11/22/2008 - fineterroir wrote:

This a huge wine that is surprisingly smooth and light on its feet. Although there was some heat coming through on the nose, it still had wonderfully powerful aromas of dark currants, licorice and cedar. This wine fills and coats the mouth, but the fruit is so powerful that it overcomes the substantial tannins. On the palate great flavors of creme de cassis, dark berries, currants, toasty oak and dark chocolate. Very primary right now, but I am very curious to see what kind of secondary characteristics this will develop down the road. Tasted from a 375ml bottle bought at K&L wines.

6/17/2008 - fineterroir wrote:

This wine far surpassed my expectations. Decanted for a couple of hours before serving at dinner. Still a very young looking ruby-colored wine with no bricking. Beautiful nose of flowers, dark currants, cherries, berries and some vanilla. Blind, I would have mistaken this for a younger and more vibrant wine from a more concentrated vintage. Exceptional purity of fruit and silky smooth on the palate, followed by a long delicious finish. This wine did not suffer from any hollowness in the mid-palate that has plagued nearly all of the 1997 Bordeauxs I have tried so far. Instead, the flavor was powerful, pure and balanced throughout. This wine elicited many a surprised "wow, are you sure this is a 1997?" from the table. Although the 1997 Las Cases did not possess the same level of knockout power as the 2004 Las Cases I tried a few days earlier, it was in no way lacking in the department while also possessing great elegance with all of the wine's elements in perfect balance. This balance is something I hope to see in the (not-so-soon) future from younger vintages of Las Cases aging in my cellar. I think that I just happened to open this particular bottle of wine in the sweet spot of its drinking window. I was absolutely stunned by how much I liked this wine, considering my past underwhelming experiences with the same vintage from other producers.

5/27/2008 - fineterroir wrote:

This wine was surprisingly open right off the bat and continued to evolve in the glass and the decanter over a 5-hour period. Initially a nose of plum, dark cherries, spice and tobacco smoke that only got stronger and evolved to include additional aspects of roasted espresso and earth as the night wore on. Powerful fruit and minerality on the palate with abundant yet barely noticeable silky-sweet tannins. This extremenly well-crafted wine had a totally seamless mouthfeel and a 30-plus second finish primarily of coffee and tobacco. Just delicious. A great-drinking young bordeaux with immense potential, it will hopefully be one of those wines that offers something great at every point of its evolution.

4/23/2008 - fineterroir wrote:

Really interesting wine. Decanted for an hour before drinking. Very old world nose filled with earthy and vegetal components (think V-8 juice, tobacco leaf, and wet soil) as well as hints of sour cherry. On the palate, this was medium to full bodied with well-rounded tanins. Taste of tobacco, black currant, tomato juice, and hints of espresso. Medium-length finish with a really interesting V-8/dark-roasted espresso flavor combination. A great value for old world-style Bordeaux lovers.

4/23/2008 - fineterroir wrote:

Wow. Decanted for an hour before drinking. Somewhat floral nose with cherries, plums, dark berries, along with hints of espresso, vanilla, spices, and earth. Medium-bodied with silky sweet tanins on the palate. Long, delicious finish. Not overpowering, but really refined and elegant. Tremendous balance. A great example of Margaux. Ready to drink now, but will improve with age.

4/23/2008 - fineterroir wrote:

I know this wine is still quite young, but after decanting for a couple of hours this wine was surprisingly open and accessible. Nose of tobacco, spices, berries, coffee and maybe a hint of orange peel? On the palate, this was medium-bodied and was suprisingly smooth with rounded-out tannins. You can taste the core of dark fruit surrounded by mineral/earthy components. A 30-second finish mainly of mocha and coffee. Very good overall balance with a lot of potential. Although drinking well now with some aeration, I'm really excited to see what this wine can do after 2-4 more years of cellaring.

3/26/2008 - fineterroir wrote:

Bouquet of chocolate, berries and espresso. A sweet, round, and smooth wine. Medium-to-full bodied with a medium length finish of mocha and hazelnuts. Although not especially concentrated or complex, this is still a delicious wine that is very easy to like. Although this wine doesn't have the structure for long term aging, it's perfect for drinking now while you wait for your prized vintage bottles to come around. Tasted 3 different times.