaux right in the middle of it and while I like the polish and elegance of the new wines, I will miss this style. Earthy, under ripe, light footed, elegant, and long...Drink
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Good fill and no discernible seepage. On taking the foil off, I noticed that the cork was bulging a little bit and there was a slight pop as I pulled the cork, which caused some nervousness. The nose was initially a little moldy perhaps. I decanted through an Ullo filter and gave it a gentle shake, then let sit for 30 minutes. Certainly into secondary and tertiary flavors with only the slightest bit of black cherry in the foreground. Mostly a melange of forest floor, broiled mushroom and black pepper. Very much a savory wine. Is there much time left on this? I don't know. My bottle may have had a flaw, and another year or so in the bottle may not have been helpful. As it is, this was quite interesting and delicious.
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The fill was well into the neck and the cork was sound; double decanted and served in Grassl 1855 stems. Deep garnet with just a hint of bricking. An extroverted, complex, and classic bouquet, offering up scents of dried plum, cassis, black truffle, star anise, and bramble. Medium bodied, with a velvety texture, great depth and balance, framed by good acidity, with a long and focused finish. My oh my this is showing beautifully today! From a pristine case purchased at auction nearly two years ago, I see I've worked my way through the majority of my stash.
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This is fully mature and at its peak. The wine needed no decanting. Cherries, tobacco and a hint of barnyard on the nose. The palate was concentrated with dark cherries and mixed black fruits. The tannins were integrated and the wine was lively with medium acidity. Pleasantly surprised with where this wine is in its trajectory. This has plenty to stick around a bit for properly stored bottles.
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Beautiful nose of olive, loganberry, roasted fennel, cherries, plum, and menthol. Palate was medium body, med + acidity, med tannin, olive, earthy and savory red fruits with a medium finish.
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Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
Bottle #076078; 13% ABV
N: Init barnyrd blows to an attractive melding of pyrazines & ripe berries, with notes of earth, poss leather, & other unparsables
P: LM body; Rndish entry with nice, almost swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which stays within hailing distance of the init frt as it fairly seamlessly works its way into & through the LONG, balanced finish with a tangy/swtness to the fairly innocuous, yet still firming, very, VERY fine tannins. Should work with food through '24, I'm guessing. NICELY done! My EXC/EXC+ (92-95/100 using that metric). [As of late Jun '20, wine-searcher still shows sources for the 750 ml starting @ $150].
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; double decanted 1.5 hours before dinner. Threw a healthy amount of sediment. Deep garnet, with notes of dried plums, campfire, roasted fennel, and black truffle. Medium bodied, silky tannins, impressive depth, great balance, and a long and complex finish. Drinking wonderfully at present; I suspect this is fully mature, but will remain at this plateau for at least another 10 years.
Fantastic tonight. black olive, blueberry and tobacco on the nose. Palate is rich and full bodied with excellent balance and freshness. tannin was nicely integrated. this was a real treat and drinking very nicely.
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Only the 3rd bottle I've tried from the 2000 vintage, but I must say pretty much across the board I've been impressed. This was still very young. Excellent fill level and the cork was only saturated about 20% of the way up. The color was still quite opaque with just a hint of clearing at the rim. The nose initially was huge with cassis, blueberry, blackcurrant, and lots of oak spice. With air, the oak spice mitigated and this became more complex showing leather, violet, damp earth, tobacco, and just a hint of sweet spice. The palate was rich and decadent; mouth filling and yet still had a jolt of energy to lift it. A long lingering finish of sweet cassis. This bottle was excellent and based on this showing, this has at least another 10-15 years as to me, this was barely even into maturity.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of three hours. Deep garnet with a hint of bricking. A classic and extroverted bouquet, with notes of dried plums, sautéed mushrooms, spice box and forest floor. Medium bodied, with impressive lift, layers of flavor, good delineation, a velvety texture, and long finish. Fully mature, and I expect well stored bottles will show there best until 2030.
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Oddly mature for the age, I would have guessed this much older. There was a bit of oxidized cherry mixed with earth and leather on the nose, but an oddly short finish for a left bank.
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Another pristine bottle; would have benefited from some air. Notes of violets, cedar black fruits and earth. Velvety texture with a long and savory finish.
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No formal note but was just delicious - I recall the wine had a somewhat heavy dose of oak earlier on but it has melted away with time. In a great place and drinking well after almost 20 years.
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Decanted one hour and served. Ripe, sturdy, and mature Bordeaux with notable red fruit alongside the dried cassis and tobacco notes. Ready to drink now.
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Pretty smooth and classic, if opulent. Still purple at the core, garnet at the rim. Nose of sous-bois, pencil lead, blackcurrant. Very fine tannins and acidity, elegant, sweet core of fruit but nothing out of balance here. Will continue to develop over the next decade I'd guess. Young-ish, but definitely ready to drink.
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Another impressive showing! Notes of ripe plums, cassis, roasted fennel, cigar box, and black truffle. Medium bodied, with a round texture, good depth, and a long finish. Drinking wonderfully!
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of 2 hours. A dark garnet core, with notes of cedary cassis, tobacco, crushed stones; hints of anise and campfire. Medium bodied, with a silky texture, good grip and depth, with a long and focused finish.
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Popped, poured and consumed over the course of dinner; the fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. Deep garnet. Notes of dried plums, currants, broken stones, fennel and cigar box. Medium bodied, with great depth, silky texture and a long finish. This bottle seemed to be at peak maturity, where it will surely remain for another 10+ years.
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The last 12 months has seen the wine move forward considerably, and it is finally starting to drink at its best. However, please note at this stage it needs a good 6 hours in the decanter, and ideally time in the glass. The nose has shrugged off its harsher edges, and now is all about plum, dark berry, liquorice, and cedar. The palate is showing maturity with secondary notes, and is deep and well balanced, but with a real tannic bite, which doesn't intrude. The finish does not quite match the rest of the experience, and is on the shorter side and a little unbalanced. However, all in all it is a wonderful wine, which is really starting to reflect the pedigree of the 2000 vintage.
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Excellent. Some strong animal odours that blew off after 1 hour in the decanter. Progressed from there over the following two hours. Dark berries, cedar, wet stone, some mushrooms and light herbs. Slightly austere. Medium length finish. Would not leave any longer before drinking.
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Needed around 2 hours to sit, but once the barnyard dissipated everything was in nice balance. Nice tannins on the finish, medium body, great complexity. Beautiful Bordeaux wine
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Still cherry black with no paler rim, nose of licorice black fruits, and on the palate dark fruits some chocolate and leather tannins still a bit much, a decent length. Expected a bit more at this stage, will it improve more, maybe, but maybe I will not be around to find out, how long is a piece of string.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of 2 hours. A dark garnet core turning to ruby at the rim. Notes of cedary cassis, tobacco, crushed stones; hints of anise and campfire. Medium bodied, with a round texture, good grip and depth, with a long and focused finish. I think this is ready for prime time drinking, and will hold for another 10+ years!
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Brief note. Needs a lot of air to settle down. On PNP the aroma of Brett/manure was way too strong on nose and palate. After 2 hours it settled down where the fruit and “complexity” ie barnyard were more in balance. Nice and silky tannin.
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Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about two hours.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of espresso, leather, black berries and plums. Flavors of red berries, cherries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Brought as my backup bottle to dinner at La Piquette, my favorite French bistro in DC (with cassoulet and beef short ribs - the dinner bottle was an '03 Pegau Reservee), I ran into some other folks who had brought a magnum of '98 Canon la Gaffeliere as their byob, who graciously shared a glass with me, as it's one of my favorite right-bank Bordeaux. I offered to open the 2000 Smith to share with them, and I think they were quite pleased. This is just starting to hit a nice drinking window, and with a decent decant would likely have been outstanding. The noise didn't match up to the '03 Pegau, but this was really delicious. Sadly, I only have one more bottle of the 2000, but this Chateau has only gotten better and better since the mid- to late-90s, and I'm really looking forward to breaking into my case of the '05 Smith (in maybe another 5 or so years!). Everything that Parker and the other critics said about the 2000 Bordeaux vintage seems to be coming true, and then some!
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Nearly 2 years since last tasted, It has moved forward considerably, but still needs to lose some of its rougher tannic edges to reach its optimum. The essential profile remains the same with a nose dominated by plum and tobacco. On the palate the wine is deep and complex but still a little overdominated by the tannin. It has a very good well balanced finish. This is highly enjoyable with 6+ hours in the decanter, but will certainly continue to improve. A postscript; this continued to develop and improve in the glass throughout the evening.
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Commanderie de Bordeaux (Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte): Opened at 9am but not decanted. A healthy dark ruby core, with no bricking at the rim. Notes of dried currants, cassis, plums, and crushed stones; hints of black truffle. Medium bodied, a beautiful velvety texture, great depth, and layers of flavor. Impressive precision on the long finish.
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Popped and tried and then decanted. wine had a burnt, oaky stewed element. I haven't tried in several years (had a very nice bottle 5 years ago from different source). This was a bust.
Reminds me of why I am buying and sitting on 05 to 16 bordeaux. Cellar busting at the seams, but I know the history of storage for these wines.
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Opened an hour prior to dinner and consumed with grilled flank steaks, this bottle was much much better than the last I had a year and a half ago. To my palate the wine is beautifully integrated, with plum, black fruit and coffee prominently displayed. Maybe a bit of tar as well, with fine tannic grip that confirms its Graves origins. Others have complained about an abundance of wood -- perhaps so in years past, but not in this bottle last night. I suspect it is somewhere near the middle of its ultimate lifespan.
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Perfect cork. Decanted and poured off one glass to taste. Deep garnet with a slight bit of bricking at the edges. Initial impressions of tar, forest floor, and tobacco. No discernible fruit. Super tight. Will come back to it in an hour.
One hour in: camphor notes dominate, with mint and dark fruit starting to emerge. Very little acidity, and moderate tannins. Tobacco and tar starting to fade. Long ride; great wine. Has another 15-20 years in it.
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Bordeaux Wine Dinner (Wine Kitchen, SF): Aromatic, minerality, fresh black fruit; palate is full bodied, still youthful tannins, fresh; medium finish. Clean, fresh, lovely. 90-91
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clear, deep purple clean, profound excellent dark fruit & forest-floor aromas, with tobacco-spicy & smoked meat notes dry, high acidity, high tannins, full body, excellent balance & harmony, very good structure, rich complexity, tobacco, sous-bois, oak-vanilla, bitter dark chocolate long finish
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Bordeaux Wimps (10 Years and Counting) (La Trompette, Chiswick): Deep garnet. Quite red fruited, vanilla, earth, with an attractive savoury edge. Medium/full bodied, savoury red fruit, vanilla, decent fresh acidity but quite tannic on the medium/good length finish.
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Deep ruby, liked it quite a lot when first opened, a lot of cassis, fruit gum flavors with a lovely freshness and uplift. Straight from a cool cellar. However as it warmed up it became less flattering and the tannins became more noticeable and they had a slightly rough and not fully ripe edge to them. Confirming what I have long believed, that 2000 has some great wines but it is far from a great vintage. I think SHL gets better and better from 2000 onwards but I would not rush out to buy this vintage and you probably get better value and QPR in 2001, 2005 and 2008.
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Aged High End Bordeaux Blends (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Dccanted for 2 hours. I really do like this wine, but like most of the 2000's at this point this it just needs a ton of air to open up or several more years of cellar time. Big and intnese tonight, almost monolithic, structured, with black fruits, tar and creosote. Tonight 91+ to maybe 92pts.
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clear, deep ruby, clean, excellent profound forest floor aromas, leather, dark ripe fruits - a quality Bordeaux nose dry, high acidity, high tannins, full body, very good structure & complexity, long quality finish & aftertaste. required more than 5 hours to open.
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Drank last nite with Friedmans and Frieds. Decanted briefly. Generous nose of tobacco, earth, and dark fruit. Structured, complex and nicely balanced with all emblems nicely integrated. Dark fruit here, tannins are softening. Some graphite and earth still with good acidity level. A very nice aged bordeaux, still with good fruit mixed with tertiary elements. Decant longer next time.
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It took a bit of time to open up, but quite a complex wine. Lots of earth, tobacco, and graphite. Eventually blue fruit comes out together with hints of purple flowers. Nice structure, tannins are still a bit grippy, very fresh acidity, moderate alcohol. Quite persistent. I would wait a bit longer to allow the tannins to soften and integrate better.
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amazing. only sad point was that i drank this towards the end of a big night of wines...more cassis than tobacco. has the stuffing to age but drinkable today with a proper decant
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No formal note - but really enjoyed this bottle. After 17 years the oak is seamlessly integrated - decanted for a 2-3 hours prior to dinner. Beautiful nose and no sign of the fruit fading - really enjoyable.
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Too dark to comment on appearance. Graphite, dark fruit, earth on the nose. Beautifully silky on the palate. Medium body, medium- tannin and acidity. More slate and dark fruit here with some hints of wood. Didn't have the time to let it breathe properly, looking forward to the next bottle.
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Stood up for 30 minutes. Popped and into a duck decanter. Drank within 90 minutes.
Showing its age around the edges, but holding color together. Certainly some sediment, but not bad. Cork was in great shape.
There is a menthol streak that runs from the nose of this wine all the way through it. I loved it. Such character, and this wine was all about the secondary flavors. Tobacco leaves. Pencil lead.
Medium weight and medium finish. This was all about the flavors.
Disappeared pretty quick; tried to savor the last glass. In a great drinking window. Hard to see this improving much from here, although not a huge rush - think it holds in this form for several years.
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Beautiful nose of graphite, plums, black currant, pure silk and elegance in the mouth, decanted for an hour, really purring, lovely richness & weight, superb SHL, it's definitely in its drinking window 93
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Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind. Great array of black and red cherry with faintly sweet spice, but dominated for now by tannic structure. Very good concentration. Needs to 2025. Very surprised when unveiled as 2000, many of which I have found getting to be more accessible.
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Popped cork and left open for a few hours - decanted for 30 mins or so. Drinking very nicely now - lovely mature Bordeaux - has come together and perfect w/ a ribeye. Judging from this bottle I don't think the wine gets much better but should hold up for another 3-5 years.
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drinking very nicely, i don't think this has ever gone through a dormant stage but it's now integrating seamlessly. darker fruits with a hint of earth, nice balance and soft round tannins.
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Remarkably this seems to have closed up since my last bottle and although it has a core concentration was very ungiving. 2 hour decant to boot. Clearly for the much longer haul than I originally thought. Have no doubt will shine again at the 92-93pt mark - but when - who knows?! Next bottle 2020.
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Sourced from Flickingers and consumed with a gorgonzola burger at Centro DSM, this wine was perfectly drinkable, without obvious flaws, but also without much to recommend it. I say this as one who is normally a big fan of Graves. The bottle and fill looked perfect. Tasted somewhat old and tired. No oomph. Drying fruit, short length.
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Everything great about Bordeaux is in this bottle. Dark purple, very slight bricking at the rim. Intoxicating nose of damp earth, leather, pencil lead/graphite, plums. Strong acidic backbone, tannins predominant but on the mellowed side...the definition of balance. Very approachable now, but will definitely be one for the long haul, bright future ahead for this one. Brief decant 30-45 min, and it was off to the races and evolving pleasurably in the glass. Really liked this wine.
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Excellent as always, and similar to the last bottle. Plum, blackberry, juniper berries, smoky earth, tobacco, and coffee on the nose. Not quite as interesting as the other 2000 wines alongside it, but very pleasurable nonetheless.
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This has entered its drinking window but does need a good few hours in the decanter at this stage. A nose of deep plum, tobacco and leather is very intense. This intensity does fade a little on the palate but balances very well with very firm tannins. It possesses a good balanced finish if a little short. The wine really developed in the glass and I think a another year or two will see this wine improve dramatically as the harsher tannins begin to further resolve.
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Four recent Bordeaux: Served blind. Deep purple red colour. Aromas of spices, cedar, cigar box, black currants and camphor. Clearly a Cabernet Sauvignon predominant nose. In the mouth, dense, unctuous and very primary. Very tight, the fruit sturdy and presently a bit monolithic. Focussed, linear and long. Deep, dark fruit: cassis, prunes and black plums. A full throttle wine with, I would think, great material. It just needs another 8-10 years in the cellar, at the minimum.
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Château Smith Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan 2000: Dark, saturated cherry red in color. The nose is intoxicating with aromas of ripe blackberries, cassis preserves, camphor, English toffee, smoke, wet forest floor and barnyard funk. Full-bodied, velvety and caressing mouth-feel. On first attack, crushed ripe Black forest fruits and smoky pipe tobacco, followed by cherries, graphite, dried mushrooms, earth, medium acidity and integrated, teeth-staining tannins with notes of bakers chocolate on the seemingly endless, plush, elegant and round finish. Certainly one of the 5-10 best kosher wines ever made, truly decadent and outstanding. 12.5% Abv. Drink now-2023, maybe longer. 96
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Remaining bottles were balanced, smooth, medium to big bodied wine. I was very impressed. Had more intensity in the flavor, but didn't match the nose of the 2000 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion served the course before. Still has plenty of live left. Still a little young.
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A Few Wines with BBQ (Bannockburn, IL): Nice enough and correctly mature for its age/youth, but less concentration or simple fruit tastiness than I'd expect, or even vs another bottle tasted blind last year. Off bottle?
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Bordeaux 2000 tasting (at my home): dark opaque red-purple elegant dark ripe fruit nose with present earthy-spicy notes full bodied, firm tannins, earthy-lether flavours, well structured, very good complexity, stylish wine for food, excellent finish and aftertaste
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This is showing very impressively, all the more so considering the very unimpressive 2001 I had recently after loving both vintages on release. It is in the heavyweight class no doubt and has only budged a little bit since release, with the structure more assertive and some of the baby fat gone and showing its bones. Visually it still has the deep, dark inky color of a wine barely past release so I was actually surprised not to find it more obviously fruit-gobbed on the palate. It's a packed and stacked wine to be sure, but the stuffing isn't about fruit so much as tarry Graves asphalt and gravel. The fruit it does show is red-complexioned, which is surprising since these are all blueberry and blackberry on release. Time in the decanter fills in a lot of the empty spaces and makes it positively voluptuous - still with a thick coat of tannin but soft and refined in texture. Not quite cashmere but not rough either. This is vastly richer, denser, and fresher than the 2001 was. It is at a point where it's probably fair to put to rest any doubts about ageability - it's stuffed but in proportion and fresh without being primary. But this and the 2001 were also the last SHLs I enjoyed on release - by 2005 the style seemed to have gone over the top. If the 2005 tastes like this in 5 years I'll have to eat some crow. That said, there's no doubt this is sort of a slutty style of Graves, not a wine for those looking for elegance or subtlety, although if it can keep developing at this rate the old "tour de force" cliche may actually fit just fine.
Bordeaux (John's house): Decanted 30 minutes. A rich nose, damp earth, tobacco and ar. The palate is a bit dark. This is reasonably well-integrated now, but I think a couple more years will put it in the zone.
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Very nice wine. Classic nose of plums, creme de cassis, lead pencil, violets and licorice, with a hint of smoke. Velvety, smooth with silky tannins, there was more cassis and dark fruit, cigar box and baseball glove leather. Full-bodied, the finish lasted for 30 seconds or more. Gorgeous.
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Collection Champlain Charest-Encore une fois, bouteille en parfaite condition. Ouvert 1.5 h d'avance, décanté juste avant de servir Cuir, café brun, fruits rouges, herbes séchées Même en bouche. Tannins prés moyens. Belle longueur médium. Encore de la vie, mais très bon en ce moment. Lendemain: Tannique, plus fermé? cuir, bonne présence en bouche, ce vin a encore un bon bout de temps a passer en cellier. Je réserve un + pour le potentiel au fil des années. ----- Champlain Charest Collection-Bottle in excellent shape again. Opened 1.5h in advance and decanted prior to serving. Leather, lightly roasted coffee, red fruit, dried herbs. Same upon tasting, tannins medium, but present, medium length, lots of life left, but very good at the moment. Next day: Tannic, closed? Leather, good mouthfeel. This wine as lots of time left in it. Keeping a "+" for the potential it has over the years.
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The fill and cork were perfect. Color was showing just a hint of age at the rim. I've had this bottle in my cellar for 7 years. The nose was a 92 of tobacco, cedar, black currant and cassis. The palate opened with all of that on the attack and with some acidity I wasn't expecting based upon Parker's '03 review, then disappeared at mid palate and turned into bit of mess at the short finish. Perhaps it is going through a dumb phase, but that seems unlikely. Perhaps it was an off bottle. Drinkable, but far short of expectations.
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Cellared since release. Enjoyed with dinner. Decanted and then drunk from 1-2.5 hours of air. Brilliant old Bordeaux. Full of mushroom and cedar and tar. Nice layered flavor a and nose. Finish good for 20 seconds.
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Opened by Mark. Decanted 4 hours. Blackish red color. Typical Pessac asphalt aromas. Notes of black pepper, currant, grape skin and leather. Smooth approachable tannins. My favorite of the 3 bordeaux tasted. last had this 12 years ago on release and it is drinking so much better now (as expected). Still room for improvement. 93-94 points
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Annual Comparative Bordeaux Tasting (2000/2005) (Chicago, IL): Very, very soft. Not shapeless, but definitely on that path. A little bit of leather, and fruit that seems a little overripe. This didn't have the same freshness as many of the 2000s, and although there's ample acidity, there's not quite enough to overcome that slightly sickly overripe fruit character. I'm a bit surprised at how advanced this seems.
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Terroir-istes International - France, Bordeaux 2000 Vintage (Groot Constantia): "Bright mid-ruby, the aromas are attractive and pure with softened raspberry, cranberry, red plum and baked earth that runs to clay pots. A touch feral as it opens. The entry is a pot full of baked plums, and raspberries with a twist of spice that rises nicely. Broader framed, the fruit is rich with a sinewy texture and lively acidity. Perhaps a little foursquare; enough flesh coats the larger boned frame. The finish opens baked earth, chocolate more warm gravel and the tannins become sandier and dry on the long finish. More Pessac than St. Emilion. The close shows a slight bitter element that steadily got worse in glass. And got worse. 89 to 87
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Brilliant performance from one of my favorite modern style 2000 Bordeaux wines. Almost a Pomerol-feel to it: sexy, velvety, exuberant, but at the same time seriously complex and elegant. Heavenly bouquet of red and black (forest) fruits, with cassis, blackberries, raspberry, rose buds, leather, smokey fat bacon, tobacco and cigar box (cedar), all nicely framed in a spicy context with good, almost citrus-like acidity and freshness. This bottle must be near full maturity, but something tells me that it will be even better in a few years time. Loads of soft tannins left to fuel it for at least 10-15 more years.
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25 years of the Cathiards at Smith Haut Lafitte: all magnum verticals (Château Smith Haut Lafitte): This is a wine I first encountered 12 years ago in 2003, when Robert Parker guided a tasting of 2000 vintage Bordeaux at Heart's Delight. I loved it then, I love it now. Fruit driven yet with high acidity and delicious savory qualities. Tannin is high but tame and quite elegant. Full body without being glossy or modern. I would say indeed "terroir driven" with a lingering Old World and brambly fruit finish. Give me another sip, please.
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Loads of coffee, dark fruit, some vanilla and a slight tar note on the finish. This is rich, round and creamy in the mouth. Somewhat modern and the oak is very apparent. Excellent right now, but will hold and likely improve.
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Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind (Chicago, IL): Tasted double blind. Easily identified as from Bordeaux, with lots of black fruit, subtle signs of oak spice. Similar on palate with a fun, chewy texture. I've tried very little 2000 Bordeaux recently, so was surprised how accessible this is showing this young.
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I love this stuff. Decanted and drank over 8 hours. After the first few hours some of the mushroomy barnyard notes give way to the fruit and a few hours after that some of the mineral notes show up. Good mouthfeel. A touch brambly and bitter and the finish could be longer but overall a great value.
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS #094; Bordeaux: Pessac-Léognan (By BD): Beautiful bouquet with a touch of barnyard, ripe dark forest fruits, animals, some cocoa and red fruits as well. On the palate red and dark forest fruits, licorice, good oak, sweet spices and almost Rhone like garrigue. Overall I don't know what to think; the wine was definitely very nice imho but did not impress as expected for the vintage. Some of the tasters were quite negative. Personally I scored the wine 91. Really hope to taste this wine again somewhere around 2017.
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I was already into 2-3 bottles before we opened this one up, so my palate was a little dull. Regardless, this was a great wine. It was a bit acidic on the mid palate and I got some heavy tannins on the finish. Bottle was opened at a restaurant and we invited the somm to taste with us. She was gaga over this bottle.
I'm still thinking the 2000 vintage could stand some considerable time in the bottle. However others at the table were wondering when this vintage will really start to shine (impatient) or if it ends up being not as great at everyone originally thought (debbie-downer!). Time will tell....
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decanted 1.5 hours. dark red to rim; smoke & toast, crushed blueberries & currants, mocha, brown spices; med ++ weight; ripe black & blue fruits, sweetly plush on the middle, vanilla extract, nominal mineral quotient, seems very accessible & forward.
Continues to impress; a touch of truffle (?age) appearing in the mix that I don't remember from earlier notes. Becoming quite velvety and dense. Two bottles decanted separately for two hours. Consistent. Perfect with our Easter Day roast and follow up English cheese platter. No rush.
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Perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim. Forward nose of cassis, cedar, dark fruits, cigar. Medium to full body, ripe fruit, great balance, no real complexity yet, long finish, outstanding with upside potential as complexity develops.
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Russk. WIC+Wives. at the French restaurants on Harrison Street. I expected this to be the one of the night. It was slightly over shadowed by an unassuming St.E. 91-. might be a little bit more time.
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This is in a very good place now. Fruit, grip, all in balance. Turns soft almost velvety near the finish with just enough tannin to add to its structure. Cellared since release.
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Phenomenal bottle. Over a long birthday weekend splashed with ridiculous amounts of great wine this stood out. Almost immediately approachable. Deep, dense, rich and relatively youthful. Beautiful aromas that inspired us to create detailed and visual stories involving old houses, worn leather, cedar lined basements and classic cigars. Wish I had more.
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Beautiful left bank nose from the get-go. Soaring cassis, earth, cedar, coffee, gravel, tobacco. Open, ripe, plummy and cassis driven fruit in the mouth with a suavely balanced profile and a decisive finish. In a pretty place right now and good for at least another 5.
Served this evening with a grilled ribeye following a recipe provided by Michael. Intended for filet, it adapted well: 1 minute a side seared at 650 degrees over indirect heat, then finished for 14 minutes on the warming rack at 350. Did I execute the game plan? Hah, I have this testosterone laden Lynx monster and once you get it to 650 you can shut off the burners and it takes a half hour to cool down from 650 to 350, at least when the external temperature is in the 80's. So instead it was more like 10 minutes at 450 to a nice medium rare. Everyone loved it so that's really what counts. Now I'm polishing off the SHL and I'm in a very pretty place myself.
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Pop and taste. Oh yeah this is gonna be good!!! Bordeaux soul. Creamy oak like a St Estephe (Cos), but dirt and minerals of Graves. Floral yet cedar and cowboy at the same time if that makes sense.... Like a cowboy library. Too complex to describe. Very enjoyable and it's only been opened 5 minutes. Now in the decanter.
I'm very happy. Need to find more.
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Drank at the Chateau. Curiously, this bottle seemed much more evolved than the prior two. Everything was in balance and enjoyable, but this displayed many more secondary characteristics, which were not bad, but odd considering the age.
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Decanted 2h based on some of the notes here but think it does not need that long. Dark garnet, nice barnyard nose, dark fruit, cedar a touch of coffee. Surprised to still find fine to medium tannins. Short to medium finish. 90-91 Am with Jeff Leve here on the 2000 SHL. For example the 2004 SHL is the better wine despite a mediocre vintage. Another slightly disappointing 2000 left banker in my eyes.
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La Commanderie de Bordeaux: Les Cinq (Five Sails - Vancouver, BC): Excellent nose showing tons of black pepper and baking spice aromas upfront, followed by plenty of graphite, cedar, gravel, ground coffee beans, and tart black cherries. Nice nose showing the typical SHL smokiness. More black pepper spice comes through on the palate along with some black cherry, graphite, cedar, coffee beans, and plenty of menthol. There's tons of lead pencil all the way through here with lots of spice at its core. Still young and fresh and in need of time but showed surprisingly well already. There's lots of gravel terroir evident here but could use some time to balance the oak. Delicious. Very good+
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Mmm, smoky, roasty, ripe and toasty. Very meaty and savory with a soy/umami aspect. Not shy on the oak but so much great fruit to match it. This is still a baby, but it is delicious even at this young age.
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Quite a bit of vanilla/oak on the nose along with smoke, dark fruit and tobacco. More of the same on the rich, round and creamy palate. While there is quite a bit of oak on this wine, it works. Medium+ finish. Easily enjoyed now.
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Nose was full of tobacco, earth, dark stewed blackberries. Rich mouthfeel with balance from front to back - smooth as silk. Popped and poured and it was friendly immediately. Came back to it after three hours and it had evolved into something sexier.
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Extra decanting time than previous bottle reviewed earlier. 90+mins rather than an hour. Same essential character as earlier note but with the fruit element much more prominent and even greater raciness - thus the extra mark. Very fine but remain to be convinced it has the hidden depths to hold at this level or improve for more than five years.
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Super lovely tobacco and cedar, lots of secondary notes with a little primary push that is coming out, and it is definitely not tertiary at this point in time. It is in a really dangerous time right now, where you put the bottle down, and your friends finish it off! A great wine to share, today, and down the road.
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just about entering it's drinking window but needs a long decant. i gave it an hour which wasn't enough but it improved a lot over the subsequent 4 hours of drinking. classic pessac leognan. definitely got some tobacco and more red fruit than black. very good
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At plateau. Decanted for an hour. Slightest bricking deepening into garnet core. Wonderful smokey cassis tabacco aromas. Fully integrated tannins with flavours of blackcurrant, dried herbs and hint of liquorice. Considerable race. Very good indeed but I suspect only about another 5 years ahead of it at this optimum level.
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- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of black currant, violet and cedar. It's balanced and has flavours of tobacco and black currant with a medium body. Polished texture with a medium finish - Very good. Classic Graves, stone, gravel notes.
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Dark red. This continues to come together with age and open time. Nose of red fruit, tobacco, and vanilla. A complete Bordeaux with excellent balance and a good finish.
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Dark, dark red. This continues to come together with open age and open time. Nose of red fruit, tobacco, and vanilla. A complete Bordeaux with excellent balance and a good finish.
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Monthly Tasting Group: Bordeaux (Levain, Mpls): this had a 2.5hr decant. Small pour. Still came out of the box slowly, seemed a bit hot initially. Developed a nice perfume of ripe cassis, graphite, and floral notes. The palate resolved and was deep and layered. This is still quite young and should improve significantly. Wish I would have had more of this to examine longer. 92+pts.
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still relatively closed; it was only late on the second night that the nose really began to open up; still quite youthful color; still a little closed on the palate, but beginning to reveal nice dark fruit flavors; excellent structure and good long finish. very good wine.
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Oak, smoke, coffee, blackberry and earthy scents, full bodied, soft, round tannins and a plum filled are found in this Pessac Leognan. The wine is slightly marred by too much oak. The level of quality found in the wines being made today at Smith Haut Lafitte is at a much higher level.
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Fantastic young Graves in a modern vein. A smokey nose of tobacco moves to a pure, supple and juicy palate of black cherry. Lots of salty mineral appears on the dusty finish. The tannins here are incredibly suave and silky in this very precocious wine. I am rather surprised at how supple this is at this early stage. Very enjoyable.
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Chinese New Year (Home of Mike and Sandra O.): Not decanted, followed over several hours. No formal notes. Fantastic wine. Nose was quite dark, with tar, gravel, roasted fruits and smoke—very intriguing. Palate added some black currants with a little cassis mixed in, gravel and leather. Prominent slightly coarse tannins compared to the other ‘00’s. Lengthy tar, mocha, and gravel finish with some dark berries. I found this quite complex and balanced, and drinking reasonably well though a few more years with benefit this.
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Wow, clearly the wine of the night: Beautiful aromatic nose of the classic cab stuff: soft leather, tobacco, truffles, foresty earthy notes and slight exotic spices; silky, majestic (I rarely use this term); very balanced from start to finish; good structure, in a great place now, but in no hurry. Sold all 6 immediately after this was tasted.
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[NY Commanderie Bordeaux visit] Deep and rich initial nose, there is a strong roasted quality of coffee beans and charcoal, but also plenty of black fruit aromas with earth and minerals; sweet fruit flavors, very concentrated on the palate; powerful flavors of black and red fruits; like most of the wines of this vintage, this wine is still quite closed and constrained in the mouth; there is power and elegance here that should become more obvious in the next few years. (18+)
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Bordeaux Tasting Highlights at Levain (Levain, Mpls): Very dark red. This baby was tight. Not showing nearly what a previous bottle did a 7 months ago. Unsure the decant time given, i believe it was less than an hour though. Earth, pencil lead, oak, black fruit, gravelly, with prominent tannins and wood. 91+, but not open for business tonight.
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Weird wine. a year ago, I described a bottle from the same case and today I could write the exact same review: "Clearly some discolouration on the rim and even a faint brownish accent under the deep red colour. But then the good news starts. Beautiful nose. Complete fruit platter: lots of black fruits, cherry, cassis, but also fresh citrus tones, melon, pear, even strawberries. Upcoming secondary characteristics; sweet, caramel, tobacco/cigar box, cedar, leather, meat. Hints of graphite and pepper. Medium to full bodied, getting denser with time, good acidity, but lots of well concealed tannines left. Good structure and balance. Beginning to reach its maturity, which bothers me a bit. Should have many, many years of reserve." Now in 2011 I brought this bottle to a dinner with my good friend Arjen who had prepared us not only a perfect dinner with fresh pasta and a perfect slice of veal with ruccola, but who also served (blind) three outstanding Aussies (Torbreck Descendant 1999 and 2001 and the famous Jim Berry "The Armagh" 1996. Strange enough, the 2000 SHL fits seamlessly in this trio.....
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Drank at La Grand'Vigne. Sommelier is excellent. Decanted the wine perfectly. Warm on the nose with nice fruit and tanins. Strong, yet eloquent, palate with very long finish. Tanins not overwhelming, but evident. Oak apparent in the flavor. A bit spicy.
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Plummy garnet core; Particularly salty mineral note on the nose. Toasty oak - good concentration of fruit as well. Very vibrant and open; slightly dusty tannins on the palate but nice developing fruit. Flavoursome. Nuanced complexity on the finish.
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Classy wine...Dark purple still very young looking...Nose: Dark fruit, minerals, classic pencil lead which really stood out to me, cassis and a hint of earth...Palate: Dark tart cherries, blackberries, forest floor and minerals...Silky and elegant on the palate with good acidity. Still a strong backbone of tannin which should give this at least another decade to develope. Outstanding effort in a overal strong vintage...Cheers!!
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A graceful middleweight. The nose is briny and dark fruited, with hints of smoke, seaweed, leather. On the palate there are some notes of tree bark and earth that serve as a counterpoint to the blackcurrents. Some chewy tannins also make themselves felt. The style is more restrained than opulent but there is enough fruit and overall balance to suggest it has not yet reached its peak.
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Great wine. had at Wine Club along with 02 Ch H.Brion that i took. this was better- more intergrated , better fruit showing with more intensity. Very classic left bank bordeaux in styling.
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Garnet color. Blackberry nose with some nice toasted French oak. Tastes of blackberry, cherry, earth, and spice. Well balanced. Firm tannin. Elegant finish with very good complexity.
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Young but definitely into a drinking window. Graphite, dark fruit, earth. Very good nose, smooth and mouthfilling palate, clean medium plus finish. Only thing that keeps this from outstanding is that it is a tiny bit on the light side for a heavy hitter and a bit lacking in perfume for a lighter weight wine. But really excellent.
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Dark Red Color, shwing no age. Musty earth, cassis, pencil lead, hints of menthol. Concentrated and velvety in the mouth with vibrant acidity, integrated tannins, and dark fruits. This just screams of balance and elegance. Really a pleasure to drink.
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second bottle i've opened of this wine and like the first it's exceptional. I would say it's ideal for people who love Bordeaux first and foremost rather than those who prefer California and are looking for a change of pace, because it is all about the balance of fruit, acidity and refinement. I've been buying for <$100 a bottle and am stunned at how much pleasure it delivers.
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Opaque deep color, on the nose smokey, earth, musty smells with largely blew off over time. Drank over a 2 hr period over which time nose opened up to spice, fruit and interestingly some toffee. Awesome mouth coating feel, noticeable fruit coming through 30 second finish.
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i was very pleasantly surprised by this wine...excellent concentration with layers of sweet fruit, nice acidity and an excellent finish that lingers. Great harmony. Also gets my vote for worst Bordeaux label, but you can't have everything. Enjoy
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The fill was into the neck; popped and poured. Youthful appearance; aromas of ripe black fruit, tapenade and earth. Not as velvety as my last bottle -- there seems to be a fair amount of bottle variation -- but a long and well delineated finish.
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Now THIS is what I've been expecting with this wine! A much more outgoing bouquet than previous bottles, with notes of cassis, cherry, and plum; some hints of black truffle and tree bark. Medium-bodied, with a velvety texture, good focus and grip, with a long and flavorful finish. Maybe it was the Flannery pork chops that made this bottle so much better than previous examples!
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Good fill; popped and poured. Youthful color; a little more complexity on the nose than a bottle we had last week, with some campfire and anise note. Medium-bodied, with good depth and focus. Still lacking a bit in terms of texture.
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Munskänkarna lektion 6. Very dark deep brown color. Amazing bouquet with lots of things going on with chocolate, cedar, oak, meat and leather. Very balanced with smooth, velvety tannins that go on forever. To be really perfect it should have had a little more fruit but nothing really dramatic. An excellent wine that should be consumed now, wont gain with more aging.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; followed this over the course of 6 hours. Purple-ruby in color with no amber at the rim. The nose was pretty straightforward, without much complexity, with notes of ripe black fruit and hints of asphalt, and leather. Medium-bodied, with pure fruit flavors, a bit high-toned, with some tannin still to shed, but lacking in terms of texture and excitement. A sound wine, but in all honesty I was disappointed.
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Tasted in single-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. (Graves theme tasting). The bottle was kindly provided by Diogo Belo. Opaque garnet robe. The nose shows moderately intense aromas of black plums, mocha, lavender and vanilla. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, generous well-integrated tannins and flavors in line with the nose. The oak is a bit pronounced at this stage. Full middle palate and long, slightly dry finish. This wine appears to just be entering its drinking window. It has the structure to age well. Drink now-12/25.
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Popped and poured. Very nice stuff - elegant is the word. Much lighter than the 2003, but not at all one of those hard cheap Bordeaux. Many olive and meat characteristics, like a good Southern Rhone. Very interesting, and quite tasty.
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This is really coming together. Wanted to see how this progressed from a pop and pour, (closed of course, but certainly dark fruit amd dust), to the result of 1 hour of decanting. As it opened, it transformed to a beautiful compliment to a grilled tenderloin. The aromas kept pulling you back: Cassis, fragrant tobacco, tar, and hints of leather, and then more dark fruit. Well structured, with softening tannins. I hope the other bottles are this good.
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This one confirms that the Smith Haut Lafitte 2000 is one of my favourites. Expected this well stored bottle to be as young and fresh as the previous ones, but this one is showing some age already. Clearly some discolouration on the rim and even a faint brownish accent under the deep red colour. But then the good news starts. Beautiful nose. Complete fruit platter: lots of black fruits, cherry, cassis, but also fresh citrus tones, melon, pear, even strawberries. Upcoming secondary characteristics; sweet, caramel, tobacco/cigar box, cedar, leather, meat. Hints of graphite and pepper. Medium to full bodied, getting denser with time, good acidity, but lots of well concealed tannines left. Good structure and balance. Beginning to reach its maturity, which bothers me a bit. Should have many, many years of reserve. Still a great buy 9 years ago at €40 en primeur and at that time I thought it was rather overpriced.... (After six hours oxydation is clearly noticeable. This bottle must be an exception in its early development)
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A bit non forthcoming at first, but as it sat in the decanter it just got better and better, such freshness and balance in this wine and the nose is to die for. This will mature into a stunner.
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Comparble to top tier 2000 Bordeaux. Cassis, licorice , lead pencil and violet make this balanced beauty complex and the best of this Chateau. Persistent finish.
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Wine Cellar - Bordeaux 2000 (Wine Cellar, Cape Town): (Tasted Blind): A deep garnet colour with hints of orange on the rim. The aromas of leather belt, ripe plum, caramel, chocolate, and toffee are all very inviting. The palate further impressed, being rounded with a satiny texture, full-body, and well-structured. The fresh acid is a counterpoint to the rich flavours, providing balance. Plenty of graphite, pencil shavings, plum and blackcurrant. Long finish with grippy tannins. Quite modern with the oak integrated.
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Opened and decanted 8+ hours. Served blind. As I was the host, notes were minimal. I picked up lots of dark fruit but thought this was closed and showed some metallic notes. Fair to Good.
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Tasted blind. The darkest color intensity of the lot, showing dark ruby color. This wine seemed a little tight, with cherry notes, some chocolate. The tannins were a bit drying, on this medium bodied wine.
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Excellent, typical Graves. Nose: Dark fruits, hint of tobacco and slightest of tar. Shows good development already - will probably reach top in a couple of yers, but stay there for...well, u know Bordeaux...say min. 10 yrs.
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Lovely adolescent. Smoky tobacco. Black cherry. Quite supple. Hints of bitter chocolate. Acidic and a bit wound up on the finish, but I love the direction this is heading. DAY 2: Mmm, showing more structure now. Great black fruit, tobacco, lovely acidity, firmly tannic with dusty, silky, mouthcoating tannins. A hint of earthy brett adds a nice accent. A steak wine at this point but quite enjoyable.
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Had this for dinner with GleenK while he was in town from London. We drank the 2000 Pontet and this wine over dinner. I double-decanted both of the wines, pouring the wines back in the bottle and corking it, then putting it back in cellar, for approximately 6 hours before drinking. Both GleenK and I were shocked at how similar the nose of the two wines were! Nose was full of minerals, primarily iodine and ink, and smoke. On palate I did get some hints of blue fruit but it was dominated by sweet oak and minerals. The Smith Haut Lafitte was thinner then the Pontet and I just could not get much fruit from my bottle. Based on my current experience, I will probably not touch the remaining bottles for a few years.
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nose - complex. citrus, butter, and per Lisa a bit of stinky cheese funk. papaya. mouth - dry, clean, good minerality, light lemon mixed with herbs, very slight suggestion of butter. good acidity. a complex white. some secondary tropical flavors.
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Took about a half an hour to open up fully (in a decanter) so these are starting to reach maturity (plus the color is starting to get a bit brickish on the edges) ... nice black cherry, graphite and spicy pepper aromas with some floral notes too. The cherry and cassis fruits are still fresh and clean, backed up by some great acidity. The tannins are very integrated creating a lush and velvety mouthfeel. The black pepper spice complimented my grilled steak perfectly. A very well made and balanced wine. After an hour, the floral components really came out making it even more beautiful drinking experience (so I added another point to the score). I'll probably wait another two or three years before drinking the next bottle.
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Dark purple-black color. medium aromatics, charred earth, plums and blackberry, vanilla, a little dusty. juicy vibrancy with nice energy on the palate. Tannic strength with grace. Dusty spicy finish with a touch of rhubarb.
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Drank at blind bordeaux vs Cali tasting. Some brett on the nose that blew off, showing great texture. Nice acid and firm tannins, black fruits, leather, tobacco and nice spice.
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Bought and held since release. Decanted, with telltale unfiltered sediment characteristic of this chateau. Beautiful color hitting the glass, and aroma immediately wafting through the room, what a nice nose -- wonderful dark fruit, cedar box a bit of fresh herbs. Palate is full-bodied, a bit warm, and quite rewarding with great balance -- black fruit, high-toned acidity and good length, tannins suggesting more time will continue to evolve. A treat now. Vintages do matter, don't they, and this 2000, at $25 +/- when purchased, is wonderful.
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Still committing infanticide. It has very intense primary fruit. Good minerality. Power and body, and a tannic finish that builds with air. Initially slightly warm, but interestingly that seems to fade with some air as well. I think this will be very good....in time.
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taste: tobbacco and cranberry is what's mostly here with hints of other red fruits too. The tannins are almost overpowering the taste, but it's walking a fine line
overall: real firm big wine. Lots of structure and real nice fruit. This is a wine that can definitely age some more before it reveals its true self
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This is a dense, inky-colored, concentrated wine with great ripeness. It is big but not overwhelming. I hadn't had a 2000 in awhile, and was immediately reminded of the ripeness of the vintage. It didn't seem closed at all to me, although it does seem to me that this wine will continue to evolve positively for decades to come. Great stuff. Rating: 94 points.
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Consistent experience with last bottle. But this wine really showed it stuff with a well marinated steak. Terrific. I have to stop drinking my inventory of this wine since it is infanticide to be drinking it now!!
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Tasted May 5, 2006 at Lola’s in Dallas, TX. Opened and served immediately in a Spiegelau Cabernet glass. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Trademark SHL nose of leather, dried herbs and briar patch. Flavors of black berries and cherries. Later on showed a little red licorice. Balance is good, just not showing a lot at the moment. I’d recommend holding at least 2-4 more years before trying again. Estimating the price to be close to $60.00 a bottle at this time I’d say the value is recommended with the possibility for improvement.
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first family dinner post-renovation. Dark purple, intense nose with loads of black cherry, lots of spicy bramble notes, herbal undertones, green tea, cocoa. Long finish. Loads of grip.
Decanted 3 hours before drinking. Would have benefitted from a whole day. Amazing stuff. Lovely.
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Wow. This was terrific. Better than the first time I tasted this a while ago. Beautiful deep ruby color, wonderful fruity aroma. After a day open, this was excellent. I'm glad I have more inventory. While drinkable now, this is no where near its full potential.
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I bought some of this on the strong recommendation of Linden; apparently it came out really well in some comparative tasting of 2000s. Purple, with flecks of light purple froth - maybe I'm pouring it too fast. Cedar and leather and tobacco and blackcurrents. It has a smooth, unctous quality, with good minerality and a good finish with soft, ripe tannins. Given a couple of hours it starts to build; gaining in intensity, putting on weight, and with much stronger tannins. I think it can be approached now, though you would really want to leave it in a decanter for a couple of hours, and it would be more sensible to wait. dg
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Now this is more like it. After yesterday's corked bottle, I decided to go back and try again, and this time got what I expected - a powerhouse of black and red fruits, tobacco and smoke, balanced oak, bracing tanin. Great stuff.
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This wine has a young, fruity aroma. While I enjoyed the taste, clearly this wine needs years to mature. Really not ready to drink now, but has excellent potential.
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Super dark and thick when poured. Seemed to pour a split second after I expected due to the thickness. Nose of cedar and graphite pencil. Peat moss was intense at open but after 8 hours integrated nicely. Blackberries and cream, hint of bret, smoky pine. Palate was medium in length, smoky, strong tannins that continued to integrate as it was open. Touch spicy. After 10 hours open wine showed exquisite balance.
I originally rated this 92 points, but I am giving it 2 "bonus" points for intangibles. There was an extra dimension (and excitement) level to this wine. Wow.
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2000 Bordeaux Tasting (Chicago, IL): Copious amounts of jammy sweet red currant and sweet tobacco on the nose. Both carry over on the palate and the finish is intensely tannic with minerals, earth, lead pencil, tobacco, and more jammy red fruit. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Tied with the Canon for Number 6 of the tasting.
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Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux (2000 Vintage) (Intercontinental Hotel Chicago): Dark reddish burgundy color. One of the more backward wines at this time. Bitter aromas of black mushroom, berry and oriental spice. Notes of cherry, tobacco and full mouth feel. The finish was shorter than other wines at the tasting and it was a little dry on the finish. It will come around though. 91-92 points.
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4/19/2024 - Eric Wright Likes this wine: 92 Points
3 hour decant helped this open up substantially. Initial nose was grilled meats, like a burger with gorgonzola or bleu cheese on top. With time the fruit came through. Ultimately this was a bit thin...a consistent problem with 2000s. At or slightly past peak
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3/15/2024 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is still early to consume without a long decant and venturi treatment for my tastes....That being said, after that the wine is balanced with good fruit and a nice finish.....try again in 5 years.
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2/25/2024 - Randy Southport Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is a marvelous bordeaux, drinking exceptionally well right now. We decanted the wine with an aerator, let stand 30-45 minutes and then enjoyed this great pauillac. There was nice soft fruit with well integrated tannins. There was none of the typical paulliac harshness. I was most pleasantly surprised, having drunk one about 18 months ago that seemed past its prime. If you have one, it is time to open and enjoy -- probably won't peak anymore.
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2/18/2024 - msauer Likes this wine: 92 Points
ein großer Wein
kann noch 10 Jahre weiter reifen
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1/10/2024 - AP MD Likes this wine: 96 Points
Drank over 2 nights on a sailing trip - last night and tonight. This is absolutely in its prime with at least t good years left- although I sadly don't have any more bottles. The nose is dark fruit, graphite and leather. The palate has some well integrated tannins that softened on the second night. The fruit was still sweet and full. Absolutely fantastic Bordeaux
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12/14/2023 - Gladstone Lake Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened and let breathe for 4-5 hours. This wine has aged beautifully. Despite the drinking range, IMO it will still last for years.
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10/20/2023 - wythes wrote: 95 Points
Spectacular!
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8/30/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: flawed
Too much brett in this bottle for a proper score.
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8/27/2023 - par361 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Past its prime
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7/27/2023 - djhammond Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drunk annually, this is unusually forward for a left bank 2000, but should have a good few years ahead of it. This time out the gravel notes were more prominent with some of the early fruit receding. As noted previously, I do find the finish, althoughy lengthy, challenging with its astringency. Minimal decanting is needed.
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4/24/2023 - galewskj wrote:
Three flawed bordeaux reds (Tilia): Three Bordeaux enthusiasts meet for dinner, and all three Bordeaux wines are flawed the same way? I think these were. All three decanted 1-2 hours, put back into the bottle, and then I drank about 1/3rd of each bottles over 3 hours.
1995 Château Léoville Poyferré - St. Julien
1996 Château Lagrange (St. Julien)
2000 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte
The Lagrange was mine, I'd had it a couple years ago with a 1 hour decant and it was gangbusters. Tonight, some bordeaux nuance on the nose, and the palate is slightly sour and forgettable. Same with the other 2, the Leoville was the most sour, such that the owner had brought a backup and seemed concerned. At the very beginning, I got a distinct but light whiff of nail polish. These weren't obviously flawed, not corked, but they didn't show the way that they should. I'm leaving them unscored and likely flawed with volatile acidity. If I had to score them, they'd probably be 88-89.
Funny but under these circumstances, my starter white, an inexpensive Condrieu, was clearly wine of the night. And no one brought a Sauternes. So sad.
Amazingly, despite all these issues, we still had a good time. Maybe there's hope for the world after all, cuz this tasting was endtimes.
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3/4/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
A Margaux at Margaux's Table (Margaux's Table, White Bear Lake, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Double decanted for an hour. Drank 2 glasses over 2.5 hours. My oh my, this was in great place and actually held its own next to a stellar '96 Margaux. Man the nose is awesome, even better than the Margaux at first. Leather, creosote, tar, crushed flowers, bacon fat and gamey sauvage character, dark fruits, graphite. The palate is very good too, showing tangy cassis and succelent dark berries, mineral dense, graphite, dark chocolate, hints of blue fruits, very polished and long. Way out kicked its coverage. Great future.
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2/14/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: 96 Points
Excellent showing of this bottle. Complex tertiary Bordeaux notes with forest floor, dark fruit, gingebread. Generous mid mouth palate, solid tannins that provide structure. Excellent Claret.
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2/5/2023 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Vinetasters: 2000 Bordeaux (Park Ridge, IL): Served double blind. Slightly bretty nose with a touch of oak as well. Very sweet and quite ripe, with large-scaled structure on the palate. A leathery profile, with nice acids on the finish. Not as pronounced as far as the fruit goes, but there's enough to keep all of the previous notes in check. My 3rd, group's 1st.
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12/25/2022 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ok...The last third of the bottle was frozen after a long night open. Fruit is lighter on the last cm towards the glass. The nose has a streak of minerality, Now there is medium to full body; sweet dark fruit on the palate. Mostly primary, but secondary elements are creeping in. The structure is balanced enough to evolve for a decade or more....
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12/8/2022 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still young....needs 3-5 years in the cellar... half a bottle preserved....
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11/26/2022 - drfloyd Likes this wine:
No formal note - enjoyable. A gentleman of a wine - in the twilight years. Nicely aged and comfortable in its own skin - tannins softened but present, wonderful nose - solid. Quite nice. I have a few more but will drink in the next 2-5 years.
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11/14/2022 - mchern02 wrote: 94 Points
3 hour decant
Similar notes to last bottle; aromas of dark tobacco, herbs, flowers, and cocoa. Youthful and alive on palate with some dark black fruit, great minerality and tension, velvety textures and a long finish. Upside likely but excellent today
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10/4/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Fully mature, with a smoke, espresso, earth and cocoa set of nuances add to the ripe black currants in the nose and on the palate. Medium/full bodied, round and fruity, drink from 2022-2030.
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7/23/2022 - madmaxcmd wrote: 93 Points
Opened, tasted immediately, decanted for 25 minutes and drank for next 90 minutes (since it was very popular). Initial nose and taste suggested a much younger wine, evolution as it decanted was perfect. Opened a second bottle and drank without decanting. Fantastic drinking now, as numerous other notes stated. Proof of the power of aeration resulting in full integration of grapes. I think it will stay at this plateau for 3-5 years, maybe longer bottle to bottle.
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6/19/2022 - BVal Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fathers day 2022.
Color/App: deep, dark purple/ruby core -> moderately dense garnet rim; medium++ viscosity. Bouquet intensified to a peak at about 90 minutes. Cedar, leather, tobacco, earth/gravel and lovely black fruit elements. Moderate tannins left on palate, excellent acidity and a great finish make this quite the compelling Graves. Definitely on the plateau of maturity to me and will likely hold for 10 years+.
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5/14/2022 - Radboy wrote: 95 Points
This is in a wonderful place.
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5/12/2022 - mchern02 wrote: 94 Points
2 hours in the decanter
Dry tobacco, dark black fruit, some plum, dried herbs, and cool fresh cedar. Palate is a bit tighter than nose with warm plummy fruits, quite dryish tannins and a long finish. Nose is optimal but palate is a bit dry. No rush to pop these and quite enjoyable.
Drank next to 2000 Baron and was a bit behind and likely to remain there…nevertheless is a classic claret and quite delicious. Highly recommended.
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5/12/2022 - Ex-Ray wrote: 94 Points
Tasted with 2000 Papa Clement, which we preferred. This was still excellent, with very characteristic Left Bank aromas of tobacco, cedar and toasty French oak. On the palate almost entirely black fruits, still a bit tight and tannic. This might soften a bit more with age, though I'm not sure.
Ric
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5/1/2022 - Nontaco Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very good older Bordeaux. Classic leather, woodsy notes, dark fruits. Some secondary characteristics. Great QPR at what this is currently going for (got this bottle for $179). Comparable to the 2000 Lynch Bages from last night that is now retailing for about twice as much. Really nice stuff.
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4/19/2022 - Michael Hung Likes this wine: 95 Points
4/19/22 Vinum55 Phoenix BYOB Tasting (Vinum55 Phoenix): [Decanted for sediment]
Med+ intensity of Brett, game, savory, leather, tomato leaf, coffee. Fruit flavor is still holding strong with noticeable dried strawberries, dried cherries, dried plum. Herbaceous bright green bell pepper on back palette towards the finish. Quite intense on the palette initially with a smooth mouthfeel. This wine is quite funky though, with lots of animal gamey notes and smoke that kept building over the next hour. The strong intensity makes you hesitate for a wine of this age. Med+ body, still holding great structure, this is amazing to drink now. While it could definitely age, I personally think further cellaring could make the funk too strong, would definitely say it is time to drink this sooner than later. This is kind of a steal right now for a singing mature Bordeaux from 2000. 95pt
2000 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte vs 2000 Chateau Latour:
Smith Haut Lafite is more intense initially, with substantial game, smoke, meat and animal/barnyard funk. It just slaps you with its initial flavor and makes you question if it really is this old. This was clearly a great vintage for the Smith Haut Lafite and it shows that it can be as good as a second growth here. The Latour is just exquisite and immaculate. With every sip it changes, and never in a bad way. The balance of the primary fruit notes to tertiary notes is perfect right now. Just suave and elegant and ever so mysterious, as if it’s hiding something. Fun comparison: Smith Haut Lafite is like a bass heavy dubstep song while the Latour is a grand orchestra hitting every note on every level.
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3/18/2022 - djhammond Likes this wine: 94 Points
Confirming my note of 9 months ago, this is in a glorious spot and is remarkably forward for a left bank 2000. It possesses a beautifully deep nose with plum, blackcurrant, tobacco and leather aromas. The palate has a delightful freshness with crunchy well integrated tannin and secondary notes present. The finish is a little anticlimactic, being on the shorter side and is a little light. However, until the 2009 is ready to drink, this has to be the best Smith Haut Lafitte ready to go. An hour in the decanter is perfectly sufficient.
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1/29/2022 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Immaculate cork! Pure, deep ruby red with a hint of garent at the very edge. Brambly black berries, charred earth, black currant leaf, purple plum, graphite, tobacco leaf and just a hint of feralness at the end. Beautiful nose! Super smooth, medium weight, nicely dry, squeeky acidity and still a bit of chalky tannins hanging on. Fully mature flavours of crunchy black and red fruits, ink, cedar mulch, more black currant and leaf, graphite and fine minerality on the finish. Really fills out over time and becomes rounder, seemingly riper and richer. Lovely, lovely wine!
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1/26/2022 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Gang of 4 in Covid19 times; Bordeaux, Pessac (@ RW): Beautiful and smoky bouquet with dark berries, tobacco and barnyard impressions. Same on the palate. Chocolate, mild acidity and soft, mature and round tannin. A mouth filling wine which is ready now, but there is no hurry.
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1/25/2022 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
A solid but not a great showing. Dense and ripe but with the balance of 2000, the period before everything was dialed up even further... I like the classicism here but as to complexity this is a clear step behind Pape Clement 2000 for example.
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1/9/2022 - hargy Likes this wine: 92 Points
lovely - certainly mature with the tannins fully resolved - the fruit is quite dried now but there is good complexity - maybe only lacking only in length - drink soonish
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1/1/2022 - R2-D2 wrote: 91 Points
Better after being opened for 24 hours, but never quite as concentrated or complex as I expected. As others have noted, the nose is full of dried tobacco, black currant, dried cherries, treacle, olive, and red pepper. Again, i found it more expressive on the second day. The palate is smooth and balanced, with the tertiary elements, fruit, acid, and tannin at a comfortable point.
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12/26/2021 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Similar to other tasting note, this wine is just damn good. My last bottle, I will search for more. Damn good!
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12/3/2021 - Kevnzworld wrote: 94 Points
I’ve been a fan of the 2010 for years but otherwise SHF wasn’t a wine that I’ve tried.
Until I read Cailles review.
We decanted the wine for :45 prior to dinner at Craft.
This was incredibly mature for a 2000 BDX which for my palate is a relatively austere vintage for LB wines.
Dark fruit, tannin acidity and balance with those secondary flavors that you look for in an aged BDX . The finish was smooth , lasting and elegant. I could see upside from here
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11/18/2021 - NarunP wrote: 93 Points
Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot
Relatively fresh looking red garnet hue, clear and transparent, compact rim. Youthful still.
Aromatics is complex. Savory black fruit smell, organic dirt, crushed leaves, barnyard, black olive, dry herbs.
Palate is uplifting and tight still. Tannic with bright acidity. Dry and medium plus body. Black fruit, smoke, leather, graphite, pencil lead, gravel soil tone. Salted chocolate. This is a great wine to drink. Finish is also long and pleasing.
Probably the first 2000 that I really like. SHL knocks it out of the park here. And the great news is this is just the beginning. I believe this wine has just entered its best drinking windows with lots of stuffing to run the distance. Drink now or in 10 years with ease. 93.
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11/15/2021 - rm97 wrote: 93 Points
Showed lots of fruit. Seemed younger than it was. Long life on this.
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11/13/2021 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
45 minute decant that got better with more time in the glass. So much better than my premature experiment years ago. Very smooth. Nice elements of black, blue and red fruits with some minerals, cedar, tobacco.
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11/7/2021 - zimmy07 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is in a great window. 3 hour decant and drank over a couple of hours. Cedar, plum, leather, and well balanced tannin. No doubt this has many years left in front of it, but not sure it will get much better with age. all in all pretty damn good and on point. I love 2000 Bordeaux. Many are still way to young (Ducru for example) but this is in a great window with some decanting.
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10/17/2021 - wurzel68 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cassis, Blaubeeren, Schokolade, Leder und erdige Noten, Menthol und Leder; am Gaumen reichlich weiches, fein- bis mittelkörniges Tannin, elegant zwischen Frucht und Säure ausbalanciert, gute Länge, weniger komplex als gedacht. Hat noch Potential!
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10/14/2021 - winot Likes this wine: 94 Points
A really lovely wine. Medium carmine with mahogany hints. Beautiful nose with hints of cedar, black currant and spice. Nice intensity on the palate, some mature flavours, ripe tannins which were present on opening but faded into the background over three hours. Great balance and a nice long finish. Lovely. Didn't want the bottle to be done.
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9/17/2021 - canan wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux 2000 Horizontal (KOGS): Coffee, wet hay and animal cage. Extreme tannins. Needs time but with a great potential.
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9/1/2021 - Rani Likes this wine: 92 Points
It’s definitely at the apex of its drinking window though I wouldn’t be surprised if it continues to improve or hold this spot for 3-4 more years. Opulent yet reserved, with round tannins, black currant and earthy notes. Fat but balanced.
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8/15/2021 - cephomer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted briefly at Ca'Mea in Hudson last nite with the Jersey boys & FAD. Expressive nose of coffee beans, leather and black fruit/cassis. Silky smooth elegance exudes from the glass, openly inviting one to partake. Medium body, the soft, round tannins are mostly resolved, just the right touch of alcohol, with a good amount of plum and black currant fruit. There are tertiary notes of mint or eucalyptus, leather and earth, and the finish and length are spot on. I see this wine as peaking and thus no reason to continue holding. I've had this wine before and I don't think I've seen it in better form.
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8/11/2021 - djhammond Likes this wine: 95 Points
Last tasted nearly a year ago I decided to open another bottle after reading a few recent reviews from Switzerland and Tbabes,. They are spot on and this has blossomed, and is firing on all cylinders, and is probably the best SHL drinking until the 2009 is ready to go. It is unusually forward for a left banker from 2000, but is drinking beautifully with a couple of hours in the decanter. Plum, blackcurrant, tobacco and leather are prominent with the crushed stone receding to a background note. Balance and depth are excellent with a powerful finish. Perhaps the latter could be longer, but it's nit picking.
.
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7/17/2021 - steinersing wrote: 94 Points
Impressive density - a very good 2000
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7/17/2021 - SteelerFan wrote: 93 Points
Long, dark black and blue fruit. Tannin still present. Very good nose and very classic left bank Bordeaux. Youthful and robust. Good bottle.
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7/14/2021 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
Bordeaux 2000 - 20 Years On - 48 Reds: All tasted blind, not decanted. Observations: 1) It´s a good vintage but not on par with more recent great vintages like 09/10/15/16. Why? A smaller group of top wines reaching lower highs and in general a tad less depth, purity and finesse. 2) Right bank is ready, the left bank still needs time to integrate and open up. 3) Not much tertiary aromas yet - peak drinking window at least 10 years away for most wines. 4) 2000 is a bit a cooler vintage which is great for the right bank (not too much ripeness). 5) Winners? Pomerol with the highest ratings. Le Pin (97+ pts) leading the pack for me (narrowly beating the consensus winner Pavie (97 pts).
More information, top and worst 10 lists, appellation rankings, out- and underperformer from five participants in the story link. As always, in such tastings (lots of wines, not a lot of time per wine, not decanted) the ranking of wines/appellations might be more informative than the scores.
TN: Believe it or not, this was not only my but the consensus winner from the left bank beating all the 1st Growths (narrowly). Compared to the top shots, this wine was open and ready for business which is the main reason it got the top spot. On the medium+ expressive nose this the was a lot of inviting pure dark cassis fruit, coffee scents and herbs. Voluptuous, sexy and round. On the palate it showed more complex with dark and red berries, floral aromas, coffee, herbs, mint and earthy notes. Medium+ to full bodied but without excess weight, round and soft tannins with a high but well integrated acidity. Very open and harmonious wine and one of the few left banks that was drinking very well tonight. 95 to 96 points.
Decanting: Even without decanting, this shined bright. Still, my guess is that a 2 hours decant would have helped even more.
Group average: 95.0 pts
Group rank: 4th out of 48
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6/20/2021 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Grand Bordeaux 2000 horizontal tasting; 6/20/2021-6/21/2021: Grand Bordeaux 2000 tasting with ~60 wines from the vintage hosted by a private collector. All wines were poured directly from the bottle with no decant and served in flights of 4. As general observations I would highlight: 1/ Today the 2000 is, without a doubt, a right bank vintage with Pomerol the star, 2/ the vast majority of wines are still going strong with hardly any past their peak 3/ On the left bank, St Estèphe was most ready to drink with a lot of wines in a closed stage right now, 4/ On the left bank, 2nd to 4th growths were generally more open for business than the 1st growths which almost all closed, only hinting at their full potential. 5/ If you must open a left bank bottle, Margaux is the safest place to look. Complete scoring overview and additional commentary included in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
Amazing notes of coffee, incredibly fine and refined, dried leaves, bit of leather and tobacco, whiffs of mint and rather red type of fruit. Palate perfectly balances fine aging notes with fresh berry fruit, tannins are tangible but silky. Leads into a finish that keeps going on and on. This is one of the best SHL's I've had so far and on a par with 2009 and 2016. In great spot right now with plenty of bottle age left.
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6/9/2021 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured; deep garnet core with a hint of bricking. Extroverted and impressive bouquet, offering up scents of dried plums, black truffle, scorched earth, roasted fennel, with hints of cigar box and crushed stone. Medium bodied, great depth and balance, with a velvety texture, impressive delineation and grip on the long and savory finish. Fantastic showing!
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6/3/2021 - Mr T wrote:
enjoyed this way more than prior bottle. Plenty of fruit with resolved tannic structure and earthiness....excellent Pessac with the softness of higher merlot. Very pretty wine. well worth the $60 paid in the day.
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6/1/2021 - malbrecht wrote: 93 Points
Still a very young wine. Lovely dark cherry, currant and blackberry notes on the front end, before transitioning to an earthy finish. Tannins and oak are still readily apparent, but in equilibrium with the rest of the wine. This tasted so young, I can't help but think this is going to be even better in 5-10 years.
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5/8/2021 - djdaqm wrote: 95 Points
Everything is in place. Nose of cedar and violets. On the mouth plenty of acidity. Accompanied with home made levain bread and charcuterie. Perfect Saturday night!
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5/5/2021 - RusisWine wrote: 94 Points
Clear brick and ruby color to edge. Blew off dust after some decanting and then wonderful length and solid black berries. Drinking great right now.
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5/1/2021 - luHar1423 Likes this wine: 95 Points
The 2000 SHL is a fantastic sip of grape-art from Pessac --- thanks family Cahtiard. You are the reason why I am building a vertical.
For those who like the tannins a bit chewy and woody, you can start popping your bottles now. For those who prefer round, well-integrated and harmonic wines like me, wait another 5 - 10 years. By then the primary, secondary and tertiary notes will fill your nose and palate with a symphony of wine art! I love this. Did I thank family Cathiard already?
Btw: for those who want to enjoy an aged SHL, try 2001. Difficult vintage, but as expected, fantastic job by Cathiards!
The SHL 2000 has a fantastic nose even a few inches away from the glass you can enjoy the smell of cherries and cherry jam, fine peppers, coffee, and some fine and elegant nuances of oak. On the palate, especially the taste of berries goes to the background and some nice tertiary notes fill the mouth. Length is looooong and the oaky taste is a bit more dominant now (which is why I believe that another 5-10 years will add up to 2 points on the rating.
Be patient or enjoy today. The choice is yours.
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4/20/2021 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still what it's always been - textbook Pessac, but intense, like Pessac with a Super Mario power-up. Bold aromatics right from the pop of the cork - no need to stick your nose in the glass for this one - evoking molten asphalt and charred campfire remains. The fruit is commensurately bold, redder-toned than it was on release but not coming across substantially more aged. Still has fairly ripping tannin, at least given that we were drinking outside on a cool night, so while this is fully ready to go on sheer expressiveness it is still young-showing and ought to have plenty development ahead of it.
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4/12/2021 - JHH51 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is a delightful surprise. The nose is full of spice, more reminiscent of right bank than left. Medium body, with deep purple color, and little bricking. Typical notes of cassis and red berries. Finish lingers with balanced tannins.
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4/4/2021 - gsomers Likes this wine: 88 Points
Maybe we got a bad bottle, but we were decidedly underwhelmed by this 20 year old wine. Despite a 4 hour decant, this SHL never found its legs. The fact it was an aged BDX of high quality was apparent, but there was no memorable mojo offered in any way. A shame, because after being blown away by the 2016, I picked up several other vintages including this 2000. Hoping for more out of the 05, 09, 10, and 11.
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3/13/2021 - tmagsmaken wrote: 91 Points
Pessac-Leognan Deep Dive with Jane Anson (Virtual 67 Pall Mall - replay): Delicious nose with cassis, graphite and smokiness. Elegant as ever on the palate and a juicy mental finish. Oak more pronounced and maybe even a bit austere in the finish.
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3/5/2021 - hkbob Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bottle in perfect condition with pristine cork. Opaque purple. Classic Pessac nose of cassis, berries, cedar, minerals and toasty oak right out of the gate. Fruit forward still with good depth and mid-palate presence but quite drying on the back-end. After initial disappointment with the finish, this started to come alive after about 3 hours and then knocked it out of the park when paired with Greek country-style lamb. Key takeaway for this to shine is to drink with a good piece of meat rather than on its own.
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2/18/2021 - Invest wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for about 2h. Deep and clear red Bdx. color. On the nose more or less closed. On the palate soft mouthfeel, freshness, black from toasting, can't define any fruit, one-dimensional, charmless, possibly too much and unsophisticated work in the cellar. Very disappointing for the year and Chateaux!
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1/13/2021 - mflesh wrote: 92 Points
A very interesting wine. I was getting a lot of BBQ pork spare ribs on the finish here, but the body and the entry and the nose all seemed to be black fruit dominant until that time. The nose was a mixture of grandma's closet, cobwebs, earth, spice, and black fruit. The entry was black fruit, mushroom and truffle. The middle and finish is where the smoked pork spare ribs started to come right on in! I definitely respect these wines for what they are, but it's not really my preferred style. But this one was definitely better than most as it seemed to have the "best of both words," both earthy and aged-fruit sides exist here on this wine. Definitely would reach for it if I saw it again, but not so sure I'd be compelled to buy it.
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12/17/2020 - djhammond Likes this wine: 93 Points
In development, but ready to drink, it does need a decent time in the decanter to show it at its best. It is a very earthy wine but does display a sophistication to elevate it above a rustic drinker. It still has prominent notes of blackcurrant and plum, but a real background of crushed stone and graphite is coming more and more to the fore. Likewise the finish is dominated by harsher notes. However, it is redeemed by an almost perfect balance and with good depth and a length of over 30 seconds. In many ways this is a throwback to an older style lacking some elegance, but this is attractive in its own right, and I would hope that age will be a friend to this wine.
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12/8/2020 - dbkitc wrote: 91 Points
Fine, mid-weight Bordeaux. Pure ruby color lightening at rim. Cassis, stones and tobacco on the nose. Classic. Palate is pure yet a bit meager. A touch under-ripe. That said, it’s way better than the over-the-top abominations that Bordeaux was pumping out during this period. Excellent material. Enjoyable wine though I was hoping for more. Should drink well for the next 5 to 10 years. (91)
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12/6/2020 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 93 Points
After going through a dumb phase, the 3.5+yrs in my cellar since my last note has paid real dividends. 2 bottles decanted together for an hour.
Dense mature brulé plum and hedgeberries, earthy with truffle nuances. Fully integrated velvety tannins and enough capsid acidity to maintain grip. Classic tip-top old fashioned Graves!
Should hold up for a few more years but probably won't gain much for it.
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12/4/2020 - tbabes wrote: 93 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine. Slow ox for an hour before dinner; in hindsight I should have double decanted. Deep garnet with no bricking. Notes of dried plums, black truffle, crushed stones; hints of crisp red fruits and bramble. Medium bodied, a bit more high toned than previous bottles, with the acidity bringing impressive grip and focus. Good depth, ripe tannins, and a long finish.
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11/29/2020 - angelcyn Likes this wine: 92 Points
Second bottle of this vintage 15 months on from first, identical notes with the exception the tannins were more tamed, a little bit more tamed and this ill go up a notch, but don't see any change elsewhere in the wine.
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11/10/2020 - Purple Tooth wrote: 94 Points
First time with this wine, and I think probably a turning point for SHL. This still shows that earthy and pungent pessac style of Bordeaux and does not seem as perfectly polished as the wines to come. This vintage has the soul of Bordeaux right in the middle of it and while I like the polish and elegance of the new wines, I will miss this style. Earthy, under ripe, light footed, elegant, and long...Drink
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10/16/2020 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Good fill and no discernible seepage. On taking the foil off, I noticed that the cork was bulging a little bit and there was a slight pop as I pulled the cork, which caused some nervousness. The nose was initially a little moldy perhaps. I decanted through an Ullo filter and gave it a gentle shake, then let sit for 30 minutes. Certainly into secondary and tertiary flavors with only the slightest bit of black cherry in the foreground. Mostly a melange of forest floor, broiled mushroom and black pepper. Very much a savory wine. Is there much time left on this? I don't know. My bottle may have had a flaw, and another year or so in the bottle may not have been helpful. As it is, this was quite interesting and delicious.
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9/4/2020 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
The fill was well into the neck and the cork was sound; double decanted and served in Grassl 1855 stems. Deep garnet with just a hint of bricking. An extroverted, complex, and classic bouquet, offering up scents of dried plum, cassis, black truffle, star anise, and bramble. Medium bodied, with a velvety texture, great depth and balance, framed by good acidity, with a long and focused finish. My oh my this is showing beautifully today! From a pristine case purchased at auction nearly two years ago, I see I've worked my way through the majority of my stash.
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7/23/2020 - Shugs_Claret wrote: 96 Points
This is fully mature and at its peak. The wine needed no decanting. Cherries, tobacco and a hint of barnyard on the nose. The palate was concentrated with dark cherries and mixed black fruits. The tannins were integrated and the wine was lively with medium acidity. Pleasantly surprised with where this wine is in its trajectory. This has plenty to stick around a bit for properly stored bottles.
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7/4/2020 - mulder Likes this wine:
Beautiful nose of olive, loganberry, roasted fennel, cherries, plum, and menthol. Palate was medium body, med + acidity, med tannin, olive, earthy and savory red fruits with a medium finish.
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6/27/2020 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [3 Whites, 8 Reds, & 6 *shared* bottles] from 06/26/20 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Ken, I *do* appreciate your generosity in having shared this Bordeaux! :)
Cf. the CellarTracker Article link [lower lft] to get specific info for this vintage, including acclaim.
Bottle #076078; 13% ABV
N: Init barnyrd blows to an attractive melding of pyrazines & ripe berries, with notes of earth, poss leather, & other unparsables
P: LM body; Rndish entry with nice, almost swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which stays within hailing distance of the init frt as it fairly seamlessly works its way into & through the LONG, balanced finish with a tangy/swtness to the fairly innocuous, yet still firming, very, VERY fine tannins. Should work with food through '24, I'm guessing. NICELY done! My EXC/EXC+ (92-95/100 using that metric). [As of late Jun '20, wine-searcher still shows sources for the 750 ml starting @ $150].
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6/23/2020 - Commander Bond Likes this wine: 88 Points
Amazing finish but the nose and fruit haven't held up nearly as well
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6/13/2020 - brianofthevine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Damn this was good. Red fruit with that barnyard funk, earth and savory herbs. Can easily go another decade.
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6/10/2020 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; double decanted 1.5 hours before dinner. Threw a healthy amount of sediment. Deep garnet, with notes of dried plums, campfire, roasted fennel, and black truffle. Medium bodied, silky tannins, impressive depth, great balance, and a long and complex finish. Drinking wonderfully at present; I suspect this is fully mature, but will remain at this plateau for at least another 10 years.
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4/11/2020 - BigJ Likes this wine:
Fantastic tonight. black olive, blueberry and tobacco on the nose. Palate is rich and full bodied with excellent balance and freshness. tannin was nicely integrated. this was a real treat and drinking very nicely.
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3/22/2020 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
Only the 3rd bottle I've tried from the 2000 vintage, but I must say pretty much across the board I've been impressed. This was still very young. Excellent fill level and the cork was only saturated about 20% of the way up. The color was still quite opaque with just a hint of clearing at the rim. The nose initially was huge with cassis, blueberry, blackcurrant, and lots of oak spice. With air, the oak spice mitigated and this became more complex showing leather, violet, damp earth, tobacco, and just a hint of sweet spice. The palate was rich and decadent; mouth filling and yet still had a jolt of energy to lift it. A long lingering finish of sweet cassis. This bottle was excellent and based on this showing, this has at least another 10-15 years as to me, this was barely even into maturity.
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3/17/2020 - tbabes wrote: 94 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of three hours. Deep garnet with a hint of bricking. A classic and extroverted bouquet, with notes of dried plums, sautéed mushrooms, spice box and forest floor. Medium bodied, with impressive lift, layers of flavor, good delineation, a velvety texture, and long finish. Fully mature, and I expect well stored bottles will show there best until 2030.
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3/15/2020 - verset-hound Likes this wine: 89 Points
Oddly mature for the age, I would have guessed this much older. There was a bit of oxidized cherry mixed with earth and leather on the nose, but an oddly short finish for a left bank.
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3/13/2020 - RusisWine wrote: 94 Points
Great length and balance for this 20 year old. Cork nose blew off. Ready now. Keep drinking.
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3/10/2020 - curtr wrote:
tight tonight, needs 5 years to soften. Drink 2025-30.
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2/27/2020 - PimpDaddy2Kool Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for two hours. No formal notes. Still delicious. Drink now.
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1/18/2020 - biegs Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wine opened up nicely 2 hours after decanting. This is a mature wine drinking very nicely now.
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1/9/2020 - tbabes wrote: 92 Points
Another pristine bottle; would have benefited from some air. Notes of violets, cedar black fruits and earth. Velvety texture with a long and savory finish.
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1/1/2020 - drfloyd Likes this wine: 93 Points
No formal note but was just delicious - I recall the wine had a somewhat heavy dose of oak earlier on but it has melted away with time. In a great place and drinking well after almost 20 years.
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12/30/2019 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted one hour and served. Ripe, sturdy, and mature Bordeaux with notable red fruit alongside the dried cassis and tobacco notes. Ready to drink now.
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12/25/2019 - Rani Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pretty smooth and classic, if opulent. Still purple at the core, garnet at the rim. Nose of sous-bois, pencil lead, blackcurrant. Very fine tannins and acidity, elegant, sweet core of fruit but nothing out of balance here. Will continue to develop over the next decade I'd guess. Young-ish, but definitely ready to drink.
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12/22/2019 - DCHawkeye Likes this wine: 92 Points
Just developing some secondary nuance. Really nice bottle and a great vintage.
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12/19/2019 - iahviahv wrote: 90 Points
Fading away....
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12/18/2019 - Jrmitch2 wrote:
Tasted much better on 2nd day in the decanter
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12/7/2019 - tbabes wrote: 93 Points
Another impressive showing! Notes of ripe plums, cassis, roasted fennel, cigar box, and black truffle. Medium bodied, with a round texture, good depth, and a long finish. Drinking wonderfully!
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11/25/2019 - tbabes wrote: 93 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of 2 hours. A dark garnet core, with notes of cedary cassis, tobacco, crushed stones; hints of anise and campfire. Medium bodied, with a silky texture, good grip and depth, with a long and focused finish.
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11/21/2019 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Popped, poured and consumed over the course of dinner; the fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. Deep garnet. Notes of dried plums, currants, broken stones, fennel and cigar box. Medium bodied, with great depth, silky texture and a long finish. This bottle seemed to be at peak maturity, where it will surely remain for another 10+ years.
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10/2/2019 - djhammond Likes this wine: 94 Points
The last 12 months has seen the wine move forward considerably, and it is finally starting to drink at its best. However, please note at this stage it needs a good 6 hours in the decanter, and ideally time in the glass. The nose has shrugged off its harsher edges, and now is all about plum, dark berry, liquorice, and cedar. The palate is showing maturity with secondary notes, and is deep and well balanced, but with a real tannic bite, which doesn't intrude. The finish does not quite match the rest of the experience, and is on the shorter side and a little unbalanced. However, all in all it is a wonderful wine, which is really starting to reflect the pedigree of the 2000 vintage.
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9/24/2019 - rob.boothe Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent. Some strong animal odours that blew off after 1 hour in the decanter. Progressed from there over the following two hours. Dark berries, cedar, wet stone, some mushrooms and light herbs. Slightly austere. Medium length finish. Would not leave any longer before drinking.
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8/25/2019 - angelo619 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needed around 2 hours to sit, but once the barnyard dissipated everything was in nice balance. Nice tannins on the finish, medium body, great complexity. Beautiful Bordeaux wine
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7/15/2019 - angelcyn Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still cherry black with no paler rim, nose of licorice black fruits, and on the palate dark fruits some chocolate and leather tannins still a bit much, a decent length.
Expected a bit more at this stage, will it improve more, maybe, but maybe I will not be around to find out, how long is a piece of string.
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5/10/2019 - judyfrank wrote: flawed
sour, bitter, thin...
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4/6/2019 - tbabes wrote: 93 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of 2 hours. A dark garnet core turning to ruby at the rim. Notes of cedary cassis, tobacco, crushed stones; hints of anise and campfire. Medium bodied, with a round texture, good grip and depth, with a long and focused finish. I think this is ready for prime time drinking, and will hold for another 10+ years!
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2/11/2019 - SARED wrote: 95 Points
Brief note. Needs a lot of air to settle down. On PNP the aroma of Brett/manure was way too strong on nose and palate. After 2 hours it settled down where the fruit and “complexity” ie barnyard were more in balance. Nice and silky tannin.
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2/6/2019 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately. Followed over about two hours.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of espresso, leather, black berries and plums. Flavors of red berries, cherries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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1/23/2019 - Blauweiss Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely nose with ripe Cabernet fruit, leather, truffles, tea, chocolate.
On the palate big and long, balanced and very food friendly. Terrific stuff!
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1/11/2019 - DCHawkeye Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brought as my backup bottle to dinner at La Piquette, my favorite French bistro in DC (with cassoulet and beef short ribs - the dinner bottle was an '03 Pegau Reservee), I ran into some other folks who had brought a magnum of '98 Canon la Gaffeliere as their byob, who graciously shared a glass with me, as it's one of my favorite right-bank Bordeaux. I offered to open the 2000 Smith to share with them, and I think they were quite pleased. This is just starting to hit a nice drinking window, and with a decent decant would likely have been outstanding. The noise didn't match up to the '03 Pegau, but this was really delicious. Sadly, I only have one more bottle of the 2000, but this Chateau has only gotten better and better since the mid- to late-90s, and I'm really looking forward to breaking into my case of the '05 Smith (in maybe another 5 or so years!). Everything that Parker and the other critics said about the 2000 Bordeaux vintage seems to be coming true, and then some!
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11/21/2018 - djhammond Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nearly 2 years since last tasted, It has moved forward considerably, but still needs to lose some of its rougher tannic edges to reach its optimum. The essential profile remains the same with a nose dominated by plum and tobacco. On the palate the wine is deep and complex but still a little overdominated by the tannin. It has a very good well balanced finish. This is highly enjoyable with 6+ hours in the decanter, but will certainly continue to improve. A postscript; this continued to develop and improve in the glass throughout the evening.
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11/14/2018 - tbabes wrote: 96 Points
Commanderie de Bordeaux (Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte): Opened at 9am but not decanted. A healthy dark ruby core, with no bricking at the rim. Notes of dried currants, cassis, plums, and crushed stones; hints of black truffle. Medium bodied, a beautiful velvety texture, great depth, and layers of flavor. Impressive precision on the long finish.
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10/28/2018 - Jdwinedrinker Does not like this wine:
Popped and tried and then decanted. wine had a burnt, oaky stewed element. I haven't tried in several years (had a very nice bottle 5 years ago from different source). This was a bust.
Reminds me of why I am buying and sitting on 05 to 16 bordeaux. Cellar busting at the seams, but I know the history of storage for these wines.
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9/27/2018 - straight outta iowa Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened an hour prior to dinner and consumed with grilled flank steaks, this bottle was much much better than the last I had a year and a half ago. To my palate the wine is beautifully integrated, with plum, black fruit and coffee prominently displayed. Maybe a bit of tar as well, with fine tannic grip that confirms its Graves origins. Others have complained about an abundance of wood -- perhaps so in years past, but not in this bottle last night. I suspect it is somewhere near the middle of its ultimate lifespan.
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9/10/2018 - steinersing wrote: 94 Points
Excellent for this price class
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9/2/2018 - BBencz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfect cork. Decanted and poured off one glass to taste. Deep garnet with a slight bit of bricking at the edges. Initial impressions of tar, forest floor, and tobacco. No discernible fruit. Super tight. Will come back to it in an hour.
One hour in: camphor notes dominate, with mint and dark fruit starting to emerge. Very little acidity, and moderate tannins. Tobacco and tar starting to fade. Long ride; great wine. Has another 15-20 years in it.
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8/21/2018 - aagrawal wrote: 90 Points
Bordeaux Wine Dinner (Wine Kitchen, SF): Aromatic, minerality, fresh black fruit; palate is full bodied, still youthful tannins, fresh; medium finish. Clean, fresh, lovely. 90-91
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8/13/2018 - mojotojo wrote: 95 Points
Gorgeous SHL. Drinking incredibly well now but with enough body and silky tannin to last another decade. Delicious, classic Bordeaux.
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8/12/2018 - RJ_Paris wrote: 96 Points
Excellent fruit, color bouquet and body. Very well balanced. Far exceeded expectations. An excellent bottle
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7/7/2018 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
last 1/4 of a Coravin tasted bottle
clear, deep purple
clean, profound excellent dark fruit & forest-floor aromas, with tobacco-spicy & smoked meat notes
dry, high acidity, high tannins, full body, excellent balance & harmony, very good structure, rich complexity, tobacco, sous-bois, oak-vanilla, bitter dark chocolate long finish
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6/29/2018 - Paul D wrote: 88 Points
Bordeaux Wimps (10 Years and Counting) (La Trompette, Chiswick): Deep garnet. Quite red fruited, vanilla, earth, with an attractive savoury edge. Medium/full bodied, savoury red fruit, vanilla, decent fresh acidity but quite tannic on the medium/good length finish.
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4/9/2018 - dchain wrote: 90 Points
Deep ruby, liked it quite a lot when first opened, a lot of cassis, fruit gum flavors with a lovely freshness and uplift. Straight from a cool cellar. However as it warmed up it became less flattering and the tannins became more noticeable and they had a slightly rough and not fully ripe edge to them. Confirming what I have long believed, that 2000 has some great wines but it is far from a great vintage. I think SHL gets better and better from 2000 onwards but I would not rush out to buy this vintage and you probably get better value and QPR in 2001, 2005 and 2008.
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4/7/2018 - galewskj wrote: 91 Points
Guys Night - Bordeaux vs Napa (Jason's House): Decanted for 2-3 hours. It seems too big and too young. Unless you like a fair amount of tannin and big fruit, I would hold.
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4/4/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Aged High End Bordeaux Blends (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Dccanted for 2 hours. I really do like this wine, but like most of the 2000's at this point this it just needs a ton of air to open up or several more years of cellar time. Big and intnese tonight, almost monolithic, structured, with black fruits, tar and creosote. Tonight 91+ to maybe 92pts.
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3/27/2018 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
clear, deep ruby,
clean, excellent profound forest floor aromas, leather, dark ripe fruits - a quality Bordeaux nose
dry, high acidity, high tannins, full body, very good structure & complexity, long quality finish & aftertaste.
required more than 5 hours to open.
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3/25/2018 - cephomer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank last nite with Friedmans and Frieds. Decanted briefly. Generous nose of tobacco, earth, and dark fruit. Structured, complex and nicely balanced with all emblems nicely integrated. Dark fruit here, tannins are softening. Some graphite and earth still with good acidity level. A very nice aged bordeaux, still with good fruit mixed with tertiary elements. Decant longer next time.
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12/31/2017 - kdwoodrow@gmail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich velvety leather, dark plum flavors, with tons of spice on the finish.
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12/6/2017 - snjen wrote: 89 Points
Has still not developed any interesting notes. Seems a bit "warm". I will not touch any of my remaining bottles for at least 5 years
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11/26/2017 - Andrea1975 Likes this wine: 92 Points
It took a bit of time to open up, but quite a complex wine. Lots of earth, tobacco, and graphite. Eventually blue fruit comes out together with hints of purple flowers. Nice structure, tannins are still a bit grippy, very fresh acidity, moderate alcohol. Quite persistent. I would wait a bit longer to allow the tannins to soften and integrate better.
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11/26/2017 - winelover1808 Likes this wine: 94 Points
amazing. only sad point was that i drank this towards the end of a big night of wines...more cassis than tobacco. has the stuffing to age but drinkable today with a proper decant
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11/24/2017 - nm10 Likes this wine: 93 Points
In a nice place. Has hit maturity, with cassis and blackberries after a 45 minute decant. Nicely integrated oak. 45-second finish.
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10/26/2017 - drfloyd Likes this wine: 93 Points
No formal note - but really enjoyed this bottle. After 17 years the oak is seamlessly integrated - decanted for a 2-3 hours prior to dinner. Beautiful nose and no sign of the fruit fading - really enjoyable.
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10/3/2017 - akim_hobo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Too dark to comment on appearance. Graphite, dark fruit, earth on the nose. Beautifully silky on the palate. Medium body, medium- tannin and acidity. More slate and dark fruit here with some hints of wood. Didn't have the time to let it breathe properly, looking forward to the next bottle.
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9/22/2017 - ageverett Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stood up for 30 minutes. Popped and into a duck decanter. Drank within 90 minutes.
Showing its age around the edges, but holding color together. Certainly some sediment, but not bad. Cork was in great shape.
There is a menthol streak that runs from the nose of this wine all the way through it. I loved it. Such character, and this wine was all about the secondary flavors. Tobacco leaves. Pencil lead.
Medium weight and medium finish. This was all about the flavors.
Disappeared pretty quick; tried to savor the last glass. In a great drinking window. Hard to see this improving much from here, although not a huge rush - think it holds in this form for several years.
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9/17/2017 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful nose of graphite, plums, black currant, pure silk and elegance in the mouth, decanted for an hour, really purring, lovely richness & weight, superb SHL, it's definitely in its drinking window
93
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8/27/2017 - Mr T wrote:
Solid and classic but fruit and tannin balance not ideal to my newer world biases.......good earth and smoke and some fruit
Easy drink
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8/4/2017 - AlexandraDaskalopoulos Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not a huge depth and could need more time in the bottle but still very pleasurable and good value.
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6/3/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind. Great array of black and red cherry with faintly sweet spice, but dominated for now by tannic structure. Very good concentration. Needs to 2025. Very surprised when unveiled as 2000, many of which I have found getting to be more accessible.
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4/9/2017 - drfloyd wrote: 92 Points
Popped cork and left open for a few hours - decanted for 30 mins or so. Drinking very nicely now - lovely mature Bordeaux - has come together and perfect w/ a ribeye. Judging from this bottle I don't think the wine gets much better but should hold up for another 3-5 years.
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4/7/2017 - kr522 wrote: 93 Points
drinking very nicely, i don't think this has ever gone through a dormant stage but it's now integrating seamlessly. darker fruits with a hint of earth, nice balance and soft round tannins.
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4/6/2017 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 91 Points
Remarkably this seems to have closed up since my last bottle and although it has a core concentration was very ungiving. 2 hour decant to boot. Clearly for the much longer haul than I originally thought.
Have no doubt will shine again at the 92-93pt mark - but when - who knows?! Next bottle 2020.
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3/30/2017 - straight outta iowa wrote: 88 Points
Sourced from Flickingers and consumed with a gorgonzola burger at Centro DSM, this wine was perfectly drinkable, without obvious flaws, but also without much to recommend it. I say this as one who is normally a big fan of Graves. The bottle and fill looked perfect. Tasted somewhat old and tired. No oomph. Drying fruit, short length.
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3/13/2017 - markydecker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Everything great about Bordeaux is in this bottle. Dark purple, very slight bricking at the rim. Intoxicating nose of damp earth, leather, pencil lead/graphite, plums. Strong acidic backbone, tannins predominant but on the mellowed side...the definition of balance. Very approachable now, but will definitely be one for the long haul, bright future ahead for this one. Brief decant 30-45 min, and it was off to the races and evolving pleasurably in the glass. Really liked this wine.
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2/18/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 92 Points
Excellent as always, and similar to the last bottle. Plum, blackberry, juniper berries, smoky earth, tobacco, and coffee on the nose. Not quite as interesting as the other 2000 wines alongside it, but very pleasurable nonetheless.
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1/17/2017 - djhammond Likes this wine: 93 Points
This has entered its drinking window but does need a good few hours in the decanter at this stage. A nose of deep plum, tobacco and leather is very intense. This intensity does fade a little on the palate but balances very well with very firm tannins. It possesses a good balanced finish if a little short. The wine really developed in the glass and I think a another year or two will see this wine improve dramatically as the harsher tannins begin to further resolve.
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11/18/2016 - HowardNZ Likes this wine:
Four recent Bordeaux: Served blind. Deep purple red colour. Aromas of spices, cedar, cigar box, black currants and camphor. Clearly a Cabernet Sauvignon predominant nose. In the mouth, dense, unctuous and very primary. Very tight, the fruit sturdy and presently a bit monolithic. Focussed, linear and long. Deep, dark fruit: cassis, prunes and black plums. A full throttle wine with, I would think, great material. It just needs another 8-10 years in the cellar, at the minimum.
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11/4/2016 - Gabriel Geller Likes this wine: 96 Points
Château Smith Haut-Lafitte, Pessac-Léognan 2000: Dark, saturated cherry red in color. The nose is intoxicating with aromas of ripe blackberries, cassis preserves, camphor, English toffee, smoke, wet forest floor and barnyard funk. Full-bodied, velvety and caressing mouth-feel. On first attack, crushed ripe Black forest fruits and smoky pipe tobacco, followed by cherries, graphite, dried mushrooms, earth, medium acidity and integrated, teeth-staining tannins with notes of bakers chocolate on the seemingly endless, plush, elegant and round finish. Certainly one of the 5-10 best kosher wines ever made, truly decadent and outstanding. 12.5% Abv. Drink now-2023, maybe longer. 96
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9/23/2016 - CellarBord Likes this wine:
Remaining bottles were balanced, smooth, medium to big bodied wine. I was very impressed. Had more intensity in the flavor, but didn't match the nose of the 2000 La Chapelle de La Mission Haut Brion served the course before. Still has plenty of live left. Still a little young.
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9/21/2016 - CellarBord Does not like this wine:
First bottle was funky with forest floor and chemical aroma
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8/5/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
A Few Wines with BBQ (Bannockburn, IL): Nice enough and correctly mature for its age/youth, but less concentration or simple fruit tastiness than I'd expect, or even vs another bottle tasted blind last year. Off bottle?
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7/26/2016 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux 2000 tasting (at my home): dark opaque red-purple
elegant dark ripe fruit nose with present earthy-spicy notes
full bodied, firm tannins, earthy-lether flavours, well structured, very good complexity, stylish wine for food, excellent finish and aftertaste
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6/20/2016 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is showing very impressively, all the more so considering the very unimpressive 2001 I had recently after loving both vintages on release. It is in the heavyweight class no doubt and has only budged a little bit since release, with the structure more assertive and some of the baby fat gone and showing its bones. Visually it still has the deep, dark inky color of a wine barely past release so I was actually surprised not to find it more obviously fruit-gobbed on the palate. It's a packed and stacked wine to be sure, but the stuffing isn't about fruit so much as tarry Graves asphalt and gravel. The fruit it does show is red-complexioned, which is surprising since these are all blueberry and blackberry on release. Time in the decanter fills in a lot of the empty spaces and makes it positively voluptuous - still with a thick coat of tannin but soft and refined in texture. Not quite cashmere but not rough either. This is vastly richer, denser, and fresher than the 2001 was. It is at a point where it's probably fair to put to rest any doubts about ageability - it's stuffed but in proportion and fresh without being primary. But this and the 2001 were also the last SHLs I enjoyed on release - by 2005 the style seemed to have gone over the top. If the 2005 tastes like this in 5 years I'll have to eat some crow. That said, there's no doubt this is sort of a slutty style of Graves, not a wine for those looking for elegance or subtlety, although if it can keep developing at this rate the old "tour de force" cliche may actually fit just fine.
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5/5/2016 - LFCHALA Likes this wine: 93 Points
Liked it. Very fruity. Great acidity. Young. Go away ....
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4/28/2016 - RayOB wrote: 94 Points
Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte Dinner (67 Pall Mall): Nose of prunes, damsons, tobacco, spice and cherry. Fully mature and lovely.
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4/5/2016 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux (John's house): Decanted 30 minutes. A rich nose, damp earth, tobacco and ar. The palate is a bit dark. This is reasonably well-integrated now, but I think a couple more years will put it in the zone.
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4/1/2016 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
No Fools Today (Minneapolis): Nuts, raspberries, earth and dust. Medium finish. Needs more cellar time.
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2/13/2016 - mojotojo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice wine. Classic nose of plums, creme de cassis, lead pencil, violets and licorice, with a hint of smoke. Velvety, smooth with silky tannins, there was more cassis and dark fruit, cigar box and baseball glove leather. Full-bodied, the finish lasted for 30 seconds or more. Gorgeous.
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12/31/2015 - Sir Lloyd wrote: 93 Points
Happy New Years!
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12/19/2015 - Le croque bouchon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Collection Champlain Charest-Encore une fois, bouteille en parfaite condition.
Ouvert 1.5 h d'avance, décanté juste avant de servir
Cuir, café brun, fruits rouges, herbes séchées
Même en bouche. Tannins prés moyens. Belle longueur médium. Encore de la vie, mais très bon en ce moment.
Lendemain: Tannique, plus fermé? cuir, bonne présence en bouche, ce vin a encore un bon bout de temps a passer en cellier. Je réserve un + pour le potentiel au fil des années.
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Champlain Charest Collection-Bottle in excellent shape again.
Opened 1.5h in advance and decanted prior to serving.
Leather, lightly roasted coffee, red fruit, dried herbs. Same upon tasting, tannins medium, but present, medium length, lots of life left, but very good at the moment.
Next day: Tannic, closed? Leather, good mouthfeel. This wine as lots of time left in it. Keeping a "+" for the potential it has over the years.
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12/5/2015 - mxpbuy wrote: 89 Points
The fill and cork were perfect. Color was showing just a hint of age at the rim. I've had this bottle in my cellar for 7 years. The nose was a 92 of tobacco, cedar, black currant and cassis. The palate opened with all of that on the attack and with some acidity I wasn't expecting based upon Parker's '03 review, then disappeared at mid palate and turned into bit of mess at the short finish. Perhaps it is going through a dumb phase, but that seems unlikely. Perhaps it was an off bottle. Drinkable, but far short of expectations.
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11/28/2015 - Dr. Gold Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely mature bordeaux. Rough at first but after half an hour in decanter it was super until empty an hour later. No need to wait any longer.
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11/28/2015 - NYCITYRAT Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cellared since release. Enjoyed with dinner. Decanted and then drunk from 1-2.5 hours of air. Brilliant old Bordeaux. Full of mushroom and cedar and tar. Nice layered flavor a and nose. Finish good for 20 seconds.
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11/14/2015 - Vino Me wrote: 94 Points
Opened by Mark. Decanted 4 hours. Blackish red color. Typical Pessac asphalt aromas. Notes of black pepper, currant, grape skin and leather. Smooth approachable tannins. My favorite of the 3 bordeaux tasted. last had this 12 years ago on release and it is drinking so much better now (as expected). Still room for improvement. 93-94 points
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10/29/2015 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Annual Comparative Bordeaux Tasting (2000/2005) (Chicago, IL): Very, very soft. Not shapeless, but definitely on that path. A little bit of leather, and fruit that seems a little overripe. This didn't have the same freshness as many of the 2000s, and although there's ample acidity, there's not quite enough to overcome that slightly sickly overripe fruit character. I'm a bit surprised at how advanced this seems.
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10/2/2015 - libero wrote: 93 Points
Not final...medium red color, vibrant , pop and pour. Very light aromas. After two hours much better. Let to decant for one day.
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7/29/2015 - Rez wrote:
Bought by futures, opened and decanted. A lot of sediment. Unfortunately was corked. Have three more in the cellar.
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5/18/2015 - DSR wrote: 93 Points
Rich, modern-style, but not over-the-top. Good balance, long finish. Delicious.
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5/4/2015 - rikipedia wrote: 88 Points
Terroir-istes International - France, Bordeaux 2000 Vintage (Groot Constantia): "Bright mid-ruby, the aromas are attractive and pure with softened raspberry, cranberry, red plum and baked earth that runs to clay pots. A touch feral as it opens.
The entry is a pot full of baked plums, and raspberries with a twist of spice that rises nicely.
Broader framed, the fruit is rich with a sinewy texture and lively acidity. Perhaps a little foursquare; enough flesh coats the larger boned frame. The finish opens baked earth, chocolate more warm gravel and the tannins become sandier and dry on the long finish. More Pessac than St. Emilion. The close shows a slight bitter element that steadily got worse in glass.
And got worse. 89 to 87
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4/6/2015 - svdheijden wrote: 96 Points
Brilliant performance from one of my favorite modern style 2000 Bordeaux wines. Almost a Pomerol-feel to it: sexy, velvety, exuberant, but at the same time seriously complex and elegant. Heavenly bouquet of red and black (forest) fruits, with cassis, blackberries, raspberry, rose buds, leather, smokey fat bacon, tobacco and cigar box (cedar), all nicely framed in a spicy context with good, almost citrus-like acidity and freshness. This bottle must be near full maturity, but something tells me that it will be even better in a few years time. Loads of soft tannins left to fuel it for at least 10-15 more years.
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3/29/2015 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 95 Points
25 years of the Cathiards at Smith Haut Lafitte: all magnum verticals (Château Smith Haut Lafitte): This is a wine I first encountered 12 years ago in 2003, when Robert Parker guided a tasting of 2000 vintage Bordeaux at Heart's Delight. I loved it then, I love it now. Fruit driven yet with high acidity and delicious savory qualities. Tannin is high but tame and quite elegant. Full body without being glossy or modern. I would say indeed "terroir driven" with a lingering Old World and brambly fruit finish. Give me another sip, please.
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3/22/2015 - johnh1001 wrote: 92 Points
Loads of coffee, dark fruit, some vanilla and a slight tar note on the finish. This is rich, round and creamy in the mouth. Somewhat modern and the oak is very apparent. Excellent right now, but will hold and likely improve.
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1/24/2015 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind (Chicago, IL): Tasted double blind. Easily identified as from Bordeaux, with lots of black fruit, subtle signs of oak spice. Similar on palate with a fun, chewy texture. I've tried very little 2000 Bordeaux recently, so was surprised how accessible this is showing this young.
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1/24/2015 - Rechrom wrote: 92 Points
Continues to drink well, with graphite notes above the silky fruit. Nice balance. Still has time left, but in a nice window.
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1/10/2015 - vanpe003 wrote:
Agree with Fli's note
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12/29/2014 - FLI Likes this wine: 93 Points
Elegant and balanced, tannins well integrated. I don't think this needs anymore time. Very enjoyable.
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12/25/2014 - mpmullic Likes this wine:
I love this stuff. Decanted and drank over 8 hours. After the first few hours some of the mushroomy barnyard notes give way to the fruit and a few hours after that some of the mineral notes show up. Good mouthfeel. A touch brambly and bitter and the finish could be longer but overall a great value.
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12/10/2014 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #094; Bordeaux: Pessac-Léognan (By BD): Beautiful bouquet with a touch of barnyard, ripe dark forest fruits, animals, some cocoa and red fruits as well. On the palate red and dark forest fruits, licorice, good oak, sweet spices and almost Rhone like garrigue. Overall I don't know what to think; the wine was definitely very nice imho but did not impress as expected for the vintage. Some of the tasters were quite negative. Personally I scored the wine 91. Really hope to taste this wine again somewhere around 2017.
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12/5/2014 - andtheodor wrote:
Mineral, espresso, spice. So tough it almost hurts to drink and I can't taste much behind the wall of tannin.
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9/19/2014 - wythes Likes this wine: 93 Points
I was already into 2-3 bottles before we opened this one up, so my palate was a little dull. Regardless, this was a great wine. It was a bit acidic on the mid palate and I got some heavy tannins on the finish. Bottle was opened at a restaurant and we invited the somm to taste with us. She was gaga over this bottle.
I'm still thinking the 2000 vintage could stand some considerable time in the bottle. However others at the table were wondering when this vintage will really start to shine (impatient) or if it ends up being not as great at everyone originally thought (debbie-downer!). Time will tell....
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8/29/2014 - RickyBobby62 wrote: 95 Points
Earthy, smooth, excellent.
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7/5/2014 - pigdaddy wrote: 91 Points
decanted 1.5 hours. dark red to rim; smoke & toast, crushed blueberries & currants, mocha, brown spices; med ++ weight; ripe black & blue fruits, sweetly plush on the middle, vanilla extract, nominal mineral quotient, seems very accessible & forward.
wood oven-roasted brisket, potato & bacon gratin, artichoke hearts & roasted beets
double-decanted. earthy, slightly barnyard-ey, roasted plum, tobacco; med-full; deep, dark currant & plum; tanned leather, a little short; drink sooner.(92)
lamb shanks w/pistachio gremolata; buttermilk-crushed gold potatoes; spring arugula w/shaved fennel, spring onion & gruyère
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5/19/2014 - mellison wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic wine. Was ready to drink. Smooth and silky with outstanding balance and sophistication. Truly a great wine and wished I had purchased more.
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4/20/2014 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
Continues to impress; a touch of truffle (?age) appearing in the mix that I don't remember from earlier notes. Becoming quite velvety and dense.
Two bottles decanted separately for two hours. Consistent. Perfect with our Easter Day roast and follow up English cheese platter.
No rush.
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3/29/2014 - dbg wrote:
Perfect cork and fill. Dark red to rim. Forward nose of cassis, cedar, dark fruits, cigar. Medium to full body, ripe fruit, great balance, no real complexity yet, long finish, outstanding with upside potential as complexity develops.
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12/21/2013 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
Russk. WIC+Wives. at the French restaurants on Harrison Street. I expected this to be the one of the night. It was slightly over shadowed by an unassuming St.E. 91-. might be a little bit more time.
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11/25/2013 - vancouvermatt wrote: 91 Points
Mature, with crisp red fruit, medium bodied, with dry tannins on the finish. Slightly austere.
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9/25/2013 - RR47 wrote: 92 Points
This is in a very good place now. Fruit, grip, all in balance. Turns soft almost velvety near the finish with just enough tannin to add to its structure. Cellared since release.
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7/15/2013 - AzWineFan Likes this wine: 95 Points
Phenomenal bottle. Over a long birthday weekend splashed with ridiculous amounts of great wine this stood out. Almost immediately approachable. Deep, dense, rich and relatively youthful. Beautiful aromas that inspired us to create detailed and visual stories involving old houses, worn leather, cedar lined basements and classic cigars. Wish I had more.
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7/6/2013 - bevetroppo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful left bank nose from the get-go. Soaring cassis, earth, cedar, coffee, gravel, tobacco. Open, ripe, plummy and cassis driven fruit in the mouth with a suavely balanced profile and a decisive finish. In a pretty place right now and good for at least another 5.
Served this evening with a grilled ribeye following a recipe provided by Michael. Intended for filet, it adapted well: 1 minute a side seared at 650 degrees over indirect heat, then finished for 14 minutes on the warming rack at 350. Did I execute the game plan? Hah, I have this testosterone laden Lynx monster and once you get it to 650 you can shut off the burners and it takes a half hour to cool down from 650 to 350, at least when the external temperature is in the 80's. So instead it was more like 10 minutes at 450 to a nice medium rare. Everyone loved it so that's really what counts. Now I'm polishing off the SHL and I'm in a very pretty place myself.
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7/5/2013 - tewino Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pop and taste. Oh yeah this is gonna be good!!! Bordeaux soul. Creamy oak like a St Estephe (Cos), but dirt and minerals of Graves. Floral yet cedar and cowboy at the same time if that makes sense.... Like a cowboy library. Too complex to describe. Very enjoyable and it's only been opened 5 minutes. Now in the decanter.
I'm very happy. Need to find more.
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6/27/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 88 Points
Drank at the Chateau. Curiously, this bottle seemed much more evolved than the prior two. Everything was in balance and enjoyable, but this displayed many more secondary characteristics, which were not bad, but odd considering the age.
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6/9/2013 - pavel_p wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2h based on some of the notes here but think it does not need that long. Dark garnet, nice barnyard nose, dark fruit, cedar a touch of coffee. Surprised to still find fine to medium tannins. Short to medium finish. 90-91
Am with Jeff Leve here on the 2000 SHL. For example the 2004 SHL is the better wine despite a mediocre vintage. Another slightly disappointing 2000 left banker in my eyes.
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6/3/2013 - MattTM wrote:
La Commanderie de Bordeaux: Les Cinq (Five Sails - Vancouver, BC): Excellent nose showing tons of black pepper and baking spice aromas upfront, followed by plenty of graphite, cedar, gravel, ground coffee beans, and tart black cherries. Nice nose showing the typical SHL smokiness. More black pepper spice comes through on the palate along with some black cherry, graphite, cedar, coffee beans, and plenty of menthol. There's tons of lead pencil all the way through here with lots of spice at its core. Still young and fresh and in need of time but showed surprisingly well already. There's lots of gravel terroir evident here but could use some time to balance the oak. Delicious. Very good+
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5/26/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 90 Points
Same flavor profile as the last bottle but much more tannin.
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5/13/2013 - Eric wrote: 93 Points
Mmm, smoky, roasty, ripe and toasty. Very meaty and savory with a soy/umami aspect. Not shy on the oak but so much great fruit to match it. This is still a baby, but it is delicious even at this young age.
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5/7/2013 - WineCPA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good. Still comes across as a powerhouse. Cassis followed by firm tannins. Drinkable now but can of course go longer.
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4/28/2013 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Quite a bit of vanilla/oak on the nose along with smoke, dark fruit and tobacco. More of the same on the rich, round and creamy palate. While there is quite a bit of oak on this wine, it works. Medium+ finish. Easily enjoyed now.
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4/26/2013 - Whinojb wrote: 93 Points
Nose was full of tobacco, earth, dark stewed blackberries. Rich mouthfeel with balance from front to back - smooth as silk. Popped and poured and it was friendly immediately. Came back to it after three hours and it had evolved into something sexier.
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4/21/2013 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 93 Points
Extra decanting time than previous bottle reviewed earlier. 90+mins rather than an hour.
Same essential character as earlier note but with the fruit element much more prominent and even greater raciness - thus the extra mark.
Very fine but remain to be convinced it has the hidden depths to hold at this level or improve for more than five years.
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3/23/2013 - Roentgen Ray Likes this wine: 94 Points
Super lovely tobacco and cedar, lots of secondary notes with a little primary push that is coming out, and it is definitely not tertiary at this point in time. It is in a really dangerous time right now, where you put the bottle down, and your friends finish it off! A great wine to share, today, and down the road.
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2/18/2013 - jamie24 wrote: 93 Points
just about entering it's drinking window but needs a long decant. i gave it an hour which wasn't enough but it improved a lot over the subsequent 4 hours of drinking. classic pessac leognan. definitely got some tobacco and more red fruit than black. very good
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1/20/2013 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
At plateau.
Decanted for an hour. Slightest bricking deepening into garnet core. Wonderful smokey cassis tabacco aromas.
Fully integrated tannins with flavours of blackcurrant, dried herbs and hint of liquorice. Considerable race.
Very good indeed but I suspect only about another 5 years ahead of it at this optimum level.
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1/10/2013 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of black currant, violet and cedar. It's balanced and has flavours of tobacco and black currant with a medium body. Polished texture with a medium finish - Very good. Classic Graves, stone, gravel notes.
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12/22/2012 - RR47 wrote: 92 Points
Dark red. This continues to come together with age and open time. Nose of red fruit, tobacco, and vanilla. A complete Bordeaux with excellent balance and a good finish.
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12/22/2012 - RR47 wrote: 92 Points
Dark, dark red. This continues to come together with open age and open time. Nose of red fruit, tobacco, and vanilla. A complete Bordeaux with excellent balance and a good finish.
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10/28/2012 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Bordeaux (Levain, Mpls): this had a 2.5hr decant. Small pour. Still came out of the box slowly, seemed a bit hot initially. Developed a nice perfume of ripe cassis, graphite, and floral notes. The palate resolved and was deep and layered. This is still quite young and should improve significantly. Wish I would have had more of this to examine longer. 92+pts.
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10/24/2012 - bdelancy wrote: 92 Points
still relatively closed; it was only late on the second night that the nose really began to open up; still quite youthful color; still a little closed on the palate, but beginning to reveal nice dark fruit flavors; excellent structure and good long finish. very good wine.
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6/22/2012 - JJA wrote: 94 Points
This is aging very nicely. Loved it, as usual.
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6/15/2012 - Fishboy wrote: 92 Points
Drinking well right now
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6/15/2012 - bdelancy wrote: 92 Points
excellent wine; probably not at peak, but great aroma although still a little oaky; nice body and good finish
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5/29/2012 - Dar3 wrote: 93 Points
Very powerful bordeaux. Drank from a half-bottle. I think this has a few more years to go before it hits its peak.
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5/10/2012 - Didman wrote: 92 Points
An excellent wine beginning to reach maturity.
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5/9/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Oak, smoke, coffee, blackberry and earthy scents, full bodied, soft, round tannins and a plum filled are found in this Pessac Leognan. The wine is slightly marred by too much oak. The level of quality found in the wines being made today at Smith Haut Lafitte is at a much higher level.
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4/6/2012 - mmurry Likes this wine: 91 Points
What Would You Drink - Sommelier's Favorites (Pappas Bros.): Coffee and espresso on the nose, with green veg and cherry. Coffee and mocha on the palate, with some veg and cheery at the end
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3/31/2012 - Eric Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic young Graves in a modern vein. A smokey nose of tobacco moves to a pure, supple and juicy palate of black cherry. Lots of salty mineral appears on the dusty finish. The tannins here are incredibly suave and silky in this very precocious wine. I am rather surprised at how supple this is at this early stage. Very enjoyable.
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3/9/2012 - mwanasheria wrote: 93 Points
La Mission Haut Brion; 3/9/2012-3/10/2012 (Burg Staufeneck): From impériale. Sweet cherries, cassis, lots of unresolved tannins. Good but too young.
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2/4/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 93 Points
Chinese New Year (Home of Mike and Sandra O.): Not decanted, followed over several hours. No formal notes. Fantastic wine. Nose was quite dark, with tar, gravel, roasted fruits and smoke—very intriguing. Palate added some black currants with a little cassis mixed in, gravel and leather. Prominent slightly coarse tannins compared to the other ‘00’s. Lengthy tar, mocha, and gravel finish with some dark berries. I found this quite complex and balanced, and drinking reasonably well though a few more years with benefit this.
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10/20/2011 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Wow, clearly the wine of the night: Beautiful aromatic nose of the classic cab stuff: soft leather, tobacco, truffles, foresty earthy notes and slight exotic spices; silky, majestic (I rarely use this term); very balanced from start to finish; good structure, in a great place now, but in no hurry. Sold all 6 immediately after this was tasted.
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10/11/2011 - JLG wrote:
[NY Commanderie Bordeaux visit] Deep and rich initial nose, there is a strong roasted quality of coffee beans and charcoal, but also plenty of black fruit aromas with earth and minerals; sweet fruit flavors, very concentrated on the palate; powerful flavors of black and red fruits; like most of the wines of this vintage, this wine is still quite closed and constrained in the mouth; there is power and elegance here that should become more obvious in the next few years. (18+)
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10/1/2011 - spillwine wrote: 87 Points
Déception, manque d'équilibre
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9/18/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux Tasting Highlights at Levain (Levain, Mpls): Very dark red. This baby was tight. Not showing nearly what a previous bottle did a 7 months ago. Unsure the decant time given, i believe it was less than an hour though. Earth, pencil lead, oak, black fruit, gravelly, with prominent tannins and wood. 91+, but not open for business tonight.
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8/28/2011 - JWei wrote: 94 Points
Drinking great now after 3 hour decant. But can sleep for another 5-10 yrs. Classic classic Graves . . . it's everything you want in Bordeaux!
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7/4/2011 - svdheijden wrote: 90 Points
Weird wine. a year ago, I described a bottle from the same case and today I could write the exact same review: "Clearly some discolouration on the rim and even a faint brownish accent under the deep red colour. But then the good news starts. Beautiful nose. Complete fruit platter: lots of black fruits, cherry, cassis, but also fresh citrus tones, melon, pear, even strawberries. Upcoming secondary characteristics; sweet, caramel, tobacco/cigar box, cedar, leather, meat. Hints of graphite and pepper. Medium to full bodied, getting denser with time, good acidity, but lots of well concealed tannines left. Good structure and balance. Beginning to reach its maturity, which bothers me a bit. Should have many, many years of reserve." Now in 2011 I brought this bottle to a dinner with my good friend Arjen who had prepared us not only a perfect dinner with fresh pasta and a perfect slice of veal with ruccola, but who also served (blind) three outstanding Aussies (Torbreck Descendant 1999 and 2001 and the famous Jim Berry "The Armagh" 1996. Strange enough, the 2000 SHL fits seamlessly in this trio.....
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5/8/2011 - BuzzzzOff Likes this wine:
Drank at La Grand'Vigne. Sommelier is excellent. Decanted the wine perfectly. Warm on the nose with nice fruit and tanins. Strong, yet eloquent, palate with very long finish. Tanins not overwhelming, but evident. Oak apparent in the flavor. A bit spicy.
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5/4/2011 - vespasian wrote: 94 Points
Plummy garnet core; Particularly salty mineral note on the nose. Toasty oak - good concentration of fruit as well. Very vibrant and open; slightly dusty tannins on the palate but nice developing fruit. Flavoursome. Nuanced complexity on the finish.
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4/8/2011 - vinopa wrote: 93 Points
Classy wine...Dark purple still very young looking...Nose: Dark fruit, minerals, classic pencil lead which really stood out to me, cassis and a hint of earth...Palate: Dark tart cherries, blackberries, forest floor and minerals...Silky and elegant on the palate with good acidity. Still a strong backbone of tannin which should give this at least another decade to develope. Outstanding effort in a overal strong vintage...Cheers!!
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3/20/2011 - HenryW wrote: 93 Points
A graceful middleweight. The nose is briny and dark fruited, with hints of smoke, seaweed, leather. On the palate there are some notes of tree bark and earth that serve as a counterpoint to the blackcurrents. Some chewy tannins also make themselves felt. The style is more restrained than opulent but there is enough fruit and overall balance to suggest it has not yet reached its peak.
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3/16/2011 - RN wrote: 94 Points
Great wine. had at Wine Club along with 02 Ch H.Brion that i took. this was better- more intergrated , better fruit showing with more intensity. Very classic left bank bordeaux in styling.
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3/13/2011 - kstoddard Likes this wine: 93 Points
Garnet color. Blackberry nose with some nice toasted French oak. Tastes of blackberry, cherry, earth, and spice. Well balanced. Firm tannin. Elegant finish with very good complexity.
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3/6/2011 - Rechrom wrote: 94 Points
Young but definitely into a drinking window. Graphite, dark fruit, earth. Very good nose, smooth and mouthfilling palate, clean medium plus finish. Only thing that keeps this from outstanding is that it is a tiny bit on the light side for a heavy hitter and a bit lacking in perfume for a lighter weight wine. But really excellent.
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3/5/2011 - 2p8h wrote: 95 Points
This wine is showing beautifully now. Everything I look for in a Bordeaux blend.
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2/13/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Dark Red Color, shwing no age. Musty earth, cassis, pencil lead, hints of menthol. Concentrated and velvety in the mouth with vibrant acidity, integrated tannins, and dark fruits. This just screams of balance and elegance. Really a pleasure to drink.
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2/5/2011 - kr522 wrote: 95 Points
second bottle i've opened of this wine and like the first it's exceptional. I would say it's ideal for people who love Bordeaux first and foremost rather than those who prefer California and are looking for a change of pace, because it is all about the balance of fruit, acidity and refinement. I've been buying for <$100 a bottle and am stunned at how much pleasure it delivers.
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12/27/2010 - audicfa wrote: 93 Points
Opaque deep color, on the nose smokey, earth, musty smells with largely blew off over time. Drank over a 2 hr period over which time nose opened up to spice, fruit and interestingly some toffee. Awesome mouth coating feel, noticeable fruit coming through 30 second finish.
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12/19/2010 - kr522 wrote: 95 Points
i was very pleasantly surprised by this wine...excellent concentration with layers of sweet fruit, nice acidity and an excellent finish that lingers. Great harmony. Also gets my vote for worst Bordeaux label, but you can't have everything. Enjoy
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11/25/2010 - tbabes wrote: 92 Points
The fill was into the neck; popped and poured. Youthful appearance; aromas of ripe black fruit, tapenade and earth. Not as velvety as my last bottle -- there seems to be a fair amount of bottle variation -- but a long and well delineated finish.
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11/19/2010 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Now THIS is what I've been expecting with this wine! A much more outgoing bouquet than previous bottles, with notes of cassis, cherry, and plum; some hints of black truffle and tree bark. Medium-bodied, with a velvety texture, good focus and grip, with a long and flavorful finish. Maybe it was the Flannery pork chops that made this bottle so much better than previous examples!
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11/16/2010 - tbabes wrote: 92 Points
Good fill; popped and poured. Youthful color; a little more complexity on the nose than a bottle we had last week, with some campfire and anise note. Medium-bodied, with good depth and focus. Still lacking a bit in terms of texture.
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11/14/2010 - Highmountain wrote: 95 Points
Munskänkarna lektion 6. Very dark deep brown color. Amazing bouquet with lots of things going on with chocolate, cedar, oak, meat and leather. Very balanced with smooth, velvety tannins that go on forever. To be really perfect it should have had a little more fruit but nothing really dramatic. An excellent wine that should be consumed now, wont gain with more aging.
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11/9/2010 - tbabes wrote: 90 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; followed this over the course of 6 hours. Purple-ruby in color with no amber at the rim. The nose was pretty straightforward, without much complexity, with notes of ripe black fruit and hints of asphalt, and leather. Medium-bodied, with pure fruit flavors, a bit high-toned, with some tannin still to shed, but lacking in terms of texture and excitement. A sound wine, but in all honesty I was disappointed.
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10/29/2010 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 91 Points
Tasted in single-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. (Graves theme tasting). The bottle was kindly provided by Diogo Belo. Opaque garnet robe. The nose shows moderately intense aromas of black plums, mocha, lavender and vanilla. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity, generous well-integrated tannins and flavors in line with the nose. The oak is a bit pronounced at this stage. Full middle palate and long, slightly dry finish. This wine appears to just be entering its drinking window. It has the structure to age well. Drink now-12/25.
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9/27/2010 - joshwoodward wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Very nice stuff - elegant is the word. Much lighter than the 2003, but not at all one of those hard cheap Bordeaux. Many olive and meat characteristics, like a good Southern Rhone. Very interesting, and quite tasty.
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8/31/2010 - RR47 wrote: 94 Points
This is really coming together. Wanted to see how this progressed from a pop and pour, (closed of course, but certainly dark fruit amd dust), to the result of 1 hour of decanting. As it opened, it transformed to a beautiful compliment to a grilled tenderloin. The aromas kept pulling you back: Cassis, fragrant tobacco, tar, and hints of leather, and then more dark fruit. Well structured, with softening tannins. I hope the other bottles are this good.
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8/27/2010 - callmeacab22 wrote: 90 Points
At its prime.
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6/15/2010 - svdheijden wrote: 94 Points
This one confirms that the Smith Haut Lafitte 2000 is one of my favourites. Expected this well stored bottle to be as young and fresh as the previous ones, but this one is showing some age already. Clearly some discolouration on the rim and even a faint brownish accent under the deep red colour. But then the good news starts. Beautiful nose. Complete fruit platter: lots of black fruits, cherry, cassis, but also fresh citrus tones, melon, pear, even strawberries. Upcoming secondary characteristics; sweet, caramel, tobacco/cigar box, cedar, leather, meat. Hints of graphite and pepper. Medium to full bodied, getting denser with time, good acidity, but lots of well concealed tannines left. Good structure and balance. Beginning to reach its maturity, which bothers me a bit. Should have many, many years of reserve. Still a great buy 9 years ago at €40 en primeur and at that time I thought it was rather overpriced.... (After six hours oxydation is clearly noticeable. This bottle must be an exception in its early development)
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4/19/2010 - PatrikO wrote: 92 Points
A bit non forthcoming at first, but as it sat in the decanter it just got better and better, such freshness and balance in this wine and the nose is to die for. This will mature into a stunner.
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4/3/2010 - gsquireh wrote: 93 Points
Comparble to top tier 2000 Bordeaux. Cassis, licorice , lead pencil and violet make this balanced beauty complex and the best of this Chateau. Persistent finish.
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3/24/2010 - jeff nowak wrote: 90 Points
good performance, a bit dry on the finish, shows cigar and minerals, not ripe. drink now-2017.
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3/5/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
This kicks off with jammy, black fruit, oak and licorice notes. The wine is polished, round and clean, ending with soft, sweet black fruit flavors.
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2/10/2010 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine Cellar - Bordeaux 2000 (Wine Cellar, Cape Town): (Tasted Blind): A deep garnet colour with hints of orange on the rim. The aromas of leather belt, ripe plum, caramel, chocolate, and toffee are all very inviting.
The palate further impressed, being rounded with a satiny texture, full-body, and well-structured. The fresh acid is a counterpoint to the rich flavours, providing balance. Plenty of graphite, pencil shavings, plum and blackcurrant. Long finish with grippy tannins. Quite modern with the oak integrated.
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1/25/2010 - tanglenet wrote:
Opened and decanted 8+ hours. Served blind. As I was the host, notes were minimal. I picked up lots of dark fruit but thought this was closed and showed some metallic notes. Fair to Good.
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1/25/2010 - Tom_B wrote: 90 Points
Tasted blind. The darkest color intensity of the lot, showing dark ruby color. This wine seemed a little tight, with cherry notes, some chocolate. The tannins were a bit drying, on this medium bodied wine.
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9/1/2009 - kkjoel wrote: 92 Points
Excellent, typical Graves.
Nose: Dark fruits, hint of tobacco and slightest of tar.
Shows good development already - will probably reach top in a couple of yers, but stay there for...well, u know Bordeaux...say min. 10 yrs.
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8/4/2009 - Eric wrote: 91 Points
Lovely adolescent. Smoky tobacco. Black cherry. Quite supple. Hints of bitter chocolate. Acidic and a bit wound up on the finish, but I love the direction this is heading.
DAY 2: Mmm, showing more structure now. Great black fruit, tobacco, lovely acidity, firmly tannic with dusty, silky, mouthcoating tannins. A hint of earthy brett adds a nice accent. A steak wine at this point but quite enjoyable.
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7/7/2009 - G Kapoor wrote: 88 Points
Had this for dinner with GleenK while he was in town from London. We drank the 2000 Pontet and this wine over dinner. I double-decanted both of the wines, pouring the wines back in the bottle and corking it, then putting it back in cellar, for approximately 6 hours before drinking. Both GleenK and I were shocked at how similar the nose of the two wines were! Nose was full of minerals, primarily iodine and ink, and smoke. On palate I did get some hints of blue fruit but it was dominated by sweet oak and minerals. The Smith Haut Lafitte was thinner then the Pontet and I just could not get much fruit from my bottle. Based on my current experience, I will probably not touch the remaining bottles for a few years.
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6/20/2009 - soyhead wrote: 93 Points
nose - complex. citrus, butter, and per Lisa a bit of stinky cheese funk. papaya. mouth - dry, clean, good minerality, light lemon mixed with herbs, very slight suggestion of butter. good acidity. a complex white. some secondary tropical flavors.
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6/5/2009 - BYOBrett wrote: 93 Points
Took about a half an hour to open up fully (in a decanter) so these are starting to reach maturity (plus the color is starting to get a bit brickish on the edges) ... nice black cherry, graphite and spicy pepper aromas with some floral notes too. The cherry and cassis fruits are still fresh and clean, backed up by some great acidity. The tannins are very integrated creating a lush and velvety mouthfeel. The black pepper spice complimented my grilled steak perfectly. A very well made and balanced wine. After an hour, the floral components really came out making it even more beautiful drinking experience (so I added another point to the score). I'll probably wait another two or three years before drinking the next bottle.
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12/9/2008 - Roentgen Ray wrote: 93 Points
Dark purple-black color. medium aromatics, charred earth, plums and blackberry, vanilla, a little dusty. juicy vibrancy with nice energy on the palate. Tannic strength with grace. Dusty spicy finish with a touch of rhubarb.
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8/14/2008 - winelovr2001 wrote: 93 Points
Drank at blind bordeaux vs Cali tasting. Some brett on the nose that blew off, showing great texture. Nice acid and firm tannins, black fruits, leather, tobacco and nice spice.
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6/27/2008 - City Wine Journal wrote: 92 Points
Bought and held since release. Decanted, with telltale unfiltered sediment characteristic of this chateau. Beautiful color hitting the glass, and aroma immediately wafting through the room, what a nice nose -- wonderful dark fruit, cedar box a bit of fresh herbs. Palate is full-bodied, a bit warm, and quite rewarding with great balance -- black fruit, high-toned acidity and good length, tannins suggesting more time will continue to evolve. A treat now. Vintages do matter, don't they, and this 2000, at $25 +/- when purchased, is wonderful.
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3/29/2008 - Jeff W wrote:
Still committing infanticide. It has very intense primary fruit. Good minerality. Power and body, and a tannic finish that builds with air. Initially slightly warm, but interestingly that seems to fade with some air as well. I think this will be very good....in time.
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10/19/2007 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
WL Chicago Blind Bordeaux night (my house): nose: real big nose. After that initial hit, there is some good stuff though. Some chalk aspects, cedar box, and red fruit
taste: tobbacco and cranberry is what's mostly here with hints of other red fruits too. The tannins are almost overpowering the taste, but it's walking a fine line
overall: real firm big wine. Lots of structure and real nice fruit. This is a wine that can definitely age some more before it reveals its true self
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4/29/2007 - JimHow wrote: 94 Points
This is a dense, inky-colored, concentrated wine with great ripeness. It is big but not overwhelming. I hadn't had a 2000 in awhile, and was immediately reminded of the ripeness of the vintage. It didn't seem closed at all to me, although it does seem to me that this wine will continue to evolve positively for decades to come. Great stuff. Rating: 94 points.
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9/2/2006 - JJA wrote: 94 Points
Consistent experience with last bottle. But this wine really showed it stuff with a well marinated steak. Terrific. I have to stop drinking my inventory of this wine since it is infanticide to be drinking it now!!
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5/5/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
DAWGS Offline - May 5, 2006 (Lola's Restaurant, Dallas, TX): WIML92,PURPLE92,WA94,WS90
Tasted May 5, 2006 at Lola’s in Dallas, TX. Opened and served immediately in a Spiegelau Cabernet glass. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Trademark SHL nose of leather, dried herbs and briar patch. Flavors of black berries and cherries. Later on showed a little red licorice. Balance is good, just not showing a lot at the moment. I’d recommend holding at least 2-4 more years before trying again. Estimating the price to be close to $60.00 a bottle at this time I’d say the value is recommended with the possibility for improvement.
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2/4/2006 - SteveHyde wrote:
first family dinner post-renovation. Dark purple, intense nose with loads of black cherry, lots of spicy bramble notes, herbal undertones, green tea, cocoa. Long finish. Loads of grip.
Decanted 3 hours before drinking. Would have benefitted from a whole day. Amazing stuff. Lovely.
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11/27/2005 - JJA wrote: 94 Points
Wow. This was terrific. Better than the first time I tasted this a while ago. Beautiful deep ruby color, wonderful fruity aroma. After a day open, this was excellent. I'm glad I have more inventory. While drinkable now, this is no where near its full potential.
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10/7/2005 - Jeff W wrote:
I bought some of this on the strong recommendation of Linden; apparently it came out really well in some comparative tasting of 2000s.
Purple, with flecks of light purple froth - maybe I'm pouring it too fast. Cedar and leather and tobacco and blackcurrents. It has a smooth, unctous quality, with good minerality and a good finish with soft, ripe tannins. Given a couple of hours it starts to build; gaining in intensity, putting on weight, and with much stronger tannins. I think it can be approached now, though you would really want to leave it in a decanter for a couple of hours, and it would be more sensible to wait. dg
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5/4/2005 - SteveHyde wrote:
Now this is more like it. After yesterday's corked bottle, I decided to go back and try again, and this time got what I expected - a powerhouse of black and red fruits, tobacco and smoke, balanced oak, bracing tanin. Great stuff.
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5/2/2005 - SteveHyde wrote: flawed
corked. damn, I hate that.
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2/27/2005 - JJA wrote:
This wine has a young, fruity aroma. While I enjoyed the taste, clearly this wine needs years to mature. Really not ready to drink now, but has excellent potential.
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10/2/2003 - R2-D2 wrote: 93 Points
A powerhouse! Tobacco, smoke, cherries, long lingering finish.
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6/14/2003 - Jason wrote: 94 Points
Super dark and thick when poured. Seemed to pour a split second after I expected due to the thickness.
Nose of cedar and graphite pencil. Peat moss was intense at open but after 8 hours integrated nicely. Blackberries and cream, hint of bret, smoky pine.
Palate was medium in length, smoky, strong tannins that continued to integrate as it was open. Touch spicy. After 10 hours open wine showed exquisite balance.
I originally rated this 92 points, but I am giving it 2 "bonus" points for intangibles. There was an extra dimension (and excitement) level to this wine. Wow.
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1/21/2003 - R2-D2 wrote: 93 Points
2000 Bordeaux Tasting (Chicago, IL): Copious amounts of jammy sweet red currant and sweet tobacco on the nose. Both carry over on the palate and the finish is intensely tannic with minerals, earth, lead pencil, tobacco, and more jammy red fruit. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Tied with the Canon for Number 6 of the tasting.
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1/17/2003 - Vino Me wrote: 92 Points
Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux (2000 Vintage) (Intercontinental Hotel Chicago): Dark reddish burgundy color. One of the more backward wines at this time. Bitter aromas of black mushroom, berry and oriental spice. Notes of cherry, tobacco and full mouth feel. The finish was shorter than other wines at the tasting and it was a little dry on the finish. It will come around though. 91-92 points.
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