2/22/2024 - Cailles wrote:

Bordeaux 2014 - 10 Years On - 15 Reds: Fifteen red wines (14 left bank/1 right bank). All tasted blind. The 2014 vintage turned out to be good, but not exceptional. This vintage is characterized by a cool, classic style with an impressive expression of fresh fruit. The wines were rich in blue fruit, supported by a fine mineral backbone, without succumbing to overripeness or overbearing fruitiness. Contrary to expectations, the wines were not overly austere and showed good (excellent at the top) tannin structure, contributing to a classic Bordeaux experience. However, it's important to note that while these wines have commendable qualities, they lack the complexity and, to a lesser extent, the finesse and elegance characteristic of the most celebrated vintages. Many of the wines seemed a bit simplistic. I think they are likely to peak in the early rather than mature into 30, 40, 50-year wines as I don’t think there is enough fruit. My top three were a layered, blue-fruited Ducru Beaucaillou, a strawberry-laden, purity-driven Montrose (both rated 94pts), and an elegant Pichon Lalande (93pts), foreshadowing the great things this estate has produced in vintages since. The group winner was also the Ducru.

TN: This was a bit controversial around the table due to its style. While most wines shine with their structure and minerality, show that old-school Bordeaux style, this wine was very polished with lots of candied red berries. Clearly an odd-one out, I wouldn’t necessarily have guessed this to be a Bordeaux. I’m not a strict purist and different styles keep it interesting but this is not a wine I would chase.

Decanting: Not decanted, I would go for two hours.

12/31/2022 - SLOFred Does not like this wine:

Not rated. my first bottle of this wine, at least that I can remember. I could not drink it, but I did not know if it is a bad bottle or if this is what it should taste like. It tasted like a sour lemon. Clearly not enjoyable. Never drank more than a few sips, as it was not at all enjoyable.

10/23/2022 - Afinta Likes this wine:

The cork was dry - very dry - and I broke it nearly in half when first opening. It was a pretty clean break though and I managed to grab the second half and remove it without issue. The cork did not appear damaged or rotten - just very dry - but the seal had no issues and the wine was in great shape (stored lying down at about 50 degrees). We did just pour from the bottle (no decant) and there was a fair amount of sediment but nothing major. As to the wine itself - it is still showing huge and would appear to have many years left. I am a big fan of this wine but I would say that this vintage is a little unbalanced - still has tons of dark fruits on the palate and an intense nose, but the tannins are very dominate and tight - I would not call it harmonious. Maybe that will still happen with more bottle age. Sipping some with an aged pecorino was really great though!

4/15/2022 - acheng wrote:

Served blind . Clearly a thourgbred and stood out among this flight. Absolutely fabulous nose of black fruit, spice and tobacco. Well balance palate with everything in harmony. It’s bouquet just kept drawing you in for more. Bravo

3/2/2022 - UPL Likes this wine:

stunning - what a wine - absolutely perfect

7/14/2021 - LiteItOnFire wrote:

2021 Bordeaux Tasting Trip; 7/12/2021-7/16/2021 (Bordeaux): A tasting in Bordeaux of 71 wines, some of the best I have ever had and others, umm, well were disappointing. If you read the Tasting story (and my grading history) I think it will do a much better job putting this in perspective.

Smith Haut Lafitte is such a beautiful property with a gorgeous hotel, spa and multiple restaurants... they even have their own barrel maker onsite. A great way to end the day with the wife at the Spa, me tasting throughout the day and we meet back up for a tasting and then a fabulous dinner, hard to beat.

We tasted:
2011, 2015 & 2018 Smith Haut Lafitte
2017 Smith Haut Lafite Blanc

The 2017 blanc needs time in the cellar to fatten up a bit and allow the structure to easy a bit, for my palate any way. For those looking more for a leaner sharper wine, have at it now. Possible upside in a couple of years.

5/16/2021 - rickswan Likes this wine:

Enjoyed this Absolutely delicious and insanely overpriced ($315) bottle at Gravitas in DC.

8/9/2021 - la turque wrote:

Oh fruit, oh fruit, wherefore art thou, oh fruit? After a full day of slow-ox, you still didn't show!

Not sure what to make of this. An outlier for sure. Comments appreciated.

7/19/2021 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine:

My first from ARPEPE. Easily the best wine I've had from the Valtellina (with strong competition) and one of my top Nebbiolos overall.

Effortlessly aromatic nose with a burst of cherry- interestingly, it evokes both very bright/sour cherry as well as a hint of much richer luxardo cherry, without anything in between. Lots of floral tones, some rose petal but also violets, white flowers, and even wild herbs (mint, thyme). No typical "oak" note, although there's definitely a tiny note of fresh-cut wood, maybe cedar or even sandalwood, intriguing, but never competing with the fruit. Even more interesting is a subtle meaty tone, very much like salty charcuterie. Initially the nose felt simple and primary, but as the fruit tones relaxed in the glass, a ton of interesting nuance began to show.

Palate is a real stunner- the most understated tannin possible in young Nebbiolo (texturally felt like a slightly tannic Pinot Noir, with a gentle weight to it but never chalky or grippy.) Beautiful bright acidity that doesn't feel awkwardly tart- there's a very salty, savory meaty tone mingling with the tart fruit, while the ripeness and floral tones (all present on the palate too) coalesce to an ultra-harmonious and lingering finish.

It's harder for me to fall in love with Nebbiolo as often as PN, Syrah, many other noble grapes- often difficult to justify drinking young as they can be super-primary or even harsh, while aged examples can be out of my budget by the time they're ready. This was a real treat- very vivid, complex, and easily worth $45.

9/20/2020 - Pancreatitis wrote:

Dark magenta purple.
Youthfully exhuberant, on nose and palate, deep, dark, robust, concentrated in a hyper-feminine way, red fruits, floral perfumes, sandalwood spice, lipstick, mineralite and some cool, coniferous forest floor. So concentrated yet weightless, tannins seemingly absent. I suspect this is about to shut down for a long sleep but oh so gorgeous now. You could almost imagine you were in Vosne here.

12/26/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote:

Fully mature, this beauty needs no air to get it going. Pop, pour and dig easily into all the rich, lush, ripe, black cherries, licorice, cocoa and wet, earth on the nose, followed by the soft, silky-textured, chocolate-covered plum-packed finish.

11/6/2020 - Kidneykoz54 wrote:

Drank at wine tasting, no one loved it

12/4/2020 - la turque wrote:

Nothing wrong with drinking this now!

4/10/2020 - la turque wrote:

A well made wine. Drinking now with a one hour decant. In fact, I wouldn’t wait too much longer to drink this, as I fear the freshness, which is still there, will fade and the alcohol and heat will show more centrally. A nose of plums and black fruits on opening, which turns to coffee, chocolate and raspberries after a while of swirling. Decent balance, silky mouthfeel after some air. Very nice. Drink over the next 3 years.

10/31/2019 - VINNICK Likes this wine:

Excellent balance between dry fruit power spice tannins. Love the spiciness and dryness. Classic and delicious Sangiovese. Third bottle in the last year and each time it’s been a pleasure. I strongly disagree with anyone that says this wine is a 90-91. No chance.

9/24/2018 - CRAUBER4242 Likes this wine:

I agree with La Turque, this wine was terrific! Singing on all cylinders! With air it got better, but it showed well upon opening too. Dark berry, black raspberry, cherry, vanilla and spice leading to a medium bodied smooth full flavored wine. I'm sure this wine will hold for some time, but I can't imagine waiting on it if I had more bottles of it. It drank too good to wait.

1/3/2018 - michigan dogs wrote:

I will not rate because our experience was so far away from others. Wine was decanted for several hours and never showed anything. No nose what's so ever, taste was flat. if rating maybe an 80 at best.

11/7/2017 - Dehrmann wrote:

PT/ME/AH drank at 11 Madison prior to '82 l'evangile

8/12/2017 - Hanover Likes this wine:

Decanted 4 hours. Rotten wet cork. Flavor and quality seemed unharmed. Still closed in, I think, but a sip the next day was not encouraging. A slightly unpleasant bitter finish evolved overnight.

3/15/2017 - peterchoy wrote:

Appearance: Bright and clear, it is medium amber in color, with fading rim and legs.
Nose: Clean, with pronounced intensity aromas of stone fruit of apricot and peach, citrus fruit of lemon, floral notes of linden, maturity notes of waxy, green fruit of muscat and quince, kernel notes of almond. The wine is developing.
Palate: Sweet with high acidity, the wine has light alcohol, medium (+) body and pronounced intensity flavors of citrus fruit of lemon, stone fruit of apricot, floral notes of linden, maturity notes of beeswax, green fruit of muscat and quince. The wine has a long finish.
Conclusion: Very good quality Vouvray Chenin Blanc with an extremely intense nose showing good complexity, the wine is phenomenal on its balance, with the good acidity to neutralize the sweetness making it highly delicious, not a hint of cloying or overpowering in sugar, there is also a finesse and delicate sensation of nice weight. The flavors are similarly profiled with the typical characters, equally concentrated and with a very long finish. It is ready to drink now and can maintain for another 8-10 years.

3/1/2017 - la turque wrote:

Dark purple colour. Beautiful nose of black fruit, tobacco, chocolate, coffee, mushrooms. Lovely and thick on the palate with great body and length. Drinking beautifully now.

8/24/2016 - la turque wrote:

Lovely appearance, and at first a nice nose of sour cherries, plums, leather. Very quickly the aroma shut down and the wine was quite four square through the evening. I think this needs a good few years to come out the other end and show its stuff.

12/2/2016 - Zweder wrote:

Bordeaux: Second wines in great vintages. (Valuas): This is my 20,000th Tasting Note in Cellartracker and that should be a special wine. A few weeks ago I tasted this wine (with 100 Parker points) again, and it is really great! I have a few and many users of Cellartracker have it as well, so that is why I saved this tasting note to be my 20,000th. In the bouquet beautiful cassis, cedar, smoke and luxurious oak. On the palate enormously concentrated black berry fruits with a beautiful harmony between acidity and sweetness. Soft but powerful tannin. This is a true beauty and will probably last for at least another 30+ years. 98+

11/9/2016 - la turque wrote:

This bottle showed tighter than the last couple, despite lots of air. The wine is brilliant, and there is absolutely no hurry to consume. Do give it lots of air.

6/9/2016 - la turque wrote:

Decanted for a couple of hours. The wine at first showed quite a stinky sulphur nose, which did back off with time, although it didn't fully dissipate. Behind that, lots of plums, cherries and flowers, as well as spices and wood. On the palate, this wine has structure, acidity and length, and needs another couple of years to be at its peak in terms of the fruit showing.

5/8/2016 - sdr wrote:

Rather disappointing showing for what I hoped would be a very special champagne. It's not bad but unimpressively linear and simple. Very pale, it opened with an intriguing note of spearmint, followed by austere citrus. Almost no toast and it finished abruptly. Could it just be many years short of blossoming?

1/24/2016 - fotomill Does not like this wine:

After some decanting it was still too tight. Showed medium minus intensity on the nose, with hints of oak, vanilla, blackberry and mint. Medium body and the tannin has a smooth texture. Color is dark ruby. After 2 hours it showed soy sauce plus sesame oil kind of flavor, slightly sweeter, slight hint of spice like clove and some prune. After a day it didn't open eventually, just ended up with cooked plum flavor, a little jammy, interestingly showed Hanji smell (Korean traditional paper). It got more bitter and soy sauce like. No sensation of fruitiness, juiciness, cedar, leather, etc. Finally on the 3rd day, the unpleasant flavor of the last day somewhat decreased and still tastes like cooked apple rind on the bitter side.

8/27/2013 - la turque wrote:

This wine has a very strong acidic backbone to match the complex, minerally fruit. My guess is that it will age beautifully; try again in 2 years. A fantastic wine in the making.

7/2/2015 - BillyT wrote:

Had this at Fortaleza do Guincho in Portugal for my birthday. We started with 96 DP Oenotheque and moved on to the 89 Baron. Stunning, there is no other way to describe it. Unfortunately or fortunately the sommelier and I know each other but he didn't realize I had confidence in him and he waited to open until we arrived. So our first taste was only after 30 minutes decanted. At that point it was starting to express dark fruit, balance, but some residual tannins and acidity. 15 minutes later in the glass this wine was singing and it held up over a 2.5 hour dinner. I'm neither sophisticated or knowledgeable enough to use all the winespeak everyone uses but I can speak this...one of the finest Bordeaux I have EVERY tasted and want to start my treasure hunt today for whatever is lurking in shops and cellars :-).

1/5/2015 - la turque wrote:

Given the earlier notes, opened and decanted this well in advance, thinking that the large amount of air would coax out the fruit. Not so. The wine is light in colour, medium bodied at best. A nose of tar and some red fruits, but on the palate green and lean. I've read the comments about Wine Access recommendations, but also am aware that Tanzer, whose palate I trust, gave this wine 93 points a year ago. What am I missing? Dumb phase? Is the fruit there? Or did they just get it awfully wrong? Very disappointing bottle.

10/22/2014 - Ombibulous wrote:

Can this wine really last 40 years after bottling? (See the drinking window above, the average of 28 users' drinking windows.) I've aged and drunk vintage port before, but not nearly that long, although I've never aged a Taylor Fladgate. What's the drinking window for a half bottle of this? It should mature a little more quickly, no? What do you think would likely be the peak year or years for drinking this vintage? Please comment with your thoughts. Thanks!

9/13/2014 - la turque wrote:

Delicious, rich, soft, dark, great for near-term drinking. This was one of Decanter's Top 10 wines for 2013. Red and black fruits, supple tannins, balanced acidity. Lovely.

9/9/2014 - la turque wrote:

Sept. 9 League of Gentlemen Tasting chez moi: Oh my goodness! Big fruit, lots of jammy tones, tons of texture and taste. Many thought this was from the New World. Incredible extraction. The sweetness of fruit makes it a pleasure to drink now, but the wine has the oomph to last a good many years and develop greater depth, layers and complexity.

5/27/2014 - la turque wrote:

I purchased this wine in the last year from a very reputable retailer (the SAQ in fact). 375ml. Colour was a dark amber, almost like burnt sugar. When I compared the colour to my 1990s, this wine was much darker, and appears to have matured very quickly. I'm wondering if this is representative for this wine, and any comments would be appreciated.
On the nose, the wine did not smell at all maderised, and certainly did not taste that way either. It tasted like a very aged, mature Yquem. The fruit was vibrant and complex, and the acidity was in balance.
Not as mind-blowing as many Yquems I've had.

1/11/2014 - la turque wrote:

This wine is really coming around. With two hours in the decanter, there was fruit, complexity, structure and balance. A lovely wine--drink over the next 5 years.

5/4/2014 - Fogbound wrote:

Opened to celebrate our home purchase.

2/6/2012 - Billy Swan wrote:

This is a big wine with a bunch of classical modern Tuscan notes; cherries, a whiff of chocolate, serious herbs, minerality, great acidity and tannins to die for. Today the tannins punch you in the mouth, but they're so ripe, so sweet that it's actually a punch making you want more. Delicious stuff to drink now and to put away for a few years. Not quite extraordinary, but wonderful, harmonious and intriguing.