March 31, 2024 - Decanted 1 hour. Clear deep garnet-blood red color. Gorgeous bouquet of fresh red currants, raspberries and their liqueurs; roses, violets, cedar shavings, pipe tobacco, cigar humidor, stony soil. Similar on the palate, medium-full body, satin mouthfeel, seamless, polished, beautifully balanced. Improved with air over several hours. Splendid pairing with Easter dinner of roast leg of lamb.
March 30, 2024 - Is it still too young?
March 5, 2024 - Last tasted 4 years ago, and the ninth of a case purchased in 2006, i do have to reiterate my rant from then. When they are at the best, and in the right year, first growth wines live up to purchase value and reputation, and although it is uncomfortable on the pocket, it is worth it. Please note I have invested in many great first growths. However, in lesser under performing vintages, I resent having to pay nearly £500 including taxes for a merely good wine because it is an aspirational status brand for non wine aficionados. The VCC at a fraction of the price leaves this in the paddock, whilst the Palmer knocks it and the rest of the first growths out of the park, albeit at a higher price than the VCC. That said, this is a great wine, and one of the better performers in an average year. It possesses an excellent nose, and shows great initial promise but underwhems on the palate and finish. The latter is particularly challenging.
March 2, 2024 - Not decanted. Nose was perplexing, beautiful. Lovely flavours but this bottle lacked oomph, slightly tired - bottle variation as other two recently were bangers. Drank over an hour or so, maybe needed more air.
February 9, 2024 - Drank this in a blind drinking party, it was the second to last one after 99 Latour, 98 Haut Brion, 99 Mouton, 99 Lafite and before 98 La Mission Haut Brion. Stable and balanced as a Margaux should be. Slightly light on nose and taste when compared with the 99 Latour and 98 Haut Brion.
July 5, 2023 - Leather and smoke. Prune, cocoa, coffee notes. Black currant. Good level of acidity. Soft tannins
May 17, 2023 - Amazing Bordeaux To Mark A Special Birthday (Noizé, London): Complex, multidimensional nose with some soy top notes. There's some cassis and pomegranate with ground white pepper and smoky blue fruits. Palate takes a while to come out to play but this is a serious wine for the vintage. With some air some lilly of the valley emerges on the nose.
March 6, 2023 - Absolutely beautiful dark fruit, perfect balance, earthy journey and as a consequence a very lit up internal dialogue amazed by it all and trying to make sense of the universe and it’s powers to create such as this. So magic.
December 26, 2022 - A bottle of refinement for enjoyment. Dark ruby in colour! Nose of sweet leathery dark fruits, classy along with a hint of luxury and rather subtle! The palate is a sheer joy to drink, wave and wave of leather dark fruits with great depth, very smooth and young, energetic! Not at it's peak yet, can be easily held for another decade. Definitely a proper drink for the Christmas celebration, cheers...
November 21, 2022 - Nose: tropical fruits, pepper, hints of mushrooms, Blueberry, red fruits
Notes: Had a vertical of 83, 86, 88, 95 and 99. Definitely one of the surprise and delight of the night. After 2 hours of breathing the wine is extremely smooth and drinking excellently. This 99 can certainly benefit from 2-3 more years of cellaring but it's drinking quite nicely now. This was not what I originally anticipated in the beginning of the night given the lineup.
Rating: 92
Drink: 2025+