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| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.9 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 199 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by tomandlu on 3/3/2024 & rated 91 points: Opened for 2 hour, decanted for 1 hour, and consumed over another 2 hours. Virtually opaque, intense garnet-purple color with little fading at the rim. The nose soared from the first pour and never let up with aromas of cassis, leather, herbs, and clay. On the palate the wine was silky, nicely balanced and seemed at peak drinking. The tannins have softened, there's ample fruit, and there's enough acidity to hold it all together. This lacks the power and complexity for a higher score but I wouldn't hesitate to open it for anyone as an example of what mature, well-made Bordeaux can accomplish. Purchased on release and stored in my cellat since. (493 views) | | | Tasted by Doanebob on 11/10/2023 & rated 88 points: Fruit has fallen off. Still has a nice but light bouquet. The acidity is poking through with the tannins totally receded. Mid- palate lacks distinction. Fine with shepards pie. (787 views) | | | Tasted by PeterSp on 6/22/2023 & rated 91 points: Decanted for 1 hour. Smokey & berry on nose. Smooth - nicely balanced and good finish (1220 views) | | | Tasted by wicozani on 5/14/2023 & rated 88 points: Double decanted over three hours and consumed over two hours while playing cribbage. A near opaque purplish ruby in the glass with no bricking. The reticent nose features dark cherry, black plum, blueberry, soil, and a hint of nutmeg. Soft on the palate, the merlot and cabernet sauvigon dueling for supremacy, with the 4% cab franc contributing a bit of herbaceousness. Tannins nearly fully resolved, lacks a bit of acidity. Improved a bit in the glass. At the end i thought it was approaching the scent and flavor of a cherry cordial. Time to drink up, I reckon. (1342 views) | | | Tasted by kfrench150 on 4/10/2023 & rated 93 points: Pitch black-ended cork. Lots of smoky sediment in the bottle. Still very dark black currant in colour. Beautiful nose of black currant, blackberry, cocoa powder, licorice, spice, graphite and some cedar on the nose. Medium full bodied, high sweet and ripe dark fruit extract, moderately high acid, balanced alcohol. The flavours are all black fruits, black currant and blackberry again, sweet tannins, black leather, black tea and sweet oak on the finish. Off dry, long, lingering fruity finish. Quite lovely! Easy 93 points! (1697 views) | | | Tasted by RussK on 2/27/2023 & rated 91 points: Russk. Andrea brougt to CDC at Johns. One of my WOTNs. Nice, earthy, gritty, tertiary. Blind, I called it Pauilliac, though it was just a tad big for that. This is the 3rd time (all different vintages) I have liked this wine. Seems like a good bet for me and a good QPR. (1545 views) | | | Tasted by OttawaB on 2/18/2023 & rated 89 points: Chalky, dried berry fruits, some balsamic. Some bitterness, drying tannins on the finish. (1340 views) | | | Tasted by beatles on 11/22/2022 & rated 91 points: Served blind (by me) Very classic wine, dry, vertical, chalky, precise, very much a 2005. MB managed to guess left bank Bordeaux, but guessed 2015! - goes to show. Plenty of life left here, but approachable.
#champagnetest (1835 views) | | | Tasted by plavoie on 10/8/2022 & rated 90 points: Velvety, like putting the tongue on Zsa Zsa Gabor's silk bed sheets. It lingered softly like the Titanic house band playing for the last time. (1298 views) | | | Tasted by msauer on 9/19/2022 & rated 90 points: nach d‘Armailhac 2003 eine kleine Steigerung (?).
Zupackender, weniger geschmeidig, länger (1348 views) | | | Tasted by msauer on 12/26/2021 & rated 91 points: fein/elegant, schön ausbalanciert. Kein Holz mehr. Alk: dezent (2077 views) | | | Tasted by Larre on 6/4/2021 & rated 90 points: Decent claret, but I expected much more. Some complexity and secondary notes, but also some disturbing green tones in the finish. This was a beauty in its youth when tasted in 2008, but have not evolved in a positive way. 90? (2794 views) | | | Tasted by bjurry on 5/28/2021 & rated 94 points: Superb! Drink now! (2446 views) | | | Tasted by Sennma on 5/9/2021 & rated 90 points: A very pretty wine at the point of its evolution. Needs about an hour for the fruit to emerge and balance out with the structure. (2394 views) | | | Tasted by bonedoc on 3/3/2021 & rated 95 points: 2 hour decant, this wine is absolutely wonderful, classic left bank Bordeaux with plenty of fruit, silky palette, a long perfumey finish with minerality. I can’t believe this is so good at this price. Bravo! (2745 views) | | | Tasted by Jake Barnes on 2/3/2021 & rated 94 points: (1/03/21) Whoa! This bottle, purchased on the secondary market from the same source as my last one, was very different from my last bottle and easily validated the high estimation in which other tasters have held this wine recently.
This bottle showed a gorgeous crimson color from edge to edge in the decanter. The pungent bouquet was of lightly aged dark and red fruits—not primary exactly but not heavily tertiary, either. The palate was packed with the same dark and red fruits. There was excellent structure and balance here, and the mouth had a pleasing silkiness. The wine had concentration and weight, and there were plenty of ripe, dusty tannins left. 13.5% abv. (****/17/94) (2567 views) | | | Tasted by Jake Barnes on 1/22/2021 & rated 89 points: (1/22/21) From a 750ml bottle purchased at retail from a local merchant/auction house.
There was very little bricking here, and the wine showed mostly garnet in the glass. This bottle was a bit backward, but in all honesty, I didn’t have time to prepare or decant it properly, so this could be partially my fault. I double decanted it and then let it evolve in the glass, but I’ll give the next one at least four hours in the decanter. Additionally, I was able to stand it up for only a couple of hours prior to opening. It really needed to be stood it up for at least 24 hours because of the fine silt-like sediment. I think these preparation failures may have contributed to the so-so showing of this bottle. It’s obviously got all the right parts.
On the nose there was a light, plummy richness mixed with blackcurrant, and lurking in the background, there was some dark earth, a little sous bois, and some woodiness (just wood, not not oak). On the amply concentrated palate, which was filled with a mass of rustic tannins and good acidity, there were loads of tangy red and black currants, as well as the other notes found in the nose. The balance was good here, but the wine seemed disjointed, and the lack of serious tertiary development and the state of the tannins suggest I opened this too soon.
Overall, this was a decent bottle of fifteen-year-old Bordeaux that seems like it had miles to go before it slept, but I’ll reserve serious judgement until after I have another bottle that is prepared properly. 13.5% abv. (***/15/89) (2143 views) | | | Tasted by bonedoc on 1/21/2021 & rated 94 points: Had 2 of these over last few months and they were both terrific. I taste more cab profile, but there’s apparently equal merlot. Silky, textured mouthfeel, fresh, and a lingering finish. Everything in balance. Bravo! (2142 views) | | | Tasted by Motz on 1/10/2021 & rated 93 points: Tasted over three days.
Old school, dense, and tightly wound...almost thick...but as 'fresh' as great vintage Left Bank Bordeaux gets. Indeed, at 15 years of age (opened on 12/30/20), this showed quite young, with minimal bricking. Not friendly or inviting, but rustic, and as such, wholly appealing.
Essentially a waste on the first day, on account of its backwardness and 'Go F*** Yourself...I am in deep slumber!!!' appeal. A touch more revealing on the second day, though no less rugged. Pure pleasure on the third day...for this black-earth, tobacco, gravel, funk, and tannin aficionado. Put differently, this needs at least another decade to unwind...and is unlikely to appeal to anyone in search of fruit.
This bottle had no less than 20 years of life ahead of it...and I loved it. Improvement seems probable. 93-94.
As an aside, before many pro reviewers turned to the dark side of Left Bank Bordeaux score inflation, based on Parkerized fruitiness, heavy extraction, and over-the-top oak treatment (among other abominations)...a trend that began in earnest with the 2009 vintage, they demonstrated a marked tendency to score so called 'lesser' Classed Growth wines on a perplexing scale. This scale, for lack of any better description, was seemingly anchored on the arbitrary 'truth' that unheralded Fourth and Fifth Growths could not exceed 90 points. In fact, WA and WS awarded this brooding offering 90 points...and that is just ridiculous!!! Coincidentally, or perhaps not, as I type this, the CT average score stands at a paltry 89.7 points...and that...yep...you guessed it...is just ridiculous!
This slab-sided beast deserves the respect of being poured blind alongside other heralded wines of this vintage, so that it may be assessed objectively. Yes, I wrote it!...OBJECTIVELY! (3160 views) | | | Tasted by gmbdds on 12/28/2020 & rated 91 points: Decanted. Little sediment. Young color, no bricking. Really inviting nose. Notes of blackberry, raspberry and warm licorice. High toned and even a little lean on the palate, but quite charming and subtly complex. Feels like it could go ten more years easily. (2111 views) | | | Tasted by stephru on 11/29/2020 & rated 88 points: Beaucoup de couleur dans ce vin très extrait. De la puissance et un fruité toujours éclatant après 15 ans. Remplit la bouche de saveurs fruitées, presque sucrées. Tout d'un bloc, peu nuancé, peu de finesse. Plus de générosité que de nuances. Bonne persistance des saveurs et bouche. Résolument moderne. (2276 views) | | | Tasted by msauer on 11/23/2020 & rated 89 points: größer als der gestern getrunkene 2003er dto, aber kein großer Wein.
Weniger Süße, griffiger, dichter (2252 views) | | | Tasted by olracx62 on 10/11/2020 & rated 91 points: well-aged Haut Medoc in its prime time from one of the best vintages ever. Rubin red, still, nose of underbrush and pencil, little fruit left; at the palate it is consistent with some leather and light hints of coffee and underbrush, some spices too. Medium-bodied, medium-to-long aftertaste, a little bit austere. (2365 views) | | | Tasted by Jeanda on 10/2/2020 & rated 87 points: Le vin est trop boisé et ne possède pas suffisamment de matière. Un vin très ennuyeux à ce stade. Il ne s'est pas amélioré dans les jours qui ont suivi. (2416 views) | | | Tasted by beatles on 9/3/2020 & rated 90 points: Nice smooth, well made, round. Oak seems integrated by now, seemless wine, move along, nothing to see here, the fuit is very sound, the wine making impeccable, fasten yout seatbelts, First Class passengers. (2914 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Château La Tour Carnet Producer website - Read more about Chateau La Tour CarnetRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.Haut-Médoc Read more about Haut Medoc and its wines Long-standing fame The legally created division into Médoc and Haut-Médoc dates from 1935. But as long ago as 1815 a Chartrons broker, whose word carried weight, spoke of great red wines in the Haut-Médoc, so recognizing the high quality successfully achieved by this region's growers in the eighteenth century. The same Bordeaux broker revealed that the business world of the Chartrons and the great Bordeaux proprietors had established a sort of league-table of the parishes in which the vine-growing communes of today's Haut-Médoc appellation showed up well.
The Haut-Médoc appellation stretches over some thirty seven miles from north to south, from Saint-Seurin de Cadourne to Blanquefort. Within this area, certain zones produce wines exclusively with the Haut-Médoc appellation. It has terroirs of remarkable quality. And although we may note a certain predominance of layers of gravel (essentially Garonne gravel) from the Quaternary, all these sites are characterized by their wide diversity. Today in the southernmost communes of the appellation, the suburbs of Bordeaux, numerous vineyards which existed at the beginning of the twentieth century have disappeared, victims of urban expansion. But the vines live on... because man has retained his devotion to them.
The astonishing variety of different terroirs, the result of the very extent of the area, explains the diversity of Haut-Médoc wines, a fact which is rare within one and the same appellation.
But, over and above the differences, linked to this mosaic of climatic and geological influence, all these wines have the same family traits of character.
Alert and lively, full-bodied without being too powerful, and harmoniously balanced, they acquire a rare bouquet over the years.
In order to have the right to the Haut-Médoc appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the communes of Blanquefort, Le Taillan, Parempuyre, Le Pian, Ludon, Macau, Arsac, Labarde, Cantenac, Margaux, Avensan, Castelnau, Soussans, Arcins, Moulis, Listrac, Lamarque, Cussac, Saint-Laurent de Médoc, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Saint-Sauveur, Cissac, Saint-Estèphe, Vertheuil, Saint-Seurin de Cadourne "excluding all the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (48 hectolitres per hectare).
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