10/24/2023 - watcheslover Likes this wine:

My colleagues and I organized a mini Laroque vertical to redefine the scores in relation to the fabulous 2022 vintage. Naturally these notes correspond to an "M" moment and are likely to vary at another moment.

1) 2021 (sample) 96,8/100
2) 2022 (sample) 96,5/100
3) 2020 95,8/100
4) 2018 95,4/100
5) 2005 95,1/100
6) 2019 94,6/100
7) 2016 93,4/100
8) 2017 92,8/100

7/31/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:

Colour - golden / yellow. On the nose - citrus, grapefruit maybe, slightest whiff of sulphuric and some early autumn church in the late afternoon. On the palate - the incense is still there, grapefruit and a hint of candied lemon - a lovely mouthfeel - this is open and giving now but there’s a sense that this will go on for longer. An absolute billy bargain in the recent DJ sale - there’s just so much reasonably priced joy to be had from SA chenins.

7/17/2023 - D'Yquembe Mutumbo wrote:

Last bottle of this and it has definitely improved over the last couple of years, but for the life of me I don't get what Suckling was thinking rating this 100 points. I think that has potentially colored my thoughts on this as I've had it, but ultimately this is a fun Brunello that will never hit the heights of the best that I have had.

4/27/2023 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine:

One of the top wines of the vintage and the best value (over $100) in Bordeaux… for now. Since ‘16 (minus ‘17) and Including ‘21 the wines have exponentially increased in quality and therefore value. Tremendous wine.

6/10/2023 - watcheslover Likes this wine:

My colleagues and I hosted a Carmes H-B mini vertical last night to redefine the odds against the fabulous 2022 vintage. We can't put 100 points everywhere.

1) 2022 100/100
2) 2016 99/100
3) 2020-2021 98-99/100
4) 2018 98/100
5) 2014-2017-2019 97/100
6) 2005 96/100
7) 2012 94/100
8) 2013 91/100

(2021 and 2022 tasted on samples)

5/12/2023 - Sun_Ship Likes this wine:

Polished nose of mulberry, cassis, kirsch, milk chocolate and roast espresso, with hints of woodsmoke and cedar. Glossy and delicious palate with excellent freshness, quite impressive for 2018, with a plush, creamy core of ripe fruit, smooth tannins and gourmand notes of chocolate and espresso again emerging on the lingering finish. This comes across as sophisticated, fresh and engineered. 95+

3/20/2023 - sirpat00 wrote:

Grand Bordeaux 2003 horizontal tasting (Fribourg): Bordeaux 2003 vintage horizontal hosted by a private collector and moderated by Jean-Marc Quarin. Main observations: 1/ Average quality is acceptable, but weighted down by various low-lights, esp. on the right bank. 2/ In general a tannic vintage, lacking balance. 3/ Top 3 wines were Lafite, Mouton and Margaux (all 95). See the tasting story for a complete overview and additional vintage comments.

Tasting note:
Red cherry fruit with some darker cherries in the mix as well. Leather and earth help to build a bouquet that is well aged and harmonious, but rather narrow in terms of aromatics. High acidity, rather coarse tannin and a dry finish knock this down a few steps in the league table. That said, it's been 5 years since my last bottle and that performed much better after a proper decant and with the benefit of an evening-long consumption.

3/4/2023 - watcheslover Likes this wine:

Re-tasted in bottles, without a doubt the greatest Carmes ever made. Same thing for Chateau Canon which is perfect. Perhaps the 2 greatest wines of the vintage???

11/28/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote:

Mark my words, this is a future legendary vintage for Canon! It gets everything right from the moment the wine hits the glass. Aromatically, the wine offers flowers, crushed rock, black and red fruits, spearmint, licorice, and hints of tobacco. On the palate, it is even better with its multiple layers of silk-drenched fruits, cashmere tannins, and seamless, over 60-second finish. This is so good now, and it has only started on its journey. Drink from 2022-2060.

11/10/2022 - wineforth Likes this wine:

At a tasting. Fabulous nose. Highish acidity seemed to hide some of the fruit leaving it a touch thin. Very long finish. I have some of this wine so am trusting it will flesh out in time and the score will improve. Was great value but has nearly doubled in price in a short time.

9/26/2021 - Collector1855 wrote:

During a structured Champagne blind tasting. 2013 base. Very yeasty nose. Green apples, flowers, apple cider, very foamy, very high dosage was my feeling, on the vulgar side.

9/9/2021 - Nicephoras wrote:

My bottle, from mag. Just too young. There's great promise here, and as always with Comtes it's a very vinous rose, but this should have slept longer. Made for a wonderful palate refresher later in the evening :)

9/4/2021 - Cailles wrote:

Bordeaux 2016 - 5 Years On - 8 Top Reds: All wines tasted single blind. This tasting proved again that 2016 is an amazing vintage. Compared to many other recent vintages, the 2016s show no excess in any category (especially beneficial for right banks these days) but wines that are still fully ripe. The aromatic complexity and precision are off the charts and structural frames are luxurious. Compared to the more solar 2015s wines we tasted last year, the 2016s will need more time to integrate and open up and might be a tad less charming at this point, but the potential is immense. Group winner was an incredible Ausone, ahead of the Pichon Lalande and an incredible and singular Montrose (which for me was a tied #1 with the Ausone).

TN: Expressive nose with intense ripe red and dark berry aromas, herbs and minerality. Superb precision and very inviting. On the palate the same aromas with a bright red fruit core at the center and some additional aromas fine fresh tobacco. Again, all aromas are delivered in HD. Slightly grainy tannins at first but with any minute in the glass, the wine became softer, rounder and more integrated. Very well integrated acidity providing a perfect lift. Very airy feel and creamy texture. Good length. Quite complete already but not yet the most complex wine. What was surprising, and the same is true for Montrose, is how open, ready and feminine these St. Estephe wines were showing. The Montrose (rated 97+ pts) is the better wine today (and will be in the future) but the Cos is certainly one of the best Cos ever produced too.

Decanting: Decanted for roughly 2 hours which seemed right.

Group rank: #4 out of 8 wines
Group score: 95.0 pts

9/3/2021 - The Guzz wrote:

Massive beast of a wine. Delicious in its way. White flowers, rich and round. Nose is great. Mouth is clunky.

7/25/2021 - Wino133 Likes this wine:

Really nice. Clean, straw yellow, well balanced. Big fan of it.

6/19/2021 - jhngo Likes this wine:

Good. A bit sweet.

6/9/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote:

Acker's Post-COVID BYO, Dinner and Auction Simulcast (Craft - New York NY): Magnum. Very berry throughout with some apple and baked apple hints. Good depth, sneaky good length with a robust finish. Very good now.

5/15/2021 - Albert Wong wrote:

NOSE
Intensity: medium+
Ham, almond, nuts, cured meat, bit of dark chocolate

PALATE
Body: medium+
Acidity: medium
Intensity: medium+
Nutty, tiny bit of vanilla, creamy, black fruit

TEXTURE
Tannins: medium+
Unfortunately, it was rough...really rough.

BALANCE
The tannins were astringent and harsh. Besides the tannins, everything else was ok.

COMPLEXITY
Really enjoyable primary and secondary flavours.

FINISH
Length: medium
A bit of a meaty/ham aftertaste

CONCLUSION
Readiness: Drink now. A few years in the cellar may help soften the tannins.
Considering 2013 was a poor and very wet growing season, I was pleasantly surprised with the nose and palate. It was delicious. But unfortunately, the tannins took away from the overall experience.

5/8/2021 - JHH51 Likes this wine:

This is a tale of two bottles. I opened the first bottle to celebrate New Year's Day and was tremendously disappointed as my expectations for a unique experience were high based on the community notes on the 2000 Tertre Roteboeuf. It was PNP, which was probably a mistake, but the wine had the nose and expression of 5 year old California fruit bomb. Nothing refined about it. It calmed down after a couple of hours but, having purchased the two bottles on the aftermarket, I wondered whether someone had switched out the wine. In any event, I was so undone by the difference between what I expected and what I was drinking, I decided not to write a note. After seething for 5 months, I opened the other bottle for dinner Saturday night. It was decanted for 2 hours and enjoyed over 2 hours. What a difference. The color was deep, deep purple with little bricking. The nose was strong and fragrant with berry and spice, it had good body and notes of graphite, spice, and blackcurrants, and a long finish. I have no idea why the first bottle seemed so different but the second lived up to the hype.

4/4/2021 - dsenni Likes this wine:

Second of two bottles. First one was consumed a month ago and was definitely over the hill. This one was better but at the end of the drinking window. I’m pretty disappointed. I generally think Rhine blends just don’t have the stuffing to last 15 years.

4/2/2021 - J'agnes Likes this wine:

Little seepage on the cork. Colour somewhere between ruby and garnet. Great nose with black fruit, eucalyptus, liquorice and blood. Soft palate with dark fruit - almost blackcurrant boiled sweet. Tannins are soft but rather intrusive and drying on the finish - nice but on this showing the tannins are running stronger than the fruit. Will be interesting to check out the next bottle.

3/29/2021 - Wino133 Likes this wine:

this is lovely. Probably my favourite entry level champagne at the moment - considering the price etc it's simply great. Obviously not a tete du cuvee with all the appropriate complexity, etc, but a lovely clean champagne. This, alongside their NV Rose - just brilliant.

3/27/2021 - Pianojim Likes this wine:

Maybe I'm more prepared for it 2nd time around, not quite as electrifying at first as the 1st one a few weeks ago, but still, wow. This is a very pure, refined, sensuous and deeply beautiful gem of a wine. Ruby colored, richly flavored, lip smacking, smoky and warm all the way down, but light on its feet, all of the so gorgeous material with many stories to tell beautifully suspended in the most elegant structure and fine tannin. Truly a joy to drink, even to fall in love with.

I am finding many of the 2018's I've tried to be pretty awesome. They drink incredibly well now, exuberant, bursting both with richness and character. No reason not to drink them now they taste fantastic. Yet, the tannins are so strong yet refined you sense they will age beautifully. Compared to the recent 2016 which is a great vintage, 2018 is more hedonistic but also has the freshness and ripe purity of 2016.

12/22/2020 - nfurlong wrote:

This bottle at least, has entered the Hibernation period. PNP through Venturi, very closed. Austere. Some gravel, cigar box and hints of black raspberry, but far more acid than fruit. Capped with Argon, second day still closed. Third day ever so slightly better, some blackberry and black cherry eeking through, but based solely on this bottle, I'm afriad we're in for a long winter (decade). No rating.

11/20/2020 - Nicephoras wrote:

Ugh, this is either a bad bottle or a bad vintage from Beaucastel, but this was incredibly pruney. Dumped.

11/12/2020 - JohnnyBark wrote:

Something had to be wrong with my bottle. Came off pruned at first, with some bitter-beer-face finish. Opened up light, and stringent. See what happens, but life’s too short to sit around waiting for a bottle to figure it’s act out, so I’ll open something else.

10/30/2020 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Decanted 4.5 hours for dinner tonight with pan seared ribeye, lobster tails and baked potato.....still drinking beautifully. Strong lead pencil nose, tons of pine neeedles or pine tar?....still strong nicely weighted dark red/black fruit, a touch of coffee bean and licorice with a bit of a leather chaser both on the nose and on the palate. Tannins have integrated nicely. What a delightful wine.......maybe has lost a point in the past year? Maybe it's just this bottle? I have a couple left to play with over the next year, so we'll see.

10/20/2020 - gouldcampbell77 Likes this wine:

Pale yellow gold. A very winey nose - more like a cheap chenin blanc than a tete de cuvee. On the palate though the weight is lovely as always with DP with a very fine, prickly subtle mousse. But..... there's lots of secondary notes here. The fruit seems tired, even a bit oxidised - not quite wet wool but not far off either. Is this bottle 100%? I need to buy a couple of bottles of the regular 02 bottling to compare. My first P2 and I have to admit that I was expecting more.

10/12/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote:

Elegant, sweet and fresh, the wine is vibrant, floral, pure and clean with fabulous balance and lift on the palate leaving you with loads of sweet, red fruits in the finish. The wine is made using 100% old vine Grenache.

10/11/2020 - simon1976 Likes this wine:

Decanted an hour before tasting. Very light but subtile, nice flavors. Would recommend this to be paired with rather light food. Needs probably another few years to reach its top.

10/3/2020 - MrBrege wrote:

This was terrific a year ago, now not so much. I wish I had read some of the recent notes by my fellow CT members. This wine has shut down almost completely; it's not overly tannic only very muted (both on nose and on palate) and lacking in fruit all of a sudden This leaves it unbalanced with an acidic finish. Surprisingly it did not improve when slow-oxed until day 2. Will not touch it until another CT-writer gives the all clear...

10/1/2020 - Plabella Likes this wine:

This wine was not impressive and didn't show fruit. It is full body but doesn't really show well.

9/19/2020 - Wino133 Likes this wine:

Cork popped for 4.5 hours before drinking. Starting to develop some of the tertiary flavours, but still quite primary. Kirsch, cherries, dark berries. Tint of orange coming through but probably still 2-3 years away from starting to hit prime drinking winidow - would recommend holding onto these if you have any bottles. Beautiful now once decanted, before decanting the after taste is a little bit too punchy and in your face, but after a bit of air it's well balanced. Amazing value for money Chateauneuf ; the mouvedre really shines through in the after taste and lasts a while.

7/27/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote:

Everything about this wine is great. It is rich, concentrated, ripe, opulent, pure, fresh, balanced and interesting. The fruit, and its beautiful sense of purity is all there. Texturally, it is power and silk, giving you length, breadth and reason after reason to take another sniff and sip.

5/8/2020 - Papies wrote:

This was left in tank o, the last vintage he vinified by the grandfather and was never bottled it, and nothing was ever done with this tank until now. Pre-global warming Chateauneuf du Pape no prior destemming and the door was closed. Like Bordeaux of the era it wouldn’t have been drinkable for the first 10-15 years. Reminds us of the story of the 1959 Antonio Ferrari Solaria Jonica

7/4/2020 - PMJak11 Likes this wine:

Until the world makes something better this is easily a 100pt wine. Enough said!

Paired perfectly with New Zealand wagyu steaks, lemon glazed brussel sprouts, and sweet potato wedges.

3/12/2020 - Wino133 Likes this wine:

The structure on this wine is utterly divine. Very well balanced and drinking well right now, it stands to improve for a few more years still but drinking nicely now.

Highly recommended.