Extraordinarily complex aromatics of spring flowers, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, manure, crushed granite, and toasty/tarry oak.While great, the palate seems a bit clumsy at this stage (as many of the top 2003's currently seem), and doesn't quite live up to the nose. Dull and mildly sweet for many hours, until extended air (8+ hrs) finally reveals cherries wrapped in a shroud of ash with a bit of wet earth. Finishes dry/dusty, tannic and long. This seems like it will be amazing in another five years, but absolutely not worth opening now. Give it a lot more time; I won't open my last until 2015 at the earliest.

Hold. 92-94 -JRS

Another exceptional wine from one of the most underrated recent vintages in Bordeaux. A lengthy decant reveals layers and layers of new leather, tobacco, dirt/earth, iron, beef blood, and chocolate covered cherries. Extremely complex, with similar flavors in the mouth. Bold, strong, dry and tannic with a lengthy finish held by firm tannins. This is another beauty drinking well now, but promising more.

Drink now or hold. 93+ -JRS

Much sweeter and lusher than the 2004. More forward and obvious. Sweet, almost tangy tannins still hiding lots of the nuance and beauty of the vintage, though allowing for plenty of ash and crushed rock to compliment a lengthy raspberry jam finish. Finishes long, dry and dusty. Extremely good, but lacking the acidity (obviously) to bring this into the realm of the '04's. Sit another few on this one.

Hold. 91-93 -JRS

Exceptional. The nose is absolutely loaded. Sweet, dense, rich, complex--this is actually exciting! Packed with currant, blueberry/raspberry compote, cedar, new oak, tarry, rubbery leather, and flowers, this nose is huge (note this is after about 4 hours from popping). A remarkable transition takes place through the palate. Extremely dense, concentrated dark blueberry/raspberry fruit balanced by loads of ash and oak, sweep through the palate with excellent precision and weight, allowing for an extremely dry and lingering finish with spring flowers lingering indefinitely. This is soooooo good, and promises much more with extended cellaring--although the wine is showing so much today, it seems to be holding out on even more beauty and finesse.

Anyone who follows me knows that I've always referred to 2004 as a vintage for Bordeaux traditionalists, and this cuvee absolutely fits that category. It is exceptional now, but promises more with further cellaring.

Drink now or hold. 93+ -JRS

As usual, a huge wine, though this time around, more complete than other Lunelles I've had. I usually find their ultra meaty, beef-blood complexion, with truckloads of new oak to overwhelm that inherent raspberry jam fruitiness. In 2003, however, the fruit is exuberant enough to balance, leading to an ultra-rich package that immensely overdelivers for its price point.

No decant necessary for this bad boy, which I would call the best 'Lunelles I've had. A (relatively) huge 14.5% abv delivers loads of fresh cut cedar and char to balance out the out-of-control bounty of fruit in this hot vintage. The palate delivers that classic 'Lunelles beef blood and iron profile, but this time balanced with a healthy dose of raspberry jam. This is absolutely fabulous drinking now. Highly recommended at under 30USD, though this will continue to receive at least some criticism as it's not exactly a traditional cuvee.

Drink now. 92 -JRS

Right on par with my notes from three months ago. Extremely dark in the glass. Nose and mouth show loads of tobacco, oak, beef blood and plummy red fruits, and blackberry/raspberry jam. Not nearly as lush and sweet (rather, quite dry) as the '03, but shows remarkable concentration and power for the vintage.

Drink now or hold. 91+ -JRS

((Every time I drink Lunelles it invokes meat drippings. Maybe it would be great with a ribeye...or maybe that would totally be overdoing it.))

Aromatically, far more flamboyant than the '04, spewing gravel, birch, roasted plum, cherry, toasted oak, dirt and hints of anise. In the mouth it's savory and well-balanced. There's loads of acidity, and surprisingly, it's not over-ripe at all. Overall, it's broad, medium bodied and shows a good balance of soft cherry, toasted oak, and mouthwatering minerality, which carries nicely through the lengthy finish.

There's enough structure for tihs to evolve another three or five years, but this is extremely attractive now. Drink now or hold. 90+

Mostly tight-grained toasted oak, cedar, spice, vanilla on the nose, but a bit of underripe blackberry, cherry and a touch of cassis showing as well. The palate is medium bodied; what it lacks in depth, it makes up for in its exceptional balance of toasted oak, crushed rock, roasted plum/cherry/cassis, and abundant acidity which carries it all through a moderate finish.

This is excellent and will hang for several years, but I don't anticipate much development. Drink now and over the next five or so years. 89