Deep ruby. The nose is not generous - at first, dominated by vanilla but also showed blackcurrant, plum, pepper and earth as it opened up. On the palate, it is more intense and rusty with notes of cedar, leather and dark berries. Nice balance of acidity and fine round tannins. Overall, nicely aged, but lacks fruit and concentration. Unlike the other comments, this didn't taste at all full bodied to me.
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Still very young and bold. A bit rustic, fullbodied, nice dark cherry fruit, some bitterness and a pretty good finish. Just what I already sayed: a bit to one-dimensional to compete with more acclaimed chateaux, but an excellent QPR. Drink or hold until 2025.
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Nice wine, good with food. Definitely getting a bit old, but well worthwhile if you’re looking for a classic, fully mature Graves at a decent price. Agree with the comment below that it was better shortly after opening.
Deep garnet color, some sign of age but not excessive.
Quite a powerful aroma once opened up, but almost all secondary and tertiary - leather and tobacco, with just a hint of dark berries
Solid acid and firm but fine tannins provide good structure. Reasonably full body and good length. Taste and aroma very consistent, maybe a little more fruit but not a ton.
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Still in good shape, but on the decline. Similar notes on the first day to my last bottle. Again surprisingly robust for the price tag and the vintage. A 90-91 score. Lacking fruit on day two: a 89 score.
Drink up in the next 3-5 years.
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day 1, pop and pour. Interesting. At PnP, it seems well on its way down, with almost no fruit, lots of tertiary notes and somewhat fusty and tired. Over a couple hours, it starts to show some fruit, first faded dark fruit, then a bit brighter over more time in the glass. There's oak/vanillin, coffee, and a weird medicinal band-aid/cough syrup note that doesn't really go away. A bit low on acid and soft round tannins. Probably was better 5 years ago. 86
Day 3, after stoppering and sitting in the fridge. Well, the band-aid is gone, and there’s a bit more red fruit in the glass, along with a more prominent sweet oak. 87
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Still a bold wine, but very enjoyable now. Fullbodied, nice dark fruit and a pretty decent finish. Just a bit to one-dimensional to compete with more acclaimed chateaux. Excellent QPR. Drink or hold until 2023-2025.
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Note: I use a scale on which 85 represents a very good wine.
For whatever reasons, not as pleasing as the bottle I had two years ago. Still a very nice bottle, but the fruit was not nearly as pronounced as it was before.
Bottle variation, time, whatever.
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Yikes! This is a very nice wine. Very slow aging from my cold cellar but still developing some nice secondary notes. Dark purple in the glass with almost no bricking at this stage. Feral and pungent nose with a dark core of black raspberry, coffee and olive fruit. Quite intense and well balanced on the finish. Has at least another 20 years to go.
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In your face modern fruit. Big, dark and full for the vintage. Will never be complex yet has a fun initial wave of fruit. Modern and should be drunk soon. (89)
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Note: I use a scale on which 85 represents a very good wine.
Outstanding, as indicated by the 90. Opened and let it breathe for a while (45 min or so) but no decant. Wonderful rich fruit that stayed through the bottle. Tannins present but in check. Textbook Bordeaux. Great drinking.
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Very deep color for a 2001 Bordeaux. Dark garnet with little lightening at rim. Ripe fruit and mocha on the nose. Hard to peg this as a wine from Pessac. Round and full, the palate follows suit. A voluminous wine that show more complexity on the palate than the nose. There is decent structure that is round with no hard edges. A very modern take on red graves and while certainly delicious, not really typical or my style. Still would not turn down a glass as this is good red wine. (90)
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Stored in cold cellar since release. High fill perfect condition. Surprisingly good for the vintage. Deep colour still young. Full well balanced almost rich. Typical Grave. A bargain!
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The wine is clear and bright with a deep garnet colour and presence of dense legs. The nose is clean and developing, showing medium+ intensity aromas of dark cherries, dark plums, anise, vanilla, cedar, tobacco and cinnamon. The wine is dry in the mouth with a medium+ acidity. It has high soft silky tannins and a medium+ alcohol. It has a full body and medium+ intensity flavours of dark plums, dark cherries, anise, cedar, vanilla and cinnamon. The finish is medium+.
It is an outstanding quality wine with a great complexity provided by well-integrated oak aromas, it has a very good fruit concnetration and finish, it shows typicity and it has a very good overall balance. Can drink now, but it has enough tannic structure and fruit concentration to develop even more complexity and tertiary aromas over the next 4-6 years.
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PnP w/3 hour decant. Slight haze, deep dark purple color. Med proper Claret nose. Wine showed very nice at this stage in time. Fully balanced/integrated, med body, good drinking window but has a few years yet. Nothing off. $26.
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Fully mature, with a smoke, coffee, black cherry, earth and fennel nose, the wine is soft, round and very easy to drink. This is not going to make old bones. I'd opt for drinking the wine over the next 5 years.
Took it to Les Halles. Popped and poured. No details TNs but remember it to be smooth, restraint, a touch of sweetness but also some complexity and some secondary developments. Nicely aged Bordeaux
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Pop and pour. Consumed at dinner party, so not a detailed closely analyzed note. Served with host's homemade pasta and meatballs (which was really tasty. Thanks Chris). Would not have pegged this as a 2001 as everything was quite full, sweet and voluptuous in a positive way. The nose was full but expressive showing ripe clean fruit with nice minerality in the background. This carried over to the palate as well. Nice fullness upfront accompanied by balancing tannins and acidity on the mid palate. A little bit of depth and complexity. Clean finish with decent length. Nice bottle and paired well with the dinner.
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Took a while to show itself - double decanted for four hours, finally showed some nice fruit balanced with earthy mushroomy elements. Nothing really said to me "graves", but this wine will age nicely for a while.
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Packed with fresh youthful fruit that seems remarkably ripe and sweet for an '01 Bordeaux, though it's offset by savoury earthy and smoky elements that emerge with a little time in the decanter. Nicely balanced with fairly gentle tannins, drinking well now though I imagine there's still some time ahead.
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Definitely needs some air before serving. The rough edges smooth out with time. I will try decanting next time.
I put the 2nd half of the bottle in the fridge for two days. Nice, spicey flavors - a blend of fruit and tannin. Excellent! This confirms the need to decant.
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Youthful garnet. Silky red fruits mixed with graphite, wet tobacco and oak spice. Comes together nicely in a rather complex whole. Nice body, a silky wine that is drinking very well today. Missing a bit of depth but a very nice wine that cost a song. (91)
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Very acidic bottle and the taste a bit off. Interesting at first, but started to fall apart extremely quickly. Unrefined on the palette, but a really nice nose.
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Popped and poured for dinner. Started a little rough but smoothed out with little discernable tannin. Dark, opaque color. Nice full nose. Medium to full bodied.
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Opened 3 bottles of a 6 bottle purchase. Stored perfectly since release. Very nice. Leather and cassis on the nose. Dark red and dense looking. Slightly tannic; otherwise well-balanced and surprisingly youthful with nice body and texture. If well-stored, another 3-5 years easy and worthwhile.
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Nose : blackcurrent, blackberry, cigarbox and tobacco. Hints of liquorice, smooth leather. In the mouth, fragrances match the nose. tannins are still powerfull, but smooth overall. Fruit flavours are very fresh, tannins and acidity brings slience and balance. The finale is long, dominated by tobacco and leather flavours. The wine appears still young with good aging potential. Nice, but not typical from Graves, since the distinctive minearlity is elusive.
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Steve, Sue, Jamie and Rich - BBQ mixed grill - sausage, dogs, burgers. Drank '01 Bordeaux - Steve brought a couple too - Grand Pontet and Haut Bergey - all enjoyed.
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Nose:(wonderful), funeral flowers, dairy barn Palate: DRRRRRRRYYYYY!!!!! WHOO! strawberry, elderberry, hay barn, oak, dusty, a little hammy, with some smoke element Finish:hard aged cheese, long flavorful finish Yum! Too bad my brother in law dropped a bottle on the full decanter and smashed it all over the desk. This tasting note is a product of our efforts to gather and strain the remnants that were pooled in the broken fragments. Well worth $30 a bottle.
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Saturday night - steaks with Karl and John - had 2 2001 bottles out - and John brought a 3rd - unplanned. Enjoyed Haut Bergey, Aida and John brought Hartwell Stags Leap. Of the 3 bottles, for me the Aida was wine of the night. Hartwell was nice - and perhaps would have shown beter if it had been open a while longer. Both the Bergey and the Aida had a 1 hour head start on the Hartwell.
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picked up 7 at a closeout price of$28 each. my last bottle, back in 05 was nice. had to revisit it. seemed a little closed. after an hour it did start to open up. still think this has more to go with a few more years. No rush to drink at this point.
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Very tight on opening.. Decanted 2 hours, what a change. Very Pure cab, vibrant blueberries and red fruits with hints of earth on a med-large scale structure. The tannins and acidity are well balanced on a very pretty finish.
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Surprisingly tight right now, but opened slowly with decanting. Balanced, classic Graves. Delicious wine and a fantastic value at what it cost as a future. Aging well.
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Light bodied with plenty of fruit, flinty-edge, light acid and perhaps some hidden tannin. Weird combination of vanilla-fruity and grassy, as if the cab and merlot are not integrated. At six hours, this is just not working for me. I wouldn't try it again without a few years, but I don't have the experience to know if that will fix it. [24 hours] Opens and integrates somewhat, and you get the blueberry-tar flavors. Reminds me a lot of a mid-range Rioja.
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Out to Cafe Monet with Geri and Michael. Wine was good, but not alot going on - just good - nothing more. Cafe has slipped considerably - don't know if we'll go back. New staff out front - young kids (for the summer?) - no trace of the "adults". One of two bottles drunk at dinner.
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Blackberry, coffee, mocha, blackcurrant, pencil lead. Nicely integrated french oak. Chewy/dry tannins. Not showing as well as the last time I had this. Off bottle?
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It has taken awhile to coax the flavors out of it, but I stand by my first impression of this wine. After an initial shyness on both the nose and palate, it has slowly developed a nice cherry flavor in the mouth, with some tell-tale Graves positive traits. My impressions are almost identical the second time around: Not a real exciting wine, but definite quality here, elegant with a nice finish. Definitely a buy at $26, I'm enthusiastically buying another case. I'm not getting excessive oak, Patrick. Rating: 90 points.
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Thank you to Ramon for recommending this wine to me. It is the type of wine I would never have identified but for Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts. I've been forcused lately on getting more Graves into my cellar. This wine has everything in place. It is a precisely made effort. It developed beautifully during the course of the evening. Not the excitement level of an Haut Brion or Smith Haut Lafitte, but at $26.00 this is one of the best QPRs I've seen in a while. I will buy another case, let it sit for about five more years, then drink it over the next five years after that. It is medium-bodied, with a pure ruby/purple color and earthy notes on the palate that developed with dinner. Still some tannins to resolve but this is a beauty... immensely superior to anything from California at the same price level. It will get even better in another four to five years. Rating: 90 points.
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Very typical smokey Pessac Leognan with over-ripe, fleshy dark cherry and some smoky blackcurrant Cab fruit. Nicely balance, with impressive concentration, and well-balanced tannins. This voluptuous beauty is drinking very well right now. Not as complex as a Smith Haut Lafitte or as refined as a Haut Bailly, but great fun with no obvious errors.
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Tasting note from 2nd day...left bottle corked on counter. Nose of cassis, black currant and leather. Beautiful dried black cherry, currant and tobacco leaf flavors. Wonderful the day before...even better on day 2.
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Classic Graves. Great balance, aready showing some complexity and nuance. Not something to bury in the cellar, this should be drunk over the next ten years or so.
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(at Zuni Café – SF) Berry fruit mixed with a distinct smoke element. Not as round as I remember – somewhat acidic yet not really fresh. Seems to be in a weird stage. OK, but not great. No where near past bottles. (13.5)
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6/25/2023 - LordVoldemort wrote: 89 Points
Deep ruby. The nose is not generous - at first, dominated by vanilla but also showed blackcurrant, plum, pepper and earth as it opened up. On the palate, it is more intense and rusty with notes of cedar, leather and dark berries. Nice balance of acidity and fine round tannins. Overall, nicely aged, but lacks fruit and concentration. Unlike the other comments, this didn't taste at all full bodied to me.
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11/24/2021 - misco Likes this wine: 88 Points
aeration helps
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11/4/2020 - Dancing with bottles wrote: 91 Points
Still very young and bold. A bit rustic, fullbodied, nice dark cherry fruit, some bitterness and a pretty good finish. Just what I already sayed: a bit to one-dimensional to compete with more acclaimed chateaux, but an excellent QPR.
Drink or hold until 2025.
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10/24/2020 - Volleyball Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice wine, good with food. Definitely getting a bit old, but well worthwhile if you’re looking for a classic, fully mature Graves at a decent price. Agree with the comment below that it was better shortly after opening.
Deep garnet color, some sign of age but not excessive.
Quite a powerful aroma once opened up, but almost all secondary and tertiary - leather and tobacco, with just a hint of dark berries
Solid acid and firm but fine tannins provide good structure. Reasonably full body and good length. Taste and aroma very consistent, maybe a little more fruit but not a ton.
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7/14/2020 - Dancing with bottles Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still in good shape, but on the decline.
Similar notes on the first day to my last bottle. Again surprisingly robust for the price tag and the vintage. A 90-91 score.
Lacking fruit on day two: a 89 score.
Drink up in the next 3-5 years.
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11/11/2019 - ohne_musik wrote: 86 Points
day 1, pop and pour. Interesting. At PnP, it seems well on its way down, with almost no fruit, lots of tertiary notes and somewhat fusty and tired. Over a couple hours, it starts to show some fruit, first faded dark fruit, then a bit brighter over more time in the glass. There's oak/vanillin, coffee, and a weird medicinal band-aid/cough syrup note that doesn't really go away. A bit low on acid and soft round tannins. Probably was better 5 years ago. 86
Day 3, after stoppering and sitting in the fridge. Well, the band-aid is gone, and there’s a bit more red fruit in the glass, along with a more prominent sweet oak. 87
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7/2/2019 - Dancing with bottles Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still a bold wine, but very enjoyable now. Fullbodied, nice dark fruit and a pretty decent finish. Just a bit to one-dimensional to compete with more acclaimed chateaux. Excellent QPR.
Drink or hold until 2023-2025.
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6/8/2019 - John Nezlek wrote: 87 Points
Note: I use a scale on which 85 represents a very good wine.
For whatever reasons, not as pleasing as the bottle I had two years ago. Still a very nice bottle, but the fruit was not nearly as pronounced as it was before.
Bottle variation, time, whatever.
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11/15/2017 - locovino wrote: 93 Points
Yikes! This is a very nice wine. Very slow aging from my cold cellar but still developing some nice secondary notes. Dark purple in the glass with almost no bricking at this stage. Feral and pungent nose with a dark core of black raspberry, coffee and olive fruit. Quite intense and well balanced on the finish. Has at least another 20 years to go.
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9/6/2017 - dbkitc wrote: 89 Points
In your face modern fruit. Big, dark and full for the vintage. Will never be complex yet has a fun initial wave of fruit. Modern and should be drunk soon. (89)
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3/23/2017 - John Nezlek wrote: 90 Points
Note: I use a scale on which 85 represents a very good wine.
Outstanding, as indicated by the 90. Opened and let it breathe for a while (45 min or so) but no decant. Wonderful rich fruit that stayed through the bottle. Tannins present but in check. Textbook Bordeaux. Great drinking.
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11/22/2016 - dbkitc wrote: 90 Points
Very deep color for a 2001 Bordeaux. Dark garnet with little lightening at rim. Ripe fruit and mocha on the nose. Hard to peg this as a wine from Pessac. Round and full, the palate follows suit. A voluminous wine that show more complexity on the palate than the nose. There is decent structure that is round with no hard edges. A very modern take on red graves and while certainly delicious, not really typical or my style. Still would not turn down a glass as this is good red wine. (90)
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7/21/2016 - ThalesGaspar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good again!
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6/12/2016 - ThalesGaspar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good again. Drink soon.
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4/10/2016 - ThalesGaspar Likes this wine: 90 Points
Delicious! Perfect spot if you like aged bordeaux!
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4/7/2016 - Chateau64 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bargain for the vintage. Surprisingly delicious.
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4/5/2016 - europat55 wrote: 89 Points
Very decent price for this mature Bordeaux, and excellent wine, but not as much Bordeaux character as I would like...
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12/13/2015 - Thoughtful Likes this wine: 91 Points
Stored in cold cellar since release. High fill perfect condition. Surprisingly good for the vintage. Deep colour still young. Full well balanced almost rich. Typical Grave. A bargain!
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10/18/2015 - Thoughtful Likes this wine: 90 Points
Purchased 2008. High fill. Good fruit balance and acidity. Good value claret from ok vintage. Drink soon.
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6/20/2014 - Man in Black wrote:
The wine is clear and bright with a deep garnet colour and presence of dense legs. The nose is clean and developing, showing medium+ intensity aromas of dark cherries, dark plums, anise, vanilla, cedar, tobacco and cinnamon. The wine is dry in the mouth with a medium+ acidity. It has high soft silky tannins and a medium+ alcohol. It has a full body and medium+ intensity flavours of dark plums, dark cherries, anise, cedar, vanilla and cinnamon. The finish is medium+.
It is an outstanding quality wine with a great complexity provided by well-integrated oak aromas, it has a very good fruit concnetration and finish, it shows typicity and it has a very good overall balance. Can drink now, but it has enough tannic structure and fruit concentration to develop even more complexity and tertiary aromas over the next 4-6 years.
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2/10/2014 - Barry Notes Likes this wine: 89 Points
PnP w/3 hour decant. Slight haze, deep dark purple color. Med proper Claret nose. Wine showed very nice at this stage in time. Fully balanced/integrated, med body, good drinking window but has a few years yet. Nothing off. $26.
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12/11/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Fully mature, with a smoke, coffee, black cherry, earth and fennel nose, the wine is soft, round and very easy to drink. This is not going to make old bones. I'd opt for drinking the wine over the next 5 years.
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5/27/2013 - Thilo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Surprisingly dark for a 12 year old wine. Plum and cedar on the nose. Still juicy palate with a silky finish. Very nice and a surprise.
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4/21/2013 - falp wrote: 89 Points
good for day-to-day
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7/26/2012 - JeremyQ wrote: 89 Points
Took it to Les Halles. Popped and poured. No details TNs but remember it to be smooth, restraint, a touch of sweetness but also some complexity and some secondary developments. Nicely aged Bordeaux
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4/29/2012 - oldgrowth45 wrote:
Pop and pour. Consumed at dinner party, so not a detailed closely analyzed note. Served with host's homemade pasta and meatballs (which was really tasty. Thanks Chris). Would not have pegged this as a 2001 as everything was quite full, sweet and voluptuous in a positive way. The nose was full but expressive showing ripe clean fruit with nice minerality in the background. This carried over to the palate as well. Nice fullness upfront accompanied by balancing tannins and acidity on the mid palate. A little bit of depth and complexity. Clean finish with decent length. Nice bottle and paired well with the dinner.
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1/15/2012 - ccsargent wrote: 90 Points
Took a while to show itself - double decanted for four hours, finally showed some nice fruit balanced with earthy mushroomy elements. Nothing really said to me "graves", but this wine will age nicely for a while.
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12/8/2011 - gasman wrote: flawed
Corked
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11/13/2011 - salil wrote: 89 Points
Packed with fresh youthful fruit that seems remarkably ripe and sweet for an '01 Bordeaux, though it's offset by savoury earthy and smoky elements that emerge with a little time in the decanter. Nicely balanced with fairly gentle tannins, drinking well now though I imagine there's still some time ahead.
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8/23/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 92 Points
Somewhat more one dimensional than the last bottle I had but still very nice. Hold 5+ years on the next one.
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8/2/2011 - cubswinws wrote: 92 Points
Great nose and aromatics. Good depth and drinking well now.
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4/11/2011 - elledeca wrote:
quite open, nose of blackcurrant, red fruit, cedar and smoke. Medium bodied, lively acidity. very nice qnd on its peak in my view
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2/18/2011 - wynnewood500 wrote:
Definitely needs some air before serving. The rough edges smooth out with time. I will try decanting next time.
I put the 2nd half of the bottle in the fridge for two days. Nice, spicey flavors - a blend of fruit and tannin. Excellent! This confirms the need to decant.
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1/15/2011 - yhn wrote: 89 Points
Nose - warm round lovely spiciness - reminiscent of Woodside Estate - full netmeg-y black currant and blueberry fruit, touches of clove and cinnamon.
Smooth iron-y blackberry and black currant, almost inky, touch of clove. Drink now-'20. 89+ pts
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10/16/2010 - dbkitc wrote: 91 Points
Youthful garnet. Silky red fruits mixed with graphite, wet tobacco and oak spice. Comes together nicely in a rather complex whole. Nice body, a silky wine that is drinking very well today. Missing a bit of depth but a very nice wine that cost a song. (91)
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9/27/2010 - djdaqm wrote: 88 Points
Very acidic bottle and the taste a bit off. Interesting at first, but started to fall apart extremely quickly. Unrefined on the palette, but a really nice nose.
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9/18/2010 - wynnewood500 wrote:
Popped and poured for dinner. Started a little rough but smoothed out with little discernable tannin. Dark, opaque color. Nice full nose. Medium to full bodied.
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8/21/2010 - Franklin wrote: 91 Points
Opened 3 bottles of a 6 bottle purchase. Stored perfectly since release. Very nice. Leather and cassis on the nose. Dark red and dense looking. Slightly tannic; otherwise well-balanced and surprisingly youthful with nice body and texture. If well-stored, another 3-5 years easy and worthwhile.
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6/5/2010 - paulst wrote: 88 Points
Tar and leather nose; soft round supple plumy blackberry mid palate; ends with more acidity than fruit.
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4/19/2010 - jpijg wrote: 88 Points
Nose : blackcurrent, blackberry, cigarbox and tobacco. Hints of liquorice, smooth leather. In the mouth, fragrances match the nose. tannins are still powerfull, but smooth overall. Fruit flavours are very fresh, tannins and acidity brings slience and balance. The finale is long, dominated by tobacco and leather flavours.
The wine appears still young with good aging potential. Nice, but not typical from Graves, since the distinctive minearlity is elusive.
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4/10/2010 - eastover wrote:
Brought to dinner at Pam and Harry's - a Middle Eastern meal delicious.
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4/3/2010 - eastover wrote:
Steve, Sue, Jamie and Rich - BBQ mixed grill - sausage, dogs, burgers. Drank '01 Bordeaux - Steve brought a couple too - Grand Pontet and Haut Bergey - all enjoyed.
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2/24/2010 - collinb227 wrote: 92 Points
Nose:(wonderful), funeral flowers, dairy barn
Palate: DRRRRRRRYYYYY!!!!! WHOO!
strawberry, elderberry, hay barn, oak, dusty, a little hammy, with some smoke element
Finish:hard aged cheese, long flavorful finish
Yum! Too bad my brother in law dropped a bottle on the full decanter and smashed it all over the desk. This tasting note is a product of our efforts to gather and strain the remnants that were pooled in the broken fragments.
Well worth $30 a bottle.
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2/6/2010 - eastover wrote:
Saturday night - steaks with Karl and John - had 2 2001 bottles out - and John brought a 3rd - unplanned. Enjoyed Haut Bergey, Aida and John brought Hartwell Stags Leap. Of the 3 bottles, for me the Aida was wine of the night. Hartwell was nice - and perhaps would have shown beter if it had been open a while longer. Both the Bergey and the Aida had a 1 hour head start on the Hartwell.
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10/2/2009 - Vitisvinifera wrote: 84 Points
Took a few minutes to open up. Strong blackberry and some pencil shaving. Lacked acidity to give great structure. Not unhappy but not a great wine
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8/24/2009 - paulst wrote: 94 Points
Rich earthy nose; deep smooth blackberry and cassis; smooth sweet crunchy tannins; great texture; a bit green but nice balance.
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3/15/2009 - John wrote: 82 Points
picked up 7 at a closeout price of$28 each. my last bottle, back in 05 was nice. had to revisit it. seemed a little closed. after an hour it did start to open up. still think this has more to go with a few more years. No rush to drink at this point.
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10/1/2008 - jivey wrote: 92 Points
Very tight on opening.. Decanted 2 hours, what a change. Very Pure cab, vibrant blueberries and red fruits with hints of earth on a med-large scale structure. The tannins and acidity are well balanced on a very pretty finish.
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9/10/2008 - Spencer wrote: 91 Points
Surprisingly tight right now, but opened slowly with decanting. Balanced, classic Graves. Delicious wine and a fantastic value at what it cost as a future. Aging well.
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9/10/2008 - ParkHill wrote: 84 Points
Light bodied with plenty of fruit, flinty-edge, light acid and perhaps some hidden tannin. Weird combination of vanilla-fruity and grassy, as if the cab and merlot are not integrated. At six hours, this is just not working for me. I wouldn't try it again without a few years, but I don't have the experience to know if that will fix it. [24 hours] Opens and integrates somewhat, and you get the blueberry-tar flavors. Reminds me a lot of a mid-range Rioja.
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6/15/2008 - paulst wrote: 86 Points
Some fruit up front with earthy structure.
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4/17/2008 - redbat wrote: 90 Points
Nice but slightly clunky, lacking some freshness and complexity
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1/23/2008 - redbat wrote: 88 Points
Lacking complexity. Pleasant wine but nothing special. Will last but won't improve.
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12/15/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 90 Points
Nice french oak and dark fruits on the nose. Blackcurrant, blackberry, tobacco and cedar. Very firm tannins. Well balanced with good acidity.
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9/16/2007 - TashNYC wrote: 90 Points
Excellent with our roasted chicken.
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8/1/2007 - jivey wrote: 86 Points
Basic plum, cedar and some earth qualities very easy to drink.
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7/14/2007 - eastover wrote:
Out to Cafe Monet with Geri and Michael. Wine was good, but not alot going on - just good - nothing more. Cafe has slipped considerably - don't know if we'll go back. New staff out front - young kids (for the summer?) - no trace of the "adults". One of two bottles drunk at dinner.
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6/25/2007 - paulst wrote: 87 Points
Tough tanins but with long smooth casis blackberry finish.
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6/5/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 88 Points
Blackberry, coffee, mocha, blackcurrant, pencil lead. Nicely integrated french oak. Chewy/dry tannins. Not showing as well as the last time I had this. Off bottle?
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5/23/2007 - kstoddard wrote: 91 Points
Blackberries, blackcurrant, coffee, earth and pencil lead. Nice complexity and balance.
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5/23/2007 - JimHow wrote: 90 Points
It has taken awhile to coax the flavors out of it, but I stand by my first impression of this wine. After an initial shyness on both the nose and palate, it has slowly developed a nice cherry flavor in the mouth, with some tell-tale Graves positive traits. My impressions are almost identical the second time around: Not a real exciting wine, but definite quality here, elegant with a nice finish. Definitely a buy at $26, I'm enthusiastically buying another case. I'm not getting excessive oak, Patrick. Rating: 90 points.
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5/19/2007 - Weinlakai wrote: 88 Points
2001 Bordeaux Horizontal Tasting (Wetzlar): #1 Haut-Bergey, Graves
Very refined nose, toasted oak, marzipan, light blackberry notes, medium bodied finish. Nice, but boring.
88pt.
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5/12/2007 - JimHow wrote: 90 Points
Thank you to Ramon for recommending this wine to me. It is the type of wine I would never have identified but for Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts. I've been forcused lately on getting more Graves into my cellar. This wine has everything in place. It is a precisely made effort. It developed beautifully during the course of the evening. Not the excitement level of an Haut Brion or Smith Haut Lafitte, but at $26.00 this is one of the best QPRs I've seen in a while. I will buy another case, let it sit for about five more years, then drink it over the next five years after that. It is medium-bodied, with a pure ruby/purple color and earthy notes on the palate that developed with dinner. Still some tannins to resolve but this is a beauty... immensely superior to anything from California at the same price level. It will get even better in another four to five years. Rating: 90 points.
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4/12/2007 - slaughterer wrote: 90 Points
Very typical smokey Pessac Leognan with over-ripe, fleshy dark cherry and some smoky blackcurrant Cab fruit. Nicely balance, with impressive concentration, and well-balanced tannins. This voluptuous beauty is drinking very well right now. Not as complex as a Smith Haut Lafitte or as refined as a Haut Bailly, but great fun with no obvious errors.
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3/20/2007 - wineward wrote: 92 Points
Tasting note from 2nd day...left bottle corked on counter. Nose of cassis, black currant and leather. Beautiful dried black cherry, currant and tobacco leaf flavors. Wonderful the day before...even better on day 2.
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9/21/2006 - Spencer wrote: 92 Points
Classic Graves. Great balance, aready showing some complexity and nuance. Not something to bury in the cellar, this should be drunk over the next ten years or so.
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9/13/2006 - dbkitc wrote:
(at Zuni Café – SF) Berry fruit mixed with a distinct smoke element. Not as round as I remember – somewhat acidic yet not really fresh. Seems to be in a weird stage. OK, but not great. No where near past bottles. (13.5)
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