March 16, 2024 - Earthy aromas with dark fruits, leather, coconut, but also some floral notes. Full bodied and a bit rustique, with coarse tannins. Typical Saint-Estephe with its rough style.
December 3, 2023 - Splash decanted and returned to bottle for service 2 hours later.
Clear, deep purple color, light very fine sediment. 15 mins glass time. Nose was muted. Light/Med body, ideal drinking window, balanced/integrated, med finish with some light tannins. Classic Bordeaux flavor profile, pencil lead, etc. Long finish, nothing off. $50
November 22, 2023 - From 75cl, perfect cork, P+P. Exemplary St. Estephe CB with all the appropriate descriptors. Ripe and ready, in excellent balance tonight. 89–90P
November 9, 2023 - Deep ruby, almost opaque with slow-moving colored legs. Medium(+) nose with by black fruits, pencil shavings, earth. Dry, medium(+) acidity, medium fine tannin, medium alcohol @13.5% abv, medium-medium(+) body. Palate of black cherries, black currant, spice. Delicious with refined tannins, absolutely no drying effect. Great finish, elegant.
At/near peak maturity. 4 bottles left.
October 19, 2023 - Domaine visit. From MAG. Nose of cedar, a touch of horse sweat, ripe fruit, some heat. Quite light for a 2009. Medium-length
August 25, 2023 - Dug this out of storage, and it was absolutely terrific. Refined, complex, great cut and grip, all the characteristics of a great left-bank Bordeaux. Really drinking well at the 14-year mark, and likely at its peak. The 2009 was 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Terrific value at the price I paid a dozen years ago.
July 1, 2023 - This is extremely well put together. Well balanced with fruit, tannin and acid vying for prominence but resolving into a fine triumvirate
Good now, in ten years almost certainly magnificent.
May 1, 2023 - A delicious 2009, served fresh from the cellar the opulence of the vintage is tempered by the slightly cooler temperature, this keeps the tension in a good place. Lovely opulent layers of fruit both on the nose and the palate, richness too, still a touch of vanillin but does not detract form the pleasure. Plenty of life in this wine, but also entirely delicious to start to enjoy now.
April 17, 2023 - PNP, followed over several hours. Black cherry blackberry, bit of cherry liqueur on the finish. Some earthy notes, slightly grainy tannins. Towards the modern style, still quite good with some air, this should develop over the next 5+ years.
April 16, 2023 - Shockingly good with excellent depth of developed fruit followed by superb grip and tension. Surprisingly fine precision here and drinking so well now and it was better and fresher than the '03 Lynch Bages drunk alongside. Drunk at lunch at the Chateau with Mr Cazes.