November 25, 2023 - Solid structure with good acidity and focus of flavors. Was best after one hour of decanting.
November 18, 2023 - Good aromatics but short. 90
August 19, 2023 - After an hour of air or so, the wine opened. This wine is lighter on its feet than most 2003s are and is why this wine still has at least another 5 to7 years left in it. Black fruits, tobacco, cedar, dried herbs. A very nice and well made wine that tasted blind would be hard to pick as an '03.
July 16, 2023 - Elegant red fruits. Graphite, pencil lead. Long finish, precise structure and good complexity.
Tasted blind. I confess that I thought this was a Pauillac (although don't feel too bad as an MW around the table concurred).
June 16, 2023 - New Opportunities by the Sea; 6/7/2023-6/30/2023 (Alicante - España): First of four. As it is traditional at my home, bottle opened sixteen hours in advance having a slow breath. Bottle has been laying down in my cellar for fifteen years. In spite that plastic envolving its capsule, cork showed moldy and little soaked (pictured). First sniff was pretty reduced smelling something in between drain pipe and horse manure. After this slow, gentle aeration all have changed to cedar, to a punch of macerated red and black berries, to a strawberry bunch, certainly veggie yet mineral too. Effectively masculine yet been a Margaux. On the palate showed a diluted texture but tasty and long at the same time. Maybe a little tired acidity, tamed tannins at an unbalanced alcoholic, smoky, dry finish. That's all. Heat records only in your mind. Prices rocking to high. Nothing spectacular but quite effective. No rush.
Primera de cuatro. Como es tradicional en mi casa, la botella se abrió con dieciséis horas de antelación obteniendo una lenta respiración. Ha estado acostada en mi bodega durante quince años. A pesar del plástico envolviendo su cápsula, el corcho se mostró mohíno y un poco empapado (en la imagen). La primera inhalación presentaba reducción oliendo a algo entre la tubería de drenaje y el estiércol de caballo. Después de este lenta, suave aireación todo ha cambiado a cedro, a un puñetazo de bayas rojas y negras maceradas, a un ramillete de fresas, sin duda vegetariano pero mineral también. Efectivamente masculino pero siendo un Margaux. En boca mostró una textura diluida pero sabrosa y larga al mismo tiempo. Tal vez un poco de acidez cansada, taninos domesticados en un final alcohólico desequilibrado, ahumado, seco. Eso es todo. El calor de récord solo se registra en tu mente. Los precios oscilan a lo alto. Nada espectacular pero bastante efectivo. Sin prisas.
May 11, 2023 - 'Welcome back Neal' Dinner (Giando, 5 Star Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong): Splash decanted. Deep totally opaque red/black colour slightly lightening at the meniscus. Understated but velvety nose of fermented raspberries. Palate is wonderfully velvety, mellow and followed with a super mounting resonance and reverberance. It rose up to a silence-creating element but soured somewhat with extended time in the glass and ended up disappointing. Drank in parallel with the Pontet Canet 2003, which is a league higher.
July 26, 2022 - Been 6 months
Dinner at home with Allan and Phill E.
No tasting notes but remember went well with grilled ribeyes
January 3, 2022 - double-decanted an hour before drinking. More woodsy and fragrant on the nose, definitely more tannic and grippy on the palate. Two hours after opening this was still more concentrated.
August 22, 2021 - Dense, young and tight, so dark in colour! You can feel the heat of the vintage! A touch tannic on the palate, needs quite a bit of time!
March 5, 2021 - decanted 1 hour afer opening and served 30 minutes after decanting. Very muted, with some smoke in the nose. Finally opened up a little more after an hour in decanter, showing more fruit. Pretty disappointing.