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Wine Type Vintage Name Variety Locale Date Posted Score Helpful Comments Comment Date Community Score More...
Red

2005 Château Sociando-Mallet

 Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend more
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2/17/2024 - La Grappe wrote: 90 points

I gave this a 5-hour decant, which it needed. A dark colour; quite full, blackcurrant fruit with a thick, slightly earthy texture. A slight bitterness on the finish. Drinking well after the decant, but good for 10 years or so.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    3/1/2024 1:43:00 PM - Thanks for your comment. You are probably right, but as I shall be in my eighties by then (if I am still here!), I may drink the remainder a bit sooner.
Red

2006 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes

 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru Pinot Noir more
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12/26/2023 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 94 points

This has matured well and is now a very attractive wine, quite full and rich on the palate, with red fruit and savoury notes, elegant and long. Very fine.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    12/31/2023 2:54:00 PM - Thank you for your comment, Craig. It is probably at or near its peak now, but it should still be at least as good in a couple of years. I have one bottle left also, and will probably drink it in the next year or two. This bottle I drank over two nights and it was, if anything, a bit fuller on the second night, after storing it in a clean half bottle with the cork back in. I think this suggests that there is plenty of life in it yet.
White - Sweet/Dessert

2010 Château Guiraud

 Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend more
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11/14/2023 - La Grappe wrote: 90 points

This particular (half) bottle had a very deep colour, bronze. It had fairly rich barley sugar fruit, a touch of lemon and a reasonably long finish. It seemed to have aged prematurely, and other half bottles of this that I have had recently were much fresher. Probably not a representative example, but perfectly good to drink.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    11/16/2023 3:43:00 AM - Thank you for your comment. I bought the wine from a well-known supplier in the UK. They store their wines at Octavian Cellars. I suggest you look at each bottle in daylight to check the colour. Any that appear to be darkening could be sampled. In fact, if they are all still fairly light in colour, it would do no harm to try one.

    I hope that helps.
Red

2003 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

 St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend more
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9/16/2023 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 93 points

Full, elegant, slightly creamy blackcurrant fruit, well structured and long. A fine wine, probably at its best now, but with years ahead. Decanted two hours.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    9/30/2023 2:19:00 PM - Thank you for your comment, Mark. I have one bottle left and will probably drink it in the next year or two.
Red

2019 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône

 Red Rhone Blend more
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7/14/2023 - La Grappe wrote: 86 points

Not a bad Côtes du Rhône, but I am finding this vintage less appealing than previous ones. Perhaps it will improve a bit, or maybe this is a somewhat substandard bottle.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    7/29/2023 1:36:00 AM - Thanks for your comment, and the cepage information. I see from Guigal’s website that the average annual production has increased from 3.5 million bottles in 2010 to 4 million in 2015 and 4.5 million in 2018/2019, so perhaps this has had an effect on the quality?
White - Sweet/Dessert

2010 Château Guiraud

 Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend more
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3/30/2023 - La Grappe wrote: 91 points

Medium yellow/light gold colour; elegant, quite luscious with good balancing acidity; notes of apricot and honeysuckle. A fine Sauternes which is delicious now but will keep well.

From a half bottle.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    3/31/2023 12:53:00 AM - This was my first from a case of 12 half bottles. I try not to be overly generous with my marking at the beginning of a case to allow scope for improvement. This was certainly a very good wine.
Red

2003 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

 St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend more
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1/28/2023 - La Grappe wrote: 92 points

A fairly deep mid-red colour; blackcurrant fruit on the nose and palate, with some typical St Julien cedariness. This doesn’t seem to have the power of previous bottles, having a slight reticence in mid-palate, but it finishes well. Very good but not great on this showing.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    2/7/2023 3:44:00 AM - I normally decant for between 1 and 2 hours, sometimes longer for wines that are still developing. This will have had the usual 1 to 2 hours. Perhaps on this occasion a little longer would have brought it out some more. It may also have been a bit on the cool side, given the time of year. I hope that helps.
White - Sweet/Dessert

2001 Château Rieussec

 Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend more
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11/28/2022 - La Grappe wrote: 91 points

A very deep colour, gold turning to bronze. Fairly rich on the palate, with butterscotch, honey and a touch of orange, plus a streak of lemony acidity. Certainly a complex, multi- faceted wine, but this particular (half) bottle is perhaps beyond fully mature. Even so, the acidity has kept is reasonably fresh.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    12/7/2022 10:02:00 AM - Thank you for your comment. I wouldn’t describe the bottle as “off”, just over-mature for my taste. In fact, I enjoyed drinking it, but I might have enjoyed it more a year or two ago.

    Having said that, I think this particular bottle was one I bought a few years ago in a local wine shop and it may perhaps not have been stored well beforehand.
White - Sweet/Dessert

2011 Château Doisy-Daëne

 Barsac Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend more
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10/14/2022 - La Grappe wrote: 88 points

A very deep bronze colour; fairly rich, with apricot and barley sugar, tasting fully mature or even a little past its best; the finish is a little weak. Still enjoyable to drink, but not one to keep on this showing.

From a half bottle.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    10/15/2022 1:17:00 AM - Thanks for your various comments. I bought this wine in a mixed case en primeur and it was stored professionally until earlier this year when I had it delivered. Since then it has been at a constant 12C in my wine fridge. Therefore, it is not a storage issue. I have just checked the other (half) bottle from the mixed case and it is a more normal colour. So it looks like this is an isolated case. Even so, it was a nice wine and perhaps a foretaste of what to expect in 10 years time!
Red

2009 Mas de Daumas Gassac

 Vin de Pays de l'Hérault Red Bordeaux Blend more
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2/28/2021 - La Grappe wrote: 89 points

Quite ripe, mainly blackcurrant fruit, reasonably lively but not as full as I was expecting. In fact it seems a little weak at the finish and there may be some tannin holding it back. It certainly has potential, but it is a little disjointed at present and perhaps needs a year or two to come together.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    3/3/2021 9:33:00 AM - Thanks for spotting the typing mistake! It should have said 89 points. I have now corrected it.
Red

2005 Château Sociando-Mallet

 Haut-Médoc Red Bordeaux Blend more
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1/16/2021 - La Grappe wrote: 89 points

A fairly dark colour; slightly grainy blackcurrant fruit, a little subdued as the fruit is being kept in check by some dryish tannin. Needs more time for the tannin to be absorbed and should develop well over the next 2 to 3 years. This was opened about an hour in advance. A 2 to 3 hour decant would have helped.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    1/21/2021 10:29:00 AM - Thank you both for your comments. It looks as though I will have to wait 5 years before trying the next one!

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    1/25/2021 12:16:00 AM - Thank you again for your comments. I did manage to buy a few bottles of the 2000 last year. I bought them for current drinking and have now drunk them. They were all rather dry and earthy, and somewhat disappointing given the reputation of the vintage. Maybe I drank them too soon, but I did not get the impression that they would improve much. Perhaps 2000 was not such a good year for Sociando-Mallet, or perhaps Sociando Mallet is a wine that always tastes as if it will be better in 5 years time!
Red

2016 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône

 Red Rhone Blend more
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5/19/2020 - La Grappe wrote: 88 points

Quite a deep, ruby red colour; still quite young, with fresh raspberryish fruit, some spice and good depth. A good example which should still improve. Perhaps I should buy some more, as it is good value.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    1/21/2021 10:31:00 AM - Thank you for your comment. The white version is very good, too!
Red

2016 Domaine Tempier Bandol

 Mourvèdre Blend, Mourvèdre more
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8/13/2020 - La Grappe wrote: 88 points

A very dark colour; the palate is quite noticeably sweet, with dark, slightly burnt fruit and a noticeable spritz, which detracts. Ready to drink now but will keep. Rather expensive at £29.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    8/30/2020 4:55:00 AM - Thank you for your comments. Yes, I think there has been some secondary fermentation in the bottle, which I wouldn’t have expected and which took me by surprise. I am not sure to what extent it is a fault, as the carbon dioxide can be removed by decanting and there was nothing wrong with the wine itself.
Red

2009 Domaine Chandon de Briailles Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Ile des Vergelesses

 Pinot Noir more
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4/19/2020 - La Grappe wrote: 93 points

This has very attractive, rich red fruit with a touch of blueberry, good concentration and length. A fine Burgundy which still has a little unobtrusive tannin on the finish but which is beginning to drink very well. A bargain in Burgundy terms.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    5/8/2020 4:34:00 AM - A good question! There are perhaps no Burgundy bargains to be had any more, but this must come close.
Red

2007 Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape

 Red Rhone Blend more
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3/13/2020 - La Grappe wrote: flawed

A small tasting sample. After finding the first bottle quite unpleasant, with a distinct barnyardy flavour, I hoped that my second (and thankfully last) bottle might be different. It took only a small sip to see that it was as bad as the first. I marked the first bottle as ‘flawed’, hoping it was a one-off. It was not. I have therefore consulted the Wine Rating Assistant and marked this as 69 (‘Avoid’).

Post Script: Following a comment to the effect that the wine may have been heat damaged, I have now removed the rating and marked this bottle also as 'flawed'.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    3/14/2020 12:16:00 AM - Thanks for your suggestion, winemaker: you may well be right. In the circumstances, I will change the rating back to 'flawed'. It's a good job I bought only 2 bottles!
Red

2004 Château Calon-Ségur

 St. Estèphe Red Bordeaux Blend more
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2/23/2019 - La Grappe wrote: 89 points

Quite a mature colour; soft, slightly earthy, with mature plum/blackberry fruit, medium weight and good length. This is probably at its best now, so no need to hold any longer.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    3/16/2019 2:14:00 PM - This was bought en primeur and stored professionally until it was ready for drinking, so I don’t think it has been unduly affected by the storage. Looking at other tasters’ notes, the general impression is that this is for drinking now rather than keeping, although there is no hurry. I hope that helps.
Red

2010 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape

 Red Rhone Blend more
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1/24/2018 - La Grappe wrote: 94 points

A very deep colour; full, rich, very young still, even a bit brutal, with intense, smoky, blackberry fruit, plenty of substance, and good length. Perhaps less developed than the previous bottle, but certainly a profound wine; approachable now but with much more development ahead.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    3/23/2018 1:21:00 AM - Thank you for your comment, Magnum PI. In answer to your questions: (1) I have had only about 4 bottles of 2010 Châteauneuf, of which 3 were Ch de Beaucastel (in a restaurant). On the basis of that limited sample, I would say the vintage style is full and rich, and potentially long lasting. (2) I tend to drink Châteauneuf at around 8 - 12 years, but Ch de Beaucastel lasts longer than most. I am currently drinking 2006 Beaucastel, which is just about ready, but have not started either 2005 or 2007 yet. I have only 3 bottles of the 2010 in my own cellar, and will leave those for at least 5 years. I hope that helps.
Red

2012 Brand's Laira Cabernet Sauvignon

 Coonawarra more
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4/13/2017 - La Grappe wrote: 84 points

A deep colour; quite intense blackcurrant fruit, with a slight bitterness, a thick texture and some overt, slightly burnt oak. Not particularly harmonious and a bit short on the finish. Perhaps it will integrate with a few more years in bottle, but for now it is rather basic.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    9/16/2017 12:10:00 AM - Thanks for the comment, thebatcavewines. I look forward to reading your tasting note in due course!
Red

1999 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot

 Corton Grand Cru Pinot Noir more
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11/28/2016 - La Grappe wrote: 90 points

A mature colour, with some browning; quite well developed on the palate, with red fruit and some vegetal notes; fully mature, but still retaining a long finish. In fact, this bottle is starting to show its age and others have been better.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    12/14/2016 12:41:00 AM - Thanks for your comment, Puteljen! Wines of this age do tend to show some variation in development, and I have had more youthful-tasting bottles recently too. I shall be interested to see how you find it when you try another.
Red

2002 Château Léoville Barton

 St. Julien Red Bordeaux Blend more
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9/21/2016 - La Grappe wrote: 89 points

This has matured nicely and is attractive, elegant claret, with characteristic cedary notes. The palate is perhaps a little light, even slightly dilute, but otherwise this is an enjoyable wine

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    10/1/2016 8:34:00 AM - Thanks for your question, chatters.

    I opened the bottle about half an hour before drinking, and then decanted it immediately before serving.

    I hope that helps.
Red

2012 Château Pineraie Cahors

 Malbec Blend, Malbec more
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5/6/2016 - La Grappe wrote: 87 points

A deep colour, still with a touch of purple; blackberry and spice on the nose and palate, youthful but forward; some tannin still and only modest length. Will keep and should improve.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    5/17/2016 2:26:00 PM - Yes, I do: it is a well made, modern wine, but without much complexity. On the other hand, I prefer this style of wine to the old-fashioned, heavily tannic and rather impenetrable style that once typified Cahors.
White - Sweet/Dessert

2001 Château La Tour Blanche Sauternes

 Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend more
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2/23/2016 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 92 points

A very deep, bronze colour. Rich, sweet, with marmalade and burnt sugar notes. Concentrated and long. This is fully mature and may even be starting to maderise slightly, but it is none the worse for that. This was from a half bottle, so larger formats may have further to go.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    2/27/2016 12:19:00 PM - Thanks for the comment, UTPK. As far as I know, this has been cellared well, so any maderisation may be due to the small format.
White

2002 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne

 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru Chardonnay more
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10/21/2015 - La Grappe wrote: 91 points

Medium yellow colour; fresh, lively nose, with citrus notes; the palate is medium weight, with hints of lemon and hazelnut; elegant and with good length. No hint of oxidation; in fact, fresh and youthful.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    10/26/2015 11:03:00 AM - Thanks for your comment, Harley1199.

    That may well be a wise move, as it should keep well. I had intended to keep my last bottle for a few more years, but it wasn't to be!
Red

2006 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Charmes-Chambertin

 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru Pinot Noir more
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9/16/2015 - La Grappe wrote: 92 points

This has a fairly deep colour, a perfumed nose, and quite intense, ripe, redcurrant and blackberry fruit, together with good length. A very stylish wine; now ready but will keep well.

  • Comment posted by La Grappe:

    9/20/2015 12:20:00 AM - Thanks for the comment, Harley1199. I'd certainly expect this to last 10 years, so 2028 may be about right. I have a few left, but I doubt I will be able to keep my hands off them that long!

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