France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
This wine was just completely shut down. All I could pick up was a hint of mint on the nose. I hate people who claim that every wine that shows poorly is "lightly corked," but I'd be interested in trying another bottle to see if it's also this muted.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Not one for Bordeaux purists or oak-phobes, but a perfectly nice drink. This was very internationally styled, with rich plum/blackberry fruit, a lot of caramel/mocha character, and some slightly abrasive tannin. It certainly lacked the elegance of its rivals at the table, but at age 16 this has lasted far longer than most commodified modern-style wines and is still going strong.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Consensus WOTN and one of the only good Bordeaux second wines I've tasted. Nicely concentrated dark fruit, perfume on the nose, gentle mouthfeel, elegant. Inspired to pony up for the grand vin next time.
More interesting than delicious. This wine combined two characteristics that rarely go together: Merlot chocolate and Cab Franc greenery. It almost smelled like a chocolate-covered celery stick. But there was disappointingly little fruit for such a good vintage, and it tasted a bit thin when compared with the concentration of the adjacent Chapelle d'Ausone.
1998 Château Meylet
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
This wine was just completely shut down. All I could pick up was a hint of mint on the nose. I hate people who claim that every wine that shows poorly is "lightly corked," but I'd be interested in trying another bottle to see if it's also this muted.
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1998 Château Rol Valentin 90 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
Not one for Bordeaux purists or oak-phobes, but a perfectly nice drink. This was very internationally styled, with rich plum/blackberry fruit, a lot of caramel/mocha character, and some slightly abrasive tannin. It certainly lacked the elegance of its rivals at the table, but at age 16 this has lasted far longer than most commodified modern-style wines and is still going strong.
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