May 19, 2024 - Decanted, heavy sediment. Dark color, well integrated. Stewed prunes with a hint of black currants (and maybe cherries) plus spices. Drink now.
March 6, 2024 - First Wednesday Wine Club (Bella Puglia, Five Dock): "Served blind.
Earth, leather, sweet spice, blackcurrant, sous bois, a little Brettanomyces. Medium plus intensity acidity, red and black fruits, sweet spice, leather, woody tannins.
I guessed 96 left bank Bordeaux"
July 5, 2023 - Coravin fun - Brackets of braces (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Red and black plums, sweet spice, a little pencil shavings, slight herbaceous notes, cream, slight vanilla. Juicy, fleshy, slightly savoury though generous red and black fruits; plums; slight currant, broad, softly textured burr sits in the background but offers framework, sweet spice, exceedingly pleasant.
April 14, 2019 - Served blind, this fruit bomb reminded me of recently bottled new world red. Boy was I wrong once the bottle was unravelled. To my shock, having previously drunk all my stock of Ferrand Lartigue’s 96 fearing it wouldn’t hold, I was blown away at how fresh and lively the wine had remained after 22 year! This was a great bottle which could be held for another 10 year if not longer, very well done.
October 14, 2016 - Much better than last bottle. More body and depth. Nicely intergrated fruit, tannins with good length.
April 17, 2016 - Thinning, but good. Delicious and well made in the first hour in glass, then definitely on its way out. Drink up.
December 12, 2015 - Wow. I liked this a lot. Perfectly pitched, and I think just coming into its own. Bright, medium or even light bodied mid-palate, great complexity for its level, superb finish. All the classic suspects - blackberries and darker fruits, tobacco, graphite, earthy notes, even the tiniest hints of mocha and cacao, along with balancing acidity and spicy green olive/pepper subtleties. This bottle doesn't have the breen and depth of the 98 Janasse VV served alongside, but I actually prefer this style more. Really good and a pleasant surprise. Bright, very alive, and balanced. Glad I have more. 91 pts pure quality, 93 pts personal preference.
July 15, 2015 - garnet with orange rim. Nose all tertiary, forest floor, dried herbs, licorice. Taste medium weight, a hair thin, short but pleasant finish.
September 16, 2010 - Right Bank Tasting with a Flight of 1998s: Big bouquet flawed with an overwhelming overlay of Greek yogurt. This didn't blow off over the evening. On the palate, this was on the green side with a light-bodied texture, perhaps showing off lots of cabernet franc. Not my style or perhaps a flawed bottle. Others noticed the yogurt, but didn't seem to mind as much as I. C+/B-
August 14, 2009 - Nice nose with spices, fine herbs and smoke. Medium bodied. Elegant. Probably at or slightly past its peak. Quite enjoyable, but I'd drink up any remaining bottles.