An odd beast... Quite fruit forward still with an almost meaty butchershop, syrah-like vibe. Very faint Bdx markers after 2h of decant and blind - I would likely have gone New World (SA?)..
With time, leather, brushed leather, bramberry, fresh tobacco/sweet liqorice and pine. Still powerful and meaty with a slight smoky touch..
Tasty but not what I expected...
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Last bottle of the '10 - pretty much the same comments as previous notes. I would say it is at or near the end of the drink window. You can hold a little longer if properly cellared. Drink up!
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This bottle is singing tonight. Cherry, blueberry, sweet vanilla, cured tobacco, cut cedar, cardamom and clove. Beautiful balance of fruit and secondary flavors. Complex and intriguing, its lively acids paired perfectly with a NY strip. Tannins are soft and pliant. The long finish reverberates with sweet ripe fruit.
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Busted the cap on this forgotten baby SHL and drank it over 3 hours. Really gained weight after 2 hours and keep moving upward. I think this is in a good spot if you like some muscle on your wine. I was actually surprised of how muscular, lengthy, and fresh this was compared to others. This reminds me of the same year Malartic Lagarviere and I had to take a second look to make sure I grabbed the right bottle. May have been because of the fact that I let the bottle go from cellar temp to room temp for 2 days before drinking it. That seems to be a great pleasure extender for Bordeaux in my storage setup. Fun stuff... Drink
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Still drinking really, really well. Not much add from previous comments except this will be fine past the current drink window of 2023 - maybe 2025/26 if properly cellared. We found ourselves saying - should have bought more! Anxious to try the other vintages in the cellar. Enjoy!
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Truly velvety deliciousness, but definitely time to drink up - once we got home and the splash we poured before heading to the restaurant was super soft (4h later) so in not too long from now the smooth velvet may start to feel worn. But for the time being, pnp and enjoy this great value.
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Last drank this 8 1/2 years ago, after purchasing as a future. I don't have anything to add to the other recent tasters than to reiterate that this is a bonkers value wine that provides a lot of pleasure. I bought this 10 years ago for $30 and today it's about $45, which is still a crazy good value.
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No need to decant. So good from the PnP. Hard to imagine a better sub-$30 Brdx. Loads of sweet fruit, pencil shavings, chocolate, and vanilla. Even more impressive than the previous bottle, so adding a point. Wish that I'd bought a case, rather than ½.
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Double decanted back into bottle 30 mins prior to serving. In the glass, dark and opaque no browning at rim. Nose dark fruits and chocolate with a touch of earthiness. Taste: More of what's on the nose - dark raspberry, dark cherry with some minerality. Finish is smooth, long and backed with fine tannins. Incredible "Petit" wine at 12 years old. Glad to have 2 more. This is just hitting it's stride in my opinion. Drink now or next 3 years.
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I wish I could have more bottles of this wine. This 12 years old bottle has an outstanding complex aromas, . Prunes dry figs and black and red berries together with complex aromas that I can’t distinguish. At taste is round, dense and delicious with a balanced tannins and acidity. Short to medium long finishing.
Another outstanding bottle of this wine, and the preceding year's reviews capture the details. Short decant (or none) and this wine is ready to go. Good with food and by itself. I'm sticking with my previous score. 92. Given where this is at right now and the fact that this is a SHL's second wine, I don't see this drinking at this level much past 2026.
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Update to previous rating - still very, very nice wine. Would say more integrated, dark fruit present, smooth finish, more complexity. Definitely in the drink window. The nose has improved as well. Will try to space out the remaining 3 in the cellar over the next 5 years. Enjoy now!
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Very nice BDX that is coming into its drinking window. Nice dark purple color, a bit closed nose, nice fruit, soft tannins. I would buy again in better vintages.
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As others have said, drinking very nicely right now. Wonderful balance of dark red and black fruit, still fresh, along with leather, earthiness, and minerality. Medium long finish with more fruit and earthy complexity, and silky smooth tannins! Lots of pleasure in this bottle.
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Deep ruby. Still plenty of dark fruits on the nose with some leather & forest floor. Beautifully balanced with medium tannins and long finish. Plums, black cherries, cinnamon, figs palate. Outstanding wine which will drink well for 5-10 years. Great value.
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I concur with other reviewers that this wine does not need much of a decant. I did anyway. This is just plain delicious, with lots of fresh fruits (plum and black cherry), vanilla, milk chocolate, smooth tannins, and tangy acidity. The latter makes this wine so fresh and good by itself or with food. It has a very silky mouthfeel and a surprisingly long finish. I think that I have to go 92 on this; it is just that good. At <$30, this has a high QPR. Will probably revise my drinking window downward (2020-2026), as I like where this is right now and don't know that it will maintain much past 2025.
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Dark garnet color. Opulent dark berry fruit in the nose. Very youthful with hardly a trace of bottle age. Minerality with a touch of herbs and spice. Rich full body mouth feel and very soft tannins. Moderately long finish. Should age for another 10 years.
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The second wine from Smith Haut Lafitte, from the extraordinary Graves vintage of 2010, comes stealthily with ripe cherries and black currants before faintly smoky and elegant notes of board yard, spice box, and stone crusher. And then some dry leather and delicious licorice on it. This wine has aged really well and is beautifully balanced with a lovely velvety structure, sublime acidity, and a long finish. Made from 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot – and with "...just as much care that went into the grand vin."
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Opened this bottle at around 11AM and let it sit without the cork. Checking in on it at around 2PM and this was still wound tight. So I decanted it in the cellar for a couple of hours and this was ready to go. Color: dark ruby with a very slight bricking/orange at the rim. Nose: this still felt very fresh. Nose of blackberries, dark cherries, plums, and blackcurrants. Quite minerally, and this is unequivocally Pessac. Tobacco and cedar on the nose as well but the fruit is still quite dominant here (in a pleasant way - this is not over the top - felt more balanced than the SHL). Palate: medium acidity, soft and mostly resolved tannins, with a medium plus body. Plums, dark cherries, blackcurrants, basically more of the same on the palate. Lots of "graphite" or whatever you want to call it. Not much tertiary development going on here. This was still very primary, very fruity. I will be holding off on the rest of my bottles for a few years to see where this goes.
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First bottle in about 12 months, and 6th consumed from 8 purchased. No decant nor was it needed. The time in bottle has been positive, and has changed my prior opinion on this wine (or there is bottle variation at work).
Dark plum color with an almost glass staining viscosity. Generously aromatic on opening with plentiful cassis, cloves, saddle leather, espresso, anise, and more subtle hints of crushed gravel, vanilla, and smoked alder. On the palate this is bursting with fruit as the cassis, plum, and black raspberry take center stage on the entry. In the mid palate this unfurls coffee, anise, and smoke that transitions well into a subtle yet sustained finish. Fine grained tannins and adequate acidity that really support the plentiful fruit.
Overall this is poised and elegant on the palate with complimentary aromatics. My view is this is entering a prime drinking where it will provide 5-7 years of pleasurable drinking.
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55% Cabernet and 45% Merlot. The must underwent 4 to 6 weeks of maceration. 14 months in French oak. 14% ABV.
Terrific wine that begins to strut its stuff around the hour mark in the decanter.
Opaque medium purple, becoming lighter on the rim. The legs have some color to them.
On the nose, black fruits, cedar, unsmoked cigar and damson plums.
Intense, mouth-filling fruit – yet supremely balanced – displaying flavors of blackberry, black currant, cocoa dust and tobacco. Medium+ acidity and the tannins form an attractive textural resistance rubbing against the tongue.
Finishes with lingering dark chocolate, and mouth-drying tannins. In a good place now but has the stuffing to provide pleasure probably for at least another decade.
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Still in good health, but this bottle was a victim of bottle variation as you can expect from second wines. Lush fruit, little graphite compared to expectations, and lengthy. Descent. Drink
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A few months ago I described this as a little too black and tarry but now I think it's exactly the right amount of black and tarry. A very nice wine, good balance and exceptional depth. Cassis, pencil lead, and tar on the nose. In the mouth the cassis remains surrounded by leather and tar and a lovely earthiness. An exceptionally masculine wine and was perfect with roast beef. Drinking nicely but no hurry to consume - several more years ahead.
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Beautiful dark red colour. Nose of black cherries, red fruits and oak. Nicely rounded off wine with hints of leather, black pepper and cigar smoke. Tannins kick in late but are not overwhelming, making this is a complex wine with good balance. QPR: Excellent (25€) Highly recommended 91-92p
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A 2nd wine of 1st wine quality, excellent and my style of wine... dark and aromatic. Notes of tar , smoke , earth and vanilla. The balance seems fine to me and the dark fruit is there to taste. A really great second wine. I had a bottle of the smith haut lafitte 2014 “1st wine” not that long ago and surprisingly this petit haut lafitte is way better !
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A little too black and tarry - muted aromatics, soft mouthfeel (which is nice), black fruit but barely fruited. Soft tannins and moderate/light acidity. Overall pleasant with food and not that good of a sipping wine. I’m in no hurry to drink the remaining bottles but I don’t think there is much room for improvement. Integrated though maybe a little primary.
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love the style and the vintage, like the wine overall. well balanced but lacked a bit of a punch. about an hour decant brought out more in the wine but not quite enough for me. a couple more years might improve it, but unsure as it seems close to ready to go
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After my first bottle a month or so ago that did not open up until day 3, I opted to hyper-decant the wine for ten seconds in a blender. This was the first time I had ever hyper-decanted wine.
The hyper-decanting definitely helped open the aromatic qualities with black currant, coffee, black plums, tobacco, and herbs. On the palate, the tannins lean slightly dry with the same chalky notes from a prior bottle, and the acidity in the first 30 minutes had good vigor. On the palate the flavor profile matches the aromatic qualities with the addition of a pronounced anise.
Respectable, but there is no need for me to sit on these. I will keep drinking over the next 18-24 months.
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This is the first 2010 Bordeaux I have pulled a cork on.
Good aromatics with a powerful creme de cassis bursting from the glass, with secondary notes of clove, crushed gravel, graphite, and vanilla. The aromas set an expectation of a plush and velvety tasting experience.
On the palate this starts with a gripping acidity that flips quickly into a tannic mid-palate. As the tannins release, this presents a pasty chalk sensation with an unexpected acetone that left an almost metallic taste on the finish. A very bizarre tasting experience. Seven bottles remain and barring a major improvement on day 2, this will sit for probably another 3 years.
The aromatics and palate have not lined up tonight, and the bottle will be stored overnight to check development. Day 1 - 86.
Day 2 - More of the same with a modest improvement on the palate. Score 88.
Day 3 - This has finally shed the metallic notes that were so prominent on day 1. A much softer wine on the palate with cassis, plums, incense, and coffee notes. Score 90.
Overall score at 88. Hold or consider a long decant.
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This is very nice and will get better (in my opinion) over the next couple years. This is our first bottle and I will wait to add any more detail until I see consistency in the next bottle. For now - I am looking forward to that next bottle! Enjoy.
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Drinking pretty round and dark to the core. An excellent second wine that deserves just a little more time in the cellar. I wish the wood was more integrated but you can see the intensity of the vintage for sure. Well made. Juicy.
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This is just becoming more soft and elegant. Lots of graphite in this wine, like a mid level, young Pauillac. Still has balance and tug and pull...I would say its 2 years away from full maturity, but needs to be room temp and needs a 1 hour decant. Drink or hold...
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(Decanted for half an hour) Rubin red colour with a youthful nose showing an incipient maturity with notes of oak and herbs. Some youthful oak still not fully integrated and still showing lots of sweet primary fruit, but with smoothing tannins and a nice and lengthy finish with some hints of drying fruit and leather notes. Very intense and powerful still, this should reward a few more years of cellaring. (Best 2020-2030)
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9hr Audoze. Pours a beautiful reddish purple. Nose and palate are fully resolved showing soft purple and red berries, semi-sweet chocolate, new leather, dried herbs, cedar, and gravel. Midpalate is lush and velvety with creamy textured red fruits and chocolate cradled by rounded acids and smooth tannins. Finish is long and palate staining showcasing the red fruits and cedar beautifully. In a great drinking window right now and will hold here for the next 5 years so it seems.
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Much better than the last bottle. Dark. Dark cherry, some gravel, tannic and a little hard. I have to think this is going to be better in a few years. But, it’s not bad now by any means.
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Deep red, intense, and thick, particularly for a second wine. These 2010 bdx just aren't ready, remain so closed, even the 2nd wines. Masculine and tannic and even hot, but dry. Gutsy is right. More minerals and forest floor than fruit. The sociando and DDC seconds were much more open. This one needs 5 years. I have one left.
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Tripped my trigger - penetrating, balanced and energetic. Deep purple/red color. Baking spice, Kirsch and violet scent. Blackberry, cinnamon, ginger, clove and tar with plentiful smooth tannins.
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As to where most second wines tend to be better in their youth, this one is getting better and seems to have allot of complexity under it. This time, I tasted a clear underlying of graphite along with fresh tilled soil and the sweetness that makes it so drinkable and tasty. What a great alternative to a California cabernet. Drink or Hold
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Nice nose 30 mins after opening, no decanting. Started to open up right away. Black cherry with hints of vanilla and pepper. Fairly long finish. Good balance. Enjoyable now and a fair value at $35/bottle.
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Solid throughout, balanced, and true to place. It should last for three to five years but is unlikely to improve. Many Bordeaux wines of the same quality can be had for $20 or less, which makes this wine marginal QPR at over $30.
2010 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Le Petit (Rouge), Graves, Pessac-Leognan; 14 pabv, $35/750 ml; Beavercreek, OH Costco; Misa Imports, Inc., Dallas, TX
Beautiful opaque center and vibrant cherry edge; Tudor arches on the sides of wine glass. Sweet blackcurrant, with lints of clove and anise, showing delicate notes of vanillin oak. Solid vivid juicy cassis, with very ripe and round tannin and a touch of mineral. A very fine and stylish mid-level Graves (Pessac-Leognan, red Bordeaux). I think I can pick out some spicy Petit Verdot in there. Drink now-2023.
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"Correct" Bordeaux. Drinkable now, but simple and linear. Not much complexity. Nose of dark fruits, typical cassis. I like that the oak was not overbearing. Hint of heat on the mid-palate. Short-medium finish. Enjoyable drink now, good with food, but didn't leave much of an impression.
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Very dark ruby-purple colour. Nose not understated, nice and decent but overall rather holding back. Really grows in the palate though. Very smooth tannins and balanced. Not the most powerfull left bank but a very smooth, subtle wine.
Really enjoyed this compared to my prior tastes as I followed feedback indicating more time open was required. After about 2 hrs in decanter, this really opened up on the nose and palate. Dense dark fruit and velvet tannins. Could easily see this going a few years in bottle with improvement.
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I could score this a point higher easily, its just that even after 3 hours of decanting it, it still was not ready to drink and as a matter of fact, it was used as a filler at the end of the night (After following a 2005 and a 2009) and it was still interesting and good! How many second wines can do that? Well, its clear that after the coffee and earth that started developing in the decanter after 7 hours, this wine is a hold candidate and can only get better. HOLD for now...
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Fail to open after a few hours of slow ox. Nose not expressive, but good stuff seems to be lurking. Acidity and alcohol are not dominating, but it is not yet integrated. I would leave it alone for a while.
More mellowed on day 2, but still failed to impress.
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Wow, the second bottling of Smith Haut Lafitte 2010 is simply marvelous. Right now, this presents a superb primary drinking experience for $35 i.e. without breaking the bank.
Pop and pour. Vibrant but deep, fresh and youthful but intense dark purple. Long and sticky leg. The aromas is full of cassis and other black fruits. On the palate, it has medium body, medium acidity, fine and slightly grained tannin but well integrated and ripe already, with a lot of desirable fruit notes - cassis, and plum, graphite, pencil shaving, tea bag, steak herbs. Finish was med-long with oak-infused black fruits. Excellent now. 90 points.
A couple of days later ...
That vibrant colors are gone, turning dull, and more concentrated, looking stale a bit. On the nose, distinctly toastedly oaky, supporting notes of cassis. Round tannin, medium to mid low acidity. Smooth. A bit of graphite still lingers but lots of sweet oaky character, dark fruits predominate but feel very extracted this time round. Started to taste over oaked and slightly overripe with a hint of alcoholic heat creeping in. Finish on oak more than fruit. Revised down the score.
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Dark red with black forest fruits on the nose and palate. The 2010 is medium-to-full bodied, with medium acidity and enjoyable smooth tannins. All elements are in wonderful balance. Finish is medium-long. This wine is close to peak maturity, and it should hold good for another 5 years. Excellent QPR.
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Vinturried into a decanter and let sit for 2+ hours; appearance of dark ruby with a nose of fresh blueberries and boysenberries with some hints of cassis and dried violets. On the palate, am detecting a good amount of plums and blackberries with some espresso-like flavour that hovers around; some tannins are also evident and I think the decant time helped even the tannins out a bit. Medium bodied with a medium finish. Impressive 2nd label if you can find this on sale.
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Le Petit Haut Lafitte 2010: One of my favourite humble everyday drinking wines.
Deep, dense ruby with purple highlights. On the nose, ripe black currants with accents of blueberry skins. Secondary notes of pencil shavings, and cocoa powder are starting to show. Given some time, fresh juicy plum notes start to show, accompanied by faint, woody herbs.
The wine shows tasteful opulence on the palate, a youthful tannic grip and acidity that is a tad animated at the moment. The balance of ripeness and freshness on the nose makes this a delightful wine at the moment, but would be a lot more polished after 5 years. This is truly one of the smartest and most sincere 2nd wine out there.
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Fund raiser with David Starkey and Theresa May in the Churchill War Rooms. Limited note taking. Dusty grainy tannins pervade this wine that in my view needs at least a couple of years to open out. Lacks the weight to make the excellent 90 standard but should be a solid and reasonable value upper 80 pointer when ready to drink. Very closed at present.
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Appearance: clear and dark ruby Nose: black and dark fruits, wood or hay like a farm Palate: starting to get dryer Opinion: overall allot better than I expected and Def a food wine
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Dark and saturated in color and nose. Blackberry, cassis tobacco, cedar, herbs and chocolate on the nose and palate. Rich and mouth filing on the palate with a long finish. Incredible QPR. Delicious now, but will probably improve with age.
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Currant and tobacco on the nose. Cassis, coffee, crushed flowers, chocolate and a bit of minerality on the finish. Tannins are smooth and reasonably integrated. Alchohol and acidity are up there. Could sit nicely in the cellar. This is a damn good wine for the price. Wow.
One of the best values in a 2010 Bordeaux I can possibly imagine.
Just opened, presents a blast of hot, spicy, fruity, gym socks (nasty) but this settles down quickly with breathing. Given 20 minutes decanting, levels out to as solid 90+ bordeaux; fruity, berries with some cherry, tobacco, leather, moderate tannins, medium -full bodied. But retasting at 2 and 3 hours was a nasty suprise, acrid and monotonous. While evidently well made and solid pedigree, it's not very stable or dependable. But I can see it as suitable for pairing with a meat/game course... with good timing.
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Infanticide. Nevertheless. Dark, brooding, cassis, tobacco, cedar, chocolate. Long, lingering, unctuous finish. For a second label, this would give most first growths from 20 years ago a run for their money.
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- Garnet color. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of black pepper, molasses and coffee with a medium body. Round texture with a medium finish - Didn't decant but left the bottle open for 2hrs before serving. Turned out to be a pretty good inexpensive Bordeaux from a great vintage.
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Decanted for 4 hours. Here is another wine that I wanted to like, as I am a huge fan of Haut Lafite's high end bottlings. But this was way too hot and lacked any type of complexity that I would expect from this estate.
Granted I know this wine will and should not perform like its big brother for $150+/bottle, but this wine is not worth the $35 I paid for it.
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Rich fruit and spices on the nose. Quite powerful, good texture but rather open. Definitely approachable, this is starting to drink well. Not overly complex but decent QPR. 88-90
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Decanted for 2 hours and served with grilled Filet Mignon. Red currants, cedar, green tobacco / herbal on nose. On palate, medium body, currants, dried cherry, coffee grinds, green tobacco (slightly herbal) flavor profile with high acids, stout tannins (great with steak - without a little too tannic which is good at this age) and medium+ finish. Very enjoyable and will buy more given price point ($40USD). 91+
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Dark red colour. On the nose there's forest, oil, wet leaves and stones. Combined with an intense palate showing cherry and a nice long finish of cherry stones.
Was very good with the Wiener schnitzel and potatoe cake (rösti).
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A flamboyant young wine, displaying raw mushrooms, fresh cork, forest floor, along with lots of ripe red fruit and a seductive bone dry finish. Feels a little hot, but the elegance makes up for it. Drink or hold.
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I drank this to make sure it wasn't cooked -- no formal notes. Really lovely, impressive wine, very good QPR. I've noticed some reluctance to purchase 2nd wines, as they seem to often be overpriced designer labels on adequate juice. Not in this case. Drank over 3 days and it was still evolving.
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Night one: a wall of tannin and fruit. Dense and impenetrable. Impressive in that way. Night two: tannins mellowed, allowing fruit to show more. Will need a lot of time downstairs. Since we drank it so before its time, no rating tonight.
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Lots of red fruit intermixed with the blue fruit of the cabernet. Palate is very grippy on the back, light in the mid. Not an outstanding showing, although the darn thing was just opened and I remember it being power packed. So I am going to guess this just needs to ease in a bit. Coffee, mocha notes coming up. Yep, air, air, air.
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After 6 hour decanting ... Still very tannic but no heat.. The 2009 taste better.. This should hold for another 3 years n tried. Revis.. Second day was not good at all.. Spicy Please save ur self n don't open yet.. Open 2009 first
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Ripe, ready, and frankly gorgeous nose, and its been open for three days. Modern Bordeaux, no teritiary aromas, I can see why parker likes. Full in the mid but still Bordeaux, tannic and powerful on the back end. Built for the cellar, built to last.
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Klar, dyp, mørk rød med lilla kant. Ung, mørk og dyp nese med preg av solbær, bjørnebær, kaffe og lakris. Mørk, tett og kompakt frukt med imponerende konsentrasjon og kraft for å være andrevin fra unge ranker. Innsmigrende fruktsødme. Frisk syre. Bløte, men faste tanniner med mild sødme i utgangen. God lenge.
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12/31/2023 - matage Likes this wine: 90 Points
An odd beast... Quite fruit forward still with an almost meaty butchershop, syrah-like vibe. Very faint Bdx markers after 2h of decant and blind - I would likely have gone New World (SA?)..
With time, leather, brushed leather, bramberry, fresh tobacco/sweet liqorice and pine. Still powerful and meaty with a slight smoky touch..
Tasty but not what I expected...
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11/5/2023 - james.williams5599@gmail.com wrote:
***
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7/24/2023 - Skibank114 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Last bottle of the '10 - pretty much the same comments as previous notes. I would say it is at or near the end of the drink window. You can hold a little longer if properly cellared. Drink up!
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6/19/2023 - DavidWong168 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This bottle is singing tonight. Cherry, blueberry, sweet vanilla, cured tobacco, cut cedar, cardamom and clove. Beautiful balance of fruit and secondary flavors. Complex and intriguing, its lively acids paired perfectly with a NY strip. Tannins are soft and pliant. The long finish reverberates with sweet ripe fruit.
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5/29/2023 - Purple Tooth wrote: 92 Points
Busted the cap on this forgotten baby SHL and drank it over 3 hours. Really gained weight after 2 hours and keep moving upward. I think this is in a good spot if you like some muscle on your wine. I was actually surprised of how muscular, lengthy, and fresh this was compared to others. This reminds me of the same year Malartic Lagarviere and I had to take a second look to make sure I grabbed the right bottle. May have been because of the fact that I let the bottle go from cellar temp to room temp for 2 days before drinking it. That seems to be a great pleasure extender for Bordeaux in my storage setup. Fun stuff... Drink
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2/25/2023 - Skibank114 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still drinking really, really well. Not much add from previous comments except this will be fine past the current drink window of 2023 - maybe 2025/26 if properly cellared. We found ourselves saying - should have bought more! Anxious to try the other vintages in the cellar. Enjoy!
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2/24/2023 - jarthars Likes this wine: 90 Points
Truly velvety deliciousness, but definitely time to drink up - once we got home and the splash we poured before heading to the restaurant was super soft (4h later) so in not too long from now the smooth velvet may start to feel worn. But for the time being, pnp and enjoy this great value.
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1/29/2023 - ledocq Likes this wine: 91 Points
Last drank this 8 1/2 years ago, after purchasing as a future. I don't have anything to add to the other recent tasters than to reiterate that this is a bonkers value wine that provides a lot of pleasure. I bought this 10 years ago for $30 and today it's about $45, which is still a crazy good value.
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12/25/2022 - bubbachumps wrote: 89 Points
Earthy, mineral driven nose, with some blackberry. Integrated on the palate.
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11/13/2022 - stinkycook Likes this wine:
Like others have said, very enjoyable right now
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11/4/2022 - pinoteer Likes this wine: 93 Points
No need to decant. So good from the PnP. Hard to imagine a better sub-$30 Brdx. Loads of sweet fruit, pencil shavings, chocolate, and vanilla. Even more impressive than the previous bottle, so adding a point. Wish that I'd bought a case, rather than ½.
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10/8/2022 - ravbik wrote: 95 Points
What a wonderful wine for the price!
Full bodied complex, cassis, graphite, mild earthy notes. Tannins moderate and still several years left
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9/29/2022 - SCM Fan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Double decanted back into bottle 30 mins prior to serving. In the glass, dark and opaque no browning at rim. Nose dark fruits and chocolate with a touch of earthiness. Taste: More of what's on the nose - dark raspberry, dark cherry with some minerality. Finish is smooth, long and backed with fine tannins. Incredible "Petit" wine at 12 years old. Glad to have 2 more. This is just hitting it's stride in my opinion. Drink now or next 3 years.
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6/27/2022 - libero wrote: 92 Points
I wish I could have more bottles of this wine. This 12 years old bottle has an outstanding complex aromas,
. Prunes dry figs and black and red berries together with complex aromas that I can’t distinguish. At taste is round, dense and delicious with a balanced tannins and acidity. Short to medium long finishing.
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6/12/2022 - pinoteer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another outstanding bottle of this wine, and the preceding year's reviews capture the details. Short decant (or none) and this wine is ready to go. Good with food and by itself. I'm sticking with my previous score. 92. Given where this is at right now and the fact that this is a SHL's second wine, I don't see this drinking at this level much past 2026.
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6/2/2022 - Skibank114 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Update to previous rating - still very, very nice wine. Would say more integrated, dark fruit present, smooth finish, more complexity. Definitely in the drink window. The nose has improved as well. Will try to space out the remaining 3 in the cellar over the next 5 years. Enjoy now!
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3/22/2022 - SLOFred Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice BDX that is coming into its drinking window. Nice dark purple color, a bit closed nose, nice fruit, soft tannins. I would buy again in better vintages.
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3/1/2022 - Otis Wine Lover Likes this wine: 91 Points
As others have said, drinking very nicely right now. Wonderful balance of dark red and black fruit, still fresh, along with leather, earthiness, and minerality. Medium long finish with more fruit and earthy complexity, and silky smooth tannins! Lots of pleasure in this bottle.
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2/7/2022 - VAGentleman wrote: 89 Points
Drinking well now. Bramble black raspberry and spice. Full in the mouth. Trails off to some acidity and blueberries
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12/31/2021 - foyfrcs Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep ruby.
Still plenty of dark fruits on the nose with some leather & forest floor.
Beautifully balanced with medium tannins and long finish.
Plums, black cherries, cinnamon, figs palate.
Outstanding wine which will drink well for 5-10 years.
Great value.
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10/25/2021 - pinoteer Likes this wine: 92 Points
I concur with other reviewers that this wine does not need much of a decant. I did anyway. This is just plain delicious, with lots of fresh fruits (plum and black cherry), vanilla, milk chocolate, smooth tannins, and tangy acidity. The latter makes this wine so fresh and good by itself or with food. It has a very silky mouthfeel and a surprisingly long finish. I think that I have to go 92 on this; it is just that good. At <$30, this has a high QPR. Will probably revise my drinking window downward (2020-2026), as I like where this is right now and don't know that it will maintain much past 2025.
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5/17/2021 - Yakima Mike Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark garnet color. Opulent dark berry fruit in the nose. Very youthful with hardly a trace of bottle age. Minerality with a touch of herbs and spice. Rich full body mouth feel and very soft tannins. Moderately long finish. Should age for another 10 years.
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3/27/2021 - Miccog Likes this wine: 92 Points
The second wine from Smith Haut Lafitte, from the extraordinary Graves vintage of 2010, comes stealthily with ripe cherries and black currants before faintly smoky and elegant notes of board yard, spice box, and stone crusher. And then some dry leather and delicious licorice on it. This wine has aged really well and is beautifully balanced with a lovely velvety structure, sublime acidity, and a long finish. Made from 55% Cabernet Sauvignon and 45% Merlot – and with "...just as much care that went into the grand vin."
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3/19/2021 - Sanfoan Likes this wine:
Opened this bottle at around 11AM and let it sit without the cork. Checking in on it at around 2PM and this was still wound tight. So I decanted it in the cellar for a couple of hours and this was ready to go. Color: dark ruby with a very slight bricking/orange at the rim. Nose: this still felt very fresh. Nose of blackberries, dark cherries, plums, and blackcurrants. Quite minerally, and this is unequivocally Pessac. Tobacco and cedar on the nose as well but the fruit is still quite dominant here (in a pleasant way - this is not over the top - felt more balanced than the SHL). Palate: medium acidity, soft and mostly resolved tannins, with a medium plus body. Plums, dark cherries, blackcurrants, basically more of the same on the palate. Lots of "graphite" or whatever you want to call it. Not much tertiary development going on here. This was still very primary, very fruity. I will be holding off on the rest of my bottles for a few years to see where this goes.
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2/1/2021 - COWineLover wrote: 92 Points
First bottle in about 12 months, and 6th consumed from 8 purchased. No decant nor was it needed. The time in bottle has been positive, and has changed my prior opinion on this wine (or there is bottle variation at work).
Dark plum color with an almost glass staining viscosity. Generously aromatic on opening with plentiful cassis, cloves, saddle leather, espresso, anise, and more subtle hints of crushed gravel, vanilla, and smoked alder. On the palate this is bursting with fruit as the cassis, plum, and black raspberry take center stage on the entry. In the mid palate this unfurls coffee, anise, and smoke that transitions well into a subtle yet sustained finish. Fine grained tannins and adequate acidity that really support the plentiful fruit.
Overall this is poised and elegant on the palate with complimentary aromatics. My view is this is entering a prime drinking where it will provide 5-7 years of pleasurable drinking.
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1/2/2021 - DavidWong168 Likes this wine: 92 Points
55% Cabernet and 45% Merlot. The must underwent 4 to 6 weeks of maceration. 14 months in French oak. 14% ABV.
Terrific wine that begins to strut its stuff around the hour mark in the decanter.
Opaque medium purple, becoming lighter on the rim. The legs have some color to them.
On the nose, black fruits, cedar, unsmoked cigar and damson plums.
Intense, mouth-filling fruit – yet supremely balanced – displaying flavors of blackberry, black currant, cocoa dust and tobacco. Medium+ acidity and the tannins form an attractive textural resistance rubbing against the tongue.
Finishes with lingering dark chocolate, and mouth-drying tannins. In a good place now but has the stuffing to provide pleasure probably for at least another decade.
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12/26/2020 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow. This was really nice and better than expected. Single hour decant was perfect.
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12/14/2020 - parkline_wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really great experience with the 2010 SHL second wine.
3.5hr decant. Great nose of lead pencil, smoke, leather. Classic Pessac.
Great dark color.
Pallet is very enjoyable and consistent throughout, with a very solid persistance and finish. Blackfruit, leather, smoke on the pallet.
Overall very great QPR. One of my favorite second wines I’ve tried in this price range.
Can’t wait to try big boy SHL
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11/13/2020 - Purple Tooth wrote: 90 Points
Still in good health, but this bottle was a victim of bottle variation as you can expect from second wines. Lush fruit, little graphite compared to expectations, and lengthy. Descent. Drink
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11/8/2020 - jarthars Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep, dark, softly leady. Drinking super smoothly. Drank with Nancy, Steve grilled streak & salad.
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9/24/2020 - randyjc wrote: 91 Points
A few months ago I described this as a little too black and tarry but now I think it's exactly the right amount of black and tarry. A very nice wine, good balance and exceptional depth. Cassis, pencil lead, and tar on the nose. In the mouth the cassis remains surrounded by leather and tar and a lovely earthiness. An exceptionally masculine wine and was perfect with roast beef. Drinking nicely but no hurry to consume - several more years ahead.
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9/18/2020 - Tauro Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful dark red colour.
Nose of black cherries, red fruits and oak.
Nicely rounded off wine with hints of leather, black pepper and cigar smoke.
Tannins kick in late but are not overwhelming, making this is a complex wine with good balance.
QPR: Excellent (25€)
Highly recommended
91-92p
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9/18/2020 - #alexindahouse Likes this wine: 92 Points
A 2nd wine of 1st wine quality, excellent and my style of wine... dark and aromatic. Notes of tar , smoke , earth and vanilla. The balance seems fine to me and the dark fruit is there to taste. A really great second wine. I had a bottle of the smith haut lafitte 2014 “1st wine” not that long ago and surprisingly this petit haut lafitte is way better !
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9/17/2020 - libero wrote: 91 Points
Getting better, round and balanced tannin and acidity
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3/15/2020 - randyjc wrote: 88 Points
A little too black and tarry - muted aromatics, soft mouthfeel (which is nice), black fruit but barely fruited. Soft tannins and moderate/light acidity. Overall pleasant with food and not that good of a sipping wine. I’m in no hurry to drink the remaining bottles but I don’t think there is much room for improvement. Integrated though maybe a little primary.
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2/4/2020 - EricLi wrote: 91 Points
In its drinking window. But you can hold it for longer.
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1/6/2020 - Jd6725 Likes this wine: 91 Points
love the style and the vintage, like the wine overall. well balanced but lacked a bit of a punch. about an hour decant brought out more in the wine but not quite enough for me. a couple more years might improve it, but unsure as it seems close to ready to go
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12/21/2019 - COWineLover wrote: 89 Points
After my first bottle a month or so ago that did not open up until day 3, I opted to hyper-decant the wine for ten seconds in a blender. This was the first time I had ever hyper-decanted wine.
The hyper-decanting definitely helped open the aromatic qualities with black currant, coffee, black plums, tobacco, and herbs. On the palate, the tannins lean slightly dry with the same chalky notes from a prior bottle, and the acidity in the first 30 minutes had good vigor. On the palate the flavor profile matches the aromatic qualities with the addition of a pronounced anise.
Respectable, but there is no need for me to sit on these. I will keep drinking over the next 18-24 months.
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11/13/2019 - COWineLover wrote: 88 Points
This is the first 2010 Bordeaux I have pulled a cork on.
Good aromatics with a powerful creme de cassis bursting from the glass, with secondary notes of clove, crushed gravel, graphite, and vanilla. The aromas set an expectation of a plush and velvety tasting experience.
On the palate this starts with a gripping acidity that flips quickly into a tannic mid-palate. As the tannins release, this presents a pasty chalk sensation with an unexpected acetone that left an almost metallic taste on the finish. A very bizarre tasting experience. Seven bottles remain and barring a major improvement on day 2, this will sit for probably another 3 years.
The aromatics and palate have not lined up tonight, and the bottle will be stored overnight to check development. Day 1 - 86.
Day 2 - More of the same with a modest improvement on the palate. Score 88.
Day 3 - This has finally shed the metallic notes that were so prominent on day 1. A much softer wine on the palate with cassis, plums, incense, and coffee notes. Score 90.
Overall score at 88. Hold or consider a long decant.
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9/4/2019 - Skibank114 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is very nice and will get better (in my opinion) over the next couple years. This is our first bottle and I will wait to add any more detail until I see consistency in the next bottle. For now - I am looking forward to that next bottle! Enjoy.
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8/26/2019 - libero wrote: 91 Points
It pairs well with strong cheese taste and Steak au Poivre
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8/25/2019 - TXRhoneRanger wrote: 92 Points
Drinking pretty round and dark to the core. An excellent second wine that deserves just a little more time in the cellar. I wish the wood was more integrated but you can see the intensity of the vintage for sure. Well made. Juicy.
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8/13/2019 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
This is just becoming more soft and elegant. Lots of graphite in this wine, like a mid level, young Pauillac. Still has balance and tug and pull...I would say its 2 years away from full maturity, but needs to be room temp and needs a 1 hour decant. Drink or hold...
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7/26/2019 - thewiz Likes this wine: 91 Points
(Decanted for half an hour)
Rubin red colour with a youthful nose showing an incipient maturity with notes of oak and herbs. Some youthful oak still not fully integrated and still showing lots of sweet primary fruit, but with smoothing tannins and a nice and lengthy finish with some hints of drying fruit and leather notes. Very intense and powerful still, this should reward a few more years of cellaring.
(Best 2020-2030)
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7/22/2019 - Margaux Bro wrote: 89 Points
underwhelming for such an acclaimed vintage
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11/4/2018 - DavidWong168 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Perfumed blackberry, black currant and notes of cedar. The tannins have softened. Vibrant, fresh and ripe.
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6/22/2018 - ESTEELE90 Likes this wine:
9hr Audoze. Pours a beautiful reddish purple. Nose and palate are fully resolved showing soft purple and red berries, semi-sweet chocolate, new leather, dried herbs, cedar, and gravel. Midpalate is lush and velvety with creamy textured red fruits and chocolate cradled by rounded acids and smooth tannins. Finish is long and palate staining showcasing the red fruits and cedar beautifully. In a great drinking window right now and will hold here for the next 5 years so it seems.
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5/10/2018 - larsum wrote: 91 Points
Classic claret. Had it with sirloin steak. Great now but with room for improvement. Will try my next bottle in two years
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2/16/2018 - youvebeenhearnedLLC wrote:
Light on fruit. Mineral/graphite predominate. Not doing it for me right now.
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12/29/2017 - Ombibulous wrote:
Excellent density. Great with lamb.
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11/4/2017 - buchch2 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Much better than the last bottle. Dark. Dark cherry, some gravel, tannic and a little hard. I have to think this is going to be better in a few years. But, it’s not bad now by any means.
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7/5/2017 - Tigg Likes this wine: 90 Points
Goes down easy. Well balanced. Not nearly as big as the first label.
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5/22/2017 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep red, intense, and thick, particularly for a second wine. These 2010 bdx just aren't ready, remain so closed, even the 2nd wines. Masculine and tannic and even hot, but dry. Gutsy is right. More minerals and forest floor than fruit. The sociando and DDC seconds were much more open. This one needs 5 years. I have one left.
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3/13/2017 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Still big and gutsy and hard. But just open. Stuff is there.
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3/9/2017 - bin905 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tripped my trigger - penetrating, balanced and energetic. Deep purple/red color. Baking spice, Kirsch and violet scent. Blackberry, cinnamon, ginger, clove and tar with plentiful smooth tannins.
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2/23/2017 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
As to where most second wines tend to be better in their youth, this one is getting better and seems to have allot of complexity under it. This time, I tasted a clear underlying of graphite along with fresh tilled soil and the sweetness that makes it so drinkable and tasty. What a great alternative to a California cabernet. Drink or Hold
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2/1/2017 - ErickG Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice nose 30 mins after opening, no decanting. Started to open up right away. Black cherry with hints of vanilla and pepper. Fairly long finish. Good balance. Enjoyable now and a fair value at $35/bottle.
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12/30/2016 - BigOrange Likes this wine:
Smooth, deep taste
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12/17/2016 - td1836 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good Bordeaux, black current, cherry, herbs, balanced amount of oak. Nothing wrong at all, but not too memorable and perhaps a little overpriced.
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9/30/2016 - Motz wrote: 90 Points
Solid throughout, balanced, and true to place. It should last for three to five years but is unlikely to improve. Many Bordeaux wines of the same quality can be had for $20 or less, which makes this wine marginal QPR at over $30.
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9/25/2016 - ecola Likes this wine: 88 Points
Tight at first but opens up after an hour or so. Medium body with soft red cherry, subtle herbs and spice. Finish drops off a little quick.
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8/3/2016 - sweetstuff wrote: 89 Points
2010 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Le Petit (Rouge), Graves, Pessac-Leognan; 14 pabv, $35/750 ml; Beavercreek, OH Costco; Misa Imports, Inc., Dallas, TX
Beautiful opaque center and vibrant cherry edge; Tudor arches on the sides of wine glass. Sweet blackcurrant, with lints of clove and anise, showing delicate notes of vanillin oak. Solid vivid juicy cassis, with very ripe and round tannin and a touch of mineral. A very fine and stylish mid-level Graves (Pessac-Leognan, red Bordeaux). I think I can pick out some spicy Petit Verdot in there. Drink now-2023.
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7/16/2016 - matlee89 wrote: 88 Points
"Correct" Bordeaux. Drinkable now, but simple and linear. Not much complexity. Nose of dark fruits, typical cassis. I like that the oak was not overbearing. Hint of heat on the mid-palate. Short-medium finish. Enjoyable drink now, good with food, but didn't leave much of an impression.
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6/24/2016 - dissler Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very dark ruby-purple colour. Nose not understated, nice and decent but overall rather holding back. Really grows in the palate though. Very smooth tannins and balanced. Not the most powerfull left bank but a very smooth, subtle wine.
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6/19/2016 - buchch2 wrote: 86 Points
Very tannic, even after being open 5 hours
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3/5/2016 - ScubaSommelier wrote: 92 Points
Really enjoyed this compared to my prior tastes as I followed feedback indicating more time open was required. After about 2 hrs in decanter, this really opened up on the nose and palate. Dense dark fruit and velvet tannins. Could easily see this going a few years in bottle with improvement.
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2/28/2016 - buchch2 wrote: 91 Points
89 for the first 2 hours, a bit too tannic even after a 90 minute slow ox. After 5 hours open smooth and a 92. Needs more time or a long decant
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2/15/2016 - Purple Tooth wrote: 90 Points
I could score this a point higher easily, its just that even after 3 hours of decanting it, it still was not ready to drink and as a matter of fact, it was used as a filler at the end of the night (After following a 2005 and a 2009) and it was still interesting and good! How many second wines can do that? Well, its clear that after the coffee and earth that started developing in the decanter after 7 hours, this wine is a hold candidate and can only get better. HOLD for now...
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2/13/2016 - EricLi wrote: 88 Points
Fail to open after a few hours of slow ox. Nose not expressive, but good stuff seems to be lurking. Acidity and alcohol are not dominating, but it is not yet integrated. I would leave it alone for a while.
More mellowed on day 2, but still failed to impress.
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2/12/2016 - NarunP Likes this wine: 87 Points
Wow, the second bottling of Smith Haut Lafitte 2010 is simply marvelous. Right now, this presents a superb primary drinking experience for $35 i.e. without breaking the bank.
Pop and pour. Vibrant but deep, fresh and youthful but intense dark purple. Long and sticky leg. The aromas is full of cassis and other black fruits. On the palate, it has medium body, medium acidity, fine and slightly grained tannin but well integrated and ripe already, with a lot of desirable fruit notes - cassis, and plum, graphite, pencil shaving, tea bag, steak herbs. Finish was med-long with oak-infused black fruits. Excellent now. 90 points.
A couple of days later ...
That vibrant colors are gone, turning dull, and more concentrated, looking stale a bit. On the nose, distinctly toastedly oaky, supporting notes of cassis. Round tannin, medium to mid low acidity. Smooth. A bit of graphite still lingers but lots of sweet oaky character, dark fruits predominate but feel very extracted this time round. Started to taste over oaked and slightly overripe with a hint of alcoholic heat creeping in. Finish on oak more than fruit. Revised down the score.
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2/8/2016 - ChristP Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark red with black forest fruits on the nose and palate. The 2010 is medium-to-full bodied, with medium acidity and enjoyable smooth tannins. All elements are in wonderful balance. Finish is medium-long. This wine is close to peak maturity, and it should hold good for another 5 years. Excellent QPR.
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1/22/2016 - AMC Eagle wrote: 92 Points
Vinturried into a decanter and let sit for 2+ hours; appearance of dark ruby with a nose of fresh blueberries and boysenberries with some hints of cassis and dried violets. On the palate, am detecting a good amount of plums and blackberries with some espresso-like flavour that hovers around; some tannins are also evident and I think the decant time helped even the tannins out a bit. Medium bodied with a medium finish. Impressive 2nd label if you can find this on sale.
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1/14/2016 - Vinedict wrote:
Le Petit Haut Lafitte 2010: One of my favourite humble everyday drinking wines.
Deep, dense ruby with purple highlights. On the nose, ripe black currants with accents of blueberry skins. Secondary notes of pencil shavings, and cocoa powder are starting to show. Given some time, fresh juicy plum notes start to show, accompanied by faint, woody herbs.
The wine shows tasteful opulence on the palate, a youthful tannic grip and acidity that is a tad animated at the moment. The balance of ripeness and freshness on the nose makes this a delightful wine at the moment, but would be a lot more polished after 5 years. This is truly one of the smartest and most sincere 2nd wine out there.
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11/13/2015 - S_stas wrote: 90 Points
Great potential here. After an few hours of air, showing nicely.
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10/31/2015 - ChristP Likes this wine: 90 Points
No notes as consumed on an evening out at a Sichuan Hot Pot restaurant. Lovely wine from an excellent vintage, now drinking in its prime.
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10/22/2015 - NickBurwood Likes this wine:
Fund raiser with David Starkey and Theresa May in the Churchill War Rooms. Limited note taking.
Dusty grainy tannins pervade this wine that in my view needs at least a couple of years to open out. Lacks the weight to make the excellent 90 standard but should be a solid and reasonable value upper 80 pointer when ready to drink. Very closed at present.
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9/29/2015 - dhlau Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Great typical left bank nose. However, the palate was not as refined with tannins and slight bitterness. Unlikely to improve over time.
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9/4/2015 - Millennial Drinkers Likes this wine: 92 Points
Appearance: clear and dark ruby
Nose: black and dark fruits, wood or hay like a farm
Palate: starting to get dryer
Opinion: overall allot better than I expected and Def a food wine
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8/27/2015 - norcal76 wrote: 90 Points
Full-bodied, cassis, tobacco, black fruits, well-balanced and paired wonderfully with a meat-loaded pizza.
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6/25/2015 - wdlohr wrote: 88 Points
Dark and full color with an elusive aroma of fresh fruit, it has a full long finish. It is heavy and a little hot. Hints of green and gravel.
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6/14/2015 - vino_per_tutti Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark and saturated in color and nose. Blackberry, cassis tobacco, cedar, herbs and chocolate on the nose and palate. Rich and mouth filing on the palate with a long finish. Incredible QPR. Delicious now, but will probably improve with age.
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6/13/2015 - mikeharris Likes this wine: 92 Points
Currant and tobacco on the nose. Cassis, coffee, crushed flowers, chocolate and a bit of minerality on the finish. Tannins are smooth and reasonably integrated. Alchohol and acidity are up there. Could sit nicely in the cellar. This is a damn good wine for the price. Wow.
One of the best values in a 2010 Bordeaux I can possibly imagine.
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6/1/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Off the cork pull tons of blue and black fruit, coffee, gutsy and powerful on the palate with a touch of a savory note.
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5/20/2015 - pdev wrote: 90 Points
Gravelly nose, dark fruit, good cabernet structure, more buttoned up than the 2009, but very good. Popped n poured.
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2/19/2015 - dlarkin_dc wrote: 89 Points
Just opened, presents a blast of hot, spicy, fruity, gym socks (nasty) but this settles down quickly with breathing. Given 20 minutes decanting, levels out to as solid 90+ bordeaux; fruity, berries with some cherry, tobacco, leather, moderate tannins, medium -full bodied. But retasting at 2 and 3 hours was a nasty suprise, acrid and monotonous. While evidently well made and solid pedigree, it's not very stable or dependable. But I can see it as suitable for pairing with a meat/game course... with good timing.
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1/18/2015 - SadEdjo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Infanticide. Nevertheless. Dark, brooding, cassis, tobacco, cedar, chocolate. Long, lingering, unctuous finish. For a second label, this would give most first growths from 20 years ago a run for their money.
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12/30/2014 - libero wrote: 90 Points
A solid 90 rate. Almost subdue tannin it paired extremelly well with Mignon beef au poivre (black and green pepper) .
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12/27/2014 - eniskonuk wrote: 90 Points
- Garnet color. It's somewhat balanced and has flavours of black pepper, molasses and coffee with a medium body. Round texture with a medium finish - Didn't decant but left the bottle open for 2hrs before serving. Turned out to be a pretty good inexpensive Bordeaux from a great vintage.
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12/17/2014 - FarmerKeith LA/VA Likes this wine:
There are better left banks ,same vintage, at this price point. It's a good wine , decent example, but my first statement, pretty much nails it.
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11/26/2014 - BordeauxBuff Does not like this wine: 82 Points
Decanted for 4 hours. Here is another wine that I wanted to like, as I am a huge fan of Haut Lafite's high end bottlings. But this was way too hot and lacked any type of complexity that I would expect from this estate.
Granted I know this wine will and should not perform like its big brother for $150+/bottle, but this wine is not worth the $35 I paid for it.
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11/16/2014 - THA wrote:
Too woody.
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11/13/2014 - rossi.wine wrote: 89 Points
Rich fruit and spices on the nose. Quite powerful, good texture but rather open. Definitely approachable, this is starting to drink well. Not overly complex but decent QPR. 88-90
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11/7/2014 - CWilliam wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and served with grilled Filet Mignon. Red currants, cedar, green tobacco / herbal on nose. On palate, medium body, currants, dried cherry, coffee grinds, green tobacco (slightly herbal) flavor profile with high acids, stout tannins (great with steak - without a little too tannic which is good at this age) and medium+ finish. Very enjoyable and will buy more given price point ($40USD). 91+
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11/6/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Smooth and easy going, rich in the middle, with minerality on the finish. With some grip too. Easing in.
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10/24/2014 - thewiz Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark red colour.
On the nose there's forest, oil, wet leaves and stones. Combined with an intense palate showing cherry and a nice long finish of cherry stones.
Was very good with the Wiener schnitzel and potatoe cake (rösti).
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7/2/2014 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
A flamboyant young wine, displaying raw mushrooms, fresh cork, forest floor, along with lots of ripe red fruit and a seductive bone dry finish. Feels a little hot, but the elegance makes up for it. Drink or hold.
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6/21/2014 - bacchus of knockholt wrote: 83 Points
Cedary nose. Black fruit, pronounced tannins, not quite right, needs more time.
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6/19/2014 - rossi.wine wrote: 90 Points
Lovely nose, smoky oak, good fruit. Deep and rich on the palate, fresh, firm tannins but almost approachable, good length. 89-91
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6/3/2014 - ledocq Likes this wine: 91 Points
I drank this to make sure it wasn't cooked -- no formal notes. Really lovely, impressive wine, very good QPR. I've noticed some reluctance to purchase 2nd wines, as they seem to often be overpriced designer labels on adequate juice. Not in this case. Drank over 3 days and it was still evolving.
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3/30/2014 - Sediment wrote:
Night one: a wall of tannin and fruit. Dense and impenetrable. Impressive in that way. Night two: tannins mellowed, allowing fruit to show more. Will need a lot of time downstairs. Since we drank it so before its time, no rating tonight.
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3/26/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
A monster of rock. Big fruited, big boned, powerful stuff.
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3/19/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Lots of red fruit intermixed with the blue fruit of the cabernet. Palate is very grippy on the back, light in the mid. Not an outstanding showing, although the darn thing was just opened and I remember it being power packed. So I am going to guess this just needs to ease in a bit. Coffee, mocha notes coming up. Yep, air, air, air.
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1/16/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Big, robust, power packed.
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12/15/2013 - F_&_M Likes this wine: 93 Points
One of the more better Bordeaux I've had. Powerful, but not too tannic. fruit forward but not overly so.
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11/10/2013 - aquaman wrote: 90 Points
After 6 hour decanting ... Still very tannic but no heat.. The 2009 taste better.. This should hold for another 3 years n tried.
Revis.. Second day was not good at all.. Spicy
Please save ur self n don't open yet.. Open 2009 first
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10/17/2013 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Ripe, ready, and frankly gorgeous nose, and its been open for three days. Modern Bordeaux, no teritiary aromas, I can see why parker likes. Full in the mid but still Bordeaux, tannic and powerful on the back end. Built for the cellar, built to last.
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9/6/2013 - -E- wrote: 91 Points
Klar, dyp, mørk rød med lilla kant. Ung, mørk og dyp nese med preg av solbær, bjørnebær, kaffe og lakris. Mørk, tett og kompakt frukt med imponerende konsentrasjon og kraft for å være andrevin fra unge ranker. Innsmigrende fruktsødme. Frisk syre. Bløte, men faste tanniner med mild sødme i utgangen. God lenge.
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