13.5% alcohol. Half bottle. CS 65%, M 35%. Short cork of vg quality. Decanted an hour ahead. The colour is deep with marginal thinning at the edge of the rim. Lovely nose, predominantly fruity (blackcurrant and red berries) but with some tertiary notes emerging (ink and leather); the overall effect is very enticing. The mouth is refreshing with a high pitched balance for Bordeaux and a delightfully light touch but no lack of substance. Good grip with some residual tannins which emerge only in the aftertaste. Menthol in the finish. A success and in fact a model of its type.
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13.5% alcohol. CS 72%, M 28% according to a secondary source, and this mix is certainly in the ballpark upon tasting. Long cork of pretty good quality, fully saturated over 3 mm. Decanted an hour ahead and cooled slightly on account of the high outside temperature; I feel hat this helped the wine show at its best. Medium to deep colour with some thinning at the rim and a certain amount of deposit, even after decanting (not a problem at all). Superb nose with a perfect balance between fruit and the harmonious remnants of élevage; the archetypal left bank Bordeaux, hard to beat on its own terms. The mouth is at least as good with superb freshness (up CS !) and great length. Only in the after after taste (sic) is there the tiniest bitter aspect, but even this is far from unpleasant. This bottle gives pleasure well beyond its status. Denis Dubourdieu was truly one of the great stylists in Bordeaux. A triumph with grilled lamb cutlets.
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My first from this estate. Some signs of ageing but still a fairly purple robe. Notes of pine to start, then later some cherry, Asian spice, then cigar box and blackcurrant. A little tannin remains, so seems to be nearing peak. Drinking well now and nice to see it evolve over 3 hours or so. BUT (and I find this with a of left bank Bordeaux) it lacks any real charm: it's all there but hard to actually love. Fair value at around £30 as it's a notable step up in density and complexity to the £15 ish crus Bourgeois.
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Classical Bordeaux nose, of dark berries, graphite, liquorice and earthy notes. Medium bodied, with a palate dominated by herbal notes, ink, graphite, the tannins, leaving an overall edgy impression. In my earlier comments I expected a more positive development over time, which this bottle fails to confirm. If you still have stock consider waiting another 3 years, otherwise use as an "everyday wine".
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13.5% alcohol. pretty long cork with no wine penetration. Decanted an hour ahead. Medium colour with no sign of ageing. The nose has red fruit, substantial oak and a whiff of alcohol in the finish. The mouth is commendably juicy with a touch of hardness in the finish. More vigorous than harmonious at this stage. Needs another five years for the flavours to integrate.
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13.5% alcohol. CS 72%, M 28% in the vineyard. Decanted an hour ahead. Very good dense cork of average length. The colour is medium to dark. Very engaging nose with red and dark berries; some discreet vanilla aromas and just a hint of ripe red pepper. The mouth has plenty of energy, with ripe CS flavours (nothing overripe) and oak in an unobtrusive supporting rôle (as is the M). Not hugely complex, but very harmonious in a lively style. Soft tannins but excellent grip. I have been a fan of the white at this address for a long time, but this particular vintage of the red strikes me as very successful. I bought it after critical acclaim, and lo and behold, these people were right! Ready to drink now; I see only modest room for improvement but plenty of years ahead at current quality levels. A success without doubt and a tribute to the late lamented Denis Dubourdieu.
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Classical Bordeaux nose, of dark berries, graphite, liquorice and earthy notes. Medium bodied, well structured, the palate is dominated by herbal notes, ink, graphite. The more delicate cedar and tobacco notes are still concealed by the tannins. Although already approachable this well made Graves will further improve over the coming 3-5 years and comfortably reach or exceed a score of 90 at it peak.
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Bien aéré, c’est un joli bouquet qui s’offre à nous, bordelais à souhait avec ses notes graphites (mine de crayon), de tabac, de poivron, d’épices de sous-bois; certes ce n’est pas flamboyant, mais déjà engageant. La bouche me laisse plus perplexe, avec une finale chaude, des tanins qui manquent de finesse, même si le milieu de bouche est assez plein, mûr, plus fruité, et la mineralité assez fraiche. Un peu fatigant à mon goût …
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Herrlicher Wein, am Anfang des Trinkfensters mit solidem Tanin und konzentrierter schwarzer Frucht, schwarze Johannisbeere. Bleistift finde ich ich hier auch. Das wird noch ne richtig gute Angelegenheit, wenn man warten kann.
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good fruit, sweetish and ripe on the palate, can definitely smell the alcohol, along with a bit of smoke. Initially soft on the palate but tannins became more obvious after aeration.
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For a long time, I was not so enthusiastic about this wine, but now it really blossomed. The bouquet was 'très Graves/Pessac' with a hint of pencil, dark fruit and gentle bitters. The taste was quite complex with dark fruit, the same bitters, also quite smooth and the aftertaste was long and full of ripe tannins.
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This wine is hard to score as it is very subtle and finesse styled with plenty of elegant blackcurrants, cassis, mulberries and gravel underscored by light oak. Ends medium long and aromatic.
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Less polished than expected! Noticable tannins but not dry; dark fruit in the nose, continuing in the midtaste, real body and some future. Let this wine breath at least several hours before tasting.
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Not modern to me like some others noted. Feeling older than I'd have thought. Faded fruit, decent herbalness and structure. Should drink my last bottle soon.
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Good nose of cassis, cedar and some dark fruit on the nose. Good fruit on the palate with a medium finish. Don't think this will get better with time maybe just mellow out a bit more.
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Drank the first bottle of 3 and found this to be very good wine. Took a little while to open up. Cherry with good fruit and a little spice. Looking forward to the next bottle in a few months..
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I think this is being under-rated by other CTers and by Parker and the Pros as well.
Deep purple color, big intense extracted taste. Proper Left Bank Bordeaux profile of cedar, pencil, vanilla, appropriately balanced with acidity. Tannins are heavy but not astringent and will support aging if you please.
This is a full-flavored wine for sure, but profiles appropriately for the terroir and is both drinkable today and ageable for at least 5 years.
I opened it about 2 hours before drinking, and gave it just a bit of a chill.
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Maybe a bit too modern, but who cares. This is a very nice and round wine with a very good balance. Considering the life cycle of the 2005, I advice to enjoy this wine during the next four years.
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10/31/2023 - Eudemis Likes this wine:
13.5% alcohol. Half bottle. CS 65%, M 35%. Short cork of vg quality. Decanted an hour ahead. The colour is deep with marginal thinning at the edge of the rim.
Lovely nose, predominantly fruity (blackcurrant and red berries) but with some tertiary notes emerging (ink and leather); the overall effect is very enticing. The mouth is refreshing with a high pitched balance for Bordeaux and a delightfully light touch but no lack of substance. Good grip with some residual tannins which emerge only in the aftertaste. Menthol in the finish.
A success and in fact a model of its type.
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6/17/2023 - Eudemis Likes this wine:
13.5% alcohol. CS 72%, M 28% according to a secondary source, and this mix is certainly in the ballpark upon tasting. Long cork of pretty good quality, fully saturated over 3 mm. Decanted an hour ahead and cooled slightly on account of the high outside temperature; I feel hat this helped the wine show at its best. Medium to deep colour with some thinning at the rim and a certain amount of deposit, even after decanting (not a problem at all).
Superb nose with a perfect balance between fruit and the harmonious remnants of élevage; the archetypal left bank Bordeaux, hard to beat on its own terms. The mouth is at least as good with superb freshness (up CS !) and great length. Only in the after after taste (sic) is there the tiniest bitter aspect, but even this is far from unpleasant.
This bottle gives pleasure well beyond its status. Denis Dubourdieu was truly one of the great stylists in Bordeaux. A triumph with grilled lamb cutlets.
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5/4/2023 - king-bing wrote:
My first from this estate. Some signs of ageing but still a fairly purple robe. Notes of pine to start, then later some cherry, Asian spice, then cigar box and blackcurrant. A little tannin remains, so seems to be nearing peak. Drinking well now and nice to see it evolve over 3 hours or so. BUT (and I find this with a of left bank Bordeaux) it lacks any real charm: it's all there but hard to actually love. Fair value at around £30 as it's a notable step up in density and complexity to the £15 ish crus Bourgeois.
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11/25/2022 - CarpeDiem! wrote: 88 Points
Classical Bordeaux nose, of dark berries, graphite, liquorice and earthy notes. Medium bodied, with a palate dominated by herbal notes, ink, graphite, the tannins, leaving an overall edgy impression. In my earlier comments I expected a more positive development over time, which this bottle fails to confirm. If you still have stock consider waiting another 3 years, otherwise use as an "everyday wine".
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4/10/2022 - Schönibert wrote: 92 Points
Sehr guter Wein!
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1/16/2022 - alexc wrote: 90 Points
Deep ruby colour, integrated tannins. Drinking well now.
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1/3/2022 - Peech wrote: 88 Points
double-decanted an hour before drinking. A little dry, kinda flat. Drinking OK but lacking some allure.
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11/11/2021 - Peech Likes this wine: 90 Points
drank 3 hours after opening. Nice and woodsy notes, with smoke, leather, and a little earth. Surprisingly noticeable toasty oak.
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8/29/2021 - Eudemis Likes this wine:
13.5% alcohol. pretty long cork with no wine penetration. Decanted an hour ahead. Medium colour with no sign of ageing.
The nose has red fruit, substantial oak and a whiff of alcohol in the finish. The mouth is commendably juicy with a touch of hardness in the finish. More vigorous than harmonious at this stage. Needs another five years for the flavours to integrate.
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8/6/2021 - alexc wrote: 91 Points
Drinking beautifully now......
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3/9/2021 - Schönibert wrote: 90 Points
Köstliches Zeug, hier macht es schon richtig Spaß. Davon hätte ich gern mehr.
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12/8/2020 - alexc wrote: 89 Points
Smooth and approachable.
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9/6/2020 - Eudemis Likes this wine:
13.5% alcohol. CS 72%, M 28% in the vineyard. Decanted an hour ahead. Very good dense cork of average length. The colour is medium to dark.
Very engaging nose with red and dark berries; some discreet vanilla aromas and just a hint of ripe red pepper.
The mouth has plenty of energy, with ripe CS flavours (nothing overripe) and oak in an unobtrusive supporting rôle (as is the M). Not hugely complex, but very harmonious in a lively style. Soft tannins but excellent grip.
I have been a fan of the white at this address for a long time, but this particular vintage of the red strikes me as very successful. I bought it after critical acclaim, and lo and behold, these people were right! Ready to drink now; I see only modest room for improvement but plenty of years ahead at current quality levels. A success without doubt and a tribute to the late lamented Denis Dubourdieu.
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6/4/2020 - CarpeDiem! Likes this wine: 89 Points
Classical Bordeaux nose, of dark berries, graphite, liquorice and earthy notes. Medium bodied, well structured, the palate is dominated by herbal notes, ink, graphite. The more delicate cedar and tobacco notes are still concealed by the tannins. Although already approachable this well made Graves will further improve over the coming 3-5 years and comfortably reach or exceed a score of 90 at it peak.
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5/17/2020 - mmmthatsnice wrote:
Tasting well now that juiciness is tempered by some age.
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1/25/2020 - Raage Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Bien aéré, c’est un joli bouquet qui s’offre à nous, bordelais à souhait avec ses notes graphites (mine de crayon), de tabac, de poivron, d’épices de sous-bois; certes ce n’est pas flamboyant, mais déjà engageant. La bouche me laisse plus perplexe, avec une finale chaude, des tanins qui manquent de finesse, même si le milieu de bouche est assez plein, mûr, plus fruité, et la mineralité assez fraiche.
Un peu fatigant à mon goût …
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11/1/2019 - Schönibert wrote:
Herrlicher Wein, am Anfang des Trinkfensters mit solidem Tanin und konzentrierter schwarzer Frucht, schwarze Johannisbeere. Bleistift finde ich ich hier auch. Das wird noch ne richtig gute Angelegenheit, wenn man warten kann.
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7/30/2019 - Peech wrote: 89 Points
cedar and woodsy notes, ripe fruit, and dried herbs.
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7/26/2019 - Peech Likes this wine: 89 Points
good fruit, sweetish and ripe on the palate, can definitely smell the alcohol, along with a bit of smoke. Initially soft on the palate but tannins became more obvious after aeration.
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11/26/2018 - FransS wrote: 91 Points
For a long time, I was not so enthusiastic about this wine, but now it really blossomed. The bouquet was 'très Graves/Pessac' with a hint of pencil, dark fruit and gentle bitters. The taste was quite complex with dark fruit, the same bitters, also quite smooth and the aftertaste was long and full of ripe tannins.
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9/26/2018 - alexc wrote: 90 Points
Lovely approachable silky claret. Excellent VFM
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10/5/2017 - mmmthatsnice Likes this wine: 88 Points
Juicy modern fruit driven. Nice but not great.
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3/23/2017 - CabIsKing wrote: 90 Points
Nose is about the same, but I think the tongue has mellowed out. The finish also lingers a bit longer. Not bad but will not get better.
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7/12/2016 - alexc wrote: 90 Points
Delicious after a few hours breathing
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3/5/2016 - CabIsKing wrote: 89 Points
Really the same notes as last bottle. Not much here to impress. Drink at your leisure.
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11/22/2015 - macaujames wrote: 87 Points
This wine is hard to score as it is very subtle and finesse styled with plenty of elegant blackcurrants, cassis, mulberries and gravel underscored by light oak. Ends medium long and aromatic.
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11/12/2015 - alexc wrote: 89 Points
This is a lovely smooth and approachable wine. Lovely now but will improve
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2/12/2015 - FransS wrote: 89 Points
Less polished than expected! Noticable tannins but not dry; dark fruit in the nose, continuing in the midtaste, real body and some future. Let this wine breath at least several hours before tasting.
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12/29/2014 - alexc wrote: 89 Points
Approachable now but will last
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8/12/2014 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 87 Points
Not modern to me like some others noted. Feeling older than I'd have thought. Faded fruit, decent herbalness and structure. Should drink my last bottle soon.
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8/9/2014 - CabIsKing wrote: 89 Points
Good nose of cassis, cedar and some dark fruit on the nose. Good fruit on the palate with a medium finish. Don't think this will get better with time maybe just mellow out a bit more.
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2/8/2014 - cessna700 wrote: 89 Points
Drank the first bottle of 3 and found this to be very good wine. Took a little while to open up. Cherry with good fruit and a little spice. Looking forward to the next bottle in a few months..
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10/7/2013 - kingcanute99 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I think this is being under-rated by other CTers and by Parker and the Pros as well.
Deep purple color, big intense extracted taste. Proper Left Bank Bordeaux profile of cedar, pencil, vanilla, appropriately balanced with acidity. Tannins are heavy but not astringent and will support aging if you please.
This is a full-flavored wine for sure, but profiles appropriately for the terroir and is both drinkable today and ageable for at least 5 years.
I opened it about 2 hours before drinking, and gave it just a bit of a chill.
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7/22/2013 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 86 Points
A deep colour; ripe, cncentrated blackcurrant fruit and made in a modern style. Approachable, but may improve over 2 to 3 years.
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7/7/2012 - FransS wrote: 88 Points
Maybe a bit too modern, but who cares. This is a very nice and round wine with a very good balance.
Considering the life cycle of the 2005, I advice to enjoy this wine during the next four years.
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11/15/2011 - RayOB wrote: 86 Points
Drank at Goedhius Wine Tasting
Decent Bordeaux with all the classic notes of cassis, tobacco and some forest floor. A little harsh and tannic in the mouth.
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5/25/2010 - Peech wrote:
Nose was sweet and open, with mint and a hint of medicine and a little sharpness. Was there also a little violet?
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