Beautiful surprise - that’s my second time with Bandol but enormous difference with my first one. It’s such a great wine. Red berry fruit and long final with spices notes. Amazing
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I'm bumping up my score 2 points from my previous bottle, from a few years ago. It has aged nicely. Full bodied, medium length finish. From a magnum and it sat in a decanter for over an hour before we poured it.
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A little harsh.. not bad.. opens a bit after a while open...but i think this wine has to be left in the cellar for another 5 years in which it will soften a bit..
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at 13 years old this Mourvedre was showing leather, dried fruits. Palate on the same notes and with some drying tannins. Some heat. Liked it better a bit younger due to the drying tanning. Lacked a bit of fruit.
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This is in a weird phase, and should probably be thrown into the back of the cellar for a long time. Very clean for a Pibarnon (at least for those used to much older vintages), without a lot of concentration right now.
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Got this at auction- really glad I did. These take forever to reach drinking age but when they do they are wonderful. It could handle a few more years for sure.
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Was super excited to try this wine, but it could've used just a lick of complexity to be a full-blown experience. Deep garnet in the glass. Rustic nose of dried plums, cranberries, iron. Medium-bodied with a moderate acidity and warm alcohol. Doesn't evolve much in the glass, but paired exceptionally well with pepper-crusted pigeon.
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A bit short of the mark vs the last couple we've had, maybe food pairing wasn't as good this time. No detailed notes but for the marginal extra cost the Tempier bandol is consistently a better bottle.
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Opened and decanted a half hour ahead of savory beef vegetable soup. Large frame, compact core, but expressive nose and interesting, lengthy finish. Lovely spring violets, garrigue and mushroom notes mixed with dark blackcurrant, leather, spices, and dark chocolate into the finish. Drink 2020-2028. Technical score: 92. Enjoyment score: 92.
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Over two days, and it showed better on the second. Tight as a drum on the first, and somewhat edgy, given that I had awoken it from deep slumber. Still, showing a wholly compelling bouquet, everything that Bandol should be...and then some.
Tremendous rustic power on the second day, and so enjoyable, that while I had planned to save a glass for a third day, alas, it was too good. The wine loves food, especially hearty fare.
No less than another decade from full maturity, probably longer. If drinking now, decant for a several hours. Ten hours would do it no harm. 94-95.
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Surprisingly good right away, previous bottle needed decanting and fruit was more subdued. Southern French goodness here, cassis, cherry with a great backbone. Wish I had more.
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How satisfying! Dark fruit, cassis, some earthiness on the mid palate and the lengthy finish. Seamless. Perfect with homemade ropa vieja, a Cuban dish with shredded pork and olives. It’s possible to enjoy a more spectacular wine for less than what this cost me ($50), but je ne regrette nien!
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red fruit, pepper, a little funky, nice acidity, based on other notes, we might not have decanted long enough. I didn't feel like a great wine was hiding behind a decant though
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From a magnum. Opened, but not decanted, in a NYC restaurant, for over 50 minutes before pouring. This was wound very tight. Disappointing, given the professional reviews. If it could open up, either with an extended decant and breathing time, or with another few years of bottle age, it might be something special. But last night, under the conditions we drank it, it was nothing special. I'm not even sure we finished the bottle.
I played a dirty trick on my blind tasting group with this wine. About 3 hours prior to the tasting, I decanted two halves of the magnum into two identical decanters, and placed them side-by-side in the same flight. The comments were all over the place. Some said - same wine, different vintages - "wine two is clearly older", "wine one is much more tannic", while others thought same producer, two different vineyards. I was having a very hard time keeping a straight face.
Overall the wine showed very well, with some brooding black fruit, loamy earth tones, herbal elements, and just a hint of funk. Moderate tannins in balance with the fruit, so good aging potential, but not so harsh as to preclude pleasure now. I really enjoyed drinking it.
Excellent nose, very typical of the varietal (Mourvèdre) with leather and venaison. On the palate you get the same aromas, but unfortunately not very balanced... a lot of bitterness on the finish makes it a so-so experience. Drink now or cellar for another 5-10 years...but the balance won't improve.
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My favorite from the tasting at the Chateau in Bandol. The server said that the Pibarnon reds go through 3 stages. The first 5 years of youthful lushness and then 2 years dormant. Then another 5 years of more complexity, then 2 years of sleep, and then a third level of aging for another 5 years or so. This wine was definitely in the second stage with complexity and terroir, silky texture yet still leftover structure and fruit. Chateau de Pibarnon is located at one of the highest points in Bandol with southern exposure to the winds of the sea to keep it fresh. https://winediplomats.com/
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90% Mourvedre, 10% Grenache from the highest altitude winery in Bandol. Dried fruits nose, licorice. Plums and dark fruits in the mouth. Very good wine. Think I liked it a bit better than 2009, or the food pairing was better...
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Way too young and bound up at this stage, but showing great depth, and fine balance. I like the tannin/fruit ratio, and have no concerns about aging this until it unwinds. Patience!
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Still pretty dark purple color with some ruby. Jumps right out of the glass with notes of dark fruits, animalic notes of leather, horse saddle, beef blood, provençal herbs like rosemary and thyme, some minerality, but also some fresh red fruit. With some more air plenty of pepper is showing up. It's medium-full bodied and dense has beautiful freshness with medium-high acidity and medium-high tannin that is ripe but has melted already a little since last time. Very good length. A rich but classic Bandol from this top-notch producer! I love how this pairs with our flank steak... (94+)
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Dark ruby/garnet color turning violet at the rim with a transparent edge. It has a lovely floral bouquet laden with smoked dark and red berries and licorice. The palate is medium bodied, dry with medium acidity and a fleshy texture. Flavors of blackberry, raspberry compote, smoke, graphite and a tinge of toasted cedar. Finishes with finely-grained tannin, hints of pencil shavings and spice. Drink now until 2025. 92+
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I may have had a slightly flawed bottle, but this was savage and full of animal/horse. After 1 hour started to blow off a touch. At a minimum i would hold this 5 more years, then decant for hours.
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During a matter of taste event. Dark and dense ruby. Nose of dark fruit, underbush, an animalic touch, herbs de Provence. Structured and rustic on the palate, quite unpolished. Of course this needs time but it also confirms to me that Mourvedre is an excellent blending grape providing structure to Grenache but on its own it may just be a touch too sauvage.
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Je confirme que la dernière bouteille avait vieilli prématurément. Celle-ci est beaucoup plus droite et solide, avec beaucoup de matière - encore très jeune mais agréable et avec une note potentielle plus élevée. J'en encave.
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A few Bandols (Eric and Rita's): Hold. Still primary and a bit simple. Lots of fruit and lower acid than I expected. I think there is potential though. I only have one more bottle so I will try to wait 10+ years.
Drank over two days. Tremendously rustic bouquet of rusty nails, weathered clay, mineral ores, smoked meats, and herbs. The attack shows tart red berries and herbs, the middle delivers a sense of saturated power, the bracing back jolts the senses, and the mineral-driven finish does not quit. Balanced and powerful! A complex and profound wine that shows younger than it is and likely needs five or more years to enter an early drinking window. Likely a 20 to 25 year wine from today. Wonderful QPR! 94-96.
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I love this wine's mix of dark fruit, game, leather, and Asian spices. The fruit is thick and delicious; the rest adds intrigue. Tannins are strong on the finish. I could see this wine improving over the next five years and drinking well for over a decade.
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Color-garnet with?subtle light rim. Nose - rich red/black fruits (black cherry), fig, Body - moderate Duration - Moderate Palate- mostly the same as the smell with hints of red fruit thrown in (regular cherry, raspberry).
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Plus évolué que je ne l'aurais cru pour un millésime encore jeune dans cette appellation. Les arômes de pruneaux dominent, c'est très bon mais s'éteint le lendemain donc bouteille défectueuse ayant eu trop de contact avec l'oxygène?
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Nose doesn't give up much, some spicy herbs. Earthy, beautiful fruit of plum and blackberry, enough stems and good use of oak. Tannins enough to almost get in the way for now but not overwhelming. Long finish. Approachable now with some air, but get some for the cellar to try as other chime in with notes on readiness. Balanced. Delightful. Three more in the offsite for long term but I may reload a couple for current consumption. This will take the place of my vertical buying of Tempier Bandol La Tourtine. Priced well.
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Good ripe blackberry, cherry and tar aromatics. Very concentrated and vibrant fruits framed with modest tannin and acid. Medium length finish. This is a well made Mourvèdre in action here.
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Truly fantastic stuff, with a very classy, powerful, Bordeaux-like nose of black fruit and cedar and herb, quite dense and ripe (not overripe at all, and I'm glad not to see any heat or prune notes in this which are quite common in Bandol from a good year). 90-95% Mourvedre, partial de-stem, long maceration, large oak casks. Very, very well-composed.
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A fascinating wine, noteworthy for its finesse and profundity, rather than raw power. Seductive bouquet of crushed redcurrant, cranberry, meats, herbs, garrigue, ores, rust, brick dust, dried smoked fruits (fig) and coniferous forest floor. So intriguing that it is difficult to quit smelling. Restrained and sophisticated palate that touches so many wine nerves, similar to the way that great red Burgundy does. The mid range reveals tremendously focused latent power, of the type that emerges with proper cellaring. Outstanding balance and structure. No point in clocking the finish...it's too long and layered. Incredible wine! Great value for the price. Approachable now with a long decant, will likely be more evolved in three to five years, and should be singing beyond 2030.
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Decanted for three hours. Fresh tar, blackberry pie, white pepper, fresh fig and lacquered chested drawers. Clean and fresh on the long, yet velvety finish, that still possesses silky tannins; and I really appreciate the right level of acidity. No matter what, she will fair well after a long slumber. I would wait, or do a necessary decant. Full-bodied and quite enjoyable. Drink 2018 -.
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Wow! Very unique notes of dark fruits, pepper, sweet spices, dried herbs, leather, beef blood and some earth. Medium-full bodied and very dense but without being heavy. Medium-high acidity and pretty high tannin that is ripe but no joke. Great length. A super rich but classic Bandol from this top-notch producer! This will age nicely for many years. If you wanna familiarize yourself with top-notch Mourvèdre look no further. Pair this with steak and you will be in wine pairing heaven! (94+)
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1/21/2024 - FMIL Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful surprise - that’s my second time with Bandol but enormous difference with my first one. It’s such a great wine. Red berry fruit and long final with spices notes. Amazing
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1/14/2024 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 90 Points
I'm bumping up my score 2 points from my previous bottle, from a few years ago. It has aged nicely. Full bodied, medium length finish. From a magnum and it sat in a decanter for over an hour before we poured it.
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10/12/2023 - FrankScheldeman wrote: 90 Points
A little harsh.. not bad.. opens a bit after a while open...but i think this wine has to be left in the cellar for another 5 years in which it will soften a bit..
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1/23/2023 - Marius Cavasdan wrote: 89 Points
at 13 years old this Mourvedre was showing leather, dried fruits. Palate on the same notes and with some drying tannins. Some heat. Liked it better a bit younger due to the drying tanning. Lacked a bit of fruit.
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11/23/2022 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
This is in a weird phase, and should probably be thrown into the back of the cellar for a long time. Very clean for a Pibarnon (at least for those used to much older vintages), without a lot of concentration right now.
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1/9/2022 - TheFoodieTraveler wrote: 92 Points
Got this at auction- really glad I did. These take forever to reach drinking age but when they do they are wonderful. It could handle a few more years for sure.
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9/3/2021 - grapenomad wrote: 89 Points
Was super excited to try this wine, but it could've used just a lick of complexity to be a full-blown experience. Deep garnet in the glass. Rustic nose of dried plums, cranberries, iron. Medium-bodied with a moderate acidity and warm alcohol. Doesn't evolve much in the glass, but paired exceptionally well with pepper-crusted pigeon.
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3/12/2021 - PVJC Likes this wine: 91 Points
A bit short of the mark vs the last couple we've had, maybe food pairing wasn't as good this time. No detailed notes but for the marginal extra cost the Tempier bandol is consistently a better bottle.
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9/9/2020 - winemaker Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent wine. Graphite. Mature. Earthy. Minerally. Went well with Venison stew.
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9/2/2020 - jlhkiss Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened and decanted a half hour ahead of savory beef vegetable soup. Large frame, compact core, but expressive nose and interesting, lengthy finish. Lovely spring violets, garrigue and mushroom notes mixed with dark blackcurrant, leather, spices, and dark chocolate into the finish. Drink 2020-2028. Technical score: 92. Enjoyment score: 92.
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8/9/2020 - Motz wrote: 94 Points
Over two days, and it showed better on the second. Tight as a drum on the first, and somewhat edgy, given that I had awoken it from deep slumber. Still, showing a wholly compelling bouquet, everything that Bandol should be...and then some.
Tremendous rustic power on the second day, and so enjoyable, that while I had planned to save a glass for a third day, alas, it was too good. The wine loves food, especially hearty fare.
No less than another decade from full maturity, probably longer. If drinking now, decant for a several hours. Ten hours would do it no harm. 94-95.
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7/19/2020 - jhw425 wrote: 87 Points
I think it’s all there but this was simply way too big for me on both nights I tasted it. Overwhelmed the lamb on night two..
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6/15/2020 - yves charbonnier Likes this wine: 85 Points
Nez puissant de liqueur de fruits rouges, du poivre.. C'est complexe. Bouche dense et minérale. Un peu d'amertume. Très puissant plutôt monolithique.
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5/31/2020 - madvulture Likes this wine: 91 Points
Surprisingly good right away, previous bottle needed decanting and fruit was more subdued. Southern French goodness here, cassis, cherry with a great backbone. Wish I had more.
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5/21/2020 - hfindlay Likes this wine:
How satisfying! Dark fruit, cassis, some earthiness on the mid palate and the lengthy finish. Seamless. Perfect with homemade ropa vieja, a Cuban dish with shredded pork and olives. It’s possible to enjoy a more spectacular wine for less than what this cost me ($50), but je ne regrette nien!
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5/9/2020 - familydoc wrote: 88 Points
red fruit, pepper, a little funky, nice acidity, based on other notes, we might not have decanted long enough. I didn't feel like a great wine was hiding behind a decant though
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2/29/2020 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another similar showing to my last bottles, but a little les expressive this time around. Still very nice.
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7/18/2019 - winemaker Likes this wine: 93 Points
Black cherry, blue and cassis fruits. White pepper. Fennel. A bit resiny. Earthy on the finish. Savory.
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7/10/2019 - SMHalps wrote: 88 Points
From a magnum. Opened, but not decanted, in a NYC restaurant, for over 50 minutes before pouring. This was wound very tight. Disappointing, given the professional reviews. If it could open up, either with an extended decant and breathing time, or with another few years of bottle age, it might be something special. But last night, under the conditions we drank it, it was nothing special. I'm not even sure we finished the bottle.
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5/26/2019 - PVJC Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good with burgers. Definitely benefited from decanting, still a bit wound up.
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3/13/2019 - Rieslingfan wrote:
I played a dirty trick on my blind tasting group with this wine. About 3 hours prior to the tasting, I decanted two halves of the magnum into two identical decanters, and placed them side-by-side in the same flight. The comments were all over the place. Some said - same wine, different vintages - "wine two is clearly older", "wine one is much more tannic", while others thought same producer, two different vineyards. I was having a very hard time keeping a straight face.
Overall the wine showed very well, with some brooding black fruit, loamy earth tones, herbal elements, and just a hint of funk. Moderate tannins in balance with the fruit, so good aging potential, but not so harsh as to preclude pleasure now. I really enjoyed drinking it.
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12/24/2018 - Francois Le Mouel wrote: 88 Points
Excellent nose, very typical of the varietal (Mourvèdre) with leather and venaison. On the palate you get the same aromas, but unfortunately not very balanced... a lot of bitterness on the finish makes it a so-so experience. Drink now or cellar for another 5-10 years...but the balance won't improve.
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7/9/2018 - Wine Diplomats Likes this wine: 94 Points
My favorite from the tasting at the Chateau in Bandol. The server said that the Pibarnon reds go through 3 stages. The first 5 years of youthful lushness and then 2 years dormant. Then another 5 years of more complexity, then 2 years of sleep, and then a third level of aging for another 5 years or so. This wine was definitely in the second stage with complexity and terroir, silky texture yet still leftover structure and fruit. Chateau de Pibarnon is located at one of the highest points in Bandol with southern exposure to the winds of the sea to keep it fresh.
https://winediplomats.com/
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4/15/2018 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very similar tasting note to my last one. A fascinating wine full of character, freshness and spicy aromatics. Superb pairing with Picanha.
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10/23/2017 - Marius Cavasdan wrote: 93 Points
90% Mourvedre, 10% Grenache from the highest altitude winery in Bandol. Dried fruits nose, licorice. Plums and dark fruits in the mouth. Very good wine. Think I liked it a bit better than 2009, or the food pairing was better...
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10/4/2017 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Way too young and bound up at this stage, but showing great depth, and fine balance. I like the tannin/fruit ratio, and have no concerns about aging this until it unwinds. Patience!
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10/1/2017 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still pretty dark purple color with some ruby. Jumps right out of the glass with notes of dark fruits, animalic notes of leather, horse saddle, beef blood, provençal herbs like rosemary and thyme, some minerality, but also some fresh red fruit. With some more air plenty of pepper is showing up. It's medium-full bodied and dense has beautiful freshness with medium-high acidity and medium-high tannin that is ripe but has melted already a little since last time. Very good length. A rich but classic Bandol from this top-notch producer! I love how this pairs with our flank steak... (94+)
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7/2/2017 - jlhkiss Likes this wine: 91 Points
Notes from memory. Took a few hours to open up in the decanter. Still young, but fleshy and bold. Technical score: 92. Enjoyment score: 90.
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4/29/2017 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby/garnet color turning violet at the rim with a transparent edge. It has a lovely floral bouquet laden with smoked dark and red berries and licorice. The palate is medium bodied, dry with medium acidity and a fleshy texture. Flavors of blackberry, raspberry compote, smoke, graphite and a tinge of toasted cedar. Finishes with finely-grained tannin, hints of pencil shavings and spice. Drink now until 2025. 92+
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4/3/2017 - TheFoodieTraveler wrote: 92 Points
Perfect now -
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1/4/2017 - The years of the grape Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good: ripe red fruits accompanied by savoury "animal" and scrubland hints. Full body and ripe tannins in the mouth, with a gentle acidity.
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12/18/2016 - jackaroo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Exhibits a quality pedigree. Decanted twice, once through an aerator. Ageing will no doubt help, but drinking well now. 92+
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12/12/2016 - ScottPreston wrote: 87 Points
I may have had a slightly flawed bottle, but this was savage and full of animal/horse. After 1 hour started to blow off a touch. At a minimum i would hold this 5 more years, then decant for hours.
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10/25/2016 - Collector1855 wrote: 90 Points
During a matter of taste event. Dark and dense ruby. Nose of dark fruit, underbush, an animalic touch, herbs de Provence. Structured and rustic on the palate, quite unpolished. Of course this needs time but it also confirms to me that Mourvedre is an excellent blending grape providing structure to Grenache but on its own it may just be a touch too sauvage.
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10/20/2016 - Mazy Likes this wine: 89 Points
Je confirme que la dernière bouteille avait vieilli prématurément. Celle-ci est beaucoup plus droite et solide, avec beaucoup de matière - encore très jeune mais agréable et avec une note potentielle plus élevée. J'en encave.
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10/12/2016 - Outplaying wrote:
A few Bandols (Eric and Rita's): Hold. Still primary and a bit simple. Lots of fruit and lower acid than I expected. I think there is potential though. I only have one more bottle so I will try to wait 10+ years.
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7/1/2016 - Motz wrote: 95 Points
Drank over two days. Tremendously rustic bouquet of rusty nails, weathered clay, mineral ores, smoked meats, and herbs. The attack shows tart red berries and herbs, the middle delivers a sense of saturated power, the bracing back jolts the senses, and the mineral-driven finish does not quit. Balanced and powerful! A complex and profound wine that shows younger than it is and likely needs five or more years to enter an early drinking window. Likely a 20 to 25 year wine from today. Wonderful QPR! 94-96.
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6/16/2016 - tastark Likes this wine:
Keep it in the cellar. Great wine, but needs time.
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5/25/2016 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 92 Points
I love this wine's mix of dark fruit, game, leather, and Asian spices. The fruit is thick and delicious; the rest adds intrigue. Tannins are strong on the finish. I could see this wine improving over the next five years and drinking well for over a decade.
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2/28/2016 - rocknroller wrote:
Monthly Tasting Group: CDP's and Southern Rhones (Porter Creek, Mpls, MN): Tasted. Spicy, acidic, raspberry, full bodied, young. impression 89pts.
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12/1/2015 - cyak Likes this wine: 89 Points
Color-garnet with?subtle light rim.
Nose - rich red/black fruits (black cherry), fig,
Body - moderate
Duration - Moderate
Palate- mostly the same as the smell with hints of red fruit thrown in (regular cherry, raspberry).
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11/23/2015 - Mazy Likes this wine: 87 Points
Plus évolué que je ne l'aurais cru pour un millésime encore jeune dans cette appellation. Les arômes de pruneaux dominent, c'est très bon mais s'éteint le lendemain donc bouteille défectueuse ayant eu trop de contact avec l'oxygène?
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11/14/2015 - Steve Brickley Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose doesn't give up much, some spicy herbs. Earthy, beautiful fruit of plum and blackberry, enough stems and good use of oak. Tannins enough to almost get in the way for now but not overwhelming. Long finish. Approachable now with some air, but get some for the cellar to try as other chime in with notes on readiness. Balanced. Delightful. Three more in the offsite for long term but I may reload a couple for current consumption. This will take the place of my vertical buying of Tempier Bandol La Tourtine. Priced well.
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9/5/2015 - DrZett wrote: 88 Points
Far too young, needs at least 5 more years.
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7/31/2015 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very similar note to the one dated September 2014. What a beautiful wine full of character. Still young but the pedigree is showing already.
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6/20/2015 - Kukeymon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good ripe blackberry, cherry and tar aromatics. Very concentrated and vibrant fruits framed with modest tannin and acid. Medium length finish. This is a well made Mourvèdre in action here.
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5/3/2015 - yofog wrote:
Truly fantastic stuff, with a very classy, powerful, Bordeaux-like nose of black fruit and cedar and herb, quite dense and ripe (not overripe at all, and I'm glad not to see any heat or prune notes in this which are quite common in Bandol from a good year). 90-95% Mourvedre, partial de-stem, long maceration, large oak casks. Very, very well-composed.
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1/10/2015 - Motz wrote: 94 Points
A fascinating wine, noteworthy for its finesse and profundity, rather than raw power. Seductive bouquet of crushed redcurrant, cranberry, meats, herbs, garrigue, ores, rust, brick dust, dried smoked fruits (fig) and coniferous forest floor. So intriguing that it is difficult to quit smelling. Restrained and sophisticated palate that touches so many wine nerves, similar to the way that great red Burgundy does. The mid range reveals tremendously focused latent power, of the type that emerges with proper cellaring. Outstanding balance and structure. No point in clocking the finish...it's too long and layered. Incredible wine! Great value for the price. Approachable now with a long decant, will likely be more evolved in three to five years, and should be singing beyond 2030.
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9/26/2014 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for three hours. Fresh tar, blackberry pie, white pepper, fresh fig and lacquered chested drawers. Clean and fresh on the long, yet velvety finish, that still possesses silky tannins; and I really appreciate the right level of acidity. No matter what, she will fair well after a long slumber. I would wait, or do a necessary decant. Full-bodied and quite enjoyable. Drink 2018 -.
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9/18/2014 - NostraBacchus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow! Very unique notes of dark fruits, pepper, sweet spices, dried herbs, leather, beef blood and some earth. Medium-full bodied and very dense but without being heavy. Medium-high acidity and pretty high tannin that is ripe but no joke. Great length. A super rich but classic Bandol from this top-notch producer! This will age nicely for many years. If you wanna familiarize yourself with top-notch Mourvèdre look no further. Pair this with steak and you will be in wine pairing heaven! (94+)
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