4th bottle from a half case bought a few years ago. Excellent condition at base of neck. I was never a fan of 1985 as a vintage (although it was considered excellent) and my notes are peppered with comments about the lack of tannins and excess sweetness. At the time the 82s were a similar price and far better. Double decanted and then drunk immediately. Big nose of earthy, truffly sous bois (aka Cordier funk) at first which then reveals sea breeze and oyster shells, and finally clean blackcurrant and cedar. Beautifully balanced light to medium weight body with typical 1985 sweetness and a long penetrating finish. Just enough bitterness on the finish to offset the sweetness. A lovely moreish wine. Smoky aroma left in the empty glass. Glorious.
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Textbook mature left bank Bordeaux. Some of of that Cordier funk that I love, and lovely sweet fruit, tobacco and pencil shavings. Tannins are fully resolved and it has a long sweet finish. Always bittersweet when it is my last bottle.
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DnP Mature garnet red, yellowed edged, 4.5 Generous complex classic left bank bouquet, pencil, cedar, forest floor and more. Elegant palate, lT, m+A, mB, dry, totally resolved tannins, very well balanced, long finish with tobacco notes. Drink now-but will hold its own for years. What at threat.
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Very generously bought by Ian via London. This was beautiful and my wine of the night. Vanilla, black truffles, tobacco all beautifully balanced and integrated. A hint of the Cordier funk going on. Quite complex and intriguing.
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Commanderie Exec Committee Meeting (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Dark red color. PNP, drank a glass plus over 2 hours. Just gorgeous again; the nose brings so much leather, funk, pencil shavings and fine tobacco; red and black fruits, cassis, raspberry, silky texture and medium plus body. The tannins are plush as is the overall feel, so well balanced, with a touch of chokecherry on the finish. Just splendid and probably at or near peak.
An Epic Summer Wine Weekend - Year 2; 6/30/2023-7/2/2023 (Muskoka, Ontario, Canada): From a perfect bottle in perfect condition, with a high fill. Recently acquired from the original purchaser. This pours medium garnet in the glass with light bricking. This is wide open and complex, textbook mature left bank Bordeaux. The nose is of pencil lead, tobacco, gravel, plum, dark cherry, charcoal, and celery seed. The palate is lovely with the silky texture aged Bordeaux can do so well. Totally resolved with medium minus tannin and and medium acid. The finish closes harmoniously and complex focused on tobacco. While this was absent some of the funk I might expect from the producer in this era, which I often like, it was no worse for it. Just textbook classic mature bordeaux from a very good, but not top vintage.
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London Wine Event (Hide, London): From Magnum, solid cork extracted with bilame. Good levels. A wine we love and have tried more than 15 times over the 13 years. Last tasting was again from magnum in 2021 ( Papies 95) and albeit at this age there are good bottles not good wines this is a wine that never fails us albeit this time felt ab it fragile and less so on the palate. The nose is exceptional, a dream to classic well aged Bordeaux. Leather, tobacco, spice, light cedar , soft spice. Textbook beautiful wine . On the palate it was a bit softer than last few times given our notes but still effortlessly beautiful. One definitely needs to love the style of old clarets but St Juliens of the 1980s are a joy when sourced from good provenance. 94 this time. Drink sooner than later.
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Wow - initial whiffs of wood smoke and cured tobacco with a lovely underpinning of dark red fruit. Floral and lilting nose. A soft and lithe palate with completely resolved tannins but a good density and fairly long finish.
Having had the spectacular 82 and exceptional 86, this seems nearly a perfect mix of the two - not as dense or long as the 82 but really excellent.
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On the nose there's white pepper and fruit, black pepper, mud, winter herbs. Excellent balance of primary and secondary flavors on the palate. A tiny bit of baking spices and vanilla. Mace. Cassis.
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Intense leather, tobacco, cedar, and earthy nose at first, followed by bright red fruits several seconds later. Palate is similar. Excellent structure, mild+ acidity and tannins. Just a tiny amount of baking spice and vanilla on the finish. Apple pie?? About an hour in and the fruit really starts to shine, transforming to red fruit. Initial earthy notes are still there but take the background, as a whole it is more bright and round. Last glass 2+ hours in is starting to drop, it's fading but still excellent.
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Jólasmakk Eđalklúbbsins 2022 (Hlíðarás 10): PnP. Ótrúlega unglegur litur miðað við 37 ára gamalt vín. Talsverðir öldrunartónar samt greinilegir. Í nefi voru ráðandi dökkir reykjartónar og jafnvel hangikjöt. Á tungunni þá voru svipaðir tónar í gangi. Reykur, fita. Mjög dökkir tónar ráðandi. Nánast enginn ávöxtur eftir. Mér fannst vínið í fínu jafnvægi en sumir töldu að sýran væri of ráðandi miðað við tannínin. Mjög áhugavert að fá að smakka svona gamalt vín. Fyrir ekki svo löngu síðan þá fengum við að smakka 1982 árgang af þessu sama víni. Það var í allt öðrum klassa en þetta. 1985 telst samt mjög þokkalegur árgangur.
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Greatest Hits of the 1980s and 1990s Bordeaux (Hawksmoor Guildhall): A deep plummy red, not much sign of age. Brilliantly leathery and gamey from the word go (decanted briefly, from a magnum), this is when you start to realise that this has undergone years of evolution. I would be hard-pressed to have guessed 37 years though, the aging potential of bordeaux is incredible when you think about it. I could breathe this in all night, like opening an old flip-lid school desk - pencil shavings, lead and dust. Reasonable blackcurrant fruit still, but this is not the primary interest or focus here. With additional time in the decanter this developed some candied sweeter notes that were very engaging, so much going on. Wonderful wine, and my favourite red of the night by a whisker.
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Greatest Hits of the 1980s & 1990s Bordeaux (Hawksmoor Guildhall, London, UK): On pouring (after only 15 mins in a decanter) this is tight but showing classical St Julien notes of pencil lead, some cigar box and some warm summer greenhouse tomato leaf pungency. Very engaging. At this stage perhaps due to the Mag format, the lack of time to breathe or a slightly warm serving temperature the palate has just a few unresolved tannins. There is a lovely meatiness to the nose that nods towards lamb rump. After 90 mins in a decanter, the tannins have mellowed to a large degree and there is additionally a charming leatheriness and some polished mahogany dresser
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Veldig bra å drikke nå, men ikke for å lagre mye lengre. Jeg tappet et glass fra flasken med coravin i går kveld. Klar rød på farge, overraskende lite tegn til brunt og orange, ville ikke gjettet alderen fra det. På nesen var det intens lukt av søt pipetobakk, stall, høstløv og lite mer. Men det tar ikke lange stunden før det endrer seg, tobakken gir gradvis etter for krydder og jordbærdominert fruktbilde. Det samme skjer i munnen, den er lukket til å begynne med men endrer seg kontinuerlig i glasset, krydder, jordbær og med syre gir veldig god friskhet og tanniner som knapt er merkbare. Veldig interessant og behagelig. Glasset skulle vært fyllt mye mere opp! I dag, åpnet og jeg lukter. Ingen hint av tobakk og stall.. Coravineffekt? Den er helt åpen fra start, det er plommer, jordbær og et visst røykpreg, det er masse spenst og kraft og er ganske så deilig å drikke. Middels fylde, lang frisk ettersmak. Moden Bordeaux fortsetter å være en favoritt her i huset, 93p må den ha synes jeg, for å bevart sin evne til å begeistre i snart 40 år...
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2nd bottle from a half case bought a few months ago. I was never a fan of 1985 as a vintage (although it was considered excellent) and my notes are peppered with comments about the lack of tannins and excess sweetness. At the time the 82s were a similar price and far better. Double decanted and then drunk immediately. This bottle even better than the first. Base of neck level. Big nose of earthy, truffly sous bois at first which then reveals sea breeze and oyster shells, and finally clean blackcurrant and cedar. Beautifully balanced light to medium weight body with typical 1985 sweetness and good length. Just enough bitterness on the finish to offset the sweetness. A lovely moreish wine that I could (and may) sit here and drink the whole bottle myself without food!. Sublime Lafite like understatement; which is appropriate given Lafite was my favourite 85. Smoky aroma left in the empty glass. Glorious.
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First bottle from a half case bought a few months ago based on good notes here and not having had Gruaud 85. I was never a fan of 1985 as a vintage (although it was considered excellent) my notes are peppered with comments about the lack of tannins and excess sweetness. At the time the 82s were a similar price and far better. Gentle clean nose of blackcurrant and cedar, beautifully balanced light to medium weight body and good length. A lovely moreish wine. Sublime Lafite like understatement; which is appropriate given Lafite was my favourite 85. Smoky aroma left in the empty glass.
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Tonight we tasted this from a 375ml small format split (shown left), ideal for simple casual sipping with cheeses and snacks, but less than ideal for aging / cellaring. Its time to drink these up, they are still holding on at 36 years, amazingly, but past their prime, showing their age and continuing to diminish from aging.
The fill level was ideal for its age, to be expected, near the bottom of the neck, the label and foil were in good condition, and the cork was also ideal, especially for its age.
Showing its age a bit as the fruit has fallen off a bit and the dark ruby garnet colored is showing a bit of brickish rust color with a bit of opacity - medium bodied, this opened with a hint of that fragrant floral bouquet which is giving way to more earthy leather and tones of mushroom and tapenade. https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/10/birthyear-bordeaux-bottle-celebrates.html
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From a beautiful magnum this time , open and left to rest for a good 2 hours. It’s soft and fragile so we would suggest not decanting this ( take care though Fokine sediment) and not have it open for long before serving, max 30 mins. What more can we say about this great wine that we have not yet said in 14 tastings ( always over 93) over 11 years… frankly if one loves good old school well matured claret this is your wine and is probably the best value wine too. 95
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Double decanted at 4:30 and drank at 7. Was worried that the aroma would fade but it didn’t, was still lovely at about 9. Drank alongside the 82, and in the same night as 78, 86 (corked), 90 (flawed - smelled and tasted like grilled mackerel), and 2000 (overworked and nothing whatsoever Bordeaux about it). And 79, 86, and 2000 Talbot. Was clearly one of the better wines on the table, although not at vibrant as the gorgeous 79 Talbot or as complete as the very young 82 Gruaud. This was soft and gentle with dark cassis fruit, some pencil lead and earth savory tones, and decent but not great acidity. A lovely old claret for sure, and drinking beautifully right now. Not as complete or as pungent as the best mature Bdx you’ll open, but very lovely and satisfying.
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very mature colour with amber rim. Nose is wonderful, ripe red fruits, peppers, hay, roasted nuts. light to medium body on the palate, initially fruits with red peppers, more depth and complexity after half hour in the glass. sweet and fresh finish - a beautiful wine to enjoy on its own.
Clearly at or past its peak but I love this style of mature Bordeaux
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Wide open, beautifully mature St Julian. Superb complexity but not the depth and intensity of the 86. Still a lovely drink with roast beef dinner. Something to lift the spirits amidst lockdown blues!
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Another great bottle. Mold/fungus under the cap and a rather soaked fragile cork that broke into two. Brick hue with tons of brett on the nose giving way to brushed leather, earth, tobacco. Decanted for 90 minutes but kept evolving over 3+ hours in the glass. Superb bottle! Glass: Riedel Veritas Merlot
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Very mature and elegant nose. Dried plum, still present black currant, raisin and ink. Typical Cordier-brett from the 80's not over-whelming, just adding complexity. Tertiary notes of leather, nuts and sweet tobacco. Medium-fullish, fully mature palate. Old school, Bdx-brett. Dried fruit and tobacco. Very, very good balance and very good concentration. Just lacking a bit of complexity.
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Low shoulder and depressed cork and some signs of seepage, but this wine drank very nicely. similar to two notes below. aged, savory leather, forest floor and richness with nice acidity/freshness.
I have had some nice GL from 82 to 86. Have a sole bottle of '90 which I remember getting in NY in about 1994. Wonder if any of the GL from 1996 onwards will give similar future drinking experience. I have a few 2000, but thats it.
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Friday Night at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Our last bottle in what has been an amazing run with this wine over the last 11 years and always rating 94-95. Well evolved, leathery, earthy and a joy to people like us who love well aged claret with old school character. A truly great wine and great value and one we I’ll buy again on sight from a trusted cellar. 94 easy
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If you like old skool aged bdx then you have to like this. It's a law. I'd probably say its just on the downside but it's so gulpable. Not much on the dark black and purple fruit but heavy on the leather and good dirt and rocks. Enough acid to still be kicking. 12% on the label but even less on the palate. GL has long been a favorite of mine and this has all the hallmarks of a good vintage one.
somewhat on the downside, still elegant but lacks power and depth. Not worth the price, many other better choices. But if BDX is your thing then why not, I prefer a bottle of similar priced Barolo.
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We cannot but keep singing praised to this wine especially for the price one pays for this. If classic well aged Bordeaux is your game this ( and his cousin Talbot) will put a grand smile on your face and the 1985 remains for us one of the great unsung hero vintages that people forgot. Superbly elegant, earthy, leathery still very much alive and healthy albeit fully matured. Another suprrb 94 from us
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Our first night in the Catskills with some friends in an 'expanded bubble'. Paired with a Tomahawk steak and it was very tasty. These never disappoint. Solid Bordeaux with good age. Drinks well.
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Cork broke on removal, so decanted and then served. Full of all the non-fruit stuff: earth, leather, cigar ash, faded herbs, savory, with some reddish fruit in the background. Fully resolved, getting a little sharp on the back end. Perhaps not a perfectly prisinte bottle.
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Dark garnet colored, medium to full-bodied, a bit closed and slightly subdued complex, ripe earthy blackberry and black current fruits with tones of tobacco leaf, truffle, hints of cassis and spice box, turning to slightly tart black cherry on the long floral full tannin laced finish.
After the Mouton 04 this is about as different a wine as you can have from the same region! Light, bright translucent ruby. Amazing nose of St. Julian terroir- forest floor, leather, plum fruit, Xmas cake spices, orange peel and truffle. Burgundian power and lightness on the palate- delicate but so flavorsome with light but bright juicy plum and leather notes. A real pleasure to drink and was certainly not outshone by the Mouton 04.
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BBQ at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Its been 2 years since we tried this ( Papies 94) and was a joy to be reunited with one of our last 3 bottles. Well evolved into tertiary state but if one , like us, is a lover of these old gems from the 80s this will be a smile all the way wine from start to finish. We did not decant as the wine was open and we did not want to risk its fragile side and really no need. Classic tobacco nose, earthy and leathery. Silky on the palate but very much healthy and alive even at this age. Still with good fruit and much like 2 years ago this keeps on going and going. 93-95 wine
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Moldy and brittle cork. Decanted about 30 minutes before seated at table. After 10 minutes some initial funk blew off into a classic BDX nose of currants, pencil lead, cedar chest, as well as some earthy mushroom and even some subdued skunk. Continued to evolve in the glass with the currants and pencil lead becoming more pronounced. Medium weight with an initial attack of dark currants, followed by tobacco, and warmed wood. Feminine approaching silky. Medium, drying finish. Began to devolve after about 2 hours and became somewhat flat and decidedly less complex. Has that '85 charm if not the power of other, more celebrated vintages. Will hold longer but will not improve. Excellent match with roasted rack of lamb.
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Medium weight body. Great nose of old funk, ripe red berries, and toasted forest floor. Drinking great right now. I would not say this is over the hill and could certainly go a few more years but probably won’t be getting better. Surpassed my expectations.
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kjente også fjøslukta da det ble bemerket av mer erfaren smaker - brettanomyces? Men her fant jeg også veldig mye å glede meg over. Mye frukt ennå, veldig lekkert og sofistikert spill mellom eik og cabernet her, jordtoner. Veldig snill finish uten å være for moden.
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Still in a very good place. Fully mature with red fruit, earth, leather, and some gentle Cordier funk (less than in the '83 and '86) coming together on a polished, medium weight frame. The structure's fully integrated here and I don't see this getting any better - should really drink up my remaining bottles in the next couple of years.
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It may have passed its peak maturity, but still quite enjoyable and not too old, improving after 2 hours of decanting. Garnet color indicates the age, but not cloudy, and not much sediments. The characteristic earthy nose with notes of cedar-wood, plumb, and a hint of caramel. Flavors of cassis, blueberry, prune, overripe black cherry, and an aftertaste of grape seeds. Integrated structure with relatively fresh acidity that blends with the palate of sweet black fruits
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Consistent with last tasting note two years ago, showing its age a bit as the fruit has fallen off a bit and the dark ruby garnet colored is showing a bit of brickish rust color with a bit of opacity - medium bodied, this opened with a hint of that fragrant floral bouquet which is giving way to more earthy leather and tones.
Earthy blackberry fruit is overshadowed by tones of tobacco leaf, truffle, mushroom and spice box, turning to slightly tart black cherry on the long floral full tannin laced finish.
Couldn't disagree more that this is past its drinking window, it is on the decline from the peak as it started to fade a couple hours after opening but is still very much outstanding now if you have a well kept bottle. Superb nose, lots of green notes (herbs, pepper, moss). Palate was very much full and less balanced than the 95 LMHB drank next to it, with present red and blue fruit counterbalanced with earthy minerality and some savory food flavors (soy, mushroom).
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This wine never disappoints and always seems to exceed my expectations. The nose is exceptional, almost a blend of Bordeaux and Northern Rhone. Aromas of wet moss, cassis, burnt rubber, forest floor, tobacco, earth, and pencil are downright sensational. From start to finish the nose is dynamic and complex. I actually like the nose on this better than 82 GL. The palate matches the nose on every front, wonderful old school complexity balanced by mature red and dark fruit. Superb mouthfeel and sorted tannins seal the deal. This was the 9th bottle from a case that has enjoyed perfect storage since release. Low neck fill and the cork was extracted wholly with three quarters seepage.
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Been in my cellar for more than 30 years, what a joy to find it in good health for a wine of this age. Deep brown colour with a heslthy red core. Aged nose dominated by horse stable, hay and wet earth, but also with dried fruit (prunes). Medium bodied, rounded tannins, and - amazingly - lots of sweet fruit. Spicey aftertaste with hints of cinnamon, curry and cardemom. Old, but not too old. A beaty. I have always likef 1985 over the hard 1986s Bs, snd this proves that wines that are good to drink in tveir youth also may drinl well over 3 decades plus. I feel lucky for tadting a wine like rhis.
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Maybe my favorite wine of the evening. This was drinking incredibly well. What I found most appealing was a lovely spice cabinet sense to it. Very fresh, but has the age to get to the next level of complexity. I thoroughly enjoyed this wine and am glad we have some more bottles.
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Dinner with the wine group (Hillside Supper Club): Blackberry, blackcurrant, slight cigar, slight cedar, slight bell pepper and earth; palate is medium-full bodied, medium-high tannin, acidity is a bit prominent compared to the fruit, good but just a tad bitter and lacking perfect balance. 89 With a bit of air, this developed a bit more intensity, classic bordeaux aromas and flavors. I ended up liking this a bit more than the 1990, which seemed like it still needed a few more years. 91
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Hazy deep ruby red colour. Light nose with black cherry, blackcurrant, min, cinnamon, vanilla, white pepper, cedar, mushroom and wet leaves. Taste of raisins, black cherry, black pepper, sweet tobacco, cedar and wet leaves. Medium and dry finish. Light acidity and tannins. An outstanding St. Julien that should be drunken now! Goes well with beef, lighter game, lamb or poultry.
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Fine Wines SG - Bordeaux 80s BYOB (Fine Wines SG): A clear hard dark barky nose and some florals, leaf, and smoked meats. Savoury, high level of tannins and alcohol, and still some acid, with sour cherry, green pepper, dried florals, tree bark, graphite, and smoke
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Slow ox-ed the night before. Classic Cordier-era notes of roasted herbs, cedar and a touch of funk. The burly house style was balanced by the elegant vintage, terrific acidity and a round textural finish.
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Consistent as ever. A slightly lower fill (high shoulder) compared to some of the others from this case, but no difference in how it showed with mature red fruit, leather, cedar, tobacco, and earth all coming together seamlessly on a medium weight frame.
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Excellent bottle. Crisp clean nose of cassis, blackberry, leather, tobacco. Slightly sweet fruity palate with more tobacco and pepper on the finish. Long- and silky, well balanced, tannins melted away. Nicely aged but showing charming youth.
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Clearly in its decline but still alive and better from the 1986 vintage (with a strong battle but was the winner at the end). Nice nose aromas with dark matured fruits,leather and for the first 30-45 minutes barnyard aromas. Nose much better after 2 hours.
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Last bottle of two cases purchased upon release in 1988; upon opening a musty somewhat corked smell and tasted old & tired; decanted 1/2 using a Coravin and within 30 minutes the wine opened up and continued to develop nicely over the next two hours; bouquet of smoke and tar with fruit of dark cherries and a refreshing, long finish. On second night, uncorked the bottle and decanted for two hours. A bit better than the previous night. This 34 yr old Bordeaux has been moved to three different states and four residences plus one year in storage. What a great St. Julien in a very good vintage.
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Really enjoying these bottles. This one again was open and ready for business right from the get go. Lots of black pepper in there. Really nice pairing with the meat. A bit of a more intense wine. More expressive on this day than it's '82 older brother.
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Very good and right up there with the Cos Estournal served alongside. Fully mature black spices with a dark dried fruit purity. Showing the vintage which is a bit firm and rustic, but plenty to enjoy here. Hold or drink, unlikely to improve from here.
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Classic claret. Medium weight, elegant, perfectly mature right now with leather, earth, tobacco, cedar wood, and gentle red fruits all coming together seamlessly. Drinking wonderfully now.
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Q4 - 2018 Tasting - Aged Bordeaux (Pre-1997) (New York, NY): 6 of 19 wines tasted double blind. This one seemed much younger despite its actual age. Color was more to ruby and the fruit was still quite forward but it was nicely balanced by bright acidity. Seems like this has a lot of life left ahead. I enjoyed this but was outside my top 4. Group vote - 6 pennies
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Q4 Wine Club - Aged Bordeaux (Our apt): Wine #6: The first of a number of wines from this producer although all from different vintages. This was quite tasty and really hit a very nice point prob an hour or two into the tasting. Lots of plum and darker notes. Some more herbal characters to it. Maybe a hint of floral. Was very tasty. (6 pennies)
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Showing its age a bit as the fruit has fallen off a bit and the dark ruby garnet colored is showing a bit of brickish rust color with a bit of opacity - medium bodied, this opened with a hint of that fragrant floral bouquet which is giving way to more earthy leather and tones.
Earthy blackberry fruit is overshadowed by tones of tobacco leaf, truffle, mushroom and spice box, turning to slightly tart black cherry on the long floral full tannin laced finish.
Fantastic bottle that kept developing in the glass well over three hours. A lot of gunk under the cap and the cork was soaked but the wine was perfect. Mature with sandy tannins and notes of rust, matchbox, green peppers but with the fruit to back it up. Nowhere near going downhill but I can't imagine it'll get any better!
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This is why first and second growth Bordeauxes get the high bucks. They age well and have a wide drinking window. Great colour with no browning on the edges. A long, long finish. The cork was thoroughly saturated, but with no ill effects. Not full bodied, but smooth and mouth coating. As Parker proposes, a First Growth.
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Some Fine Older Bordeaux and Cabs (Capitalle Grille, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color, 5mm transition. Decanted for 90 minutes, drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. Wow, this was good to go, pencil, leather, sandalwood, raspberry, red berries, wet earth; a wow nose. The palate is medium bodied, feminine, the perfume carries through on the palate, flower to the gills, great purity, so well evolved and fine tobacco, layeres of red fruit and complexity, very long and integrated. This has easily got another 10 years. 95+pts.
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One of the most fully realized wines of the night aside from a '99 Taitt Comte & the 89 Dunn. Dark garnet red color. Classic BDX aromas abound of cigar box, mature fruit, forest floor and cedar. Gorgeous texture and mouthfeel of resolved structure. Has the elegance, class and finesse St Julien is reputed to represent. Red fruit, meat, forest floor and cedar notes on the layered palate. Outstanding aged BDX with no signs of falling off.
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A return to the great bottles after 2 poor shows (from the same batch) this was back to what we remember as the great GL 1985. Needs a bit of decanting like 30 minutes but beyond that is a beautiful wine, classic, light leather, tobacco, full secondary but still vibrant and with healthy fruit. A solid 94 maybe more! Gladly we have more!
Still showing very well, with the meaty leather and black currant that typifies Gruaud Larose, with fine tannin and nice acidity, but an elegance that only time can deliver.
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Deep ruby, very young looking in terms of color. No decanting but needed some time in the glass to open up. Fantastic nose of old vine cab sav fruit mixed with leather, spicy soil. There is a noticeable cab franc funky pepper note but in a good way and is something I like and look for in St. Julian wines. Great expression of the terroir and beautifully balanced with mid weight and mid length on the palate. A point but given how it developed further complexity as it sat in the glass, no need to rush to drink this. Great QPR and a pleasure to drink and enjoy with our friends.
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A healthy bottle following a rather poor one. Well evolved, very earthy, cigar box and leather, light touch of cedar. Very soft and round in a way but with still a healthy dose of acidity. The fruit is well past its peak but for the lover of old school, well aged claret this is a beauty. Nicol 91 / Andreas 93
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I love 1985 Bordeaux and I love Cordier from the 80's. The wine gods were looking over me as I was able to pick up a pristine case of 85 (and 81) GL at auction very recently. When I say pristine, I mean virtually unopened since release and only then opened to show photos for the auction. Angelo M helped out with some of the photos too, so big thank you to him. What I have noticed with a number of 85's (not just GL) is that many of the fills are just a little less than one may like. Even with perfect provenance, three (now two) of my bottles are TS, five are VTS, and four are BN. I mention this only so that people are not hesitant if they see a less than stellar fill. Watch out for any leakers though, I attempted a MS fill leaker (from an unknown source) this past weekend and it was DOA. Ok, so I pulled my lowest TS fill bottle and gave it a try. A little mold on the top of the cork, but the soaked cork came out firmly in one piece and the aroma instantly started to waft. Wow, just wow! A soaring nose of dense earth, tobacco, wet leaves, cassis, cinnamon, black tea, and pencil. Everything that you could ask for, and then some. Similar on the palate but with fruit that almost reminded me of good bottles of 89 Montrose! Deep plum, rich cassis, a hint of sour cherry - and all wrapped up in delineated complexity. The color is a dark ruby with very slight bricking. Well stored bottles of 85 GL are in no rush of needing to be consumed now. If you can find it, buy it! 96+ Pts
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Derrald brought this Bordeaux from his cellar to enjoy with the Peking Duck at Yan's China Bistro-thank you for a great bottle of Chateau Gruaud Larose, gorgeous nose of black cherry, black currants, cigar box, saddle leather and forest floor immediately sprang from the bottle upon opening and it was a fabulous nose that continued for the next three hours, same on the palate, bigger wine and old style compared to the 1986 from my cellar, elegant, delicious tasting, the best Chateau Gruaud Larose I have ever tasted, even better than most bottles of 1982 and 1983, everything in its place, perfect compliment to the Peking Duck, long, long, finish and flavorful aftertaste.
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Decanted and drunk quickly. This may actually be the best bottle of this wine yet! It is still improving and well stored bottles will improve over the next decade with lots of time left. A very pure sheen I find on the best 85s at the moment - reminded me of a better version of the 64 Gruaud enjoyed earlier and a little of great bottle of 85 Lynch. Lots of cedar, graphite and less funk than usual - instead more blackcurrant and purity than I haven't seen before in this wine. It would have been stellar if we didn't drink it within 30mins. Still a solid 95pts with more upside potential.
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This is basically what one would expect from combining 1980s, Cordier-era Gruaud (think burly, rough, and rustic) with the 1985 vintage - perhaps the most elegant of the decade. The tobacco, leather, and smoke do dominate the cherry and currant base but not so much so as to strip this of its ability to be drunk with pleasure - especially with the wonderful yak sirloin / truffle sauce which it complemented very nicely indeed. Balanced on the palate; the tannins here have softened nicely. No doubt these should be drunk up now while the fruit remains.
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Annual Yak and Truffle Dinner; 1/15/2017-1/16/2017 (Newbury, NH): Nose: Gorgeous blackberry, black cherry and tobacco with notes of game and forest floor. Then layers of smoke, truffle, floral and cigar box. A very classic Cordier nose with great black fruit and all of the funk that I love about 80's GL and Talbot. Palate: Enters with roasted blackberry / black cherry and earth notes, then the smoke, game and tobacco just pop. Finish: Complex fruit, smoke and game notes with just a bit of sweet oak and spice.
This showed beautifully with our Yak Sirloin roast, and showed the "other face" of bordeaux vs the PLL.
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Deep, dark garnet in color with ever-so-slight bricking & clearing at the edges. Full, forward & attractive nose of matured & complex, ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, & cassis with overtones of classic cigar box notes of cedar & tobacco, some floral notes of violets, earthy/dusty, minty, tar, leather, dried herbs, exotic spices, truffles, & minerals in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, mature & complex, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & blueberries with earthy, herbs, mushrooms, minerals, spices & a slight hint of oak. Long lingering silky smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but has the structure to continue developing with additional aging. Appears more advanced in its development than the recent 1986 I tried. Fill was at mid-neck; cork was intact & saturated halfway. A wonderful aged Bordeaux.
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Brought this to WB's. Was worried that it was over the hill - turned out with an excellent showing.
Dark with a bit of bricking, On the nose barnyard and earth with obvious oak. Taste was very good, clearly old with its tannin, acid and fruit well balanced. Nice length. A: 5 N: 7 B: 8 T: 17: F: 4
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Super integrated with typical mature Bordeaux typicity and st.julien characteristics - a little heavy on the Brett initially but it blows off fast to reveal nice fruit and a chalky minerally backbone that surprises you a bit ! Very luscious still and the finish is quite long. Pleasing mature bottle !
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At The Willows. A fine bottle, but it suffered by following the gorgeous '59 Rioja. Classic middle aged St. Juliene. This was dominated more by density than elegance.
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Start of with a note: this property always delivers and people who know buy this frequently. Parker doesn't rate this high, guess at some point of time the dog bit him and he decided never to rate this wine as it should. Classic Bordeaux! The wine is beautifully evolved and in a tertiary fase but has a lot of reserve. Classic cedar, plum, vanilla, sigar box, oriental spice and a bit of strawberry's medium bodied but classy. The tannins are totaly integrated but pressent. The length is medium plus. Winelovers in the world know parker is not always right, but offcours he still know's a lot about wine ... Worth to keep in the cellar.
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Château Gruaud-Larose Vertical (Knightsbridge and Abigail's): Certainly suffered given the flight side-by-side with a stunning 1983 GL. The nose here is full with a bigger fruit component as the plum fruit is still youthful and spicy. Bell pepper aromas add complexity. Palate is broad with mouth-coating dark plum fruit. Spice, tar, ash and herbs add complexity. Still relatively youthful with some upside.
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A superb follow up to the Jumelles 85 - a bit of poo in the nose, and earthy, but a lovely sweet mellow middle balanced it out, lively acidity of course - wonderful
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I noted this bottle had a mid shoulder fill, and decided to open it, taste it, confirm my fears, and move it out of inventory. Things went downhill fast. The exterior of the cork was soft, wet, and covered with crusty tannins. The least pressure of the corkscrew started to push it into the bottle. I was with diligence able to extract it intact; it was moist and black and shriveled looking. So, on to the wine. Color is age-appropriate. Hmm, aroma is not disastrous. Hmm, it's kind of nice. Hey, it is classic old Bordeaux. Some leather, some cedar, some fruit. Taste? Wow. Very mild whiskey barrel which I do not like except as a accent note, which it did not at all exceed here. Smoky. Dark fruits. Acid present but balanced. Aged tannins, all well integrated into a very very pleasant whole. In my mind, 95 pointos. I call neighborhood Bordeaux buddy for emergency consult. He comes, he tastes, he conquers. Blindly declares it 82 Gruaud and .....95 points. Wine; it continues to confound and delight me. So often we expect the best and get a corked and shriveled thing. To expect a disaster and get this was such a delight.
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Nase mit mittlerem Ausdruck. Cordier Stinker..:-)..Wundersschön gereifter, süsser Cabernet aus St.Julien. Animalische Noten, Leder und ein bisschen metallischer Ansatz. Ich liebe gereifte Gruaud Larose, auch dieser Jahrgang hat mich voll überzeugt! 94/100 austrinken.
Nose medium term. Cordier stink..:-).. Beautifully ripened, sweet Cabernet from St.Julien. Animalistic notes, leather and a little metallic neck. I love mature Gruaud Larose, also this vintage has convinced me! 94/100 drink out.
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I brought this bottle for my annual birthday lunch at Gramercy Tavern. Service, the tasting menu, and this wine were flawless. When it was first opened, the wine was somewhat simplistic, and I thought I caught it on its way down. It changed radically for the almost 3 hours that it was opened, but it was so lovely with air. The nose showed cedar, earth, berries, and olives. The intensity kept building and what started out as simple sweet fruit became rich fruit, cedar, a touch of milk chocolate, ending with orange rind and a lingering taste of sweet red berries. Decanting may have helped, but I always fear that too much air will do more harm than good.
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Yikes - an excessive amount of brettanomyces covering up an otherwise lively and classic claret. I generally have a pretty high tolerance for brett (and I like it in small quantities) but this particular bottle was more or less ruined by it. I hope the other bottle I have doesn't show it as strongly. The other side of the coin for 1980s Cordier wines.
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Huge nose of bacon, beef blood, loads of leather, bacon fat... super silky tannins, roasted BBQ steak, ripe red strawberries, very Gruaud Cordier style!!
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New Year's Eve Celebration of Four Second Growth Bordeaux. Happy New Year to all CT members. Nose opened slowly of earthy forest floor, cedar, sage, cigar box, and black cherry fruit then more barnyard consistently developed as the evening wore on and finally surpassed the barnyard of the Leoville Barton on the nose, more of the same on the palate, subdued at first but opened and improved the most with air over the first two hours, big body, typical Gruaud Larose, and like many times before my favorite wine to taste or enjoy with dinner, long, long finish. My #1 of 4.
Still very dark appearance with minimal bricking. Superb, matute aromas of leather, herb, black olive, cigar box. Very fesh fruit at first taste. Seemingly very young with quite a lot of heat on finish and some sinewy alcohol.
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Mature and with character - earth, vegetables, red fruits, tobacco. Not super lively at this age, but still has a lot to say if you listen through the noise.
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Classic, classy old Bordeaux. Muted nose, didn't give up too much. Easy tannins, gentle cassis fruit, well integrated. Not a wine to bowl you over but a lovely reminder of how it used to be in the wine world. I see no utility in aging it longer.
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Pale tawny colour with some deposit. The nose is slightly bretty and fully-developed, showing medium+ intensity aromas of cedar, white pepper, tobacco, black olives, jammy plums and leather.
It is dry in the mouth with a medium+ fresh acidity. It has medium soft tannins and a medium alcohol. It has a medium body and medium+ intensity flavours with red cherry notes. It has a medium+ finish.
It is delicate and harmonious albeit a bit austere. Somewhat bretty but more on the savoury than the stinky side.
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Dark, deep robe. Big dark fruits, hints of tobacco and Earth. Mature and balanced, mid/full weight on the palate and enough acidity to keep the juices flowing. Very enjoyable alongside a veal roast.
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This bottle didn't last very long. Beautifully aged offering medium body with good robust red & dark fruit flavors with espresso finish. Sweet & ripe easy drinkong with a bit of volatile acidity but not too distracting. Love it.
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1975 and 1985 Bordeaux (Dan & Mila's place): Double decanted 60 minutes. Bottom neck fill. Cork in excellent condition. Dark, intense, round. Fruit was very ripe and had a bit of a spicy character, with an abundance of red fruits and tomato(?!). A bit of cedar, rose & still good acid. Nice balance. Lovely wine in (for me) its prime.
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Tasted alongside 1985 Pichon Lalande and Cos d'Estournel, completing an impressive showing of this vintage compared to both 1989 and 1982. A bit more evolved on the nose than the Cos and somewhere between both wines with regards to the flavour profile. Spices, sweet tobacco, red and dark fruit. Quite soft and evolved but with lots of acidity and grip. Very good length. Much better than a bottle tasted earlier this year, but only 3/3 in this very consistent, excellent flight of 1985s. 91-93
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1982, 1985 & 1989 Bordeaux Super Seconds, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): A wine we have tried almost 10 times now and always rate it between 94-96. Once again had a very healthy dark colour. Currants, fruit driven nose still, leafy and herby style of cabernet. A touch secondary at the end but fruit driven for most times. HAs so much life in it still and is a joy to cross paths again with it. Very solid once again. 93-94
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mature Gruaud is a class of its own. ages beautifully, flying below the radar of RP thus easy on the purse. very good bottle from sediment, colour and cork, fill just about into neck, decanted to separate sediment. suggest to give it some time in the glass, will evolve nicely. quite similar to 1983. only very slight banyard smell, nothing to bother. perfect harmony of a mature cabernet, fruit sweetness with a slight acidity to keep it in the game, and a good grip. maybe more tannins than 1983, could last longer. elegant wine.
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Big, voluptuous bouquet layered with old leather, cinnamon, a bit of funk, wood smoke, and a boatload of resolved pyrazines. Medium to light bodied with an excellent lingering finish. Bright palate.
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85 Claret (La Trompette, London): Blind. Quite fat in the glass. A least tobacco nose. A touch of richness on the attack. Very harmonious. Lovely. Lacks a bit of mid-palate substance. Seems very leggy and quite fat in the glass, so maybe L'Eglise. No! ****
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Tasted blind, wine #2. Dark Ruby with vibrant brick red hue. Expressive nose of leather, earth, subtle tobacco, plum, dried fruits, blackcurrant. Nice elegant bouquet. Soft and mellow entry, along with dried cherry, blackcurrant, subtle tobacco, licorice and subtle spice. Long lingering finish with soft tannins. Matured and drinking nicely now.
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A little more evolved and lighter in colour. Minty nose, not much fruit, but no greenness. Lots of acidity on the palate, a bit astringent, again not much fruit, and rather short, a bit dull. 86-88
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30 years of 1985 Bordeaux at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Double decanted and left in the bottle to rest for 2 hours. Good level and cork. Another masterful performance for this underrated Gem of a wine (for lovers of classic, pure and mature claret) and along with the 85 Talbot (Papies 96+) were the wines of the evening. The colour shows the age but this is still very healthy and vibrant. The nose is not as open as the Talbot but on the palate this is a master class of a wine. Well matured, secondary notes but with a solid core of fruit, good structure and acidity. Nice depth and complexity and a true gem. 96+ and drinks beautifully now.
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Remarkably deep-coloured. "Chunky" nose of what would have once been impressive fruit. A touch of VA. Powerful. Just very slightly rustic but highly enjoyable.
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Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015 (Jade Palace): Our 3rd and last flight is an interesting one - strange bedfellows, you may say... One too young, one drinkable, and one in just the right place. With this GL, we're back to familiar territory as the 1st-flight. Nose had that secondary flavours, leather, tobacco. Palate was rich, smooth and silky, with a good length to boot. Fabulous, these '80s Cordier-era GLs...
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Slow ox'd 1hr, bit too tart/acidic, needed quite a while for the mouthfeel I love in this wine, safest still to use 30min double decant if time to drink - otherwise (eg for a meal) use 1hr double decant. All my various notes hold.... If this seems acidic than give it more air, then the plush mouthfeel comes. Never get tired of 85 and Gruaud Larose. No hurry to drink this.
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Old Bordeaux (Uncle Jack's): At first I thought this was corked, as it was rather musty and inexpressive. An hour later though and it became clear that it was not corked, just overwhelmingly bretty, so powerful was the stench of Cordier funk.
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Little trademark Cordier Brett. A classic claret nose of mid weight blackcurrant, cedar and a touch of sweeter sandlewood. Nicely dry, silky and quite rounded. Maybe not quite as fun as when the fruit was a bit sweeter a decade or so ago, but still lots of charm and interest. A treat. ****
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Perfectly stored in my cellar since release in 1988. Slight browning at the edges; still dark but slightly translucent. Very pronounced Cordier aromas of cedar, tobacco, "barnyard", leather, with French oak overtones. On the palate, plenty of fruit left, dark fruits, some anise. Nice long aftertaste. This how an excellent fully mature Bordeaux should be. Our last bottle, unfortunately. Our 1985's never closed up...enjoyable for the entire ride. I wouldn't age this further, though. Ric
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Cannot remember the exact date when this was drink. This was compared with another bottle direct from the winery where this pale in comparison. This bottle tasted weak and tired while the bottle direct from winery was very much alive.
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Fantastic. Still going incredibly strong. Dark fruit presence, as well as strong secondary flavors: tobacco, leather, and cinnamon. Strong finish. this wine is still packing a punch. first of a case i just opened; very pleased.
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1985 Bdx lunch (Caprice, Hong Kong): Good bottle and what a mouthfeel! Doesn't have the nose of the 85,Cheval, or taste of 85 Lynch... But in the mouth the taste parts across the tongue, with velvet leading to mild acidity and eventually a short dry finish. Lots of typical '85 cedar, albeit dwarfed by the aromatic fireworks or the last 2 bottles, and a decent density. This was an almost perfect cross between the Cheval and Lynch, with a notch more cedar and mushroom. With air some red current surfaced. Decanted 1hr, probably best to drink before 2020.
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My last few bottles have been 'steady 94s', but this was a notch higher. Great bottle from the cellar, pristine and into next. 1hr slow-ox, double decant and cool-down. Lots of typical '85 cedar, but a lovely density, mouthfeel and richness absent from previous bottles. Good balance, only complaint is that the finish becomes a bit dry with air. Not in the league of the 82 or my top 85s, but still.... just great stuff. Drink over the next 5yrs.
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Onceagain strikes a beautiful cord here. Our previous TNs speak wonders of this wine but this time we will just suffice to saying that this is a wonderful specimen of pure oldschoola nd well aged claret. If that is what you are after then this is your baby. Could use a touch more fruit. At its peak now. 94-95
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drank with an 85 las cases and both bottles were outstanding. preferred this early in the evening but the las cases was the winner after the 3 hour mark. delicious.
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- Brick color and aromas of cedar. It's balanced and has flavours of mushroom, dusty and cedar with a medium body. Leathery texture with a medium finish - Needs to be decanted to remove a little bottle stink but otherwise good Bordeaux nose and flavours
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From a bottom-neck level bottle with dry cork. Lovely rich-tasting wine with glass-filling tertiary aromas of cedar, mushroom and cloves. Tawny on the rim, the cedar is less prominent than in the 85 Talbot, but the nose is so so typical of St Julien wines in 1985. What sets this wine apart from other 85s is the mouthfeel. A thin, but sweet and rich wine with deceptively expansive mid-palate leading to soft but long finish of stewed raspberries. With 30min decant the balance improves significantly, and there is a wonderful acidity lending such precision (something perhaps missing from the 85 Talbot).
Recommend a 30min double-decant and cool down (which makes the wine medium rather than light-bodied, and brings and extra ash element to the flavour). This doesn't have the power to merit a higher score from me, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this wine and highly recommend it.
1985 - the greatest value in mature Bordeaux?
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Classic Gruaud Larose nose - very Cab Franc, nice. Drinking beautifully an aged Bordeaux, not quite as good as the 83 which we had a few months back but very nice nevertheless.
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Dark colour, looks younger than it is. Big, ripe cabernet nose, very clean and satisfying. Well-balanced on the palate, dark fruit, cigar box and some spice. Long. Best bottle yet.
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Saturday night at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): This is a wine that we have documented ( and Loved) many times. Good cork, solid and just below neck in level. Another beautiful experince. Our earliest TNs hold. Once again an easy 95. Once thing we would add is that this wine now feels at its peak so not a bad time to enjoy it. 95
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Still going. Decanted 1+ hour and needed every minute of it, possibly more. A very nice bottle that still has some backbone but probably on a slow down slope. Enjoy it now!
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Dark ruby garnet colored with a bit of opacity - medium bodied, this opened with a huge fragrant floral bouquet that fills the mouth and nostrils and lingers for minutes. Earthy blackberry fruit is overshadowed by tones of tobacco leaf, truffle, mushroom and spice box, turning to slightly tart black cherry on the long floral full tannin laced finish.
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Fully mature, the seductive nose offers hints of truffle, tobacco, spice box, licorice, blackberry, cedar wood and smoke. Smooth and round with a little dust in the tannins, the wine ends with a sweet and sour cherry finish.
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December WIMPS, Bordeaux Table (The Ledbury, London): Gorgeous nose, some maturity, a touch of sandlewood, red fruit and a hint of leather. The Brett police to my right are out in force here, and verging on the apoplectic, but this is nicely complex and, for me, not as 'fruity' as a bottle at a recent 85 horizontal. Sweet fruited loveliness, complexity and a nice fresh finish. ****
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Mellow nose of black cherries and currants which leads to the supple textural mouthfeel with a red fruit nature. This wine is totally mature , hedonistic mostly with enough complexity for a talkative BWE group. Long finish. Drink up, a real pleasure. Off to Burgundy tomorrow. Keep posting, I will pick you up on the computer in Beaune. JM
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Drank over two hours. Dark fruit, smoke, tobacco, olives on the nose. Nice texture with more dark fruit and earth on the palate. Not as full in the mouth as the nose suggested it would be. Medium finish that had a bitterness to it that was off putting. Had it not been for the finish I would have enjoyed this more.
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Decanted 45 minutes ahead of game course. Most powerful tobacco nose ever smelt, complete with the old briar pipe to smoke it in, not to mention old leather, old book, forest floor and mushrooms. Drank solidly for 20 minutes, expanding on the palate and glowing on the finish. Afterward, a gradual decline, with vanishing fruit and advancing acidity. Initial impression 94, final impression 92. Not bad for a wine that cost me $25 per bottle at original purchase.
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First try of this vintage. From the get-go, there's a beautiful, big, expressive, complex, wild nose. A true classic claret bouquet. It's a little feral, with sweet compote, lead pencil, old wood, sour cherry, a lovely fresh anise-camphor-mint note. With food and air, some roasted-smoked poblano shows up. On the palate, I get lots of black tea with lovely bottle sweetness, soft yet tarry tannins, and a long tongue drying finish. On the savory end of things, with some beef jus, old school stylings. Overall, a tad dilute mid palate that comes between the beautiful sweet attack and slightly bitter finish. 95 pts bouquet, 90-91 palate, 92 pts overall.
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[Tasted double blind] Green pepper, campfire, tobacco, cedary nose that is just classic. Palate comes up a bit short and misses the mark, but still a great old wine. Obviously Bdx, almost certainly left bank, some aromas of a pretty old wine but the vibrant color can't be much more than 20 years old, guessed 1990. Fairly youthful for an '85!
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We love this wine and continues to be on top form. Requires some decanting to remove the fine sediment and help it round a bit on the palate. Simply great and we cannot keep praising 1985 St Juliens and this Gruaud Larosse especially. A Must buy. 95
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Rupert's 1985 'Super Seconds' (The Medlar, London): Sweetly mellow, some earth. Fragrant and a little agricultural. Quite full. Some cigar box. Not at all bad but I preferred this a decade ago when the fruit was a little sweeter. ***1/2
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Good bottle, wine was a bit tired though. Showing well but slightly over the hill,got better with time, started musty but cleared up and showed lovely cedar and tobacco notes. Just brought back to Mauritius and drinking after 1,5 months in the cellar, could be atill affectedby the travel but did lack freshness...
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Cork was leaking and went right into the bottle. Stinky nose and green tobacco on the palate. Quite a lean finish. Probably not a representative bottle. Will refrain from rating.
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Decanted for 2+ hours; 2 bottles, consistant notes. Totally wet cork; the top caked over -- the wine never lost completely shook off the barn-yard, musty nose profile probably related to the leaky cork. This wine is remarkably youthful. The color is strong with no hint of rust; mature classic profile with strong notes of cedar, pencil shavings, cherry fruit -- all perfectly integrated. This wine drinks well now and still can go for many years. Wish could try from a better preserved bottle. B+
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The 85 Gruaud Larose holds a special place in my heart as it's the first quality wine I ever tried...the one that made the light go on. That was more than 15 years ago, and I revisited it for the first time in years to see how it was holding up.
It was a well preserved bottle with a base neck fill and a nice dark color with a little bricking. The bouquet is dark fruit and earthy, and there's a nice sweet entry with good acidity. The fruit has a raisiny quality to it with little tannin, so it's soft and pleasing but no longer lush. I wouldn't wait much longer to drink it if you have it
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Firing on all cylinders. Layers of rich red and dark fruited flavours, tobacco, cedar wood and that leathery Cordier funk combining into a seamless and incredibly aromatic whole. The tannins here are fully resolved and there's bright acidity underneath giving the flavours a sense of real freshness and precision. A fantastic bottle.
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deep brick color, legs, nose - plenty of fruit, wood, spice, taste- fruit, smooth, soft tanins, still drinking beautifully. 375m bottle from my cellar.
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Consistent with our previous note about a month ago. Snap some up you will not regret it. Again it was WOTN vs Cos 83, Talbot 86 & LLC 89
Previous TN {30-45 mins in the decanter helped the mouthfeel.This is a superb and among the bet 1985 has to offer. Very vibrant and alive and lasted more than 3 hours post open. Open on the nose, seductive mature bordeaux nose. Well round on the palate and with lots of presence and depth. We can go on and on but no need here. This is a must wine and at 80-90£ a bottle is a very good value for the quality you get. We think WS & WA need to try this again... Superb (95 to 96) }
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We remain mesmerised by this wine as this is the second time we have tried it (first TN was from a 1985 horizontal which this was WOTN). Opened 2 hours ahead and double decanted. Doesnt really need so much time to open up but worth to note that the wine did not deteriorate at all in 3 hours post open and 30-45 mins in the decanter helped the mouthfeel. This is a superb and among the bet 1985 has to offer. Very vibrant and alive and lasted more than 3 hours post open. Open on the nose, seductive mature bordeaux nose. Well round on the palate and with lots of presence and depth. We can go on and on but no need here. This is a must wine and at 80-90£ a bottle is a very good value for the quality you get. We think WS & WA need to try this again... Superb (95 to 96)
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Still drinking very well. Plenty of (red) fruit, decent tannins, long finish. Complex warm flavors. The body is Medium/Full. The wine is textured Polished. The wine finishes Long.
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This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by Marshall Banker. Deep garnet robe with garnet/brick rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of plums, coriander, sage and cigar box. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and melted tannins. The flavors are complex and in line with the nose. The middle palate is solid and the finish is long and smooth. This wine is likely on plateau or perhaps on slow decline. It is drinking nicely now but I do not anticipate further improvement. Drink now-12/15.
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1985 Red Bordeaux Horizontal with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): WOTN for the group. and Nicol's favorite. Great wine, very well made and balanced. Will last 10yrs easily and at the moment feel that its holding back. Very long finish. This is a great find and definitely one to look out for.
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Ruby with thin brick rim. Massive nose, leaps out of the glass, intense, pure, elegant, tobacco, cigars, gorgeous Bordeaux. Perfect texture, some floral notes, balanced, good acidity, leather, plums, very nice fruit, cassis and long length. Way better than expected, even if it is quite praised.
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Delicious and rich but flabby, and a totally disappearing finish -- just poof, gone in seconds. Hard to avoid the conclusion that this is a little over the hill. I have three more bottles and I am going to drink them sooner rather than later.
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Glorious bottle for the glorious Fourth. A little faded perhaps, but soft supple tannins and still enough fruit to be interesting....layer upon layer of tastes. Still with a nose that jumps out of the glass, and opens up even more in the first hour.I have one bottle remaining with a Meyney as well of that vintage, from the same stable. WIll probably drink them together when the right occasion presents itself.
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A hint of sauerkraut, iodine & cough syrup on the nose. Lean & very minerally on the palate with some pretty black currant peeking through. This wine finishes with a sourness & some sweetness. Tasted blind.
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Super Bowl wine-cork almost soaked to the top. Clears the funk after a very short time, leaving classic pencil-lead notes, garrigue, lots of fruit heft, nicely receded tannins. After 3 hours, most of the aromas wave goodbye and head off into the heavens. A strong showing.
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Minty/herby, just a bit of barnyard, black currants and plums. Really a nice wine, though maybe a bit rough/blocky compared to its immediate predecessors. B+
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1985 Bordeaux at 25 years (Morton's NYC): Rich, dense, powerful. Good tannic structure and herbal notes. Has a long life ahead. Long finish with licorice. B+/A-
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Medium pale red, only a faint hint of orange in the rim. Boysenberry, tobacco leaf, sweet red berries, cedary spice. Palate is clean and long, nicely balanced, very good crisp finish and fine soft tannins. Lovely sweet fruits, tar, licorice, mulberry and raspberry fruits, lacking a bit in the middle, perhaps fading but still very nice.
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Dark color with intense aromatics of dark currant and cassis and damp earth. Sweet fruits on the palate with great texture and some very good spice throughout. Tannins have pretty much totally faded.
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Heady, smokey, with some green tobacco and iodine notes. Medium bodied, and a touch metallic on the palate. Well-integrated tannins. Nicely softened. Good wine, but showing some of the less-regarded characteristics of '85.
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Last bottle of this in the cellar, one of my favorites.
Not much nose on this one, but the taste was still great, lots of meat and dark fruits. Finish was a bit on the short side, but still enjoyable.
Not sure if this wine is on the downside of its life or if the bottle was just slightly off. If I see this at a good price I'd probably still bite, but at $100 or just over, there are probably better options at this point.
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One of my favorites wines, can still be found at a decent price from time to time.
This one turned out great, the cork was in really rough shape, looked like there had been some seepage. No matter, typical Gruaud nose: earth and funk. Dark fruits and meatiness on the palate. Nice smooth finish (although maybe just a tad shorter than I've had with past bottles).
All in all, a great bottle to have on Father's day. Glad there's still one more in the cellar.
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Bought at an Acker auction in January and they sold me a bad bottle. I've had this wine at least six other times over the last two years and this was the worst bottle by far. No nose (usually the best part of this wine), very little taste, and a completely non-existant finish.
Of the bottles I've received from the January auction, I'm batting roughly 50%, bad vs good bottles. Not good at all.
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Classic nose of leather and mushrooms with blackberry and plums. This doesn't change. On the palate on opening the fruits were ripped apart by pepper. It just dominated the wine. Left for 3-4 hours and just decanted before drinking. The peppery finish became much more intune with the plummy and blackberry fruits in the mouth. There was a greater expression of the fruit. Good intensity and long length. Definately best with food, acidity and tannins come to the fore without.
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That '85 ripeness, blackcurrants and red plums with some cedar and tobacco. Solid on the palate, maybe just a bit fading on the finish. Good, but the '79 DDC was better for me. B+
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Bright red colour, showing a lovely nose of cassis and red fruits mingled with earth, tobacco, cedar and a little leathery funk that I enjoyed. Medium bodied in the mouth showing more bright red and dark fruited flavours combined with herbs, earth and more leather. Good acidity and well integrated tannins underneath, finishes just a little short but really delicious.
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The tiniest sign of age on the rim, bright colour. Classic cigar box, lead pencil and black fruits on the noes and very lively and young on the palate, with plenty of everything to keep it at its peak for a few years yet.
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Decanted for 2 hours.Cork was almost completely stained but intact.Quite dark with brownish rim.The nose was big with cedar,tobacco and kind of medicinal scent from drugstore.The palate still rather concentrated with cedar,tar,tobacco,leather.Fruit has faded.Still very rich and smooth.Drinking very nicely now and will probably have some years left if the cork can keep it up.
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You would have to taste it to believe it! This wine still had a little more time to open , but I am sorry to say that we didn't wait! Excellent bordeaux nose, cedar, tar, wood, slightly more tannic but soft and rounded, smooth easy to drink, had style and body. We fought over the last glass. Dark almost black color in the decanter but age red ring around the edges, could not see through the decanter. This should be had with a choice filet char grilled. Enjoy!
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wirewine: I received this wine as a gift tonight, so we decided to drink it. There was a little leakage and fungus on the end of the cork. The cork was stained all the way to the end. No vinegar nose or anything that would indicate the wine was gone. I decanted the wine and let it sit for half and hour. Tight, tight, tight but good color. I kept checking the wine aromas and the color for any changes indicating browning or oxidation. In two hours the wine darkened in color and the tannis started showing, the aroma was classic bordeaux, cedar, tar. I poured the wine back into the bottle and I am going to try it tomorrow night. I think by then it will be close to drinking. I will reserve rating this one until tomorrow.
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Gruaud Larose vertical 1870-2000 (IOD, London): Much lighter bodied than the 1986, this too had a medicinal nose, but much more advanced than the '86, after which it seemed a bit small in comparison, but again this was a lovely classic cedary claret which still had a tannic grip.
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Blind 1985 Bordeaux vs. CA (Cabernet) Tasting (Chicago IL): Blind 85 Bordeaux vs. CA tasting. Mostly secondary character, elegant and integrated structure and very pleasant. Good mushroom character, good simple fruit, nice sweet tannins but I was expecting more.
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Dinner at Paul's (Chez Paul): Red with orange/brown bricking. Woodsy, barnyard nose. Flavors of woods, orangey flavors. Layers of flavor - very complex. Can't quite describe it - very classic bordeaux with hints of orange peel and leather. Really very nice.
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Tasting of four 1985 Bordeaux blind, fourth place, Nose of tobacco, earth, leather, black cherry fruit, very supple, fresh, lovely taste easy to enjoy but almost a touch simple when compared to it's peers tonight, medium/big body, nice hints of tobacco and fruit on the mid palate, supple, medium/long finish.
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Lovely leathery and ripe fruit aromas make it a pleasure to sniff, but it is starting to lose focus on the palate. Good, but not great, and ready to drink up now.
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4/8/2024 - asgerG wrote: 95 Points
DnP
Consistent
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3/30/2024 - wineforth Likes this wine: 95 Points
4th bottle from a half case bought a few years ago. Excellent condition at base of neck. I was never a fan of 1985 as a vintage (although it was considered excellent) and my notes are peppered with comments about the lack of tannins and excess sweetness. At the time the 82s were a similar price and far better. Double decanted and then drunk immediately. Big nose of earthy, truffly sous bois (aka Cordier funk) at first which then reveals sea breeze and oyster shells, and finally clean blackcurrant and cedar. Beautifully balanced light to medium weight body with typical 1985 sweetness and a long penetrating finish. Just enough bitterness on the finish to offset the sweetness. A lovely moreish wine. Smoky aroma left in the empty glass. Glorious.
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2/18/2024 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Textbook mature left bank Bordeaux. Some of of that Cordier funk that I love, and lovely sweet fruit, tobacco and pencil shavings. Tannins are fully resolved and it has a long sweet finish. Always bittersweet when it is my last bottle.
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1/12/2024 - asgerG wrote: 94 Points
DnP
Mature garnet red, yellowed edged, 4.5
Generous complex classic left bank bouquet, pencil, cedar, forest floor and more.
Elegant palate, lT, m+A, mB, dry, totally resolved tannins, very well balanced,
long finish with tobacco notes.
Drink now-but will hold its own for years.
What at threat.
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11/23/2023 - Ianjaig Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very generously bought by Ian via London. This was beautiful and my wine of the night. Vanilla, black truffles, tobacco all beautifully balanced and integrated. A hint of the Cordier funk going on. Quite complex and intriguing.
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7/13/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Commanderie Exec Committee Meeting (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Dark red color. PNP, drank a glass plus over 2 hours. Just gorgeous again; the nose brings so much leather, funk, pencil shavings and fine tobacco; red and black fruits, cassis, raspberry, silky texture and medium plus body. The tannins are plush as is the overall feel, so well balanced, with a touch of chokecherry on the finish. Just splendid and probably at or near peak.
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6/30/2023 - Wine Canuck wrote: 95 Points
An Epic Summer Wine Weekend - Year 2; 6/30/2023-7/2/2023 (Muskoka, Ontario, Canada): From a perfect bottle in perfect condition, with a high fill. Recently acquired from the original purchaser. This pours medium garnet in the glass with light bricking. This is wide open and complex, textbook mature left bank Bordeaux. The nose is of pencil lead, tobacco, gravel, plum, dark cherry, charcoal, and celery seed. The palate is lovely with the silky texture aged Bordeaux can do so well. Totally resolved with medium minus tannin and and medium acid. The finish closes harmoniously and complex focused on tobacco. While this was absent some of the funk I might expect from the producer in this era, which I often like, it was no worse for it. Just textbook classic mature bordeaux from a very good, but not top vintage.
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4/30/2023 - jkwoodward Likes this wine: 95 Points
So grateful this was a quality bottle. Classic notes, perfect integration of the tannins. Wonderful
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4/18/2023 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
London Wine Event (Hide, London): From Magnum, solid cork extracted with bilame. Good levels.
A wine we love and have tried more than 15 times over the 13 years. Last tasting was again from magnum in 2021 ( Papies 95) and albeit at this age there are good bottles not good wines this is a wine that never fails us albeit this time felt ab it fragile and less so on the palate. The nose is exceptional, a dream to classic well aged Bordeaux. Leather, tobacco, spice, light cedar , soft spice. Textbook beautiful wine . On the palate it was a bit softer than last few times given our notes but still effortlessly beautiful. One definitely needs to love the style of old clarets but St Juliens of the 1980s are a joy when sourced from good provenance. 94 this time. Drink sooner than later.
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3/21/2023 - doctornoah Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow - initial whiffs of wood smoke and cured tobacco with a lovely underpinning of dark red fruit. Floral and lilting nose. A soft and lithe palate with completely resolved tannins but a good density and fairly long finish.
Having had the spectacular 82 and exceptional 86, this seems nearly a perfect mix of the two - not as dense or long as the 82 but really excellent.
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2/5/2023 - zachb1125 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Salil Bday
On the nose there's white pepper and fruit, black pepper, mud, winter herbs. Excellent balance of primary and secondary flavors on the palate. A tiny bit of baking spices and vanilla. Mace. Cassis.
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1/24/2023 - zachb1125 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Intense leather, tobacco, cedar, and earthy nose at first, followed by bright red fruits several seconds later. Palate is similar. Excellent structure, mild+ acidity and tannins. Just a tiny amount of baking spice and vanilla on the finish. Apple pie?? About an hour in and the fruit really starts to shine, transforming to red fruit. Initial earthy notes are still there but take the background, as a whole it is more bright and round. Last glass 2+ hours in is starting to drop, it's fading but still excellent.
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1/6/2023 - seaninbrooklyn wrote: flawed
Cork was moldy throughout, wine was oxidized. Such a shame, I had another bottle about six months ago which drank well.
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12/16/2022 - bitdrerik wrote: 91 Points
Jólasmakk Eđalklúbbsins 2022 (Hlíðarás 10): PnP. Ótrúlega unglegur litur miðað við 37 ára gamalt vín. Talsverðir öldrunartónar samt greinilegir. Í nefi voru ráðandi dökkir reykjartónar og jafnvel hangikjöt. Á tungunni þá voru svipaðir tónar í gangi. Reykur, fita. Mjög dökkir tónar ráðandi. Nánast enginn ávöxtur eftir. Mér fannst vínið í fínu jafnvægi en sumir töldu að sýran væri of ráðandi miðað við tannínin. Mjög áhugavert að fá að smakka svona gamalt vín. Fyrir ekki svo löngu síðan þá fengum við að smakka 1982 árgang af þessu sama víni. Það var í allt öðrum klassa en þetta. 1985 telst samt mjög þokkalegur árgangur.
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12/5/2022 - oenanthe Likes this wine: 95 Points
Greatest Hits of the 1980s and 1990s Bordeaux (Hawksmoor Guildhall): A deep plummy red, not much sign of age. Brilliantly leathery and gamey from the word go (decanted briefly, from a magnum), this is when you start to realise that this has undergone years of evolution. I would be hard-pressed to have guessed 37 years though, the aging potential of bordeaux is incredible when you think about it. I could breathe this in all night, like opening an old flip-lid school desk - pencil shavings, lead and dust. Reasonable blackcurrant fruit still, but this is not the primary interest or focus here. With additional time in the decanter this developed some candied sweeter notes that were very engaging, so much going on. Wonderful wine, and my favourite red of the night by a whisker.
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12/5/2022 - Vinumming & Ahhing Likes this wine: 92 Points
Greatest Hits of the 1980s & 1990s Bordeaux (Hawksmoor Guildhall, London, UK): On pouring (after only 15 mins in a decanter) this is tight but showing classical St Julien notes of pencil lead, some cigar box and some warm summer greenhouse tomato leaf pungency. Very engaging. At this stage perhaps due to the Mag format, the lack of time to breathe or a slightly warm serving temperature the palate has just a few unresolved tannins. There is a lovely meatiness to the nose that nods towards lamb rump. After 90 mins in a decanter, the tannins have mellowed to a large degree and there is additionally a charming leatheriness and some polished mahogany dresser
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7/31/2022 - seaninbrooklyn Likes this wine: 92 Points
It’s good but is not getting any better. I have one more bottle and am drinking it within the next six months.
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5/1/2022 - northpolewine wrote: 93 Points
Veldig bra å drikke nå, men ikke for å lagre mye lengre. Jeg tappet et glass fra flasken med coravin i går kveld. Klar rød på farge, overraskende lite tegn til brunt og orange, ville ikke gjettet alderen fra det. På nesen var det intens lukt av søt pipetobakk, stall, høstløv og lite mer. Men det tar ikke lange stunden før det endrer seg, tobakken gir gradvis etter for krydder og jordbærdominert fruktbilde. Det samme skjer i munnen, den er lukket til å begynne med men endrer seg kontinuerlig i glasset, krydder, jordbær og med syre gir veldig god friskhet og tanniner som knapt er merkbare. Veldig interessant og behagelig. Glasset skulle vært fyllt mye mere opp!
I dag, åpnet og jeg lukter. Ingen hint av tobakk og stall.. Coravineffekt? Den er helt åpen fra start, det er plommer, jordbær og et visst røykpreg, det er masse spenst og kraft og er ganske så deilig å drikke. Middels fylde, lang frisk ettersmak. Moden Bordeaux fortsetter å være en favoritt her i huset, 93p må den ha synes jeg, for å bevart sin evne til å begeistre i snart 40 år...
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12/28/2021 - wineforth Likes this wine: 96 Points
2nd bottle from a half case bought a few months ago. I was never a fan of 1985 as a vintage (although it was considered excellent) and my notes are peppered with comments about the lack of tannins and excess sweetness. At the time the 82s were a similar price and far better. Double decanted and then drunk immediately. This bottle even better than the first. Base of neck level. Big nose of earthy, truffly sous bois at first which then reveals sea breeze and oyster shells, and finally clean blackcurrant and cedar. Beautifully balanced light to medium weight body with typical 1985 sweetness and good length. Just enough bitterness on the finish to offset the sweetness. A lovely moreish wine that I could (and may) sit here and drink the whole bottle myself without food!. Sublime Lafite like understatement; which is appropriate given Lafite was my favourite 85. Smoky aroma left in the empty glass. Glorious.
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11/24/2021 - David J Cooper wrote: 93 Points
Clear dark red. Rich nose, black fruit, coffee, leather and a bit of old hardwood. Dry rich berry and coffee flavours and a long dry textured finish.
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11/19/2021 - wineforth Likes this wine: 93 Points
First bottle from a half case bought a few months ago based on good notes here and not having had Gruaud 85. I was never a fan of 1985 as a vintage (although it was considered excellent) my notes are peppered with comments about the lack of tannins and excess sweetness. At the time the 82s were a similar price and far better. Gentle clean nose of blackcurrant and cedar, beautifully balanced light to medium weight body and good length. A lovely moreish wine. Sublime Lafite like understatement; which is appropriate given Lafite was my favourite 85. Smoky aroma left in the empty glass.
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10/9/2021 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 88 Points
Tonight we tasted this from a 375ml small format split (shown left), ideal for simple casual sipping with cheeses and snacks, but less than ideal for aging / cellaring. Its time to drink these up, they are still holding on at 36 years, amazingly, but past their prime, showing their age and continuing to diminish from aging.
The fill level was ideal for its age, to be expected, near the bottom of the neck, the label and foil were in good condition, and the cork was also ideal, especially for its age.
Showing its age a bit as the fruit has fallen off a bit and the dark ruby garnet colored is showing a bit of brickish rust color with a bit of opacity - medium bodied, this opened with a hint of that fragrant floral bouquet which is giving way to more earthy leather and tones of mushroom and tapenade.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/10/birthyear-bordeaux-bottle-celebrates.html
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10/2/2021 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
From a beautiful magnum this time , open and left to rest for a good 2 hours. It’s soft and fragile so we would suggest not decanting this ( take care though Fokine sediment) and not have it open for long before serving, max 30 mins.
What more can we say about this great wine that we have not yet said in 14 tastings ( always over 93) over 11 years… frankly if one loves good old school well matured claret this is your wine and is probably the best value wine too. 95
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9/29/2021 - brooklynguy Likes this wine:
Double decanted at 4:30 and drank at 7. Was worried that the aroma would fade but it didn’t, was still lovely at about 9. Drank alongside the 82, and in the same night as 78, 86 (corked), 90 (flawed - smelled and tasted like grilled mackerel), and 2000 (overworked and nothing whatsoever Bordeaux about it). And 79, 86, and 2000 Talbot. Was clearly one of the better wines on the table, although not at vibrant as the gorgeous 79 Talbot or as complete as the very young 82 Gruaud. This was soft and gentle with dark cassis fruit, some pencil lead and earth savory tones, and decent but not great acidity. A lovely old claret for sure, and drinking beautifully right now. Not as complete or as pungent as the best mature Bdx you’ll open, but very lovely and satisfying.
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8/17/2021 - iainlo@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
very mature colour with amber rim. Nose is wonderful, ripe red fruits, peppers, hay, roasted nuts. light to medium body on the palate, initially fruits with red peppers, more depth and complexity after half hour in the glass. sweet and fresh finish - a beautiful wine to enjoy on its own.
Clearly at or past its peak but I love this style of mature Bordeaux
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8/6/2021 - iainlo@gmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful wine, like a warm hug from an old friend. Wide open, nice complexity and balance. Can’t get enough of it!!
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7/18/2021 - iainlo@gmail.com Likes this wine:
Wide open, beautifully mature St Julian. Superb complexity but not the depth and intensity of the 86. Still a lovely drink with roast beef dinner. Something to lift the spirits amidst lockdown blues!
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5/1/2021 - matage wrote: 93 Points
Another great bottle. Mold/fungus under the cap and a rather soaked fragile cork that broke into two.
Brick hue with tons of brett on the nose giving way to brushed leather, earth, tobacco. Decanted for 90 minutes but kept evolving over 3+ hours in the glass. Superb bottle!
Glass: Riedel Veritas Merlot
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4/30/2021 - Argrath wrote: 92 Points
Very mature and elegant nose. Dried plum, still present black currant, raisin and ink. Typical Cordier-brett from the 80's not over-whelming, just adding complexity. Tertiary notes of leather, nuts and sweet tobacco.
Medium-fullish, fully mature palate. Old school, Bdx-brett. Dried fruit and tobacco. Very, very good balance and very good concentration. Just lacking a bit of complexity.
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4/11/2021 - Jdwinedrinker Likes this wine:
Low shoulder and depressed cork and some signs of seepage, but this wine drank very nicely. similar to two notes below. aged, savory leather, forest floor and richness with nice acidity/freshness.
I have had some nice GL from 82 to 86. Have a sole bottle of '90 which I remember getting in NY in about 1994. Wonder if any of the GL from 1996 onwards will give similar future drinking experience. I have a few 2000, but thats it.
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4/2/2021 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
Friday Night at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Our last bottle in what has been an amazing run with this wine over the last 11 years and always rating 94-95.
Well evolved, leathery, earthy and a joy to people like us who love well aged claret with old school character. A truly great wine and great value and one we I’ll buy again on sight from a trusted cellar. 94 easy
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2/28/2021 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 92 Points
If you like old skool aged bdx then you have to like this. It's a law. I'd probably say its just on the downside but it's so gulpable. Not much on the dark black and purple fruit but heavy on the leather and good dirt and rocks. Enough acid to still be kicking. 12% on the label but even less on the palate. GL has long been a favorite of mine and this has all the hallmarks of a good vintage one.
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1/1/2021 - danielk168 wrote: 90 Points
somewhat on the downside, still elegant but lacks power and depth. Not worth the price, many other better choices. But if BDX is your thing then why not, I prefer a bottle of similar priced Barolo.
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12/30/2020 - Kilian wrote:
Amazing Bordeaux for the price. Needs 45-50 minutes of air to show all of its potential. Classic st. Julien with lots of power and elegance...
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10/24/2020 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
We cannot but keep singing praised to this wine especially for the price one pays for this.
If classic well aged Bordeaux is your game this ( and his cousin Talbot) will put a grand smile on your face and the 1985 remains for us one of the great unsung hero vintages that people forgot. Superbly elegant, earthy, leathery still very much alive and healthy albeit fully matured. Another suprrb 94 from us
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10/1/2020 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Our first night in the Catskills with some friends in an 'expanded bubble'. Paired with a Tomahawk steak and it was very tasty. These never disappoint. Solid Bordeaux with good age. Drinks well.
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9/11/2020 - coremill wrote: 88 Points
Cork broke on removal, so decanted and then served. Full of all the non-fruit stuff: earth, leather, cigar ash, faded herbs, savory, with some reddish fruit in the background. Fully resolved, getting a little sharp on the back end. Perhaps not a perfectly prisinte bottle.
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9/7/2020 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark garnet colored, medium to full-bodied, a bit closed and slightly subdued complex, ripe earthy blackberry and black current fruits with tones of tobacco leaf, truffle, hints of cassis and spice box, turning to slightly tart black cherry on the long floral full tannin laced finish.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/09/big-bottle-birthyear-mania-for-wedding.html
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8/21/2020 - dchain wrote: 93 Points
After the Mouton 04 this is about as different a wine as you can have from the same region! Light, bright translucent ruby. Amazing nose of St. Julian terroir- forest floor, leather, plum fruit, Xmas cake spices, orange peel and truffle. Burgundian power and lightness on the palate- delicate but so flavorsome with light but bright juicy plum and leather notes. A real pleasure to drink and was certainly not outshone by the Mouton 04.
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8/9/2020 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
BBQ at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Its been 2 years since we tried this ( Papies 94) and was a joy to be reunited with one of our last 3 bottles.
Well evolved into tertiary state but if one , like us, is a lover of these old gems from the 80s this will be a smile all the way wine from start to finish. We did not decant as the wine was open and we did not want to risk its fragile side and really no need. Classic tobacco nose, earthy and leathery. Silky on the palate but very much healthy and alive even at this age. Still with good fruit and much like 2 years ago this keeps on going and going. 93-95 wine
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6/7/2020 - drmarclevine wrote: 92 Points
Moldy and brittle cork. Decanted about 30 minutes before seated at table. After 10 minutes some initial funk blew off into a classic BDX nose of currants, pencil lead, cedar chest, as well as some earthy mushroom and even some subdued skunk. Continued to evolve in the glass with the currants and pencil lead becoming more pronounced. Medium weight with an initial attack of dark currants, followed by tobacco, and warmed wood. Feminine approaching silky. Medium, drying finish. Began to devolve after about 2 hours and became somewhat flat and decidedly less complex. Has that '85 charm if not the power of other, more celebrated vintages. Will hold longer but will not improve. Excellent match with roasted rack of lamb.
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5/9/2020 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium weight body. Great nose of old funk, ripe red berries, and toasted forest floor. Drinking great right now. I would not say this is over the hill and could certainly go a few more years but probably won’t be getting better. Surpassed my expectations.
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5/9/2020 - Anders Danielsen Lie Likes this wine: 90 Points
kjente også fjøslukta da det ble bemerket av mer erfaren smaker - brettanomyces? Men her fant jeg også veldig mye å glede meg over. Mye frukt ennå, veldig lekkert og sofistikert spill mellom eik og cabernet her, jordtoner. Veldig snill finish uten å være for moden.
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5/4/2020 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Still in a very good place. Fully mature with red fruit, earth, leather, and some gentle Cordier funk (less than in the '83 and '86) coming together on a polished, medium weight frame. The structure's fully integrated here and I don't see this getting any better - should really drink up my remaining bottles in the next couple of years.
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4/5/2020 - martin_e Likes this wine: 93 Points
It may have passed its peak maturity, but still quite enjoyable and not too old, improving after 2 hours of decanting. Garnet color indicates the age, but not cloudy, and not much sediments. The characteristic earthy nose with notes of cedar-wood, plumb, and a hint of caramel. Flavors of cassis, blueberry, prune, overripe black cherry, and an aftertaste of grape seeds. Integrated structure with relatively fresh acidity that blends with the palate of sweet black fruits
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3/29/2020 - rmcnees wrote: 89 Points
Consistent with last tasting note two years ago, showing its age a bit as the fruit has fallen off a bit and the dark ruby garnet colored is showing a bit of brickish rust color with a bit of opacity - medium bodied, this opened with a hint of that fragrant floral bouquet which is giving way to more earthy leather and tones.
Earthy blackberry fruit is overshadowed by tones of tobacco leaf, truffle, mushroom and spice box, turning to slightly tart black cherry on the long floral full tannin laced finish.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2020/03/covid19-shut-in-prompts-curbside.html
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3/23/2020 - D'Yquembe Mutumbo wrote: 95 Points
Couldn't disagree more that this is past its drinking window, it is on the decline from the peak as it started to fade a couple hours after opening but is still very much outstanding now if you have a well kept bottle. Superb nose, lots of green notes (herbs, pepper, moss). Palate was very much full and less balanced than the 95 LMHB drank next to it, with present red and blue fruit counterbalanced with earthy minerality and some savory food flavors (soy, mushroom).
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3/21/2020 - dankgummy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank side by side with 95 Mission Haut Brion and this was the WOTD. Just as good if not better than the 86 Larose
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12/24/2019 - Jamie Manley wrote: 96 Points
This wine never disappoints and always seems to exceed my expectations. The nose is exceptional, almost a blend of Bordeaux and Northern Rhone. Aromas of wet moss, cassis, burnt rubber, forest floor, tobacco, earth, and pencil are downright sensational. From start to finish the nose is dynamic and complex. I actually like the nose on this better than 82 GL. The palate matches the nose on every front, wonderful old school complexity balanced by mature red and dark fruit. Superb mouthfeel and sorted tannins seal the deal. This was the 9th bottle from a case that has enjoyed perfect storage since release. Low neck fill and the cork was extracted wholly with three quarters seepage.
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12/24/2019 - dagij Likes this wine: 91 Points
Been in my cellar for more than 30 years, what a joy to find it in good health for a wine of this age. Deep brown colour with a heslthy red core. Aged nose dominated by horse stable, hay and wet earth, but also with dried fruit (prunes). Medium bodied, rounded tannins, and - amazingly - lots of sweet fruit. Spicey aftertaste with hints of cinnamon, curry and cardemom. Old, but not too old. A beaty. I have always likef 1985 over the hard 1986s Bs, snd this proves that wines that are good to drink in tveir youth also may drinl well over 3 decades plus. I feel lucky for tadting a wine like rhis.
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12/14/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Maybe my favorite wine of the evening. This was drinking incredibly well. What I found most appealing was a lovely spice cabinet sense to it. Very fresh, but has the age to get to the next level of complexity. I thoroughly enjoyed this wine and am glad we have some more bottles.
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9/30/2019 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
Dinner with the wine group (Hillside Supper Club): Blackberry, blackcurrant, slight cigar, slight cedar, slight bell pepper and earth; palate is medium-full bodied, medium-high tannin, acidity is a bit prominent compared to the fruit, good but just a tad bitter and lacking perfect balance. 89
With a bit of air, this developed a bit more intensity, classic bordeaux aromas and flavors. I ended up liking this a bit more than the 1990, which seemed like it still needed a few more years. 91
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8/22/2019 - SuperSomm wrote:
Hazy deep ruby red colour. Light nose with black cherry, blackcurrant, min, cinnamon, vanilla, white pepper, cedar, mushroom and wet leaves. Taste of raisins, black cherry, black pepper, sweet tobacco, cedar and wet leaves. Medium and dry finish. Light acidity and tannins. An outstanding St. Julien that should be drunken now! Goes well with beef, lighter game, lamb or poultry.
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6/26/2019 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fine Wines SG - Bordeaux 80s BYOB (Fine Wines SG): A clear hard dark barky nose and some florals, leaf, and smoked meats. Savoury, high level of tannins and alcohol, and still some acid, with sour cherry, green pepper, dried florals, tree bark, graphite, and smoke
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6/15/2019 - melvinyeowq Likes this wine:
Slow ox-ed the night before. Classic Cordier-era notes of roasted herbs, cedar and a touch of funk. The burly house style was balanced by the elegant vintage, terrific acidity and a round textural finish.
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5/12/2019 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Consistent as ever. A slightly lower fill (high shoulder) compared to some of the others from this case, but no difference in how it showed with mature red fruit, leather, cedar, tobacco, and earth all coming together seamlessly on a medium weight frame.
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4/22/2019 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent bottle. Crisp clean nose of cassis, blackberry, leather, tobacco. Slightly sweet fruity palate with more tobacco and pepper on the finish. Long- and silky, well balanced, tannins melted away. Nicely aged but showing charming youth.
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4/16/2019 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 95 Points
To honor Notre Dame Cathedral.1989 Grande Dame and Three 1985 Bordeaux (Yan's China Bistro, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Wine Group tasting in honor of Notre Dame Cathedral. Nose of black cherry, green bell pepper, black berry, saddle leather, and earth, same on the palate, big body, very tasty, lovely fruit, rich fruit, too much earth and saddle leather for me, slightly brooding fruit, and a long, long, finish. Picture of 4 bottles uploaded.
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4/10/2019 - Binkey wrote: 91 Points
Clearly in its decline but still alive and better from the 1986 vintage (with a strong battle but was the winner at the end).
Nice nose aromas with dark matured fruits,leather and for the first 30-45 minutes barnyard aromas.
Nose much better after 2 hours.
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3/1/2019 - smoothjazz wrote: 92 Points
Last bottle of two cases purchased upon release in 1988; upon opening a musty somewhat corked smell and tasted old & tired; decanted 1/2 using a Coravin and within 30 minutes the wine opened up and continued to develop nicely over the next two hours; bouquet of smoke and tar with fruit of dark cherries and a refreshing, long finish. On second night, uncorked the bottle and decanted for two hours. A bit better than the previous night. This 34 yr old Bordeaux has been moved to three different states and four residences plus one year in storage. What a great St. Julien in a very good vintage.
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1/31/2019 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Really enjoying these bottles. This one again was open and ready for business right from the get go. Lots of black pepper in there. Really nice pairing with the meat. A bit of a more intense wine. More expressive on this day than it's '82 older brother.
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1/29/2019 - becassine wrote: 94 Points
Oustanding, but my cellar is quite cold all year round a 12 C
That could maybe explain its nice posture
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1/7/2019 - KenK Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good and right up there with the Cos Estournal served alongside. Fully mature black spices with a dark dried fruit purity. Showing the vintage which is a bit firm and rustic, but plenty to enjoy here. Hold or drink, unlikely to improve from here.
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1/1/2019 - AWBryce wrote:
Minty, hint of vanilla, strawberries, damp forest floor. Medium acid and tannin. Enjoyable but perhaps just past peak.
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12/29/2018 - MikeATL Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bell pepper, dark fruit, and leather, still with a fair bit of tannin but fantastically enjoyable.
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12/25/2018 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Another winner. Just like my last bottle, this time needing a bit of time in the decanter to open up fully but well worth the wait.
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12/20/2018 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Classic claret. Medium weight, elegant, perfectly mature right now with leather, earth, tobacco, cedar wood, and gentle red fruits all coming together seamlessly. Drinking wonderfully now.
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11/4/2018 - retired_and_roving Likes this wine:
Q4 - 2018 Tasting - Aged Bordeaux (Pre-1997) (New York, NY): 6 of 19 wines tasted double blind. This one seemed much younger despite its actual age. Color was more to ruby and the fruit was still quite forward but it was nicely balanced by bright acidity. Seems like this has a lot of life left ahead. I enjoyed this but was outside my top 4. Group vote - 6 pennies
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11/4/2018 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Q4 Wine Club - Aged Bordeaux (Our apt): Wine #6: The first of a number of wines from this producer although all from different vintages. This was quite tasty and really hit a very nice point prob an hour or two into the tasting. Lots of plum and darker notes. Some more herbal characters to it. Maybe a hint of floral. Was very tasty. (6 pennies)
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9/8/2018 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
Gorgeous nose: A-/A Excellent Palate: B++
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5/15/2018 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 89 Points
Showing its age a bit as the fruit has fallen off a bit and the dark ruby garnet colored is showing a bit of brickish rust color with a bit of opacity - medium bodied, this opened with a hint of that fragrant floral bouquet which is giving way to more earthy leather and tones.
Earthy blackberry fruit is overshadowed by tones of tobacco leaf, truffle, mushroom and spice box, turning to slightly tart black cherry on the long floral full tannin laced finish.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2018/05/pichon-lalande-gruaud-larose-1985.html
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4/13/2018 - matage Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic bottle that kept developing in the glass well over three hours. A lot of gunk under the cap and the cork was soaked but the wine was perfect. Mature with sandy tannins and notes of rust, matchbox, green peppers but with the fruit to back it up. Nowhere near going downhill but I can't imagine it'll get any better!
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4/13/2018 - jackaroo Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is why first and second growth Bordeauxes get the high bucks. They age well and have a wide drinking window. Great colour with no browning on the edges. A long, long finish. The cork was thoroughly saturated, but with no ill effects. Not full bodied, but smooth and mouth coating. As Parker proposes, a First Growth.
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2/12/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Some Fine Older Bordeaux and Cabs (Capitalle Grille, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color, 5mm transition. Decanted for 90 minutes, drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. Wow, this was good to go, pencil, leather, sandalwood, raspberry, red berries, wet earth; a wow nose. The palate is medium bodied, feminine, the perfume carries through on the palate, flower to the gills, great purity, so well evolved and fine tobacco, layeres of red fruit and complexity, very long and integrated. This has easily got another 10 years. 95+pts.
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2/12/2018 - chablis28 wrote: 94 Points
One of the most fully realized wines of the night aside from a '99 Taitt Comte & the 89 Dunn. Dark garnet red color. Classic BDX aromas abound of cigar box, mature fruit, forest floor and cedar. Gorgeous texture and mouthfeel of resolved structure. Has the elegance, class and finesse St Julien is reputed to represent. Red fruit, meat, forest floor and cedar notes on the layered palate. Outstanding aged BDX with no signs of falling off.
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1/28/2018 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
A return to the great bottles after 2 poor shows (from the same batch) this was back to what we remember as the great GL 1985.
Needs a bit of decanting like 30 minutes but beyond that is a beautiful wine, classic, light leather, tobacco, full secondary but still vibrant and with healthy fruit. A solid 94 maybe more! Gladly we have more!
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11/17/2017 - MikeATL Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still showing very well, with the meaty leather and black currant that typifies Gruaud Larose, with fine tannin and nice acidity, but an elegance that only time can deliver.
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10/31/2017 - dchain Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep ruby, very young looking in terms of color. No decanting but needed some time in the glass to open up. Fantastic nose of old vine cab sav fruit mixed with leather, spicy soil. There is a noticeable cab franc funky pepper note but in a good way and is something I like and look for in St. Julian wines. Great expression of the terroir and beautifully balanced with mid weight and mid length on the palate. A point but given how it developed further complexity as it sat in the glass, no need to rush to drink this. Great QPR and a pleasure to drink and enjoy with our friends.
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9/22/2017 - asparagus wrote: 93 Points
(very) early maturity. Still a deep red and very dense. Some cedar and tobacco, mixed in with cassis and cherry. a wonderful wine - my WOTN
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9/4/2017 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
A healthy bottle following a rather poor one.
Well evolved, very earthy, cigar box and leather, light touch of cedar. Very soft and round in a way but with still a healthy dose of acidity. The fruit is well past its peak but for the lover of old school, well aged claret this is a beauty. Nicol 91 / Andreas 93
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9/4/2017 - Papies wrote: flawed
A bit musty and just not every healthy. next bottle was a lot better.
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7/8/2017 - Jamie Manley wrote: 96 Points
I love 1985 Bordeaux and I love Cordier from the 80's. The wine gods were looking over me as I was able to pick up a pristine case of 85 (and 81) GL at auction very recently. When I say pristine, I mean virtually unopened since release and only then opened to show photos for the auction. Angelo M helped out with some of the photos too, so big thank you to him. What I have noticed with a number of 85's (not just GL) is that many of the fills are just a little less than one may like. Even with perfect provenance, three (now two) of my bottles are TS, five are VTS, and four are BN. I mention this only so that people are not hesitant if they see a less than stellar fill. Watch out for any leakers though, I attempted a MS fill leaker (from an unknown source) this past weekend and it was DOA. Ok, so I pulled my lowest TS fill bottle and gave it a try. A little mold on the top of the cork, but the soaked cork came out firmly in one piece and the aroma instantly started to waft. Wow, just wow! A soaring nose of dense earth, tobacco, wet leaves, cassis, cinnamon, black tea, and pencil. Everything that you could ask for, and then some. Similar on the palate but with fruit that almost reminded me of good bottles of 89 Montrose! Deep plum, rich cassis, a hint of sour cherry - and all wrapped up in delineated complexity. The color is a dark ruby with very slight bricking. Well stored bottles of 85 GL are in no rush of needing to be consumed now. If you can find it, buy it! 96+ Pts
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5/2/2017 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 95 Points
Derrald brought this Bordeaux from his cellar to enjoy with the Peking Duck at Yan's China Bistro-thank you for a great bottle of Chateau Gruaud Larose, gorgeous nose of black cherry, black currants, cigar box, saddle leather and forest floor immediately sprang from the bottle upon opening and it was a fabulous nose that continued for the next three hours, same on the palate, bigger wine and old style compared to the 1986 from my cellar, elegant, delicious tasting, the best Chateau Gruaud Larose I have ever tasted, even better than most bottles of 1982 and 1983, everything in its place, perfect compliment to the Peking Duck, long, long, finish and flavorful aftertaste.
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4/29/2017 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted and drunk quickly. This may actually be the best bottle of this wine yet! It is still improving and well stored bottles will improve over the next decade with lots of time left. A very pure sheen I find on the best 85s at the moment - reminded me of a better version of the 64 Gruaud enjoyed earlier and a little of great bottle of 85 Lynch. Lots of cedar, graphite and less funk than usual - instead more blackcurrant and purity than I haven't seen before in this wine. It would have been stellar if we didn't drink it within 30mins. Still a solid 95pts with more upside potential.
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4/4/2017 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Not as good as my previous bottles.
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3/31/2017 - europat55 wrote: 95 Points
5 Decades of Gruaud Larose (Andre and Sabine's House, Mountain View, CA): Nose: A. Palate: A-/A.
My #1. Group's #1 (66 pts).
Incorrectly guessed as the '82 in the lineup. Quite a treat!
Tasted blind.
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3/18/2017 - Rupert wrote: 94 Points
Dark, cedary nose, a bit of earth and a tiny bit of funk, ripe fruit, fully resolved but still vigorous. Brilliant.
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1/17/2017 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points
This is basically what one would expect from combining 1980s, Cordier-era Gruaud (think burly, rough, and rustic) with the 1985 vintage - perhaps the most elegant of the decade. The tobacco, leather, and smoke do dominate the cherry and currant base but not so much so as to strip this of its ability to be drunk with pleasure - especially with the wonderful yak sirloin / truffle sauce which it complemented very nicely indeed. Balanced on the palate; the tannins here have softened nicely. No doubt these should be drunk up now while the fruit remains.
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1/16/2017 - RockinCabs wrote: 94 Points
Annual Yak and Truffle Dinner; 1/15/2017-1/16/2017 (Newbury, NH): Nose: Gorgeous blackberry, black cherry and tobacco with notes of game and forest floor. Then layers of smoke, truffle, floral and cigar box. A very classic Cordier nose with great black fruit and all of the funk that I love about 80's GL and Talbot. Palate: Enters with roasted blackberry / black cherry and earth notes, then the smoke, game and tobacco just pop. Finish: Complex fruit, smoke and game notes with just a bit of sweet oak and spice.
This showed beautifully with our Yak Sirloin roast, and showed the "other face" of bordeaux vs the PLL.
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1/8/2017 - Vinnut Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep, dark garnet in color with ever-so-slight bricking & clearing at the edges. Full, forward & attractive nose of matured & complex, ripe fruit aromas of dark cherries, blackberries, & cassis with overtones of classic cigar box notes of cedar & tobacco, some floral notes of violets, earthy/dusty, minty, tar, leather, dried herbs, exotic spices, truffles, & minerals in the background. Medium-full bodied with a very good concentration of well balanced & smooth textured, mature & complex, ripe fruit flavors of dark cherries, blackberries & blueberries with earthy, herbs, mushrooms, minerals, spices & a slight hint of oak. Long lingering silky smooth finish. Drinks quite well at present with decanting & airing but has the structure to continue developing with additional aging. Appears more advanced in its development than the recent 1986 I tried. Fill was at mid-neck; cork was intact & saturated halfway. A wonderful aged Bordeaux.
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10/28/2016 - Procurare Likes this wine: 91 Points
Brought this to WB's. Was worried that it was over the hill - turned out with an excellent showing.
Dark with a bit of bricking, On the nose barnyard and earth with obvious oak. Taste was very good, clearly old with its tannin, acid and fruit well balanced. Nice length.
A: 5
N: 7
B: 8
T: 17:
F: 4
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10/24/2016 - boses wrote: 90 Points
Super integrated with typical mature Bordeaux typicity and st.julien characteristics - a little heavy on the Brett initially but it blows off fast to reveal nice fruit and a chalky minerally backbone that surprises you a bit ! Very luscious still and the finish is quite long. Pleasing mature bottle !
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10/16/2016 - WST wrote:
At The Willows. A fine bottle, but it suffered by following the gorgeous '59 Rioja. Classic middle aged St. Juliene. This was dominated more by density than elegance.
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10/15/2016 - ClausJ wrote:
Still a great class of wine but the longevity of the wine well gone by now. Fruit gone after 45 mins after uncorking.
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10/15/2016 - Dave77 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Start of with a note: this property always delivers and people who know buy this frequently. Parker doesn't rate this high, guess at some point of time the dog bit him and he decided never to rate this wine as it should. Classic Bordeaux!
The wine is beautifully evolved and in a tertiary fase but has a lot of reserve. Classic cedar, plum, vanilla, sigar box, oriental spice and a bit of strawberry's medium bodied but classy. The tannins are totaly integrated but pressent. The length is medium plus.
Winelovers in the world know parker is not always right, but offcours he still know's a lot about wine ...
Worth to keep in the cellar.
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9/15/2016 - Nanda wrote: 92 Points
Château Gruaud-Larose Vertical (Knightsbridge and Abigail's): Certainly suffered given the flight side-by-side with a stunning 1983 GL. The nose here is full with a bigger fruit component as the plum fruit is still youthful and spicy. Bell pepper aromas add complexity. Palate is broad with mouth-coating dark plum fruit. Spice, tar, ash and herbs add complexity. Still relatively youthful with some upside.
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8/22/2016 - ClausJ wrote: 90 Points
Lovely aged Bordeaux which drinks beautifully 15 mins after opening.
Fragile so do not decanter.
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8/14/2016 - Rupert wrote: 93 Points
A superb follow up to the Jumelles 85 - a bit of poo in the nose, and earthy, but a lovely sweet mellow middle balanced it out, lively acidity of course - wonderful
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7/11/2016 - oncocyte Likes this wine: 95 Points
I noted this bottle had a mid shoulder fill, and decided to open it, taste it, confirm my fears, and move it out of inventory. Things went downhill fast. The exterior of the cork was soft, wet, and covered with crusty tannins. The least pressure of the corkscrew started to push it into the bottle. I was with diligence able to extract it intact; it was moist and black and shriveled looking.
So, on to the wine. Color is age-appropriate. Hmm, aroma is not disastrous. Hmm, it's kind of nice. Hey, it is classic old Bordeaux. Some leather, some cedar, some fruit. Taste? Wow. Very mild whiskey barrel which I do not like except as a accent note, which it did not at all exceed here. Smoky. Dark fruits. Acid present but balanced. Aged tannins, all well integrated into a very very pleasant whole.
In my mind, 95 pointos. I call neighborhood Bordeaux buddy for emergency consult. He comes, he tastes, he conquers. Blindly declares it 82 Gruaud and .....95 points.
Wine; it continues to confound and delight me. So often we expect the best and get a corked and shriveled thing. To expect a disaster and get this was such a delight.
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6/18/2016 - Rupert wrote: 93 Points
Sharp, cedary, an earthy grip, really vibrant - superb
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6/10/2016 - md20 Likes this wine:
Nase mit mittlerem Ausdruck. Cordier Stinker..:-)..Wundersschön gereifter, süsser Cabernet aus St.Julien. Animalische Noten, Leder und ein bisschen metallischer Ansatz. Ich liebe gereifte Gruaud Larose, auch dieser Jahrgang hat mich voll überzeugt! 94/100 austrinken.
Nose medium term. Cordier stink..:-).. Beautifully ripened, sweet Cabernet from St.Julien. Animalistic notes, leather and a little metallic neck. I love mature Gruaud Larose, also this vintage has convinced me! 94/100 drink out.
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5/19/2016 - Diane (LI) wrote:
I brought this bottle for my annual birthday lunch at Gramercy Tavern. Service, the tasting menu, and this wine were flawless. When it was first opened, the wine was somewhat simplistic, and I thought I caught it on its way down. It changed radically for the almost 3 hours that it was opened, but it was so lovely with air. The nose showed cedar, earth, berries, and olives. The intensity kept building and what started out as simple sweet fruit became rich fruit, cedar, a touch of milk chocolate, ending with orange rind and a lingering taste of sweet red berries. Decanting may have helped, but I always fear that too much air will do more harm than good.
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3/19/2016 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
A bit of stalkiness, energetic, earthy and acidic, gripping and enticing - lovely
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3/13/2016 - englishman's claret wrote:
Yikes - an excessive amount of brettanomyces covering up an otherwise lively and classic claret. I generally have a pretty high tolerance for brett (and I like it in small quantities) but this particular bottle was more or less ruined by it. I hope the other bottle I have doesn't show it as strongly. The other side of the coin for 1980s Cordier wines.
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2/12/2016 - Philippe_C wrote: 94 Points
Huge nose of bacon, beef blood, loads of leather, bacon fat... super silky tannins, roasted BBQ steak, ripe red strawberries, very Gruaud Cordier style!!
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12/31/2015 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 94 Points
New Year's Eve Celebration of Four Second Growth Bordeaux. Happy New Year to all CT members.
Nose opened slowly of earthy forest floor, cedar, sage, cigar box, and black cherry fruit then more barnyard consistently developed as the evening wore on and finally surpassed the barnyard of the Leoville Barton on the nose, more of the same on the palate, subdued at first but opened and improved the most with air over the first two hours, big body, typical Gruaud Larose, and like many times before my favorite wine to taste or enjoy with dinner, long, long finish. My #1 of 4.
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12/25/2015 - OmiyaDrinker wrote: 91 Points
Still very dark appearance with minimal bricking. Superb, matute aromas of leather, herb, black olive, cigar box. Very fesh fruit at first taste. Seemingly very young with quite a lot of heat on finish and some sinewy alcohol.
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12/21/2015 - JustinHandlin87 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Mature and with character - earth, vegetables, red fruits, tobacco. Not super lively at this age, but still has a lot to say if you listen through the noise.
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12/16/2015 - oncocyte wrote: 92 Points
Classic, classy old Bordeaux. Muted nose, didn't give up too much. Easy tannins, gentle cassis fruit, well integrated. Not a wine to bowl you over but a lovely reminder of how it used to be in the wine world. I see no utility in aging it longer.
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12/7/2015 - Man in Black wrote:
Pale tawny colour with some deposit. The nose is slightly bretty and fully-developed, showing medium+ intensity aromas of cedar, white pepper, tobacco, black olives, jammy plums and leather.
It is dry in the mouth with a medium+ fresh acidity. It has medium soft tannins and a medium alcohol. It has a medium body and medium+ intensity flavours with red cherry notes. It has a medium+ finish.
It is delicate and harmonious albeit a bit austere. Somewhat bretty but more on the savoury than the stinky side.
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11/21/2015 - MEKWINE Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark, deep robe. Big dark fruits, hints of tobacco and Earth. Mature and balanced, mid/full weight on the palate and enough acidity to keep the juices flowing. Very enjoyable alongside a veal roast.
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11/20/2015 - CJDillon Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle didn't last very long. Beautifully aged offering medium body with good robust red & dark fruit flavors with espresso finish. Sweet & ripe easy drinkong with a bit of volatile acidity but not too distracting. Love it.
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11/6/2015 - aChave Likes this wine: 93 Points
1975 and 1985 Bordeaux (Dan & Mila's place): Double decanted 60 minutes. Bottom neck fill. Cork in excellent condition. Dark, intense, round. Fruit was very ripe and had a bit of a spicy character, with an abundance of red fruits and tomato(?!). A bit of cedar, rose & still good acid. Nice balance. Lovely wine in (for me) its prime.
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10/14/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Tasted alongside 1985 Pichon Lalande and Cos d'Estournel, completing an impressive showing of this vintage compared to both 1989 and 1982. A bit more evolved on the nose than the Cos and somewhere between both wines with regards to the flavour profile. Spices, sweet tobacco, red and dark fruit. Quite soft and evolved but with lots of acidity and grip. Very good length. Much better than a bottle tasted earlier this year, but only 3/3 in this very consistent, excellent flight of 1985s. 91-93
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10/14/2015 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
1982, 1985 & 1989 Bordeaux Super Seconds, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): A wine we have tried almost 10 times now and always rate it between 94-96.
Once again had a very healthy dark colour. Currants, fruit driven nose still, leafy and herby style of cabernet. A touch secondary at the end but fruit driven for most times. HAs so much life in it still and is a joy to cross paths again with it. Very solid once again. 93-94
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8/31/2015 - Paui wrote: 94 Points
mature Gruaud is a class of its own. ages beautifully, flying below the radar of RP thus easy on the purse. very good bottle from sediment, colour and cork, fill just about into neck, decanted to separate sediment. suggest to give it some time in the glass, will evolve nicely. quite similar to 1983. only very slight banyard smell, nothing to bother. perfect harmony of a mature cabernet, fruit sweetness with a slight acidity to keep it in the game, and a good grip. maybe more tannins than 1983, could last longer. elegant wine.
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7/28/2015 - blanquito wrote:
Big, voluptuous bouquet layered with old leather, cinnamon, a bit of funk, wood smoke, and a boatload of resolved pyrazines. Medium to light bodied with an excellent lingering finish. Bright palate.
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7/9/2015 - SimonG wrote: 92 Points
85 Claret (La Trompette, London): Blind. Quite fat in the glass. A least tobacco nose. A touch of richness on the attack. Very harmonious. Lovely. Lacks a bit of mid-palate substance. Seems very leggy and quite fat in the glass, so maybe L'Eglise. No! ****
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7/8/2015 - hkm520240 wrote: 92 Points
Tasted blind, wine #2. Dark Ruby with vibrant brick red hue.
Expressive nose of leather, earth, subtle tobacco, plum, dried fruits, blackcurrant. Nice elegant bouquet.
Soft and mellow entry, along with dried cherry, blackcurrant, subtle tobacco, licorice and subtle spice. Long lingering finish with soft tannins. Matured and drinking nicely now.
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6/11/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 87 Points
A little more evolved and lighter in colour. Minty nose, not much fruit, but no greenness. Lots of acidity on the palate, a bit astringent, again not much fruit, and rather short, a bit dull. 86-88
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4/11/2015 - Rupert wrote: 94 Points
Ripe, cedar and game, deep, enticing, a touch of mystery - thrilling
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3/21/2015 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
30 years of 1985 Bordeaux at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): Double decanted and left in the bottle to rest for 2 hours. Good level and cork.
Another masterful performance for this underrated Gem of a wine (for lovers of classic, pure and mature claret) and along with the 85 Talbot (Papies 96+) were the wines of the evening.
The colour shows the age but this is still very healthy and vibrant. The nose is not as open as the Talbot but on the palate this is a master class of a wine. Well matured, secondary notes but with a solid core of fruit, good structure and acidity. Nice depth and complexity and a true gem. 96+ and drinks beautifully now.
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1/17/2015 - Rupert wrote: 90 Points
Dense, earthy, some charcoal, high acid. I liked this a lot, but way more rustic than last time
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1/1/2015 - rwpalmer wrote: 91 Points
Remarkably deep-coloured. "Chunky" nose of what would have once been impressive fruit. A touch of VA. Powerful. Just very slightly rustic but highly enjoyable.
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12/30/2014 - astroman Likes this wine:
Still very much alive with lively fruits.
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12/30/2014 - etyc Likes this wine:
Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015 (Jade Palace): Our 3rd and last flight is an interesting one - strange bedfellows, you may say... One too young, one drinkable, and one in just the right place. With this GL, we're back to familiar territory as the 1st-flight. Nose had that secondary flavours, leather, tobacco. Palate was rich, smooth and silky, with a good length to boot. Fabulous, these '80s Cordier-era GLs...
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12/14/2014 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 94 Points
Slow ox'd 1hr, bit too tart/acidic, needed quite a while for the mouthfeel I love in this wine, safest still to use 30min double decant if time to drink - otherwise (eg for a meal) use 1hr double decant. All my various notes hold.... If this seems acidic than give it more air, then the plush mouthfeel comes. Never get tired of 85 and Gruaud Larose. No hurry to drink this.
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10/29/2014 - Rupert wrote: 94 Points
A complete wow, youthful, fresh, funky, cedar claret, layer upon layer, light bodied, acidic, sensational
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10/25/2014 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
First bottle of a case bought at auction, this was everything I hoped for - some funk, strong, cedar, high acid, still youthful, very Gruaud. Superb.
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10/18/2014 - coremill wrote: flawed
Old Bordeaux (Uncle Jack's): At first I thought this was corked, as it was rather musty and inexpressive. An hour later though and it became clear that it was not corked, just overwhelmingly bretty, so powerful was the stench of Cordier funk.
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10/16/2014 - Dimitris wrote:
felt past its prime
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9/23/2014 - bingomighty wrote: 86 Points
Slightly disappointing. Tired
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9/12/2014 - G_H wrote: 89 Points
A lesson in Sauternes by Jürg Richter (Restaurant Farnsburg, Switzerland): Similar in the notes and taste as the 1990 with the red bell peppers and the toasted notes from the oak, but somewhat a bit harsher and less balanced.
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8/12/2014 - SimonG wrote: 92 Points
Little trademark Cordier Brett. A classic claret nose of mid weight blackcurrant, cedar and a touch of sweeter sandlewood. Nicely dry, silky and quite rounded. Maybe not quite as fun as when the fruit was a bit sweeter a decade or so ago, but still lots of charm and interest. A treat. ****
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8/6/2014 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 95 Points
Perfectly stored in my cellar since release in 1988. Slight browning at the edges; still dark but slightly translucent. Very pronounced Cordier aromas of cedar, tobacco, "barnyard", leather, with French oak overtones. On the palate, plenty of fruit left, dark fruits, some anise. Nice long aftertaste. This how an excellent fully mature Bordeaux should be. Our last bottle, unfortunately. Our 1985's never closed up...enjoyable for the entire ride. I wouldn't age this further, though.
Ric
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7/5/2014 - astroman wrote:
Cannot remember the exact date when this was drink. This was compared with another bottle direct from the winery where this pale in comparison. This bottle tasted weak and tired while the bottle direct from winery was very much alive.
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4/30/2014 - AtoZ wrote: 88 Points
Amazing nose bit it dies away. Thinking would be better not decanted. Some mushrooms. Advanced bottle?
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4/16/2014 - BradE wrote:
An absolutely screaming good bottle of 85 Gruaud Larose, that was my WOTN.
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2/10/2014 - smkl123 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic. Still going incredibly strong. Dark fruit presence, as well as strong secondary flavors: tobacco, leather, and cinnamon. Strong finish. this wine is still packing a punch. first of a case i just opened; very pleased.
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1/25/2014 - Peter Z. wrote: flawed
corked
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1/25/2014 - Zweder wrote: flawed
Occasional dinner group; Mature and classical Bordeaux (@ WB): Corked
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12/25/2013 - heegaard Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic. I believe tjat it has Neverland been better.
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11/22/2013 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 94 Points
1985 Bdx lunch (Caprice, Hong Kong): Good bottle and what a mouthfeel! Doesn't have the nose of the 85,Cheval, or taste of 85 Lynch... But in the mouth the taste parts across the tongue, with velvet leading to mild acidity and eventually a short dry finish. Lots of typical '85 cedar, albeit dwarfed by the aromatic fireworks or the last 2 bottles, and a decent density. This was an almost perfect cross between the Cheval and Lynch, with a notch more cedar and mushroom. With air some red current surfaced. Decanted 1hr, probably best to drink before 2020.
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10/26/2013 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 95 Points
My last few bottles have been 'steady 94s', but this was a notch higher. Great bottle from the cellar, pristine and into next. 1hr slow-ox, double decant and cool-down. Lots of typical '85 cedar, but a lovely density, mouthfeel and richness absent from previous bottles. Good balance, only complaint is that the finish becomes a bit dry with air. Not in the league of the 82 or my top 85s, but still.... just great stuff. Drink over the next 5yrs.
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9/8/2013 - jdlee1232 Likes this wine:
Continues to show well, though starting to fade a bit.
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9/4/2013 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
Onceagain strikes a beautiful cord here. Our previous TNs speak wonders of this wine but this time we will just suffice to saying that this is a wonderful specimen of pure oldschoola nd well aged claret. If that is what you are after then this is your baby. Could use a touch more fruit. At its peak now. 94-95
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8/14/2013 - jmoon Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic from the first sip. Beautiful st Julian leather & earth. Peaked after 20-30 mins. Lost a bit of steam after 2 hrs
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8/2/2013 - boxedwine wrote: 94 Points
drank with an 85 las cases and both bottles were outstanding. preferred this early in the evening but the las cases was the winner after the 3 hour mark. delicious.
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7/31/2013 - LindsayM wrote: 89 Points
- Brick color and aromas of cedar. It's balanced and has flavours of mushroom, dusty and cedar with a medium body. Leathery texture with a medium finish - Needs to be decanted to remove a little bottle stink but otherwise good Bordeaux nose and flavours
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7/21/2013 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 94 Points
From a bottom-neck level bottle with dry cork. Lovely rich-tasting wine with glass-filling tertiary aromas of cedar, mushroom and cloves. Tawny on the rim, the cedar is less prominent than in the 85 Talbot, but the nose is so so typical of St Julien wines in 1985. What sets this wine apart from other 85s is the mouthfeel. A thin, but sweet and rich wine with deceptively expansive mid-palate leading to soft but long finish of stewed raspberries. With 30min decant the balance improves significantly, and there is a wonderful acidity lending such precision (something perhaps missing from the 85 Talbot).
Recommend a 30min double-decant and cool down (which makes the wine medium rather than light-bodied, and brings and extra ash element to the flavour). This doesn't have the power to merit a higher score from me, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this wine and highly recommend it.
1985 - the greatest value in mature Bordeaux?
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6/15/2013 - JeremyQ Likes this wine:
Classic Gruaud Larose nose - very Cab Franc, nice.
Drinking beautifully an aged Bordeaux, not quite as good as the 83 which we had a few months back but very nice nevertheless.
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4/27/2013 - Tad GW Likes this wine: 92 Points
50+5+12+17+8=92
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4/5/2013 - Lord Rayas Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Family dinner (Moon Koon): everything i hate to see in a mature claret. boring, lacks flair, thin palate.
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3/10/2013 - Captain Haddock Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark colour, looks younger than it is. Big, ripe cabernet nose, very clean and satisfying. Well-balanced on the palate, dark fruit, cigar box and some spice. Long. Best bottle yet.
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3/9/2013 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Saturday night at The Papies (The Papies, Elizabeth St, London): This is a wine that we have documented ( and Loved) many times. Good cork, solid and just below neck in level. Another beautiful experince. Our earliest TNs hold. Once again an easy 95. Once thing we would add is that this wine now feels at its peak so not a bad time to enjoy it. 95
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3/5/2013 - EGunderson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fading at this point but still really nice. Not quite the huge nose from a few years ago and not the same finish, but still a great mature bordeaux.
Probably not worth the retail price today, but still worth pursuing if you can find one cheap.
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2/22/2013 - RMY Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still going. Decanted 1+ hour and needed every minute of it, possibly more. A very nice bottle that still has some backbone but probably on a slow down slope. Enjoy it now!
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2/11/2013 - rmcnees wrote: 90 Points
Dark ruby garnet colored with a bit of opacity - medium bodied, this opened with a huge fragrant floral bouquet that fills the mouth and nostrils and lingers for minutes. Earthy blackberry fruit is overshadowed by tones of tobacco leaf, truffle, mushroom and spice box, turning to slightly tart black cherry on the long floral full tannin laced finish.
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1/7/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Fully mature, the seductive nose offers hints of truffle, tobacco, spice box, licorice, blackberry, cedar wood and smoke. Smooth and round with a little dust in the tannins, the wine ends with a sweet and sour cherry finish.
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12/11/2012 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
December WIMPS, Bordeaux Table (The Ledbury, London): Gorgeous nose, some maturity, a touch of sandlewood, red fruit and a hint of leather. The Brett police to my right are out in force here, and verging on the apoplectic, but this is nicely complex and, for me, not as 'fruity' as a bottle at a recent 85 horizontal. Sweet fruited loveliness, complexity and a nice fresh finish. ****
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11/11/2012 - jmccready wrote: 92 Points
Mellow nose of black cherries and currants which leads to the supple textural mouthfeel with a red fruit nature. This wine is totally mature , hedonistic mostly with enough
complexity for a talkative BWE group. Long finish. Drink up, a real pleasure. Off to Burgundy tomorrow. Keep posting, I will pick you up on the computer in Beaune. JM
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11/1/2012 - johnh1001 wrote: 88 Points
Drank over two hours. Dark fruit, smoke, tobacco, olives on the nose. Nice texture with more dark fruit and earth on the palate. Not as full in the mouth as the nose suggested it would be. Medium finish that had a bitterness to it that was off putting. Had it not been for the finish I would have enjoyed this more.
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9/19/2012 - Vinomane wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 45 minutes ahead of game course. Most powerful tobacco nose ever smelt, complete with the old briar pipe to smoke it in, not to mention old leather, old book, forest floor and mushrooms. Drank solidly for 20 minutes, expanding on the palate and glowing on the finish. Afterward, a gradual decline, with vanishing fruit and advancing acidity. Initial impression 94, final impression 92. Not bad for a wine that cost me $25 per bottle at original purchase.
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7/5/2012 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
First try of this vintage. From the get-go, there's a beautiful, big, expressive, complex, wild nose. A true classic claret bouquet. It's a little feral, with sweet compote, lead pencil, old wood, sour cherry, a lovely fresh anise-camphor-mint note. With food and air, some roasted-smoked poblano shows up. On the palate, I get lots of black tea with lovely bottle sweetness, soft yet tarry tannins, and a long tongue drying finish. On the savory end of things, with some beef jus, old school stylings. Overall, a tad dilute mid palate that comes between the beautiful sweet attack and slightly bitter finish. 95 pts bouquet, 90-91 palate, 92 pts overall.
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7/5/2012 - andtheodor wrote: 92 Points
[Tasted double blind] Green pepper, campfire, tobacco, cedary nose that is just classic. Palate comes up a bit short and misses the mark, but still a great old wine. Obviously Bdx, almost certainly left bank, some aromas of a pretty old wine but the vibrant color can't be much more than 20 years old, guessed 1990. Fairly youthful for an '85!
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5/25/2012 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
We love this wine and continues to be on top form. Requires some decanting to remove the fine sediment and help it round a bit on the palate. Simply great and we cannot keep praising 1985 St Juliens and this Gruaud Larosse especially. A Must buy. 95
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4/18/2012 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
1985 super seconds tasted blind (Medlar, Chelsea, London): Another soft textured farmyardy claret, penetrating, multilayered, super
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4/17/2012 - SimonG wrote: 90 Points
Rupert's 1985 'Super Seconds' (The Medlar, London): Sweetly mellow, some earth. Fragrant and a little agricultural. Quite full. Some cigar box. Not at all bad but I preferred this a decade ago when the fruit was a little sweeter. ***1/2
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1/13/2012 - Imoollan wrote: 91 Points
Good bottle, wine was a bit tired though. Showing well but slightly over the hill,got better with time, started musty but cleared up and showed lovely cedar and tobacco notes. Just brought back to Mauritius and drinking after 1,5 months in the cellar, could be atill affectedby the travel but did lack freshness...
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12/25/2011 - heegaard wrote: 92 Points
The wine is over the hill.
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12/8/2011 - Coollawyer wrote: 91 Points
Lovely nose very approachable. Cherries and fruits showing very well already. The tannins are very nicely integrated with brilliant acidity.
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12/6/2011 - Dbrane wrote:
Cork was leaking and went right into the bottle. Stinky nose and green tobacco on the palate. Quite a lean finish. Probably not a representative bottle. Will refrain from rating.
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11/25/2011 - swapdoc wrote:
Decanted for 2+ hours; 2 bottles, consistant notes. Totally wet cork; the top caked over -- the wine never lost completely shook off the barn-yard, musty nose profile probably related to the leaky cork. This wine is remarkably youthful. The color is strong with no hint of rust; mature classic profile with strong notes of cedar, pencil shavings, cherry fruit -- all perfectly integrated. This wine drinks well now and still can go for many years. Wish could try from a better preserved bottle. B+
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11/17/2011 - kr522 wrote: 90 Points
The 85 Gruaud Larose holds a special place in my heart as it's the first quality wine I ever tried...the one that made the light go on. That was more than 15 years ago, and I revisited it for the first time in years to see how it was holding up.
It was a well preserved bottle with a base neck fill and a nice dark color with a little bricking. The bouquet is dark fruit and earthy, and there's a nice sweet entry with good acidity. The fruit has a raisiny quality to it with little tannin, so it's soft and pleasing but no longer lush. I wouldn't wait much longer to drink it if you have it
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11/11/2011 - Riezin wrote:
Drank Zachys late fall auction. Showed very well and held its own against some august company.
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10/15/2011 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Firing on all cylinders. Layers of rich red and dark fruited flavours, tobacco, cedar wood and that leathery Cordier funk combining into a seamless and incredibly aromatic whole. The tannins here are fully resolved and there's bright acidity underneath giving the flavours a sense of real freshness and precision. A fantastic bottle.
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8/13/2011 - tom999s wrote: 93 Points
- Garnet color. It's balanced with a light/medium body. Smooth texture with a medium finish.
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6/30/2011 - kjroenetrian wrote: 94 Points
deep brick color, legs, nose - plenty of fruit, wood, spice, taste- fruit, smooth, soft tanins, still drinking beautifully. 375m bottle from my cellar.
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6/24/2011 - Paul D wrote:
Gruaud Larose at The Ledbury (The Ledbury, London): Subdued, not showing much on the nose or palate initially. Opens out a little with time, slightly caramelly fruit, soft and mellow. Quite good. **
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2/19/2011 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with our previous note about a month ago. Snap some up you will not regret it. Again it was WOTN vs Cos 83, Talbot 86 & LLC 89
Previous TN {30-45 mins in the decanter helped the mouthfeel.This is a superb and among the bet 1985 has to offer. Very vibrant and alive and lasted more than 3 hours post open. Open on the nose, seductive mature bordeaux nose. Well round on the palate and with lots of presence and depth. We can go on and on but no need here. This is a must wine and at 80-90£ a bottle is a very good value for the quality you get. We think WS & WA need to try this again... Superb (95 to 96) }
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1/29/2011 - Papies wrote: 96 Points
We remain mesmerised by this wine as this is the second time we have tried it (first TN was from a 1985 horizontal which this was WOTN).
Opened 2 hours ahead and double decanted. Doesnt really need so much time to open up but worth to note that the wine did not deteriorate at all in 3 hours post open and 30-45 mins in the decanter helped the mouthfeel.
This is a superb and among the bet 1985 has to offer. Very vibrant and alive and lasted more than 3 hours post open. Open on the nose, seductive mature bordeaux nose. Well round on the palate and with lots of presence and depth. We can go on and on but no need here. This is a must wine and at 80-90£ a bottle is a very good value for the quality you get. We think WS & WA need to try this again... Superb (95 to 96)
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12/25/2010 - Rcsmuk Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still drinking very well. Plenty of (red) fruit, decent tannins, long finish. Complex warm flavors.
The body is Medium/Full.
The wine is textured Polished.
The wine finishes Long.
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12/10/2010 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 92 Points
This wine was tasted in double-blind fashion at Vintage Wines, Ltd. The bottle was kindly provided by Marshall Banker. Deep garnet robe with garnet/brick rim. Clean nose, showing moderately intense aromas of plums, coriander, sage and cigar box. Full-bodied on the palate, with medium acidity and melted tannins. The flavors are complex and in line with the nose. The middle palate is solid and the finish is long and smooth. This wine is likely on plateau or perhaps on slow decline. It is drinking nicely now but I do not anticipate further improvement. Drink now-12/15.
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11/18/2010 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
1985 Red Bordeaux Horizontal with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): WOTN for the group. and Nicol's favorite. Great wine, very well made and balanced. Will last 10yrs easily and at the moment feel that its holding back. Very long finish. This is a great find and definitely one to look out for.
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10/30/2010 - 1800kidney wrote: 88 Points
lost a bit since last one, muted, just not singing, drink up
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10/7/2010 - Christer Byklum wrote: 95 Points
Ruby with thin brick rim. Massive nose, leaps out of the glass, intense, pure, elegant, tobacco, cigars, gorgeous Bordeaux. Perfect texture, some floral notes, balanced, good acidity, leather, plums, very nice fruit, cassis and long length. Way better than expected, even if it is quite praised.
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8/1/2010 - heegaard wrote: 90 Points
The wine only lasted 10 minutes in the glass
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7/31/2010 - Snowback wrote: 85 Points
Delicious and rich but flabby, and a totally disappearing finish -- just poof, gone in seconds. Hard to avoid the conclusion that this is a little over the hill. I have three more bottles and I am going to drink them sooner rather than later.
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7/4/2010 - Whidah wrote: 92 Points
Glorious bottle for the glorious Fourth. A little faded perhaps, but soft supple tannins and still enough fruit to be interesting....layer upon layer of tastes. Still with a nose that jumps out of the glass, and opens up even more in the first hour.I have one bottle remaining with a Meyney as well of that vintage, from the same stable. WIll probably drink them together when the right occasion presents itself.
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7/3/2010 - jdlee1232 wrote: 90 Points
Probably past its prime, but still lovely. Vegetal, complex, great nose -- a little thin on the finish.
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6/22/2010 - ed-d wrote: 87 Points
A hint of sauerkraut, iodine & cough syrup on the nose. Lean & very minerally on the palate with some pretty black currant peeking through. This wine finishes with a sourness & some sweetness. Tasted blind.
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2/7/2010 - stufis wrote: 91 Points
Super Bowl wine-cork almost soaked to the top. Clears the funk after a very short time, leaving classic pencil-lead notes, garrigue, lots of fruit heft, nicely receded tannins. After 3 hours, most of the aromas wave goodbye and head off into the heavens. A strong showing.
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2/3/2010 - DaleW wrote:
Minty/herby, just a bit of barnyard, black currants and plums. Really a nice wine, though maybe a bit rough/blocky compared to its immediate predecessors. B+
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2/2/2010 - MRichman wrote:
1985 Bordeaux at 25 years (Morton's NYC): Rich, dense, powerful. Good tannic structure and herbal notes. Has a long life ahead. Long finish with licorice.
B+/A-
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12/28/2009 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium pale red, only a faint hint of orange in the rim.
Boysenberry, tobacco leaf, sweet red berries, cedary spice.
Palate is clean and long, nicely balanced, very good crisp finish and fine soft tannins. Lovely sweet fruits, tar, licorice, mulberry and raspberry fruits, lacking a bit in the middle, perhaps fading but still very nice.
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10/17/2009 - Vinomane wrote: 88 Points
Tasted 7/05: Completely dumb, as though Pasteurized. This may once have been wine, or may someday become wine, but today there's nobody home.
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10/3/2009 - MatthewF wrote:
Dark color with intense aromatics of dark currant and cassis and damp earth. Sweet fruits on the palate with great texture and some very good spice throughout. Tannins have pretty much totally faded.
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10/2/2009 - psmith wrote:
Heady, smokey, with some green tobacco and iodine notes. Medium bodied, and a touch metallic on the palate. Well-integrated tannins. Nicely softened. Good wine, but showing some of the less-regarded characteristics of '85.
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9/1/2009 - EGunderson wrote: 89 Points
Last bottle of this in the cellar, one of my favorites.
Not much nose on this one, but the taste was still great, lots of meat and dark fruits. Finish was a bit on the short side, but still enjoyable.
Not sure if this wine is on the downside of its life or if the bottle was just slightly off. If I see this at a good price I'd probably still bite, but at $100 or just over, there are probably better options at this point.
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8/31/2009 - Giggs wrote: 90 Points
Very floral nose with leather, acacia flower, raisin, soil, and sweet egg. Palate is raisiny-plum. Medium body, short finish.
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6/21/2009 - EGunderson wrote: 93 Points
One of my favorites wines, can still be found at a decent price from time to time.
This one turned out great, the cork was in really rough shape, looked like there had been some seepage. No matter, typical Gruaud nose: earth and funk. Dark fruits and meatiness on the palate. Nice smooth finish (although maybe just a tad shorter than I've had with past bottles).
All in all, a great bottle to have on Father's day. Glad there's still one more in the cellar.
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5/16/2009 - EGunderson wrote: flawed
Bought at an Acker auction in January and they sold me a bad bottle. I've had this wine at least six other times over the last two years and this was the worst bottle by far. No nose (usually the best part of this wine), very little taste, and a completely non-existant finish.
Of the bottles I've received from the January auction, I'm batting roughly 50%, bad vs good bottles. Not good at all.
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4/23/2009 - jlgnml wrote: 94 Points
HDH BYOB at Custom House (Custom House Chicago IL): WOW. Brought with a '90 as a comparison. This wine had it all. Good nose, flavor, depth in the glass and will be around for another decade.
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4/10/2009 - Dids wrote: 90 Points
Classic nose of leather and mushrooms with blackberry and plums. This doesn't change. On the palate on opening the fruits were ripped apart by pepper. It just dominated the wine. Left for 3-4 hours and just decanted before drinking. The peppery finish became much more intune with the plummy and blackberry fruits in the mouth. There was a greater expression of the fruit. Good intensity and long length. Definately best with food, acidity and tannins come to the fore without.
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2/16/2009 - DaleW wrote:
That '85 ripeness, blackcurrants and red plums with some cedar and tobacco. Solid on the palate, maybe just a bit fading on the finish. Good, but the '79 DDC was better for me. B+
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2/7/2009 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Bright red colour, showing a lovely nose of cassis and red fruits mingled with earth, tobacco, cedar and a little leathery funk that I enjoyed. Medium bodied in the mouth showing more bright red and dark fruited flavours combined with herbs, earth and more leather. Good acidity and well integrated tannins underneath, finishes just a little short but really delicious.
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5/30/2008 - Captain Haddock wrote: 92 Points
The tiniest sign of age on the rim, bright colour. Classic cigar box, lead pencil and black fruits on the noes and very lively and young on the palate, with plenty of everything to keep it at its peak for a few years yet.
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5/22/2008 - Henman wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours.Cork was almost completely stained but intact.Quite dark with brownish rim.The nose was big with cedar,tobacco and kind of medicinal scent from drugstore.The palate still rather concentrated with cedar,tar,tobacco,leather.Fruit has faded.Still very rich and smooth.Drinking very nicely now and will probably have some years left if the cork can keep it up.
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5/20/2008 - Jeff W wrote:
"Grand Crew" Trailwalkers Charity Dinner (Insititute of Directors): From double-magnum. Delicious and at it's peak, surely? Very full flavoured, well integrated and with a long finish. Classic Bordeaux, and one to drink now. exc
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3/29/2008 - ggmama wrote:
beautiful old elegant, graceful bordeaux with the influence of old terroir
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2/7/2008 - Myownscale wrote: 88 Points
Nose:
coke (diet)
Palate:
nice vanilla, good fruits, cherry, doesn't taste old, well balanced with nice finish
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12/12/2007 - WIREWINE wrote: 92 Points
You would have to taste it to believe it! This wine still had a little more time to open , but I am sorry to say that we didn't wait! Excellent bordeaux nose, cedar, tar, wood, slightly more tannic but soft and rounded, smooth easy to drink, had style and body. We fought over the last glass. Dark almost black color in the decanter but age red ring around the edges, could not see through the decanter. This should be had with a choice filet char grilled. Enjoy!
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12/11/2007 - WIREWINE wrote:
wirewine: I received this wine as a gift tonight, so we decided to drink it. There was a little leakage and fungus on the end of the cork. The cork was stained all the way to the end. No vinegar nose or anything that would indicate the wine was gone. I decanted the wine and let it sit for half and hour. Tight, tight, tight but good color. I kept checking the wine aromas and the color for any changes indicating browning or oxidation. In two hours the wine darkened in color and the tannis started showing, the aroma was classic bordeaux, cedar, tar. I poured the wine back into the bottle and I am going to try it tomorrow night. I think by then it will be close to drinking. I will reserve rating this one until tomorrow.
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10/16/2007 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
Gruaud Larose vertical 1870-2000 (IOD, London): Much lighter bodied than the 1986, this too had a medicinal nose, but much more advanced than the '86, after which it seemed a bit small in comparison, but again this was a lovely classic cedary claret which still had a tannic grip.
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3/12/2007 - akolod wrote: 92 Points
Fully mature; very complex; elegant and smooth; transcending any particular fruit flavor
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5/3/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Blind 1985 Bordeaux vs. CA (Cabernet) Tasting (Chicago IL): Blind 85 Bordeaux vs. CA tasting. Mostly secondary character, elegant and integrated structure and very pleasant. Good mushroom character, good simple fruit, nice sweet tannins but I was expecting more.
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1/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 91 Points
Bright pink. Lovely briar red fruit. Nice , but not that rich. 1/06
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10/22/2005 - trankin wrote: 94 Points
Dinner at Paul's (Chez Paul): Red with orange/brown bricking. Woodsy, barnyard nose. Flavors of woods, orangey flavors. Layers of flavor - very complex. Can't quite describe it - very classic bordeaux with hints of orange peel and leather. Really very nice.
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12/20/2004 - 1800kidney wrote: 90 Points
Very nice, lovely nose with fruit and background of earthy tones...
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6/7/2003 - rmcnees wrote: 87 Points
My lower rating may reflect the age or that this was tasted in a smaller bottle, berry, spicy cherry, smoky leather.
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5/18/2003 - rmcnees wrote: 90 Points
Mineral, earthy cassis, peppery blackberry and plum. Distinctive GL taste! Softening - ready to drink - still full of life.
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2/28/2003 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tasting of four 1985 Bordeaux blind, fourth place, Nose of tobacco, earth, leather, black cherry fruit, very supple, fresh, lovely taste easy to enjoy but almost a touch simple when compared to it's peers tonight, medium/big body, nice hints of tobacco and fruit on the mid palate, supple, medium/long finish.
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12/6/2002 - HamishR wrote:
A bit rustic, possibly breathing too long. Fairly full, fair fruit but a bit tannic for an ’85. Not as good as the other bottles.
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6/29/2002 - MikeATL wrote:
Lovely leathery and ripe fruit aromas make it a pleasure to sniff, but it is starting to lose focus on the palate. Good, but not great, and ready to drink up now.
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4/20/2000 - peteng wrote:
Djup läcker cab
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4/11/1998 - peteng wrote:
Lammstek, klassisk cab
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4/1/1995 - sdr wrote: 85 Points
Good color. Closed. Powerful. But very tannic for the modest fruit so the future is questionable. Needs lots of time.
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2/9/1995 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
1985 Bordeaux Tasting 10 Wines+ 1986 Gruaud Larose+1967 Chateau Suduiraut (Lafayette, Ca.): Nice rich cherry and hint of licorice on the nose, medium body, lots of berry fruit, nice, simple, slightly harsh flavors in the mouth and finish due to tannins, medium/long finish. My #5 and Group #4.
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6/15/1993 - tomandlu wrote: 92 Points
Drank with Easley Balckwood and Alex Matro on the occasion of getting the last data for my doctoral thesis.
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8/2/1991 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
1985 BORDEAUX AND CABERNET SAUVIGNON (Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nice coffee nose, nice body, rich, medium/big body, medium/long finish, nice acid.
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