9/20/2022 - leftbankwine Likes this wine:

So, I opened this next to a Badia a Coultobuono 1997 Chianti Riserva. The Badia blew it away. This was still ok though, taste was a little sour...way past it's prime. Should have opened it up years ago, but was waiting for this type of moment..still ok, not terrible...burmt the difference was measurable....

9/20/2022 - leftbankwine wrote:

We have several more of these, we've loved them from the start. This year is our 25th anniversary, poured it with a corvair, immediately showed legs on the glass...had a 1997 bottle of Ruffino Riserva that was thin, the badia, for 25 years was beautiful, had some hints of toffee, that was so prevalent back in the day. The wine was full bodied and had a good mouthfeel. A hint of cherry, but smooth...really enjoyed this. Might be biased as we honeymooned in Italy that year, but we've had tough bottles in the past. Hints of toffee and butterscotch were there, which 20 years ago made this wine like a treat. Still amazing!

4/13/2022 - leftbankwine wrote:

Wine was good, but not great, opened up after several hours, but was a little too red cherry tannony...had this 10 years ago, and I was not too impressed this time. Bottle was good, cork was good, but the wine never really got to a supple, smooth meaty taste in my opinion.

9/28/2021 - leftbankwine wrote:

Delicious wine...plums, cherries, at first as it is still a little tannic since I popped and poured it. Starting to soften up a bit after about 45 minutes to an hour. Pencil lead...green peppery a bit...big mouthfeel, great structure, one of my favorite Chateau's, nice earthiness as it continues to breathe...may have to update later on...

9/18/2021 - leftbankwine wrote:

While, this wine has been amazing over time, this bottle was a little thin, still had life to it, color was brownish, and not very heavy. Some sweetness but not the old toffey like taste it once had. Still have a few bottles as we open one up on our anniversary each year.

9/18/2021 - leftbankwine Likes this wine:

Opened this and drank right away, beautiful full bodied wine, was powerful which for 24 years old was amazing, with some hints of cherry, chocolate earthiness. Opened for our anniversary as we visited Badia in 1997. I have 3 more, and was blown away how good this was. Color was a deep dark red still as well.

3/5/2021 - leftbankwine wrote:

Very nice wine for the price, too early to drink, but that's ok, nice velvetty mouth feel, somewhat tannic, cherries at first, but softer later so green peppers, pencil lead, earthy, tangy(that's the tannons), opened up better over several hours, but a general nice earthy feel, terrior all day...which I am partial too...great wine for a francophile at a relative good price...

11/4/2019 - leftbankwine wrote:

I enjoyed this very much, full bodied, earthy, green pepper, pencil lead, very nice relaxed wine, not too tannic, nice for the price, not particularly extraordinary, but a very enjoyable wine.

9/20/2019 - leftbankwine Likes this wine:

My wife and I visited Badia a Coltibuono on our honeymoon. once we got back to the States, we bought several cases so we could drink a bottle on our anniversary every year. About 10 years ago, there was a sweet toffee like taste to the wine, it was so good, over the years we have had some that have not aged as well, but this year, it was so good, I could still taste the toffee but the sweetness had dissipated. Much more full bodied, but like i said a hint of toffee. Full bodied, and not quite earthy like a french Bordeaux but hints of a little earthiness. All in all quite good for a 22 year old Chianti Classico Riserva

7/9/2017 - leftbankwine wrote:

Had this in Bordeaux, very average, 2005 is supposed to be good, but this was not particularly memorable, a little chewy, barnyard, not full bodied. Probably would not get this, but was a gift...

11/17/2015 - leftbankwine Likes this wine:

So, my taste is more for a heavier wine, typically from the left bank of Bordeaux, but this wine showed some nice promise. At first, since it is still fairly young at 2009 there was a strong tannin taste, plum, fruit, somewhat chianti like, but the wine had some structure, and the legs were well defined on the sides of the glass. After about an hour, the tastes really opened up, a smokiness to it, with some green pepper and lead pencil, and it started to get more full bodied and softer, but alas, at the end of the bottle it started to get a little tangy, and thinner. Had great moments, and as for the price, which I looked up after tasting (this was a gift), seems to be a very nice wine, considering the cost.

8/1/2015 - leftbankwine wrote:

Very pleasant wine, surprisingly full bodied, plum, meaty feel to the wine, not earthy, had a deep context to it that felt more like a full cab, blind tasted by my wife who was shocked it was Italian, wish I had more of it

7/26/2015 - leftbankwine Likes this wine:

extremely enjoyable wine during a wine tasting, very smooth on the palate, filled the mouth, earthy, a bit of vanilla, creme de cassis, velvety texture. Drinking very nice now, a little soft, not the best year, but a sleeper I think, delicious wine...

7/29/2015 - leftbankwine Likes this wine:

Green pepper and pencil shavings aroma, earthy, a little bit of cherry, still strong, full bodied taste, smoke/oak flavor, this note is two days after we opened, leftover after a great wine dinner, and still showing beautiful taste...very nice wine

11/17/2012 - leftbankwine wrote:

Very nice wine for the price. Meaty, cigar, green pepper a bit, not incredibly well rounded, still some tannins, as you would expect a young 2009 wine, but for $28 a very nice wine.

11/16/2012 - leftbankwine wrote:

Nice mouthy feel, cedar, pencil shavings, a little green pepper. Opening up very nice after a couple of hours. Still gaining meatiness, could have used an hour or two of opening first, but very tasty nonetheless. wish I had more, but this will last for a long time in your cellar. One of my favorite chateau's

8/15/2012 - leftbankwine wrote:

we bought 4 of these at auction, the first one had the worst fill, and was basically vinegar, this one had a flavor that lasted about 10 seconds before it died. I have two more, they have the best fill, and we are hoping they are ok, I also have a 1982 that I will open, and maybe pick up a younger vintage to do a vertical...

3/24/2011 - leftbankwine wrote:

was looking for a drinkable cost effective wine for visitors this weekend, and this wine came across in a special deal at a local wine shop. It was very young, and not in my Left bank wheelhouse, but none-the-less, it was enjoyable, a little tannic to start, but then it sunk lower into an earthy-chewy feel that had some nice flavors of green pepper, plummy softness, which probably comes from the 70% merlot grape, but there was a meatiness to the wine, and at $12.50 a bottle, its a bargain, that the visitors can drink aplenty, and I can stomach it as well...

12/24/2010 - leftbankwine wrote:

Very enjoyable wine on Christmas eve, pencil lead, green pepper, oaky taste, nice body, very earthy taste and texture, very enjoyable, opened up even nicer through the night...

10/23/2010 - leftbankwine wrote:

Drank this tonight, at first the bottle felt flawed, it had a sour taste, almost vinegar, as the night progressed it improved a little, and certainly the bottle was drinkable, but very forgettable, it never improved to the the amount that I would have expected a 2000. Overall very disappointed with the wine, the fruit was cherry like, and the wine made me pucker on more than one occasion through the night.

9/17/2010 - leftbankwine wrote:

Wine was a bit over the hill, started out tannic, but more than that, almost vinegar, I knew it was past it's prime, but decided to wait a bit, about an hour later, the wine started to open up. It had an earthy feel, and taste, nothing bold, but nice enough to drink. A little leather, but some cherry, not a great wine, but not memorable either. Should have had it about 5 years ago, but still showed some strength even though it is 13 years old

8/22/2010 - leftbankwine wrote:

This is a nice cheap bordeaux, which while the dollar has strengthened lately, the price of bordeaux still is high, this wine allows for some everyday drinking without breaking the bank. It's not overpowering, typical french in the undertones of lead pencil, and green pepper, color is dark ruby, there is some fruit, plum tastes, again this is a $12 bottle, so it is not a home run by any means, but for a everyday wine, it is nice well rounded with a medum tanic structure.

5/29/2010 - leftbankwine wrote:

Well, I bought these at an online auction for WGBH, our Boston PBS Station, and needless to say, I was hoping we had a little life in them. Two of them had pretty good fills, for 1966, 1 fill was very bad, and 1 fill was ok. We opened the worst first, and it was aweful, I tried it, but essentially it was clouded vinegar. The second one, we got a small taste of what it might have been, although really what we got was a less bad bottle, really only a hint of it, and after the first sip, which was light years ahead of the other one, was really not great, and nothing that I can even describe, sort of like eating a grape that was left out in the sun for a while, and was brown, but not yet a raisin. Within 5 minutes the wine had turned. So I have two more, and will be opening them soon.

2/27/2010 - leftbankwine wrote:

Drank this tonight, funny, even my wife has become used to the left bank, she noticed as she poured her first glass, that it looked thin. As I have found typical of the Right bank, and the St. Emilion region, it is nice, and preferred vs, California, but no comparison to the Left Bank deep cabernet savignon side, I just find them lacking in substance, and without the nuances and complexities of the leftbank. This wine in particular, we rather boring, compared to the meatier leftbank wines. I liked it for a soft and enjoyable enough every once in a while wine, but I would not buy this on a regular basis. Hints of lead pencil(thin though it was), green pepper, not very fruity, and without much finnish.

2/20/2010 - leftbankwine wrote:

This Medoc is a nice everyday wine for the price, by the case at 19.95 less 15% at a local shop, so given the dollar and how expensive bordeau can be, not a bad wine. It's got an earthy taste some green pepper, pencil shavings, by no means does this have the complexity of a great bordeaux, but it's a nice wine with softer tannins, and opens up nicely.

12/22/2009 - leftbankwine wrote:

Brett/Barnyard, very pronounced, as said in some of the previous notes, I think I got used to it after a while. All in all, not very impressed, and was hoping for more, green pepper, funkiness, really overpowered the taste...

11/12/2009 - leftbankwine wrote:

nice bordeaux for the price, opened up a bit tannic, as it is young, but after decanting gave off a taste of lead pencil, green pepper, leathery taste. Body was nice, but not velvety. Solid bordeaux for everyday drinking, nothing to save for special occasions, but a nice everyday wine

11/4/2009 - leftbankwine wrote:

Simple Medoc, for the price not bad, earthy smell, and taste, young, tannic a bit, but got softer as the night went on...

4/24/2009 - leftbankwine wrote:

Wine was very enjoyable, tastes of vanilla, a little green pepper, some pencil lead. Wine was velvety, and soft, tannins were not overwhelming, as the night went on, it became softer, still young, but very enjoyable. Thoroughly enjoyed this wine.

3/25/2008 - leftbankwine wrote:

Nice well rounded port for pretty good money at this point, velvety feel, plum, jammy taste, like candy, sweet way to end the evening

2/17/2008 - leftbankwine wrote:

Wine was good, but not great, really expected something better, it was ordinary, I decanted, but maybe did not wait long enough to drink, although as we finished it, it really did not get any more complex. wine was drinkable, but hardly worth the price...

2/1/2008 - leftbankwine wrote:

Bottle was vinegar, will bring it back, cork was ok, odor was aweful, terrible bottle

1/12/2008 - leftbankwine wrote:

a little thin, still nice though, would not hold on to this much longer, a little oak, hint of lead pencil, green pepper, shades of a good bordeaux, but definitely past it's prime, although given a haut-medoc, in a fairly good year, in an average chateau, and not sure when the prime would be, have some younger of the same, will probably drink in the 5-7 year range. plum, not really full bodied.

1/11/2008 - leftbankwine wrote:

velvety feel to the wine, strong fruit taste, bold, typical california cab, not much to the nose at first. No as oaky, more strong plum/cherry taste. hint of sweetness in the wine, overall a very good wine, but not outstanding.

12/20/2007 - leftbankwine wrote:

enjoyed two bottles of this, was leathery tobacco smokey on the palate, well rounded, need more time, but we enjoyed it, not too heavy, has an earthyness to it.

12/31/2007 - leftbankwine wrote:

enjoyable Haut-Medoc, not tannic at all, very smooth, well rounded wine, soft rasberry flavor, hints of lead pencil, good wine

12/31/2007 - leftbankwine wrote:

still had quite a bit of life to this, almost too much, needed more time to open up, very strong, almost too strong compared to the other wines we drank. Would have liked to been able to wait on this to drink, dark ruby color, lead pencil, a little smokey, bell pepper in there too. I may pick up another of these and sit on it, as it needs more time, could not get the typical depth and nuances to a good bordeaux, you could tell it will be good for a long time though

12/31/2007 - leftbankwine wrote:

was a little thin, nothing special, enjoyable, but it was past it's prime

1/4/2008 - leftbankwine wrote:

Surprisingly excellent wine, deep purple color, oaky at first then settled into a nice vanilla/chocolately taste, full bodied, opened an hour before, and as it developed through the night it turned quite good, almost as good as a bordeaux

12/31/2007 - leftbankwine wrote:

Soft tannins if any at all, a little thin, but enjoyable, slate, oak, pencil, a nice wine

12/31/2007 - leftbankwine wrote:

Opened this bottle a couple of hours before drinking, given it's age and opening it early, the wine was delicious. Had the oakiness of a california cab, but was well rounded, not overpowering. Surprising for me to enjoy a California Cab, but it was nice.

12/29/2007 - leftbankwine wrote:

excellent wine, soft velvety feel, dark ruby red color, nice legs on the glass, rasberry husky fruit smell, taste is plum, rasberry, fruit, not smokey, lightertaste to it, but there is a meatiness to the wine, not chewy, but full bodied. the chianti gives it a lightness, but the winemakers definitely gave it a full bodied feel. very enjoyable wine

12/20/2007 - leftbankwine wrote:

enjoyable margaux, started off a bit tannic, but softened up. earthy, cassis, not as velvety, but full bodied, color os purple, meaty eathiness, plum, rasberry, not too smokey, seemed a little young, but had some depth, the rasberry has turned more into a black currant. nice wine.

12/19/2007 - leftbankwine wrote:

Very good wine, dark ruby/light brown color, velvety feel, strong earty fruit, not tannic, but plum, chewy fullness, it has a smokiness to it a little as well, as it opened up later, it was even better...I'm sticking with Pauillac and St. Juilian, cant go wrong most of the time especially in the better years, much more depth than the left coast cabs...

12/6/2007 - leftbankwine wrote:

enjoyed a bottle as we put up our tree, it has a nice way about it, some chocolate, earthy, depth, nothing spectacular, but still an enjoyable wine, would not put it near any of the great vintages, but still it was enjoyable. black currant, a little smokey/oak flavor, but a nice earthiness to the wine, color was dark ruby, and as we waited to finnish the wine it got softer and more velvety with a clearer hint of chocolate...

12/2/2007 - leftbankwine wrote:

Delicious 20 year tawney port, velvety feel, toffey like taste, color was golden brown, and it filled the palate with a nice warm feeling, very enjoyable

12/2/2007 - leftbankwine wrote:

Drank at Scarlett Oak, first bottle they tried to open the cork was dry and it broke, htey brought out another, color was bright ruby red, wine was light, fruit, tastes of cherry/rasberry not to strong, not overpowerful, we had another bottle with the same cork issues, but got it open, we went for a 3rd bottle but it was sour, defintely corked, did not taste or smell right. I think we got lucky with the first two

11/23/2007 - leftbankwine wrote:

enjoyed the 1990, soft earthy taste, a bit mineral, hints of fruit, blackberry, lead pencil, earthiness. Color was red ruby, starting to brown a little, excellent wine, no tannins.

11/13/2007 - leftbankwine wrote:

Very nice medoc, opened up nicely after a couple of hours, started off very tannony(sp?) quite young feeling to begin with, but really softened, and has developed into a nice wine, with very good fruit tastes, plum, rasberry, some oak, a little lead pencil, well rounded, a little meaty, not chewy, but full. deep purple color, probably a number of years for this, hence the early strength of tannons.

11/9/2007 - leftbankwine wrote:

nice pauillac, soft to start, so not sure if it's at it's peak, good fruit, lead pencil, some green pepper, enjoyable wine, but no wow factor.