5/29/2016 - Eltigro814 Likes this wine:

Surprisingly well integrated and easy to drink, good QPR.

3/20/2015 - Eltigro814 Likes this wine:

This is one of those wines that gets better with every sip. Ridiculously elegant and smooth. Will only get better by 2020. Couldn't resist and drank both of my bottles in quick succession. quality is on par with another Pauillac beauty I drank recently - 2000 Pichon Lalande.

4/23/2015 - Eltigro814 Likes this wine:

Tannins, although well integrated, will ensure a few more years of storage and further development. Great quality for the price. Drinking well now after an hour decant, but try in 3 years.

3/16/2015 - Eltigro814 Likes this wine:

Decanted for 2 hours, and drank over a 3 hour window. A very modern styled Bordeaux, its powerful and lush, loaded with dark fruity. Will benefit greatly from a few more years in the cellar and should hold well past 2020. Very good value - easily at the 4th to 5th growth level.

3/11/2015 - Eltigro814 wrote:

Decanted for 6+ hours. Unlike the 2010 vintage, which I have tried on multiple occasions, this one never opened up. Flat and subdued, quite underwhelming.

10/7/2014 - Eltigro814 Likes this wine:

Not much to say... This is one of the most beautiful wines I have ever drank. It will get better, if you are into older Bordeaux, but it's hard not to drink now. Just to put this wine in perspective - I drank a 1983 Petrus and a 1982 Haut Brion a week later, and considering the price that the latter 2 go for, I would pick the Lalande any day.
The nose of this wine was as good as that of the 1982 Haut Brion, with some barnyard/leather, a little bacon, tobacco, truffle and damp forest floor, on the pallet it was full of fruit, smooth, round, absolutely perfect. It really doesn't get much better than this...

10/18/2014 - Eltigro814 wrote:

What a wonderful wine, especially for the price!!! I was blown away by its quality. Lots of fruit, soft tannins, very fun to drink now and should keep for another decade. Worth buying up by the case.

10/17/2014 - Eltigro814 Likes this wine:

Brick colored. On the nose: wet earth, mushrooms, truffle, some anise. On the pallet dark fruit, but with an austere and mineral finish. Still retains some tannins but drinking well, obvious secondary characteristics. An absolute bargain for 50$.

9/20/2014 - Eltigro814 wrote:

Bottle of good provenance, yet seems to be in decline, a TON of deposit, and was maybe even slightly corked? Will review again after another bottle.

8/1/2014 - Eltigro814 Likes this wine:

I have now drank this wine 3 times over the last 2 years - this is a hedonistic, powerful yet elegant wine, balanced, full of fruit and sweet cherries, round integrated tannins. While it's hard not to drink my bottles now, I am more curious to see how this wine develops over the next decade.

8/17/2014 - Eltigro814 Likes this wine:

Bought 6 bottles last year, opened the first one a few days ago. Double decanted. Lush and round, the tannins of this young wine still grip the pallet. While it's very good, it is a waste to drink now - I will give it 5 years before opening the next one.

8/17/2014 - Eltigro814 Likes this wine:

This wine was an adventure:
Day 1, 2 hour decant of half the bottle (half the bottle returned to 55F) - incredible nose, almost overwhelming. Massive and powerful, sweet and jammy. For some reason, over the course of the evening the wine started tasting overly sweet, and turned into a disappointment.
Day 2 - drank rest of the bottle without a decant. Still powerful and rich but now was balanced and smooth. Really enjoyed it.
This was my first Grange - while it was a joy to drink on Day 2, I came away feeling a bit let down for the price these bottles are going for. Nevertheless this was by far the best Shiraz I have tasted.

8/16/2014 - Eltigro814 Likes this wine:

Drank after a 2 hour decant with lamb chops at Evvia in Palo Alto. Gorgeous and elegant aromas of berries, herbs, tobacco and smoke. Opulent but smooth and perfectly balanced, great example of Pauillac. This is amazing now, very close to maturity and will hold at this level for the next decade. Will be looking to purchase more on auction.

8/1/2014 - Eltigro814 Likes this wine:

Double decanted for 1 hour, drank over a 3 hour window. Nothing special at first but slowly it turned into quite a treat. Classic mature Bordeaux on the nose, it has shed most of its tannins. My recommendation is to enjoy this smooth, silky and round drink on its own. Based on previous notes, there seems to be some bottle to bottle variability as this is drinking perfectly now.

7/26/2014 - Eltigro814 Likes this wine:

Bought a bottle on auction. Double decanted, 2 hours. Drank over a 2 hour window. Chocolate on the nose. Very intense on the pallet, almost bitter and spicy on the finish, yet drinkable and smooth. Well integrated tannins, with some more to shed. Maybe another 4-5 years?.