Felt like this was an older vintage.. Mid-short finish... Started to die in the glass after 3 hours. Could improve with age but I would be drinking these now
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At Quo Vadis, 3 bottles decanted - mat dense ruby, little development; more plum than cassis, pronounced earthy minerality, bit monolithic and dull, not pure, more funk; fullish, slightly granular, not particularly long or persistent, dry tannic structure over dominant relative to fruit though improved slightly in glass, little complexity, drinkable with some pleasure but at an awkward stage of its development, time should help but the balance seems wrong for long term, perhaps some upside, 10 but probably not 20 years. At best VG+ (16.5)......as a fan of Montrose in the noughties this was a disappointment, so glad I didn't buy it!
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A quatuor of Bordeaux for this supper. Lafite Rothschild 1996, Gruaud-larose 2009, Montrose 2006 and Smith-Haut-Lafite 2011. My favorite was the Lafite but I was disappointed. I rated it 94 (93-94). Impressive youthfulness for such an old wine. Cassis, tobacco and lead pencil with some green pepper. Complex and long but without the concentration and wow effect I expected from a Premier Grand cru. The three other guests rated it 92. My second close favorite was the Gruaud-Larose: I rated it 93. The others had 92 or 93 ratings. It had more fruit but it still was less rich than I had hoped for. The Smith-Haut Lafite was also excellent, tasting younger and having classic Bordeaux character: I rated it 92, The others, 91 to 93. The Montrose barely made the 90 mark for me: very austere, dry wood on the mouth mixed with black fruits. We were three rating it 90 with the fourth of us gaving it 94.
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Decanting advisable to let this beauty of a wine sing. This classic in so many way beauty performs again and so beautiful to cross paths with it again. In a very good place in its drinking window for sure and even with that I. Mind this has so much more to deliver over then next couple of decades that always begs the question why do we bother with En Primeurs when the wine world is full of these magnificent gems. Beautiful wine and ever so elegant. 93-94 once again
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4/25/2024 - seethree Likes this wine: 92 Points
Felt like this was an older vintage.. Mid-short finish... Started to die in the glass after 3 hours. Could improve with age but I would be drinking these now
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3/25/2024 - liber wrote: 89 Points
At Quo Vadis, 3 bottles decanted - mat dense ruby, little development; more plum than cassis, pronounced earthy minerality, bit monolithic and dull, not pure, more funk; fullish, slightly granular, not particularly long or persistent, dry tannic structure over dominant relative to fruit though improved slightly in glass, little complexity, drinkable with some pleasure but at an awkward stage of its development, time should help but the balance seems wrong for long term, perhaps some upside, 10 but probably not 20 years. At best VG+ (16.5)......as a fan of Montrose in the noughties this was a disappointment, so glad I didn't buy it!
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3/2/2024 - jocelyng wrote: 90 Points
A quatuor of Bordeaux for this supper. Lafite Rothschild 1996, Gruaud-larose 2009, Montrose 2006 and Smith-Haut-Lafite 2011.
My favorite was the Lafite but I was disappointed. I rated it 94 (93-94). Impressive youthfulness for such an old wine. Cassis, tobacco and lead pencil with some green pepper. Complex and long but without the concentration and wow effect I expected from a Premier Grand cru. The three other guests rated it 92.
My second close favorite was the Gruaud-Larose: I rated it 93. The others had 92 or 93 ratings. It had more fruit but it still was less rich than I had hoped for.
The Smith-Haut Lafite was also excellent, tasting younger and having classic Bordeaux character: I rated it 92, The others, 91 to 93.
The Montrose barely made the 90 mark for me: very austere, dry wood on the mouth mixed with black fruits. We were three rating it 90 with the fourth of us gaving it 94.
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2/17/2024 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Decanting advisable to let this beauty of a wine sing.
This classic in so many way beauty performs again and so beautiful to cross paths with it again. In a very good place in its drinking window for sure and even with that I. Mind this has so much more to deliver over then next couple of decades that always begs the question why do we bother with En Primeurs when the wine world is full of these magnificent gems. Beautiful wine and ever so elegant. 93-94 once again
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2/11/2024 - petterkalle wrote: 90 Points
Still quite mute but opens up in the glass. Not the best vintage.
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