March 8, 2024 - The wine was still too young in 2024. The very dense texture of the wine is characterised by fine cassis, berries, nougat and cherries as well as fully ripe peppers. The long and complex finish is pleasantly fresh with present but very fine tannins. Probably at its peak in 10-15 years.
February 1, 2024 - Ready to drink, but not ready to shine at this moment! Dark, opaque colour! Gorgeous nose of sweet, ripe, caramel black fruits. Intoxicated aromas! Dense and young on the palate, I think it needs some years of cellaring!
November 24, 2023 - Tobacco, graphite, and darker fruit readily apparent on the nose. Definitely connected to Graves. Nicely in its secondary phase but still a bit tight upon opening. Needed about 30-45 minutes in the decanter and then continued to evolve quickly. Cassis and blackberries with a hint of bacon on the palate. Well put together. Nicely evolving and has at least a decade or 2.
September 26, 2023 - Wonderfully evolved, coffee, mocha and leather to it. Lively and fresh still, very good tension. Just opened. Smooth, fresh, and just super drinkable. Damn, as it opens it just get better and better.
May 13, 2023 - During 6 stars lunch BOB at Aan de Poel:Smooth, rich and power with tertiary notes and good length. Still young.
November 5, 2022 - Pop n pour. Brought to a 60th birthday celebration. Expressive nose of graphite, cedar, macerated black cherries. Palate is velvety with the dark fruit. Would have liked to see how this evolved during the evening, but there were many other wines to try. Perhaps, decant the bottle ahead of time.
November 5, 2022 - This is really showing well and with time, it is going to be even better. This is a good thing because you cannot get enough of its spicy, smoked currant, leather, tar, and tobacco character. Showing more elegance than power, at 21, this has entered the start of its drinking window. Drink from 2022-2045.
July 10, 2022 - A wonderful contrast to the equally exciting La Turque drunk alongside. Classic left bank Bordeaux. The deep ruby/crimson color does not show its age. Cassis, smoke and tobacco burst on the nose. Medium body, seemless and long. Wish I had a smoking jacket to wear while drinking this. Yum. (94)
May 23, 2022 - When I purchased this five years ago, it was without a doubt the nicest bottle of Bordeaux I owned. 2001 was a good vintage for certain producers, and with Haut Brion being my favorite first growth, I wanted to have one of these with some age to see how they evolve. I slow ox’ed for 1-2hrs, consumed from bottle over the next three hours, and saved the last quarter for the next day.
Amongst quite a few first growths (and a ‘94 and ‘04 Haut Brion) this held its own. Compared to HB, it doesn’t have that brooding power and deep fruit core as intensely, but it wasn’t too far behind. More red fruit/black cherry than the dominant black I normally get with HB. Potpourri, baked black cherries, and cherry pipe tobacco showed strong on both days. No reductive funk to blow off. Faint notes of mocha, scorched earth and peppered strip, but it meshes with the cassis and grippy herbal tannic finish. What I didn’t expect was how vibrant the acidity was on both days. A beautiful example of high quality Bordeaux, and one I wish I had more of.
April 15, 2022 - Traded for an 01 Cheval Blanc