Mature Léoville Las Cases is an interesting wine. The '66 is austere as befits the vintage but with some air an excellent core of blackcurrant and blackberry fruit emerges. The acidity and tannins are well judged and it holds up very well in the glass. Yes, it "thin" as one taster remarked but it is classic old-very old left bank Bordeaux. But others thought it was the wine of the night.
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Opened less than 1 hour before dinner without decanting. Cork soaked through and was easily removed with the Durand opener. The nose was a bit reserved upon opening, but then aromas and flavors gained intensity over the next 2 hours. Color definitely showed lots of orange and brown at the rim, but this bottle excelled. The 2nd '66 LLC that I've had over the past 2 years, and both were excellent. There is a sweetness to this wine still showing some fruit along with tobacco and tertiary notes; at this point in its maturity, the wine reminded me more of a delicate Margaux. This wine likely had more to offer 10-20+ years ago, but it's revealing its decline so gracefully as it continues to provide such enjoyment! Confirms again why I love old, and very old, Bordeaux.
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Good fill but unfortunately not a great bottle - this one showing lots of tobacco and only moderate cedar with limited depth. Better bottles have a great fruit density, freshness and (finally) refined tannins with nice cedar and tobacco aromas. This was a little muted and faded. Only 92pts, but good bottles can be ~96pts. Drink now
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This was a particularly good bottle of the '66, opened for my 40th birthday. The nose was a little quiet, but started expressing banana bread, moss, ripe plum, flowers, and a little mint after a few minutes. This was silky and soft on the palate with filigreed tannins, sweet, delicate fruit, including ripe plum, blackberry, and raisin. More of the mint came through, as did a note of soil. There was surprisingly little cedar, and quite a bit of a floral hit. Very pretty and elegant. I would have guessed this to be from Margaux if I hadn't known, to be honest. Wonderful wine. Charming, mature Bordeaux character, elegance, and open for business.
Probably my second favorite 1966 Medoc wine behind Chateau Latour and perhaps on par with Gruaud-Larose. Mis-shoulder fill, cork in good condition given the age. Exquisite balance in this wine with beautiful evolved fruit, tobacco, cigarbox and gravel elements. Will continue to drink well par years still.
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This is my first experience with Las Cases, and I feel fortunate to have it be with a 56-year old wine. I've managed to secure several bottles of this particular wine from different sources, and this one has a mid-shoulder fill and saturated but intact cork. Despite these warning signs, the wine itself is in pristine condition, with a lovely dark ruby color and little signs of bricking. The nose explodes with cassis, cedar and blackberry, with tobacco and sour cherry flavors on the palate. There is quite a bit of acidity and a bit of astringency on the finish, but otherwise this is a lovely, elegant wine that belies its age.
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Noticed the fill on this wine had dropped alarmingly since I bought it, though no signs of leakage. Utterly dreadful, weird shrunken cork only barely holding the wine in, but on first inspection the wine seemed remarkably intact.
Very youthful color for its age, very powerful tobacco, mint and soy sauce nose, with the mint veering towards being a fraction medicinal. Complex but extremely tertiary even for its advanced age. Random elderflower note from time to time.
Typical silky Las Cases texture, but sweeter than I would expect from the nose. Sometimes it feels just right, but sometimes it's a bit metallic tasting. Tannins initially non-existent, then briefly perfect, then somewhat drying. Decent finish, not spectacular.
This has a lot of complexity and depth, but it's just not quite all coming together on this occasion.
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Top shoulder. Cork in reasonable condition. Not decanted but should have been. In my opinion, one of the best wines from that vintage in Medoc. Classic balance, great hue with very little browning, wide spectrum of aromas leaning more towards Pauillac than Margaux stylistically. Improved over two hours. Well kept bottles should drink nicely for 5-10 years.
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Cork difficult to pull out and broke apart, wine mostly covered the cork. Very top shoulder fill.
Wine was light garnet colored, some bricking and browning around the rim and is somewhat translucent.
Wine surprisingly tight to start, there wasn’t much flavor here and I thought it might have been over the hill, but gradually opened up. On the nose, notes of sandalwood, rust, old leather, cedar, and antique store. The palate has a tight core of cherry fruit that is gradually becoming less concentrated as tertiary notes take over, and is supported by flavors of soy sauce, forest floor, sandalwood, mushroom, and cracked leather. Tannins fully resolved and there is still a touch of intensity in the mouthfeel.
Certainly this wine has time left but one gets the sense it’s on a gradually downward slope. Think it’s time to drink up.
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Nicolas Cellars bottle. Great color. Acidic, with the fruit as a co-star. Improved over the 90 minutes in decanter. Nice in the old school way, but don't hold these for too long.
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From a bottle with a very top shoulder fill, this 66 Leoville las Cases showed very well. Potent raspberry, old oak, old leather, beef blood, and an unexpected but welcome note of malt chocolate and menthol. A bit like the 62 in profile, actually, but hanging in there better with more vivacity and power. I wouldn't risk holding these longer.
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[Blind] Nose is smoky and initially has a subtle stewed character with great sauvage. Very savoury and spicy overall. Meaty. Robust. Dry spices. Palate is more classic with black fruit and chocolate. Complex, has a bit of everything going on. Really enjoying this. A uniquely powerful Chateau in that this still has time ahead of it to relax and open up. 93 - 94+.
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This is the dark soul of St. Julien, a Léoville Las Cases that has reached full maturity and shows what the terroir is capable of after more than half a century. I knew it would be special when I could smell it when the soaked cork was just half way out. Beautiful mature deep garnet, a bit of orange at the rim. Remarkably fragrant. Black berry, black licorice, currant which is too ripe to veer into charcoal. There’s a lot of complexity in both bouquet and flavor which for Léoville Las Cases is unusual. Great texture, smooth but not soft. Not nearly as austere as many lessor ‘66s, the Léoville Las Cases may has surpassed Latour as the wine of the vintage.
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Aromatique très jeune à l'ouverture qui mettra du temps à se développer pour évoluer vers un mélange de pot-pourri, de cuir, de tabac blond et un fruit en arrière-plan mais présent. Agréable mais pas inoubliable, il manque de magie par rapport à celui du 1964. La bouche est un gros cran au-dessus alliant volume, présence et élégance. La tenue est remarquable avec des tanins parfaitement fondus, mais c'est vraiment ce volume et cette "force" qui m'ont marqué. Finale agréable sans être inoubliable.
Très bon même si le 64 me laisse un meilleur souvenir au final. En tout cas quelle régularité du Château. Loin de n'être tombé que sur des grands vins mais par contre pas un seul qui soit complètement nul.
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Full of fresh primary red fruit. Still hanging on to some fine tannins, bright acidity. Vanilla cherry coke, blackcurrant, preserved plum, graphite, mushroom.
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I see I haven’t tasted this wine in over 25 years. I don’t know how it escaped me but that was a big mistake since it’s flat out fabulous. Better than the ‘61. Stunning freshness and concentration. It’s Léoville Las Cases so the flavor is pure black currant Cabernet Sauvignon. Not subtle but the liveliness of the fruit is ravishingly. Finally, a Léoville Las Cases which is fully mature. Miles to go before it sleeps.
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Tasted in double-blind fashion from what was obviously a superbly cellared bottle, this deep garnet wine proved itself to have somehow found the fountain of youth. Working around an impressive core of residual red and black fruit, this delightful potion adds notes of cocoa, truffle, loam, cigar and fig. Medium-bodied, medium in acidity and with fully resolved tannins, it is layered on the mid-palate and concludes with a lengthy finish. This was easily guessed as left bank Bordeaux, but I was thinking more along the lines of 1988. What a surprise it was when the bottle was revealed to our tasting group! Obviously there is substantial bottle variation with respect to this 53-year-old wine, but rest assured that there remain at least a few bottles that still have the magic. Drink now.
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A very top shoulder bottle bought in auction about a year ago. Clearly well kept. The last part of the cork had to be pushed into the bottle. An absolutely lovely wine that belies its age and is significantly better than the 1970s I've had in recent years. Cedar, anise and forest floor nose with blackcurrant follow through. The body is more than big - its thick and unctious. Balance is sublime and finish very long. Condition is everything for a wine this old. Just superb.
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Open with a Chateau du Tertre 1966 Margaux and they played very well together, Leoville was more robust and big and the Margaux more refined and elegant.
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Route 66 - Bordeaux Exploration (Vaucluse Townhouse): Saints D: I thought this was drinking quite nicely. It's spice dominated but I like my wine with a bunch of spice notes. Good vibrancy. Overall tasty. I think a contender for wine of the flight.
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Tomas fyllar år (Stockholm, Sweden): 100 points. Funfuckingtastic! Sometimes, we also drink young wines ;-) If you have this wine: no need to hurry. Plenty of life left! One of the finest wine experiences of my life. Marvellous wine evening at Vintomas' place.
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Great shape, good fill, clean capsule; nice earthy tobacco notes, some underbrush, old leather, pipe tobacco, a little mud and smoke; structure still in tact, medium body, tannins mostly resolved, 95% tertiary, a really nice drink for over 50 years old. Okumura. Tasted blind with 1966 Jaboulet-Verchere Charmes Chambertin.
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From the machine @ Hedonism in London. I was excited to try, but I'm afraid this is a bit over the hill (or maybe that bottle just wasn't holding up as well in the oenotheque machine). It smelled like an old shoe with the leather and a hint of sweat and all of that. Tasted like a dried leather saddle bag that had sat in the barn for a long time (so no horse really to speak of). More just that mustiness.
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Color seemed much younger than its age. Aromas of pink roses, fresh raspberries, and used coffee grounds. Tannins were fully integrated. Velvety texture with dried red fruit. Brilliant!
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Best showing of this yet, from wines all from the same case. Rustic, yet charming in an old school way. More tobacco, green leaf, cedar chest, lead pencil, green pepper and wet earth than fruit. But there were elements of cherry able to poke through. Strict on the palate, the wine ended with earthy, red fruits and hints of green olive. Popped and poured, the wine improved in the glass, just a bit. Yes, this was how they made most Bordeaux in those days. Still, it was a nice blast from the past and it was fun to share this birth-year bottle with a friend who had just hit 50, last year.
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High shoulder fill. The appearance was deceptively young. I would say it showed more shades of red than brown. Again, lovely Cabernet aromas which carried through to the palate. Fresh black fruits – boysenberry, black cherry. Tannic.
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For a 50 year old wine It is still a rockin. Bit of stank nose upon open. It blew off after 20 min. Bit of a toasted pencil on the palate, great minerality with dark cherry
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Pop and poured. Surprised at the youthful color of the wine with no bricking apparent at all. Funky wet concrete on the nose at first which blew off with some air. Blackberry, blueberry, cassis, green bell pepper, cedar, big spice box, decaying roses and violets, and at the finish red cherry for some added complexity. This wine took a while to open up. I didn't care for it the first 30 minutes it was in the glass then it really turned around nicely. Fine tuned mid palate with supple tannins, appetite whetting acidity and incredible finesse and balance. Very long and complex finish. This bottle could've gone another 20 years it was so young. Unreal!
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Wines Tasted at HDH Auction (Tru - Chicago IL): Popped and poured, then tasted and re-tasted over 2+ hours. Served in 1966 horizontal. Great nose with nicely fresh (for being 50 yo) black fruit, earth and spice. Less exciting palate with less fruit, slightly firm. Held nicely for 2 hours, then shortened.
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This wine certainly confirmed where Leoville-las-cases ranks among the St. Julien estates... The wine still has considerable tannin structure and a fairly deep color. There seems to be just enough fruit and texture to go along with the impressive structure of this wine. I would have liked to evaluate this wine several hours after decanting. Pronounced earthy character, cedar, pencil shavings... It should last more another decade if stored properly.
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Wine was properly stored from purchase upon release in 1970 until consumed. Level was mid-shoulder, perhaps 3/4 inch down. Placed in a cradle, not decanted. Careful not to over-swirl. Big, full bouquet, classic cassis - jumps out of the glass. This is why one keeps and ages great Bordeaux for a special occasion. Bouquet is layers of fruit. Peaches. berries. Caramel. Almonds. Plums, Raspberries. Frais des bois. All rushing to present themselves to the nose, trying to be first. After 50 minutes, citrus, mango, pecan, quince, pomegranate, passion fruit, walnuts. After 90 minutes, chocolate, caramel, pomegranate, strawberries. After 105 minutes, honeysuckle and butterscotch. Amazing journey, what a wine.
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Pristine bottle with fill just to the base of the neck. This bottle was superb, and better than any other '66 I've drunk, including multiple bottles of Latour and Palmer. Textbook St Julien perfume with sweet cassis . Beautiful, still very rich fruit (served blind some guessed '85 and even '89) with mostly resolved tannins. Incredible texture and complexity in the mouth and a long finish--most satisfied with this bottle on a Sunday night. Decanted for around 2 hours prior to serving.
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Fantastic experience. Full of life on first pour and held together well over the next hour or two. Tight lean fruit, high acid, great complexity and a real wow factor.
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Double decanted 3.5 hours before tasting. Violet-garnet color of medium-deep depth, with bricking at the edges. Nose seemed tight, giving up light to medium-light notes of mineral, pencil lead, cherry licorice, and campfire. Medium bodied. Smooth; dark-fruited; tanned leather; hint of drying tannin with medium+ acidity; alcohol not noticeable; well-balanced; medium length finish of medium-light intensity; absolutely gorgeous wine, and in the running for my favorite wine of the tasting; at peak, so Drink Now.
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50 years old and still a spectacular bottle. I was amazed to find out that this wine still has some life in it. I must say however, it's drinking beautifully today.
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bottle, fill and cork all good. Still vigorous and I agree with other notes that this wine needs two hours in the decanter. A classic aged Bordeaux, is a fine partner to beef and held up well over several hours. It has a hard edge and this chateau has never been a favorite of mine. Several people really liked it while the rest preferred the 1970 Haut Bailly.
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Slowly bt decant, bright brick red with nose of honey, cassis, dried rose petal and tea leaves. Rustic in mouth, mildly acidic made the wine feel edgy initially, more dried leaves. A bit short but more floral from mid palate with structure. Med finish.
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Pnp, deep garnet hue leathery aroma, lead pencil, faint floral note too. Good acidity here and there is still some fruit and sweetness on palate. Bit lean on finish, not the kind of softy plushy 66 Palmer offered. Decent old bdx nonetheless, pretty prestine bottle condition.
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Served from a half bottle. Surprisingly fresh. Bright ruby, very red and clear, not much fine sediments. Bright red fruits and a hint of cassis, plum, cedar, leather, lead pencil, a hint of mint, light caramel, a hint of bell pepper which lifts the overall impression and earth. Medium concentration, bright red fruit driven palate impression, good acidity, nicely integrated tannins and medium clean finish. What is remarkable is that the wine is really clean absolutely no brett or musty damp cellar. It is also very youthful especially considering that it was served from a half bottle. Highly recommend.
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This wine accounted for one of the most unusual tasting experiences I have ever had. The wine was decanted only 45 minutes prior to serving. The first sips showed lovely cherries but fading fruit with an open nose bursting with scents of roses, cherries and a hint of anise. Over the next 2 hours the wine came out of its deep sleep and turned into a grand lady of the vintage.
The nose exploded with flavors of red and black cherries, anise, and roses. Wonderful intense flavors of wild cherry, plum, earth and anise with a hint of cigar box were evident on the palate. Wow what a wine. I would say it will be very good for at least another five years.
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TN: 1966 Leoville Las Cases While this wine was poped and poured. After about an hour it started to show off a nice nose of fruit. The taste was full of flower and dense red berries crashed. This wine showed very nice and I've had this wine for many years and was purchased from someone who had it from the beginning. I wouldn't say this is stellar Bordeaux but glad to have enjoyed it. If you have one I highly recommend you open it now. I don't think this is going to get any better and it's past it's prime. That doesn't mean this won't give you some Vino joy! My Score 91
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This bottle is old, didn't have that much expectations from it due to the mid shoulder fill. The wine opens up musty, its on the verge of being oxidation, but it seems as if the fruit has completely dried up and only acidity has been left.
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Léoville Las Cases Grand Tasting (At Kim Aa's place, Ulvøya, Norway): Yet another great wine. Quite intense, warm aromas of tobacco, bonfire, tea leaves and - strangely enough - asparagus. Evolves after some time into blackcurrants. Full bodied, more sweet-ish than the older ones (45, 55, 59, 61). Spicy mouth feeling, very fruity, fantastic balance and an impressive tannin structure given that this wine is almost 50 years old.
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Utrolig rik nese, her er det alt moden bdx skal ha. I starten gav den lite midt i smakskurven, men frukten kom etter en halvtime luft. Elegant og parfymert på nese, men ganske kraftfull og maskulin i munnen. Veldig bra finish, 1 min+. Mulig å trekke litt for konsentrasjon, Latour 66 er f.eks. mye rikere og konsentrert. Forstår både at Broadbent er på ***** og at Parker er på 89p. Jeg er nok på 93-94p
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Negociant bottled in London. Good core of garnet color with thin clear rim. Nose of cedar, spice, coffee, earth, and fresh cut flowers. Palate is fresh and bright with mushroom, violet, and a touch of red and blue fruit. Finish is slightly short ending with tobacco leaf, but the length is easy to forgive when the wine has such vitality.
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Lots of color for a wine as old as this. The nose is immense cedar, cassis and a nose of immense grandeur. The taste is great, a palette of flavors like herbes, spices and some fruit with nice acidity and bitters. After taste is incredible, so beautiful! Now I know why Leoville las Cases has such a good name. And I understand why Michael Broadbent gives this one 4 stars!
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Bordeaux dinner (Trestle on Tenth, NYC): Liked this much more than the '76. Some funky, unpleasant notes initially but those quickly blow off with some air to reveal a fragrant combination of red and dark fruit, cedar, leather and mature herbal and tobacco notes on a polished, medium weight frame. Very elegant, wonderfully balanced and long.
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Very light in color, this was all about the nose. Smoke, tobacco, gravel, spice, earth, cigar and ash. This was not as good as the bottle. I'd avoid buying this in the marketplace for too much money and will drink up my remaining bottles over the next year or two.
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A fantastic vibrant color for a 46 year old wine, medium garnet with bricking at the rim. Nose is clean, medium-intensity with notes of leather, tobacco, eucalyptus, blackberry and dried cherries. On the palate its not so hot. Cherries, earth, tart and drying with tannin still quite evident. The fruit has largely vanished and there's not much of a finish to speak of. Still, its a good experiment in aged bottles and not without pleasure, though not one to be repeated either.
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Leoville Las Cases - Vertical Tasting (Le Sommelier, Copenhagen): Lots of coffee on the nose with black currant fruit mixed with a hint of vanilla and some gamey notes. The palate is light and fresh with black currant fruit and a little iron and rust in the aftertaste. Fresh but old :-) 85-87p
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High shoulder fill. Cork had blackened mold on top that smelled rotten. After extracting the crumbling cork, wine presented well although muddy in color (should have kept bottle upright for longer than the one day). Brownish color with clear rim. Very nice tobacco, cedar, bark, and earth aromas. Tannins were still firm but smooth with well balanced acidity. Most of the fruit was gone, however, and the finish was very short. Probably a bottle that should have been opened five or so years ago, but still a good drinking experience.
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Ruby with amber in the color, the wine looked even older than its 45 years of age. The nose offered tobacco, earth, forest floor, smoke, cigar box, coffee and hints of cherries. Soft, light and without much backbone, this luncheon styled Claret ended with end a light, cassis and cherry note. This was a fine aged Bordeaux, without fault. It was the perfect lunch wine. This was a correct bottle. It came from the cellars of the original buyer who purchased it on release. This was popped and poured. It did not degrade in the glass for the the first hour, but it never improved. If you have a bottle, do not decant, there is not enough stuffing to handle the air.
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Surprisingly vital at this age. Did not decant but should have - it it improved for the hour and a half that we had it. Impressive, fullbodied. Very enjoyable
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Opened at a tasting of several older bordeaux, each with a somewhat younger version of the same wine. This 66 was holding up surprisingly well with bracing acidity and plenty of fruit left. More than any other wine at the tasting, the Las Cases maintained the most similarity between the 60s and 80s (a bottle of the 86). The nose and flavor profiles were remarkable similar with the most cedar/led pencil flavors of the bunch (a bunch that included pairs of Latour, Palmer, and Haut Brion among others). Makes me happy that I have other vintages of this in the cellar and also puts me in no hurray to open them - especially any from the 90s.
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Shama's LLC Offline (The Square, London): Similar colour to the 64. Drier, earthier, tobacco and really quite prominent blackcurrant leaf nose. A touch of acidity on the finish here that grates a little. ***1/2
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Top shoulder fill - 5 hour 'Slow Audoze' - color still dark, slight orange hint at rim. Initial hints of plum gave way to fresh cherries with exposure to oxygen. Lovely balance of cedar and black cherry essence emerge, with a refreshing blast of acidity. Remarkable combination of young and old made for a serendipitous experience.
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The nose yielded scents of roses and cherries ala claouflutie. The taste was vibrant and alive with flavors of red and black cherries marinated in kirsch. The finish was medium on ripe cherries.
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Fill mid shoulder. Medium garnet. Whiff of green pepper quickly blew off, complex smokey/tobacco, berry fruits,and slight barnyard. With more air took on a peat then fudge aspect. The palate was medium bodied, tannins totally resolved, fresh acidity gave the wine energy, and the deep mid-palate had a spice (minty) aspect to it that popped. Medium length. Really surprising colour and aroma, this held up quite well for 2-3 hours. As good as the other 66 LLC I tried, I'm pleased.
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Newtown New Year's Eve; 12/31/2009-1/1/2010 (The Rosens): The cork looked very damp after we removed the capsule, but the cork came out smooth and clean - well, the top of the cork came out clean first and then the bottom followed on the second pass. In the glass it was a moderately dark brown with hints of red at the center - maybe mahogany is a good descriptor. The nose was strong with cedar, old leather, and alcohol. I was nervous about how the wine had held up, but it was fantastic. Coffee, earth, cola, and some red fruits buried in the middle. The finish was long and smooth and - we all agreed - exactly like Dr. Brown's Black Cherry soda. This was incredible. Easily the best wine I have tasted. (3+13+19+9)
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Late Nov 2009, "steaks and wines" evening: original cork; high fill; opened (not decanted) 30 minutes before consumption; fresh looking dark brownish red color; in the beginning unbalanced in the nose; thin and unimaginative in the mouth; after a while the wine found its balance; coffee latte, chocolate and red fruits; light/medium body; classic claret style; short finish.
Next wine was a Doudet-Naudin "Clos des Perriers" 1954 (see tasting note).
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Marine Room Leoville Las Cases Vertical Dinner (Marine Room Restaurant, La Jolla, CA): The serial tasting for this wine commenced immediately after decanting and proceeded for 60-90 minutes. Deep garnet robe with brick rim. Clean, moderately intense bouquet showing coffee, plum, cedar and cigar box aromas. Full-bodied on the palate. To be sure, there is a core of fruit left on this wine, but the relatively high acidity and substantial residual "green" tannins lead me to believe that this wine is now disjointed and a decade or so beyond plateau. Drink up.
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This wine was all about the nose. Lots of cedar, I mean lots of cedar and strong red fruit. Somewhat reminded me of the '16 Chevalier I had a few days earlier. Medium bodied with a burst of fruit and then a quick fade as could be expected.
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Family Reunion/Birthday Dinner: Opened to compare to the '66 Beychevelle. The color was a deep mahogany. The nose was surprisingly similar to the Beychevelle, but a bit more dominated by tobacco and with a touch of prune. On the palate this had better intensity with notable tobacco flavors. Smooth and silky despite the presence of some lingering tannin/dryness. I believe it was a split decision between the Beychevelle and the LLC for wine of the flight (I voted for the LLC).
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A bit amber on the edge, the cork was in below average condition and broke in two. High shoulder fill, with smooth aromas and flavors. Has long since lost its fruit, but the result is a smooth, refined wine. 88 - 92
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I think it is fair to say that this wine is past its peak. That said, it was an experience to drink. It was still chocolatey and rich after all these years. A little bit of mushroom on the palate, and a slightly metallic nose. Needed considerable decanting!
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"Bring your Best" Reno tasting (Mark and Megan's): Decanted 90 minutes. Deep violet core with browing rim. Intruguing nose of tabacco, cedar, coffee, earth and even some cassis and dark fruit in the back. Surprisingly pleasing palate that while lean on the sweet fruit end and fat tannins, nice acidity that was in proportion to the fruit. The finish was complex, balanced and long. This went great with the beef short ribs.
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Very deep, almost black colour with a bricking rim. Off nose, smelling of damp newspaper and faded age with pronounced shoe polish notes behind it. A thin, closed, acid, lean and faded palate; the tanin and fruit have all but gone leaving only the acid. With more time the nose turned remarkably into deep toffee and caramel but unfortunately the palate didn't improve at all. Well past its prime and overshadowed by the Ch. Talbot '82 and Wynns John Riddoch '82 we drank with it. Drunk over a rather hedonistic dinner at Crown Wine Cellar with David, Daniel and Patrick.
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Not very good, over the hill and was probably tainted in some way. Peeled off the foil to reveal a thick layer of black stuff (mold?) The cork was brittle and broke apart but I was able to salvage it with an ah-so. Almost brown in color, nose of black olive and a lttlle funk. The wine was drinkable and was velvety smooth, the fruit had faded but it was not bitter. no rating
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Definitive tobacco and cedar notes rising above the minimal fruit remaining. Not the best wine, but certainly an interesting tasting of a 40-year old bottle for someone who hasn't had very many old Bordeauxs. It's always fun to try something different.
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Hardaway's 40th BD: Very unique wine. Decanted. Beautiful brick rim with purple center. Quite noticeable aroma and pallet of veined cheese in the nose. Some tobacco, mineral, red berry, and earth underneath. Lasts forever and incredibly ballanced.
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TTG#6: 4x Older Claret plus 3 Burgs and a Champagne (Tokyo): Still young looking with deepish plum and red colors. A little bit of green vine-leaf and nice dose of berry and plum fruit are immediately apparent on the nose. The green is never intrusive, merely interesting, and a little time lets the cedar and tobacco and currant fruit come out. This one clearly wants a few hours open, as the palate was still tight when we finished it. There is clear evidence of good dark fruit, a bit of wood spice, and some non-earth mineral but it is wrapped tightly enough in good acid and some fine remaining tannin that it is really only just peeking out. In a nicely lean and defined package, this is a wine that very much fits my style of claret. Just as we’re finishing the bottle, a bit of that sweet low library character that I like so much is starting to move to the fore.
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We did not decant the wine for fear it might be too delicate, but it could have used it. Initially, the nose was fresh but unyielding. Within half an hour, it opened up beautifully, with notes of sweet tobacco, leather, mint, and cedar. Most surprisingly, there was still noticeable fruit. On the palate, the wine was silky and seamless, with faint, sweet tannins remaining on the long finish.
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Very nice nose of damp cellar notes, cooked roast, tobacco, and blackberry ... but not extraordinary interest. A surprising amount of verve and concentration in the body with a large scaled mineral driven finish. This is falling apart just a bit and slightly disjointed. Likely a really great drink about five years ago.
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Andy’s bottle, Draper&Esquin. The best Bordeaux of the ‘66s this night at Ocean Grand. Dark ruby. Huge bouquet of black currant and spicy oak. An in-your-face, 2x4 on-the-head type of wine. Subtle as a train wreck. Great concentration of fruit. Long finish. Perfect with a beef tenderloin.
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3/23/2024 - johnh1001 wrote: 92 Points
Still going. But drink soon.
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1/13/2024 - sdr wrote: 93 Points
Mature Léoville Las Cases is an interesting wine. The '66 is austere as befits the vintage but with some air an excellent core of blackcurrant and blackberry fruit emerges. The acidity and tannins are well judged and it holds up very well in the glass. Yes, it "thin" as one taster remarked but it is classic old-very old left bank Bordeaux. But others thought it was the wine of the night.
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12/10/2023 - Terroir59 wrote: 94 Points
Opened less than 1 hour before dinner without decanting. Cork soaked through and was easily removed with the Durand opener. The nose was a bit reserved upon opening, but then aromas and flavors gained intensity over the next 2 hours. Color definitely showed lots of orange and brown at the rim, but this bottle excelled. The 2nd '66 LLC that I've had over the past 2 years, and both were excellent. There is a sweetness to this wine still showing some fruit along with tobacco and tertiary notes; at this point in its maturity, the wine reminded me more of a delicate Margaux. This wine likely had more to offer 10-20+ years ago, but it's revealing its decline so gracefully as it continues to provide such enjoyment! Confirms again why I love old, and very old, Bordeaux.
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10/30/2023 - JulianSkeels wrote: 92 Points
Good fill but unfortunately not a great bottle - this one showing lots of tobacco and only moderate cedar with limited depth. Better bottles have a great fruit density, freshness and (finally) refined tannins with nice cedar and tobacco aromas. This was a little muted and faded. Only 92pts, but good bottles can be ~96pts. Drink now
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5/18/2023 - misterstarre Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was a particularly good bottle of the '66, opened for my 40th birthday. The nose was a little quiet, but started expressing banana bread, moss, ripe plum, flowers, and a little mint after a few minutes. This was silky and soft on the palate with filigreed tannins, sweet, delicate fruit, including ripe plum, blackberry, and raisin. More of the mint came through, as did a note of soil. There was surprisingly little cedar, and quite a bit of a floral hit. Very pretty and elegant. I would have guessed this to be from Margaux if I hadn't known, to be honest. Wonderful wine. Charming, mature Bordeaux character, elegance, and open for business.
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4/9/2023 - BradE wrote:
This bottle was well passed its prime, with the fruit making a quiet appearance. But it was actually enticing in its own beleaguered way.
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4/9/2023 - GSW wrote: 92 Points
With BradE. For its age, still a very pleasing wine especially after breathing in the glass for awhile. Thanks, Brad!
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3/26/2023 - vagrantone Likes this wine: 93 Points
Probably my second favorite 1966 Medoc wine behind Chateau Latour and perhaps on par with Gruaud-Larose.
Mis-shoulder fill, cork in good condition given the age.
Exquisite balance in this wine with beautiful evolved fruit, tobacco, cigarbox and gravel elements.
Will continue to drink well par years still.
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2/27/2023 - ricknat1 wrote: 93 Points
very nice wine, probably as good as it gets for 66 but was blown away by the latour it was paired with
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11/26/2022 - GrapeScott wrote: 93 Points
This is my first experience with Las Cases, and I feel fortunate to have it be with a 56-year old wine. I've managed to secure several bottles of this particular wine from different sources, and this one has a mid-shoulder fill and saturated but intact cork. Despite these warning signs, the wine itself is in pristine condition, with a lovely dark ruby color and little signs of bricking. The nose explodes with cassis, cedar and blackberry, with tobacco and sour cherry flavors on the palate. There is quite a bit of acidity and a bit of astringency on the finish, but otherwise this is a lovely, elegant wine that belies its age.
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3/24/2022 - NewFrenchClaret Likes this wine: 89 Points
Noticed the fill on this wine had dropped alarmingly since I bought it, though no signs of leakage. Utterly dreadful, weird shrunken cork only barely holding the wine in, but on first inspection the wine seemed remarkably intact.
Very youthful color for its age, very powerful tobacco, mint and soy sauce nose, with the mint veering towards being a fraction medicinal. Complex but extremely tertiary even for its advanced age. Random elderflower note from time to time.
Typical silky Las Cases texture, but sweeter than I would expect from the nose. Sometimes it feels just right, but sometimes it's a bit metallic tasting. Tannins initially non-existent, then briefly perfect, then somewhat drying. Decent finish, not spectacular.
This has a lot of complexity and depth, but it's just not quite all coming together on this occasion.
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3/20/2022 - sdr wrote: flawed
Very dull and bitter, ?heat damage, top shoulder ullage.
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3/19/2022 - sdr Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Good color. Very nice bright fruit but overwhelmed by excess acidity. Drinkable, especially with fatty food but not enjoyable otherwise.
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11/19/2021 - vagrantone Likes this wine: 94 Points
Top shoulder.
Cork in reasonable condition.
Not decanted but should have been.
In my opinion, one of the best wines from that vintage in Medoc.
Classic balance, great hue with very little browning, wide spectrum of aromas leaning more towards Pauillac than Margaux stylistically.
Improved over two hours. Well kept bottles should drink nicely for 5-10 years.
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9/24/2021 - Tony Simo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Amazing wine. Plenty of primary color & fruit. The silky tannins almost had a sweet sensation. Decanted 1 hr before drinking.
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8/31/2021 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
Pretty good showing. Although a bit of bookshelf, palate remained remarkably fruit forward and dense.
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8/28/2021 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Weekend in Westport; 8/25/2021-8/29/2021 (Westport, CT): This is a very good wine in a line-up of totally crazy wines. Good and drinking well, but this didn't stand out as some others.
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7/17/2021 - HFLED Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cork difficult to pull out and broke apart, wine mostly covered the cork. Very top shoulder fill.
Wine was light garnet colored, some bricking and browning around the rim and is somewhat translucent.
Wine surprisingly tight to start, there wasn’t much flavor here and I thought it might have been over the hill, but gradually opened up. On the nose, notes of sandalwood, rust, old leather, cedar, and antique store. The palate has a tight core of cherry fruit that is gradually becoming less concentrated as tertiary notes take over, and is supported by flavors of soy sauce, forest floor, sandalwood, mushroom, and cracked leather. Tannins fully resolved and there is still a touch of intensity in the mouthfeel.
Certainly this wine has time left but one gets the sense it’s on a gradually downward slope. Think it’s time to drink up.
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5/4/2021 - BradE wrote:
Nicolas Cellars bottle. Great color. Acidic, with the fruit as a co-star. Improved over the 90 minutes in decanter. Nice in the old school way, but don't hold these for too long.
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2/7/2021 - englishman's claret wrote: 92 Points
From a bottle with a very top shoulder fill, this 66 Leoville las Cases showed very well. Potent raspberry, old oak, old leather, beef blood, and an unexpected but welcome note of malt chocolate and menthol. A bit like the 62 in profile, actually, but hanging in there better with more vivacity and power. I wouldn't risk holding these longer.
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1/13/2021 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 93 Points
[Blind] Nose is smoky and initially has a subtle stewed character with great sauvage. Very savoury and spicy overall. Meaty. Robust. Dry spices. Palate is more classic with black fruit and chocolate. Complex, has a bit of everything going on. Really enjoying this. A uniquely powerful Chateau in that this still has time ahead of it to relax and open up. 93 - 94+.
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12/27/2020 - sdr Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is the dark soul of St. Julien, a Léoville Las Cases that has reached full maturity and shows what the terroir is capable of after more than half a century. I knew it would be special when I could smell it when the soaked cork was just half way out. Beautiful mature deep garnet, a bit of orange at the rim. Remarkably fragrant. Black berry, black licorice, currant which is too ripe to veer into charcoal. There’s a lot of complexity in both bouquet and flavor which for Léoville Las Cases is unusual. Great texture, smooth but not soft. Not nearly as austere as many lessor ‘66s, the Léoville Las Cases may has surpassed Latour as the wine of the vintage.
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12/20/2020 - Marc C Likes this wine: 92 Points
Niveau début épaule
Aromatique très jeune à l'ouverture qui mettra du temps à se développer pour évoluer vers un mélange de pot-pourri, de cuir, de tabac blond et un fruit en arrière-plan mais présent. Agréable mais pas inoubliable, il manque de magie par rapport à celui du 1964.
La bouche est un gros cran au-dessus alliant volume, présence et élégance. La tenue est remarquable avec des tanins parfaitement fondus, mais c'est vraiment ce volume et cette "force" qui m'ont marqué.
Finale agréable sans être inoubliable.
Très bon même si le 64 me laisse un meilleur souvenir au final. En tout cas quelle régularité du Château. Loin de n'être tombé que sur des grands vins mais par contre pas un seul qui soit complètement nul.
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9/11/2020 - nebbiol-ho Likes this wine:
Full of fresh primary red fruit. Still hanging on to some fine tannins, bright acidity. Vanilla cherry coke, blackcurrant, preserved plum, graphite, mushroom.
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12/14/2019 - sdr Likes this wine: 96 Points
I see I haven’t tasted this wine in over 25 years. I don’t know how it escaped me but that was a big mistake since it’s flat out fabulous. Better than the ‘61. Stunning freshness and concentration. It’s Léoville Las Cases so the flavor is pure black currant Cabernet Sauvignon. Not subtle but the liveliness of the fruit is ravishingly. Finally, a Léoville Las Cases which is fully mature. Miles to go before it sleeps.
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12/13/2019 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted in double-blind fashion from what was obviously a superbly cellared bottle, this deep garnet wine proved itself to have somehow found the fountain of youth. Working around an impressive core of residual red and black fruit, this delightful potion adds notes of cocoa, truffle, loam, cigar and fig. Medium-bodied, medium in acidity and with fully resolved tannins, it is layered on the mid-palate and concludes with a lengthy finish. This was easily guessed as left bank Bordeaux, but I was thinking more along the lines of 1988. What a surprise it was when the bottle was revealed to our tasting group! Obviously there is substantial bottle variation with respect to this 53-year-old wine, but rest assured that there remain at least a few bottles that still have the magic. Drink now.
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12/11/2019 - PaulH wrote: 93 Points
Remarkably lively with a great traditional nose of tobacco.
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11/8/2019 - wineforth Likes this wine: 97 Points
A very top shoulder bottle bought in auction about a year ago. Clearly well kept. The last part of the cork had to be pushed into the bottle. An absolutely lovely wine that belies its age and is significantly better than the 1970s I've had in recent years. Cedar, anise and forest floor nose with blackcurrant follow through. The body is more than big - its thick and unctious. Balance is sublime and finish very long. Condition is everything for a wine this old. Just superb.
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6/29/2019 - Trancoso Likes this wine: 95 Points
Open with a Chateau du Tertre 1966 Margaux and they played very well together, Leoville was more robust and big and the Margaux more refined and elegant.
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5/29/2019 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Route 66 - Bordeaux Exploration (Vaucluse Townhouse): Saints D: I thought this was drinking quite nicely. It's spice dominated but I like my wine with a bunch of spice notes. Good vibrancy. Overall tasty. I think a contender for wine of the flight.
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2/16/2019 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 100 Points
Tomas fyllar år (Stockholm, Sweden): 100 points. Funfuckingtastic! Sometimes, we also drink young wines ;-)
If you have this wine: no need to hurry. Plenty of life left!
One of the finest wine experiences of my life.
Marvellous wine evening at Vintomas' place.
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7/29/2018 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Great shape, good fill, clean capsule; nice earthy tobacco notes, some underbrush, old leather, pipe tobacco, a little mud and smoke; structure still in tact, medium body, tannins mostly resolved, 95% tertiary, a really nice drink for over 50 years old. Okumura. Tasted blind with 1966 Jaboulet-Verchere Charmes Chambertin.
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5/19/2018 - MC2 Wines wrote:
From the machine @ Hedonism in London. I was excited to try, but I'm afraid this is a bit over the hill (or maybe that bottle just wasn't holding up as well in the oenotheque machine). It smelled like an old shoe with the leather and a hint of sweat and all of that. Tasted like a dried leather saddle bag that had sat in the barn for a long time (so no horse really to speak of). More just that mustiness.
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1/7/2018 - EMichels wrote: 88 Points
(Old note - tasting date not accurate) A lot of strength; Evolves to full bodied mature profile; A hint of something odd
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8/12/2017 - DoubleD1969 wrote: 97 Points
Color seemed much younger than its age. Aromas of pink roses, fresh raspberries, and used coffee grounds. Tannins were fully integrated. Velvety texture with dried red fruit. Brilliant!
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6/2/2017 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Best showing of this yet, from wines all from the same case. Rustic, yet charming in an old school way. More tobacco, green leaf, cedar chest, lead pencil, green pepper and wet earth than fruit. But there were elements of cherry able to poke through. Strict on the palate, the wine ended with earthy, red fruits and hints of green olive. Popped and poured, the wine improved in the glass, just a bit. Yes, this was how they made most Bordeaux in those days. Still, it was a nice blast from the past and it was fun to share this birth-year bottle with a friend who had just hit 50, last year.
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4/15/2017 - NarunP Likes this wine: 92 Points
High shoulder fill. The appearance was deceptively young. I would say it showed more shades of red than brown. Again, lovely Cabernet aromas which carried through to the palate. Fresh black fruits – boysenberry, black cherry. Tannic.
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4/9/2017 - spectrumphoto wrote: 95 Points
For a 50 year old wine It is still a rockin. Bit of stank nose upon open. It blew off after 20 min. Bit of a toasted pencil on the palate, great minerality with dark cherry
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3/1/2017 - ESTEELE90 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pop and poured. Surprised at the youthful color of the wine with no bricking apparent at all. Funky wet concrete on the nose at first which blew off with some air. Blackberry, blueberry, cassis, green bell pepper, cedar, big spice box, decaying roses and violets, and at the finish red cherry for some added complexity. This wine took a while to open up. I didn't care for it the first 30 minutes it was in the glass then it really turned around nicely. Fine tuned mid palate with supple tannins, appetite whetting acidity and incredible finesse and balance. Very long and complex finish. This bottle could've gone another 20 years it was so young. Unreal!
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11/26/2016 - t.c.green Likes this wine: 99 Points
ethereal, with a delicate balanced taste
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11/5/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Wines Tasted at HDH Auction (Tru - Chicago IL): Popped and poured, then tasted and re-tasted over 2+ hours. Served in 1966 horizontal. Great nose with nicely fresh (for being 50 yo) black fruit, earth and spice. Less exciting palate with less fruit, slightly firm. Held nicely for 2 hours, then shortened.
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10/30/2016 - vagrantone Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine certainly confirmed where Leoville-las-cases ranks among the St. Julien estates...
The wine still has considerable tannin structure and a fairly deep color. There seems to be just enough fruit and texture to go along with the impressive structure of this wine. I would have liked to evaluate this wine several hours after decanting. Pronounced earthy character, cedar, pencil shavings...
It should last more another decade if stored properly.
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10/20/2016 - BradE wrote: flawed
Corked. Too bad.
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10/11/2016 - beatles wrote: 91 Points
An evening with Mrs. Sunshines husbond... (Søerne): Very mineral, very upright, elegant wine. Served blinded, we guessed much younger, no signs of decline here. Impressive and cool.
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10/5/2016 - tcarter Likes this wine: 97 Points
Totoraku Night (Totoraku): Magnificent. Still floral and balanced and just great.
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10/5/2016 - Wine_Bear Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wine was properly stored from purchase upon release in 1970 until consumed. Level was mid-shoulder, perhaps 3/4 inch down. Placed in a cradle, not decanted. Careful not to over-swirl.
Big, full bouquet, classic cassis - jumps out of the glass. This is why one keeps and ages great Bordeaux for a special occasion. Bouquet is layers of fruit. Peaches. berries. Caramel. Almonds. Plums, Raspberries. Frais des bois. All rushing to present themselves to the nose, trying to be first.
After 50 minutes, citrus, mango, pecan, quince, pomegranate, passion fruit, walnuts.
After 90 minutes, chocolate, caramel, pomegranate, strawberries.
After 105 minutes, honeysuckle and butterscotch.
Amazing journey, what a wine.
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10/2/2016 - ATBridge wrote:
Pristine bottle with fill just to the base of the neck. This bottle was superb, and better than any other '66 I've drunk, including multiple bottles of Latour and Palmer. Textbook St Julien perfume with sweet cassis . Beautiful, still very rich fruit (served blind some guessed '85 and even '89) with mostly resolved tannins. Incredible texture and complexity in the mouth and a long finish--most satisfied with this bottle on a Sunday night. Decanted for around 2 hours prior to serving.
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8/13/2016 - jmoon Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic experience. Full of life on first pour and held together well over the next hour or two. Tight lean fruit, high acid, great complexity and a real wow factor.
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7/30/2016 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
The same bottle as graftsrb, and the same sentiments. A transcendent, humbling wine that's both living and dying, and succeeding at both. Such grace.
Served non-blind as part of a multi-decade LLC vertical - good times!
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7/30/2016 - grafstrb wrote:
Double decanted 3.5 hours before tasting. Violet-garnet color of medium-deep depth, with bricking at the edges. Nose seemed tight, giving up light to medium-light notes of mineral, pencil lead, cherry licorice, and campfire. Medium bodied. Smooth; dark-fruited; tanned leather; hint of drying tannin with medium+ acidity; alcohol not noticeable; well-balanced; medium length finish of medium-light intensity; absolutely gorgeous wine, and in the running for my favorite wine of the tasting; at peak, so Drink Now.
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4/21/2016 - lolo66 wrote:
deader than dead on arrival.
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4/9/2016 - MC2 Wines wrote:
April Acker Auction (Marea): Similar to the Palmer this was an older wine that I think was probably a bit over the hill. Fun to try though.
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3/18/2016 - Loekkeboe Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very fine and classic aged bordeaux with cedar, cassis and earth. Fell a part in about half an hour.
High fill.
Danish Bottling: Taster Wine.
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3/14/2016 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Earthy and cedar with light cherry-blackberry; good tannic backbone; long earthy finish.
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3/8/2016 - kerv22 Likes this wine: 93 Points
50 years old and still a spectacular bottle. I was amazed to find out that this wine still has some life in it. I must say however, it's drinking beautifully today.
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1/10/2016 - vindictive wrote:
bottle, fill and cork all good. Still vigorous and I agree with other notes that this wine needs two hours in the decanter. A classic aged Bordeaux, is a fine partner to beef and held up well over several hours. It has a hard edge and this chateau has never been a favorite of mine. Several people really liked it while the rest preferred the 1970 Haut Bailly.
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1/1/2016 - conviction buy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Slowly bt decant, bright brick red with nose of honey, cassis, dried rose petal and tea leaves. Rustic in mouth, mildly acidic made the wine feel edgy initially, more dried leaves. A bit short but more floral from mid palate with structure. Med finish.
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12/20/2015 - MC wrote:
From magnum. Decent wine that was better with food than on its own. I bit too astringent on the finish, but overall reasonable for it's age. B+
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7/17/2015 - conviction buy wrote: 91 Points
Pnp, deep garnet hue leathery aroma, lead pencil, faint floral note too. Good acidity here and there is still some fruit and sweetness on palate. Bit lean on finish, not the kind of softy plushy 66 Palmer offered. Decent old bdx nonetheless, pretty prestine bottle condition.
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12/9/2014 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Served from a half bottle. Surprisingly fresh. Bright ruby, very red and clear, not much fine sediments. Bright red fruits and a hint of cassis, plum, cedar, leather, lead pencil, a hint of mint, light caramel, a hint of bell pepper which lifts the overall impression and earth. Medium concentration, bright red fruit driven palate impression, good acidity, nicely integrated tannins and medium clean finish. What is remarkable is that the wine is really clean absolutely no brett or musty damp cellar. It is also very youthful especially considering that it was served from a half bottle. Highly recommend.
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10/22/2014 - johnwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine accounted for one of the most unusual tasting experiences I have ever had. The wine was decanted only 45 minutes prior to serving. The first sips showed lovely cherries but fading fruit with an open nose bursting with scents of roses, cherries and a hint of anise. Over the next 2 hours the wine came out of its deep sleep and turned into a grand lady of the vintage.
The nose exploded with flavors of red and black cherries, anise, and roses. Wonderful intense flavors of wild cherry, plum, earth and anise with a hint of cigar box were evident on the palate. Wow what a wine. I would say it will be very good for at least another five years.
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9/7/2014 - mike l. Likes this wine: 94 Points
First off; great wine
But I'm drinking many great wines lately so it's worth qualifying this. This was after several very good to stellar wines at Providence.
The nose was appealing and almost racy for it's age, but the palate was fairly subdued next to the 82 Canon beside it. (Shocking right?!)
What the palate lacks in expressiveness it makes up for in balance and, um, palatability. Maybe just not a food wine at this late date?
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8/14/2014 - Jeffrey Silver Likes this wine: 91 Points
TN: 1966 Leoville Las Cases
While this wine was poped and poured. After about an hour it started to show off a nice nose of fruit. The taste was full of flower and dense red berries crashed. This wine showed very nice and I've had this wine for many years and was purchased from someone who had it from the beginning. I wouldn't say this is stellar Bordeaux but glad to have enjoyed it. If you have one I highly recommend you open it now. I don't think this is going to get any better and it's past it's prime. That doesn't mean this won't give you some Vino joy! My Score 91
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4/16/2013 - Gobi wrote: flawed
This bottle is old, didn't have that much expectations from it due to the mid shoulder fill. The wine opens up musty, its on the verge of being oxidation, but it seems as if the fruit has completely dried up and only acidity has been left.
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1/11/2013 - LWI wrote: 94 Points
20 Vintages of Château Léoville Las Cases: Impressive and complex nose, some earth; earthy in the mouth as well, some complexity. A very fine bottle.
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1/11/2013 - GuWin wrote: 94 Points
Léoville Las Cases Grand Tasting (At Kim Aa's place, Ulvøya, Norway): Yet another great wine. Quite intense, warm aromas of tobacco, bonfire, tea leaves and - strangely enough - asparagus. Evolves after some time into blackcurrants. Full bodied, more sweet-ish than the older ones (45, 55, 59, 61). Spicy mouth feeling, very fruity, fantastic balance and an impressive tannin structure given that this wine is almost 50 years old.
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12/25/2012 - stiang Likes this wine: 93 Points
Utrolig rik nese, her er det alt moden bdx skal ha. I starten gav den lite midt i smakskurven, men frukten kom etter en halvtime luft. Elegant og parfymert på nese, men ganske kraftfull og maskulin i munnen. Veldig bra finish, 1 min+. Mulig å trekke litt for konsentrasjon, Latour 66 er f.eks. mye rikere og konsentrert. Forstår både at Broadbent er på ***** og at Parker er på 89p. Jeg er nok på 93-94p
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12/24/2012 - DollarMenunaire wrote:
Negociant bottled in London. Good core of garnet color with thin clear rim. Nose of cedar, spice, coffee, earth, and fresh cut flowers. Palate is fresh and bright with mushroom, violet, and a touch of red and blue fruit. Finish is slightly short ending with tobacco leaf, but the length is easy to forgive when the wine has such vitality.
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12/21/2012 - Bhuygen Likes this wine: 97 Points
Lots of color for a wine as old as this. The nose is immense cedar, cassis and a nose of immense grandeur. The taste is great, a palette of flavors like herbes, spices and some fruit with nice acidity and bitters. After taste is incredible, so beautiful! Now I know why Leoville las Cases has such a good name. And I understand why Michael Broadbent gives this one 4 stars!
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12/11/2012 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux dinner (Trestle on Tenth, NYC): Liked this much more than the '76. Some funky, unpleasant notes initially but those quickly blow off with some air to reveal a fragrant combination of red and dark fruit, cedar, leather and mature herbal and tobacco notes on a polished, medium weight frame. Very elegant, wonderfully balanced and long.
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12/7/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 83 Points
Very light in color, this was all about the nose. Smoke, tobacco, gravel, spice, earth, cigar and ash. This was not as good as the bottle. I'd avoid buying this in the marketplace for too much money and will drink up my remaining bottles over the next year or two.
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10/30/2012 - PJRONeill wrote: 85 Points
A fantastic vibrant color for a 46 year old wine, medium garnet with bricking at the rim. Nose is clean, medium-intensity with notes of leather, tobacco, eucalyptus, blackberry and dried cherries. On the palate its not so hot. Cherries, earth, tart and drying with tannin still quite evident. The fruit has largely vanished and there's not much of a finish to speak of. Still, its a good experiment in aged bottles and not without pleasure, though not one to be repeated either.
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6/23/2012 - canan wrote: 86 Points
Leoville Las Cases - Vertical Tasting (Le Sommelier, Copenhagen): Lots of coffee on the nose with black currant fruit mixed with a hint of vanilla and some gamey notes.
The palate is light and fresh with black currant fruit and a little iron and rust in the aftertaste.
Fresh but old :-) 85-87p
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4/8/2012 - esh44 wrote: 90 Points
High shoulder fill. Cork had blackened mold on top that smelled rotten. After extracting the crumbling cork, wine presented well although muddy in color (should have kept bottle upright for longer than the one day). Brownish color with clear rim. Very nice tobacco, cedar, bark, and earth aromas. Tannins were still firm but smooth with well balanced acidity. Most of the fruit was gone, however, and the finish was very short. Probably a bottle that should have been opened five or so years ago, but still a good drinking experience.
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3/15/2012 - vumansky wrote: 95 Points
Bring Your Special Bottle Night (Crown Wine Cellars, Hong Kong): Came from Nicholas' cellar apparently, so perfect provenance, and it showed. Still fairly dark red with orange tinge. Vibrant, with fruity notes. Long finish.
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1/21/2012 - LWI wrote: 91 Points
A Weekend in Excess; 1/20/2012-1/21/2012 (Trondheim, Norway): In neck fill. Yet another twist darker; smells of bark and underbrush; this is also on the light side, refreshing – but rather forgettable.
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12/12/2011 - lepetitchateau wrote: 94 Points
Showing well- beautiful nose especially
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8/6/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 85 Points
Ruby with amber in the color, the wine looked even older than its 45 years of age. The nose offered tobacco, earth, forest floor, smoke, cigar box, coffee and hints of cherries. Soft, light and without much backbone, this luncheon styled Claret ended with end a light, cassis and cherry note. This was a fine aged Bordeaux, without fault. It was the perfect lunch wine. This was a correct bottle. It came from the cellars of the original buyer who purchased it on release. This was popped and poured. It did not degrade in the glass for the the first hour, but it never improved. If you have a bottle, do not decant, there is not enough stuffing to handle the air.
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5/22/2011 - SoCal wrote:
Tobacco for days, fully resolved tannins leather hints of toasty mocha and stinky barnyard. Smooth and lively. In a word "sexy".
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4/26/2011 - phenricsson wrote: 90 Points
Surprisingly vital at this age. Did not decant but should have - it it improved for the hour and a half that we had it. Impressive, fullbodied. Very enjoyable
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4/5/2011 - Topper wrote: 93 Points
Opened at a tasting of several older bordeaux, each with a somewhat younger version of the same wine. This 66 was holding up surprisingly well with bracing acidity and plenty of fruit left. More than any other wine at the tasting, the Las Cases maintained the most similarity between the 60s and 80s (a bottle of the 86). The nose and flavor profiles were remarkable similar with the most cedar/led pencil flavors of the bunch (a bunch that included pairs of Latour, Palmer, and Haut Brion among others). Makes me happy that I have other vintages of this in the cellar and also puts me in no hurray to open them - especially any from the 90s.
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3/19/2011 - Wine-Caesar wrote: 92 Points
Nose:great,smoke,mushrooms,eart. Silky and soft, taste is better, after four hour . Interesting vine. Very good experiens.
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2/25/2011 - SimonG wrote:
Shama's LLC Offline (The Square, London): Similar colour to the 64. Drier, earthier, tobacco and really quite prominent blackcurrant leaf nose. A touch of acidity on the finish here that grates a little. ***1/2
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10/5/2010 - Richard M wrote: 94 Points
Top shoulder fill - 5 hour 'Slow Audoze' - color still dark, slight orange hint at rim. Initial hints of plum gave way to fresh cherries with exposure to oxygen. Lovely balance of cedar and black cherry essence emerge, with a refreshing blast of acidity. Remarkable combination of young and old made for a serendipitous experience.
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6/17/2010 - johnwine Likes this wine: 95 Points
The nose yielded scents of roses and cherries ala claouflutie. The taste was vibrant and alive with flavors of red and black cherries marinated in kirsch. The finish was medium on ripe cherries.
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4/20/2010 - marckuipers wrote: 90 Points
Weer n wijn uit m'n geboortejaar. Heerlijk.
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3/22/2010 - Machiavelli wrote:
Fill mid shoulder. Medium garnet. Whiff of green pepper quickly blew off, complex smokey/tobacco, berry fruits,and slight barnyard. With more air took on a peat then fudge aspect. The palate was medium bodied, tannins totally resolved, fresh acidity gave the wine energy, and the deep mid-palate had a spice (minty) aspect to it that popped. Medium length. Really surprising colour and aroma, this held up quite well for 2-3 hours. As good as the other 66 LLC I tried, I'm pleased.
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1/1/2010 - gbm wrote: 94 Points
Newtown New Year's Eve; 12/31/2009-1/1/2010 (The Rosens): The cork looked very damp after we removed the capsule, but the cork came out smooth and clean - well, the top of the cork came out clean first and then the bottom followed on the second pass. In the glass it was a moderately dark brown with hints of red at the center - maybe mahogany is a good descriptor. The nose was strong with cedar, old leather, and alcohol. I was nervous about how the wine had held up, but it was fantastic. Coffee, earth, cola, and some red fruits buried in the middle. The finish was long and smooth and - we all agreed - exactly like Dr. Brown's Black Cherry soda. This was incredible. Easily the best wine I have tasted. (3+13+19+9)
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11/25/2009 - Fatty Cat wrote: 93 Points
Late Nov 2009, "steaks and wines" evening: original cork; high fill; opened (not decanted) 30 minutes before consumption; fresh looking dark brownish red color; in the beginning unbalanced in the nose; thin and unimaginative in the mouth; after a while the wine found its balance; coffee latte, chocolate and red fruits; light/medium body; classic claret style; short finish.
Next wine was a Doudet-Naudin "Clos des Perriers" 1954 (see tasting note).
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11/7/2009 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 87 Points
Marine Room Leoville Las Cases Vertical Dinner (Marine Room Restaurant, La Jolla, CA): The serial tasting for this wine commenced immediately after decanting and proceeded for 60-90 minutes. Deep garnet robe with brick rim. Clean, moderately intense bouquet showing coffee, plum, cedar and cigar box aromas. Full-bodied on the palate. To be sure, there is a core of fruit left on this wine, but the relatively high acidity and substantial residual "green" tannins lead me to believe that this wine is now disjointed and a decade or so beyond plateau. Drink up.
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9/24/2009 - JJL wrote: 92 Points
This wine was all about the nose. Lots of cedar, I mean lots of cedar and strong red fruit. Somewhat reminded me of the '16 Chevalier I had a few days earlier. Medium bodied with a burst of fruit and then a quick fade as could be expected.
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3/20/2009 - LWI wrote: 96 Points
Mouton Rothschild versus other first growths and second growths (Oslo): Comforting, but giving away less than the Lynch. Still some fruit notes. Holding on very well. 96p.
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12/7/2008 - David J Cooper wrote:
Medium red. The nose seemed younger then 42 years old. Mostly coffee notes. The palate seemed dried up. Lots of acid left. A treat for sure.
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7/12/2008 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
Family Reunion/Birthday Dinner: Opened to compare to the '66 Beychevelle. The color was a deep mahogany. The nose was surprisingly similar to the Beychevelle, but a bit more dominated by tobacco and with a touch of prune. On the palate this had better intensity with notable tobacco flavors. Smooth and silky despite the presence of some lingering tannin/dryness. I believe it was a split decision between the Beychevelle and the LLC for wine of the flight (I voted for the LLC).
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6/21/2008 - win wrote: 89 Points
A bit amber on the edge, the cork was in below average condition and broke in two. High shoulder fill, with smooth aromas and flavors. Has long since lost its fruit, but the result is a smooth, refined wine. 88 - 92
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5/10/2008 - DLighto1 wrote: 88 Points
I think it is fair to say that this wine is past its peak. That said, it was an experience to drink. It was still chocolatey and rich after all these years. A little bit of mushroom on the palate, and a slightly metallic nose. Needed considerable decanting!
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11/16/2007 - thomaskeil wrote: 92 Points
"Bring your Best" Reno tasting (Mark and Megan's): Decanted 90 minutes. Deep violet core with browing rim. Intruguing nose of tabacco, cedar, coffee, earth and even some cassis and dark fruit in the back. Surprisingly pleasing palate that while lean on the sweet fruit end and fat tannins, nice acidity that was in proportion to the fruit. The finish was complex, balanced and long. This went great with the beef short ribs.
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1/30/2007 - Goldstone wrote: 85 Points
Very deep, almost black colour with a bricking rim. Off nose, smelling of damp newspaper and faded age with pronounced shoe polish notes behind it. A thin, closed, acid, lean and faded palate; the tanin and fruit have all but gone leaving only the acid. With more time the nose turned remarkably into deep toffee and caramel but unfortunately the palate didn't improve at all. Well past its prime and overshadowed by the Ch. Talbot '82 and Wynns John Riddoch '82 we drank with it. Drunk over a rather hedonistic dinner at Crown Wine Cellar with David, Daniel and Patrick.
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1/11/2007 - boblerner wrote: 89 Points
another bad cork; not memorable but still drinkable if not enjoyable
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12/27/2006 - BradE wrote:
Nice if restrained nose. Somewhat disappointing palate. Nothing is off, but the fruit is shallow and not impressive. Drink up.
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10/1/2006 - Arcturus wrote:
Not very good, over the hill and was probably tainted in some way. Peeled off the foil to reveal a thick layer of black stuff (mold?) The cork was brittle and broke apart but I was able to salvage it with an ah-so. Almost brown in color, nose of black olive and a lttlle funk. The wine was drinkable and was velvety smooth, the fruit had faded but it was not bitter. no rating
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9/24/2006 - obwine wrote:
Definitive tobacco and cedar notes rising above the minimal fruit remaining. Not the best wine, but certainly an interesting tasting of a 40-year old bottle for someone who hasn't had very many old Bordeauxs. It's always fun to try something different.
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4/6/2006 - Myownscale wrote: 88 Points
Nose:
Meaty, sausage, slim jim, smokey
Palate:
Good, still fruits, well balanced, really nice dried fruits, huge finish, smokey fruits
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4/1/2006 - acontos wrote: 95 Points
Hardaway's 40th BD: Very unique wine. Decanted. Beautiful brick rim with purple center. Quite noticeable aroma and pallet of veined cheese in the nose. Some tobacco, mineral, red berry, and earth underneath. Lasts forever and incredibly ballanced.
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3/24/2006 - jrufusj wrote:
TTG#6: 4x Older Claret plus 3 Burgs and a Champagne (Tokyo): Still young looking with deepish plum and red colors. A little bit of green vine-leaf and nice dose of berry and plum fruit are immediately apparent on the nose. The green is never intrusive, merely interesting, and a little time lets the cedar and tobacco and currant fruit come out. This one clearly wants a few hours open, as the palate was still tight when we finished it. There is clear evidence of good dark fruit, a bit of wood spice, and some non-earth mineral but it is wrapped tightly enough in good acid and some fine remaining tannin that it is really only just peeking out. In a nicely lean and defined package, this is a wine that very much fits my style of claret. Just as we’re finishing the bottle, a bit of that sweet low library character that I like so much is starting to move to the fore.
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2/28/2006 - Brix wrote: 93 Points
We did not decant the wine for fear it might be too delicate, but it could have used it. Initially, the nose was fresh but unyielding. Within half an hour, it opened up beautifully, with notes of sweet tobacco, leather, mint, and cedar. Most surprisingly, there was still noticeable fruit. On the palate, the wine was silky and seamless, with faint, sweet tannins remaining on the long finish.
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11/5/2005 - antiwood wrote: 89 Points
Very nice nose of damp cellar notes, cooked roast, tobacco, and blackberry ... but not extraordinary interest. A surprising amount of verve and concentration in the body with a large scaled mineral driven finish. This is falling apart just a bit and slightly disjointed. Likely a really great drink about five years ago.
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9/1/1993 - sdr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Andy’s bottle, Draper&Esquin. The best Bordeaux of the ‘66s this night at Ocean Grand. Dark ruby. Huge bouquet of black currant and spicy oak. An in-your-face, 2x4 on-the-head type of wine. Subtle as a train wreck. Great concentration of fruit. Long finish. Perfect with a beef tenderloin.
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1/1/1985 - bacchus wrote: 86 Points
for a 1966 i don't remember being that imipressed. interesting that as of 2006, it is still holding up.
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10/29/1982 - RogerG wrote:
Rounded, tobacco, much fruit also in nose; at peak but could probably improve
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