March 3, 2024 - Proper claret starting to show tertiary character. Medium weight, 2008 is not a big vintage.
D’armailhac is classy claret nowadays.
Drinking well now.
13%, cork.
November 25, 2023 - Using this wine as an example, I will tell you how important it is to drink wine at the right temperature. I always have a problem with this, it was similar here because the wine was too cold and the first sip was mainly high acidity and very little fruit. How did I deal with it? I simply took the glass in my hands and warmed it for about 5 minutes and a miracle happened. The acidity decreased significantly and the fruit came to the fore.
54% CS, 29% M, 15% CF & 2% PV. Why do I mention components here?
Because black coffee is definitely in smell and black chocolate in taste.
It's very interesting, because the smell is perfumed, floral, with a load of herbs. If I may put it this way, the smell is generally sultry, something like an Indian cafe filled with opium smoke.
Taste - not so typical CS, even by Bordeaux measure. It's heavy but not by meaning it's sweet, syropy, with high ABV. It's loaded with a lot of herbs, mint, tobacco, minerals, blackberry, as I mentioned above black coffee, red cherry, spice. How this crazy mix is still balanced, juicy, delicious is beyond my imagination.
Vivid acidity and dusty tannins. Long, dry finish.
WE - 91
RP - 90
JS - 90
Vinous - 90
ST - 90
October 21, 2023 - Cooler profile cabernet - smoke, india ink, bell peppers. Good glass of wine. Nicely mature, ageing well, still has plenty of life.
October 4, 2023 - Dark red / ruby color. Clear. Soft, integrated tannins. Medium acidity. Nose of leather, cigar box, and mushrooms in addition to the dark cherry and plums. Balanced fruit flavors typical of Bordeaux. An excellent example of this vintage. This wine will not get better so i suggest drinking sooner rather than later, though it’s balance will assure that it is still good for 5 more years at least.
August 19, 2023 - Lær, tobakk, cedertre, kirsebær. Bra lengde og fylde.
June 24, 2023 - 375 at Bouchon . Opens up after an hr~.
Good and enjoyable now. Has a few more years.
March 30, 2023 - Consistent with previous note, perhaps not a special occasion wine, but a lovely glass of classic claret. Red plums, cigar box, medium bodied with clean acidity.
January 5, 2023 - From a 375mL
Initially sexy rolled tobacco and red fruits, this moved more towards cigar and earthy mature flavors with air. Compared to many other 2008 Pauillacs drank recently from 375 mLs, this seems more mature and in the secondary zone. I think it is peaking now for my taste and I wouldn't hold bottles much longer.
October 19, 2022 - I enjoyed this a great deal. Opened a couple of hours prior but not decanted. As observed previously, it has the 2008 character of more savoury cool notes of dead leaves, coal, ink, rather than lush fruit, but it’s dense and not at all green or bitter. Quite serious. Drinking well.
May 30, 2022 - Restaurant Zoldering Amsterdam-celebrating their Michelin star: 375 ml, a lovely deep and ripening colour, I guessed and guessed and thought Gevrey, finally I went from the right bank to the left.
The wine misses some personality, but is very gentle and friendly, still with flowers in the bouquet and a slightly elevated citrus.
The citrus shows on a gentle way the vintage '08. The finish is persistent and quite long and completely balanced.