April 4, 2024 - Wonderful wine. Big and well balanced with lots of fruit, cherry, vanilla. I did not decant it, instead kept the bottle open to let it evolve further slowly during the course of the evening, which it did beautifully. Excellent until the last sip.
April 2, 2024 - Corked
March 31, 2024 - From magnum. Decanted for an hour. Delicious. Drink now.
March 4, 2024 - I opened this about an hour before dinner and then let it evolve in the glass during dinner. Aroma was very funky, almost all barnyard/manure. Hint of cherry, vanilla and tobacco but really dominated by barnyard. The palate however was actually quite pleasant. The barnyard was still there but it was very smooth, still decent acidity and tannins almost completely resolved but enough left to give some structure. The flavor profile wasn’t great on its own, but with braised short ribs and mashed potatoes it was actually quite nice. The barnyard was more in the background, there was definitely a little fruit left along with tobacco. With the food there was also a nice sweetness mid palate. I would say this must be right at the end of its life but if you like old wine with mostly tertiary flavors it’s still enjoyable.
January 31, 2024 - Lots of green grassy notes on the nose followed by purple fruits. Still has some life left.
November 12, 2023 - So beautiful for the Bordeaux lover. Thick and chewy, I dont think that I would have ever guessed this as a 1996. So beautifully evolved, this bottle was wasted on the senseless, and my last pour (containing my tear) was the best by far. If blind, 1990 Montrose. But too chewy and brawny, so hmmmm....? Barnyard, chocolate, burned earth, gobs and gobs of fruit and the elegance that cedar brings with time. Super long and rich... Yes, that good.
* A note to the "wine experts"...Just because you are French, it doesn't mean you know French wine. And another thing, stop looking for legs and shit, and if you see tears, they are probably mine from sharing this bottle with you. No, Im not upset...But you need to stop pretending.
October 30, 2023 - Garnet with a little brick. Velvet smooth with softened tannins and waning but still pleasant dark fruit. Medium finish. Very enjoyable but will drink my other one soon as this is at or nearing its end.
October 10, 2023 - This may be on downslope but some air mellows the tannins allowing the red fruit with some slight sherry character to emerge
October 9, 2023 - Tasted next to 1996 Pontet Canet. Very expressive and open on the nose and palate. Not overly complex, a little flabby and tired perhaps. 89-91
September 25, 2023 - Excellent, tout y est, élégance, racé, complexité, longueur,