Dark purple rim, opaque. Nose: Cabernet, Merlot hidden in the background. Slight cheesy scent, beef blood, plum, celery, some scent I can't quite put a name on, yet reminds me of a nice beef broth/vegetable soup/squid ink soup/Italian wedding soup with celery, carrots and ample beef stock. I just can't name it. Frankly I'm a bit surprised at how well developed this is compared to the 2005 Chateau Pavie I just put into my notes a few minutes ago. Far better developed and much more pleasing at this date. More balanced and integrated than the Pavie. Taste: Cabernet at a most certain developmental stage, if you know what I mean. Cabernet, celery, cranberry sauce and just a hint of beef blood in the background.
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I cannot put any numerical rating on this. However, I must say I opened it far too early. It needs some years of time before it will have come into its own. Dark purple rim, opaque, very immature appearance. Nose was somewhat closed up after having decanted an hour prior to drinking, heavy on the Cabernet and plums, not much else. It hasn't had enough time to develop a lot of nuance. Taste was ery much the same as the nose. I made a terrible mistake in opening this bottle.
Don't get me wrong, even so immature it was starting to balance out but just starting. It tasted good, but the possiblities it could have achieved are gone. Keep at least ten more years.
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Cork broke up when opening. Purple, opaque, showing no hint of aging.
Intense nose on first decanting, so intense it almost made me sneeze. Good balance with currant, cherry, cabernet, leather and beef scents.
Balanced but intense flavor first out of bottle. Needs a few hours of breathing. I am leaving half the bottle in the decanter for tomorrow to see how a full day of breathing affects it. Taste: cherry, plum, steak, cabernet and a flavor I can't identify. Even though it is well balanced now it has enough tannins and backbone to last another 20 to 30 years at least. Long finish with flavors of the middle of a filet mignon and fresh cut tobacco with cherry. Excellent with beef carpaccio and rack of lamb with rosemary and buttermilk mashed potatos and gravy.
My God, what a magnificent wine! I'm mentally patting myself on the back for having bought the 2005's.
2010 Frog's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon
1/8/2018 - Michael Baskett Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark purple rim, opaque.
Nose: Cabernet, Merlot hidden in the background. Slight cheesy scent, beef blood, plum, celery, some scent I can't quite put a name on, yet reminds me of a nice beef broth/vegetable soup/squid ink soup/Italian wedding soup with celery, carrots and ample beef stock. I just can't name it. Frankly I'm a bit surprised at how well developed this is compared to the 2005 Chateau Pavie I just put into my notes a few minutes ago. Far better developed and much more pleasing at this date. More balanced and integrated than the Pavie.
Taste: Cabernet at a most certain developmental stage, if you know what I mean. Cabernet, celery, cranberry sauce and just a hint of beef blood in the background.
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2005 Château Pavie
1/8/2018 - Michael Baskett Likes this wine:
I cannot put any numerical rating on this. However, I must say I opened it far too early. It needs some years of time before it will have come into its own.
Dark purple rim, opaque, very immature appearance.
Nose was somewhat closed up after having decanted an hour prior to drinking, heavy on the Cabernet and plums, not much else. It hasn't had enough time to develop a lot of nuance. Taste was ery much the same as the nose. I made a terrible mistake in opening this bottle.
Don't get me wrong, even so immature it was starting to balance out but just starting. It tasted good, but the possiblities it could have achieved are gone. Keep at least ten more years.
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2005 BOND Melbury
7/18/2017 - Michael Baskett Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cork broke up when opening. Purple, opaque, showing no hint of aging.
Intense nose on first decanting, so intense it almost made me sneeze. Good balance with currant, cherry, cabernet, leather and beef scents.
Balanced but intense flavor first out of bottle. Needs a few hours of breathing. I am leaving half the bottle in the decanter for tomorrow to see how a full day of breathing affects it. Taste: cherry, plum, steak, cabernet and a flavor I can't identify. Even though it is well balanced now it has enough tannins and backbone to last another 20 to 30 years at least. Long finish with flavors of the middle of a filet mignon and fresh cut tobacco with cherry. Excellent with beef carpaccio and rack of lamb with rosemary and buttermilk mashed potatos and gravy.
My God, what a magnificent wine! I'm mentally patting myself on the back for having bought the 2005's.
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