April 20, 2024 - *A....If you like punge in your Bordeaux, this is for you. So old skool, so deep and thick, so muscular in savoriness and funk. Reminds me of a Cote Rotie or even a CdP from a big vintage. Brawny, tough, masculine, manly man's wine. Or even a manly woman with unshaved legs I guess. Its just scruffy....I like it! Drink
December 25, 2023 - This was delicious alongside A5 Wagyu filet. Pairing matters here, and this one was spot on. Deep purple color, great blackberry nose that developed in complexity as it breathed. Certainly not a true Latour, but also still a little Latour-esque. Worth noting that some of the beauty was lost when I sipped after a bite of salad (the dressing had something in it that argued badly with the wine). A tasty bite of beef fixed it right up.
October 22, 2023 - First of a fresh case. Horribly corked. Let’s hope that’s the only one.
November 11, 2021 - Opened for about two hours before a decant. Still a bit closed. Started to open up after 30 minutes in the glass. Deep colour to the rim. Just starting to show a slight brick at the edge. Cassis and red/ dark berry fruits with mineral and pencil lead on the nose. On the palate, same as the aroma with addition of cocoa. Long, long finish. Very nice!!
November 5, 2021 - Grips you right from the onset. Dense brooding wine, full of dark ripe fruits. Pencil lead is apparent, very smooth and soft on the finish. Lovely wine, one of the best of its kind. Incredible balance - everything seems right here, which is the hallmark of 2010. Not to be missed. Far better than the 2014 overall, and 2015 at this stage. Wonder how it will compare to the Les Forts 2010. Will have to do a side by side tasting on that one. Wish i had more than the 6 bottles. Was well worth the $89 paid for it in 2013. Now $150+, probably should double up and get the les forts. Will grab the 2016s when they arrive hopefully next year!
October 29, 2021 - Similar to prior tasting notes. More pencil/graphite than I prefer on the finish, which almost presents itself as a plastic like finish. Nose is great, but the finish is weird. Drink now. I don’t believe it will get much better with more age.
May 14, 2021 - Classic Pauillac see last note, cassis, cigar box, pencil shavings. Needs hours in the decanter to open up.
March 10, 2021 - Very good, but this particular bottle was a touch too new world in style than my previous tastings. Maybe it was my palate this night? I guess I was longing for a more “Pauillac” Bordeaux experience. I would sit on this for a few more years to see if it will develop more nuanced character. Decanted for 1 hour.
December 25, 2020 - 1/6. Opened around noon and decanted. Immediately drank a small but very pleasant glass over an hour while helping the kids with their Xmas Lego and then left the rest for dinner at 4pm. At dinner, which in 2020 was steaks on the bbq rather than the traditional fare, the wine showed well with cassis, blueberry, cedar, sweet spice and the occasional touch of earth on the nose. On the palate there was blackberry, black currant,vanilla and spice. The wine has a lovely creamy texture, good acidity and nice weight on the palate. It is incredibly pure and has a medium finish that lingers. The wine paired really well with the steaks but I also found it was great by itself, particularly once it had some air. I'm sure this will improve for a number of years and will provide excellent drinking while we try and resist opening the Les Forts for another five years or so. A lovely wine, highly recommended.
October 31, 2020 - See previous notes. Oak relaxes after two hours in the decanter. The wine then exploses with creamy and perfumed cassis, with a long sweet finish with tannins quite present but coated by the persistence of the powerful fruit. How I would love to try the Grand Vin in 20 years!