December 31, 2023 - An odd beast... Quite fruit forward still with an almost meaty butchershop, syrah-like vibe. Very faint Bdx markers after 2h of decant and blind - I would likely have gone New World (SA?)..
With time, leather, brushed leather, bramberry, fresh tobacco/sweet liqorice and pine. Still powerful and meaty with a slight smoky touch..
Tasty but not what I expected...
November 5, 2023 - ***
July 24, 2023 - Last bottle of the '10 - pretty much the same comments as previous notes. I would say it is at or near the end of the drink window. You can hold a little longer if properly cellared. Drink up!
June 19, 2023 - This bottle is singing tonight. Cherry, blueberry, sweet vanilla, cured tobacco, cut cedar, cardamom and clove. Beautiful balance of fruit and secondary flavors. Complex and intriguing, its lively acids paired perfectly with a NY strip. Tannins are soft and pliant. The long finish reverberates with sweet ripe fruit.
May 29, 2023 - Busted the cap on this forgotten baby SHL and drank it over 3 hours. Really gained weight after 2 hours and keep moving upward. I think this is in a good spot if you like some muscle on your wine. I was actually surprised of how muscular, lengthy, and fresh this was compared to others. This reminds me of the same year Malartic Lagarviere and I had to take a second look to make sure I grabbed the right bottle. May have been because of the fact that I let the bottle go from cellar temp to room temp for 2 days before drinking it. That seems to be a great pleasure extender for Bordeaux in my storage setup. Fun stuff... Drink
February 25, 2023 - Still drinking really, really well. Not much add from previous comments except this will be fine past the current drink window of 2023 - maybe 2025/26 if properly cellared. We found ourselves saying - should have bought more! Anxious to try the other vintages in the cellar. Enjoy!
February 24, 2023 - Truly velvety deliciousness, but definitely time to drink up - once we got home and the splash we poured before heading to the restaurant was super soft (4h later) so in not too long from now the smooth velvet may start to feel worn. But for the time being, pnp and enjoy this great value.
January 29, 2023 - Last drank this 8 1/2 years ago, after purchasing as a future. I don't have anything to add to the other recent tasters than to reiterate that this is a bonkers value wine that provides a lot of pleasure. I bought this 10 years ago for $30 and today it's about $45, which is still a crazy good value.
December 25, 2022 - Earthy, mineral driven nose, with some blackberry. Integrated on the palate.
November 13, 2022 - Like others have said, very enjoyable right now