4/20/2024 - Purple Tooth wrote:

*A....If you like punge in your Bordeaux, this is for you. So old skool, so deep and thick, so muscular in savoriness and funk. Reminds me of a Cote Rotie or even a CdP from a big vintage. Brawny, tough, masculine, manly man's wine. Or even a manly woman with unshaved legs I guess. Its just scruffy....I like it! Drink

11/20/2023 - Motz wrote:

Coravin access.

Blackcurrant, violets, tobacco, worn leather, herbs, graphite, and oak imparted spices in the glass. This estate uses excessive lumber and yet, vintage to vintage, its terroir-driven substance tends to be able to stand up to it. Perhaps Pauillac best holds form against heavy timber.

The wine tastes like it smells, with added blackberry top notes, which in conjunction with the oak, impart a certain textural creaminess. Broad and expansive, seemingly a touch heavy. Then again, Pauillac and oak typically impart weight. Powerfully structured, long, inflection changing finish.

One comes away with the impression that GPL terroir brings it. Purists might come away a little frustrated, wondering what the wine might express with twenty percent less overall lumber treatment. This noted, this rustic vintage stands up to it well enough.

If drinking now, several hours in decanter will serve it well. This bottle seemed no less than a decade from maturity. Recommend holding for a few years. Improvement likely. 93-94.

3/17/2024 - Motz wrote:

Drank over two days, alongside the same vintage Domaine de Chevalier.

This has not softened as much as the DdC. Rather, it has retained its original, velvet gloved iron fist character. Delightful fruit, high-order expression of (Pauillac) place, exceptional structure and grip. The finish reveals no conception of quit.

My preference over the DdC, on the strength of its rusticity. Tanninphobes might want to give this a wide berth through 2035. Indeed, even the tannin initiated might find holding bottles through 2030 rewarding. 97-98.

3/6/2024 - macaujames Likes this wine:

94/95. 0.375. Has fantastic aromas of blackberries ,black olives, iron, mint, five spice and blueberries! Profound lightly spicy garriguey leathery, lightly earthy, vanilla-ery lacy, satiny ironey blue red and black fruited wine with lovely long refreshing and tapering finish with nice gripping tannin. 14.5%. Drink now with 8-9 hrs aeration or lay down 15-30 yrs no problem.

3/5/2024 - Motz wrote:

Pulled the cork on the bottle accessed by Coravin a few months ago and drank over two days.

There is substance to this...a lot of it...and also a lot of wood. The bouquet, attack, middle, back, and finish evoke tension between spectacular fruit and terroir, in conflict with timber. The pivotal factor seems to be real ageability relative to all the lumber. All elements suggest maturity after two decades from vintage date, perhaps through 2038 or so.

Even then, this will likely feature excessive oak. 93-94.

2/20/2024 - Motz wrote:

Pulled the cork on the bottle previously accessed by Coravin and drank over two days.

Fine perfume, quite floral, if excessively polished (modern). The palate, albeit typical and excellent, left something to be desired over both days. Specifically, many non-Classed Growth offerings deliver equal or greater quality and satisfaction for half, or less, the release cost of this Fourth Growth Margaux.

The wine should hold form for five or so years. Drink by 2030-2032.

3/23/2023 - Motz wrote:

Coravin access. Tasted alongside the same vintage Vajra Bricco delle Viole and PdB Montefico.

The least impressive of the three wines, and also quite restrained. Somewhat muted bouquet, of tart and sweet red berries, hibiscus, rose hip, raspberry leaf tea, cut tobacco, savory herbs, and menthol.

Correct in all regards, though nothing stood out. Medium minus body, for Barolo, and fairly high-pitched. A touch biting at the back. Interesting and likely to evolve for another decade or so. Not the equal of other vintages of this label. Quality nonetheless.

2/13/2024 - Motz wrote:

Tasted over two days, alongside the same vintage Trotanoy and Léoville-Barton.

The words bouquet and perfume cannot adequately convey this wine's olfactory expressiveness. Floral and fruit notes (live, fresh, dried, and essences) linger in the background, behind root vegetables (raw, sauteed, roasted), live and dry herbs, assorted olives, tobacco (all forms), umami, smokehouse, all things savory (kelp, iodine), ash, minerals, and ores.

The wine tastes like it smells, in inflection changing waves. Bold, concentrated, and precise. Without any sense of the contrived fruitiness, heavy timber, and nasal membrane destroying alcohol that characterize the modern style. Medium plus acid and medium tannins frame the substance beautifully. Indescribable sophistication and nuance! Neither Bordeaux could match this wine's range and depth.

All elements point to another decade+ of life. Satisfying in all regards. Stupendous QPR! 97-98.

1/25/2024 - Motz wrote:

Tasted over two days, alongside the 2020.

This delivered infinitely more of everything appealing and interesting, even if in somewhat off the beaten path fashion, than its stablemate, particularly on the second day.

The bouquet puts the mind to France, partially Bordeaux, partially the Rhone, and partially the southwest, particularly Madiran. The perfume also features striking bio-dynamic elements, which accounts for its (French) mixed signals, and to central Italian wines based on Sangiovese and Aglianico. One also finds highly appealing savoriness, which puts the mind to the Rhone, Calabria, and Etna reds on Nerello Mascalese. In sum: unique. Amphora aging likely accounts for some of the olfactory melange.

The wine tastes like it smells, in mind-bending waves. Here is the thing though: It brings the substance, truck-tons of it! Medium plus acid and medium to medium plus tannin frame its layered intensity. Tanninphobes, beware the gripping back. The long finish changes inflection with ridiculous frequency.

Traditional? No! Appealing? Abso-friggin'-lutely! The Bordeaux purist within me tips its cap to the wine's depth and range.

Will it age? Certainly, through at least 2040. Will it evolve? Likely. Will it improve? Possibly. Whatever turns this may take, decidedly worth seeking out. 96-97.

1/25/2024 - Motz wrote:

Tasted over two days, alongside the 2019.

Plush red and purple fruits, amalgamated with strikingly high vanilla and baking spice notes (allspice, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon) for the label. No bellringer.

More of the same on the palate. Open-knit and opulent, while not particularly juicy (acid) or gripping (tannic). In these ways, reminiscent of the 1980s Wendy's commercials: 'Where's the beef!?'

Less impressive on the second day, particularly compared to the 2019, which had reached full stride.

Overall, the two wines put my mind to the 2009 and 2010 Left Bank vintages, in reverse. Put differently, 2009 appealed to hedonists, whereas 2010 appealed to purists (who generally accept the neo-traditional style, which was birthed during the 1990s and seemingly became fashionable after 2005).

I would not expect this to age well, beyond 2035 or so. It lacks substance. The least impressive vintage of this label since 2013. 92-93.

12/30/2023 - Motz wrote:

Tasted over two days, alongside the same vintage Grand-Puy-Lacoste and Pontet-Canet. Opened, sampled blind, called it, then left to slow-o for a few hours.

The purest and most rustic of the three...with no close comparison. Along with typical varietal markers, the bouquet features cigar (unlit and lit), heavily worn leather, creosote, live and dry herbs, deciduous forest sous-bois, rusted iron, and century-old railroad tie, covered in decomposed leaves, overgrown by moss and mushrooms.

In the style that defined Left Bank offerings until about twenty years ago. The leanest upon opening, primarily bones and sinew; it put on muscle and skin as it breathed, particularly by the second day. Nuance, nuance, and more nuance.

Showing the least extraction and lowest oak treatment of three. In no way polished. A like it or go-pound-sand, take it or leave it, offering.

This bottle had a two decade maturation curve ahead. If drinking in the near term, recommend a long decant, no less than four hours, then strap in for a kick-ass, tannic ride. A giant in its simplicity; profoundly satisfying. Improvement seems possible. 94-95.

3/26/2023 - Motz wrote:

Enjoyed over a long afternoon and evening.

Beautiful Barbaresco, in all regards. Bright red sweet and tangy berries, acerola, hibiscus, rose hip, Rooibos, light petrol. Wholly compelling.

Striking precision and layered density. There is substance here...a lot of it. Medium plus acid, ripe, gritty and gripping tannins. Exceptional balance and poise. The finish lacks for nothing. Gorgeous!

Tanninphobes beware! If drinking over the next several years, pour and guzzle. After an hour of air, powerful grip bears down in full force. A long haul wine. No reason why this will not evolve and hold through 2050. 94-95...96?

11/18/2023 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine:

WoW. Decanted two hours and then drank over another hour. I would have never bought this except for Motz reviews that are right on. Dark color. Musty Old World nose. I find this wine balancing between Old World and Modern New World. Extraction & flavor layers are incredible. Opulent, Smooth, Balanced & Flavor filled. Incredible depth & fullness. You want this. Thank you Motz for turning me on to this. I have some 15 Montestefano coming also. QPR is incredible.

12/31/2023 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine:

Decanted 30 minutes then poured back in the bottle after first sip. It tasted originally like a Left Bank wine with prominent Cab Sauvignon. Poured first glasses 30 minutes later.

Still a bit tight but tannins we’re soft so figured the wine would open quickly which it did 20 minutes later. At this point the wine was more layered and the Merlot came to the party. Much more smooth and rounded now but subtle earthy flavors.

I think Motz is right on here. This is soft but no blockbuster. I usually find Pomerol overpriced compared to St Emilion that I much prefer. I get the more limited production of Pomerol vs St Emilion but like what Motz said about much lower priced wines giving the same scores. So true. I’ve had several 15 St Emilion at half the price that blow this wine away.

Still a nice treat and another wine learning experience. I prefer the 14 Feytit Clinet for $60. I don’t see any major improvement in this wine by cellaring it more. It is just going to get softer. Very much a finesse wine.

12/30/2023 - Motz wrote:

Tasted over two days, alongside the same vintage d'Armailhac and Pontet-Canet. Opened, sampled blind, called it, then left to slow-o for a few hours.

First impression? Excessive oak. Impression throughout the first day? Defiled by oak. So much lumber, particularly compared to the other offerings, that all attempts to evaluate the fruit and terroir imparted substance proved frustrating. Also noteworthy: Did not know the assemblage...and still do not...but this showed the most red fruits of the three.

The wine took an interesting turn by the second day. The oak had integrated somewhat, which imparted a certain creamy, textural weight. In this way, it proved an intriguing teaser for the Pontet-Canet.

At the time of this note, this wine had a CT score of 93.3. The d'Armailhac, at the same time, had a CT score of 91.7. Indeed, I scored this a grudging 94 points, based on its second-day presentation. Qualitatively, given the wine's modernity (timber), the delta makes some since. Quantitatively, i.e., traditional, terroir-driven, rustic substance, the delta is, frankly, laughable.

Why corrupt high-quality Left Bank fruit to such an extent that creamy, textural weight becomes a wine's calling card? Presumably, money. C'est la vie!

This bottle had about a decade of evolution ahead. Wines in this style, however, above average extraction and heavily oaked, tend to throw a lot sediment and turn boring after a certain point. Equal chances that this wine will do so, before or by 2032-2035.

1/9/2024 - Motz wrote:

Very pretty, very suave. One expects prettiness from Margaux, regardless of vintage, except for the worst (seemingly, most years that end in 3 and 7 :-)). One hopes for more than suavity in great vintages, such as 2010.

In 2015, this featured an edginess. Now, it conveys a certain docility, which does not bode well for improvement. Young, great vintage, Left Bank Bordeaux should offer medium plus, or higher, acid and medium, or higher, tannin. In early adolescence, such wines should be tight, backwards, rude upon awakening, even somewhat mean. None of these elements could be discerned in this experience.

Overall, a very, very nice, elegant, marginally sophisticated wine, which should hold its current form for seven to ten years. Generally disappointing, on account of its open-knit, excessively polished soullessness.

12/30/2023 - Motz wrote:

Tasted over two days, alongside the same vintage d'Armailhac and Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Opened, sampled blind, called it, then left to slow-o for a few hours.

Seductive violet, blackcurrant, blackberry, red fruited bouquet upon opening...then it turns deep. Behind all the prettiness, particularly with air, it offers the perfumed essences of all Left Bank elements appealing. As high and low noted, poised and vivacious, precise and expansive, imaginable. This delivers! It also features the hallmarks of bio-dynamically grown fruit. One could linger over the glass for a while and come away satisfied.

Saturated! Layered delight, backed by exceptional acid and structure. Lifted and balanced. Extracted, though not excessively so. Unobtrusive oak treatment. The wine also wears its listed 14.5 abv incredibly well.

The wine's range and complexity toy with the senses. Its textural weight bends the mind. Its un-clockable finish satisfies, profoundly so.

Given that many Left Bank houses shifted toward the modern style, defined by heavy extraction, ham-fisted oak treatment, and hedonistic ripeness (alcohol) twenty to twenty five years ago, Pontet-Canet consistently rides a wondrous line of unencumbered pleasure, allowing nature to reveal its best.

In a contrasting style to the d'Armailhac. Unpretentiously sleek and superior next to the Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Where will this be in ten years? Who knows! Does it need at least ten years? Absolutely! The acid and tannin will likely hold this together for a lot longer. Insanely good! 97-98.

12/26/2023 - Motz wrote:

A strikingly traditional Left Bank offering to grace any aficionado's table, on any day, alongside any other wine. Reminiscent of d'Armailhac terroir. Holding form nicely. Off-the-chain QPR!

12/26/2023 - Motz wrote:

Typically my preferred bottling offered by EW, vintage to vintage. In 2021, however, the Yin to the Le Puits Sec's Yang. Only a non-paved driveway separates the two vineyards...and yet, what a difference that minimal space makes. Exceptional purity, generosity, and overarching complexity. Likely to peak after 2032.

11/25/2023 - Motz wrote:

Mesmerizing perfume! Fresh and dried fruits and berries, dark berry liqueur, dates, violets, 'sweet' herbs, dark chocolate ganache, black strap molasses, and layered minerality.

Concentrated, expansive, and bracing! Deceptively massive! Striking depth, range, and structure. This substantive wine invites imbibers to contemplate all things mysterious, meaningful, and satisfying.

Fifteen to twenty years from entering its drinking window, which should last for an additional decade. Magical experiences await the patient...or their heirs. 95-97.

10/16/2023 - stayhappy21 wrote:

Drank this at Crab at Bay with my drinking mate and his mates from the Lions Club.

Dark brooding purple in colour. Expressive red fruits driven by plums, ripe black cherries and blackberries, coupled with cassism blackcurrant and a touch of tobacco leaf. Very aromatic on the nose while still maintaining an impressive imposing palate. The finish is long and impressive, featuring lingering dark fruit, a hint of earthiness, and a well-integrated, mineral-driven character.

The 2016 vintage has been hailed as one of the greatest vintage for the past 10 years. Based on the assessment of this wine, the 2015 is probably one of the most underrated vintages.

10/18/2023 - Motz wrote:

Tasted over two days, alongside the same vintage Domaine de Chevalier.

Seductive floral and red fruit and berry-driven perfume, with dark berry, berry liqueur, summer potpourri, and 'sweet' herb (mint, wintergreen) top notes. So gorgeous! So Margaux!

Mind-bending textures, plush, rich, and expansive. Precise Cabernet Sauvignon-driven elements provide a stalwart core. Petit Verdot adds purple berry flavors and depth. Medium plus acid and medium tannin, balanced oak treatment. The alcohol, listed at 14.5, could be lower.

Everything points to a medium plus maturation curve. The challenge will be keeping one's hands off bottles over the long haul...as the wine sirens continuously and vociferously beckon. Bottles should reach maturity after 2035. Ridiculous QPR! 94-95.

11/18/2023 - Motz wrote:

Brought to a French-style bistro that advertised steak frites. The excessively thick sauce appeared to based in Dijon mustard, rather than cream, and it clashed with the wine. Marginal service also detracted from the experience.

Decanted and sipped slowly, with suitable hors d'oeuvres. Restrained perfume, remarkably so for the house style. Strong Cabernet Sauvignon markers, with blackberry top notes (Petit Verdot). Also featuring scorched earth and gravel.

Tight on the palate as well. It tastes like it smells. Medium plus acid, and medium, powdery tannins. It needed a much longer decant. Generally, a wasted bottle, given the poor food pairing, service, and the wine's overall reticence.

Based on this experience, recommend holding bottle for a few years. The wine packs tremendous substance, which it refused to yield. If drinking over the near term, recommend decanting for several hours. Likely to enter its drinking window after another decade. Improvement all but certain. 93-94...95?

11/14/2023 - Motz wrote:

Pulled the cork on the bottle previously accessed by Coravin.

Air allowed the wine to reveal gorgeous bouquet. Blackcurrant and blackberry, with red berry top notes, violets, herbal teas, summer potpourri, and incredible mineral depth. Balanced oak treatment and seamless alcohol allow the perfume to shine. Compelling in all respects.

Precision and tension characterize the tasting experience. Juicy, gritty, and compact. Acid and tannin dance across the palate. Harmonious transitions, gripping back, exceptionally long finish, evocative of Left Bank purity and Margaux sexiness.

Nothing overpowering and yet the wine begs for no less than a decade in the cellar and will likely evolve for two. All elements point to a wine that should reach fully maturity by 2050. Stellar QPR. Worth seeking out! 95-96.

11/8/2023 - Motz wrote:

Slow-o for a few hours. Tasted alongside the same vintage Gruaud Larose and the 2011 Domaine Auguste Clape Cornas Renaissance. Paired with braised short ribs, polenta, sauteed mushrooms, and vegetables.

Technically excellent. Fine typicity, in all regards. Judicious extraction and oak treatment, seamless alcohol, solid structure. On the downside, the wine lacks substance at the middle and back. Put differently, the wine fades from front to back, with no more than a medium finish. The least impressive of the three wines on the table.

As with most of the 2009 Bordeaux that I have tasted, this appears to be well within its drinking window. It should hold through 2028-2030, then begin declining. This sexy vintage was not built to age.

7/24/2023 - Motz wrote:

Same bottle tasted in March and consistent with that experience. Bold and gripping, with considerable prettiness. Bordering on exceptional, though not the equal of the tasting experience in 2021. Variation perhaps. Recommend holding for several years.

9/2/2019 - Motz wrote:

Enjoyed over an evening with friends. Savory, pepper, coal, ash, peat bog, and smoke throughout. Exceptional balance of fruit, substance, and oak. Wholly integrated alcohol (13.3). If blind, my guess would be ripe vintage, north Rhone Syrah, especially Cote-Rotie, or perhaps Cornas. Very young; it should evolve over the next seven to ten years with ease. World class Syrah! 96-97.

9/21/2023 - Motz wrote:

This wine features the power of the vintage, in reticent, if somewhat over-extracted style. Deep purple fruits, strong Cabernet Sauvignon markers, and funk (dank basement). Medium to medium plus acid, medium tannins (partially the result of heavy extraction). Recommend a long decant if drinking over the next few years. Likely to be in excellent form in three to five years and peak after 2030.

10/27/2023 - Motz wrote:

Drank over two days, alongside the same vintage Cantemerle.

Minimal bricking. It took longer to open than the Cantemerle and it delivered considerably more, of everything good. Such distinctive terroir. Other than blackcurrant, fruit takes a back seat to place. Yes! One also finds notes of freshly pulled beets and mint.

Tremendous range and depth. The wine strengthens from front to back, and finishes with crescendo of all things Pauillac, you know, lit cigar, pipe tobacco, worn leather, funk, and sous-bois.

Exceptional balance at all phases; quite seamless. Likely to enjoy at least another decade of maturation and enter peak form after 2035. Worth seeking out, even at current pricing. Stupendous QPR!

10/29/2021 - Motz wrote:

Drank over three days.

Well...this is just awful!!! Quality fruit, entirely wasted. This features two revolting hallmarks of the international (abominable) wine-making style, which, when they appear in Left Bank Bordeaux, really tweak my melon: offensive oak treatment and blood-out-of-a-turnip extraction.

The oak flaw (yes, I called it a flaw) is easy to address: Its sweet, sappy, charredness (is that a word?) sits above the liquid, flipping the figurative bird at any aficionado who might have expected even the slightest suggestion of St. Estèphe terroir.

The extraction here is on another level! What is the purpose of in-your-face extraction in terms of consumer appeal? Well, it creates an elevated bouquet. What is the most misleading element of F-U! extraction (for those who do not understand what Left Bank Bordeaux is, thus, do not know how to recognize its insidious destruction of quality fruit, such as the many professionals who scored this in the 90s)? The green-like, high-noted, chalky, puckering, bitterness that masquerades as tannic structure.

Other than over-the-top timber and inconceivable extraction, which respectively, mask and destroy the quality fruit, what does this offer?

Jack squat!!!

Do not be deceived, including by the professional wine...marketers...oops...I meant reviewers who lauded this swill. Heavily sauced BBQ beef or pork might increase the wine's drinkability.

10/20/2023 - Motz wrote:

Did not give this bottle the attention it deserved.

Typical perfume, quite pretty. Serious structure and depth, very well balanced. While stalwart, also quite reticent. It seemed to be locked down. Based on this experience, recommend holding bottles for three to five years, or longer.

10/18/2023 - Motz wrote:

Tasted over two days, alongside the same vintage Giscours.

Considerably more violets and purple fruit and berry-driven perfume, compared to the red fruited Margaux. It also features striking blackcurrant and scorched earth markers. Exceptional tension between two descriptors: Regal and Rustic.

More of the same on the palate, at all phases. Seductive textures, weight, and balance. Highly appealing terroir markers and astounding persistence. Powerful structure, modest oak treatment, seamless alcohol. The whole package!

All elements point to a medium plus maturation curve. Bottles should age gracefully for at least another decade. Likely to enter finest form after 2035. Strong QPR. 95-96.

9/23/2023 - Motz wrote:

Corked bubbles!? Yuck!

9/22/2023 - Motz wrote:

Tasted over two days, alongside the same vintage Duhart-Milon and d'Armailhac. Those two wines showed equally well, for different reasons, although I preferred the latter. This delivered more of everything good, than either.

The bouquet features bright, crunchy, and sweet berries, seemingly more red and than purple, along with focused savoriness, reminiscent of the Rhone, sweet herbs, tobacco, light roast coffee grounds, and distinctive, Left Bank terroir. In a word: tantalizing!

The wine tastes like it smells, presented in intriguing, inflect-changing waves. Savory and juicy attack. The precise and expansive middle dances across the palate, touching every part. Unsurprisingly, the wine reveals its structure and profoundly tannic substance at the back. The shape-shifting finish knows no quit.

The wine's depth and range is matched by its seamless balance. Does it show exactly like Pauillac? Not exactly...on account of its deceptive lightness and complex savoriness. This house excels at adapting to and showcasing what nature offers, across vintages. The amphorae touch, certainly unique, enhances the wine's complexity.

I do not know if this will age as long as the best vintages, all indications point to a no less than a medium plus maturation curve, with the wine likely to enter is drinking window round or about 2040, or later. Costco was giving bottles away and even at retail, this is worth a look.

9/12/2023 - Motz wrote:

Did not give this the respect that it deserves...and still it showed beautifully and powerfully.

Reticent bouquet upon opening, it features all the finest elements of high quality Barbaresco once it breathes for an hour+.

Striking, bracing structure from the outset, which was not the case until the last year or two. This tannic monster bears its teeth right about when the bouquet opens...on a level that I once saw described as soul destroying.

Why the house chose to declassify this and the '12 will remain a mystery...if not for New-World-palate-oriented (How is that for a compound word?) marketing.

This bottle needed a decade to loosen its structural grit and grip. Likely to hold form through 2040. Crazy QPR!

9/20/2023 - Motz wrote:

Unmistakably Left Bank Bordeaux! The distinctive perfume spills from the bottle upon pulling the cork, and strengthens in the glass.

Fine balance of terroir, varietal expression, and oak treatment. Gritty and very well structured, expansive, impressive range, high quality finish.

More enjoyable and traditional than the house's 2020 offering, which features excessive polish. Seven to ten years in the cellar will serve it well.

9/16/2023 - Motz wrote:

Enjoyed alongside the 2015 La Fortuna BdM.

Excellent purity! A wine of the Piedmontese earth. Lovely red fruits and berries, rose hips, herbal teas, herbs, and light petrol. Inflection changing at all phases.

Compact, sleek, and bracing. The intensely juicy attack transitions to a complete middle, that dances across the palate. Tannins, in powdered steel form, emerge in a big way at the back. Zingy, piercing finish of delightful length.

Seamless, generous, satisfying. A decade in the cellar will do it no harm. By far and way preferable over the BdM.

8/28/2023 - Motz wrote:

Drank over two days, alongside the same vintage Plantey.

A lovely bouquet, floral and fruity, with berry liqueur top notes.

Then...well...modernity, in the form of extraction and ham-fisted oak treatment shows its hand. The $*&^ show begins at the middle, which fades quite abruptly, relevant to the bouquet and attack. The back reveals a gritty (extraction), acerbic, and green (oak-imparted) bite, which holds through a pinched finish.

The wine fades from attack to finish, no bellringer. Minimal sense of place, beyond the perfume. Technically excellent, wholly disappointing. The comparatively humble Plantey showed this up in all measures of purity and balance. Poor QPR.

4/17/2023 - GrapeScott wrote:

Given the critics' high opinion of this wine, I thought I would give it a flyer for $70, even though Malescot's style is not really in my wheelhouse. Inky black with a brooding, dark-fruited nose of cassis and blackberry, with a smokey, iodine edge. Paradoxically, this is powerful and dense, yet less expressive at this point than many other '19s I've tried, even on day 2. Plum and boysenberry fruit, with a pleasant subtle minerality. This does not really have a sense of place, and lacks the finesse and floral notes I associate with Margaux. I much prefer d'Issan, Brane Cantenac and Giscours in this vintage.

8/19/2022 - Motz wrote:

Drank over three days...and what a three charming days they were.

The terroir of d'Armailhac speaks to me! It tells stories of its alluvial formation, the history it has witnessed, and the incontrovertible fact that Cabernet Sauvignon achieves its apogee here, and more broadly, on the Left Bank.

The wine's tension, relative lightness, and textural weight put the mind to Saint-Julien. The coal, tobacco, discarded railroad tie, overgrown by deciduous forest sous-bois, and black rock minerality scream Pauillac!

Traditional and rustic, in all regards...as it should be. Medium plus acid, medium to medium plus gritty tannins. This most classic Left Bank vintage since 2010, through 2018, BRINGS IT!!! Professional wine marketers...you know...the (alleged) pros...have not taken to this vintage's Old School appeal, which makes even current pricing very attractive. I would add that, while many 2010 Left Bank offerings feature greater power, this vintage tends to offer lower alcohol levels...and you gotta love that!

Ridiculously young! If drinking over the near to medium term, decant for several hours. Likely to peak after 2034 and hold for up to a decade thereafter. Get some!

8/9/2023 - Motz wrote:

Pulled the cork on the bottle accessed by Coravin in March.

Words cannot properly express the quality and tasting experience of this exceptional wine. The bouquet delivers Barolo's finest essences, with unique terroir twists, that shade to Barbaresco. Positively delightful!

The palate, which aligns with the bouquet, rivets the senses with waves of powerful substance and layered nuance. Leaning slightly delicate for Barolo, the expansive middle and gripping back change inflection many times over. The no quit finish invites long contemplation of all that makes life meaningful.

A top QPR Barolo, in any vintage, regardless of price. This bottle had twelve to fifteen years of evolution ahead. Drink through 2045. 96-97.

8/9/2023 - Motz wrote:

Pulled the cork on the bottle accessed by Coravin in February.

Showing considerable modern flare, particularly in extraction, the wine retains its Left Bank soul, in bracing style. Blackcurrant, pepper garden, discarded railroad tie, deciduous forest sous-bois, black farm soil, intriguing funk, gravel, and mineral ores in spades. Juicy, somewhat heavy (extraction), decidedly gripping, complex finish.

No less than a decade from peak, yet worth checking in on now. Wines in this style sometimes throw considerable sediment after fifteen to twenty years from vintage date, then turn relatively pedestrian. This wine, however, I would wager will hold form through 2030, and beyond. The next three to five years will reveal much.

8/11/2023 - Motz wrote:

Persistent bubbles. Robust, lively, and rich. Notes of assorted fruits and lanolin. Very good acid, quality finish.

3/6/2020 - Motz wrote:

In the house style, which though modern, featuring sweet cherry fruit and herbs, I find quite appealing. The winemaker always applies judicious amounts of oak as well, allowing, in this case, that intriguing Shea terroir to shine through. Not lacking for structure, it packs the substance to age over the next five to seven years. Drink by 2028-2030.

7/24/2023 - Motz wrote:

Pulled the cork on the bottle accessed by Coravin in March and May. A consistent experience with those notes. Technically excellent, bordering on exceptional...but nothing suggests it will get there.

The bouquet commands attention. The palate does not deliver the same quality. Too much leanness for significant improvement. Still, it should age nicely for up to a decade and hold for a good while thereafter.

Underwhelming for the house. Recommend avoiding the professional wine marketer (critic) hype around this. Equal and greater Left Bank quality in this vintage can be had for considerably lower tariffs.

4/11/2023 - Firemanbrandon Likes this wine:

What Motz said. This is a great bottle of wine at a great price. I'm going to buy more.

7/13/2023 - Kris G Likes this wine:

Well balanced with perfectly ripe fruit and very well integrated oak (which should be an example for a lot of other claret-producers who are to lavish with the use of new/heavy toasted wood)

7/1/2023 - Motz wrote:

The standout of a flight of four 2019 Classed Growth Pauillac wines.

The bouquet features highly appealing traditional Pauillac markers (blackcurrant, pepper garden, light roast coffee beans, dark chocolate, tobacco, worn leather, and gravel), with savory, sous-bois, and Crème de cassis top notes. Oak and alcohol in check. In sum, interesting and singular.

Delightful balance of power, finesse, and depth. The savory and Crème de cassis elements show prominently. Continuous, inflection-changing layers and nuance. Medium plus acid and deceptive, medium to medium plus tannins, provide a stalwart frame and indicate noteworthy cellaring potential. Exceptional, long, thought-provoking finish.

This has begun locking down...and I would not expect it to emerge from its initial bottle slumber for three to five years. Likely best after 2040.

7/2/2023 - Purple Tooth wrote:

This is totally in character and teaching you what a Bordeaux is supposed to look, smell, and taste like. Those who smoke know that there’s tobacco , and then there’s fine Cuban tobacco that has that funky, pungent, commitment requirement that you can only enjoy by totally letting go and being in the moment. This is the rusticity that gruaud captures and puts forth vintage after vintage. Mouthful of smoldering tobacco, chocolate, earthy and herbaceous with notes of red bell peppers and tilled soil. A savory devil that always aims at the Bordeaux purists heart for a steal of a price. This has just entered its pleasure zone with years to go. Drink or Hold

6/10/2023 - Motz wrote:

Quinta do Bomfim, Pinhão: More secondary than primary, with some tertiary elements. Dark chocolate (in all forms), carob, baking spices, liqueurs, coniferous forest floor, mushroom, mint, wintergreen, sweet pipe tobacco, and dusty loam.

Compelling poise and smoothness. The wine tastes like it smells. It packs medium plus acid and powdery tannins, which make their bracing presence known at the back and throughout the long finish.

Likely to enter peak form in three to five years. The wine's overall presentation indicates that it has twelve to fifteen years of life ahead. A treat! 95-96.