From 75cl, good cork, decanted off massive plaques of slimy deposit. Best immediately after opening: Fragrant bright cherry(!) fruit with ripe red berry undertow; nicely tertiary-complex with ever-shifting herbal-spicy notes. Nose-dived after 90 minutes into a disjointed mess. If you drink up ASAP with minimal aeration, this is in a rather lovely final swan song phase right now. I'm slightly alarmed to see that, as of today, there are 5127 bottles remaining in CT members' cellars. If some of those are in yours, please don't wait long before giving them some attention. 89-90P
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A friend had received this as a gift and brought it to dinner to share with us. Our first time with this chateau, but this bottle probably wasn't giving a clear picture. The wine was very disjointed, tasting simultaneously too young and too old, with a strong and persistent tartness. Not much fun to drink.
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Capsule and cork were fine, and at least for the first hour or so after a 1.5 hour decant, things were fine, but over time, an insistent oxidative pruny note wormed its way into the proceedings. Sigh.
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A very proper Right Bank Bordeaux. Reminded me of my first experience with wines from this region back in 2005, finding and drinking wines from the 90’s.
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Medium ruby in appearance. Showing some secondary and tertiary notes on the nose with leather, tobacco and sour cherries. Even a little cedar and daffodils. Medium to medium plus body with well balanced acidity and medium plus tannins (7/10). Still seems to have life and power in it. Layered palate with cedar, minerality and red berries. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2028.
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Initial nose of bright red fruit/raspberry and eucalyptus. The color is stunning, beautiful dark deep purple. The most impressionable feature of this wine was the beautiful brightness and youth intertwined with depth and character. It has both bright fruit, balanced tannins and acidity as well as secondary flavors of cedar, wood, and some earth. It just kept singing in the glass becoming more round and full. If a peak of drinkability exists, this wine is there, imho. Lovely.
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PnP. What a difference from our last bottle last year. Earthy nose with herbs Provençal. Sage, earth, espresso, currant on the tongue. Medium bodied, long finish.
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Deep red color. Aromas of black fruits, lead pencil and wood spices. Ripe, medium-bodied to full-bodied fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length and mostly resolved tannins. Remarkably fresh and youthful at 18 years of age. Complex and very long on the palate. This delicious wine was a great match with the outstanding roast duck at Elwood Restaurant.
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From 75cl, fine cork, decanted 1 hour. Recent CT TNs are all over the place. My bottle this evening was just as previously noted, e.g. on 01.06.2022. This is what it is, i.e. a modern-styled, well-made, commercial St. Emilion, broad, in-your-face and good to quaff, but (surprise!) undeserving of the label "Grand Cru" (if not as absurdly, indeed ridiculously, non-"Grand" as some recently-tasted wines from Burgundy and Alsace sold under that self-same designation). Thoroughly unexciting, and no bargain at 35 EUR en primeur back in the day. 89P
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Super beau claret encore une fois! Souple et bien franc. Des cerises, du chocolate, du cêdre et du graphite avec des tannins fins et une belle finale longue ou rien n'accroche. Excellent.
Very vigorous 2005. Some tertiary, but still drinking on the young side. Autumnal, faint forest floor, leather, nice color and fruit still abundant. Been open three nights and days.
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Deep ruby with some purple. Lovely aromas of black raspberries, dark florals, spice-box and hint of incense. Medium to full-bodied palate shows good depth to then sweet and smoky black plums/berry reduction, medium acidity, ripe tannins and a long floral, spice and earth tinged finish.
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Out of 375, decanted about an hour. Dusty red fruit on the nose with just a hit of alcohol showing through. Finishes with red plums and some earthiness, still noticeably tannic.
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A gorgeous bottle in a beautiful place. Smooth, well balanced. Should decant for sediment. Needed about an hour of air and then was delightful. Another one where I wish I had a lot more....
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From 75cl, good cork, decanted off quite heavy sediment 45 minutes. Best immediately after opening and at roughly 14C (rich, oaky scent, juicy dark-fruited entry) but deteriorated as it warmed up to room temperature and disintegrated after 2 hours. Heavy, a bit squeaky, pretty crude dark berry fruit, low acid, some tannins remaining (but once they're gone, so will the last vestiges of pleasure this concoction has to offer). Ever since writing my first TN on 24.01.2022 I have been fretting about this wine, or more precisely, about what to do with the five bottles remaining in my cellar. Normally I keep bottles labelled "Grand Cru" for guests, special occasions, or at least for weekends, but my previous bottle was so obviously not "Grand" in any way I thought I'd try opening the next one mid-week, so we consumed it this evening with spaghetti carbonara. And indeed it was a perfectly acceptable match, remarkably similar in style and weight to a Roda Rioja Reserva 2017 tasted a few days ago, albeit just not at quite the same quality level. Drink up, P+P recommended, either on its own, or with simple, non-fatty food. 87-88P
Opened, tasted and immediately decanted. Before decanting, thin and somewhat sour. After 15 minutes, turned into a muted Bordeaux. Decent but not great and don't think there's upside.
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From 75cl, perfect cork, decanted one hour. Promising dark colour, but everything else dull, low-key and—as many others have mentioned on CT—tired. Muted, generic, low-acid "refined red wine with some new oak", restrained to the point of corporate boringness. Totally overwhelmed this evening by braised ox cheeks and mashed parsnip. One to serve with your blandest food. Oh dear, 5 more bottles to go. Looking again at the CT average price paid (and indeed what I mistakenly spent for this stuff en primeur) I note the 2005 vintage was unusually expensive at 43 EUR—recent good vintages such as 2016 (38 EUR) and 2018 (33,50 EUR!) were released at more modest prices. Allowing for inflation, and particularly Bordeaux price inflation in the intervening decade that's what I call a clear market verdict! Presumably people (like me) were conned by inflated ratings back in the day, then word got around that—at least on the strength of this bottle—QL'E is yet another of those too-frequent St. Émilion "Grand Crus" which isn't so grand at all. 87-88P
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Lovely and fully mature with lots of life left. Plenty of Saint Emilion character - soft, round and feminine with dark fruit and chocolate and violets and a classic Bordeaux nose. But it lacks the length of a great Saint Emlion. Doesn’t quite have the backbone. Very pleasurable but not profound and I don’t think it ever will be. But a wine can be wonderful without being profound, and this one is.
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Decanted and began drinking. Much better than last bottle. Currant, herbs and a hint of clove. Medium bodied , strong finish. Drinking really well right now.
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Similaire à mes autres mais celle-ci semble encore plus raffinée et souple que mes précédentes. Beau fruit gourmand et tannins fins avec Une belle finale longue et sans accroc. Excellent encore une fois!
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Did not quite hold up to my rack of lamb tonight. I think this was mostly because my timing was off - I did not allow enough time for it to open up and warm up from cellar temperature. An hour after dinner this showed very well, but faded off again after a few hours.
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Decanted and began drinking. Overwhelming reaction - muted everything. Nothing really wrong but not really right also. And it seemed to fade in the decanter. It just seems tired. I think we'll start sawing through the rest of the case and call it a day.
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Less than two decanter hours, and boy is this soft and delicious, with good acidity. Tannins are completely resolved. Plum and cherry, with vanilla and milk chocolate. Nice finish, too. Not the most complex wine, but it puts a smile on your face. I'm not seeing much further improvement here, but it's so good now.
Super souple et bien équilibré. Des mures et des cerises avec un peu de terre et de graphite. Il y a du cèdre et du chocolat aussi. Les tannins sont assez fins et la finale bien longue nous laisse sur des relents de tabac. Excellent.
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Third or fourth bottle of a half case purchased on release and stored properly ever since. For some reason this bottle did not show as well as previous bottles (last one drunk about 18 months ago ).
No sign of aging on the appearance, but the aromas and flavors (red fruit, vanilla and espresso roast) seem muted- even after half an hour in decanter and the tannins seem rough and unintegrated.
I have rated other bottles up to 93 points, so will chalk this one up to bottle variation....
Initially, I was a little worried about this, with the nose reading "generically 'red wine', probably Bordeaux", without much delineation at all. Big save one the palate. You get smacked in the face with big, bright, juicy cherry, which generally dominates the flavor profile, accompanied by graphite, a bit of spice, some light leather tertiary notes and a good dose of dark chocolate / mocha on the lingering finish. The tannins are pretty well resolved, particularly in context to the left bank '05's, but they reared up a little bit around an hour and a half in. There's enough acid to keep this from becoming flabby, but you will never confuse this with the Loire. Not a particularly complex wine, but it just focuses on doing delicious really well. Drink or hold.
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Outstanding. decanted for 3.5 hours. balanced blue/black fruits and integrated tannins. well rounded and paired well with smoked/reverse seared bone-in rib-eye steaks.
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Très belle bouteille celle-ci. De la soie, c`est raffiné et complexe. Cerises, cassis, cèdre, graphite et herbes se succèdent. Les tannins sont bien enrobés et la finale de belle longueur nous laisse sur une impression de mocha. Super bon.
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Decanted 1 hr. Tight early, red fruit a touch of graphite, lucious mouthfeel. 1 hour in the right bank features of blue fruit, coffee, and maybe a touch of cedar. in a good window but no hurry
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Beautiful color of purple/violet/burgundy. just beginning to show signs of age with a ruby rim.
Chalky/graphite and bitter cherry aromas.
The wine still remains a bit closed and tight in nature. It is very dense and there is acid that refreshes and invites another sip. Unfortunately, at this point the depth is difficult to penetrate and the wine still feels very tense. Tannins are fairly resolved, so I'm hoping to see some tertiary development and some further release of any hidden fruit profile. Will try another bottle in a few years.
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Thought we would try this again after a tough day. Decanted and started drinking which was a mistake. Initially a thin wine with muted flavor and a bite. After 90 minutes it started to hit its stride. Medium bodied, currant, espresso notes with a good finish. We will do at least a 2 hour decant next time. Long life ahead.
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Un vin puissant, extrait, boisé, un style qui se veut spectaculaire et qui ne me plait pas du tout. Pas mauvais, il y a un marché pour ça et des critiques qui les encouragent, mais ça ne me correspond pas du tout. 87 pts
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No notes. With SK PnP which was a mistake but did hold one glass out for 90 minutes. The wine was a bit thin, simple, with less fruit than I had hoped and certainly less than the 2000 Barton (and obviously 2015 Giscours). Ruby red starting to fade with flavors hovered more around wood, earth, eucalyptus, thin cola? with a fine line of watered down cherry/blackberry. Eh.
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Pronounced and evolved nose of candied black fruit , espresso roast and vanilla toast. Unmistakeably high class merlot in a blind tasting- but not sure one would guess St Emilion.
Medium plus to full bodied palate with similar flavor characteristics. This has definitely put on same weight from the last time I tasted it 4 or 5 years ago. The mouthfeel is beautiful and the finish is approaching long.
Mot a classic 2005 by any stretch of the imagination , but delicious and fans of the style (including me) will love this. could easily hold another decade in a cold cellar....but why wait?
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First day was a bit on the thin side, thought perhaps i made a mistake making a case purchase back in 2009. 2nd day was a totally different story. Lots of fruit balanced with soft tannins. Most enjoyable and graceful. Still has some life left in it
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New Years Eve (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red/purple color. PNP, drank a glass over 90 minutes. Very dark berries, rustic, lots of wood still and some harsh tannins. We had a discussion about where we thought this was going and the room leaned toward this is it. I can report that the remaining glass showed more character and earthiness with much softer edges a couple days later. So if I had these, I might be inclined to wait a couple years. 88 to 89 day 1 and 90 on day 3.
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A mistake to open this - much too young. On day 1 it seams a bit lean, the day after it is much fuller, more complex - and quite rich, the vintage speaks here. There is certainly a smooth right bank feel to this, could be very good in five years. 92+
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Simple Bordeaux , missing 1 or 2 dimensions. Maybe more time? 2 days later the wine is deeper purple. Much more of a mouthful , tannins have much more grip as well.
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Notes after following for about 6 hours open. Dark ruby color, clear body with a good dose of sediment in the punt. No other signs of age. Profound nose with a standard Right Bank profile - pencil shavings, cassis, tobacco leaf, et al. Big tannins and tense fruit grip on the cheeks whilst this ebbs and flows a bit on the mid-palate, where it has a good push of flavor one minute and then feels reserved and coy the next. There's also evidence of the stewy, dense, ripe character of '05, though I think that won't matter so much once this really hits adulthood. 5+12+16+8= 91
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First time for this wine. Dark in color. Chocolate and cedar on the nose. Interesting palate of chocolate, cedar, tobacco and plum. Not as much fruit as I usually like, but I liked the palate a lot. Still a bit of tannin. Should be even better in a few years.
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Tasted at a friend's house, from a 375 ml. You can tell it was a hot year- ripe and rich, sweet red/purple fruit, difficult to peg as "old world." Still present tannin, a little fuzzy but certainly not overly tannic. Surprisingly hot, but the fruit still took center stage, especially with sweet palate. The mix of pure reddish fruit, almost syrupy, with the deep chocolatey baking spice basically makes this into VERY vivid cherry cordial. So ripe that I got a banana note on nose! Lovely, and more on the side of jubilant/fun than highly complex.
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Much better than the first bottle, two years ago. Decanted almost 1½ hours at this point. It does need more air time (3-4 hrs.), but this bottle does seem more open for bizz than that earlier bottle. Tannins are rounding out, but this could still soften some more with bottle age. Red fruits (wild strawberry aromas), with some vanilla, and sort of an elderberry aspect. Good mid-palate and finish (long). I can definitely add a point (90) to my previous score, but think that this wine can eventually hit 92-93 in a few years. With 10 more bottles, I can continue to follow.
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Decanted for 30 minutes before serving - should really have been 3+ hours. In the glass, very dark opaque red, nearly black. On the nose, muted currants and oak. On the palate, initially holding back - very little fruit, perhaps a hint of cedar. As the evening progressed, this began to show signs of life, with currants, cedar, tobacco, and plums all making appearance. The last glass was the best, and even then it was still getting better. Give this a few more years before opening one...
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This bottle seemed a little off - tart in an unpleasant way. Opened three hours before dinner. Threw a lot of fine sediment. Tobacco, some ripe dark fruit, firm acidity. Lengthy finish.
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Very nice bottle of Bordeaux, but I think we may have drunk a little too early. Opened with Easter dinner and tannins were definitely still present, though not off-putting. Had the rest of the bottle tonight (Wednesday) and it was rounder all the way around.
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Much more integrated than last bottle (notes on 6/22/13) but that bottle had much more complexity in both nose and palate. Ultimately it’s a push in score. Last bottle and good time to drink up.
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As the years pass, I gravitate much more to the left bank than the right for all the reasons that will be obvious to those that feel the same. That said, this was a really nice wine - reasonably acidity, not overly ripe, good chocolate and berry notes. Nice body.
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Decanted and drank over 2 hours, ready for business. Good concentration of dark purple fruits, w hints of coffee and chocolate. Drink now or hold 5 yrs.
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Although I enjoyed this wine very much, the last glass, some two hours later, seemed almost flat....that's to say the lack of tannins revealed a fruit that was fading. I think JR got this drinking window correct and I am adjusting mine accordingly. Don't get me wrong, This is in a fine place and is very fruity for the first hour or so, but don't decant, rather PnP.
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Très beau Bordeaux d`un grand millésime. Il commence à bien se déguster. De la sève et de beaux tannins bien enrobés avec des fruits rouges éclatants et une finale assez longue. J`aime bien, il est rendu à prix prohibitif, malheureusement.
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A soft, merlot-centric wine. Blueberry and herbs on the palate. Drinking fine with no decant, but opens a bit after an hour. Still slightly tannic. Will age a few more years.
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Enfin une 2005 qui est prête a boire. Très bel équilibre fruit-elevage-tanin. Bien fait et encore en forme pour longtemps si on se fi à l'acidité et les tanins toujours présents.
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Decanted for 2 hours, still needed time. Very pleasant on nose and palate. Red jammy fruit with some dark undertones. Tobacco/oak/smoke/tar even. Mild acidity and tart. Very nice.
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De mieux en mieux, quel grand millésime qu'est 2005. Nez envoutant sur le cèdre, les petits fruits et la terre. En bouche, chocolat, cerises, tabac blond et du graphite. Les tannins sont fins et la finale longue tout en finesse. Excellent, encore mieux que mes autres.
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Out of 375. Very austere the first night, with about an hour of air. Much better on the second night, with more fruit and roundness. 90-91 based on second night.
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Lovely wine. Pretty floral and blueberry notes with more mature aromas of dried figs. Good mix of fleshy and juicy fruit; both full and lively. Drinks perfectly now to my tastes.
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Splash decanted just before drinking with dinner. I have a cold, so I’ll offer no detailed note, but this still seemed a bit tight. Try again next year.
Day 1: Ample fruit to carry the wine. Pepper and light barnyard. I am hoping the pepper will burn off on day 2. Reminded me of a light Pape Clement. Wine was nicely balanced probably due to the 2005 vintage.
Day 2: Increased score from 90 to 92. Just beginning to turn corner, but a teenager. I would think 1 to 2 years is a good time to open another. Fruit really came out on day 2 in a typical Saint Emilion way. Barnyard faded on day 2, but I expect it to come back stronger next year. A liltte heat on finish which should go away next year. I believe this will turn out beautifully in the next 2 to 5 years and the score will increase to 95.
Day 3: Full bodied at this point without hard edges. The wine obviously needed air from day 1 and to even out from day 2. I would say that the wine is now very nice with a score of 93. I believe this wine will age nicely over the next 5 years.
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Popped and poured. This is a rich, thick, ripe, modern-style Bordeaux, made in a crowd-pleasing style. It is not especially complex, but it is not a simple wine. The oak seemed pretty well integrated compared to our last bottle 2 years ago. p 92.5 drinking fine now, but no great hurry to drink up.
A modern Bordeaux that is fun to drink.
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Context: the 2000 Quinault L'Enclos is one of my favorite ever wines. So this had a lot to measure up to. The 2005 shares some of the same features: dark berries, coffee, spice, and a beautifully medium weight. But where the 2000 dissipates ethereally, the 2005 finishes too soon with drying tannins.
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Sprite, coke, on the nose. These 2005 right banks are just very full and big big big. Really can't go wrong with these. Fruit forward St. Emilion. Very decent.
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Decanted for two hours. Lots of potential here (and my score reflects the current state), but the tannins are still plenty strong. Maybe in 2-3 more years there will be some softening to create a more captivating wine. Also the oak treatment tastes more like wood yet, rather than vanilla or caramel nuances.
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I decided to open this bottle after reading on WineBerserkers that many of the 05's from Saint Emilion are not aging well. The wine was decanted for an hour. Violet in color. A touch cloudy. 14% ABV. Traditional nose of red fruits, tobacco, graphite and roasted herbs. Medium to full body with nice balance. Cherries, currants, cassis and a dose of wood on the palate. There are drying tannins on a long finish. Just one data point but there is nothing here that sets off alarm bells about the 05's from the Right Bank. Drink over the next 4-6 years.
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Raspberry purple on the eye, red fruit on the nose and palate . Maybe a hint of burnt rubber and dark cherries in there, too. Still old school tannic 12 years on.
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Decanted one hour. Nose of plum, dark berries, red currants, and spice. On the palate, black cherry, plum, mocha, hints of menthol. I think it needs a little more time. Hold.
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Looking for something to have with grilled beef tenderloin tonight, so I thought I would give this one a try. Decanted for an hour or so.this is surprisingly bright and clear, although it did through off a good amount of sediment that had needed to be avoided in the decant. Some heat on the nose along with some anise and a bit of fruit. A little one dimensional, but a nice wine with fine, well integrated tannin. Could use another couple of years in the cellar, but enjoyable now with a decant.
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From a bottle left over from the prior evening's tasting. Very pleasant bouquet featuring a melange of red and black fruit and perfumed floral qualities. This remains firm and tannic on the palate, with dark fruit flavors lingering through the finish. Perhaps this one is not quite ready.
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Hugely tannic, backward, and not giving much after an hour in the decanter. I'll let this sit for another 3 hours and revisit, but for now this is borderline unapproachable. Some nice spice, dark red fruit, and chocolate on the nose, but the fruit is still buried underneath all the tannins on the palate, and I'm not sure this has the balance to allow the fruit to shine through in 5+ years from now. Good with rich food, but needs time and lots of it...
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Can't tell if shit is a bit past prime, or not quite there yet. It seemed a little under-ripe, overly oaked (which takes a lot for me, personally). Perhaps this wine is just a touch out of balance. Good, just not my fave Bordeaux ever.
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Color: dark/opaque ruby core -> moderately deep ruby rim. Cassis dominated bouquet with notes of dark chocolate, iodine, coffee and black cherries. Over the span of two nights this showed green elements on the nicely concentrated, but very tannic palate. Tobacco, black fruit and wet rock/minerality helped the whole picture but I was left thinking this needed more slumber time -- say 2-3 years. I think this is headed toward better times ahead if the tannins can mellow a bit more and the wine can lose some of the green, sappy notes.
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I served this in my wine course. Soft, blueberry nose with some dusty earth aromas. Also some oak. Has improved since last year. Moderately rich elegant mouth. surprisingly tannic finish for a St. Emilion.
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Medium intensity across the nose and palate, but I don't mean that in a demeaning way. Initially the cab franc had a stronger presence with a savory olive and bay leaf tinge, but the wine is driven by red fruit; mulberries, red plums, black cherries and some spicy barrel notes of nutmeg and cinnamon. It finishes with pretty significant dusty tannins and a little bit of a black licorice bitterness. Despite the tannins on the finish, this has a very silky mouthfeel across the mid-palate. A solid wine, but I'm not sure if the intensity of the fruit will be able to keep pace with the resolution of the tannins, which makes this a bit of a coin flip with regards to it's further evolution. If you want to play the safe side, this was quite good now and is an excellent value.
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Decanted three hours (and tasted during this period). Initially lots of flavour and tannins. After three hours the most dominant flavours evaporated but tannins still very dominant. This is probably past its peak with little fruit left. Its not bad, its just not performing very well in my opinion.
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19th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Chez Lyon in Eugene, OR): This bottle was one of the most tannic, in an afternoon of tannins... Black fruit, dark chocolate, and tar was as much as I could get out of it this late in this tasting, despite the 20 hr decant. I would wait (and hope): 2018-2025.
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Not my best bottle of the 05 but still very nice. Seemed to lack the fruit of previous bottles. My last and best bottle was 2.5 years ago (scored it a 94) and I was really looking forward to it. Maybe an off bottle or needed a longer decant. I gave it an hour where I had three hours on the previous bottle.
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This wine is in a very good place right now. Nose of red currant and maraschino cherries, dark bitter chocolate. Some iodine and wet rocks. Slightly tannic but not overly so. Bracing acidity. Not unctuous in the mouth - very clean and bright and medium body. These notes based on second glass an hour after popping and pouring.
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Quinault has provided an outstanding QPR at least dating to 1998- and I wish I'd become aware long before, and the 2005 is no exception. Perhaps precocious, it's ready now following a good decant, lengthy, well integrated tannins, and should be enjoyable for years. Much better the second day So for sure, decant. Otherwise you may not like as you could.
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Not sure if this has entered a dumb phase or is just not as good as initially reported. Consumed over 3 hours, with minimal improvement with air. This seemed a bit dull. Not corked, just not showing the depth of fruit or the complexity I would expect. I have one more and will try to hold a few years and hope for improvement.
After 3 hour decant, started off with some green flavors but that seemed to disappear as the wine warmed up. Med to full bodied. Smooth tannins. Wine caresses the palate.
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Ripe, black cherries and espresso in the nose, the wine is soft in texture, with too much oak in the end note as the wine feels a little dry and woody.
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This was best after 90 mins in the decanter. Beautiful nose with a palate that was balanced and complex. Medium to full body/acidity with tannins that were present and a 30 second finish. Was great with pork chops on the BBQ with blueberry/wine sauce.
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Decanted for three hours. Lovely aromas and flavors of blackcurrant, brambly raspberry, tobacco, and coffee. Medium bodied with velvet texture, a prominent vein of acidity cutting through the middle and a gently tannic finish. Made for a great pairing with salade landaise.
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It has been quite awhile since I tried one of these bottles (see 10/22/12 note). This wine lost some hard tannic edges since then. It is a traditionally styled St-Emilion from an outstanding vintage. There is a lot going on in the glass. Slightly cloudy deep, dark ruby. Nose of plum, leather, and earth. Medium palate of rich, silky fruit: plum, cassis, blackberry. Excellent length. Subtle notes of underbrush, tea, and cedar. Refreshing acidity. Fermented to dryness (this is not a negative). The grippy tannins have faded since my last taste.
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Beautiful crimson color, not great clarity (unfiltered?). Pleasant fragrance of strawberry and blueberry, plum, floral. Medium bodied. Quite smooth with a nice dry finish. Tannis are mellow. Great to drink now, but of course not a bad idea to hold for a while too.
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I served this in my wine course. Slight blueberry nose. Medium mouth feel. Good acidity. Decent, but did not live up to my expectations for the vintage. May need more time to develop.
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Opened by Mark. Decanted for 4 hours. Mildly sedimented. Crimson color. Round texture. Notes of currants, wet earth and red berries. Smooth tannins for being only 10 years old. This seemed to be the most integrated and approachable of the 2005's opened. Just as good or perhaps better than the 2000. 93 points.
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Since my last tasting 5 years ago, this wine has come around and is showing the depth most predicted was there. Still could use time in the bottle but a decant will do. Dark cherries, cassis and floral scents on nose; a beautiful nose, in the palate some notes with richness and depth - a respectable finish worthy of 93 points.
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This could be a 94. Need plenty of air. Maybe two hours. Cherry,minerals,flowers and earth. Finishes with smooth fine tannins and note of above. Outstanding now and will get better with time.
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Cabernets at their best (8 Danks street, Sydney): Ripe black and red plum, slight farmyard funk, very slight herbaceous and savoury notes. Plain chocolate. A little disappointing on the palate, falling away a little, tannins are still very chewy and chunky and the fruit is quite muted
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Very young. Took awhile to open up and was very nice after a few hours. Should have decanted but it was a party and we were just popping and pouring wines. The best glass was the last. Would buy.
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Un très beau Bordeaux structuré et avec de la mâche. Nez sur le chocolat, les cerises à l'eau de et la terre. Bouche soyeuse avec un beau fruit rouge et de beaux tannins charnus. Long et gouleyant en finale.
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Un autre beau vin de ce grand millésime. Belle structure et complexité. Nez sur le café, le cassis et la terre. Bouche raffinée et racée ave de beaux tannins serrés. Hyper Long et gouleyant. De la pure soie!
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The highlight of the holiday weekend, this Quinault although not as harmonious as the '98, delivers big time. The bouquet has plenty of dark macerated raspberries, cassis, ample new oak, and the palate contains round packed tannins that sustain the flavor profile for a medium finish. More powerful than balanced but erring on the hedonistic side. Excellent!
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Cupissimo rubino. Al naso mora, visciola, prugna rossa matura, viola, bacche, menta, cacao, sottobosco. Bocca austera, tannica, di buona intensità all’impatto ma chiusa e breve
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This seemed to lack any real fruit, even after a few hours of decanting. Seemed closed-down, and not likely to open up. A bit austere and unforgiving. Maybe just not my kind of thing.
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Good bottle, 3 hour decant, would decant for a shorter period of time if I had to do over. Everything you are lookin: very earthy, rich, elegant, just some dusty tannins left after the long decant. Dark fruits were present but subtle, I desired more. Good but not quite equal to its ratings in my opinion without a little more fruit showing through. Finesse juice.
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Nose: Complex aromas of smoke, coffee, blackberries, scorched earth, tar and oak traces. Palate: Good tension of acid and tannins with blackberry flavors under the secondary tar and earth flavors. This is a really nice St. Emilion. Too bad my first bottle was flawed. Good effort.
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Opened for my wife's B-Day but this was dead with zero fruit (even after a lengthy decant). Glad I previewed before bringing to the restaraunt. Brought another bottle instead. Bummer.
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I have had this several time and this was by far the best showing. I decanted and the nose hit you imeadiatly upon opening. It was in need of air so I left it for 3 hours. Dark reddish purple and a hint of brown on the edges. Red cherries, slate and a hint of anise on the nose. Beautiful bouquet. Well balanced. Some tart red fruit, wet granite and a hint of cocoa on the palate. A good 30 second finnish. Very nice bottle of wine.
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Great bottle, The wine looks Ruby colored. It smells like Blackberry, and Raspberry. The body is Medium. The wine has Silky texture. The wine finishes Medium.
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This wine develops nicely. Some smoke to discover this time as well. Butter. Creamy. Juicy red fruits and dark fruits. Still sticky tannin. See also my previous notes. In 2017 it will probably enter maturity stage. 90+
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2009 Bordeaux Masterclass, Hilton Hotel, Sydney. Tasted blind. Medium to dark red. Black fruits, smoke, violets on the nose. Sweet plummy, black fruit and mocha/chololate on a medium to full-bodied palate. Nice, juicy tannins. Long finish.
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My first bottle of this case. Nearly opaque dark garnet. Nose of smoke, earth, leather, menthol, & black cherry. Ripe full palate of plum, black cherry, tart blackberry, licorice, minerals, and vanilla. Superb length. Bright, food-friendly acidity. Grippy tannins. This wine is still pretty backward, but would drink pretty well with a lengthy decant.
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Very dark inky - dark fruit, leather and earth. Still very fruity and I wonder whether it has the acidity and tannin to mature. Would probably not have guessed that it was a bordeaux - to me it came close to a (good..) argentinian wine....this is my first attempt of a proper right bank wine and I am not immpressed but migt be a question of style....
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opened one hour before dinner, very plesant nose of dark fruit, floral, minerals, leather, and later truffles! Palate a bit tannic even towards the end of 3 hours, recommend decanting at least 1-2 hours. Good with food now but has potential to be a really grand wine, such power for a right bank. the conservative 91 is because of the unresolved tannins, potential to be a 93+ wine.
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Rich, tannic, deep colour. A wine that must be decantered for a few hours. Had a really dry fininsh to start and after 4 hours some fruit sweetness emerged. Drink with food. A serious but enjoyable wine, yet another example of the strength of the 2005 vintage. Will last a long time 15+ years.
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Really a nice bottle again. Creamy and round in the nose as well as on the palate. Good fruit juice, friendly tannin and a touch of sweetness in the finish. Really a very good and tasteful wine. Entering early maturity now and will probably continue to improve over the next 5+ years.
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Very expressive of classic St. Emilion Bordeaux. Just enough terroir to make it interesting with vanilla, oak, mocha, cocoa powder over truffles. Big and bold on the glass with medium to dark purple to a slight brick rim. Tears were magnificent which translated into a subtle satiny full mouth feel with cherries, black fruit, bright acidity, tartness on the rear of the palate with a smooth finish on drying tannins. Excellent, drink now or hold.
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Classic rich claret. Decanted for a few hours. This will be a stunner in 5 years...lovely nose just starting to develop secondary characteristics. The palate is more mature but still young....lovely depth, richness and purity of fruit...belly-filling. Surprisingly friendly tannins and well-integrated oak. Reasonable length. Definitely benefited from the long decant and extended time in the glass. Gorgeous.
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Pretty good, cherries and a hint of pine. tannins mellowed after an hour decant. Probably still young. nice wine if I hadn't paid $60 for it. One of those uninformed buys I won't repeat.
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Infanticide to touch this in the next three years. After a two hour decant, unusually concentrated for L'Enclos with good structure. Still, not much complexity and lacking on the finish. Overpriced at $50.
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I knew it was a little early, but wanted to try it and was ready for a big wine with lots of structure -- and I was not disappointed. Double decanted. Somewhere between black and purple and totally opaque. Mostly blackberries and oak on the nose along with some spice. Leather and cocoa notes emerge after some airtime. Big and bold on the palate with flavors that match the nose. LOTS of structure with big, drying tannins, bracing acidity and a powdery, chewy texture. Nothing elegant or feminine about this wine - it is rather austere and still a bruiser that no doubt will mellow with age. If the fruit holds up, I think it will be a terrific wine.
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Royal purple color and full-bodied, blackberry, spice and chocolate aromas, this M & M wine - Merlot and Malbec with Cabernet thrown in is elegant and focused. A long finish with a classic balanced mouthfeel and fresh flavors.
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Loved this wine. Decanted for about 4 or 5 hours prior to drinking and based on the reviews here I was nervous that wasn't going to be long enough, but it was drinking great. Paired very well with rack of lamb and also steak. Give it plenty of time in a decanter and you will enjoy it.
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I was surprised how much this wine has developed over the last year (or is it the bottle?) Beautiful bouquet with dark fruits and pleasant oak. On the palate dark fruits, some paprika and spiciness. Firm amount of tannin which is a bit drying in the finish and out of balance with the fruit at this moment. Give it another 5+ years and it will probably be more harmonious. 89+
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Decanted for 2 hours. All I can say is TIGHT and tannic. This wine needs at minimum another 5 years to even be approachable. I hope there is enough fruit to carry it long term. I can't score it under the current circumstances.
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Seriously gorgeous wine - Deep, dark, black ruby red, with hues of BLUE and purple. REEKED of blueberries and dark fruit, with a hint of pepper.
On the palate, the same, with a burst of cherry and cocoa powder showing through. Wow, and so creamy! The tannins, acid, even the oak... EVERYTHING just below the intensity of the fruit - sort of like best supporting actors. Drank more than my share from this bottle.
Forgot to take note of the finish - but it wasn't short, thats for sure. Long enough to make me keep taking bites to keep it going all night.
After an hour in the decanter (yes, definitely decant this at this stage), the tannins got a little more powdery, but still smooth.
Definitely liked this wine. I have got to get me some more bottles to hold...
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A: Clear, medium garnet, watery rim N: leather, dark fruit, chocolate/mocha P: More new world in style, but no fruit bomb by any means. Showing it's oak a little bit right now, but it's still pretty easy to drink.
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2007 White Burgundy Brown Bagger (Jim's): Dark color. Soft plum, dark fruit, earth and iron notes. Soft tannins and flavors of dakr fruit, blackberry, spice and herbs. Ends with a subtle earthy quality. Nice finish.
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This was pretty tight when opened. decanted for 2 hours and was very nice balancing fruit and soft tannins. An hour later this was great. aromas of fruit, pepper and spice. berries and plum integrated well with the tannins and had a long finish. psyched that I have 7 more bottles ...... should be very good in a couple of years.
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Tasted blind in a breezy banquet hall. Dark red alcoholic and dark red fruit . this is closed up but dark fruit is lurking Hint of anise and pine. Structure is big an dthis will last.
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There is some paprika, pepper and a lot of cassis, but the wine has closed itself. Give the tannin some years to melt and the result will probably be a lovely wine. No score today.
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Wonderful aromas of scorched earth, berries, tobacco and papaya. Very disjointed on the palate with a good dose of new french oak. At an awkward stage; retaste in 5 years
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'98 Quinault ended up being quite stunning in the end, with 1998 right bank chocolate and voluptuousness. I really like this wine, I have about a half dozen half bottles left. I remember Whuzzup sold the remaining bottles from his case purchase, he went long on the '98 right bank vintage and I think he was disappointed by the early results. But I think RMP was right on this vintage yet again. That '98 Pavie Decesse was a beauty in DC as well. 93 points.
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This clearly has some upside but for me it lacks some richness. Could be it is just in an awkward phase but wouldn't touch one of these for at least 3 to 5 years based on tonights tasting.
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Not sure....nice but clearly young and really no character yet. Lots of tannic structure and fruit, so maybe something distinct will develop. As is, though, it's perfectly pleasant and balanced (but still tannic)....
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I drink many vintages and many bottles of this wine. The 2005 shows a typical Quinault and modern St.Emilion style comes with an elegant side. Deep and clean, not changed at all. Delicious and compact. Very deep, long and linger finished. Same character as Lynch-Bages, Pichon Baron, La Mission Haut-Brion, Penfold 707. It can be one of a good table wine !!!
Drink 2011 - 2019.......95-96/100........
Now I know it so well.............I won't buy more...........too easy, not my type.............
....How pity ? I still have this wine more than a case....
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just too young at this point...old world characteristics....some fruit but dusty and austere.....decanted for 2.5 hrs and still didnt really open up....I sense that with time this will blossom into something really special.
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Great nose of dark berries and prune. A bit of meatiness hanging in there. Really well balance between the tannins and acid. Blackberries and blackcurrants. A spicy finish. Still so young. Doesn't really need to be touched for about 3 years.
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More Recent Release Bordeaux (K&L Wines, San Francisco): Bright, clear, medium to dark center. Gorgeously ripe fruit on the nose, uplifted by herbs and spice. The palate is lighter than the aromatics would suggest. There is some naturally sweet fruit in a looser structure, but it is nowhere near as lush as you would think. In fact, comes across as somewhat sinewy, with unimpressive length and finish. Difficult to understand at this stage since the aromatics and flavors are so discrepant. I preferred the much less heralded Sansonnet for its relative harmony, but the nose on this is so promising. We'll see.
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This is a very well crafted wine. It has a beautiful deep garnet hue and the nose is greeted with a heady mix of leather, cedar, green vegetables and ripe fruit. On the tongue (right out of the bottle) there is a nice balance of ripe fruit, a touch of sour cherry and a lot of tannin. This is a very young Bordeaux that, as not unusual for a fine young Bordeaux from a great vintage, needs a fair amount of decanting (this is one of the very few instances where I believe decanting is warranted - at least two to three hours); after decanting, the wine opens up nicely. While the finish is complex and lingering, I do not think that I will open up another bottle until 2011 at the earliest.
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Crystal French Wine Sale (Bordeaux) (Crystal Wines): Deep purple red. Dried earth with touches of spice and sandalwood. Good juicy round purple fruits and some raspberries and strawberries adding some flavour too. Not exactly complex but really has some good fruit. This will last.
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Had a difficult time getting this one to open up. Lots of tannins that need to soften up. Has a nice nose of dark cherries, floral accents and cassis; but in the palate the wine is stingy though it has noticeable depth; not getting the fruit the wine is capable of giving; fairly short finish. Needs more time and has probably shut down.
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Grand Bordeaux Tasting w/ Jill (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Binny's South Loop October Bordeaux Wine Tasting. Lovely sweet spice. Gorgeous licorice on the nose and palate. Loads of ripe dark red fruit. Accessible and drinking well though showing potential for cellaring.
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Opened and decanted 3 hours before double decanted back into the bottle and served 2 hours later. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Tight nose as is to be expected showing some notes of cedar, plum, a little smoke and berries. Flavors of black berries, currants and a dash of bitters on the finish. Bright acidity, firm tannins and full body. Hold.
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Creamy, ripe black raspberry, licorice, coffee, jammy berries and oak make up the perfume. With its opulent, sexy texture and forward style, this Bordeaux wine is already showing well. Based on previous vintages, this is a wine that should be enjoyed before it hits 12 years after the vintage.
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Cassis with cherry raspberry and wood on the nose. Creamy smooth and pure on the palate with bright reddish fruit. Fine or elegant rather than big. Serious tannins kick in on the way to a nice long finish - and not exactly soft tannins at that. Many years of slumber ahead for this wine. When this comes together, the score will go up.
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Dark blackish purple/red. Nose of blackcurrants and coffee. Full-bodied wit loads of tannins, but also good clean fruit. Also lots and lots of spicy oak. Very delicious, but a bit anonymous for my taste. My first 2005 Bdx, but I am unable to conclude anything about the vintage as this wine is clearly more a result of a certain style of winemaking rather than other factors. 91-92+.
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En primeur tasting. Black fruit with charming spice, this one of the more balanced and elegantly styled wines of the tasting and the vintage. Great balance, not a powerhouse. 91-93 point potential.
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4/21/2024 - jsebiri wrote:
Very nice , very claret . Easy drinking , smooth , fruit, subtle tannins, and barrel. Good.
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2/17/2024 - honest bob wrote: 90 Points
From 75cl, good cork, decanted off massive plaques of slimy deposit. Best immediately after opening: Fragrant bright cherry(!) fruit with ripe red berry undertow; nicely tertiary-complex with ever-shifting herbal-spicy notes. Nose-dived after 90 minutes into a disjointed mess. If you drink up ASAP with minimal aeration, this is in a rather lovely final swan song phase right now. I'm slightly alarmed to see that, as of today, there are 5127 bottles remaining in CT members' cellars. If some of those are in yours, please don't wait long before giving them some attention. 89-90P
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12/30/2023 - talbot61 Does not like this wine:
A friend had received this as a gift and brought it to dinner to share with us. Our first time with this chateau, but this bottle probably wasn't giving a clear picture. The wine was very disjointed, tasting simultaneously too young and too old, with a strong and persistent tartness. Not much fun to drink.
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12/8/2023 - jshufelt wrote: 87 Points
Capsule and cork were fine, and at least for the first hour or so after a 1.5 hour decant, things were fine, but over time, an insistent oxidative pruny note wormed its way into the proceedings. Sigh.
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12/5/2023 - gordoyflaca Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice, drink now
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10/20/2023 - Arch57 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A very proper Right Bank Bordeaux. Reminded me of my first experience with wines from this region back in 2005, finding and drinking wines from the 90’s.
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8/27/2023 - Deryl Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fully resolved and ready to drink. Lots of sediment.
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8/20/2023 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 91 Points
Medium ruby in appearance. Showing some secondary and tertiary notes on the nose with leather, tobacco and sour cherries. Even a little cedar and daffodils. Medium to medium plus body with well balanced acidity and medium plus tannins (7/10). Still seems to have life and power in it. Layered palate with cedar, minerality and red berries. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2028.
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8/6/2023 - ljl203 wrote: 91 Points
Best stage yet, tannin integrated - cherry and red plumb notes. A touch heavy on the oak but glad to have shed the astringency for some fruit zest.
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8/2/2023 - hsacks Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar to the 3/15/23 bottle.
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6/9/2023 - The Wine Monkeys wrote: 91 Points
Initial nose of bright red fruit/raspberry and eucalyptus. The color is stunning, beautiful dark deep purple. The most impressionable feature of this wine was the beautiful brightness and youth intertwined with depth and character. It has both bright fruit, balanced tannins and acidity as well as secondary flavors of cedar, wood, and some earth. It just kept singing in the glass becoming more round and full. If a peak of drinkability exists, this wine is there, imho. Lovely.
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5/14/2023 - HOS wrote: 95 Points
Best and last bottle of a case purchased upon release. Oh well.
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3/20/2023 - HOS wrote: 94 Points
PnP. What a difference from our last bottle last year. Earthy nose with herbs Provençal. Sage, earth, espresso, currant on the tongue. Medium bodied, long finish.
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3/15/2023 - hsacks Likes this wine: 93 Points
A touch less compelling than the 3/4/23 bottle but still delicious!
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3/4/2023 - hsacks Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep red color. Aromas of black fruits, lead pencil and wood spices. Ripe, medium-bodied to full-bodied fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length and mostly resolved tannins. Remarkably fresh and youthful at 18 years of age. Complex and very long on the palate. This delicious wine was a great match with the outstanding roast duck at Elwood Restaurant.
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2/12/2023 - honest bob wrote: 89 Points
From 75cl, fine cork, decanted 1 hour. Recent CT TNs are all over the place. My bottle this evening was just as previously noted, e.g. on 01.06.2022. This is what it is, i.e. a modern-styled, well-made, commercial St. Emilion, broad, in-your-face and good to quaff, but (surprise!) undeserving of the label "Grand Cru" (if not as absurdly, indeed ridiculously, non-"Grand" as some recently-tasted wines from Burgundy and Alsace sold under that self-same designation). Thoroughly unexciting, and no bargain at 35 EUR en primeur back in the day. 89P
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12/4/2022 - maxima wrote: 92 Points
Super beau claret encore une fois!
Souple et bien franc.
Des cerises, du chocolate, du cêdre et
du graphite avec des tannins fins
et une belle finale longue ou rien n'accroche.
Excellent.
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12/4/2022 - lolo66 wrote: 85 Points
mid weight, fine, okay, tastes like bordeaux just not exciting at all
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11/26/2022 - JGinMO wrote: 91 Points
This was way too tight on first night. By second night it started to relax, with lively fruit and some burly secondary flavors. Still got time.
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11/24/2022 - 559Cheers wrote: 92 Points
Very vigorous 2005. Some tertiary, but still drinking on the young side. Autumnal, faint forest floor, leather, nice color and fruit still abundant. Been open three nights and days.
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10/7/2022 - devraj Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep ruby with some purple. Lovely aromas of black raspberries, dark florals, spice-box and hint of incense. Medium to full-bodied palate shows good depth to then sweet and smoky black plums/berry reduction, medium acidity, ripe tannins and a long floral, spice and earth tinged finish.
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9/5/2022 - JCGuthrie wrote: 91 Points
Out of 375, decanted about an hour. Dusty red fruit on the nose with just a hit of alcohol showing through. Finishes with red plums and some earthiness, still noticeably tannic.
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8/27/2022 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
A gorgeous bottle in a beautiful place. Smooth, well balanced. Should decant for sediment. Needed about an hour of air and then was delightful. Another one where I wish I had a lot more....
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7/16/2022 - honest bob wrote: 88 Points
From 75cl, good cork. Exactly as noted on 01.06.2022. But I'm feeling generous this evening, so: 88-89P
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6/1/2022 - honest bob wrote: 88 Points
From 75cl, good cork, decanted off quite heavy sediment 45 minutes. Best immediately after opening and at roughly 14C (rich, oaky scent, juicy dark-fruited entry) but deteriorated as it warmed up to room temperature and disintegrated after 2 hours. Heavy, a bit squeaky, pretty crude dark berry fruit, low acid, some tannins remaining (but once they're gone, so will the last vestiges of pleasure this concoction has to offer). Ever since writing my first TN on 24.01.2022 I have been fretting about this wine, or more precisely, about what to do with the five bottles remaining in my cellar. Normally I keep bottles labelled "Grand Cru" for guests, special occasions, or at least for weekends, but my previous bottle was so obviously not "Grand" in any way I thought I'd try opening the next one mid-week, so we consumed it this evening with spaghetti carbonara. And indeed it was a perfectly acceptable match, remarkably similar in style and weight to a Roda Rioja Reserva 2017 tasted a few days ago, albeit just not at quite the same quality level. Drink up, P+P recommended, either on its own, or with simple, non-fatty food. 87-88P
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5/27/2022 - MK9786 wrote: 90 Points
On it’s way to turning into port: quite pruny and thin.
5/29: Second bottle was only a bit better. I hope others have better luck with the remaining bottles out there.
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4/18/2022 - Cmainardi wrote: 90 Points
This wine was not past prime. Actually, in a good drinking window. Slightly muted but a solid bordeaux
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3/14/2022 - HOS Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened, tasted and immediately decanted. Before decanting, thin and somewhat sour. After 15 minutes, turned into a muted Bordeaux. Decent but not great and don't think there's upside.
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1/24/2022 - honest bob wrote: 87 Points
From 75cl, perfect cork, decanted one hour. Promising dark colour, but everything else dull, low-key and—as many others have mentioned on CT—tired. Muted, generic, low-acid "refined red wine with some new oak", restrained to the point of corporate boringness. Totally overwhelmed this evening by braised ox cheeks and mashed parsnip. One to serve with your blandest food. Oh dear, 5 more bottles to go. Looking again at the CT average price paid (and indeed what I mistakenly spent for this stuff en primeur) I note the 2005 vintage was unusually expensive at 43 EUR—recent good vintages such as 2016 (38 EUR) and 2018 (33,50 EUR!) were released at more modest prices. Allowing for inflation, and particularly Bordeaux price inflation in the intervening decade that's what I call a clear market verdict! Presumably people (like me) were conned by inflated ratings back in the day, then word got around that—at least on the strength of this bottle—QL'E is yet another of those too-frequent St. Émilion "Grand Crus" which isn't so grand at all. 87-88P
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1/2/2022 - jshufelt wrote: 91 Points
Consistent with previous tasting note.
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12/26/2021 - Zitan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely and fully mature with lots of life left. Plenty of Saint Emilion character - soft, round and feminine with dark fruit and chocolate and violets and a classic Bordeaux nose. But it lacks the length of a great Saint Emlion. Doesn’t quite have the backbone. Very pleasurable but not profound and I don’t think it ever will be. But a wine can be wonderful without being profound, and this one is.
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12/23/2021 - HOS wrote: 93 Points
Decanted and began drinking. Much better than last bottle. Currant, herbs and a hint of clove. Medium bodied , strong finish. Drinking really well right now.
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12/10/2021 - maxima wrote: 92 Points
Similaire à mes autres mais celle-ci semble encore plus raffinée
et souple que mes précédentes.
Beau fruit gourmand et tannins fins avec
Une belle finale longue et sans accroc.
Excellent encore une fois!
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11/28/2021 - Wine Poor wrote: 89 Points
Did not quite hold up to my rack of lamb tonight.
I think this was mostly because my timing was off - I did not allow enough time for it to open up and warm up from cellar temperature. An hour after dinner this showed very well, but faded off again after a few hours.
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11/11/2021 - HOS wrote: 89 Points
Decanted and began drinking. Overwhelming reaction - muted everything. Nothing really wrong but not really right also. And it seemed to fade in the decanter. It just seems tired. I think we'll start sawing through the rest of the case and call it a day.
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11/2/2021 - pinoteer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Less than two decanter hours, and boy is this soft and delicious, with good acidity. Tannins are completely resolved. Plum and cherry, with vanilla and milk chocolate. Nice finish, too. Not the most complex wine, but it puts a smile on your face. I'm not seeing much further improvement here, but it's so good now.
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10/1/2021 - maxima wrote: 90 Points
Super souple et bien équilibré.
Des mures et des cerises avec un peu de terre
et de graphite. Il y a du cèdre et du chocolat aussi.
Les tannins sont assez fins et la finale
bien longue nous laisse sur des relents
de tabac.
Excellent.
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9/30/2021 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 89 Points
Third or fourth bottle of a half case purchased on release and stored properly ever since.
For some reason this bottle did not show as well as previous bottles (last one drunk about 18 months ago ).
No sign of aging on the appearance, but the aromas and flavors (red fruit, vanilla and espresso roast) seem muted- even after half an hour in decanter and the tannins seem rough and unintegrated.
I have rated other bottles up to 93 points, so will chalk this one up to bottle variation....
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7/1/2021 - Seafoam Manor wrote: 92 Points
Initially, I was a little worried about this, with the nose reading "generically 'red wine', probably Bordeaux", without much delineation at all. Big save one the palate. You get smacked in the face with big, bright, juicy cherry, which generally dominates the flavor profile, accompanied by graphite, a bit of spice, some light leather tertiary notes and a good dose of dark chocolate / mocha on the lingering finish. The tannins are pretty well resolved, particularly in context to the left bank '05's, but they reared up a little bit around an hour and a half in. There's enough acid to keep this from becoming flabby, but you will never confuse this with the Loire. Not a particularly complex wine, but it just focuses on doing delicious really well. Drink or hold.
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5/28/2021 - EdwardsCellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Outstanding. decanted for 3.5 hours. balanced blue/black fruits and integrated tannins. well rounded and paired well with smoked/reverse seared bone-in rib-eye steaks.
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5/6/2021 - maxima wrote: 91 Points
Très belle bouteille celle-ci.
De la soie, c`est raffiné et complexe.
Cerises, cassis, cèdre, graphite et herbes
se succèdent. Les tannins sont bien enrobés
et la finale de belle longueur nous laisse
sur une impression de mocha.
Super bon.
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5/5/2021 - SacramentoCharlie wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hr. Tight early, red fruit a touch of graphite, lucious mouthfeel. 1 hour in the right bank features of blue fruit, coffee, and maybe a touch of cedar. in a good window but no hurry
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1/23/2021 - JGinMO wrote: 92 Points
Excellent after 90 mins in glass. Great window.
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1/3/2021 - lelandinmichigan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful color of purple/violet/burgundy. just beginning to show signs of age with a ruby rim.
Chalky/graphite and bitter cherry aromas.
The wine still remains a bit closed and tight in nature. It is very dense and there is acid that refreshes and invites another sip. Unfortunately, at this point the depth is difficult to penetrate and the wine still feels very tense. Tannins are fairly resolved, so I'm hoping to see some tertiary development and some further release of any hidden fruit profile. Will try another bottle in a few years.
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11/7/2020 - Dr_Bob Likes this wine: 91 Points
Hour decant, superb
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10/25/2020 - Radboy wrote: 92 Points
Drinking well with a minimum 90 minute decant.
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9/18/2020 - 1512tnw Likes this wine: 88 Points
Still flavorful but mature. Tastes like what it is.
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8/27/2020 - HOS wrote: 91 Points
Thought we would try this again after a tough day. Decanted and started drinking which was a mistake. Initially a thin wine with muted flavor and a bite. After 90 minutes it started to hit its stride. Medium bodied, currant, espresso notes with a good finish. We will do at least a 2 hour decant next time. Long life ahead.
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8/3/2020 - Jaber wrote: 91 Points
Beau fruit noir. Chocolat, cannelle et anis étoilé. Belle bouteille.
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7/29/2020 - d'Artagnan wrote: 87 Points
Un vin puissant, extrait, boisé, un style qui se veut spectaculaire et qui ne me plait pas du tout. Pas mauvais, il y a un marché pour ça et des critiques qui les encouragent, mais ça ne me correspond pas du tout. 87 pts
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6/17/2020 - maxima wrote: flawed
Bouchonnée!
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6/16/2020 - LiteItOnFire Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Same notes as before but saved a bit to see what happens when open for a long period... um bad idea. Drink up.
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6/3/2020 - LiteItOnFire wrote: 89 Points
No notes. With SK PnP which was a mistake but did hold one glass out for 90 minutes. The wine was a bit thin, simple, with less fruit than I had hoped and certainly less than the 2000 Barton (and obviously 2015 Giscours). Ruby red starting to fade with flavors hovered more around wood, earth, eucalyptus, thin cola? with a fine line of watered down cherry/blackberry. Eh.
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4/9/2020 - Vancouver wrote: 93 Points
The beat goes on with another day in "lockdown"
Medium ruby in appearance.
Pronounced and evolved nose of candied black fruit , espresso roast and vanilla toast. Unmistakeably high class merlot in a blind tasting- but not sure one would guess St Emilion.
Medium plus to full bodied palate with similar flavor characteristics. This has definitely put on same weight from the last time I tasted it 4 or 5 years ago. The mouthfeel is beautiful and the finish is approaching long.
Mot a classic 2005 by any stretch of the imagination , but delicious and fans of the style (including me) will love this. could easily hold another decade in a cold cellar....but why wait?
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3/1/2020 - Miceri Likes this wine: 91 Points
Requires air - do decant a few hours; medium red; classic Bordeaux nose, cedar, strawberry; soft and gentle, nice balance, ready
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2/20/2020 - Rmjchen Likes this wine: 92 Points
First day was a bit on the thin side, thought perhaps i made a mistake making a case purchase back in 2009. 2nd day was a totally different story. Lots of fruit balanced with soft tannins. Most enjoyable and graceful. Still has some life left in it
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12/31/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 90 Points
New Years Eve (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red/purple color. PNP, drank a glass over 90 minutes. Very dark berries, rustic, lots of wood still and some harsh tannins. We had a discussion about where we thought this was going and the room leaned toward this is it. I can report that the remaining glass showed more character and earthiness with much softer edges a couple days later. So if I had these, I might be inclined to wait a couple years. 88 to 89 day 1 and 90 on day 3.
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12/10/2019 - beatles wrote: 92 Points
A mistake to open this - much too young. On day 1 it seams a bit lean, the day after it is much fuller, more complex - and quite rich, the vintage speaks here. There is certainly a smooth right bank feel to this, could be very good in five years. 92+
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11/30/2019 - jsebiri wrote:
Simple Bordeaux , missing 1 or 2 dimensions. Maybe more time? 2 days later the wine is deeper purple. Much more of a mouthful , tannins have much more grip as well.
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11/24/2019 - Frank Schneider wrote: 91 Points
Rustc and slightl yclosed this time. Wait !!
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11/8/2019 - fingers Likes this wine: 91 Points
Notes after following for about 6 hours open. Dark ruby color, clear body with a good dose of sediment in the punt. No other signs of age. Profound nose with a standard Right Bank profile - pencil shavings, cassis, tobacco leaf, et al. Big tannins and tense fruit grip on the cheeks whilst this ebbs and flows a bit on the mid-palate, where it has a good push of flavor one minute and then feels reserved and coy the next. There's also evidence of the stewy, dense, ripe character of '05, though I think that won't matter so much once this really hits adulthood. 5+12+16+8= 91
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8/3/2019 - cos82 Likes this wine: 92 Points
First time for this wine. Dark in color. Chocolate and cedar on the nose. Interesting palate of chocolate, cedar, tobacco and plum. Not as much fruit as I usually like, but I liked the palate a lot. Still a bit of tannin. Should be even better in a few years.
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7/29/2019 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted at a friend's house, from a 375 ml. You can tell it was a hot year- ripe and rich, sweet red/purple fruit, difficult to peg as "old world." Still present tannin, a little fuzzy but certainly not overly tannic. Surprisingly hot, but the fruit still took center stage, especially with sweet palate. The mix of pure reddish fruit, almost syrupy, with the deep chocolatey baking spice basically makes this into VERY vivid cherry cordial. So ripe that I got a banana note on nose! Lovely, and more on the side of jubilant/fun than highly complex.
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7/27/2019 - pinoteer Likes this wine: 90 Points
Much better than the first bottle, two years ago. Decanted almost 1½ hours at this point. It does need more air time (3-4 hrs.), but this bottle does seem more open for bizz than that earlier bottle. Tannins are rounding out, but this could still soften some more with bottle age. Red fruits (wild strawberry aromas), with some vanilla, and sort of an elderberry aspect. Good mid-palate and finish (long). I can definitely add a point (90) to my previous score, but think that this wine can eventually hit 92-93 in a few years. With 10 more bottles, I can continue to follow.
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6/27/2019 - miadelt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 1.5 hrs. Great balance of smooth but old world. Good body and intensity of flavors. Can drink now or hold.
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6/22/2019 - jshufelt wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes before serving - should really have been 3+ hours. In the glass, very dark opaque red, nearly black. On the nose, muted currants and oak. On the palate, initially holding back - very little fruit, perhaps a hint of cedar. As the evening progressed, this began to show signs of life, with currants, cedar, tobacco, and plums all making appearance. The last glass was the best, and even then it was still getting better. Give this a few more years before opening one...
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5/18/2019 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
This bottle seemed a little off - tart in an unpleasant way. Opened three hours before dinner. Threw a lot of fine sediment. Tobacco, some ripe dark fruit, firm acidity. Lengthy finish.
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4/24/2019 - Growler69 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice bottle of Bordeaux, but I think we may have drunk a little too early. Opened with Easter dinner and tannins were definitely still present, though not off-putting. Had the rest of the bottle tonight (Wednesday) and it was rounder all the way around.
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3/30/2019 - Mattshank wrote: 91 Points
Much more integrated than last bottle (notes on 6/22/13) but that bottle had much more complexity in both nose and palate. Ultimately it’s a push in score. Last bottle and good time to drink up.
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3/27/2019 - colorflavorlocking Likes this wine: 85 Points
Modern right bank. A bit simple now. I hope it gains complexity...
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3/18/2019 - Frank Schneider wrote: 92 Points
Modern style ,yummy and sappy!
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12/20/2018 - krmcgrath wrote: 89 Points
Good but oak notes overwhelm the fact that this is a wine made from grapes at this point. Don't see it improving much with more time.
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11/27/2018 - HOS Likes this wine: 89 Points
First bottle of the case. Nice but not very memorable. Hopefully just a mediocre bottle.
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11/24/2018 - LT98 wrote: 90 Points
As the years pass, I gravitate much more to the left bank than the right for all the reasons that will be obvious to those that feel the same. That said, this was a really nice wine - reasonably acidity, not overly ripe, good chocolate and berry notes. Nice body.
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11/5/2018 - bonedoc wrote: 92 Points
Decanted and drank over 2 hours, ready for business. Good concentration of dark purple fruits, w hints of coffee and chocolate. Drink now or hold 5 yrs.
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10/20/2018 - Bro-rolo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bro-Rolo's/Margaux Bro's POLITICKIN' PAUL SUPERPAC PACKY THROWDOWN; 10/18/2018-10/20/2018 (The White House): do you even bordeaux bro?
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10/16/2018 - Highlander wrote:
Although I enjoyed this wine very much, the last glass, some two hours later, seemed almost flat....that's to say the lack of tannins revealed a fruit that was fading. I think JR got this drinking window correct and I am adjusting mine accordingly. Don't get me wrong, This is in a fine place and is very fruity for the first hour or so, but don't decant, rather PnP.
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9/11/2018 - npettit wrote: 92 Points
Drinking perfectly
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8/9/2018 - maxima wrote: 90 Points
Très beau Bordeaux d`un grand millésime.
Il commence à bien se déguster.
De la sève et de beaux tannins bien enrobés avec des fruits rouges
éclatants et une finale assez longue.
J`aime bien, il est rendu à prix prohibitif, malheureusement.
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6/21/2018 - Ibetian wrote: 92 Points
This is a ripe, rich, modern style Bordeaux. It is drinking well now, but could improve a bit and plenty of life ahead. This is a fun, crowd pleaser.
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6/16/2018 - ClaytonDave Likes this wine: 91 Points
A soft, merlot-centric wine. Blueberry and herbs on the palate. Drinking fine with no decant, but opens a bit after an hour. Still slightly tannic. Will age a few more years.
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5/27/2018 - Le Gaulois Likes this wine: 91 Points
Enfin une 2005 qui est prête a boire. Très bel équilibre fruit-elevage-tanin. Bien fait et encore en forme pour longtemps si on se fi à l'acidité et les tanins toujours présents.
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4/22/2018 - Amishdesai93 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours, still needed time. Very pleasant on nose and palate. Red jammy fruit with some dark undertones. Tobacco/oak/smoke/tar even. Mild acidity and tart. Very nice.
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4/17/2018 - MC wrote:
Decanted an hour. Still quite primary but drinking reasonably well and I enjoyed the fruit and finish. A-
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4/7/2018 - explorer 1016 Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP, really nice.
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3/28/2018 - maxima wrote: 92 Points
De mieux en mieux, quel grand millésime qu'est 2005.
Nez envoutant sur le cèdre, les petits fruits et la terre.
En bouche, chocolat, cerises, tabac blond et du graphite.
Les tannins sont fins et la finale longue tout en finesse.
Excellent, encore mieux que mes autres.
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3/27/2018 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 92 Points
I really like this. Rich with dark fruit, but has lip-smacking acidity. Thick and sumptuous. Delicious!
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3/23/2018 - JCGuthrie wrote:
Out of 375. Very austere the first night, with about an hour of air. Much better on the second night, with more fruit and roundness. 90-91 based on second night.
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3/11/2018 - Radboy wrote: 91 Points
Drinking well.
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1/26/2018 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely wine. Pretty floral and blueberry notes with more mature aromas of dried figs. Good mix of fleshy and juicy fruit; both full and lively. Drinks perfectly now to my tastes.
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11/29/2017 - Ibetian wrote:
Splash decanted just before drinking with dinner. I have a cold, so I’ll offer no detailed note, but this still seemed a bit tight. Try again next year.
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10/29/2017 - EMTAME wrote: 90 Points
Definitely showing improvement over earlier bottles.
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10/14/2017 - Jimaronson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Day 1: Ample fruit to carry the wine. Pepper and light barnyard. I am hoping the pepper will burn off on day 2. Reminded me of a light Pape Clement. Wine was nicely balanced probably due to the 2005 vintage.
Day 2: Increased score from 90 to 92. Just beginning to turn corner, but a teenager. I would think 1 to 2 years is a good time to open another. Fruit really came out on day 2 in a typical Saint Emilion way. Barnyard faded on day 2, but I expect it to come back stronger next year. A liltte heat on finish which should go away next year. I believe this will turn out beautifully in the next 2 to 5 years and the score will increase to 95.
Day 3: Full bodied at this point without hard edges. The wine obviously needed air from day 1 and to even out from day 2. I would say that the wine is now very nice with a score of 93. I believe this wine will age nicely over the next 5 years.
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10/8/2017 - DCHawkeye Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking quite lovely!
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9/16/2017 - Ibetian wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. This is a rich, thick, ripe, modern-style Bordeaux, made in a crowd-pleasing style. It is not especially complex, but it is not a simple wine. The oak seemed pretty well integrated compared to our last bottle 2 years ago. p 92.5 drinking fine now, but no great hurry to drink up.
A modern Bordeaux that is fun to drink.
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9/7/2017 - Rollerball wrote: 91 Points
Context: the 2000 Quinault L'Enclos is one of my favorite ever wines. So this had a lot to measure up to. The 2005 shares some of the same features: dark berries, coffee, spice, and a beautifully medium weight. But where the 2000 dissipates ethereally, the 2005 finishes too soon with drying tannins.
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8/26/2017 - Keeping It Real wrote: 91 Points
Sprite, coke, on the nose. These 2005 right banks are just very full and big big big. Really can't go wrong with these. Fruit forward St. Emilion. Very decent.
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7/28/2017 - pinoteer wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for two hours. Lots of potential here (and my score reflects the current state), but the tannins are still plenty strong. Maybe in 2-3 more years there will be some softening to create a more captivating wine. Also the oak treatment tastes more like wood yet, rather than vanilla or caramel nuances.
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6/25/2017 - ricl Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic nose, very dry and will age well, nice with cheese and sausage, great!
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3/10/2017 - tomlee wrote: 90 Points
I decided to open this bottle after reading on WineBerserkers that many of the 05's from Saint Emilion are not aging well. The wine was decanted for an hour. Violet in color. A touch cloudy. 14% ABV. Traditional nose of red fruits, tobacco, graphite and roasted herbs. Medium to full body with nice balance. Cherries, currants, cassis and a dose of wood on the palate. There are drying tannins on a long finish. Just one data point but there is nothing here that sets off alarm bells about the 05's from the Right Bank. Drink over the next 4-6 years.
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2/6/2017 - benny wrote: 94 Points
Last 2 bottles out of 24. Should have waited until now. The wine was simply outstanding.
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1/31/2017 - charliesea wrote: 89 Points
Raspberry purple on the eye, red fruit on the nose and palate . Maybe a hint of burnt rubber and dark cherries in there, too. Still old school tannic 12 years on.
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1/22/2017 - GalvezGuy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted one hour. Nose of plum, dark berries, red currants, and spice. On the palate, black cherry, plum, mocha, hints of menthol. I think it needs a little more time. Hold.
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11/30/2016 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 90 Points
Looking for something to have with grilled beef tenderloin tonight, so I thought I would give this one a try. Decanted for an hour or so.this is surprisingly bright and clear, although it did through off a good amount of sediment that had needed to be avoided in the decant. Some heat on the nose along with some anise and a bit of fruit. A little one dimensional, but a nice wine with fine, well integrated tannin. Could use another couple of years in the cellar, but enjoyable now with a decant.
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10/22/2016 - AllRed wrote: 88 Points
From a bottle left over from the prior evening's tasting. Very pleasant bouquet featuring a melange of red and black fruit and perfumed floral qualities. This remains firm and tannic on the palate, with dark fruit flavors lingering through the finish. Perhaps this one is not quite ready.
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10/4/2016 - benny wrote: 92 Points
This bottle waned at the end after two hours.
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7/9/2016 - buytodrink wrote: 88 Points
Waiting for fruit and other flavors to evolve but never really happened
Some dried fruit and tar but too tannic to get much else
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6/30/2016 - RyanJames wrote: 89 Points
Hugely tannic, backward, and not giving much after an hour in the decanter. I'll let this sit for another 3 hours and revisit, but for now this is borderline unapproachable. Some nice spice, dark red fruit, and chocolate on the nose, but the fruit is still buried underneath all the tannins on the palate, and I'm not sure this has the balance to allow the fruit to shine through in 5+ years from now. Good with rich food, but needs time and lots of it...
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5/25/2016 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine: 88 Points
Can't tell if shit is a bit past prime, or not quite there yet. It seemed a little under-ripe, overly oaked (which takes a lot for me, personally). Perhaps this wine is just a touch out of balance. Good, just not my fave Bordeaux ever.
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4/3/2016 - SacramentoCharlie wrote:
Decanted 3 hrs. So primary. Not touching another for 5+ yrs.
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3/22/2016 - BVal wrote: 90 Points
Color: dark/opaque ruby core -> moderately deep ruby rim. Cassis dominated bouquet with notes of dark chocolate, iodine, coffee and black cherries. Over the span of two nights this showed green elements on the nicely concentrated, but very tannic palate. Tobacco, black fruit and wet rock/minerality helped the whole picture but I was left thinking this needed more slumber time -- say 2-3 years. I think this is headed toward better times ahead if the tannins can mellow a bit more and the wine can lose some of the green, sappy notes.
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3/12/2016 - stjames Likes this wine: 93 Points
Outstanding
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3/2/2016 - juffer Likes this wine: 90 Points
I served this in my wine course. Soft, blueberry nose with some dusty earth aromas. Also some oak. Has improved since last year. Moderately rich elegant mouth. surprisingly tannic finish for a St. Emilion.
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2/28/2016 - Seafoam Manor wrote: 90 Points
Medium intensity across the nose and palate, but I don't mean that in a demeaning way. Initially the cab franc had a stronger presence with a savory olive and bay leaf tinge, but the wine is driven by red fruit; mulberries, red plums, black cherries and some spicy barrel notes of nutmeg and cinnamon. It finishes with pretty significant dusty tannins and a little bit of a black licorice bitterness. Despite the tannins on the finish, this has a very silky mouthfeel across the mid-palate. A solid wine, but I'm not sure if the intensity of the fruit will be able to keep pace with the resolution of the tannins, which makes this a bit of a coin flip with regards to it's further evolution. If you want to play the safe side, this was quite good now and is an excellent value.
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2/1/2016 - benny wrote: 93 Points
Has a long life. There is body and nuances in this wine.
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1/2/2016 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep Ruby Color.
Youthful and pronounced nose of smoke, spice, red fruits and mocha/espresso- almost exotic?
Medium plus body, good acidity and some tannin. Lots of fruit and espresso on the palate. Medium plus to long finish.
Great St Emilion. Will last for another 10+ years easily. May improve, but why wait?
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12/14/2015 - denb wrote: 89 Points
Decanted three hours (and tasted during this period).
Initially lots of flavour and tannins. After three hours the most dominant flavours evaporated but tannins still very dominant. This is probably past its peak with little fruit left. Its not bad, its just not performing very well in my opinion.
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11/1/2015 - Grinner wrote: 90 Points
19th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Chez Lyon in Eugene, OR): This bottle was one of the most tannic, in an afternoon of tannins... Black fruit, dark chocolate, and tar was as much as I could get out of it this late in this tasting, despite the 20 hr decant. I would wait (and hope): 2018-2025.
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10/25/2015 - MarkMich wrote: 90 Points
Not my best bottle of the 05 but still very nice. Seemed to lack the fruit of previous bottles. My last and best bottle was 2.5 years ago (scored it a 94) and I was really looking forward to it. Maybe an off bottle or needed a longer decant. I gave it an hour where I had three hours on the previous bottle.
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10/17/2015 - benny wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for two hours. Drank over two hours. At first strong character that mellowed over time. This is outstanding wine.
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10/10/2015 - VindependenceDay Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is in a very good place right now. Nose of red currant and maraschino cherries, dark bitter chocolate. Some iodine and wet rocks. Slightly tannic but not overly so. Bracing acidity. Not unctuous in the mouth - very clean and bright and medium body. These notes based on second glass an hour after popping and pouring.
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10/9/2015 - Ibetian wrote:
Needs more time IMO. Drinking ok after decanting, but a distinct tannic bite. Still a couple of years until peak. P thought 92
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7/25/2015 - capacious Likes this wine: 91 Points
Quinault has provided an outstanding QPR at least dating to 1998- and I wish I'd become aware long before, and the 2005 is no exception. Perhaps precocious, it's ready now following a good decant, lengthy, well integrated tannins, and should be enjoyable for years. Much better the second day
So for sure, decant. Otherwise you may not like as you could.
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6/30/2015 - EMTAME wrote: 87 Points
Not sure if this has entered a dumb phase or is just not as good as initially reported. Consumed over 3 hours, with minimal improvement with air. This seemed a bit dull. Not corked, just not showing the depth of fruit or the complexity I would expect. I have one more and will try to hold a few years and hope for improvement.
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6/28/2015 - miadelt Likes this wine: 92 Points
After 3 hour decant, started off with some green flavors but that seemed to disappear as the wine warmed up. Med to full bodied. Smooth tannins. Wine caresses the palate.
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6/28/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
Ripe, black cherries and espresso in the nose, the wine is soft in texture, with too much oak in the end note as the wine feels a little dry and woody.
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6/2/2015 - Uncle John wrote: 92 Points
This was best after 90 mins in the decanter. Beautiful nose with a palate that was balanced and complex. Medium to full body/acidity with tannins that were present and a 30 second finish. Was great with pork chops on the BBQ with blueberry/wine sauce.
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5/22/2015 - gotfunk Likes this wine:
Decanted for three hours. Lovely aromas and flavors of blackcurrant, brambly raspberry, tobacco, and coffee. Medium bodied with velvet texture, a prominent vein of acidity cutting through the middle and a gently tannic finish. Made for a great pairing with salade landaise.
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5/21/2015 - scharlton27 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for two hours and it was just perfect. Soft mouth with nice cherries and a hint of tobacco.
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5/14/2015 - Wink Likes this wine: 92 Points
It has been quite awhile since I tried one of these bottles (see 10/22/12 note). This wine lost some hard tannic edges since then. It is a traditionally styled St-Emilion from an outstanding vintage. There is a lot going on in the glass. Slightly cloudy deep, dark ruby. Nose of plum, leather, and earth. Medium palate of rich, silky fruit: plum, cassis, blackberry. Excellent length. Subtle notes of underbrush, tea, and cedar. Refreshing acidity. Fermented to dryness (this is not a negative). The grippy tannins have faded since my last taste.
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4/3/2015 - stevenrcagle Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful crimson color, not great clarity (unfiltered?). Pleasant fragrance of strawberry and blueberry, plum, floral. Medium bodied. Quite smooth with a nice dry finish. Tannis are mellow. Great to drink now, but of course not a bad idea to hold for a while too.
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3/12/2015 - danielbleier wrote: 93 Points
blackberry bramble, herb, and truffle combine in a lovely swirl.
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2/17/2015 - juffer Likes this wine: 88 Points
I served this in my wine course. Slight blueberry nose. Medium mouth feel. Good acidity. Decent, but did not live up to my expectations for the vintage. May need more time to develop.
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2/14/2015 - Vino Me wrote: 93 Points
Opened by Mark. Decanted for 4 hours. Mildly sedimented. Crimson color. Round texture. Notes of currants, wet earth and red berries. Smooth tannins for being only 10 years old. This seemed to be the most integrated and approachable of the 2005's opened. Just as good or perhaps better than the 2000. 93 points.
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1/25/2015 - royalscam Likes this wine: 93 Points
Since my last tasting 5 years ago, this wine has come around and is showing the depth most predicted was there. Still could use time in the bottle but a decant will do. Dark cherries, cassis and floral scents on nose; a beautiful nose, in the palate some notes with richness and depth - a respectable finish worthy of 93 points.
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1/4/2015 - benny wrote: 94 Points
Drinking well now. Still has improvement opportunities.
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11/26/2014 - benny wrote: 93 Points
This could be a 94. Need plenty of air. Maybe two hours. Cherry,minerals,flowers and earth. Finishes with smooth fine tannins and note of above. Outstanding now and will get better with time.
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10/23/2014 - gordoyflaca wrote: 92 Points
Nice with sweet smooth but earthy leather fruit. Needs 1hr to open
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6/18/2014 - chatters wrote:
Cabernets at their best (8 Danks street, Sydney): Ripe black and red plum, slight farmyard funk, very slight herbaceous and savoury notes. Plain chocolate. A little disappointing on the palate, falling away a little, tannins are still very chewy and chunky and the fruit is quite muted
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4/20/2014 - hiker_guy Likes this wine:
Very young. Took awhile to open up and was very nice after a few hours. Should have decanted but it was a party and we were just popping and pouring wines. The best glass was the last. Would buy.
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3/22/2014 - bonedoc wrote: 89 Points
Still tight, some loam/sulphur on the back palate.
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12/20/2013 - maxima wrote: 90 Points
Un très beau Bordeaux structuré et avec de la mâche.
Nez sur le chocolat, les cerises à l'eau de et la terre.
Bouche soyeuse avec un beau fruit rouge et de beaux tannins charnus.
Long et gouleyant en finale.
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12/9/2013 - jdoakpark wrote: 92 Points
Great
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12/2/2013 - maxima wrote: 91 Points
Un autre beau vin de ce grand millésime. Belle structure et complexité.
Nez sur le café, le cassis et la terre.
Bouche raffinée et racée ave de beaux tannins serrés. Hyper Long et gouleyant.
De la pure soie!
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11/28/2013 - farinas Likes this wine: 93 Points
The highlight of the holiday weekend, this Quinault although not as harmonious as the '98, delivers big time. The bouquet has plenty of dark macerated raspberries, cassis, ample new oak, and the palate contains round packed tannins that sustain the flavor profile for a medium finish. More powerful than balanced but erring on the hedonistic side. Excellent!
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11/13/2013 - JGinMO wrote: 91 Points
As before, might have started better than it finished. Great wine to pair with food, esp subtle beef.
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10/28/2013 - Ludi Likes this wine: 89 Points
Cupissimo rubino. Al naso mora, visciola, prugna rossa matura, viola, bacche, menta, cacao, sottobosco. Bocca austera, tannica, di buona intensità all’impatto ma chiusa e breve
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8/29/2013 - John McCabe wrote: 89 Points
This seemed to lack any real fruit, even after a few hours of decanting. Seemed closed-down, and not likely to open up. A bit austere and unforgiving. Maybe just not my kind of thing.
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7/26/2013 - JGinMO wrote: 93 Points
This seemed very lively right after opening. It softened with air, and perhaps lost a bit of fruit. Very nice wine, seems to have years to go.
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6/29/2013 - chitowncdpguy wrote:
Awesome nose - smoke, plum, maybe a little chocolate, but very drying tannins on the palate. Wait.
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6/23/2013 - Kdog wrote: 90 Points
Good bottle, 3 hour decant, would decant for a shorter period of time if I had to do over. Everything you are lookin: very earthy, rich, elegant, just some dusty tannins left after the long decant. Dark fruits were present but subtle, I desired more. Good but not quite equal to its ratings in my opinion without a little more fruit showing through. Finesse juice.
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6/22/2013 - Mattshank wrote: 91 Points
Nose: Complex aromas of smoke, coffee, blackberries, scorched earth, tar and oak traces. Palate: Good tension of acid and tannins with blackberry flavors under the secondary tar and earth flavors. This is a really nice St. Emilion. Too bad my first bottle was flawed. Good effort.
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5/18/2013 - Mattshank wrote: flawed
Opened for my wife's B-Day but this was dead with zero fruit (even after a lengthy decant). Glad I previewed before bringing to the restaraunt. Brought another bottle instead. Bummer.
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3/6/2013 - MarkMich wrote: 94 Points
I have had this several time and this was by far the best showing. I decanted and the nose hit you imeadiatly upon opening. It was in need of air so I left it for 3 hours. Dark reddish purple and a hint of brown on the edges. Red cherries, slate and a hint of anise on the nose. Beautiful bouquet. Well balanced. Some tart red fruit, wet granite and a hint of cocoa on the palate. A good 30 second finnish. Very nice bottle of wine.
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12/9/2012 - cjerabeck Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great bottle,
The wine looks Ruby colored. It smells like Blackberry, and Raspberry. The body is Medium. The wine has Silky texture. The wine finishes Medium.
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12/7/2012 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
This wine develops nicely. Some smoke to discover this time as well. Butter. Creamy. Juicy red fruits and dark fruits. Still sticky tannin. See also my previous notes. In 2017 it will probably enter maturity stage. 90+
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11/12/2012 - wenderoth wrote: 89 Points
2009 Bordeaux Masterclass, Hilton Hotel, Sydney. Tasted blind. Medium to dark red. Black fruits, smoke, violets on the nose. Sweet plummy, black fruit and mocha/chololate on a medium to full-bodied palate. Nice, juicy tannins. Long finish.
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10/22/2012 - Wink wrote: 92 Points
My first bottle of this case. Nearly opaque dark garnet. Nose of smoke, earth, leather, menthol, & black cherry. Ripe full palate of plum, black cherry, tart blackberry, licorice, minerals, and vanilla. Superb length. Bright, food-friendly acidity. Grippy tannins. This wine is still pretty backward, but would drink pretty well with a lengthy decant.
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9/2/2012 - Michiel wrote: 91 Points
Dark ruby; nose with dark fruit, leather and pencil; grippy tannins & good acidity; good length with plenty of the fruit lingering.
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8/20/2012 - Perthor01 wrote: 89 Points
Very dark inky - dark fruit, leather and earth. Still very fruity and I wonder whether it has the acidity and tannin to mature. Would probably not have guessed that it was a bordeaux - to me it came close to a (good..) argentinian wine....this is my first attempt of a proper right bank wine and I am not immpressed but migt be a question of style....
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6/16/2012 - Woodford wrote: 90 Points
Smells of dark red fruits (dark cherries), cold earth, & Vanilla. Tastes of sweet dark fruits & minerals with strong tannins. Full Bodied.
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3/30/2012 - meurig Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drank with Dan Kim & Kristie @ Bibou
Opened and decanted 3-4 hours before dinner
This really isn't ready for prime time needs a few more years to resolve.
However, if I'm honest I'm never going to love this as much as a Burg....(WOTN went to a 2003 Burg...)
Anyway
dark fruits on the nose, leather, and tobacco
Luscious mouth feel but still very tannic
Serrious stuff with plenty of potential, looking forward to revisiting in about 5 years time...
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3/26/2012 - RayOB wrote: 91 Points
Drank in Hong Kong
Nose of blackberries, vanilla, tobacco, leather and earth. Very pleasant mouth with smooth silky tannins. Medium length
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3/16/2012 - danielk168 wrote: 91 Points
opened one hour before dinner, very plesant nose of dark fruit, floral, minerals, leather, and later truffles! Palate a bit tannic even towards the end of 3 hours, recommend decanting at least 1-2 hours.
Good with food now but has potential to be a really grand wine, such power for a right bank. the conservative 91 is because of the unresolved tannins, potential to be a 93+ wine.
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2/25/2012 - Willsy wrote: 91 Points
Rich, tannic, deep colour. A wine that must be decantered for a few hours. Had a really dry fininsh to start and after 4 hours some fruit sweetness emerged. Drink with food. A serious but enjoyable wine, yet another example of the strength of the 2005 vintage. Will last a long time 15+ years.
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2/6/2012 - hztrdm wrote: 93 Points
Very tannic. Deep cherry flavors with a hint of vanilla. Still young but worthwhile drinking today.
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2/4/2012 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Really a nice bottle again. Creamy and round in the nose as well as on the palate. Good fruit juice, friendly tannin and a touch of sweetness in the finish. Really a very good and tasteful wine. Entering early maturity now and will probably continue to improve over the next 5+ years.
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2/4/2012 - BillyT wrote: 91 Points
Very expressive of classic St. Emilion Bordeaux. Just enough terroir to make it interesting with vanilla, oak, mocha, cocoa powder over truffles. Big and bold on the glass with medium to dark purple to a slight brick rim. Tears were magnificent which translated into a subtle satiny full mouth feel with cherries, black fruit, bright acidity, tartness on the rear of the palate with a smooth finish on drying tannins. Excellent, drink now or hold.
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12/11/2011 - Goldstone wrote: 91 Points
Classic rich claret. Decanted for a few hours. This will be a stunner in 5 years...lovely nose just starting to develop secondary characteristics. The palate is more mature but still young....lovely depth, richness and purity of fruit...belly-filling. Surprisingly friendly tannins and well-integrated oak. Reasonable length. Definitely benefited from the long decant and extended time in the glass. Gorgeous.
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7/4/2011 - Ckwinter wrote: 90 Points
Pretty good, cherries and a hint of pine. tannins mellowed after an hour decant. Probably still young. nice wine if I hadn't paid $60 for it. One of those uninformed buys I won't repeat.
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5/25/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Pascal's Double Blind Tasting Dinner (Pascal's, Ponce de Leon Boulevard, Coral Gables): Bill Brown's wine
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4/3/2011 - lee.reiswig wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Still tannic, needs more time to integrate. Will be an outstanding wine.
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4/2/2011 - unrelenting wrote: 92 Points
Infanticide to touch this in the next three years. After a two hour decant, unusually concentrated for L'Enclos with good structure. Still, not much complexity and lacking on the finish. Overpriced at $50.
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2/8/2011 - rickspicks wrote: 92 Points
I knew it was a little early, but wanted to try it and was ready for a big wine with lots of structure -- and I was not disappointed. Double decanted. Somewhere between black and purple and totally opaque. Mostly blackberries and oak on the nose along with some spice. Leather and cocoa notes emerge after some airtime. Big and bold on the palate with flavors that match the nose. LOTS of structure with big, drying tannins, bracing acidity and a powdery, chewy texture. Nothing elegant or feminine about this wine - it is rather austere and still a bruiser that no doubt will mellow with age. If the fruit holds up, I think it will be a terrific wine.
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2/6/2011 - gsquireh wrote: 93 Points
Royal purple color and full-bodied, blackberry, spice and chocolate aromas, this M & M wine - Merlot and Malbec with Cabernet thrown in is elegant and focused. A long finish with a classic balanced mouthfeel and fresh flavors.
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1/11/2011 - Miceri wrote: 92 Points
Quite dark blackish colour; pleasant nose of dark berries; ripe fruit, pleasant nice taste, perhaps slightly closed; good, classic
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12/22/2010 - rhpeters wrote: 92 Points
Loved this wine. Decanted for about 4 or 5 hours prior to drinking and based on the reviews here I was nervous that wasn't going to be long enough, but it was drinking great. Paired very well with rack of lamb and also steak. Give it plenty of time in a decanter and you will enjoy it.
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12/18/2010 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
I was surprised how much this wine has developed over the last year (or is it the bottle?) Beautiful bouquet with dark fruits and pleasant oak. On the palate dark fruits, some paprika and spiciness. Firm amount of tannin which is a bit drying in the finish and out of balance with the fruit at this moment. Give it another 5+ years and it will probably be more harmonious. 89+
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10/9/2010 - CS_pikes wrote:
Decanted for 2 hours. All I can say is TIGHT and tannic. This wine needs at minimum another 5 years to even be approachable. I hope there is enough fruit to carry it long term. I can't score it under the current circumstances.
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9/15/2010 - Wamrod Likes this wine: 93 Points
OMG, how delicious was THAT?
Seriously gorgeous wine - Deep, dark, black ruby red, with hues of BLUE and purple. REEKED of blueberries and dark fruit, with a hint of pepper.
On the palate, the same, with a burst of cherry and cocoa powder showing through. Wow, and so creamy! The tannins, acid, even the oak... EVERYTHING just below the intensity of the fruit - sort of like best supporting actors. Drank more than my share from this bottle.
Forgot to take note of the finish - but it wasn't short, thats for sure. Long enough to make me keep taking bites to keep it going all night.
After an hour in the decanter (yes, definitely decant this at this stage), the tannins got a little more powdery, but still smooth.
Definitely liked this wine. I have got to get me some more bottles to hold...
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7/17/2010 - Macki wrote:
A: Clear, medium garnet, watery rim
N: leather, dark fruit, chocolate/mocha
P: More new world in style, but no fruit bomb by any means. Showing it's oak a little bit right now, but it's still pretty easy to drink.
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6/12/2010 - ljl203 wrote: 89 Points
Fairly austere food wine. Deep brush, olive, rose, and clove surrounded by oak. Waiting to see how it plays out.
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5/14/2010 - AllRed wrote: 91 Points
2007 White Burgundy Brown Bagger (Jim's): Dark color. Soft plum, dark fruit, earth and iron notes. Soft tannins and flavors of dakr fruit, blackberry, spice and herbs. Ends with a subtle earthy quality. Nice finish.
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5/13/2010 - MarkMich wrote: 92 Points
This was pretty tight when opened. decanted for 2 hours and was very nice balancing fruit and soft tannins. An hour later this was great. aromas of fruit, pepper and spice. berries and plum integrated well with the tannins and had a long finish. psyched that I have 7 more bottles ...... should be very good in a couple of years.
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4/22/2010 - sleepyhaus wrote:
Just very tightly wound right now. Difficult to evaluate but appears to have the right stuff. Good potential.
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3/5/2010 - condita1@gmail.com wrote:
first opened dark ruby red in color, hiding fruit aroma after an hour fresh berries and oak. Wife finds it a bit tart on the palate.
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12/7/2009 - Kolef wrote: 92 Points
Very elegant clean taste with good finish. Could use more aging.
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11/27/2009 - KVM wrote: 87 Points
Tasted blind in a breezy banquet hall. Dark red alcoholic and dark red fruit . this is closed up but dark fruit is lurking Hint of anise and pine. Structure is big an dthis will last.
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11/22/2009 - Zweder wrote:
There is some paprika, pepper and a lot of cassis, but the wine has closed itself. Give the tannin some years to melt and the result will probably be a lovely wine. No score today.
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6/15/2009 - aof wrote:
Wonderful aromas of scorched earth, berries, tobacco and papaya. Very disjointed on the palate with a good dose of new french oak. At an awkward stage; retaste in 5 years
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6/11/2009 - JimHow wrote: 93 Points
'98 Quinault ended up being quite stunning in the end, with 1998 right bank chocolate and voluptuousness. I really like this wine, I have about a half dozen half bottles left. I remember Whuzzup sold the remaining bottles from his case purchase, he went long on the '98 right bank vintage and I think he was disappointed by the early results. But I think RMP was right on this vintage yet again. That '98 Pavie Decesse was a beauty in DC as well. 93 points.
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5/29/2009 - EyeDoc wrote: 88 Points
This clearly has some upside but for me it lacks some richness. Could be it is just in an awkward phase but wouldn't touch one of these for at least 3 to 5 years based on tonights tasting.
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5/11/2009 - rsepulve wrote: 91 Points
Well structured, good concentration, intense and energetic but elegant. Still much too young, though. Needs at least a couple of years to settle down.
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4/8/2009 - Employee500 wrote: 89 Points
Not sure....nice but clearly young and really no character yet. Lots of tannic structure and fruit, so maybe something distinct will develop. As is, though, it's perfectly pleasant and balanced (but still tannic)....
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3/4/2009 - noppakit s. wrote: 95 Points
I drink many vintages and many bottles of this wine. The 2005 shows a typical Quinault and modern St.Emilion style comes with an elegant side. Deep and clean, not changed at all. Delicious and compact. Very deep, long and linger finished.
Same character as Lynch-Bages, Pichon Baron, La Mission Haut-Brion, Penfold 707.
It can be one of a good table wine !!!
Drink 2011 - 2019.......95-96/100........
Now I know it so well.............I won't buy more...........too easy, not my type.............
....How pity ? I still have this wine more than a case....
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2/13/2009 - jdoakpark wrote: 90 Points
just too young at this point...old world characteristics....some fruit but dusty and austere.....decanted for 2.5 hrs and still didnt really open up....I sense that with time this will blossom into something really special.
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2/8/2009 - Beavis77 wrote:
Great nose of dark berries and prune. A bit of meatiness hanging in there.
Really well balance between the tannins and acid. Blackberries and blackcurrants. A spicy finish.
Still so young. Doesn't really need to be touched for about 3 years.
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1/17/2009 - drwine2001 wrote:
More Recent Release Bordeaux (K&L Wines, San Francisco): Bright, clear, medium to dark center. Gorgeously ripe fruit on the nose, uplifted by herbs and spice. The palate is lighter than the aromatics would suggest. There is some naturally sweet fruit in a looser structure, but it is nowhere near as lush as you would think. In fact, comes across as somewhat sinewy, with unimpressive length and finish. Difficult to understand at this stage since the aromatics and flavors are so discrepant. I preferred the much less heralded Sansonnet for its relative harmony, but the nose on this is so promising. We'll see.
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12/9/2008 - Gringo wrote: 89 Points
This is a very well crafted wine. It has a beautiful deep garnet hue and the nose is greeted with a heady mix of leather, cedar, green vegetables and ripe fruit. On the tongue (right out of the bottle) there is a nice balance of ripe fruit, a touch of sour cherry and a lot of tannin. This is a very young Bordeaux that, as not unusual for a fine young Bordeaux from a great vintage, needs a fair amount of decanting (this is one of the very few instances where I believe decanting is warranted - at least two to three hours); after decanting, the wine opens up nicely. While the finish is complex and lingering, I do not think that I will open up another bottle until 2011 at the earliest.
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11/2/2008 - Alex H wrote: 84 Points
Crystal French Wine Sale (Bordeaux) (Crystal Wines): Deep purple red. Dried earth with touches of spice and sandalwood. Good juicy round purple fruits and some raspberries and strawberries adding some flavour too. Not exactly complex but really has some good fruit. This will last.
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10/27/2008 - royalscam wrote: 91 Points
Had a difficult time getting this one to open up. Lots of tannins that need to soften up. Has a nice nose of dark cherries, floral accents and cassis; but in the palate the wine is stingy though it has noticeable depth; not getting the fruit the wine is capable of giving; fairly short finish. Needs more time and has probably shut down.
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10/24/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
Grand Bordeaux Tasting w/ Jill (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Binny's South Loop October Bordeaux Wine Tasting.
Lovely sweet spice. Gorgeous licorice on the nose and palate.
Loads of ripe dark red fruit. Accessible and drinking well though showing potential for cellaring.
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10/12/2008 - ludwigbpm wrote: 89 Points
Dégustation Bordeaux 2005
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9/13/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
DAWGS September 2008 Wine Dinner (bigred_seeker's house in University Park, Dallas, TX): WIML91-93
Tasted September 13, 2008 at an offline.
Opened and decanted 3 hours before double decanted back into the bottle and served 2 hours later. Dark garnet to purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Tight nose as is to be expected showing some notes of cedar, plum, a little smoke and berries. Flavors of black berries, currants and a dash of bitters on the finish. Bright acidity, firm tannins and full body. Hold.
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6/15/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Creamy, ripe black raspberry, licorice, coffee, jammy berries and oak make up the perfume. With its opulent, sexy texture and forward style, this Bordeaux wine is already showing well. Based on previous vintages, this is a wine that should be enjoyed before it hits 12 years after the vintage.
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5/30/2008 - Miceri wrote:
Dark in colour; dark berries; lacking a bit of structure/tannin/acidity = a bit flat
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4/25/2008 - theusualsuspect wrote: 92 Points
Cassis with cherry raspberry and wood on the nose. Creamy smooth and pure on the palate with bright reddish fruit. Fine or elegant rather than big. Serious tannins kick in on the way to a nice long finish - and not exactly soft tannins at that. Many years of slumber ahead for this wine. When this comes together, the score will go up.
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1/20/2008 - sumshark wrote: 89 Points
Needs plenty of air to start to show.
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12/23/2007 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
A very firm wine with a lot of tannin. But there is good juice and very good oak as well. Give it (a lot of) time. Next bottle not before 2012.
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10/27/2007 - wcacern wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux Today: 14% alcohol. aromas of dark fruit and earthy notes. full bodied, lush mouthfeel, great balance of ripe fruit and age worthy tannins.
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10/6/2007 - gorm wrote: 91 Points
Dark blackish purple/red. Nose of blackcurrants and coffee. Full-bodied wit loads of tannins, but also good clean fruit. Also lots and lots of spicy oak. Very delicious, but a bit anonymous for my taste. My first 2005 Bdx, but I am unable to conclude anything about the vintage as this wine is clearly more a result of a certain style of winemaking rather than other factors. 91-92+.
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4/3/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote:
En primeur tasting. Black fruit with charming spice, this one of the more balanced and elegantly styled wines of the tasting and the vintage. Great balance, not a powerhouse. 91-93 point potential.
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