January 26, 2024 - Hanging in there with consistency. At a nice plateau.
July 29, 2022 - Blind tasting at home; 7/29/2022-7/30/2022: Dark purple. This wine is more complex than the initial 3. Multiple layers yet integrated. Rich body. Some perfume on the nose which is distinctive.
Strong tannins 8/10 but smooth - I assume at least 10 yrs old.
HL 2 FD 3
December 18, 2021 - Needed a decant with aggressive aeration. Deep, lush, fruity and decadent. Still a youngster. Delicious, big, and characteristic of the house style.
December 6, 2020 - There is nothing subtle about this inky, silky wine, but it is just pure, indulgent pleasure. Blackberry bramble, ripe plums and a long, long finish. There are some notes of chocolate, currant, moist earth and cedar, but the dark fruits dominate, and that is just fine.
November 13, 2020 - Kleur: Diep ondoordringbaar robijnrood. Aroma / bouquet: Een bijna 'klassiek' bouqet met zoetig overkomende tonen van blauwe bessen, cassis, kruidige ontbijtkoek en marsepein. Smaak / Afdronk: Beperkte zuurgraad, direct vanaf de eerste aanzet mondvullend en verleidelijk zacht, mede dankzij een subtiele alcoholische zoetigheid. Krachtige tannines, rijk en intens. Algemeen / potentieel: Op dit moment briljant op dronk, serieus krachtige wijn. Klassiek in de neus, nieuwe werelds in de mond, vooral op basis van het serieuze alcoholpromillage. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 91/100
Color: Deep impenetrable ruby red. Aroma / bouquet: An almost 'classic' bouqet with sweet notes of blueberries, cassis, spicy gingerbread and marzipan. Taste / Finish: Limited acidity, right from the first start mouth-filling and seductively soft, partly thanks to a subtle alcoholic sweetness. Powerful tannins, rich and intense. Overall / potential: Currently a brilliant drink, seriously powerful wine. Classic on the nose, new worlds on the palate, mainly based on the serious alcohol level. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Taste / Finish: 16 + Overall / potential: 8 = 91/100
January 17, 2020 - This rich and tense wine offers incredible depth and freshness for a second wine at the 10-year mark. Dark red in color and medium in body, the wine offers intriguing aromas of blackberry, bay leaf, mint, and anise. Tastes of blueberry, cocoa powder, pencil lead, and gravel, with a lingering finish that carries somewhat grainy, silty tannins.
I know that praising Bond is like praising the Yankees, but good is good... and this is damn good. There is a balance and richness here that I haven't found in many second wines - not too ripe, not too thin, just right. This is in its drinking window now, so open in the next few years. 14.5% alcohol.
March 9, 2019 - I decanted this in bottle for 12 hours. When poured it still was a bit tight, but in the glass after about 20 minutes it opened up. Good balance between fruit and oak. Still has some years on it. Will hold my last 2 bottles for a year and try again.
January 26, 2019 - Dark garnet color. Cedar, gravel and dark fruit nose. Splashy juicy blackberry and black cherry on first sip swiftly leading to medium tannins, subtle spice, oak, cinnamon and minerals on the mid-palate. Such a fast progression to a very long and dry roof of the mouth tannic finish, with fading wetter traces of the fruit and berry seed left on the tongue, to call it well balanced.
April 21, 2018 - Dark ruby red. Dark berries on the nose with some cinnamon, nutmeg and gravel. Medium plus tannins (6.5/10) and ....
October 6, 2017 - More open than 1 year ago. Full and rich balanced by good acidity and concentrated flavours of cassis, graphite, blackcherry liquer, blackberry and cherry l, dark chocolate, vanilla, cedar, tobacco. Complex and rich. Quite layered and long.