1/8/2024 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Wine tasted straight from the bottle *
* wine was decanted after and served at dinner.

The wine is clear and deep/dark ruby in colour
There is some of sediment in the bottle.
The Aroma intensity is medium/aromatic

On the nose:
Cheery, slight floral, grass, leather, pipe tobacco, vanilla, smoked meats.

The wine is Dry
The body is light to medium.
The wine has a medium acidity.
The wine has low-medium dry tannins.

On the palate: leather, smoke, mineral/wet stone, tar, cedar

Conclusion
MY 3rd of 3 bottles drunk roughly over a decade. virtually no fruit on the palate, very savoury and slightly out of balance. lacking the sweetness of red fruit. A very angular wine and actually quit light in texture.

*After about 2h of being decanted the wine did go more into balance and felt like it gained more body. quite a transformation so would definitely recommend a solid decant. 2007 was a poorly received vintage but maybe its starting to come into its own.

1/8/2024 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Wine drunk straight from the bottle

The wine is clear and deep ruby in colour
There is some of sediment in the bottle.
The Aroma intensity is medium

On the nose:
Red fruit, ripe but not cooked, peach, slight cinnamon, and apple, liquorice and pencil shavings to finish.

The wine is Dry
The body is medium to medium full
The wine has a medium fresh/crisp Acidity.
The wine has medium round tannins.

On the palate: Slightly cooked red fruit, some cinnamon and spice, finishing with leather, liquorice and tobacco.

Conclusion
Absolutely right on the button this wine. Opened up very well in glass. Excellent Structure with a lovely flash of acidity to finish. The wine is luxurious and also fresh at the same time. Super expression of CNP and Beaucastel.

12/10/2023 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Wine drunk straight from the bottle

The wine is clear and deep ruby in colour
There is no of sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Fresh red fruit, a little alcohol and followed by leather, tobacco

On the palate: Dark fruit, blackberry, dark cherry, perfume and floral notes, followed by savoury notes for leather and cedar.

The body is light - medium.
The wine has a slightly crisp texture.
The wine finishes long.
The wine has medium - tart, crisp acidity.
The wine has medium - medium, slightly grippy tannins.

Conclusion
The wine almost contradicts itself, on the nose that unripe fruit but on the palate the fruit notes are more ripe. Overall quite a savoury wine with acidity that is slightly overwhelming when not drunk with food.

12/9/2023 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Wine drunk straight from the bottle

The wine is clear and deep ruby in colour
There is a small amount of sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Cherry, fresh red fruit, slight alcohol hot sensation and cinnamon, spiced and caramelised/candied apple to finish.

On the palate: Fresh red fruit - Cherry, strawberry, raspberry with leather and smoke to finish.

The body is full - medium.
The wine has a slightly angular texture.
The wine finishes V-long.
The wine has medium - medium fresh acidity.
The wine has medium - medium, slightly dry tannins.

Conclusion
Not overly sweet, Very fresh and vibrant. Great structure of slightly dry grippy tannin perfectly matched with fresh vibrant acidity. Not immediately Bordeaux in style and you don't get any sense of new oak in the glass. I guess this wine is young and will mature in the coming years with the tannin becoming more round and the acidity becoming more relaxed and smooth. Over time the edges will be rounded so to speak. However right now this wine is absolutely balanced and explodes on the palate with a super long finish. The wine will change but hard to think how it will improve over time. This was the only bottle I had but would have been interesting to see where this wine will go.

12/3/2023 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Wine drunk straight from the bottle

The wine is clear and dark purple in colour
There is high amount of sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Caramelised red fruit, candied sweets, smoke, cider, pine slight leather and tobacco.

On the palate: Burnt caramelised sugar, ripe cherry, liquorice, pencil shavings and tobacco to finish

The body is full - heavy.
The wine has a smooth texture.
The wine finishes V-long.
The wine has medium - low acidity.
The wine has medium - low, soft tannins.

Conclusion
2nd bottle of 3 1st was oxidised slightly and over sweet, so I didn't hold much hope for this bottle.
However this bottle was much more balanced.
Big powerful wine with caramelised dark fruit but backed up by an excellent structure. very much towards the end of its drinking window but very enjoyable. Especially with a big steak !

12/3/2023 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Wine drunk straight from the bottle

The wine is medium, yellow - gold in colour
There is no sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Grapefruit, pear, citrus, mineral/stoniness

On the palate: Grapefruit, citrus, sweetness like caramelised lemon/apple

The body is light - medium
The wine has a crisp slightly tart texture.
The wine finishes V long.
The wine has medium acidity.

Conclusion
This is a lovely, modern style of white burgundy, without much oak richness. Very fresh with a lovely zing of acidity while still maintaining a full mouth feel and body.

6/24/2023 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Wine drunk straight from the bottle

The wine is pale, yellow - gold in colour
There is no sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: toasted nuts, pear, lemon, slight honey, grapefruit at the end.

On the palate: Pear, sweet lemon, grapefruit, nutty flavour in the middle with an acidic minerality to finish

The body is medium - full
The wine has a fresh texture.
The wine finishes long.
The wine has medium acidity.

Conclusion
Fantastic...... fresh and youthful. top producer, amazing Terroir the result is an amazing and very complex wine. White Burgundy at its finest.

11/28/2023 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Short decant

The wine is clear and dark purple in colour
There is very small amount of sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Fresh red fruit, raspberry, tart cherry, candied apple, fruit forward, slight alcohol - hot

On the palate: Raspberry, cherry, caramelised sugar, later, some pencil shavings, smoke

The body is medium, full.
The wine has a crisp texture.
The wine finishes V-long.
The wine has medium acidity.
The wine has medium tannins.

Conclusion
Just about in its drinking window, lovely wine, not overly sweet, restrained power and a great expression of Mouvedre.

5/14/2022 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Wine drunk straight from the bottle

The wine is clear, deep ruby/purple in colour
There is no amount of sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Ripe plum and Cherry, slight blsck pepper and citrus to finish..

On the palate: Ripe red fruit and plum some citrus acidity, liquorice and black petter to finish.

The body is medium.
The wine has a smooth texture.
The wine finishes meduim / long.
The wine has medium acidity.
The wine has medium soft tannins.

Conclusion
A lovely wine, it is fuit forward but also a big powerful wine. It is quite sweet but very well balanced with good acidty.
A really great expression on Mourvedre.

4/27/2022 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Wine drunk straight from the bottle

The wine is clear and dark ruby in colour
There is very small amount of sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Brambles, strong minerality/stoniness, Cherry, sweet apple and unripe plums, fruit of the forest/black forest fruits..

On the palate: Fresh Cheery sweetness and acidity, some alcohol heat, vibrent fresh red fruit and brown suger.

The body is medium.
The wine has a fresh texture.
The wine finishes long.
The wine has medium acidity.
The wine has medium tannins.

Conclusion
The wine is subdued on the nose but explodes on the palate. Juicy, fresh but with an excellend underlying structure. Overall quite sweet but the acidity is in total harmoney and allows the wine to maintain its freshness.
Its a very well made wine from the slopes of Ventoux in the southern Rhone.

4/2/2022 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Wine drunk straight from the bottle

The wine is slightly hazy and deep purple/ruby in colour
There is light sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Candied apple, Cherry, Cranberrys and slight marzipan.

On the palate: Rasberry, Strawberry and fresh red fruit. Chrisp apple and slightly astringent taste to finish

The body is heavy, full bodied
The wine has a fresh, but still smooth texture.
The wine finishes long.
The wine has medium fresh acidity.
The wine has medium tannins.

Conclusion
Lovely wine, the mouthfeel is like a wine with much more age, smooth and heavy on the palate, with long legs. The flavours however are much more youthful and vibrant which makes the wine feel slightly at odds with itself and a touch awkward.
Emilio Moro is a superb producer and I think a few more years of cellering will work wonders for this wine.
Enjoyed every mouthful but I think in 3-5 years will be amazing.
Drink 2025 - 2035

2/11/2022 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Wine drunk straight from the bottle.

The wine is clear and medium red/garnet in colour
There is a little sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Candied apple, raspberry. leather, tobacco + damp leaves to finish.

On the palate: Leather, tobacco, some tart apple and some strawberry notes.

The body is light/medium.
The wine has a fresh, slightly angular texture.
The wine finishes medium.
The wine has medium acidity.
The wine has a medium level of tannins.

Conclusion
Fully resolved and balanced.
On the palate not much fruit but lovely savoury notes, very smooth. Overall a lovely example and surpassing my expectations for what is a village wine 25years old.

12/20/2021 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

The wine is clear and a medium straw yellow in colour.
There is no sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Green grapes, grapefruit, lime, passionfruit, slight aniseed, vanilla and honey to finish.

On the palate: Sweet apple, grape, grapefruit, fruit salad sweets and some honey.

The body is light/medium.
The wine is medium sweet.
The wine has a smooth texture.
The wine finishes medium.
The wine has fresh smooth acidity with a low level of soft round tannins.

Conclusion
Maybe this is my white Burgundy "moment" Very enjoyable, fruit and citrus with a balanced finish. The wine maintains its lightness but still manages an impressive complexity.
Superb..... Love it !

12/11/2021 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Wine decanted for approx 2h30min
The wine has a slight haze and deep ruby in colour.
There is some sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Dark cherry, cranberry, cigar box and marzipan

On the palate: Cranberry, raspberry, wet leaves and slight rubber savoury to finish

The body is medium.
The wine has a Angular texture.
The wine finishes long.
The wine has a med to high acidity.
The wine has med level of grippy tannins.

Conclusion
At 2014 its on the young side and not really inside its drinking window. The wine soiid tannins that need to resolve a bit but this is matched with Chris acidity so the wine is balanced. Some red fruit for sweetness and a nice savoury finish.
Unmistakingly Bordeaux and St Estephe in style but need time to smooth out the edges.
However enjoyed every mouthful.
Drinking window 2024-2032

12/11/2021 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Wine decanted for 3h

The wine is slightly hazy and deep purple in colour
There is some sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Strawberry, cherry, cranberry to start then some pencil shavings and smoke and some meatiness to finish.

On the palate: Sweet red fruit with some apple and peach citrus acidity, the secondary flavour pencil shavings damp leaves and leather

The body is medium.
The wine has a fresh, grippy texture.
The wine finishes long.
The wine has medium acidity.
The wine has medium, to high tannins.

Conclusion
Love Musar, super interesting as always. Gave this wine a long decant it is very young. Wine starts with sweet red fruit, leading to some citrus type acidity and finishes with savoury, meaty flavours.
The wine could do with more time in the cellar to develop and improve.
I think drink 2025 - 2035

12/13/2021 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Decanted for 1h

The wine is dark purple in colour and a very slight haze..
Slight sediment

On the nose: Caramelised red berries, Alcohol hot, slight citrus notes, fresh leaves, Liquorice, peppery.

On the palate: Sweet ripe cherry and blackberry, fresh apple and pepper.

The body is full
The wine has a crisp texture.
The wine finishes Long.
The wine has fresh acidity
The wine has medium level of round Tannin.

Conclusion
This is a big wine, 15% ABV which slightly dominates the wine. The wine is sweet, decedent, warm and peppery. very enjoyable and interesting with being hugely complex. Could have done with a little more time in cellar.

12/13/2021 - Fine wine Lad Does not like this wine:

Tasted straight from the bottle

On the nose: Not much, slight red fruit

On the palate: Basic red wine flavour, red berries with a slight marzipan

The body is light
The wine has no particular texture.
The wine finishes short.
The wine has very little acidity
The wine has low level of dryish Tannin.

Conclusion
Quite insipid and uninteresting, not much style or identity

11/29/2021 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Tasted using a coravin

The wine is deep ruby in colour and a very slight haze..
Cannot comment on sediment as used a Coravin

On the nose: Cheery, caramelised plumbs, candy, cinnamon and slight black pepper.

On the palate: Dark red fruit, meaty savoury flavour, black pepper. Powerful wine

The body is medium
The wine has a smooth but youthful texture.
The wine finishes V Long.
The wine has fresh acidity
The wine has medium level of dryish Tannin.

Conclusion
This wine is not yet in its drinking window but I wanted to try it, this is where having a Coravin is very handy.
This is definitely an old world style pinot and reminds me of a Burgundian grand cru.
Its big and powerful while still having the crispness of Pinot Noir (Nero in Italian) but really packs a punch.
I think this wine has a lot more years in the bottle and while it maybe not as long as a good Burgundy I think it will keep improving for at least 15 more years.
Luckily I have 6 bottles (minus one glass) that will stay in my cellar.

6/20/2021 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Wine opened and drunk immediately from the bottle.

The wine is cloudy and looks watery red/brown in colour.
There is very heav5 sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Plum, ripe cherry and smokiness.

On the palate: slightly oxidised, plum, cherry, caramelised apple, smoke, leather and tar to finish

The body is medium.
The wine has a smooth texture.
The wine finishes long.
The wine has a low acidity.


Conclusion
While the wine was slightly oxidised it was still there. Considering the wine is almost 50 yrs old it was outstanding and complex, silky smoothness with sweet ripe plum and finishing with pipe smoke and leather notes.
Enjoyed with friends and rated 91 due to the bottle being slightly oxidised however the experience of drinking this bottle with great food and great friends is easily a 100pt experience.

4/23/2021 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

The wine is clear and looks deep golden/amber in colour.
There is no sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: very fresh on the nose, citrus fruit, (apple, pear) some fresh grass and slight grapefruit to finish.

On the palate: pear, apple citrus fruit slight honey. Quite astringent on the secondary pallette.

The body is medium/full.
The wine has a sharp texture.
The wine finishes medium.
The wine has fresh smooth to tart/crisp acidity


Conclusion
Quite a savoury wine and lacking sweetness. Overall a very dry white wine and for me too acidic to be fully balanced.
Nevertheless a very interesting

4/10/2021 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Drunk straight from the bottle without decanting.

The wine is slightly hazy and looks deep ruby in colour.
There is no sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Slight barnyard, caramelised/burnt plumbs and cherry. Smokiness at the end with slight apple and spice.

On the palate: Burnt/caramelised fruit (Apple/plumb/cherry/raspberry). Overall not overly sweet becomes more savoury towards the end with Black pepper spice and tobacco notes.

The body is medium/full.
The wine has a smooth texture.
The wine finishes medium.
The wine has fresh smooth to flabby acidity
The wine has medium level of round Tannin.

Conclusion
Past its best IMO. Lack the silky smoothness I was hoping for and expect with a aged Cab Sauv. Stayed consistent throughout the bottle but missing that depth of flavour.

4/6/2021 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Drunk straight from the bottle.

The wine is clear, looks red in colour.
There is no sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Red berries, unripe plum, grass, overall very fresh.

On the palate: Very fresh on the palate, red fruit, cassis, Black pepper on the finish.

The body is light/medium.
The wine has a smooth texture.
The wine finishes medium.
The wine has fresh acidity.
The wine has medium level of round, slightly dry Tannin.

Conclusion
Really great wine, very very fresh and clean.Paul Jaboulet Aine is one of my favourite producers not only in the Rhone but of any region. Parallele 45 is the entry level wine they produce and is certified organic.
Plenty of fruit sweetness, balanced with seamless acidity + tannin.
Still manages to hold on to a great freshness throughout with a slightly savoury finish.
Bang for buck one of the best wines you can buy.

3/17/2021 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Drunk straight from the bottle.

The wine is slightly hazy, looks deep Ruby/red in colour.
There is a reasonable amount sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Vanilla, wood, damp leaves, cinnamon, slight clove and Cheery to finish.

On the palate: Cheery, cassis, smoke, burnt sugar, caramelised apple.

The body is medium.
The wine has slightly coarse texture.
The wine finishes long.
The wine has fresh to crisp acidity.
The wine has medium level of dry (ish) Tannin.

Conclusion
Not sure what I was expecting when I opened this bottle at 16 years old I thought would be well past its best.
However immediately is was clear tis wine is very much alive !
Straight away you get this Zinfandel "Zing"
Acidity was quite high but solid tannins and fruit carried the acidity and the wine was very well balanced.
I found the wine very complex, surprising and with a fantastic structure. Big, bold, rich but somehow still manages an excellent freshness brought by the crisp acidity.
I do think the wine probably peaked a couple of years ago but its still there now.
Great wine

2/26/2021 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Decanted before serving.

The wine is clear, looks deep Ruby in colour.
There is no sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Very fresh on the nose, with some sweetness - candied sweets, slight aniseed, fresh cherry and rasberry with some smoke coming at the end.

On the palate: Dark ripe cherry, smoke, black pepper, aniseed.

The body is medium.
The wine has slightly angular texture.
The wine finishes medium/long.
The wine has fresh to smooth acidity.
The wine has medium/low level of round Tannin.

Conclusion
A decent bottle but nothing special.
Some dark caramelised cherry and some savoury notes. Overall a bit one dimensional but good with food.
Benefitted with the decant.

2/21/2021 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Decanted for a 1hr.

The wine is clear, looks dark purple almost black in colour. The legs are long. There is a small amount sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Wood, leather, tobacco, some fruit near the end with citrus apple and pear.

On the palate: wood, damp bark, leather, wet leaves, some cassis and dark cherry flavours.

The body is medium.
The wine has coarse texture.
The wine finishes medium.
The wine has crisp acidity.
The wine has high level of very dry Tannin.

Conclusion
Very Austere with very dry tannins and crisp acidity.
Not much fruit but a lot of wood, tobacco and savoury flavours, some fruit right at the end.
The sweetness tries to come through but pushed back by the dry tannin.
I think some more time in the cellar or at the very least a longer decant is needed to help balance the wine.

Still enjoyable with spicy Thai food that suited the acidity and grippy tannin.

2/7/2021 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Decanted for a 2hrs.

The wine is slightly hazy, looks deep Ruby coloured. The legs are long. There is a small amount sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Stewed blackberry and cassis, cinnamon, clove, Pipe tobacco and smoke

On the palate: Caramelised red berries, Savory notes, aniseed and clove, slight vanilla (Oak) to finish.

The body is medium.
The wine has leathery texture.
The wine finishes medium.
The wine has fresh acidity.
The wine medium, dry Tannins.

My 4th bottle from a case of 6,
Decanted for about 2hr but this particular bottle didn't need it, I think dean and serve is best (As I did with the [previous bottle).
Very dark ruby colour. Lacked sweetness and fruit overall and was quite an austere bottle. I would say it has a large structure but need a bit more sweetness to be balanced.
Typical Haut-Medoc style and one that really needs drinking up.
A good interesting Cru Bourgeois and a nice bottle for a Saturday in February

2/6/2021 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Decanted and served

The wine is clear.
Looks Ruby coloured.
The legs are long.
There is no sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Fresh cut grass, slightly meaty, pencil lead, tropical fruit and slight strawberry.

On the palate: Blackberry, citrus, stoniness, Black pepper with a very long finish with some more citrus and apple notes to finish

The body is light.
The wine has angular texture.
The wine finishes long.
The wine has crisp acidity.
The wine has medium dry Tannins.

Decanted before serving.
Not a huge amount fruit on the nose or really on the palate however there is sweetness. 1st you get sharp acidity followed but slightly dry tannins with strong savoury and black pepper on the mid palate.
It has a good balance.
Interesting, fresh and Zingy, lovely

2/1/2021 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Decanted before drinking, Normally not something I would do with a pinot but as it was young I thought it would benefit.

The wine is clear.
Looks Garnet coloured.
The legs are med.
There is no sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Fresh red fruit, candied apple, fresh cherries, Stoniness and minerality to finish.

On the palate: Red fruit, not overly sweet, black pepper, savoury flavours.

The body is light.
The wine has fresh and slightly angular texture.
The wine finishes very medium.
The wine has fresh acidity.
The wine mediums/high, dry Tannins.

Decanted before serving.
Mt Difficulty is a very good producer of NZ Pinot, however this 2018 was too young. Needs more time to find a balance, The sharp dry tannin needs time to settle.
At the moment it is quite a savoury wine.
In time I would hope for more balance, more fruit at the beginning.
Would leave this for a few yrs.

1/29/2021 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Decanted for approx 1h before drinking

The wine is slightly hazy, looks Garnet coloured with some bricking at the edge. The legs are long. There is heavy sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Ripe rich black and red fruit, sweet strawberry, then more savoury with stewed meat black pepper, vanilla (oak) and slight barnyard.

On the palate: sweet fruit - 1st berries then citrus, then back to stewed caramelised berries and vanilla, finishing with tobacco and lead pencil.

The body is medium/full
The wine has silky texture.
The wine finishes very long.
The wine has smooth acidity.
The wine mediums, round Tannins.

Wow!
Beautiful colour, aged and bricking at the edge.
As usual with Musar the wine is big yet has an amazing finesse.
Perfect balance between Acidity and Tannin.
This wine is very complex and flavourful and as time went on became more fruit forward and was evolving every mouthful.
A delight !

1/22/2021 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Drank straight from the bottle.

The wine is slightly hazy, looks brick coloured. The legs are long. There is heavy sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Sweet figs, wet autumn leaves, stoniness, slight port (oxidised), apple pie + cinnamon

On the palate: Fig roll, sweet plum, slight wood, spice, black pepper, clove to finish. slightly oxidised.

The body is medium
The wine has flabby texture.
The wine finishes short/medium.
The wine has flabby acidity.
The wine low Tannins.

No 2 of 3 bottles. Prev bottle was undrinkable. t
Tasted directly from the bottle and was very sharp and austere totally unbalanced.
After 90 min in the bottle, I tasted again, more in balance now with some sweetness. wine was slightly "porty" and oxidised.
Well passed its best or from dubious storage from previous owner but drinkable.

I have one bottle left and will attempt a 2h decant fingers crossed !

1/16/2021 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Decanted for 1hrs

The wine is clear, looks purplish coloured. The legs are long. There is not much sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Black pepper, Savoury herbs, blackberry.

On the palate: Black pepper, Stoniness, rich stewed red fruit. Overall savoury with a lot of minerality.

The body is medium
The wine has slightly angular texture.
The wine has a medium finish
The wine has fresh to smooth acidity.
The wine medium Tannins.

Decanted for 1h. Bit by Bit the fruit started to come. Very dark almost black in colour. Overall very savoury, not amazing but ok for a Saturday night in Jan. Its definitely a food wine and went well with Spaghetti and meatballs.

1/15/2021 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Decanted for 2hrs

The wine is clear, looks garnet coloured. The legs are long. There is moderate sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Wet forest, stone, flint, Strawberry, vanilla, pipe tobacco

On the palate: Stoniness, minerality, some dark fruit and burnt apple

The body is medium/full
The wine has leathery texture.
The wine finishes long.
The wine has fresh acidity.
The wine medium/high Tannins.

No 2 of 3 bottles. Prev bottle I drunk 5 (ish) years ago.
Very Austere, very mineral in flavour and low in fruit. lacks balance and is not very welcoming. However still interesting.

1/9/2021 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Wine Decanted for a short period.

The wine is slightly hazy, looks deep Ruby/purplish coloured. The legs are long. There is low sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Red fruit, raspberry, blackberry, green leaves, grass, little bit of heat alcohol.

On the palate: Strawberry, cherry, earthiness, stone, black pepper, pipe smoke, oak, hickory, vanilla, savoury herbs.

The body is medium - full
The wine has velvet texture.
The wine finishes long.
The wine has fresh acidity.
The wine medium/low Tannins.

Not a huge amount on the nose but amazing on the palate. Starts sweet and moves towards savoury flavours. Velvet mouth feel.
Excellent !

1/8/2021 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Decanted for a short period.

The wine is clear, looks deep Ruby coloured. The legs are long. There is moderate sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Vanilla, strawberry, plum, cheery, ripe mixed berries.

On the palate: Blackfroest fruit, apple, pear and citrus. Back to cassis and Vanilla/oak to finish.

The body is medium.
The wine has leathery texture.
The wine finishes medium to long.
The wine has fresh acidity.
The wine medium/low Tannins.

My 2nd bottle, the 1st I had straight from the bottle buts its clear it need some time.
interesting claret, classic Bordeaux on the nose but surprisingly fresh on the palette. Good wine with hearty meat dishes.

12/31/2020 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Tasted straight from the bottle and decided not to decant.

The wine clear, looks Ruby coloured. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Coffee, Caramel, Vanilla/Oak, Dark fruit, slight Barnyard.

On the palate: Ripe plum and cassis, Vanilla, pear at the end with a nice minerality throughout.

The body is medium.
The wine has smooth texture.
The wine finishes long.
The wine has medium acidity.
The wine medium Tannins.

Clearly Bordeaux and St Julien in style.
Lovely Velvet like texture and mouthfeel but still with "zing" off freshness.
Excellent structure and balance. A very complex wine that is in its prime.

12/31/2020 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Tasted straight from the bottle and decided not to decant.

The wine clear, looks Ruby coloured. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Cassis, cedar, smoke, vanilla, slight barnyard, coffee and Oak to finish.

On the palate: Sweet red fruits, liqurious (blackjack sweets), fruit salad sweets, Vanilla and slight minerality to finish.

The body is medium.
The wine has mellow texture.
The wine finishes long.
The wine has medium/high acidity.

Tannin quite dry to start but softened quickly. The wine is mellow and light with a lovely freshness. Great balance of Acidity and tannin and complexity of flavours. Delicate for a Margaux wine.
This wine explodes when enjoyed with "Salty" foods.
Lovely wine that is at the end of its window so drink up.

1/29/2020 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Poured straight from the bottle

The wine clear, looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: coffee, stoniness, liqurious, not much fruit.

On the palate: Tobacco, dried leaves, some fruit at the end, fresh cherries, unripe fruit.
The body is light.
The wine has bright texture.
The wine finishes long.
The wine has medium/high acidity.

Over (Approx 1h) drinking this wine the fruit disappeared, Overall the wine was quite mineral and unbalanced with high acidity too strong for the tannin and fruit to carry.
While the wine was enjoyable its past its best.
Would have been excellent a few years ago but is still interesting now.

12/25/2020 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

85 was a great year for Lalande and this bottle proved that. Everything that an aged Bordeaux should be. Poured straight from the bottle and developed throughout the approx 1h of drinking.

The wine is clear, looks brick/tawny in colour has a pale to medium depth . The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle.

On the nose: Toffee, coffee, candied apple, pipe smoke and damp leaves.
on the palate: Sweet stewed apple, cigar box and finishing with fresh ripe berries.
The body is medium.
The wine has polished texture.
The wine finishes long.
The wine has medium acidity.

It was fantastically complex with an amazing structure.
Faultless balance of rounded tannin complemented by discreet but angular acidity.

I wish I Had another bottle!!

12/24/2020 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

The wine looks brick colored. The legs are medium. There is moderate sediment in the bottle.
on the nose: Fresh red fruit, cedar, oak, vanilla, tobacco and barnyard.
on the palate: Stewed fruit, black currant (cassis) and cherry, liquorice, tobacco.
The body is medium.
The wine has smooth texture.
The wine finishes long.
Amazing wine, was worried it would have been well past its best but has stood up very well.
Drunk straight from the bottle without a decant and initially was very closed especially on the nose. Evolved very quickly and within 30min was smooth, subtle and complex.
Great CNDP from a great producer.

12/27/2020 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

The wine looks brick colored. The legs are slow. There is heavy sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis) and fig. The body is light/medium. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes short. The wine has high acidity.
Unfortunately this bottle was not drinkable, 2 more in the cellar and will hope for better.

12/6/2020 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are fast. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like apple, pear, ceder and stoniness. It tastes like apple, cherry, pear and plum. The body is medium. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has high acidity.
Light and fresh Pinot with strong tannin and a fairly high acidity.
Just about in its drinking window and still quite angular. Will mellow in time and improve for the next 2/3 years but interesting to drink now.

11/17/2020 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Wine poured straight from the bottle. The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. It smells like stoniness, black pepper, rose, tobacco, vanilla, lead pencil and sandalwood. It tastes like cherry, black currant (cassis), flint, stoniness, clove, liquorice and cool/menthol. The body is medium. The wine has leathery texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
Wine was very closed at 1st. Straight away was a typical Bordeaux on the nose but lacked fruit on the palette. as the wine opened up the fruit arrived backed up by good structure, balanced Tannins with acidity. Not a classic but a good and interesting Cru Bourgeois drinking well right now and would benefit with a couple of hr decant.

10/5/2020 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

The wine looks brick colored. The legs are fast. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like cherry, apple, oak, vanilla, mango and passion fruit. It tastes like mango, passion fruit, pineapple and black currant (cassis). The body is light. The wine has juicy texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.

10/5/2020 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Big wine with a big Tannins and acidity that slightly over power the fruit here.
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are slow. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like red currant, raspberry, vanilla, oak and barnyard. It tastes like black currant (cassis), raspberry, apple and vanilla. The body is full. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has high acidity.
This is definitely a wine to have with food something meaty and rich that will balance the Acid. For my taste I think it could do with another year in the cellar to mellow and become more balanced. Interesting and complex but not rounded enough yet for my taste.

9/27/2020 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Tasted from the bottle without a decant. The wine looks crimson colored. The legs are fast. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, apple and alcohol/hot. It tastes like strawberry, blueberry, apple blossom and lead pencil. The body is light/medium. The wine has angular texture. The wine finishes short. The wine has high acidity.
This was quite a dry Cotes du Rhone and definitely needed so time to "loose the edges" Tasted again the next day and was much smoother, for me lacked depth of flavour. For the money, not a bad value.

9/25/2020 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine:

Loved this.
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis), red currant, flint, stoniness and alcohol/hot. It tastes like black currant (cassis), red currant, plum, stoniness, coffee, lead pencil, tobacco and black pepper. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
Wine needs time, decanted for 2h and tasted every 30 min. Became more rounded as time passed. Really fantastic and complex wine.
Ok to drink now but will improve and become more balanced with age

9/6/2020 - Fine wine Lad wrote:

Opened and poured straight from the bottle. Wine too young and at least needs a long decant.
I will celler for a few more years.
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, raspberry, red currant, black currant (cassis) and alcohol/hot. It tastes like alcohol/hot, raisin, stoniness and black currant (cassis). The body is medium/full. The wine has coarse texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has high acidity.