April 14, 2024 - Third bottle from the case and first one I liked. Maybe bottle variation, maybe it just needed the time. Fruity and earthy, medium-bodied. Needs 30 min decant.
April 9, 2024 - A fascinating contrast against the Leoville-Barton 2005. It was quite full plump and generous, tasting of dark fruits flavoured with game. Quite rich, a touch bretty, softer and more extracted. Not quite the classic style I have come to admire, but still a very fine wine. CHP 91pts
April 7, 2024 - A private dinner with friends (Café Parlotte, Amsterdam, NL): Rich fruit, powerful and concentrated, energetic, firm structure. Everything that it should be.
March 23, 2024 - Great - complex multi-layer slightly austere classic Bordeaux, with black fruits, scent of graphite, maybe a subtle note of pickle brine, light fine aromas, fresh structure. It is ready to drink, but will probably further improve with aging
March 19, 2024 - Delicious wine with classic pencil shaving, ripe black fruit, tannins still present but melded, great depth of flavour and providing a long, satisfying finish. Tasted alongside a Pichon Longueville La Lande and it came second. Fantastic nonetheless.
March 8, 2024 - I love this wine. It has a punch of blueberry that’s perfectly balanced with other beautiful dark fruit flavors. As the wine unfolds, an intriguing note of zaatar emerges, a testament to the wine's layered complexity. This hint of exotic spice adds a savory edge that beautifully complements the fruit, introducing a dimension of earthiness that's both unexpected and delightful. The zaatar intertwines with a distinct stony minerality.
February 17, 2024 - Outstanding. Drinking quite well at present and seems to be fully mature or at least at plateau.
February 14, 2024 - Drank with a rack of lamb. Did not have a chance to decant and was still fantastic. Fruit forward and definitely in it’s drinking window.
February 9, 2024 - This is starting to enter a nice drinking window. Decanted for about 90 minutes, definitely improved but the nose was rocking right off the bat. Would be fun to taste this along side other 05's and see how it stacks up, but definitely a beautiful Bordeaux wine with plenty of character, gorgeous now but plenty of time ahead.
February 2, 2024 - 3 hour decant, which softened it a bit, but really wasn't absolutely necessary. Powerful, modern with dark fruit, as you'd expect for the vintage. Not heavy or acid deficient at all. I would've happily had another half bottle. Early in what will no doubt be a long window, but lots of pleasure right now, not just intellectually interesting for what it will be.
With ribeyes and green peppercorn sauce.