April 11, 2024 - On opening full bell pepper. Dark color than expected. Could have blindées 5 years younger. With time…mesquite barbecue chips…super full bodied…can see this going 15 plus more years and probably improves a little bit
October 25, 2023 - Ruby, with a hint of bricking on the rim. Delicate perfumed nose; open blackcurrant/cassis with a bit of rose/florality. Searing acidity which is perhaps not a surprise; tannins are very well integrated but make their presence felt slightly on the finish. Fruit perhaps tends towards red. No pencil lead for me but certainly tertiary notes of cigar/leather starting to arrive. All in all it's a tiny bit mean; nose is incredible, though.
October 14, 2023 - A pity the restaurant didn’t have the proper vessel for this wine. Smooth and layered with blackcurrant charred oak hint of warm spice, balanced with no edges, rich but not overwhelming.
August 8, 2023 - Still in the same neighborhood as my last note. Stunning.
August 4, 2023 - Moving to the herbal, mint, and spearmint side, with plenty of leafy tobacco and bright red fruits. The fruits and crisp and fresh, but lack the power, and depth found in the better vintages. Drink from 2023-2035.
May 7, 2023 - Followed for 48 hours. Day 1, red fruit aromatics after 30 minutes of coaxing but finish dominated by chewy, astringent tannins. Day 2, the nose and palate were dominated by oak. Tannin had softened a bit but finish was still a bit bitter. At 48 hours, similar notes. Held up perfectly but the oak was omnipresent. Not sure what this will be when the oak finally integrates.
March 3, 2023 - CV1. Dark red, slim edge just beginning to show some maturity, 5.5. Classic L. Las Cases velvet glove in an iron fist, pencil, restrained, cool, dark fruits behind. Harmonious palate, h-T, mB, m+A, fruit is there but still somewhat hidden behind the huge structure (for a 22 year’s old Bdx), long elegant finish. Wait at least five years and will hold for decades.
Enjoyed the rest of the bottle after a 3h decant. The wine stayed pretty much at the same level for several hours so this is a long runner.
February 20, 2023 - For the first hour or so, this is simply dominated by its new oak. After that, the fruit character does emerge with appraling raspberry, cedar, and nutmeg, and saddle leather. Medium bodied, perhaps with a slight dearth of acidity to match its body and tannin. Though reasonably good, but I can’t help but wonder whether this will still be vital when the oak has finally integrated.
February 10, 2023 - Purple red color, no signs of ageing. With a little air it starts with fresh notes of plum, cassis, flowers. Very young! Good structure on the palate, cassis. Built for decades, not nearly at its peak! 93 pts for now, certainly more in a few years
January 29, 2023 - Fully mature, reserved and elegant.