Double decanted around 2pm to bring to dinner in Philly at 5:30-6pm. Tasted alone as well as with crab cocktail and lobster in butter. The wine is a lovely medium yellow color, no sign of premox and actually showing a little reduction/SO2 which faded by the time I arrived at the restaurant. Fragrant but not too floral, more hazelnut, lemon and creme brûlée. It had medium acidity and a rich chewy profile. There was a modest amount of minerals/saline to it but again was more about hazelnuts, lemon curd, ripe citrus and a little of the burnt sugar on the finish which was only moderately long at about 20 seconds. Well balanced and very enjoyable. If I was to criticize it, there could have been more bright acidity to push it to the next level. Much better with the lobster than the crab.

Light to medium golden yellow. PnP at the restaurant. Fragrant white florals and citrus on nose. Nice bright acidity (medium+). Slightly lean texture that might have added some weight if given a little more time to open up. Good dose of minerals and saline along with the lemon citrus and floral notes on the medium long finish. This was better with the crab cocktail with creamy mustard sauce (with which it was great) than the lobster in butter. Very enjoyable but a definite contrast in style to the Corton Charlemagne, with this being much more lean and mineral. Lovely! But seemed very different than the bottle I took notes on 2 years ago, this one fresher, younger and leaner than the last.

My last bottle purchased on release and in my cellar since...perfect cork, half stained but still tight yet supple enough to extract with ease. This bottle is another testament to to benefits of breathing wines, even (especially?) older ones. Decanted at 2pm, given 1+ hour in the decanter then poured back into the clean bottle for the trip to Philly for dinner. At the restaurant I poured it back into another decanter to await our second course. Lots of fine as well as chunky sediment. Initially it was a light to medium translucent ruby-brick color like mature burgundy. By the time we drank it around 8pm it had put on much more color and weight, less brick and more ruby, looking much younger than it did earlier. At first the nose was all about earth/sous bois and leather, gradually adding some red fruit (sour cherry especially), baking spices and finishing the night with distinct juniper berry. The acidity was still medium+ and there was still some noticeable tannin but not a lot. The palate was initially quite tart and bitter but with more air was more savory, chewier and enhanced with bacon, grilled meat and baking spice. With the beef it was much more tobacco which dominated the medium to long finish on my last few sips (earlier it was rather short). If I had scored this upon first opening it would have been 85-87 and assumed way past its prime. Thankfully we were able to experience it in all its 35+ years of splendor. Well kept bottles should be on gentle decline over the next few years I would think.

Decanted at the restaurant about an hour before dinner. Dark ruby, almost garnet color, nearly opaque. Powerful dark cherry, vanilla, spice and chocolate nose. Mouth feel is very big with medium+ acidity and medium tannin. Savory, chewy and rich on the palate with dark cherries, cloves, milk chocolate and some earthy minerals on the very long minute+ finish. Bright and energetic yet big and powerful with a fruit forward profile. Still a relative baby. Probably even better in the decades of the 2020-2030’s

Decanted for 1-2 hours at the restaurant. Medium to dark opaque garnet color with no sign of age. Nose has some violets, vanilla and tobacco. Medium- acidity and tannin. Chewy mouth feel. Mostly tobacco, blackberry and cassis in the flavor profile with a medium length finish. This was very good with the lamb rack as expected but was remarkable with the Au Gratin potatoes.

Double decanted in the morning and brought to dinner where it was again decanted and given some more air. Beautiful opaque dark garnet not purple/black. Fragrant floral, spicy and earthy tones but on the subtle side, just slightly muted. Palate is balanced with medium acidity and tannin. Mouth feel is rich and chewy with savory, cedar and both red and black fruit notes like black raspberry and cherry. Moderately long finish. Both the wine and the lamb rib chops popped with flavor together. Curiously the au gratin potato dish I thought did not work as well but with the ‘05 Pavillon Rouge it really did work. Very enjoyable but I think it will be even better down the road, still a youngster.

Slow-Oxed from the morning then decanted before dinner. Opaque dark garnet. Fragrant almost explosive nose of pencil lead/graphite, coal, vanilla cedar and forest floor. Medium- acidity and medium tannin. Rich and chewy mouth feel. Classic palate blending the earth and minerals in the nose with black cherry, blackberry and black currant. Long luxurious finish. Gorgeous wine that has probably, so far, aged better than the vintage experts might have predicted.

From 750ml bottle, decanted at 2pm then returned to clean bottle for transport to Philly. It is a medium to dark amber gold color. Nose is white florals, minerals and mixed stone fruit with a noticeable undertone of botrytis right after decanting. The acidity is medium high with a rich chewy, unctuous mouth feel. Palate has a creaminess to it initially that faded by later in the evening. Among the layers of flavor were creamy grilled peach, ripe aporicot, toasted sesame and grilled pineapple along with crushed stones and golden raisin on the finish. So beautifully balanced, incredibly long on the finish and still bright and energetic. It was a good foil to cheesecake and strawberries.

Slow-Oxed from the morning then decanted at dinner and enjoyed with dessert. Translucent light to medium brick-garnet color, bordering on fully mature. Classic port with all the chocolate, dark ripe fruit and chewy texture you can ask for. Very long finish. Great with mixed chocolate desserts including a decadent chocolate ice cream.