A splendid showing. A perfumed nose with sweet red and dark fruits, various spices, some bellpepper and balsamic notes. Medium-bodied and fresh with lowly 13,5 ABV, lighter but more classically proportioned than recent vintages. Fully developed but not in decline. Exemplifies perfectly, why it pays off to store inexpensive, but carefully selected Bordeaux.

Compared to the d'Aiguilhe before this is sweeter, more red-fruited and floral on the nose. In the mouth the wine is considerably more structured and finishes on some drying tannins. Overall truly Medoc, elegant and rather austere, with still room for development. However, I wonder if the fruit will outlive the structural framework.

A good notch above the d'Aiguilhe with a complex nose of sweet raspberries, iron, forest floor and spices. In the mouth the wine shows a wonderful balance of intense flavours and freshness, finely chiseled tannins and a soft texture. Elegant and delicious. Fully developed but with still some gas in the tank.

My wine of the tasting. On the nose the typically dark profile of Gruaud Larose, dominated by rich blackcurrant and early notes of sous-bois and with a real sense of depth. In the mouth this is fresh and seriously dry and the least developed wine of the tasting. However, due to the intensity of its flavours (again blackcurrants, sous-bois and spices) the structure is quite well buffered and I imagine that a longer decant could bring the perfectly ripe fruit fully out of its shell. Elegant and authoritative, this is a blueprint for classic Medoc. 94++

A decadent nose, riper and more intense than the preceding wines with sweet dark fruits bordering on rum pot, accompanied by some rusty iron. In the mouth the wine is surprisingly civilized with good freshness and more red fruits. Rounded mouthfeel with a very good texture and fine tannin. However, it feels not as dense as the Gruaud Larose and not as complex and refined as the La Petite Eglise. At or maybe slightly past peak.

No competition for the preceding wines from vintage 2000. Less density, a shorter finish and a slightly unclean quality to the fruit. On a positive note the wine seemed less developed and tertiary than a recently consumed Gruaud Larose 1999; and others tasters liked it better than I did. Nonetheless, better drink up.

Here the colour shows some more browning. Likewise the nose - while sweetly perfumed - is already quite tertiary with licorice and notes of woodpolish, soy sauce and incense. On the palate the wine is fully developed, probably not as powerful as it had been a couple of years ago, but still very pleasant with a fine and nicely rounded mouthfeel and good sweetness. Not over the hill but time to drink up.

This was the pirate of the tasting (not blind) and while it could stand up to the competition it was indeed a bit different. The nose, while sweet, is quite piercing with its herbal and floral tones. On the palate the wine is predominately about sweet fruit and shows less dimension than the earthier wines from Bordeaux. However, there is no denying that this is a very well made and tasty wine with very good purity and ageability (this feels not older than 15 years).

A superb showing among stiff competition with a deep, complex and intense nose of sweet dark and red fruits (more red than the Cos) and some bellpepper, accompanied by notes of barnyard, spices and iron. On the palate the wine is medium-bodied and very smooth and elegant for a Sociando. While the tannin is almost fully resolved and only provides a gentle framing to the wine, there is still very good vitality, dare I say more than I could find in the Chateau Margaux! I can only guess that the warm vintage has been a perfect match for this northern chateau and its fine gravelly soils.

A mediocre showing, but maybe our bottle was not representative. On the nose the wine is more tertiary than the Sociando Mallet and the Margaux, initially with lots of sous bois, spices, balsamic notes and traces of oak. However, as time passed by a smell of beef broth came to the fore, which was quite unpleasant. In the mouth the wine is sweet and mellow, but already quite flat.

A wine with a personality, which is not easy to pin down. On the one hand this is authoritative with dark fruits, stemmy and spicy, earth, some flinty notes and (surprisingly) still a discernible amount of burnt oak. On the other hand this is also charming with its sweetness and pronounced florality. In the mouth the wine is more intense and creamier textured than the Sociando Mallet. However, it feels not as energetic and there is already considerable tertiary development (licorice, caramel) on the finish, which makes me wonder, if its drinking-window is slowly beginning to close, very slowly. Nonetheless, as it stands now this is a marvelous drink.

Past its prime, which was probably 5 to 10 years ago. While still dark fruited on the nose with some traces of maggi seasoning, the wine has become too light on the palate and short on the finish. Not disgusting, but no fun either.