February 17, 2024 - A slightly more generous version of ‘82 Ducru with a tight core of hard cranberry and red fruit. Intense and compelling. Excellent balance of tannin and acidity. Classic Ducru. Rewarding on its own terms.
February 4, 2024 - Pretty spectacular. This bottle was still dark purple with no bricking or browning on the edges. Perfect structure with dried fruit and lots of spice. Silky texture just glides over the palate. I don’t think this is going to improve, but this bottle (with the $29.99 price tag still on it) did not feel like it was in any sort of decline.
I had hoped to taste this at Christmas next to a fantastic 2007 Raffault Picasses, but in retrospect, this was so much more powerful and polished that it wouldn’t have been a fair comparison.
January 19, 2024 - Last bottle was just shy of 8 years ago. Both bottles were moved 2 times during their existence. Perfect cork. Initial pour revealed a copious amount of fruit. I let the wine sit in the bottle for 45 min and then poured into the glass. For this bottle, that wasn’t nearly enough. After aggressive swirling throughout dinner which was 2.5 hours after the cork was pulled, this finally started to open up with light and bright fruit emerging. This particular bottle deserved a 45 min decant based on the initial fruit forward first sip. This has to be in its prime and if you have a perfectly stored bottle like this one, I can see this drinking well for 5 plus years with ease. This really is a complete wine that is perfectly balanced with a long finish. This paired well with pure bred wagyu filets and sweet potato.
January 11, 2024 - Improved with decanting for 45 min. Ruby color, light floral nose, probably 5-7 years past its prime but still drinking nicely it with diminished tannins and fruit. Score 86
January 6, 2024 - This is probably just past peak. It's definitely a mature wine at this point. This bottle was recorked by the Château in 2011. No decant. Opened for 4 hours with cork in at 60 degrees. This opens and develops significantly in the glass over a 10 minute period. Initial impression is mature dried fruit and mushroom. But once the air mixes in you get leather, smoked meat and a hint of earth. Lots going on here. It's still alive and well but I would drink now as I can't imagine it getting better and only losing the fruit it still has. Still shows moderate tannins. Medium-full bodied. Ahhh.... The days of 12.5% alcohol. So easy to drink.
January 3, 2024 - Drank w Suzie at the st lawrence. Still holding up. Fantastic value wine from 82. Over the hill and still a beauty.
November 4, 2023 - Surprisingly not quite ready; extracted and a bit rough with unresolved tannins; needs time.
October 3, 2023 - en magnum - double-decanted and stoppered for about 1½ hours, then served after an additional hour of aeration. Smoky nose with graphite, also some patchouli... So smooth on the palate now. So, sooo beautiful and elegant after more than 3 hours.
September 1, 2023 - deepish red color showing some age on the rim, on the nose a splendid display of game and cedar, on the palate full bodied with plum and dark fruits, a bit of spice, ripe and a bit meaty in line with the vintage, iron, bitter chocolate, but for all its grandeur and power- this is seamless and still youthful in feel, great length and given today's showing I think there is still room for additional development.
**(**)+, now ++ but I would wait a bit longer myself.
July 23, 2023 - Very clear light garnet color. Mixed berry tart on the nose. It’s so perfectly integrated that it’s difficult to suss out individual notes, but inter Alia it has macerated ripe raspberry, leather, black currant, light coffee, light arancia, and fruit pastry notes, all of which positively dance across the tongue and leave it tingling into a finish that goes on forever. An elegant lady of a wine, beautiful drinking.