Helt hinsides nese, svart og lilla frukt, trøfler. Bringebær, mer svart frukt og umami i munnen, kraftfullt men hele veien så vanvittig elegant. Heftig tanninbitt selvsagt - ungt, ja, men likevel så utrolig deilig å drikke nå. Mørkerød frukt på en utgang som sitter og sitter og sitter. Virkelig stor vin.
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First off, this Lafite is way too young. Opening it now is a mistake. The bottle was closed off and shut down, even after a hour+ decant. Muted nose, muted fruit, heavy tannic structure, but with a lot of stuffing underneath. I am rating it for how it tasted over the 1-2 hours of drinking a glass, but it was nowhere near to what I would expect from a wine of this caliber and vintage. It did start to open up ever so slightly at the end, but it has a long ways to go. As of right now, it was not as enjoyable, but probably because I am factoring in the price for what is in the glass right now. This easily needs a minimum of 10+ years, probably more, before it will start singing again. A friend at the tasting (Kstoddard) noted that the 2009 Lafite is in a way better spot right now and he thinks it is overall better. I have not had the chance to try the 2009 Lafite yet, so I am unable to say anything in addition to that.
Rating for right now, 94 pts. Potential? Definitely higher, but I am not sure how high it can reach. Just a wine meant to explore over the years.
An obvious youngster, but with the heralded 2010 vintage backing an already top-notch first growth classification, the 2010 Lafite was destined to offer an A-lister performance. On the first pop of the cork, this presented as unsurprisingly straight and level, but ultra-refined in a way that makes you feel like your palate is a complete moron. Its execution is a twelve-year-old in a tuxedo with a perfectly cut jib who is one of those child genius virtuoso Russian violinist types who is so stuffed with discipline and exceptional brainiac-talent endowment-ness that even making eye contact with him makes you instantly feel like you’ve wasted your complete life, what with your squandered college party days that eventually led to your current place in the world as a two-time divorced dad still clinging to your assistant supervisor position at your parent’s travel agency (You studied to be a court stenographer but that fell through because it was too stressful for you). Black cherry, currant, cedar, and some pebbly notes are placed ever so correctly in fitting formation so that each flavor is exactly 3.14159 cadence sensor units from the next. It’s like watching Jeopardy! and not knowing any of the answers, or rather, question-answers. So, basically, like watching Jeopardy!...
In the decanter it goes in hopes it gets even more smarter-er than you and makes you feel even worse about yourself. Self: Why do you drink wine? Me: So it can shame me and make me feel stupid. Self: You’re an idiot. Me: Yes, exactly.
Whereas the first sips are like trying to drink a perfectly built robot, but one of the coolest and most famous robots around – think HAL 9000, “This mission is too important Dave” – but after a few hours in the decanter, this starts kicking out an ED-209 vibe (though less dumb, but equally as driven), and then further morphs into Ex Machina’s Ava (let’s see how you sci-fi geeks fare on those references, eh?!). Sans analogies and rando references, I’ll simply say the first hour or so mainly reminds you, 1.) it’s too young, and 2.) it’s better than you. From hour-two on, it reminds you, 1.) I’m about ready to solve the meaning of life while running a marathon in the Tibetan Changtang, and 2.) I’m better than you…still. The refinement is off-the-chain hypnotizing, as is the exactitude in which the flavors configure and effect their influence on the palate. And be not concerned, this is not just an academic exercise here; it’s a class you actually enjoy taking with the best teacher you’ve ever had. There is a spirit that makes the experience here uplifting as well as scholarly. The balance of tension, acidity, core fruit and accompanying flavorings, composed concentration, and gently engulfing finish all total up to a wine that imparts astute acumen as well as charming consumption (AKA: drink more of me not just because I’m special, but because I taste mega outstanding – like in a classical and composed way, not like in your Uncle on Thanksgiving way).
Hold this for another 5-7+ years minimum and be rewarded with additional depth and complexity. This sample was an enormously generous offering from the renowned LiteItOnFire. A definite treat to try this wine and an absolute quality reference standard for those wanting to be both humbled and learned by a wine of this caliber. 97-98+ points, with the potential to skirt triple digits when we get WiFi on Venus.
Damnit. First Lafite tasted in an excellent vintage and it didn’t disappoint. Have been fortunate to taste a few others, but this one is the real deal. No notes just great company and thank goodness we had this to help alleviate my droning on about nothingness (as well as two wonderful Burgs) or the other couple would have probably got up and left.
Wine was an ok PnP (removing $$) but once favoring in $$ made no sense at all. Luckily you could tell the wine was extremely well made and had near unlimited potential with time in cellar or in decanter. Each small pour (added time in decabter) enabled a further peak into the wine and overall enjoyment factor (and potential). Eventually the wine pulled through and didn’t disappoint. While some may have preferred to ponder and sit with this wine over hours of reflection, scholarly study and enjoyment - the wine begged to be drunk without giving it another thought. Excellent wine that is killer now and has additional potential. This is one of those wines I will look forward to the next bottle as it won’t be soon enough.
Holy moly already now almost perfect wine! Very promising for the future. Dense and concentrated but bloody elegant vibrant tannins full bodied with enormous length
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7-8 hour decant. Started opening at about hour 5-6. Young but definitely approachable with enough time. A wine of a lifetime. The balance is incredible and without a doubt a sense of place with every sip.
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2022 Judgement of Chevy Chase (R & N's residence): Obviously youthful but beautifully perfume nose displaying perfectly ripe pure black fruit, blueberry concentrate, crème de cassis, ink, dark milk chocolate, quite floral, a hint of oak/cedar, lead pencil and crushed rock. Unbelievably refine palate, layers upon layers of concentrate pure black fruit, intense yet so pure and elegant, exquisite balance and precision, silky and weightless, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, noticeable but unobtrusive silky tannins, and a seamless long pure black fruit driven finish with a strong floral note at the end. This is an immense wine that magically remains elegant. Although youthful, this is surprisingly open. It will need another decade to reach the youthful peak will stay there for a few more decades. Excellent showing.
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Drank next to the 2005 (with the 86, 95, 01, and 06 on the table). Double decanted about 2 hours prior to serving.
Clearly too early to drink this wine but it shows the most promising future of all the wine on the table. Good balance, high quality mouth feel. Just lots going right.
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Going by memory from the previous night, this wine was a deep purple with a pronounced nose of blackberries, currant with hints of oak. On the palate, beautiful concentrated blackberries, cassis and cedar. I was surprised to see that the acidity, tannins and fruit were in near perfect balance for being still youthful. Long finish. This wine is pure refined elegance.
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An exciting surprise from a generous host. Much more approachable than I would have expected. Aromatically it was maybe 50% closed down, but on the palate, far less astringent than I would have expected. Instead, perfectly ripe and balanced fruit with soft tannins. Still herbal, but more approachable than the 2014. This will be exceedingly elegant in 20 years time. What a treat!
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Generously opened unexpectedly, no decant. Much more accessible than expected. Still young, but impressive how suave and polished the tannins were. Clearly refined elegant herbal notes mixed with perfectly ripe cassis notes and red fruit notes. Stands out for class and refinement in a bruiser of a vintage. A "wow" wine in the making for sure.
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Contender for my WOTN along with the 2000 Lafite. Interesting celery and mint nose with velvety red fruit. Scorched earth nose and finish. Still quite young and you can tell it's holding back its best for the future.
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Bordeaux 2010 - 10 Years On - 61 Reds: Bordeaux 2010 after 10 years. 61 reds, mostly big names, tasted blind. Average score 92.1 and lower than the more open and charming 2009 vintage last year (93.4). A few observations: A) It’s not yet the harmonious, complex, classic, clean vintage. Especially the masculine appellations of the left bank need at least 5 more years to just open up, potentially longer to soften. B) Left bank trumps right bank thanks to less detectable alcohol, cleaner lines and the two best wines of the vintage (Mouton, Margaux). C) Pomerol shines bright with many strong wines which can all mask the high alcohol levels (best AOC slightly ahead of Pauillac). D) As in 2009, there are several right banks already past peak, incl. big names (Duffau Lagarosse, Ausone). All in all, 2010 is a very good vintage with pockets of greatness but today 2009 shows more open and hence complex. More information, top and worst 10 list, appellation rankings from five participants in the story link.
TN: At first this was very closed but with some time in the glass it open-up more and more. I guess, that with another 30 minutes time to let it breathe in the glass this would have achieved an even higher score. In a flight with Mouton and Latour, this was clearly the most feminine wine with very fine tannins, a weightless (Bordeaux weightless) structure and sweet but fresh strawberry aromas. You get that there is much more in store for this wine in terms of complexity but right now and not decanted, it is just not up there with the best. Yet, once open and singing, this could well become a 95-98 point wine.
Decanting: Right now, this would have needed at least 4-6 hours in the decanter (it got none).
Group average: 93.6 Group rank: number 24 out of 61 wines (shared with Haut Brion, Le Dome)
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Grand Bordeaux 2010 ten years on tasting; 6/21/2020-6/22/2020 (Fribourg): Big Bordeaux 2010 2-day horizontal hosted by a private collector. My 3 main takeaways from the vintage were 1) more frequent perception of heat, 2) a slightly stronger left bank and a less consistent right bank, 3) while in general it is still too early to pop the 2010s, wine selection is key as some appear to be in decline already, especially on the right bank. The top wines were Mouton (99), Margaux (98) and VCC (98). The biggest positive surprise was Clos Manou (95). Biggest disappointment was Pape Clement (86). More details and complete tasting overview included in the tasting story.
Tasting notes: Slightly closed nose with mixed blue and dark berries, a bit of spices and faint minty notes. Juicy and fruity palate yielding lots of pleasure already with great balance, tension and a medium+ finish. Early days but very promising and could have potentially shined more were it not in a flight with Mouton and Latour.
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Cool wine, blackcurrant here, vertical style, masculin, aristocratic - yet elegant, a gentlemans drink, certainly. Too young, wait for it, it is immense. #d'Angleterre
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Blackcurrant, minty chocolate, cassis, cedar, smoky graphite. Very balanced and veryyy long. A wine that just entered drinking window and will slowly improve for 25 years. Legendary. Rating is for now with the potential of 99-100.
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HDH annual Bordeaux tasting: Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Chicago, IL): Obviously young and maybe just a little difficult to evaluate, but the quality here is pretty stark. This is massively scaled like the 2015, but with less of the juiciness. A balance of red and black fruit, with nascent hints of pencil shavings and leather. Lusciously rich on the palate, this feels like the luxurious wine it ought to be. Like the 2015, I think this is a wine destined to become a legend in a few decades, and I hope to be able to cross paths with it again then (and maybe a few times more inbetween).
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The potential is here. The nose is strong complex and haunting. But on the palate, the dusty tannins are front and center, keeping most of what the wine has in check. Give it 10-15 more years and this could blossom.
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Painfully young, but quite impressive already. It's very primary and mostly about the core of rich black fruit here with the cedar wood, graphite, and other earthy notes playing a secondary role for now, but there's already a lot here to enjoy and the balance is excellent. I imagine this will be a stunner with some cellar time.
Tasting: Certainly less fruit and less open than the Latour 2011, preceeding this wine. Elegant and so on, but this wine needs many years to really show itself. Only my second LR, previously the 1995, but this is probably a wine for those who really like classic Bordeaux. Not the slightest sign of modern, extracted, winemaking.
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Very dark in colour. Not very expressive but with an amazing depth and "coolness" to the nose - notes of cassis, crushed stones, tobacco, hints of flowers. Very intriguing. On the palate again fairly restrained. Seriously powerful tannins, which are super ripe and polished and are only partially covering the sensational layers of fruit, minerality and slight spiciness. Perfectly well integrated acidity. Lifted, vibrant, fresh and supremely elegant. Quite restrained and almost delicate. The finish is as it should be I guess - incredibly long, lingering with lots of detail. A legendary wine in the making, but way too young at this stage. 97-98+(+?)
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Chateau Lafite Rothschild - 20 year vertical blind tasting (Fribourg): Tasted blind. Dark ruby-purple hue. Nose of dark fruit, cassis, pine, mint, gingerbread, very clean with impressive depth. Fantastic density, ripeness and freshness at the same time. Clearly too young to drink but no doubt that we have greatness in the making here. Long finish. There are layers and layers of concentrated fruit here without heaviness or roasted aromas, the hallmark of 2010. A word on the 2010 tannins. They are big but they are softer than what I have seen in the young 2000 and 2005, the other recent classic vintages. I really think that 2010 is therefore the best Bordeaux vintage since I don't know when. Parker put his money on the 2009 (which is more consistent especially on the lower end) but if you ask Bordeaux vignerons, most of them will confirm that once mature, their 2010 will be on top. I am not surprised that the 2010 vintage has outshined the 2009. This only confirms the result of a match play I have recently organized (see my tasting story there). My personal WOTN and also group rank # 1/20. Readiness: A serious wait.
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2010 Lafite Rothschild – Produced from a blend of 87.2% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12.8% Merlot, (which is close to what the estate used in 2005,) the wine opened with cedar, earth, minerality, cassis and forest floor aromatics. In the mouth, the wine is suave, polished and fresh, with layers of pure blackberry and spicy cassis. This is pure refined elegance. While not the most powerful First Growth, it’s the most regal in bearing. According to the Director, Charles Chevalier, part of the reason for the success in 2010 was due to less pumping over than usual. Chevalier added, with the high 13.5% alcohol level, his team spent more time watching over each individual vat during fermentation. 97-99 Pts
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Lifted, perfumed dark berried fruits with a nice herbal and licquorice complexity; sikily textured palate, this dances around the mouth beautifully. Very fresh and cool with lovely nuances of flavour on the finish. Very fine tannins. Excellent. 96-99
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11/3/2023 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
Grand Jury du Vin - Republic of Georgia; 11/1/2023-11/9/2023 (Republic of Georgia then stopover in Paris and Dijon): Wine 4 – black fruit, cassis, blackberry jam, chocolate, subtle oak, exceptional finesse, fine silky tannins and a long finish.
Afterthought – Classic Cabernet driven wine with exceptional finesse and a long finish.
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6/25/2023 - Krokfjord Likes this wine: 98 Points
Helt hinsides nese, svart og lilla frukt, trøfler. Bringebær, mer svart frukt og umami i munnen, kraftfullt men hele veien så vanvittig elegant. Heftig tanninbitt selvsagt - ungt, ja, men likevel så utrolig deilig å drikke nå. Mørkerød frukt på en utgang som sitter og sitter og sitter. Virkelig stor vin.
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8/18/2022 - Michael Hung Likes this wine: 94 Points
Forgive me father for I have sinned.
First off, this Lafite is way too young. Opening it now is a mistake. The bottle was closed off and shut down, even after a hour+ decant. Muted nose, muted fruit, heavy tannic structure, but with a lot of stuffing underneath. I am rating it for how it tasted over the 1-2 hours of drinking a glass, but it was nowhere near to what I would expect from a wine of this caliber and vintage. It did start to open up ever so slightly at the end, but it has a long ways to go. As of right now, it was not as enjoyable, but probably because I am factoring in the price for what is in the glass right now. This easily needs a minimum of 10+ years, probably more, before it will start singing again. A friend at the tasting (Kstoddard) noted that the 2009 Lafite is in a way better spot right now and he thinks it is overall better. I have not had the chance to try the 2009 Lafite yet, so I am unable to say anything in addition to that.
Rating for right now, 94 pts. Potential? Definitely higher, but I am not sure how high it can reach. Just a wine meant to explore over the years.
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6/29/2022 - csimm wrote: 98 Points
An obvious youngster, but with the heralded 2010 vintage backing an already top-notch first growth classification, the 2010 Lafite was destined to offer an A-lister performance. On the first pop of the cork, this presented as unsurprisingly straight and level, but ultra-refined in a way that makes you feel like your palate is a complete moron. Its execution is a twelve-year-old in a tuxedo with a perfectly cut jib who is one of those child genius virtuoso Russian violinist types who is so stuffed with discipline and exceptional brainiac-talent endowment-ness that even making eye contact with him makes you instantly feel like you’ve wasted your complete life, what with your squandered college party days that eventually led to your current place in the world as a two-time divorced dad still clinging to your assistant supervisor position at your parent’s travel agency (You studied to be a court stenographer but that fell through because it was too stressful for you). Black cherry, currant, cedar, and some pebbly notes are placed ever so correctly in fitting formation so that each flavor is exactly 3.14159 cadence sensor units from the next. It’s like watching Jeopardy! and not knowing any of the answers, or rather, question-answers. So, basically, like watching Jeopardy!...
In the decanter it goes in hopes it gets even more smarter-er than you and makes you feel even worse about yourself. Self: Why do you drink wine? Me: So it can shame me and make me feel stupid. Self: You’re an idiot. Me: Yes, exactly.
Whereas the first sips are like trying to drink a perfectly built robot, but one of the coolest and most famous robots around – think HAL 9000, “This mission is too important Dave” – but after a few hours in the decanter, this starts kicking out an ED-209 vibe (though less dumb, but equally as driven), and then further morphs into Ex Machina’s Ava (let’s see how you sci-fi geeks fare on those references, eh?!). Sans analogies and rando references, I’ll simply say the first hour or so mainly reminds you, 1.) it’s too young, and 2.) it’s better than you. From hour-two on, it reminds you, 1.) I’m about ready to solve the meaning of life while running a marathon in the Tibetan Changtang, and 2.) I’m better than you…still. The refinement is off-the-chain hypnotizing, as is the exactitude in which the flavors configure and effect their influence on the palate. And be not concerned, this is not just an academic exercise here; it’s a class you actually enjoy taking with the best teacher you’ve ever had. There is a spirit that makes the experience here uplifting as well as scholarly. The balance of tension, acidity, core fruit and accompanying flavorings, composed concentration, and gently engulfing finish all total up to a wine that imparts astute acumen as well as charming consumption (AKA: drink more of me not just because I’m special, but because I taste mega outstanding – like in a classical and composed way, not like in your Uncle on Thanksgiving way).
Hold this for another 5-7+ years minimum and be rewarded with additional depth and complexity. This sample was an enormously generous offering from the renowned LiteItOnFire. A definite treat to try this wine and an absolute quality reference standard for those wanting to be both humbled and learned by a wine of this caliber. 97-98+ points, with the potential to skirt triple digits when we get WiFi on Venus.
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6/24/2022 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 97 Points
Damnit. First Lafite tasted in an excellent vintage and it didn’t disappoint. Have been fortunate to taste a few others, but this one is the real deal. No notes just great company and thank goodness we had this to help alleviate my droning on about nothingness (as well as two wonderful Burgs) or the other couple would have probably got up and left.
Wine was an ok PnP (removing $$) but once favoring in $$ made no sense at all. Luckily you could tell the wine was extremely well made and had near unlimited potential with time in cellar or in decanter. Each small pour (added time in decabter) enabled a further peak into the wine and overall enjoyment factor (and potential). Eventually the wine pulled through and didn’t disappoint. While some may have preferred to ponder and sit with this wine over hours of reflection, scholarly study and enjoyment - the wine begged to be drunk without giving it another thought. Excellent wine that is killer now and has additional potential. This is one of those wines I will look forward to the next bottle as it won’t be soon enough.
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5/8/2022 - The_Cat Likes this wine: 99 Points
Holy moly already now almost perfect wine! Very promising for the future. Dense and concentrated but bloody elegant vibrant tannins full bodied with enormous length
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5/5/2022 - KTelaak_Buffalo Likes this wine: 97 Points
7-8 hour decant. Started opening at about hour 5-6.
Young but definitely approachable with enough time. A wine of a lifetime. The balance is incredible and without a doubt a sense of place with every sip.
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4/21/2022 - dcwino wrote: 98 Points
2022 Judgement of Chevy Chase (R & N's residence): Obviously youthful but beautifully perfume nose displaying perfectly ripe pure black fruit, blueberry concentrate, crème de cassis, ink, dark milk chocolate, quite floral, a hint of oak/cedar, lead pencil and crushed rock. Unbelievably refine palate, layers upon layers of concentrate pure black fruit, intense yet so pure and elegant, exquisite balance and precision, silky and weightless, perfect amount of acidity and mineral, noticeable but unobtrusive silky tannins, and a seamless long pure black fruit driven finish with a strong floral note at the end. This is an immense wine that magically remains elegant. Although youthful, this is surprisingly open. It will need another decade to reach the youthful peak will stay there for a few more decades. Excellent showing.
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3/31/2022 - AValdes wrote:
Drank next to the 2005 (with the 86, 95, 01, and 06 on the table). Double decanted about 2 hours prior to serving.
Clearly too early to drink this wine but it shows the most promising future of all the wine on the table. Good balance, high quality mouth feel. Just lots going right.
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2/3/2022 - Rrhodez Likes this wine: 93 Points
Heavy Cedar nose. Delicate and well balanced.
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12/24/2021 - 9400KG wrote:
Na
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11/21/2021 - fbautista wrote:
Con Pavo celebrando Thanksgiving early con Tan Y Angelica
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7/16/2021 - rougeamore Likes this wine: 98 Points
Going by memory from the previous night, this wine was a deep purple with a pronounced nose of blackberries, currant with hints of oak. On the palate, beautiful concentrated blackberries, cassis and cedar. I was surprised to see that the acidity, tannins and fruit were in near perfect balance for being still youthful. Long finish. This wine is pure refined elegance.
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12/28/2020 - WineCraze90 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Christmas wine, amazing mouthfeel, never a fond of bordeaux but this hits the spot.
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10/22/2020 - jviz wrote: 97 Points
An exciting surprise from a generous host. Much more approachable than I would have expected. Aromatically it was maybe 50% closed down, but on the palate, far less astringent than I would have expected. Instead, perfectly ripe and balanced fruit with soft tannins. Still herbal, but more approachable than the 2014. This will be exceedingly elegant in 20 years time. What a treat!
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10/22/2020 - Nutty08 Likes this wine:
Generously opened unexpectedly, no decant. Much more accessible than expected. Still young, but impressive how suave and polished the tannins were. Clearly refined elegant herbal notes mixed with perfectly ripe cassis notes and red fruit notes. Stands out for class and refinement in a bruiser of a vintage. A "wow" wine in the making for sure.
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8/2/2020 - Lord of the Bottles Likes this wine: 96 Points
Contender for my WOTN along with the 2000 Lafite. Interesting celery and mint nose with velvety red fruit. Scorched earth nose and finish. Still quite young and you can tell it's holding back its best for the future.
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7/13/2020 - JS79 Likes this wine: 98 Points
67Pm tasting with Jean-Guillaume Prats
Inky
Initially closed. Left for 35 minutes during tasting. Incredibly rich nose on return. Cigar box, black fruit.
tobacco, black olive tapenade over the fruit. Incredibly fine tannins and a long long finish.
Other notes seem to say this is closed or closing up and whilst it took its time this was stunning.
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6/29/2020 - Cailles wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux 2010 - 10 Years On - 61 Reds: Bordeaux 2010 after 10 years. 61 reds, mostly big names, tasted blind. Average score 92.1 and lower than the more open and charming 2009 vintage last year (93.4). A few observations: A) It’s not yet the harmonious, complex, classic, clean vintage. Especially the masculine appellations of the left bank need at least 5 more years to just open up, potentially longer to soften. B) Left bank trumps right bank thanks to less detectable alcohol, cleaner lines and the two best wines of the vintage (Mouton, Margaux). C) Pomerol shines bright with many strong wines which can all mask the high alcohol levels (best AOC slightly ahead of Pauillac). D) As in 2009, there are several right banks already past peak, incl. big names (Duffau Lagarosse, Ausone). All in all, 2010 is a very good vintage with pockets of greatness but today 2009 shows more open and hence complex. More information, top and worst 10 list, appellation rankings from five participants in the story link.
TN: At first this was very closed but with some time in the glass it open-up more and more. I guess, that with another 30 minutes time to let it breathe in the glass this would have achieved an even higher score. In a flight with Mouton and Latour, this was clearly the most feminine wine with very fine tannins, a weightless (Bordeaux weightless) structure and sweet but fresh strawberry aromas. You get that there is much more in store for this wine in terms of complexity but right now and not decanted, it is just not up there with the best. Yet, once open and singing, this could well become a 95-98 point wine.
Decanting: Right now, this would have needed at least 4-6 hours in the decanter (it got none).
Group average: 93.6
Group rank: number 24 out of 61 wines
(shared with Haut Brion, Le Dome)
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6/21/2020 - sirpat00 wrote: 95 Points
Grand Bordeaux 2010 ten years on tasting; 6/21/2020-6/22/2020 (Fribourg): Big Bordeaux 2010 2-day horizontal hosted by a private collector. My 3 main takeaways from the vintage were 1) more frequent perception of heat, 2) a slightly stronger left bank and a less consistent right bank, 3) while in general it is still too early to pop the 2010s, wine selection is key as some appear to be in decline already, especially on the right bank. The top wines were Mouton (99), Margaux (98) and VCC (98). The biggest positive surprise was Clos Manou (95). Biggest disappointment was Pape Clement (86). More details and complete tasting overview included in the tasting story.
Tasting notes:
Slightly closed nose with mixed blue and dark berries, a bit of spices and faint minty notes. Juicy and fruity palate yielding lots of pleasure already with great balance, tension and a medium+ finish. Early days but very promising and could have potentially shined more were it not in a flight with Mouton and Latour.
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1/27/2020 - beatles wrote: 97 Points
Cool wine, blackcurrant here, vertical style, masculin, aristocratic - yet elegant, a gentlemans drink, certainly. Too young, wait for it, it is immense.
#d'Angleterre
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12/22/2019 - fat.metheny Likes this wine: 97 Points
Blackcurrant, minty chocolate, cassis, cedar, smoky graphite. Very balanced and veryyy long. A wine that just entered drinking window and will slowly improve for 25 years. Legendary. Rating is for now with the potential of 99-100.
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11/14/2019 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
HDH annual Bordeaux tasting: Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Chicago, IL): Obviously young and maybe just a little difficult to evaluate, but the quality here is pretty stark. This is massively scaled like the 2015, but with less of the juiciness. A balance of red and black fruit, with nascent hints of pencil shavings and leather. Lusciously rich on the palate, this feels like the luxurious wine it ought to be. Like the 2015, I think this is a wine destined to become a legend in a few decades, and I hope to be able to cross paths with it again then (and maybe a few times more inbetween).
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11/8/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
The potential is here. The nose is strong complex and haunting. But on the palate, the dusty tannins are front and center, keeping most of what the wine has in check. Give it 10-15 more years and this could blossom.
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11/23/2018 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Painfully young, but quite impressive already. It's very primary and mostly about the core of rich black fruit here with the cedar wood, graphite, and other earthy notes playing a secondary role for now, but there's already a lot here to enjoy and the balance is excellent. I imagine this will be a stunner with some cellar time.
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3/15/2018 - Sundbyberg wrote: 94 Points
Tasting: Certainly less fruit and less open than the Latour 2011, preceeding this wine. Elegant and so on, but this wine needs many years to really show itself.
Only my second LR, previously the 1995, but this is probably a wine for those who really like classic Bordeaux. Not the slightest sign of modern, extracted, winemaking.
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5/13/2017 - rossi.wine wrote: 98 Points
Very dark in colour. Not very expressive but with an amazing depth and "coolness" to the nose - notes of cassis, crushed stones, tobacco, hints of flowers. Very intriguing. On the palate again fairly restrained. Seriously powerful tannins, which are super ripe and polished and are only partially covering the sensational layers of fruit, minerality and slight spiciness. Perfectly well integrated acidity. Lifted, vibrant, fresh and supremely elegant. Quite restrained and almost delicate. The finish is as it should be I guess - incredibly long, lingering with lots of detail. A legendary wine in the making, but way too young at this stage. 97-98+(+?)
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3/15/2016 - Collector1855 wrote: 100 Points
Chateau Lafite Rothschild - 20 year vertical blind tasting (Fribourg): Tasted blind. Dark ruby-purple hue. Nose of dark fruit, cassis, pine, mint, gingerbread, very clean with impressive depth. Fantastic density, ripeness and freshness at the same time. Clearly too young to drink but no doubt that we have greatness in the making here. Long finish. There are layers and layers of concentrated fruit here without heaviness or roasted aromas, the hallmark of 2010. A word on the 2010 tannins. They are big but they are softer than what I have seen in the young 2000 and 2005, the other recent classic vintages. I really think that 2010 is therefore the best Bordeaux vintage since I don't know when. Parker put his money on the 2009 (which is more consistent especially on the lower end) but if you ask Bordeaux vignerons, most of them will confirm that once mature, their 2010 will be on top. I am not surprised that the 2010 vintage has outshined the 2009. This only confirms the result of a match play I have recently organized (see my tasting story there). My personal WOTN and also group rank # 1/20. Readiness: A serious wait.
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8/18/2014 - Purple Tooth wrote: 98 Points
Astonishing as expected...Needs time, less approachable than 09, but I bet it will surpass in time.
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4/20/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 99 Points
2010 Lafite Rothschild – Produced from a blend of 87.2% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12.8% Merlot, (which is close to what the estate used in 2005,) the wine opened with cedar, earth, minerality, cassis and forest floor aromatics. In the mouth, the wine is suave, polished and fresh, with layers of pure blackberry and spicy cassis. This is pure refined elegance. While not the most powerful First Growth, it’s the most regal in bearing. According to the Director, Charles Chevalier, part of the reason for the success in 2010 was due to less pumping over than usual. Chevalier added, with the high 13.5% alcohol level, his team spent more time watching over each individual vat during fermentation. 97-99 Pts
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4/6/2011 - vespasian wrote: 97 Points
Lifted, perfumed dark berried fruits with a nice herbal and licquorice complexity; sikily textured palate, this dances around the mouth beautifully. Very fresh and cool with lovely nuances of flavour on the finish. Very fine tannins. Excellent. 96-99
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