February 17, 2019 - The comparisons to Bordeaux are not far off at this stage in the life of this wine. I really wish I had bought more of this. Opaque ruby at the core, there are scents of earth, faint bell pepper, cassis, dark chocolate, and aging oak notes that are no longer as intense or over-bearing as they were the last time I opened this. The palate is framed by med+ tannin, high acidity, and a range of blackberry, blueberry, and cacao that linger nicely along the finish. I'm so glad that I decided to wait for this. I imagine that if I had another 1 or 2 bottles I'd be tempted to wait another 5 & 10 years before opening them. Outstanding!!!
December 9, 2018 - Salil, Paul, and Mark at my new house: Blind, I would have guessed Bordeaux. This is a really interesting Malbec that shows what the grape can be. Dark red fruits and some oak influence. Drink or hold.
May 19, 2017 - Russk Wizards at Valentinos. RHM brought. It was the wine of the night. The best Cahors and the best Malbec I have ever had. It shows the promise of Cahors. Great nose of olives, iodine, Violet and old Bx. The wine seems to have more in common with Pulliac than what we think Malbec taste like. This one still seems quite young, even after decanting. It could easily go another 5 or 10 years and still improve. 92+ points
July 6, 2014 - Similar to other tasters, I agree this is a very good wine that still needs time to mature after 14 years. Luckily, I still have two more bottles to enjoy in the years ahead. Please note: I tasted this wine immediately after opening the bottle with no decanting, no breathing time, and no use of an aerater.
The nose on this wine in the glass absolutely made my entire day and weekend. It was superb setting a big and bold expectation of dark and plump red fruits with strong spices to match. The wine smells complex and hits you will an air of maturity that 14 years will bring.
My palate immediately picked up spice, mint, menthol, cola, and charcoal. The dark fruits were at play as well but did not hit me as strong. Spices are abundant and will certainly please you. A hint of earth is offered as well without being too strong. The wine is has a bold and forward approach with little length left on the tongue. It is still quite tannic, dry, and strongly astringent in the glass. The wine needs to some time to itself before enjoying its pleasures. The aftertaste is barely there as the wine opens and ends with a quick bang making you want to experience more. Wait a while and you may be rewarded with a faint hint of sweetness.
The wine is DARK purple and almost black. Light does not show through it in the glass. The bottling is excellent with a red capped wax adding to the experience.
I'll have to wait to see if this garners a 95+ score from me in the years ahead. Based on my tasting today, this is an excellent wine that deserves some patience and a bit more maturity before earning a final score. Go fort it! You will enjoy it!
February 4, 2013 - Warm spices, dark berries and smoke. Lots of oak on the nose...lots. I loved this wine the first time I tried it, but my reaction is certainly more toned down now. My sensitivity to oak is certainly elevated now compared to before, but this was just a big termite wine. The fruit on the palate was rich and dense but the toasty flavors really came to the forefront.
October 14, 2012 - Very good but just need more time in bottle or breath long time.. We only did 30-1hour.. Not enough
June 2, 2012 - Very pure dark fruit. Tons of stone on the finish. In a great spot right now. Classic Cahors Malbec.
June 13, 2011 - Pitch black and still quite tight...deserving of another 3-5 years before visiting again. A wonderful wine that is still just too soon to open and show the full depth....
January 15, 2011 - Corked bottle
November 26, 2010 - This wine exemplifies everything that is wrong and offensive about international-style wines. This historic domaine was purchased in the early 1980s by the former CEO of Cartier, who brought his nouveau-riche sensibilities to the property and promptly enlisted Michel Rolland to oversee the wine-making. Accordingly, the wine consists of massively extracted, "physiologically ripe" black fruit, monstrous amounts of very expensive new oak -- and not a shred of Cahors terroir anywhere to be found. Instead, there is only the undeniable and outsized imprint of Michel Rolland.