My first time trying this - I like this, although we had it along side of the ‘96 Leoville Las Cases with a lamb saddle that was a splendid combo, and I think the Burgundy suffered a bit in the pairing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Funky nose, very tertiary and what is left of the fruit doesn't appear clean and focused. The material is present in the palate and you can sense the potential, but there is so much distraction and jammy flavors that the experience ends in frustration.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At a dinner of experienced burgundy drinkers, this was the surprise wotn. Given the reputation of this wine from this time period, and the less than glowing CT scores, this wine really overperfomed with beautiful dark fruit and compelling secondary notes. More toward power than finesse. If they were all like this, I'd load up the truck, but given other drinkers notes, this was either an outlier on the plus side, or the wine is just now coming into its own.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
HDH Celebration of Burgundy Dinner (Everest): Mature black cherry is showing more dried than I'd like. Plenty of Asian spice and toasted herbs in the aromatics. Palate is dense and concentrated with lots of ripe fruit though it is a bit flat, if I'm nitpicking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Darker ruby hue. Nose of earth, damp cellar, anise, cherry pits, plum, hyacinth. After about an hour in the glass the palate opened to reveal elegant, pure red berry fruit, mainly cherry and red raspberry, laced with iron, underbrush, and stone. Classy, almost lyrical quality to the fruit as it seemed to layer out above the earthy tannic spine. Bright acidity and good freshness. Longer finish of mulberry fruit becoming sweeter at the end, with grip in spades. Solid and enjoyable showing for this grand cru, with more to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
1996 & 1999 Vosne Grand Cru Dinner (Holland Park): Lamarche’s La Grand Rues before the mid-2000s have an unenviable reputation as rustic underperformers, especially when put next to the storied wines produced by their neighbours. This bottle certainly belied that reputation though – it came across as a very complete, very satisfying bottle of Grand Cru Vosne, easily in the top bracket of wines we had on the night. I liked the nose here – a good middle-ground between the earthier Echezeaux and the more flowery RSVs, it showed an nicely integrated bouquet of dark cherries and powdered spices. The palate, while showing a good bit of Grand Cru strength and thickness in the mouth surprisingly came across as rather less rich and powerful, but slightly more elegant than the blockbuster of a 1999 Arnoux RSV that preceded it, with a nice clarity showing to its dark cherry notes leading into a strong finish of earth and spice. This was a nicely complete package, with an elegant balance and nicely textured structure. Nothing absolutely outstanding, but this was a very good wine that was showing very nicely on the night. Impressed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium nose of red cherry, the tiniest bit of menthol, lots of oak, and some spicy notes... Good not great. Took the last third of the bottle home to give it another shot and it was still pretty average hours later. Didn't take proper notes as it was getting on in the evening and nobody at dinner was really pleased with the wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Intense dark ruby color. Opulent and complex nose of red cherries, with hints of leather. Structured and sharp palate, with good balance with red fruit and spice. This is a solid wine with still years to go. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really liked this. Rich, powerful and intense, yet very graceful and polished on the palate with flamboyant smoky and spicy notes framing a core of rich fruit. There's a fair bit of tannin on the back end suggesting this has plenty of time ahead, but it's fantastic now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
First bottle of La Grand Rue. Popped and poured. Dark ruby hue. Voluminous high-pitched florals on the nose along with notes of clove, intense red raspberry, acrid anise, earth, and red plum. Effortless combination of power, elegance, and building persistance on the palate, eventually releasing lashes of still-primary red raspberry, black cherry, and plump plum fruit laced with iron and mineral. Fine-grained, aristocratic structure with arching acidity and firm but filed-off tannins. Very long finish of earth, iron, and grippy black briary fruit. Beautiful wine, just beginning to show its strengths: a peacock's tail of smells, tastes, and texture.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
There was some concentrated dark fruits but also a strong coffee/roasted element that dominated the wine. It was quite dry and astringent on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2011 Simple Dinner Series 14 :: Ed's big day (Jade Palace Seafood Restaurant, The Forum Shopping Mall, Orchard Road): Alcohol :: 13.9% Dark ruby red with light brown rim. Exotic Asian spices, dried herbs, autumn leaves sailing along with a boat loads of sweet dark fruits ans touch of red fruits that keep evolving and changing in the glass, kaleidoscopic! This has darkest fruits profile within today line up of burgundy. I always think that La Grand Rue is one of the longest live red burgundies, this bottle re-inforce my thought which easily need another decade to enter the drinking window. Solid structured and large scale, but with incredible sap and dry extract that buffered it as well as the firm tannin to form the excellent depth toward the long , lingering spicy infused finish with excellent energy and drive. This is a very long lived wine for a least 20decades. 92-94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Notes are for a 1.5L. I had this bottle alongside a 750ml of 1997 La Tache. What an afternoon!
The color of wine is very different. The La Tache is brownish red in color, earthy, dark clay while La Grande Rue is clearer and more cherry red.
The appearance carries through to the nose. The La Tache is very earthy, mushroom, woodsy while La Grande Rue has more up front berries. Not nearly like a Californian pinot but unbelievably different than they La Tache. Maybe because the La Tache is from an earlier vintage and smaller format? (I think the wineries are next door to one another!)
Palate: As expected from the appearance and nose, the palate continues the trend. The La Tache is very complex, earthy, mushroom, vegetable and gamey. Definitely something that goes with food. Also I've had this bottle open longer and it seems to be getting better over a couple of hours (or maybe I've been drinking to much wine). The La Grand Rue is more simple but silky smooth. An excellent wine that can be enjoyed by itself - the fruits come through in this one - cherries, etc.
What to do?? I guess finish both and enjoy them for their uniqueness. Cheers.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Vinamok does Vosne Romanee (Copenhagen, Denmark): Almost black cherries and gunpowder on the nose. Powerfull and young, but at the same time harmonious, precise and balanced. Could use a little additional time in the cellar, but for me this was a very special and unique wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lots of black fruit on nose and palate with some good classically Vosne spice. Moderate length and nuance, but more importantly, this wine just didn't come across tonight as clean or precise.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep, dark black cherry and liquified stoney red fruits. Some oaky pickle come through on the nose. Firmly acidic but with plenty of balancing fruit (think '01 acids). Not so expressive at this point but has potential. ***+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cleveland Offline (Lockkeeper's): Opened with some violet and sous-bois on the nose. Soft fruit with nice acidity and a bright berry note. Almost immediately slammed shut and revealed very little, progressing into olive-like notes. Still showed a great structural core. I see a strong upside in at least 15 yrs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/30/2023 - Bob H wrote:
My first time trying this - I like this, although we had it along side of the ‘96 Leoville Las Cases with a lamb saddle that was a splendid combo, and I think the Burgundy suffered a bit in the pairing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2020 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
While better than previous bottle, there was nothing particular special or exciting here. A reasonable Burg in balance of age.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/3/2020 - thomasito2001 Does not like this wine: 89 Points
Funky nose, very tertiary and what is left of the fruit doesn't appear clean and focused. The material is present in the palate and you can sense the potential, but there is so much distraction and jammy flavors that the experience ends in frustration.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2020 - Topper wrote: 95 Points
At a dinner of experienced burgundy drinkers, this was the surprise wotn. Given the reputation of this wine from this time period, and the less than glowing CT scores, this wine really overperfomed with beautiful dark fruit and compelling secondary notes. More toward power than finesse. If they were all like this, I'd load up the truck, but given other drinkers notes, this was either an outlier on the plus side, or the wine is just now coming into its own.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/17/2019 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
HDH Celebration of Burgundy Dinner (Everest): Mature black cherry is showing more dried than I'd like. Plenty of Asian spice and toasted herbs in the aromatics. Palate is dense and concentrated with lots of ripe fruit though it is a bit flat, if I'm nitpicking.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/27/2018 - Barry Rothof wrote: 90 Points
Lamarche La Grande Rue (Restaurant Vineum): Earthy, spicy maturity, but also lacking depth and concentration! Very developed and maybe to far?
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2018 - dvansteenderen wrote:
Tasting of La Grande Rue 1999-2013 @ VINEUM in Rotterdam (Vineum, Rotterdam): Too advanced already. Normally a 1999 Burgundy Grand Cru should be fine in 2018, so we came to the conclusion that the bottle must be off. Not completely cooked, but not good either.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2018 - Xavier Auerbach wrote:
A private tasting of La Grande Rue 1999-2013 (Restaurant Vineum, Rotterdam, NL): Relatively mature and sombre colour; deep and mature nose, quite tertiary, lovage; mature flavours, firm structure, very developed; dry and tannic finish. Not a perfect bottle? Not rated.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2017 - rlove wrote: flawed
Cooked.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2016 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Darker ruby hue. Nose of earth, damp cellar, anise, cherry pits, plum, hyacinth. After about an hour in the glass the palate opened to reveal elegant, pure red berry fruit, mainly cherry and red raspberry, laced with iron, underbrush, and stone. Classy, almost lyrical quality to the fruit as it seemed to layer out above the earthy tannic spine. Bright acidity and good freshness. Longer finish of mulberry fruit becoming sweeter at the end, with grip in spades. Solid and enjoyable showing for this grand cru, with more to come.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2016 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
1996 & 1999 Vosne Grand Cru Dinner (Holland Park): Lamarche’s La Grand Rues before the mid-2000s have an unenviable reputation as rustic underperformers, especially when put next to the storied wines produced by their neighbours. This bottle certainly belied that reputation though – it came across as a very complete, very satisfying bottle of Grand Cru Vosne, easily in the top bracket of wines we had on the night. I liked the nose here – a good middle-ground between the earthier Echezeaux and the more flowery RSVs, it showed an nicely integrated bouquet of dark cherries and powdered spices. The palate, while showing a good bit of Grand Cru strength and thickness in the mouth surprisingly came across as rather less rich and powerful, but slightly more elegant than the blockbuster of a 1999 Arnoux RSV that preceded it, with a nice clarity showing to its dark cherry notes leading into a strong finish of earth and spice. This was a nicely complete package, with an elegant balance and nicely textured structure. Nothing absolutely outstanding, but this was a very good wine that was showing very nicely on the night. Impressed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2016 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Meh. My assessment from 10 yrs ago about this aging has been shown to be wrong. Generically aged Pinot w/o GC weight or any special characteristics.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/15/2015 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 91 Points
Medium nose of red cherry, the tiniest bit of menthol, lots of oak, and some spicy notes... Good not great. Took the last third of the bottle home to give it another shot and it was still pretty average hours later. Didn't take proper notes as it was getting on in the evening and nobody at dinner was really pleased with the wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/2/2015 - jfpwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Intense dark ruby color. Opulent and complex nose of red cherries, with hints of leather. Structured and sharp palate, with good balance with red fruit and spice. This is a solid wine with still years to go. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2014 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Really liked this. Rich, powerful and intense, yet very graceful and polished on the palate with flamboyant smoky and spicy notes framing a core of rich fruit. There's a fair bit of tannin on the back end suggesting this has plenty of time ahead, but it's fantastic now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2014 - PeterH Likes this wine: 93 Points
Think this has upside potential in a few more years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/18/2013 - DougLee wrote: 94 Points
First bottle of La Grand Rue. Popped and poured. Dark ruby hue. Voluminous high-pitched florals on the nose along with notes of clove, intense red raspberry, acrid anise, earth, and red plum. Effortless combination of power, elegance, and building persistance on the palate, eventually releasing lashes of still-primary red raspberry, black cherry, and plump plum fruit laced with iron and mineral. Fine-grained, aristocratic structure with arching acidity and firm but filed-off tannins. Very long finish of earth, iron, and grippy black briary fruit. Beautiful wine, just beginning to show its strengths: a peacock's tail of smells, tastes, and texture.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/12/2013 - PeterH Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious but still primary. Wait until 2019 for the magic to start.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/7/2012 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
There was some concentrated dark fruits but also a strong coffee/roasted element that dominated the wine. It was quite dry and astringent on the finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/23/2011 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 92 Points
2011 Simple Dinner Series 14 :: Ed's big day (Jade Palace Seafood Restaurant, The Forum Shopping Mall, Orchard Road): Alcohol :: 13.9%
Dark ruby red with light brown rim. Exotic Asian spices, dried herbs, autumn leaves sailing along with a boat loads of sweet dark fruits ans touch of red fruits that keep evolving and changing in the glass, kaleidoscopic! This has darkest fruits profile within today line up of burgundy. I always think that La Grand Rue is one of the longest live red burgundies, this bottle re-inforce my thought which easily need another decade to enter the drinking window. Solid structured and large scale, but with incredible sap and dry extract that buffered it as well as the firm tannin to form the excellent depth toward the long , lingering spicy infused finish with excellent energy and drive. This is a very long lived wine for a least 20decades. 92-94
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/22/2010 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
La Grande Rue vertical 1964 to 2007 (Institute of Directors, London): Muted cardboard nose, rich, meaty and malty, some iodine, not very expressive and lots of tannin, but enough there to suggest that this will be very good in a few years time
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2009 - nfenwick wrote:
Notes are for a 1.5L. I had this bottle alongside a 750ml of 1997 La Tache. What an afternoon!
The color of wine is very different. The La Tache is brownish red in color, earthy, dark clay while La Grande Rue is clearer and more cherry red.
The appearance carries through to the nose. The La Tache is very earthy, mushroom, woodsy while La Grande Rue has more up front berries. Not nearly like a Californian pinot but unbelievably different than they La Tache. Maybe because the La Tache is from an earlier vintage and smaller format? (I think the wineries are next door to one another!)
Palate: As expected from the appearance and nose, the palate continues the trend. The La Tache is very complex, earthy, mushroom, vegetable and gamey. Definitely something that goes with food. Also I've had this bottle open longer and it seems to be getting better over a couple of hours (or maybe I've been drinking to much wine). The La Grand Rue is more simple but silky smooth. An excellent wine that can be enjoyed by itself - the fruits come through in this one - cherries, etc.
What to do?? I guess finish both and enjoy them for their uniqueness. Cheers.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2008 - Whitman wrote: 94 Points
Vinamok does Vosne Romanee (Copenhagen, Denmark): Almost black cherries and gunpowder on the nose. Powerfull and young, but at the same time harmonious, precise and balanced. Could use a little additional time in the cellar, but for me this was a very special and unique wine
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/20/2008 - winecowboy wrote: 92 Points
Nose was restrained although some floral infused red berry seeped through. Wine was muscular, round and pure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2008 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Lots of black fruit on nose and palate with some good classically Vosne spice. Moderate length and nuance, but more importantly, this wine just didn't come across tonight as clean or precise.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2005 - psmith wrote:
Deep, dark black cherry and liquified stoney red fruits. Some oaky pickle come through on the nose. Firmly acidic but with plenty of balancing fruit (think '01 acids). Not so expressive at this point but has potential. ***+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2005 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
Cleveland Offline (Lockkeeper's): Opened with some violet and sous-bois on the nose. Soft fruit with nice acidity and a bright berry note. Almost immediately slammed shut and revealed very little, progressing into olive-like notes. Still showed a great structural core. I see a strong upside in at least 15 yrs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment