Consumed as part of Grand-Puy-Lacoste vertical tasting 1990-1996-2000-2005-2009-2012-2015.
In my opinion the winners of the night were 1990, 1996 and suprisingly 2009.
2005 was really closed and I will wait at least 5-7 years before touching it again. Makes me think that CT drinking window ending at 2032 is way too early. This will easily fly to 2040's.
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Easter dinner paired with lamb. This was a bruiser of a wine in its youth, and the window for opening these is just arriving.
Nose: Gorgeous graphite, truffle, cedar and blackberry with sandalwood and leather. An hour of decanting did wonders here. Palate: Generous and supple feel with berries, plum, bit of leather and lots of graphite. Just a joy to drink. Finish: good length and polish, some wood still to integrate.
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I now think the bottle drunk a year ago was a bit of anomaly and these were more what I would expect from a 2005 - rich and powerful with fabulous depth but need five years plus - will be sensational
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Excellent bottle and lots to like! Popped 2 hours in advance and slow ox-ed in bottle. Ripe sweet dark cherries, plums, cocoa powder, liquorice, earth and graphite. The warmth can be felt. Very expressive/vibrant and demonstrating lots of opulence from the get go. Plush and fine body, for me, this straddles the sweet spot between primary and tertiary. Tannins are dusty and refined. For the going price vs more aristocratic names, this is superb and worth keeping a case or two.
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-- decanted approx. 45 min before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind over a couple hours --
NOSE: raspberry coulis, and mildly earthy.
BODY: medium bodied.
TASTE: still tannic; starting to develop some aged flavors -- touch of aged Cabernet Sauvignon leather; mostly youthful; comes across as being in a tough spot right now -- closed/tight. There's great material there, but now is not the time to be opening, unless you can give it plenty of air. HOLD.
Initially very disappointed by this high-quality producer in a great year. I am not sure if it was the temperature coming up or the wine opening up, but it did get better with the passage of time. This is not the outstanding wine I remembered. Very disappointed in the outcome given the Chateau, the vintage and the price...
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Drinking quite well now and will continue to develop nicely over the next 10 years, I would wager. Classic GPL from a great vintage. I would think 2009's even more ready and richer now and have a few in waiting (along with 2010's that I won't touch for a while). 2 hour decant did wonders as this was tight on opening.
Had this after a really cool 2010 Cotes du Rhone from J.L. Chave I had in my cellar since 2012. Apples to oranges comparison but both wines kicked butt.
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Medium intensity and garnet color. Nose: medium + intensity with blackcurrant, blueberries, plums, blach cherries together with prune. Secondary gravies of oak- cedar, cloves. Tertiary aromas of leather, Forrest floor and some dried fruit! Medium intensity and body medium + acidity and flavors of fresh black and jammy black fruits together with cloves, cedar and aging tones as the nose. Medium finish and all in all a very good wine that made me contemplating in a positive way. Love it
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2 hour decant, needs 4 IMO. To start with the tannins seemed a bit dry and the fruit was shy. Better after an hour at the table. Tannins lot less austere and more fruit in the mouth and much smoother. Typical Pauillac, which is not my favourite commune. I prefer the more feminine commune of Margaux. Started out about 88/90 but finished at 92
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Le vin a bien évolué durant les 2 dernières années. Robe grenat sombre, cassis, graphite et une touche de menthol. Moyennement puissant, concentré et bien équilibré, il termine sur des tanins assimilés et belle longueur. De la réserve pour 10-15 ans, selon mon opinion. 93-94
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Minty with a marked fusty note, the fruit was pinched and the tannins harsh and unyielding. On the finish there was a rather hard bitter note. In my opinion this was slightly corked and therefore in a faulty condition.
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Wild wine. It’s fresh, pencils (more graphite, less wood), little menthol (h/t other TNs). Tannins. Tannins throughout. Long long finish. Fruit, powerful, tannic. But the finish makes me so eager for tasting 10 years — buy, drink, enjoy, smile.
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78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot aged in French oak barrels (70% new barrels) for between 16 to 18 months, 13% vol.
Was decanted 2h before dinner. Intense Pauillac nose with a nice mixture of tertiary and primary notes, on the palate it shows a superb mouthfeel, fresh and dense, medium+ bodied and a very long finish.
Pauillac at its best, powerful though with elegance, it is excellent drinking now but has the structure for another 12 to 20 years.
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BV93+ - 100EUR - In general I have been unimpressed by the '05 vintage. The critics promised a vintage of the decade at the time but it never really lived up to that. The wines are very closed and thin on the palate. I like to hate on the 2005's more than I like to admit. I'm a much bigger fan of the fruit-forward and structured 2010. I have to say GPL's offering is performing beautifully. Signature Pauillac cassis and pencil shavings. Lovely menthol/anise characteristic which reminesces of old school Bordeaux wine making. The wine is in full development and in the early phases of getting earthy, leafy notes on the verge of truffle. The fruit is very much taking the lead. This is just a baby. On the palate the tannins are rounding up quite nicely but with a striking acidity that I really love. There is a lot of structure here but very approachable. - This is Bordeaux wine making at it's best. Generous fruit with gorgeous mouthfeel making me want to drink it again and again. Dare I say it, true hedonistic pleasure. So delicious right now but this can go easily for 10-20 years. Too bad I could only find one bottle.
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Complex, elegant and perfect to drink now. The acidity and tannins are still present, but in a very pleasant way. Lovely aging tones but there are still fresh fruit left. A stunner!!
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1st of 12. Nose is awesome - cigar box, judicious high quality oak, nice fruit, etc. Palate is very balanced, with lovely fresh fruit and very fine, nicely integrated tannins. It is a very elegant wine. The finish was a bit quicker than I had expected. This has tons of life left and hopefully will get only better with time. Drink now through 2040+.
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Finally, the 2005s seem to be opening up. This was very pleasant with dark fruits and a hint of tobacco. Nice complexity with tannins still present, but smoothing out.
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Fabulous wine. After a three hour decant, this unfolds into an exquisitely balanced wine that is a delight to drink. Dark fruit, nuances of cedar and berry with polished tannins. Layers of complexity. Brilliant!
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The colour is dark cherry with hints of pigeon blood on the rim. The nose has wonderful notes of lead pencil shavings and cedar and cassis. It’s quite tightly wound and unyielding. The palate is much more generous with cassis and very fine boned tannins and minerality. Not a big wine but such a classy and finely balanced wine. Really rather good.
Drinking perfectly right now. Served at 18c seemed about right with a one hour decant. Gentle fruit on the nose good round body just as you start to swallow the typical Pauillac tar cuts in. All very seamless and smooth with medium length.
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Drank over one hour following a short decant. Still very, very good, and will seemingly last for many, many more years without degradation. My favorite of all GPL vintages.
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Fresh ripe aromas of blackcurrant, herb, Victoria plum and freshly tilled earth - more clay sods of the earth with that cooler feel. Between the fruit are elements of dried spices, graphite and warm scrub. Full-bodied, the wine is upright with crisp lemon acidity, excellent fruit concentration, and a sweet core wrapped in liqueur-filled chocolate, cassis, dry spices and salted liquorice. There is some roundness to the mid-palate and depth, but overall the wine remains highly focused with finely grained, powdery tannins that melt in the mouth. The finish is long and fulsome with flavours of Dark Lindt 99% chocolate, coppa (German sausage), cigar box, clay pot, graphite and a smoky gunpowder tea quality. Wonderful complexity!
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Out of 375mL. Aromas of sweet black fruit, cassis, toasty oak, cedar, pencil lead. Lush and ripe on entry, with lots of dark fruit that firms up through the midpalate showing fine tannins, plenty of juicy acid on the backend to clean things up. Too much fruit to be backward but also not particularly evolved structurally.
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A beautiful wine, concentration but with balance 2005 is showing amazingly well!
Sight: wine looks youthful… yes under light some garnet rim but a nice deep ruby in the glass with medium staining.
Nose: This is the definition of tobacco in a wine wow! The nose is like Cherry life saver gummies, black current, graphite, violet and earthiness. A well spoken aroma that invites you back to keep smelling it’s nuance.
Taste: Someone needs to speak on the persuasive tannins this wine possesses. The structure is gorgeous these tannins or chalking but as if they are thick silk and the fruit character is pure with notable earthy graphite. The balance here is impressive between the acid, fruits, and structure showing it has become very attractive to the palate over many years in the bottle.
Overall: Drinking phenomenally well this 5th growth is 78% Cab 22% Merlot and masterfully paired with my broccolini and NY strip. Highly recommend drinking these now they are in their sweet spot but with clearly much more time to go if you have a case your lucky ! Haha
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3.5 hour descant and just beautiful! Nose Started out w green olive, then clear red fruit and long finish with integrated but big tannins that cover your mouth. Silky finish and cool to the taste! Glad we bought a case. For real mid to develop leave bit drink wonderful now.
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Took a glass by Coravin some a couple of months ago. Opened before dinner and it was in a Perfect spot. Good balance and complexity. Typical Paulliac and 05.
Better at 20C vs 18.
IMO Coravin age wine a bit, like air but with a better process. Maybe a month after Coravin is like a year cellaring? Lika an hour of air is like a year in a bottle but fast forward?
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Excellent Paulliac! Strawberry and cassis, tobacco, violets, and classic graphite/pencil on the nose. Palate is medium bodied, currant, cheries, baking spices, tobacoo ans truffles on the palate, tannins are well structured and mellowed down somewhat with hood acidity however this will keep for at least 5 more years. Long finish
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An easy afternoon with close friends; Pauillac and Pessac (@ My place): Beautiful bouquet with a lot of sweet spices and cedar beside the black berry fruits. On the palate a firm amount of sweet spices and black berries as well, firm acidity, a slight touch of sweetness and still a fair amount of good, round tannin. Young maturity stage now and showing some development. Beautiful and classical Paullac.
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Strawberry and menthol on the nose. On the palate, black cherry, currant, and notes of cedar, savory spice, and dark fruit, with moderate tannins on the long finish, with good acidity. This is classic Bordeaux, and it was an excellent value at about $80. At today's prices it would be an average to below average value. The Cellartracker drinking window looks about right.
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Opened three hours before pouring, and glad we did. Leather, graphite/pencil shavings, red fruits, almost a hint of vanilla to it. Definitely some “funk” but in a good way… mushrooms/forest floor. This qualifies as one of the better Bordeaux’s I have had and is drinking beautifully now. Tannins are superbly integrated and all around, a fantastic wine. Drank with girlfriend’s dad to celebrate his retirement.
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Superficially impressive wine but, like a photo print of a great work of art, ultimately contrived and one-dimensional. In my opinion this will never be a great wine and, arguably, isn’t even a fine wine due to the extent of engineering evident upon drinking. It probably deserves a slightly higher score than I’ve given it but, for me, there’s a principle at stake with wines like this.
First time ever enjoying a GPL, and a fantastic vintage on top of that. These are no longer cheap by today's standards, but still a tremendous value compared to more celebrated 5th, 4th, and 3rd growth. It was a tough call, $20 more for a 2005 Exupery Margaux, but the urge for Pauillac and steak called and this won over. Decanted 2.25 hours before pouring back into the bottle and taking it to a fancy steak house. Glad it was decanted as there was quite a bit of sediment. Upon pouring it again into a Bordeaux glass, the wine was ready to drink. Prior to decanting the wine was super tannic, bitter, lots of oak, and very acidic but the nose was great. 2 hours was just enough, so to let the wine evolve a bit more during dinner, and did allow more fruit to come into the foreground. The harsher initial characteristics faded into a really smooth drinking experience and with sufficient mouth watering acidity to pair with food. About 1.5 hours into the meal nearing the last glass, some strawberry notes came out. Without decanting, a bit of dark cherry. After decanting, more blackberry, and a light creamy vanilla like texture, light spice, some leathery like notes. In terms of food pairing, this was dead perfect with a caramelized carrot tart tatin with a layer of onions, and beneath a killer goat cheese cream sauce. For the steak, it was a dry aged bone in rib eye, medium rare. I don't think this could have been any better.
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Drank at Hawksmoor NYC, 2 hour decent and served with porterhouses. Classic Pauillac, cigar box, strawberry preserves, tannins integrated, lingering finish, strong enough to wash off the steak fat but pure enough for standalone consumption. At $70 cost basis (probably mispriced by CR) this was a great value.
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Excellent Pauillac - enough complexity with nicely integrated tannins. Leathery red fruits opening up after 2 hours decant. For the price, hard to beat?
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Deep ruby colored up to the rim Somewhat muted leathery cherry aromas Almost silky leather cherry flavors, no heat, with just a hint of a candied finish. Super delicious, plush, but maintains just a lovely restraint. Really quite good and entering what is hopefully a long drinking window. Much improved, and settled down from my last note in 2014.
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Two bottles in this note as I suspected the first one to be flawed. Fun to compare. First bottle all flat and taste vanish directly. But If had not compared I might have said OK at a resturante 10y ago.
First impression of the OK bottle is 94+, but faded away during dinner.
Last bottle was great though, so IMHO it might be a year of bottle variation.
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Classic Pauillac. Cassis, graphite and a slight touch of menthol. Some hints of barnyard. Good mature fruit and balanced tannins with a velvety feel. Drinking really well at the moment. One of the few 2005 left bank wines that I have had that has fully entered maturity. It will no doubt continue to drink well for at least a decade or so.
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Like Brazil in the World Cup a pre-tournament favourite in this 2005 Bordeaux dinner, this was surprising accessible, open and a bit soft and cuddly next to its sterner flight mate (Batailley). It is nicely red-fruited but ultimately falls short because it lacks focus and precision, a bugbear of this estate which seems to be fixed with the 2014 vintage. ***1/2 90
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Jason's 2005 dinner (Noize): Strange one, this: I'm a big fan of GPL, and this ranked joint #3 in the group vote, but it didn't do it for me tonight. Seemed very young and primary, although with a classical feel (as you would expect from the chateau), slightly lacking in concentration and a bit clipped and lean. Closed-down and boring at the moment? Nothing to dislike, but I want more concentration and complexity from a top-vintage Pauillac.
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2005 Bordeaux (Noizé, London): Similarly dusty blackcurrant nose. Lovely poise and focus on the attack. Cool but with a core of balancing sweet dark fruit. A savoury edge to the finish. Initially really giving and if not quite fully open, it’s showing signs. However after 30 mins this really closes and dries up to leave a very dry and dusty feel. **(**’
First bottle of a case. Still young and it will improve with further cellaring but it is also bringing lots of joy to the table now. Classic left bank notes of tobacco, leather and cedar. Great balance and structure with tannins that are quite soft now.
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Well-balanced, dark fruits with anise; quite nice Bordeaux with its own character, but mostly closed on the nose even after long decanting. I'll wait for a year before opening another bottle
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Needed a good 2 hour decant to unleash its soaring aromatics of black cherry, cassis, cedar, earth and tobacco leaf scents that gave way to a mouthful of blackberries, earthy bell pepper and lead pencil tones that faded into the long finish.
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Clearly the best value in Pauillac today, this is classic in all the right ways. Expressive, yet stoic, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, tannic and filled with tobacco-drenched creme de cassis, red plums, cedar, wet earth, cigar wrapper and forest leaf. Youthful, fresh and still waiting for its prime time window, two hours of decanting or 3-4 years in the cellar will do the trick.
This has improved very nicely since my last tasting note in 2014. Some of these 05's are finally starting to show some age, and this is one of them. Deep dark fruit, plum, black cherry, tobacco, on the nose and palate. Still rich but things are starting to smooth out and this is lovely right now.
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Popped and poured, and devoured within one hour. WOTN. Drinking exquisitely from the get go. As good or better then that drunk in 2014. Will hold for another 10+ years. Great value for money.
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Popped and poured; needs decanting of at least an hour. Purple core, turning towards garnet at the rim. Notes of cassis, blackberry, tobacco, graphite; with air, scents of black truffle and crushed stones emerge. Round texture, ripe tannins, great depth and a long and focused finish.
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We all liked this wine. However, we wanted more from it. It’s good for sure. Structure, good mouthfeel, fruit is hanging in there. I think we were hoping for this great vintage to show through more. It’s got staying power. But not sure it’s going to improve.
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PnP following an '06 Pontet Canet that had been breathing for an hour, and I honestly liked the GPL better. Have been drinking through a case purchased in 2017 at a rate of about a bottle a year and it feels like this has finally hit its drinking window. Whereas previous bottles were robustly tannic and disjointed, this one was singing -- a smooth, focused bordeaux with everything in its place. Doubt it'll be another year before my next one.
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Deep red plum to garnet edges. There are attractive aromas of cedarwood, cassia root and super-ripe black fruits with a touch of raisin. As it opens, more cocoa beans, brown spice, and undergrowth emerge with cassis. Clear oak influence. The entry is sweet and generous, medium to full-bodied and silky-textured. There is plenty of fruit with rosemary, spoken, black olive, cassis, redcurrants, dry stone and spice. The deep core follows through to a dense tannic structure framing this concentrated wine. The back palate seems a little harsher with a tobacco and cayenne pepper bite to it. Interestingly the alcohol is stated at 13% but feels way more than this.
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Great color, youthful. Great nose. Dark berry, but some violets, camphor and mint there too. Very nice. Black cherry dominates. Long finish. GPL always solid. May soften a tad, but drinking pretty well right now.
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Bouteille et bouchon en parfaite condition, comme neufs. High fill. Ouvert et passé en carafe pendant 1 heure. Grenat foncé. Arômes furtifs de cassis et de mûres, puis épices et tabac peu intenses. En bouche, le vin est de bonne facture, assez fin, moyennement corsé et encore retenu. Les tanins sont encore émergents et la finale d’intensité moyenne. Je pense que ce vin est loin de son apogée, patience donc. Note pour le plaisir actuel.
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This was really disappointing and makes me wonder if I got a bum bottle or, honestly, a spoof. (Bought this through a very prominent auction site).
Wine smells, tastes, and looks like the kind of bordeaux you buy for $20 at the liquor store next to the Whole Foods. Definitely bordeaux on the nose - some of that graphite/ black fruit - but buried under a strong vanilla tone. On palate, wild young tannins, no sign of age at all, and a metallic tinge.
Is my bottle off? Is it actually something else? Either way, not what I wanted. The heavy vanilla tone makes me wonder if something else was substituted, I have to admit - but I have no other proof so I'm just going to let it drop.
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Dark purplish red fading to rose at the edge of the glass. Richly aromatic: mushrooms, wet leaves, blackcurrant, cedar. Right out of the bottle, on the tongue the tannins come first followed by crisp acid. Pepper, cedar, graphite, savory herbs. Appealingly long finish... quite enticing. After a few hours of decanting, it has retained a lot of its original structure: it is quite an appealing bottle, with enough acid to cut through a fatty ribeye and enough of a pleasant funk to give it backbone.
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Cassis, violets and cedar. Midweight on the palate and feels a bit muted. Ready to drink but maybe develops as time goes on. Solid but no wow factor after 15 years.
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Donker granaatkleurig - Neus van donker fruit en wat grafiet - Beginnende tertiaire smaken, rijp fruit, tabak en paddenstoelen - Uitgebalanceerde wijn - Nog jong !
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; opened, but not decanted, an hour before service. Very deep garnet with no bricking. Extroverted and classically complex bouquet, with notes of ripe plums, cassis, graphite, briar patch, and crushed stones; hints of black truffle and cigar box. Medium bodied, with velvety tannins, great depth and balance. Excellent delineation and grip on the long finish.
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This was my least favorite of the Bordeaux's served last night. Opened and decanted three hours prior to dinner. The nose was dark berries, The palate was dark berries, plums, currents and hints of licorice. The finish was moderate to long. It was just lacking something or could not handle the competition. I have two more bottles in my storage facility which I will hold for a few more years to give them time to develop.
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A bit disappointing versus expectations. Enjoyable and harmonious but lacks something: edge, power, complexity? Perhaps that will come with time but for now not where I would expect it to be.
Okay so, this long-winded note was written to solicited your feedback. When my first GPL was opened 2017 it was underwhelming scoring 91. Bordeaux enthusiasts suggested additional cellaring.
2nd GPL taken out of 53-degree storage, sat out for an hour, cork was pulled, bottled audouzed for 45 minutes more. Poured a glass and wine showed great. 94 pointer. Touch of sweet meat, Lift, Dark Berry Fruits, Cedar, flint, forest floor/sous bois. Medium weight, fruit profile leaning red, strong cherry/plum notes, balancing acidity with mineral/blood/iron component that’s just mouthwatering. Alc 13% is well integrated and the finish has just a touch of tannic grip showing.
1 hour 45 minutes after cork pull “Das Doppelganger Kommen” wine collapsed in on its self. acidy and tannins building, aromatics became flat, fruit profile narrowed becoming tart with hint of wet fur back note. My experience is when this happens the wine is in its decline arch. As opposed to a wine that needs aeration or coaxing to bring it to life suggesting more cellaring time. Before the hate mail arrives in my inbox, this is just an observation, not so much a criticism.
If you have these, decant and immediately serve if you plan to consume within next 2 hours. IMO additional cellaring time is not warranted. Purchased as futures, stored accordingly and enjoyed 60-70 on its own…Drink em if you have them... Na zdrowie
2nd bottle - again very approachable and drinkable. Rich with classic northern Medoc nose, voluptuous palate, rich but never jammy fruit, blackcurrants and blueberries intermingled with spicey cedar wood notes. Not many tertiary flavours but I think I'm going to continue to drink this. Better infanticide than necrophilia! Upgraded to 94.
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Stood upright for about 2 hours before filtering through an unbleached coffee filter into a decanter and allowed to aerate for about an hour before serving. Most of the sediment remained adhered to the bottle with very little on the filter. Classic Pauillac traits- rich black currants and cedar spice with hints of black pepper and red fruits. A little aged quality on the bouquet as well but overall maintains good depth and intensity on the nose and palate.
Still showing some solid tannic structure but can tell that it has definitely mellowed and probably very "woody" early on (but no notes from when I first tasted this back in the late 2000's). Was surprised that the tannis still have the drying intensity to cut the finish but the tart, almost unripe blackcurrant acidity shines through on the fore- and mid-palate throughout the 30+ second finish. The palate boundary between the acid and tannins is really quite stark and without any gradient.
Based on these tannins still holding on to the back-palate, I would hazard that this needs about 5 more years before they cede to fully balance with the acid. It is definitely complex and layered for sure, with some well integrated oak toast and that nice rustic Paullic "elegance" upfront; however, I think those tannins need to fully integrate throughout the palate before it reaches its full development potential.
Right now this is a solid A- (93) evaluation for me and looking forward to revisiting over the next few years. Hard to believe this was an $80/bottle flash deal from Wired for Wine back in 2010.
Classic claret, opened for a birthday, not mine, deep ruby and some fading on the rim, lovely cassis blackcurrant nose, medium weight in the mouth with again blackcurrants and blackberries and some licorice in there to, smooth tannins and some length, if I could afford it I would drink a lot of this.
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Coravined a glass and let sit for about 90 minutes. Very nice wine, classic claret with a long finish. No hurry on this but more than ready with a proper decant.
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First bottle - no age with blackcurrant and cedar wood with a full generous palate, quite complex and long. Almost too easy to drink and I will try to be more analytical with the next bottle - lovely - my kind of Claret. Rated 92 initially.
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Used these for a blind virtual / zoom tasting; poured into 4 oz bottles the day before the tasting, and then distributed to our Delaware Valley Chaine members across the Philadelphia area. The unanimous wine of the night; I was shocked how well this showed. A deep garnet core with some bricking; looked older than the 01 Togni, which is still a baby. Notes of cedary cassis, dried plums, scorched earth, roasted herbs, and hints of black truffle. Medium bodied, a mind-bending velvety/silky texture, great depth and balance, but with good grip. Long and incredibly satisfying finish. The future looks good for the 2005 GPL!!
2-hour decant; rich plum, leather, sous bois aromas with faint tobacco note; red fruit on a well-balanced (but brief) mid-palate; sour cherries, dry tanins on a lengthy exit. This was an elegant melange of fruit and nature.
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GPL 05 er i et flott begynnende drikkevindu - tanninnene relativt avslipt og vinen åpner seg etter (bare) 1 time luft. Det er solbær, kaffe, teblader, treverk - fin konsentrasjon, lang. Enda bedre om 5-10 år men definitivt ingen skam å helle nedpå allerede nå.
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Decanted for about an hour. Lovely perfumed nose of black and red fruits. Medium body with nice complexity and a slightly attenuated finish. Very classic Paulliac with a decent lifespan ahead of it.
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Medium ruby with a little bit of age on the edges. Light aromas with a little bit of black fruit but actually showing a little more tertiary aromas like leather. Still tight with tannins a bit forward but assume that will diminish with a little more age. Not much fruit flavor or even tertiary flavor. Maybe this is just in a not great period right now and needs some more time.
A year made a distinct difference. Medium to full-bodied and ripe, with soft tannins and nice texture. Licorice and hint of spice . Drinking very well.
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A favorite for a reason. Fully mature for my tastes. Tannins are essentially gone. Tertiary forest floor notes, dark dark raspberry. Nice acid. Mushroom and earth. Still a masculine Pauillac. Punches above its price point. 2020-2025
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Dark ruby with a hint of age near the glass. Medium intense aromas of blue and black fruit. Ripe blueberry and blackberry. Bramble and new leather. Palate is a bit closed off, tight and underwhelming after an hour in the decanter. Wondering if it might be in an awkward place? Medium high acids and tannins that are a touch gritty. Based on the aromas, it seems there should be a lot more there. I’m going to let it sit a while longer and come back to it.
Okay, after another 30 minutes in the glass, and, more importantly, after it warmed a bit more from cellar temp, it’s a completely different wine. Still tight, but flavors are more intensely following the nose. Nose is more intense and cassis is coming through in the palate. This needs more time in the bottle, but much improved.
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Decanted on night one for 2-3 hours, then back into the bottle finished on night two. Really textbook bordeaux at early drinking stage. Happy to have many more of these to follow over the long haul. Really nice wine.
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Unfortunately an off bottle. Purchased in 2010 but seemed like it had seen a little heat. Fruit a little stewed and palate and nose striped of complexity. Didn’t have the profile or complexity as expected. Opened a ‘06’for comparison which smoked this. Not consistent with my experience with this producer.
Served blind. I sort of had this quite quickly and pretty much thought 05 left bank Pauillac or possibly St Julien just on the nose. The wine has great balance, some meatiness. As some pencil shavings emerge my nod goes to Pauillac and I guess GPL 05 which I tasted before a few years back. It obviously speaks to its origin, is a proper classic claret and at 13 per cent alcohol retains a nice marine freshness. This has developed nicely over the last years coming from a not so cold cellar here. Hints towards what is in stock for perfectly stored bottles in 10-15 years in time. Great wine in absolute terms but taking price into the equation a phenomenal wine. Go buy if you haven’t already, it’s still sitting there at a reasonable price and if one looks to prices for the 1990 for example it probably has some catching up to do as supply dries up.
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Académie des Cinquante 64th Annual Dinner (Sofitel The Grand, Amsterdam, NL): Quadruple decanted. Lively appearance, starting to mature. Quintessential Pauillac on the nose, floral, blackcurrants and warm spices, almost oyster shell minerality; beautifully balanced and elegant palate, pure and transparent style, sleek and poised, with perfectly integrated but firm tannins; excellent resonance and length. On fine form, perhaps just a bit light mid-palate.
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Drinking really well at the moment, largely primary fruit presentation, but some signs of development. Will look for more of these to add to the cellar, really quite nice wine.
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Still closed and tight when opening the bottle. Double decanted four hours before drinking with one hour in the decanter in between and use of an aeration device to add more air. Black and red fruit paradise on the nose with nice top layer of crème de cassis. Deep and rich without being heavy; excellent balance. Very Pauillac on the palate, soft tannins and a spicy and long finish. Approaching maturity. Decades ahead. Might even gain a few more points in the longer run. Impressive showing!
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A contrast next to a 2005 Vieux Telegraphe la Crau. Both opened an hour before dinner, decanted and enjoyed throughout the course of dinner. A classic bordeaux in a ripe year. Elegant, restrained. Some pencil shavings and cassis. Definitely on the red fruited end of the spectrum. This was young, but not an infant. Should enter its drinking window in the next 5 years and stay there (and improve) for decades to come.
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Popped and poured, on the heels of a lovely 2000 GPL, which was substantially more open and ready for business. Still quite youthful, with primary notes of cassis, crushed stones, bramble, and hints of blackberry. Medium bodied, with good depth and grip, but still a bit reserved (stern) in terms of texture. I'll revisit in 2025!
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From half bottle... This is pretty textbook showing an earthy, cassis profile with good brightness and soft tannins. Shy on the nose, there's a rounded mouthfeel, good length. Very good stuff, but lacking in a little pizzazz for current drinking. Probably 92 pts tonight with a point or two upside. Wait 5 more years minimum.
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Just as excellent as last night; deep, focused, black fruit dominated. Very long and driven. Pretty compelling stuff even if it remains embryonic. Glad to have a few of these around.
Curmudgeonly nose; tight blackberry, blueberry fruit with lots of beef bouillon and black licorice accents. Not exactly a delicate wine - no beating around the bush here. Lots of impact on the palate, really rich and saturating but not heavy. Perhaps more promising on the finish, which shows a delicious and very, very deep, pure fruit core. 94+ / 95 now, but this is for the future rather than the present.
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My third time with this vintage and the the first sips show wonderful Paullac fruit (95 pts), but then this wine turns a bit dark and raw. Will probably be very fine in 5 years or so.
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Friday night blind BYO (Anders Condoe): Welcoming nose with red dark fruit - perfumed and floral. Hint of butter scent and some licorice. Powerful opening, with lots of taste. Blackcurrant, some licorice and some mint. Fine meshed tannins. The wine got a lot of air before serving.
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Still quite brooding for my taste with creme de cassis, cocoa powder, and something vaguely marine on the finish. Rich mouthfeel with a nice tannic kick. Going to be very long lived
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This has really softened and come around over the past few years. The tannins are austere but soft. The cassis and cherry notes are expressive, open and inviting. The palate enjoys a concentrated layer of fruits, cedar, earth and tobacco, finishing with bright, ripe, red fruits. With 2 hours of air, the wine is starting to show quite well. By 2020. this should be on fire!
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Love this wine. It has a long, long finish, beautiful bouquet, smooth, intense flavors, and good body. The fruit was a little bigger than expected and a little ripe and so this can still get better as it takes on more flavors; but is wonderful now.
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Rich cedar, tobacco, pencil lead nose with plenty of black fruit. Classic Pauillac aroma and taste. Smooth, with easy tannins, still showing great structure and character. Beautiful color. Every sip was delightful. A wine with layers of pleasure and mystery to unwrap.
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Popped and poured (majority of this note based on that) and then 3 hour-ish decant. I'll call the color a medium purple, pretty youthful in appearance. Nose has dark fruit, cedar, vanilla, dark cocoa, sweet pipe tobacco. Nice nearly full bodied palate. Great mouthful with a lot of vivacity. Nice persistence. A lot of acidity and reasonable tannic strucutre that is not distracting. Certainly plenty of life left heare as fairly primary still. Seems to get lighter in body after the 3-4 hour decant.
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Excellent tonight. Tonight this is the best wine that I have drank in the last two years. If it was only a little more viscous it would have been great
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Dark core, Fuller garnet rim; dark fruit, tobacco, rust, somewhat floral, Bordeaux varietals for sure, didn’t scream Bordeaux; somewhat closed and shut down on the palate with darker fruit, grainy tannin in finish with distinct mineral, shorter finish; called ‘05-‘08 St Emilion.
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clear, deep purple-black clean, profound excellent (still young) tertiary aromas of mature dark fruits, leather, tobacco, forest-floor, oak-vanilla dry, high tannins, high acidity, full body, well balanced and harmonised, rich flavours, tobacco, dark mature fruits, excellent structure & complexity, long dry woody finish
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Passé en carafe durant 1 heure. Grenat foncé. A l’ouverture, arômes de cassis puis s’est refermé. Après 1 heure de plus dans les verres a commencé à s’ouvrir (un peu), montrant de la finesse, le vin est soyeux aussi mais sans vraiment exprimer tout son potentiel. A peu évolué depuis 2 ans. Donner encore 2-3 ans. Bu juste avant Léoville Barton 2006, plus accessible.
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Tasted alongside a flight of other 2005’s, this is now approachable having been very tight a couple of years ago. Classic elegant cedary GPL, hides its muscle, lovely balance and finesse, no rush and much more complexity should reveal itself with more bottle age. Lovely nonetheless.
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This will be a superb wine but just not yet. At present it’s more like a dark brooding monster. It has filled out since the first bottle from the case 4 years ago but the dark red fruit has yet to develop those secondary flavours one can see lurking in the distance. I will try the next bottle in around five years. In ten years it will be superb.
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Prowine Asia 2018 after-party! Drank blind in the declared line-up. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour with slight garnet rim. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of boysenberries, blckberries, dark red cherries, cedar wood. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), velvety high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of grilled bell peppers, cedar wood, blackberries, black cherries, dark red cherries, emerging leather. Long finish. Very good quality. Well-made Left-Bank Bordeaux in adolescent stage of life only. Still many years more to go before it develops more tertiary notes.
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What a treat, decanted for two hours and this $50/bottle at futures wine feels and is a value quality drinker. The balance of tannin and acidity is nigh on perfect, the soft mouth-filling velvet is ronded and structured. Love this value Bordeaux. The spice is in the background and the black and blueberry fruit is superb. Ripe crème de cassis gives a luscious rich swirl. The finish is a medium twenty seconds and all the you wish for.
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I bought this bottle 6 years ago with great anticipation towards the opening of its drinking window. Considering the quality and pedigree of the 2005 vintage, this wine was expected to deliver a satisfying, if not memorable, experience. With close to 13 years under its belt, the window for this bottle should now be open.
The wine boasted a complex nose that released plenty of aromas for the mind to ponder. However, that’s where its glory ended. On the palate, the wine was light handed and somewhat diluted. The finish lacked depth and longevity. Some may say that it’s in a dormant state. In my opinion, it lacks the imagination and structure for a reawakening. Only time will tell.
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This is either in a closed dumb phase or it isn’t going to get any better than it is now. I had this years ago when it was upon release and it was awesome. Maybe that’s because it hadn’t shutdown yet. It is lacking a midpalate and a central core of fruit. Even after a 90 minute decant, it lacked a soul. Lots of graphite, mineral, cigar, burnt embers... all of what I love in Bordeaux, without the true soul of a noble Pauillac.
double decanted for sediment removal 2 hours before tasting -- (there was not lot of hard big solid sediment chinks)
This wine is very good on its own though still young. Took few more hours to open.
Needs at least another 5 years before it may enter its prime drinking window. But already very enjoyable. So hold!!!. Stunning wine.
Notes of graphite, earthy crushed rocks, and ample black fruits. Wonderfully structured on the palate, with firm and ripe tannins, good acidity and focus, great balance and depth. Great long enjoyable aftertaste.
Wait till 2020 at least...
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The wine has all the essential components of a Great Pauillac Cab blend: cassis, licorice, wet earth, lead pencil, bell pepper. The wine is fully resolved and is ready to drink. Where it is clearly inferior to a higher class chateau is the lack of structure, depth, breadth and length of finish. Still a great wine from an outstanding vintage, good price to quality ratio.
Bought at auction from K&L. Corked. No nose, no fruit. Nothing. Zilch. Zero. Zip. Second wine I've won on a bid at auction that has been a waste of money. Without knowing the provenance of a wine there's a cautionary tale that even though a wine is authentic if it's not kept in the right environment it's not worth bidding for.
from magnum with several hour decant. tasted again next day. i think this wine is showing well, and has plenty of life as evidenced by the next day tasting. nose - hint of soil, mushrooms. mouth - celery, cherry, tobacco, and smooth only partially ripe cherry on the finish. it drinks lighter than one might suspect (hence claret), and is refreshing with good minerality. perfect pairing for steak. i think as a stand alone it might disappoint.
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Pnp. Was expecting a tough and tannic 05 but this was anything but. Silky smooth palate with plenty of lead pencil, dark fruit, some sous bois. Oak well integrated. Good length. Better than the 2000 and 1996 in my eyes. Pnp is the way to go right now, I suspect a decant will bring out the tannins at this stage.
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Had high expectations for this 05. Audouzed for 2 hours and enjoyed over two additional hours. Nose is high pitched, sharp with hints of sweet dark berry fruit, brambles, green herbs and touch of gaminess. Palate shows medium body, dense concentration, rich mid palate, underlying tannins and acidity leave your mouth bone dry. Not much complexity. Needs a hunk of meat, which I happen to have. Tart dark fruits on the palate, plum, drying, no real richness or ripeness here. This is a decent wine from a very good year and was hoping for more after holding a decade. Does this need more time? The 2009 Spivak Pinot I had earlier was more interesting. Purchased as futures, stored accordingly and enjoyed 60-70 with grilled beef. Drink now -10yrs… Na zdrowie
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dark plum red, medium clarity, slight brickish hue Nose: classis, plum, dark chocolate, earth, thyme, bay leaf, vanilla, iron, oak Pal: cassis, plum, dark chocolate, cigar, tobacco, earth, pencil lead, vanilla, thyme, bay leaf, stem, tannins, oak Feel: full, round, chewy, tannic Finish: long TC9
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From 375ml... surprisingly open and friendly. This has ripe yet classic fruit of morello cherries, graphite, some wood. Still has drying tannins on the finish, but the rest of the structure is quite smooth and integrated. Early maturity with primary nuances lingering. Less powerful than I recall, this is still quite charming and has upside to be sure.
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Decanted 2 hours. Beautiful aromas. Complex. Smooth. Classic. Towards the end, when the food was gone, the wine had some bitterness on the finish. Drinking great right now but will last.
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My second time with the 2005. Decanted 4 hours, and then also had a double decant just before dinner. An old school Paulliac, which shows more fruit than other 2005s from Paulliac I have had, but also less elegance. Not as elegant as Lynch Bages or Clerc Milon from the same vintage. Not as nice fruit as the 2005 Pontet Canet.
More than two years since last try. Three-hour decant & rebottle for transit to restaurant. Lovely light minerality, graphite, cassis, wet leather and an almost Margaux-like perfume. Intoxicating nose (*sorry* pun intended). Velvety tannins that feel as if they've resolved more than their brief-ish life should have allowed. Great stuff! A touch of blueberry on finish as last half-glass slid home. I never expected this to be this good this early in its life. Wow.
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From .375- no decant, and wow. Very open and approachable... deceptively so. Very fragrant, black fruit, mocha, crushed dried herbs. Medium bodied, full of lead, tar, blackberry, and sneaky, sweet big tannins. I've tasted a lot of '05 left bank wines and this is the most drinkable now; that said, it's going to get better and better- the very first time I had this was at the chateau barrel tasting in 2007. It's a great wine.
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Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Alpharetta, GA): Very dark core with maroon rim; currants, black currant, oak, wet earth, holly bush; silky palate, fatter, love the silkiness to the tannin; delicious, my #2.
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Nose: ripe cassis, blackberry and plum notes. Graphite and floral notes beginning to appear. Like the duhart the alcohol showed a bit but blew off in the decanter. Palate: generous and full with velvety textures at this point. Black fruit, tobacco and some graphite/smoke notes. Finish: still a bit one note with cassis and licorice but this will come together.
Opened and decanted 3hrs prior to dinner. On its way to being a great GPL. OK to try now as this is not as locked up as other 05 pauillacs. Needs another 15-20 yrs for prime drinking.
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DInner with Isaac & Lil (Pine Close): Very, very nice - this is fast becoming a classic GPL. Double decanted and opened for a few hours, this took time to get going, but when it did, it had a beautiful Pauillac nose, with ripe cassis, pencil lead, cedar wood and just a gust of tobacco spice. Very attractive. The palate though - wow. It still has the sheer structure and balance to age for decades, but the 2005 super acidity and mouthcoating tannins of youth have mellowed tremendously, and started to integrate with the wine's beautiful velvety depth of dark cassis and fine menthol and tobacco spice flavours. This was just dark, deep and lovely though, and supremely polished - really classy, yet so approachable and delicious, with a wonderfully full, complete finish to boot. There were little complexities like dark chocolate and savoury olive tapenade peeping out at points, but the fruit was still rather primary. Still years and years to go then, but this is really something. One of the best GPLs I have ever had.
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See previous note. Checking in again after just over three years, and while perhaps having softened a little around the edges, there really hasn’t been a whole lot of evolution. Unsurprisingly beautifully perfumed from the get go, and a couple of hours in the glass ensure near perfect balance. I do, however, believe there’s room for further improvement as the mid-palate still seems slightly coiled up, but a decision to open or wait should now be based on how you like your Bordeaux more than anything else (94-96 points).
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From a half bottle, first pour from a Coravin, no decant, drank over 3 hours.
A exuberant, full sensory experience, I smelled and sipped this wine while watching Nocturnal Animals, a great movie filled with passion, tension, emotion, and introspection. This wine filled me with the same.
The aromatics were already filling the room as it was poured from the Coravin. A wave of bright red fruit, cassis and raspberry. Over the night the wine showed so many sides, so many different red fruit aromatics, and then waves of cigary oak. Earlier on, I got this blackberry and lead pencil nose that is so Pauillac, but the wine has such a diversity of bouquet, it was hardly austere like a typical Pauillac. At one point, the nose was filled with chocolate and coffee, that it reminded my wife of Kahlúa.
The palate is intense, full of red fruit, oak, and cigar. At first the tannic frame was present but subsumed by the fruit, later it came out forcefully as many scenes in the movie did, but by the end the tannins had integrated and the finish had lengthened into something very lovely.
I would not decant this wine, if you like complexity. This wine makes me wonder about giving last week's Mouton 1986 a 98 point score, because somehow it seems to transcend that wine, and the other 4 first growths from 1986 I had together with it.
In a word, incredible!
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One of the great GPLs, perhaps surpassing the extraordinary 2000 vintage. Pauillac at its finest: concentrated cassis, balanced with cedar and spice, well structured with a lingering finish. Bravo to Monsieur Borie!
Robe légèrement moins foncée et brillante que Trotanoy bu juste avant. 3 heures de carafe, nez un peu plus expressif sur les baies noires et rouges, de torréfaction. L´attaque en bouche est plus douce, le corps moins puissant que Trotanoy, plus féminin presque. J'aurais pensé qu'il délivrerait plus aujourd'hui mais ce n'était pas le cas. À revoir.
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Decanted 2 hours prior to drinking. Served with pork chops, green beans and asparagus. Beautiful nose of cassis, glove leather, Asian spice and a hint of camphor leads to a medium body. Dark cherry, raspberry and a little stewed prune dominate the palate with a bit of blueberry and mushroom. The silky mouthfeel envelopes all crevices of the mouth. Smooth dry tannins drive finish for over seconds. My only complaint with this wine is the small amount of stewed prune flavors otherwise a fantastic effort drinking great now and for years to come.
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I have been following this beauty since 2013 so was keen to taste it again today, beautiful Pauillac nose of ripe black berries, even with a 3 hour decant this wine was still tight and tannic, delicious but still needs 5 years 93+
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Opaque purple. The nose was rather tightly coiled but with time in the glass gave notes of creosote, brambly fruit , tobacco, smoke and game. Dark fruited palate with a full body, robust tannins and solid underlying structure. Very enjoyable now although still a baby. I expect this will merit a few more points with another 5 to 10 years of bottle age.
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I wanted to like this wine more but found it to be like a thoroughly pleasant lesser vintage wine. It was balanced and classically Bordeaux but with little to be enthused about. It was gentle, inky, tinged with light a savoury finish. I totally enjoyed it but expected more from 2005.
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Decanted for 6.5 hours. The nose had truffle, caramel, blue fruit, black fruit, cedar wood and tobacco. Palate had really pretty blue and black fruits with some cinnamon and cedar wood in the mid palate. If you like your wine young, this is beautiful. Its so rich yet elegant. The depth and intensity were there without over extracting the wine. This is a classic left bank Bordeaux which will be more beautiful in 10 years time. Give it at least 5 more years or decant it for 8 hours.
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This particular bottle didn't show quite as well as the last one I had. Just not quite as expressive on the palate or the nose. Still very enjoyable but I think I will try to resist opening another for 6mths or a year.
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G-P-L Vertical (82',90',96',98',00',03',05') Evening: Number five out of seven at the table for me but only because it was the youngest. The elements are all there for development, with great structure throughout and a nose that is well along the way with pleasant graphite, cassis and tobacco elements. The palate is already very nice but will get a whole lot better in the next 10 years. If you have multiple bottles give one a try now so you can compare down the road.
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Slow oxed for 8 hours in room temperature. First taste was flat which gave me a feeling that the wine had too much aeration. So I have decided to chill this for a while for 15 minutes. The first pour after the chilling did not show much improvement. I almost gave up on the wine. However, the wine opened up after a while in the glass with wet forest floor, caramel, chocolate, black currants and some muskiness. The palate had a good balance between fruit and structure, drinking beautifully for a young bordeaux. I would decant the wine for a straight 3-4 hours next time to get the best of out it.
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Forest floor, leaf, cedar chest, spice, cassis, tobacco and blackberry create the nose. On the palate, the tannins are refined. The wine is starting to soften and offer the right amount of tension balancing ripe fruit and freshness to make this a real treat. If you like your wines young, you can drink this now. But I’m waiting at least another 5 years or more to start opening my bottles.
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Classic Pauillac, very correct. Gave this a 6 hours decant, but she is still very tight, at least 5 years away from the early plateau. I keep my fingers crossed and hope this will turn into something like a 1990 remake, I think it could...
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Goedhuis tasting at the Saatchi Gallery West London. Lovely, classis Pauillac nose of cassis and tobacco, more expressive than Lynch Bages on the night. A tad disappointing on the palate, short to mid-length and rather underwhelming. I had the same issue with Bages 05, a lot of expectation and little joy.
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A classic Paulliac from what could be the best bordeauxvintage since 82? A nose full of cassis. A palate with laser precision and wonderful, elegant, dark, almost black, fruit. This is a lot without being overerextracted or in your face. Not my type of wine, I like them a bit lighter, but the quality is indisputable. Pnp.
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We popped and poured this in a restaurant, and as much as you try and wait, this just isn't fair to the wine. So my score reflects that. I think if I had a chance to decant it, it would have rated higher. But as an aged Pauillac, you could taste the "dirt" of the region. It took a while for the muted flavors to start to blossom. What a shame, I think we killed/wasted what could have been a spectacular wine.
First bottle from a case. Decanted an hour. This wine is just beautiful. Took a while for the nose to open up. When it did it was excellent..On the nose cassis, pencil, slight incense...on the palate so velvety with a nice finish. Truly, very enjoyable. For the price and the vintage, I wouldn't mind backing up the truck and loading up on more of this GPL! 97 points
2005 Bordeaux Tasting: Tasted along with the pontet canet and pichon baron. Classic pauillac nose. Spicy but very elegant palate. Needs some time for the tannins to further integrate. Seemed a bit thin against the pontet and pichon. But if you like it very elegant this is probably the wine you favour amongst the three.
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Wow, amazing. It can be as simpel as that - at least sometimes.
Already great after opening the bottle, but improved a lot within the next two hours.
Seems to have reached it's prime drinking window. Unfortunately just five more of this in my cellar, because this will ensure great moments for the next 15 years :-(
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Three hour Vinturi decant & rebottle for transit to restaurant. French earth, lovely light minerality, graphite, cassis, wet leather and an almost Margaux-like perfume. Intoxicating nose (*sigh* yes, pun intended). Velvety tannins that feel as if they've resolved more than their decade-old life should have allowed. Great stuff; 94 rating might be a tad stingy, but I'll hold 95+ for the next taste!
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Bordeaux 2005 : Ten years on (Bordeaux Index London): Tasted next to Lynch Bages… Very Bordeaux nose. Pronounced notes of cassis and tobacco. Palate is medium plus body with tight aspect today… Tobacco and tar. Beef blood hints. I think I prefer this to Lynch Bages as it seems fresher. Bordeaux Index's Giles Cooper agreed, and – given the better pricing – a no brainer. He said that he had sold 60 cases of GPL in the last 18 hours… An excellent if relative bargain for this expensive vintage.
Decant for 1 hour and consumed with a friend over a 3 hour period. Understated aromatics confirmed initially on palate with a building of floral notes, blue fruit and pencil lead mid palate. Finish begins to reveal a slight depth of black fruit which lingers close to 30 seconds with acidity and tannins well balanced. Old world style with classic structure accessible at the moment yielding enjoyment to those who prefer this style. Beautiful.
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Double Blind $80 - $100 (Bin 75): Dark core, some clarity, brighter thin maroon rim; green, licorice, black currant, some weediness, some funk, incense; jammier on the palate, very fruit driven which was different from the nose, some green pepper, slight cigar, eucalyptus, strong, lots of licorice; GPL did come out through the thought process; 92+.
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This bottle is amazing, and considering the potency of the vintage, drank magnificently for it's youth. I would consider it within it's drinking window at this point although it will certainly age gracefully over the next 8 years or so. 1 hour decant, developed a beautiful earthy nose of saddle leather, tobacco, pencil shavings and was lightly perfumed. I just wanted to sit and smell it all night (much the same as the last reviewer). Everyone in the group couldn't get enough of it. A nice silky smooth, and well balanced leave on the palate rounded off what might be the finest bottle of wine I've had in a while. Superb!
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Like the 1982, this wine never disappoints, has never shut down, and only gets better and better. At current pricing, this has to be the bargain of the vintage. You really could not ask for more from a Pauillac. A nose to die for - deep black cherry, cassis, graphite, tobacco, and very strong pencil notes. I could whiff this all night. The palate ups the game with rich fruit and velvet for a long and layered finish. Some tannins still to be sorted, and secondary and tertiary flavors should develop in another 5 years. This will match or even exceed the brilliant 1982. I am going long on this one. 97 Pts.
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Wow, this just keeps better and better. Offering a boatload of fresh, ripe berries, tobacco, truffle, cedar chest, tobacco, espresso and blackberry notes, the wine really delivers the goods. The finish is long, clean, intense and pure. 2 hours of air and it hit the spot.
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91-92+ pts. This has a lot of potential ahead of it. Still on the young side and also in an awkward state at the moment. But full of interesting black fruit flavours, and great structure. No detailed notes taken, but remember enjoying this one.
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Popped and poured. Good nose and mouthfeel. Lots of black cherry and dark plum on this one. Lots of life left. Really liked it. Will try again in 1-2 years.
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Over dinner with friends. Spice, oak, dark raspberries on nose. A bigger style that needs a lot of time in the cellar as it is a bit awkward at present. Still oaky and closed up on day 2 at home.
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Dinner with an out of town guest? (Pasha 1604): Tasted blind, I wouldn't have picked Pauillac, perhaps a more modern style, but otherwise a rather young big Bordeaux. A bit more restrained than a tasting 3 years ago
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Non carafé, mais ouvert 3 heures avant consommation et bu sur 90 minutes. Toutefois, je pense passer la prochaine bouteille en carafe. Couleur rubis foncé, moyennement brillante. Nez d'abord retenu, s'ouvrant sur le cassis, puis sur le cèdre, le menthol, le cirage. En bouche, on sent la structure tanique d'abord de manière un peu diffuse, puis de plus en équilibre avec la matière. Il y a de la finesse aussi. La finale est longue, elle s'allonge encore avec le temps. 92 pts pour aujourd'hui mais certainement quelques points de plus à venir, ce qui est fréquent avec GPL.
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Short notes, sorry. YOUNG, barely approachable. Well balanced fruit, tannins, however its youth yielded minimum structure but great promise. Definitely needs long decant if desired to drink now.
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Stored in natural cellar. 2 hours air. More advanced than expected. Blackcurrant, black plum, woody spice and violet nose. Dark, firm, powerful on the palate. Dry - evident wood. Finishes long. Needs a year or 2 to come together but this is pretty wonderful already.
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Dinner at Cafe Lyon: The nose has a feeling of both richness and herbal notes. Tobacco, violet, cedar and briar. Palate drops the herbs and shows off plenty of richness along with super refined tannins. Very modern in style with the oak playing a big part, I liked it even still.
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very young but with a long decant and from a half bottle i got an insight into the future and it looks very promising. so well balanced and correct. nice fruit/tannin balance. not bad value for a good pauillac from a top vintage. long future ahead.
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Decanted for close to two hours before tasting. Deep garnet core, pink rim. Intriguing bouquet of blackcurrants, dark plums, pencil shavings, menthol, toffee, liquorish, cinnamon stick, damp forest floor and smoky oak. Massive concentration, structure and length. Since I’m the fortunate owner of a full case I couldn’t resist opening a bottle early. Very enjoyable even at this stage, but has the potential to become a superstar. So if you have only one bottle, please follow the excellent advice offered by many other CT community members – let it rest until at least 2020 (94-97 points).
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Iconic wine soiree, 1st quartet round, 4th meeting (at Yagil's): -- double decanted for sediment removal 4 hours before tasting -- (there was lot of hard big solid sediment chinks) This wine is very good on its own though still young. Some of us thought it was better than the 1998 Mouton Rothschild and the 1997 Lafleur!!! Needs at least another 5 years before it may enter its prime drinking window. But already very enjoyable. So hold!!!. Stunning wine. Notes of graphite, earthy crushed rocks, and ample black fruits. Wonderfully structured on the palate, with firm and ripe tannins, good acidity and focus, great balance and depth. Great long enjoyable aftertaste.
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Had these side by side over 2 nights. First off, let me say that these are 2 fabulous young, repeat YOUNG, Bordeaux. If you have just a few, please let them sleep.
2003 Cos - A little tight on the nose, but it does come around a bit with air. Cassis, graphite, leather, oak, and pencil. The palate definitely has more to offer. A sweet entry with candied cassis, plum, dry earth, and toasty oak is finished with hints of tobacco and pencil. A very nice mouth feel with prominent tannin and more acidity than I expected, given the year. 2003 Cos is a complete winner with nothing but upside. 95 Pts
2005 GPL - A nose that screams Pauillac. Cassis, cherry, briar, menthol, burning embers, and pencil. Rich palate of black cherry, cassis, cigar ash, briar patch, and pencil. Exquisite mouth feel that unfolds like a gentle waterfall. I love this wine and I love GPL in great years....the little train that could! 96+ Pts
Drank at Havana in Bar Harbor. Good. Complex. Layers of flavor and structure, but tannins were strong and overwhelming still. Needs more time. Better after opening up. Smokey, blackberry, cherry flavor. Good legs, acidity. Smooth after taste. Not lingering or bitter.
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Chris bday dinner (Cipriani): opaque and brooding. don't really know how to make of it now, but will no doubt improve vastly. has all the right ingredients but needs 10+ years.
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This is such a great wine and still widely available for a very reasonable price. About a year since my last bottle and this shows no sign of shutting down. It is a classic young Pauillac with all of the goods. Aromas of crème de cassis, black cherry, menthol, briar, oak, and pencil. The palate mirrors the nose, but there is a richness of fruit that leads me to believe that this may rival the 82 when it is ready. Beautiful balance and mouth feel make for a very focused wine. Probably 10 to 15 years away at least, this will be a fun one to follow. Load up ladies and gents! 97 Pts.
Purple perfume de cassis explodes from uncorked bottle in this beautifully balanced full-bodied ripe fruited summer flower fabulous finishing with fantastic texture.
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Decanted and drank, continued to improve over the 2+ hours. Very nicely balanced, surprisingly lean for vintage. Nose still dialled way down but nice long finish on the palette. Very enjoyable now and seems like quite a bit of improvement to come.
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Vertical tasting of GPL, '00 through '05. Poured two hours before tasting. '01 was my favorite, followed by '05 (which may still improve with age), then '00, '03, '04, and '02. All were medium bodied. Tannins were soft. '02 had green flavors.
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Few Bordeaux with Christian: Sweeter nose compared to SHL and much more tamed, cherry. But what a palate... Impeccable balance, pure velvet, not a blockbuster, will not take heavy food. Wall of tannins is a wrong description, but there is certainly a wave of velvet meeting at the mid-palate and it is a delight. Cassis. At first the wine seemed short compared to the two others, but extended time in glass brought length. The tannins are made of silk, ripe and dense. Will be nice to see how this develops. Much more developed than the Smith Haut Lafitte.
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Fine Bordeaux tasting (Brookline liquor mart): Integrated red fruits, tightly wound, blackberry, slight graphite; well integrated, medium tannins, needs time to develop complexity. Probably in a poor intermediate phase. Do not open now. 91+
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-- double decanted for approx. 1.5 hours before tasting -- -- tasted a couple pours non-blind over approx. 1 hour --
This wine is very good. Very deep and brooding right now, but not closed-off either. Lots of pleasure to be had in tasting this wine's latent potential. Needs at least another 8 years before it *might* be in its prime drink window. Drink or hold. Stunning wine.
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Grand-Puy-Lacoste Vertical (Home): Drank as part of a Grand-Puy-Lacoste vertical that included the 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2005. Decanted for 4 hours prior to drinking. Out of the 4 wines, this had the most perfumey and inviting nose and greatest concentration, but still a bit closed/tight, despite the long decant. Good fruit concentration (dark berries, coffee, graphite) and nicely balanced acidity. Tannins are a bit chewy. Will be better with some time to integrate.
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Opened about 2 hours before dinner, and consumed over the subsequent 3 hours. Notes of graphite, crushed rocks, tree bark and oodles of black fruits. Very structured on the palate, with firm (but ripe) tannins, good acidity and focus, and a long finish. At this point, the '05 Grand Puy Lacoste is the essence of ripe black fruits, and has great balance and depth. Has already thrown quite a bit of sediment -- I suspect this will be a monumental wine in 15 years!
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GPL vertical with '96 Pauillacs (Scenic Loop Cafe, San Antonio, TX)): Decanted and returned to bottle 12hrs prior. Much more approachable than expexted. Expressive coffee and cassis nose. High toned and bright red fruit, quite forward at this stage with blackberry, cassis, and cherry. Tannins were present, but ripe and soft. The was a “crystalline” property to the fruit that is similar to ’06 Sassicaia. Finishes long, with a touch of vanilla and flinty/stony quality. Approachable now but primary, this will be a long lasting great Pauillac.
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Impeccable balance and purity. Clean flavors and LOOOOONG finish. Ultimately, though, it's a wine that didn't excite as much as we'd hoped. But if ever there is a wine to have confidence in for the future, this is it. Already on the second night it's being more of an extrovert. I'm sometimes unsure if I'm smelling the wine or the fiancee's Marc Jacobs fragrance (it IS the wine!). Scored 91 for the first evening and 93 for the second.
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Tasted two hours after decanting. Wonderful nose of violets, black currant, mineral and a whiff of cinnamon. Soft cherry and graphite. Fine tannins that outweigh the fruit a bit at this point. More time will take this to a better place but it gives pleasure now. Classically old world in style and very well done. It is still available locally and looking more reasonably priced with each subsequent vintage. Purchasing a few more to put down is definitely in order. My rating reflects where it is today.
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Had this twice during the week as I enjoyed the tasting at the chateau so much. We also had a bottle with lunch yesterday before heading home. As with the new 2010 there are layers of creamy violets, smoky black fruit and iron ore. Very long and lovely balance. A wonderful Pauillac for the next 20 years.
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CellarTracker Bordeaux Trip; 5/23/2011-5/26/2011 (Bordeaux, France): Fantastic nose, flaunting aromas of cassis, graphite, lead pencil, dark dried fruits, violets, cherry, black plum, all wrapped in a suitable amount of oak. Lots of dark plums come across on the palate, followed by cherry, prune, graphite, cigar leaf, and some lead pencil. Full bodied, with medium+ acidity and gripping, chalky tannins. Long finish, ending with notes of cherry and lead pencil shavings. For this being barely over 5 years old, this wasn’t as tightly wound as I expected it to be, and was actually approachable right now. However, there is no denying that many more years in the cellar will serve this well. Very good.
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Knee-buckling Nose of raspberry liquer, cinnamon, and a toffee/cognac note. The fruit on this Nose is just dead-sexy. Surprisingly expressive. The palate is similarly stunning, showing ample dark red and purple fruits, juicy acidity, and an ashy minerality; tight on the finish. Possibly my favorite wine of the trip. I now have a need to back-fill on this baby.
B: 50, 5, 14, 19, 9 = 97
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A bunch of these arrived recently, so I gave a 375ml a test drive. This is a beauty. Such a lovely bouquet, filled with notes of black pepper, campfire smoke, sweet licorice and subtle herbs. Very expressive. It's quite spicy right now with excellent ripeness, a big teeth-staining chewy mid-palate infused with glycerin and length, all married to wonderful freshness and zest. The tannins are ample but soft and ripe. Gregarious at the moment, I expect this will shut down sooner or later, and it's exotic notes will morph into classic tobacco and cedar while eschewing excessive greenery. Tasting akin to spicy syrah for the moment, this is a lush GPL which still retains a weightlessness and class. Easily the best 2005 I've tried yet. 95+ pt potential and delicious today.
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This is a real pretty wine with nice floral notes. Inky purple and ruby on the color with some garnet hue, deep and clear. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, cassis, and a little bit of strawberry-jam thing going on, but definitely not over-the-top, immersed in a nice bouquet of vanilla latte, cedar, walnut/almond, graphite and wet rock showing great minerality. Medium to full bodied wine with an abundance of blackberry and currant on the attack supported and very well-balanced by a solid structure of big, yet refined tannins and ripe acidity on the middle palate. The finish is long and complex, with plum, cassis, and layers upon layers of other fruit components, balanced with vanilla, cedar and nutty aftertaste. Absolutely loved the wine, and it is only approachable with extended decanting, I'd say 3 to 4 hours. Drinkable now, but this wine will continue to evolve gracefully into the next 20 years or so easy.
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Opened out of curiosity, and poured only after 15 mins in decanter. Colour was dark ruby -- somewhat lighter than expected. Nose was slightly muted but unmistakable Pauillac with telltale notes of cassis, blackcurrant and lead pencil shavings. Precise, pure and with terrific balance of fruit and tannin, the 2005 GPL is surprisingly approachable for a wine its age; in this regard, it is streets ahead of the 2006. Medium-bodied but with a plump and round core of black fruits in the mid palate, this wine has enough legs to carry it far. Terrific long finish featuring yet more blackcurrants. Considering the vintage, prices are still very reasonable -- I could definitely drink a lot of this over the next few decades
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Supriseingly open upon popping. Decanted for 4 plus hours and served with grilled steak. Classic pauillac nose of red fruit, graphite and a hint of anise. Red fruit, lead and some pepper on the palate. Certainaly a little tannic but not overwhelming. This is going to be a beautiful wine some day.
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This is still quite young - purple but light / thin in color, medium body is under-developed, decanter time had little effect, tastes are pleasing but not ready for primetime. Had to try this early just for education, to see where we were.
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A bit disappointed in this, but it may just need a lot more time to show it's stuff. I just recently had the '05 Clerc Milon, which I preferred (or maybe it's just more ready to drink now).
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Nice bright wine with great length that drank well on Christmas day. However it was ultimately disappointing for a 2005. I was expecting a much greater concentration of fruit and complexity on nose and palette despite 2h of decanting. Having paid over $100 for this wine I will not be buying any more
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I knew this was infanticide going in, but with 2+ cases in the cellar, I thought it would be educational. Popped and poured. A dark purple core with pink overtones; obviously very youthful appearance. Notes of black currants, lilly and crushed stones. Medium-bodied, with good acidity and ripe tannins; perfect balance. Nice focus on the finish; this one will certainly age and improve for years. Slight preference for the 2000 at a similar age.
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There is a nose of animal fur, old wood and old plumbing. Color was appropriate to watered down flavors of apple skins, green strawberries, and municipal water fountain. There are some pencil shavings and graphite but that is about the only thing holding this up. I guess this is how you get a wine to last 40+ years, you get it as close to mineral water as you can. What a joke.
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This is deep ruby with purple accents. Dark berries, oak and cassis strut their stuff in the nose. This concentrated, deep, full bodied wine is in the process of closing down. In the mouth, a blast of licorice tinged, blackberries with polished tannins is found in the long finish.
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2005 Bordeaux Test Drive (North Square): Bright, ripe, red cherry fruit but not jammy. Definitely sweet but not over the top. Has a touch of the usual Pauillac graphite and shows its oak on the finish, but there's good suppleness here and more of the fruit peeking through than most of the other wines today.
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With a wonderful presence of subtle smoke, strong scents of graphite, black fruits, and well integrated wood this was lovely to smell. In the mouth this was very tight but showed lovely blue & black fruits. This will be an outstanding wine given the time in the cellar that it deserves.
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Dark ruby color, almost purple. Nose of violets, dark fruits, cassis, some tobacco, smoke. Similar palate with dense fruit, some minerality, strong, mouth-coating tannins. Very primary now but this will be a beauty. Was WOTN along with the Pichon Lalande.
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Phenomenal, dark ruby red, decanted for four hours, tight nose, flavors of graphite, pencil shavings, and sweet cherries, thick tannins, refreshing acidity, 40 second finish. Needs much more time, but is exceptionally good right now. Might be a 100 points with time.
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A wine which I buy regularly for its moderate prices (in an expensive high-end Bordeaux sense) and fine expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, in a robust Pauillac fashion, was very good. A subtle nose of licorice and a hint of cocoa on the finish, like a mini Latour. I thought I detected a bit of alcoholic heat, but the second nose of flowers gave this wine a fresh lift as well. Overall, a very nice GPL with a typical blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot. 91-93+. Barrel tasting.
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BORDEAUX 2005 / Cabernet rules; 4/5/2006-4/10/2006 (Bordeaux): a wine which I buy regularly for its moderate prices (in an expensive high-end Bordeaux sense) and fine expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, in a robust Pauillac fashion, was very good. A subtle nose of licorice and a hint of cocoa on the finish, like a mini Latour. I thought I detected a bit of alcoholic heat, but the second nose of flowers gave this wine a fresh lift as well. Overall, a very nice GPL with a typical blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot. 91-93+
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4/22/2024 - pmik Likes this wine: 93 Points
Store Vinnørd i Holte. Niels' vin
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4/11/2024 - Lemmy-W wrote: 92 Points
Consumed as part of Grand-Puy-Lacoste vertical tasting 1990-1996-2000-2005-2009-2012-2015.
In my opinion the winners of the night were 1990, 1996 and suprisingly 2009.
2005 was really closed and I will wait at least 5-7 years before touching it again. Makes me think that CT drinking window ending at 2032 is way too early. This will easily fly to 2040's.
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4/4/2024 - RockinCabs wrote: 94 Points
Easter dinner paired with lamb. This was a bruiser of a wine in its youth, and the window for opening these is just arriving.
Nose: Gorgeous graphite, truffle, cedar and blackberry with sandalwood and leather. An hour of decanting did wonders here. Palate: Generous and supple feel with berries, plum, bit of leather and lots of graphite. Just a joy to drink. Finish: good length and polish, some wood still to integrate.
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3/9/2024 - hargy Likes this wine: 92 Points
I now think the bottle drunk a year ago was a bit of anomaly and these were more what I would expect from a 2005 - rich and powerful with fabulous depth but need five years plus - will be sensational
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2/9/2024 - wineton.mee wrote: 94 Points
Excellent bottle and lots to like! Popped 2 hours in advance and slow ox-ed in bottle. Ripe sweet dark cherries, plums, cocoa powder, liquorice, earth and graphite. The warmth can be felt. Very expressive/vibrant and demonstrating lots of opulence from the get go. Plush and fine body, for me, this straddles the sweet spot between primary and tertiary. Tannins are dusty and refined. For the going price vs more aristocratic names, this is superb and worth keeping a case or two.
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2/3/2024 - grafstrb wrote:
-- decanted approx. 45 min before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over a couple hours --
NOSE: raspberry coulis, and mildly earthy.
BODY: medium bodied.
TASTE: still tannic; starting to develop some aged flavors -- touch of aged Cabernet Sauvignon leather; mostly youthful; comes across as being in a tough spot right now -- closed/tight. There's great material there, but now is not the time to be opening, unless you can give it plenty of air. HOLD.
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1/21/2024 - pikemasterflash wrote:
Initially very disappointed by this high-quality producer in a great year. I am not sure if it was the temperature coming up or the wine opening up, but it did get better with the passage of time. This is not the outstanding wine I remembered. Very disappointed in the outcome given the Chateau, the vintage and the price...
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12/29/2023 - M. Schmid Likes this wine: 94 Points
Interesting wine, good balance and fruity. Drink over the next decade.
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12/17/2023 - Rossodio Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking quite well now and will continue to develop nicely over the next 10 years, I would wager. Classic GPL from a great vintage. I would think 2009's even more ready and richer now and have a few in waiting (along with 2010's that I won't touch for a while). 2 hour decant did wonders as this was tight on opening.
Had this after a really cool 2010 Cotes du Rhone from J.L. Chave I had in my cellar since 2012. Apples to oranges comparison but both wines kicked butt.
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12/9/2023 - culater Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decant and aerated for 2h. With tournedo.
Big, freash, balanced.Typical Cab n Pauillac. Barolocherry, cassis, black iron soil. 18C is good. Drink over next 10y, peaks 2027-2032.
94+
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12/8/2023 - PLLU Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium intensity and garnet color.
Nose: medium + intensity with blackcurrant, blueberries, plums, blach cherries together with prune. Secondary gravies of oak- cedar, cloves. Tertiary aromas of leather, Forrest floor and some dried fruit!
Medium intensity and body medium + acidity and flavors of fresh black and jammy black fruits together with cloves, cedar and aging tones as the nose.
Medium finish and all in all a very good wine that made me contemplating in a positive way. Love it
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11/24/2023 - Ericsson wrote: 92 Points
Bordal à Onex (VSU, Mission, Clos de Beze, Percarlo, Rieussec..) (Belle-Cour): De mémoire. Un peu en retrait dans le line up.
S’est peu livré. Classique mais pas en beauté.
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11/23/2023 - starkravingmad Likes this wine: 95 Points
Smooth, very dry
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11/19/2023 - spillwine wrote: 95 Points
Superbe, encore jeune, besoin de beaucoup d’air.
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11/17/2023 - Vl.antonoff Likes this wine: 93 Points
very young
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10/15/2023 - Gdubya wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful nose, soft pliant tannins, creme de cassis. Nice wine, but perhaps I was expecting more from an ‘05? 93-95
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10/7/2023 - Oldworldvinofile Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine has more years in it, was a crowd pleaser, served with Beef Wellington. Decanted for approximately 2.5-3 hours prior to serving.
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9/19/2023 - pikemasterflash wrote:
Good but definitely not great. I would probably be a seller here.
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9/3/2023 - Mhbeaune Likes this wine: 92 Points
2 hour decant, needs 4 IMO.
To start with the tannins seemed a bit dry and the fruit was shy.
Better after an hour at the table. Tannins lot less austere and more fruit in the mouth and much smoother.
Typical Pauillac, which is not my favourite commune. I prefer the more feminine commune of Margaux.
Started out about 88/90 but finished at 92
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8/27/2023 - Ericsson Likes this wine: 93 Points
Le vin a bien évolué durant les 2 dernières années.
Robe grenat sombre, cassis, graphite et une touche de menthol. Moyennement puissant, concentré et bien équilibré, il termine sur des tanins assimilés et belle longueur.
De la réserve pour 10-15 ans, selon mon opinion.
93-94
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7/24/2023 - platpeeps wrote: flawed
Minty with a marked fusty note, the fruit was pinched and the tannins harsh and unyielding. On the finish there was a rather hard bitter note. In my opinion this was slightly corked and therefore in a faulty condition.
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7/8/2023 - tdanie5 wrote: 96 Points
Wild wine. It’s fresh, pencils (more graphite, less wood), little menthol (h/t other TNs). Tannins. Tannins throughout. Long long finish. Fruit, powerful, tannic. But the finish makes me so eager for tasting 10 years — buy, drink, enjoy, smile.
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6/30/2023 - amateur62 Likes this wine: 94 Points
78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot aged in French oak barrels (70% new barrels) for between 16 to 18 months, 13% vol.
Was decanted 2h before dinner. Intense Pauillac nose with a nice mixture of tertiary and primary notes, on the palate it shows a superb mouthfeel, fresh and dense, medium+ bodied and a very long finish.
Pauillac at its best, powerful though with elegance, it is excellent drinking now but has the structure for another 12 to 20 years.
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6/27/2023 - Bonvivant99 Likes this wine: 93 Points
BV93+ - 100EUR
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In general I have been unimpressed by the '05 vintage. The critics promised a vintage of the decade at the time but it never really lived up to that. The wines are very closed and thin on the palate. I like to hate on the 2005's more than I like to admit. I'm a much bigger fan of the fruit-forward and structured 2010. I have to say GPL's offering is performing beautifully. Signature Pauillac cassis and pencil shavings. Lovely menthol/anise characteristic which reminesces of old school Bordeaux wine making. The wine is in full development and in the early phases of getting earthy, leafy notes on the verge of truffle. The fruit is very much taking the lead. This is just a baby.
On the palate the tannins are rounding up quite nicely but with a striking acidity that I really love. There is a lot of structure here but very approachable.
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This is Bordeaux wine making at it's best. Generous fruit with gorgeous mouthfeel making me want to drink it again and again. Dare I say it, true hedonistic pleasure. So delicious right now but this can go easily for 10-20 years. Too bad I could only find one bottle.
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6/8/2023 - David_K wrote:
Really, really tight and locked down. Almost nothing on the nose. Tannic. Possibly ever-so-slightly corked? Rating withheld. From 375ml.
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5/21/2023 - ThalesGaspar Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amazing again!
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5/19/2023 - PLLU Likes this wine: 97 Points
Complex, elegant and perfect to drink now. The acidity and tannins are still present, but in a very pleasant way. Lovely aging tones but there are still fresh fruit left. A stunner!!
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5/18/2023 - up4wine wrote: 92 Points
Not nearly as refined and together as the '96 in our vertical tasting.
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5/14/2023 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine: 93 Points
1st of 12. Nose is awesome - cigar box, judicious high quality oak, nice fruit, etc. Palate is very balanced, with lovely fresh fruit and very fine, nicely integrated tannins. It is a very elegant wine. The finish was a bit quicker than I had expected. This has tons of life left and hopefully will get only better with time. Drink now through 2040+.
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5/4/2023 - phynes wrote: 93 Points
Finally, the 2005s seem to be opening up. This was very pleasant with dark fruits and a hint of tobacco. Nice complexity with tannins still present, but smoothing out.
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3/25/2023 - ubercuvee wrote:
Nice, but not really in the top tier of left bank clarets for my palate
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3/18/2023 - Radboy wrote: 96 Points
Fabulous wine. After a three hour decant, this unfolds into an exquisitely balanced wine that is a delight to drink. Dark fruit, nuances of cedar and berry with polished tannins. Layers of complexity. Brilliant!
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3/18/2023 - NEducatedGes Likes this wine: 92 Points
Didn’t have time to properly decant but very clean l finish and nice red fruit.
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3/14/2023 - Norn Iron wrote: 93 Points
Lovely wine, classic Pauillac. Dark with nose of graphite and cedary black fruit. Decent length and a definite degree of power on the palate.
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2/28/2023 - hargy Likes this wine: 93 Points
certainly mature and perhaps at its peak, this was a lovely wine drinking beautifully
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1/29/2023 - gout wrote: 92 Points
Deep red to edge, good fruit on the nose, flavoury mouthfeel, plenty of fruit, and excellent balance. Will keep a while
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1/29/2023 - burgund Likes this wine: 94 Points
Paulliac nose, window for this 2005 finally open. Great length and well balanced.
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1/29/2023 - DAHT Likes this wine: 95 Points
The colour is dark cherry with hints of pigeon blood on the rim. The nose has wonderful notes of lead pencil shavings and cedar and cassis. It’s quite tightly wound and unyielding. The palate is much more generous with cassis and very fine boned tannins and minerality. Not a big wine but such a classy and finely balanced wine. Really rather good.
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1/27/2023 - Mhbeaune Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking perfectly right now. Served at 18c seemed about right with a one hour decant. Gentle fruit on the nose good round body just as you start to swallow the typical Pauillac tar cuts in. All very seamless and smooth with medium length.
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1/22/2023 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep dark cherry color; earth and cedar; tart-sweet; balanced; tannins are soft but supportive; smooth raspberry with long semi-sweet finish,
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1/7/2023 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking great. Looks youthful. A bit new world relative to other pauillacs, but tasty. I think it’s drinking perfectly, plenty of life.
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12/31/2022 - Eric Wright Likes this wine: 94 Points
In a great place. Everything you expect from this claret. Really lovely
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12/14/2022 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank over one hour following a short decant. Still very, very good, and will seemingly last for many, many more years without degradation. My favorite of all GPL vintages.
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12/14/2022 - SonnyChiba wrote: 93 Points
Decanted about an hour. Drinking well. Nice ripe red fruit and structure overall - good acidity.
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11/8/2022 - chatters wrote:
Cellartracker in the flesh with Pjaines (Paul), Porkandsalmon (Richard) and Vintomas (Tomas) (Various venues, London): blackcurrant, sweet spice a little earth and leather very slight cassis, tertiary notes grow with time in the glass. Medium plus intensity acidity, blackcurrant, tightly textured persistent tannins, very slight non intrusive alcohol warmth but this is travelling along nicely.
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11/2/2022 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ikke dekantert. Pene 2 glass dag 1. Pumpa og kjøleskap. Meget stort behag, og herlig utfordrende.
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9/24/2022 - CWilliam wrote:
Beautiful wine -still young but nice tobacco and earthy undertones noticeable. 92+
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8/20/2022 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fresh ripe aromas of blackcurrant, herb, Victoria plum and freshly tilled earth - more clay sods of the earth with that cooler feel. Between the fruit are elements of dried spices, graphite and warm scrub.
Full-bodied, the wine is upright with crisp lemon acidity, excellent fruit concentration, and a sweet core wrapped in liqueur-filled chocolate, cassis, dry spices and salted liquorice. There is some roundness to the mid-palate and depth, but overall the wine remains highly focused with finely grained, powdery tannins that melt in the mouth.
The finish is long and fulsome with flavours of Dark Lindt 99% chocolate, coppa (German sausage), cigar box, clay pot, graphite and a smoky gunpowder tea quality. Wonderful complexity!
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7/15/2022 - coremill wrote: 90 Points
Out of 375mL. Aromas of sweet black fruit, cassis, toasty oak, cedar, pencil lead. Lush and ripe on entry, with lots of dark fruit that firms up through the midpalate showing fine tannins, plenty of juicy acid on the backend to clean things up. Too much fruit to be backward but also not particularly evolved structurally.
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7/14/2022 - WyattTheSomm Likes this wine: 94 Points
A beautiful wine, concentration but with balance 2005 is showing amazingly well!
Sight: wine looks youthful… yes under light some garnet rim but a nice deep ruby in the glass with medium staining.
Nose: This is the definition of tobacco in a wine wow! The nose is like Cherry life saver gummies, black current, graphite, violet and earthiness. A well spoken aroma that invites you back to keep smelling it’s nuance.
Taste: Someone needs to speak on the persuasive tannins this wine possesses. The structure is gorgeous these tannins or chalking but as if they are thick silk and the fruit character is pure with notable earthy graphite. The balance here is impressive between the acid, fruits, and structure showing it has become very attractive to the palate over many years in the bottle.
Overall: Drinking phenomenally well this 5th growth is 78% Cab 22% Merlot and masterfully paired with my broccolini and NY strip. Highly recommend drinking these now they are in their sweet spot but with clearly much more time to go if you have a case your lucky ! Haha
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7/4/2022 - NEducatedGes Likes this wine: 94 Points
3.5 hour descant and just beautiful! Nose Started out w green olive, then clear red fruit and long finish with integrated but big tannins that cover your mouth. Silky finish and cool to the taste! Glad we bought a case. For real mid to develop leave bit drink wonderful now.
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6/30/2022 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dekantert. Meget pen dag 1 og 2.
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6/23/2022 - culater Likes this wine: 94 Points
Took a glass by Coravin some a couple of months ago. Opened before dinner and it was in a Perfect spot. Good balance and complexity. Typical Paulliac and 05.
Better at 20C vs 18.
IMO Coravin age wine a bit, like air but with a better process. Maybe a month after Coravin is like a year cellaring? Lika an hour of air is like a year in a bottle but fast forward?
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6/14/2022 - advinm41 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent Paulliac! Strawberry and cassis, tobacco, violets, and classic graphite/pencil on the nose. Palate is medium bodied, currant, cheries, baking spices, tobacoo ans truffles on the palate, tannins are well structured and mellowed down somewhat with hood acidity however this will keep for at least 5 more years. Long finish
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5/18/2022 - pmik Likes this wine: 91 Points
Vinnørd Holte. Gættede Merlot
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4/30/2022 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another lovely bottle, second after an 05 Haut-Bages Liberal, with the GPL showing more depth and grip. Excellent.
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4/15/2022 - culater Likes this wine: 91 Points
Big glas by Coravin with grilled red meat.
Dry, acidity and less fruit. I would keep it for 3-5 and see if it becomes an old library leather sofa or only too little fruit.
Now I would drink at 18 and not too much air to keep the cassis.
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4/9/2022 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
An easy afternoon with close friends; Pauillac and Pessac (@ My place): Beautiful bouquet with a lot of sweet spices and cedar beside the black berry fruits. On the palate a firm amount of sweet spices and black berries as well, firm acidity, a slight touch of sweetness and still a fair amount of good, round tannin. Young maturity stage now and showing some development. Beautiful and classical Paullac.
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4/7/2022 - pmik wrote: 91 Points
91+ Vinnørd Holte. Høj syre og medium tannin. Fin balance og længde. Fin krydret næse. Gættede italiensk...
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3/6/2022 - RichardP wrote: 93 Points
Strawberry and menthol on the nose. On the palate, black cherry, currant, and notes of cedar, savory spice, and dark fruit, with moderate tannins on the long finish, with good acidity. This is classic Bordeaux, and it was an excellent value at about $80. At today's prices it would be an average to below average value. The Cellartracker drinking window looks about right.
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2/3/2022 - Marius123 wrote: 92 Points
Lots of smoke. Very classic.
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1/29/2022 - rykennedy55 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened three hours before pouring, and glad we did. Leather, graphite/pencil shavings, red fruits, almost a hint of vanilla to it. Definitely some “funk” but in a good way… mushrooms/forest floor. This qualifies as one of the better Bordeaux’s I have had and is drinking beautifully now. Tannins are superbly integrated and all around, a fantastic wine. Drank with girlfriend’s dad to celebrate his retirement.
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12/29/2021 - digitalis wrote: 89 Points
Superficially impressive wine but, like a photo print of a great work of art, ultimately contrived and one-dimensional.
In my opinion this will never be a great wine and, arguably, isn’t even a fine wine due to the extent of engineering evident upon drinking.
It probably deserves a slightly higher score than I’ve given it but, for me, there’s a principle at stake with wines like this.
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11/26/2021 - VincentMorey Likes this wine:
First time ever enjoying a GPL, and a fantastic vintage on top of that. These are no longer cheap by today's standards, but still a tremendous value compared to more celebrated 5th, 4th, and 3rd growth. It was a tough call, $20 more for a 2005 Exupery Margaux, but the urge for Pauillac and steak called and this won over. Decanted 2.25 hours before pouring back into the bottle and taking it to a fancy steak house. Glad it was decanted as there was quite a bit of sediment. Upon pouring it again into a Bordeaux glass, the wine was ready to drink. Prior to decanting the wine was super tannic, bitter, lots of oak, and very acidic but the nose was great. 2 hours was just enough, so to let the wine evolve a bit more during dinner, and did allow more fruit to come into the foreground. The harsher initial characteristics faded into a really smooth drinking experience and with sufficient mouth watering acidity to pair with food. About 1.5 hours into the meal nearing the last glass, some strawberry notes came out. Without decanting, a bit of dark cherry. After decanting, more blackberry, and a light creamy vanilla like texture, light spice, some leathery like notes. In terms of food pairing, this was dead perfect with a caramelized carrot tart tatin with a layer of onions, and beneath a killer goat cheese cream sauce. For the steak, it was a dry aged bone in rib eye, medium rare. I don't think this could have been any better.
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11/14/2021 - wxs2102 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank at Hawksmoor NYC, 2 hour decent and served with porterhouses. Classic Pauillac, cigar box, strawberry preserves, tannins integrated, lingering finish, strong enough to wash off the steak fat but pure enough for standalone consumption. At $70 cost basis (probably mispriced by CR) this was a great value.
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11/6/2021 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 94 Points
A classic Pauillac nose, regal, tannins are so refined, opened 4 hours bfr drinking, delicious but best after 2025
94+
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11/4/2021 - mjdixon Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent Pauillac - enough complexity with nicely integrated tannins. Leathery red fruits opening up after 2 hours decant.
For the price, hard to beat?
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10/25/2021 - cos65 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep ruby colored up to the rim
Somewhat muted leathery cherry aromas
Almost silky leather cherry flavors, no heat, with just a hint of a candied finish. Super delicious, plush, but maintains just a lovely restraint. Really quite good and entering what is hopefully a long drinking window. Much improved, and settled down from my last note in 2014.
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10/23/2021 - culater Likes this wine:
Two bottles in this note as I suspected the first one to be flawed. Fun to compare. First bottle all flat and taste vanish directly. But If had not compared I might have said OK at a resturante 10y ago.
First impression of the OK bottle is 94+, but faded away during dinner.
Last bottle was great though, so IMHO it might be a year of bottle variation.
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9/22/2021 - Euoinos wrote: 94 Points
Classic Pauillac. Cassis, graphite and a slight touch of menthol. Some hints of barnyard. Good mature fruit and balanced tannins with a velvety feel. Drinking really well at the moment. One of the few 2005 left bank wines that I have had that has fully entered maturity. It will no doubt continue to drink well for at least a decade or so.
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9/9/2021 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 90 Points
Like Brazil in the World Cup a pre-tournament favourite in this 2005 Bordeaux dinner, this was surprising accessible, open and a bit soft and cuddly next to its sterner flight mate (Batailley). It is nicely red-fruited but ultimately falls short because it lacks focus and precision, a bugbear of this estate which seems to be fixed with the 2014 vintage. ***1/2 90
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9/9/2021 - NickA Likes this wine: 90 Points
Jason's 2005 dinner (Noize): Strange one, this: I'm a big fan of GPL, and this ranked joint #3 in the group vote, but it didn't do it for me tonight. Seemed very young and primary, although with a classical feel (as you would expect from the chateau), slightly lacking in concentration and a bit clipped and lean. Closed-down and boring at the moment? Nothing to dislike, but I want more concentration and complexity from a top-vintage Pauillac.
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9/9/2021 - SimonG wrote: 92 Points
2005 Bordeaux (Noizé, London): Similarly dusty blackcurrant nose. Lovely poise and focus on the attack. Cool but with a core of balancing sweet dark fruit. A savoury edge to the finish. Initially really giving and if not quite fully open, it’s showing signs. However after 30 mins this really closes and dries up to leave a very dry and dusty feel. **(**’
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9/6/2021 - franinnyc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Closed.
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8/13/2021 - larsth wrote: 93 Points
First bottle of a case. Still young and it will improve with further cellaring but it is also bringing lots of joy to the table now. Classic left bank notes of tobacco, leather and cedar. Great balance and structure with tannins that are quite soft now.
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8/1/2021 - martin_e Likes this wine: 92 Points
Well-balanced, dark fruits with anise; quite nice Bordeaux with its own character, but mostly closed on the nose even after long decanting. I'll wait for a year before opening another bottle
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7/13/2021 - Acalder9 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decent wine, needs a long decant to open up. After that it is a steady Bordeaux. Didn’t blow me away, didn’t disappoint.
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7/8/2021 - Donjcorleone Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needed a good 2 hour decant to unleash its soaring aromatics of black cherry, cassis, cedar, earth and tobacco leaf scents that gave way to a mouthful of blackberries, earthy bell pepper and lead pencil tones that faded into the long finish.
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7/6/2021 - pmik wrote: 91 Points
Vinnørd Holte. Disappointing nose. Tannin 4/5, acidity 3+/5. Great balance, well-integrated tannins. Long.
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6/26/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Clearly the best value in Pauillac today, this is classic in all the right ways. Expressive, yet stoic, the wine is full-bodied, concentrated, tannic and filled with tobacco-drenched creme de cassis, red plums, cedar, wet earth, cigar wrapper and forest leaf. Youthful, fresh and still waiting for its prime time window, two hours of decanting or 3-4 years in the cellar will do the trick.
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6/21/2021 - SonnyChiba wrote: 94 Points
This has improved very nicely since my last tasting note in 2014. Some of these 05's are finally starting to show some age, and this is one of them. Deep dark fruit, plum, black cherry, tobacco, on the nose and palate. Still rich but things are starting to smooth out and this is lovely right now.
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6/21/2021 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured, and devoured within one hour. WOTN. Drinking exquisitely from the get go. As good or better then that drunk in 2014. Will hold for another 10+ years. Great value for money.
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6/13/2021 - tbabes wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured; needs decanting of at least an hour. Purple core, turning towards garnet at the rim. Notes of cassis, blackberry, tobacco, graphite; with air, scents of black truffle and crushed stones emerge. Round texture, ripe tannins, great depth and a long and focused finish.
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6/5/2021 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lite glass dag 1, dag 2 superb!!
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5/1/2021 - culater Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic Bdx Cab left bank. Starting to drink Well now. This will develop for 5y.
Leather and barn yard is just starting off.
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4/17/2021 - jim_crane wrote:
We all liked this wine. However, we wanted more from it. It’s good for sure. Structure, good mouthfeel, fruit is hanging in there. I think we were hoping for this great vintage to show through more. It’s got staying power. But not sure it’s going to improve.
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2/20/2021 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dekantert. Meget pen og klart tilgjengelig fra første glass. Krema!
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2/14/2021 - Tim336 Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP following an '06 Pontet Canet that had been breathing for an hour, and I honestly liked the GPL better. Have been drinking through a case purchased in 2017 at a rate of about a bottle a year and it feels like this has finally hit its drinking window. Whereas previous bottles were robustly tannic and disjointed, this one was singing -- a smooth, focused bordeaux with everything in its place. Doubt it'll be another year before my next one.
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2/6/2021 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep red plum to garnet edges.
There are attractive aromas of cedarwood, cassia root and super-ripe black fruits with a touch of raisin. As it opens, more cocoa beans, brown spice, and undergrowth emerge with cassis. Clear oak influence.
The entry is sweet and generous, medium to full-bodied and silky-textured. There is plenty of fruit with rosemary, spoken, black olive, cassis, redcurrants, dry stone and spice. The deep core follows through to a dense tannic structure framing this concentrated wine.
The back palate seems a little harsher with a tobacco and cayenne pepper bite to it. Interestingly the alcohol is stated at 13% but feels way more than this.
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1/29/2021 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great color, youthful. Great nose. Dark berry, but some violets, camphor and mint there too. Very nice. Black cherry dominates. Long finish. GPL always solid. May soften a tad, but drinking pretty well right now.
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1/8/2021 - Ericsson wrote: 92 Points
Bouteille et bouchon en parfaite condition, comme neufs. High fill.
Ouvert et passé en carafe pendant 1 heure.
Grenat foncé. Arômes furtifs de cassis et de mûres, puis épices et tabac peu intenses.
En bouche, le vin est de bonne facture, assez fin, moyennement corsé et encore retenu. Les tanins sont encore émergents et la finale d’intensité moyenne.
Je pense que ce vin est loin de son apogée, patience donc.
Note pour le plaisir actuel.
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12/31/2020 - tak4 wrote: flawed
This was really disappointing and makes me wonder if I got a bum bottle or, honestly, a spoof. (Bought this through a very prominent auction site).
Wine smells, tastes, and looks like the kind of bordeaux you buy for $20 at the liquor store next to the Whole Foods. Definitely bordeaux on the nose - some of that graphite/ black fruit - but buried under a strong vanilla tone. On palate, wild young tannins, no sign of age at all, and a metallic tinge.
Is my bottle off? Is it actually something else? Either way, not what I wanted. The heavy vanilla tone makes me wonder if something else was substituted, I have to admit - but I have no other proof so I'm just going to let it drop.
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12/22/2020 - dhwesley wrote:
Dark purplish red fading to rose at the edge of the glass. Richly aromatic: mushrooms, wet leaves, blackcurrant, cedar. Right out of the bottle, on the tongue the tannins come first followed by crisp acid. Pepper, cedar, graphite, savory herbs. Appealingly long finish... quite enticing. After a few hours of decanting, it has retained a lot of its original structure: it is quite an appealing bottle, with enough acid to cut through a fatty ribeye and enough of a pleasant funk to give it backbone.
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12/6/2020 - Deepdrop wrote: 92 Points
Cassis, violets and cedar. Midweight on the palate and feels a bit muted. Ready to drink but maybe develops as time goes on. Solid but no wow factor after 15 years.
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12/2/2020 - Suzyquatro Likes this wine: 91 Points
Donker granaatkleurig - Neus van donker fruit en wat grafiet - Beginnende tertiaire smaken, rijp fruit, tabak en paddenstoelen - Uitgebalanceerde wijn - Nog jong !
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12/1/2020 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; opened, but not decanted, an hour before service. Very deep garnet with no bricking. Extroverted and classically complex bouquet, with notes of ripe plums, cassis, graphite, briar patch, and crushed stones; hints of black truffle and cigar box. Medium bodied, with velvety tannins, great depth and balance. Excellent delineation and grip on the long finish.
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11/8/2020 - markcic Likes this wine: 90 Points
This was my least favorite of the Bordeaux's served last night. Opened and decanted three hours prior to dinner. The nose was dark berries, The palate was dark berries, plums, currents and hints of licorice. The finish was moderate to long. It was just lacking something or could not handle the competition. I have two more bottles in my storage facility which I will hold for a few more years to give them time to develop.
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11/2/2020 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Nose: B++/A- Palate: B++ Tasted blind
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10/13/2020 - Sanmalik Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding! Decanted 3 hours before
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10/3/2020 - phynes wrote: 90 Points
A bit disappointing versus expectations. Enjoyable and harmonious but lacks something: edge, power, complexity? Perhaps that will come with time but for now not where I would expect it to be.
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9/25/2020 - Thejuliebubble wrote:
Deliciousness!
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9/21/2020 - Oechsle wrote:
Evil Doppelganger, More Cellaring or Too Much…?
Okay so, this long-winded note was written to solicited your feedback. When my first GPL was opened 2017 it was underwhelming scoring 91. Bordeaux enthusiasts suggested additional cellaring.
2nd GPL taken out of 53-degree storage, sat out for an hour, cork was pulled, bottled audouzed for 45 minutes more. Poured a glass and wine showed great. 94 pointer. Touch of sweet meat, Lift, Dark Berry Fruits, Cedar, flint, forest floor/sous bois. Medium weight, fruit profile leaning red, strong cherry/plum notes, balancing acidity with mineral/blood/iron component that’s just mouthwatering. Alc 13% is well integrated and the finish has just a touch of tannic grip showing.
1 hour 45 minutes after cork pull “Das Doppelganger Kommen” wine collapsed in on its self. acidy and tannins building, aromatics became flat, fruit profile narrowed becoming tart with hint of wet fur back note. My experience is when this happens the wine is in its decline arch. As opposed to a wine that needs aeration or coaxing to bring it to life suggesting more cellaring time. Before the hate mail arrives in my inbox, this is just an observation, not so much a criticism.
If you have these, decant and immediately serve if you plan to consume within next 2 hours. IMO additional cellaring time is not warranted. Purchased as futures, stored accordingly and enjoyed 60-70 on its own…Drink em if you have them... Na zdrowie
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8/31/2020 - richwardj Likes this wine:
Open for 2 hours beforehand
Decant
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7/25/2020 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 94 Points
2nd bottle - again very approachable and drinkable. Rich with classic northern Medoc nose, voluptuous palate, rich but never jammy fruit, blackcurrants and blueberries intermingled with spicey cedar wood notes. Not many tertiary flavours but I think I'm going to continue to drink this. Better infanticide than necrophilia! Upgraded to 94.
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7/25/2020 - WineKnurd Likes this wine: 93 Points
Stood upright for about 2 hours before filtering through an unbleached coffee filter into a decanter and allowed to aerate for about an hour before serving. Most of the sediment remained adhered to the bottle with very little on the filter. Classic Pauillac traits- rich black currants and cedar spice with hints of black pepper and red fruits. A little aged quality on the bouquet as well but overall maintains good depth and intensity on the nose and palate.
Still showing some solid tannic structure but can tell that it has definitely mellowed and probably very "woody" early on (but no notes from when I first tasted this back in the late 2000's). Was surprised that the tannis still have the drying intensity to cut the finish but the tart, almost unripe blackcurrant acidity shines through on the fore- and mid-palate throughout the 30+ second finish. The palate boundary between the acid and tannins is really quite stark and without any gradient.
Based on these tannins still holding on to the back-palate, I would hazard that this needs about 5 more years before they cede to fully balance with the acid. It is definitely complex and layered for sure, with some well integrated oak toast and that nice rustic Paullic "elegance" upfront; however, I think those tannins need to fully integrate throughout the palate before it reaches its full development potential.
Right now this is a solid A- (93) evaluation for me and looking forward to revisiting over the next few years. Hard to believe this was an $80/bottle flash deal from Wired for Wine back in 2010.
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6/30/2020 - angelcyn Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic claret, opened for a birthday, not mine, deep ruby and some fading on the rim, lovely cassis blackcurrant nose, medium weight in the mouth with again blackcurrants and blackberries and some licorice in there to, smooth tannins and some length, if I could afford it I would drink a lot of this.
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6/21/2020 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
Ramat-Aviv Boys meeting (at Dudu Milgrom): Excellent GPL!
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6/5/2020 - davidsm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Coravined a glass and let sit for about 90 minutes. Very nice wine, classic claret with a long finish. No hurry on this but more than ready with a proper decant.
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5/25/2020 - ThalesGaspar Likes this wine: 94 Points
This one never disappoints.
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5/22/2020 - bstahl07 Likes this wine:
One of the best wines I’ve had. Worth the money!
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5/20/2020 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 92 Points
First bottle - no age with blackcurrant and cedar wood with a full generous palate, quite complex and long. Almost too easy to drink and I will try to be more analytical with the next bottle - lovely - my kind of Claret. Rated 92 initially.
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5/10/2020 - Saadissimo Likes this wine: 98 Points
One of the all time great GPLs! I love this wine
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5/9/2020 - tbabes wrote: 97 Points
Used these for a blind virtual / zoom tasting; poured into 4 oz bottles the day before the tasting, and then distributed to our Delaware Valley Chaine members across the Philadelphia area. The unanimous wine of the night; I was shocked how well this showed. A deep garnet core with some bricking; looked older than the 01 Togni, which is still a baby. Notes of cedary cassis, dried plums, scorched earth, roasted herbs, and hints of black truffle. Medium bodied, a mind-bending velvety/silky texture, great depth and balance, but with good grip. Long and incredibly satisfying finish. The future looks good for the 2005 GPL!!
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5/8/2020 - Cliff Booth Likes this wine: 93 Points
2-hour decant; rich plum, leather, sous bois aromas with faint tobacco note; red fruit on a well-balanced (but brief) mid-palate; sour cherries, dry tanins on a lengthy exit. This was an elegant melange of fruit and nature.
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5/8/2020 - Krokfjord Likes this wine: 92 Points
GPL 05 er i et flott begynnende drikkevindu - tanninnene relativt avslipt og vinen åpner seg etter (bare) 1 time luft. Det er solbær, kaffe, teblader, treverk - fin konsentrasjon, lang. Enda bedre om 5-10 år men definitivt ingen skam å helle nedpå allerede nå.
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4/6/2020 - phynes wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for about an hour. Lovely perfumed nose of black and red fruits. Medium body with nice complexity and a slightly attenuated finish. Very classic Paulliac with a decent lifespan ahead of it.
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4/4/2020 - AdamHitchcock wrote: 85 Points
Medium ruby with a little bit of age on the edges. Light aromas with a little bit of black fruit but actually showing a little more tertiary aromas like leather. Still tight with tannins a bit forward but assume that will diminish with a little more age. Not much fruit flavor or even tertiary flavor. Maybe this is just in a not great period right now and needs some more time.
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4/1/2020 - Saadissimo Likes this wine: 98 Points
A superb Pauillac and would be in my top 10 Bordeaux wines over past 2 decades.
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3/29/2020 - GWEdwards Likes this wine: 92 Points
A year made a distinct difference. Medium to full-bodied and ripe, with soft tannins and nice texture. Licorice and hint of spice . Drinking very well.
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2/1/2020 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 96 Points
A favorite for a reason. Fully mature for my tastes. Tannins are essentially gone. Tertiary forest floor notes, dark dark raspberry. Nice acid. Mushroom and earth. Still a masculine Pauillac. Punches above its price point. 2020-2025
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1/16/2020 - Vino Monkeys wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby with a hint of age near the glass. Medium intense aromas of blue and black fruit. Ripe blueberry and blackberry. Bramble and new leather. Palate is a bit closed off, tight and underwhelming after an hour in the decanter. Wondering if it might be in an awkward place? Medium high acids and tannins that are a touch gritty. Based on the aromas, it seems there should be a lot more there. I’m going to let it sit a while longer and come back to it.
Okay, after another 30 minutes in the glass, and, more importantly, after it warmed a bit more from cellar temp, it’s a completely different wine. Still tight, but flavors are more intensely following the nose. Nose is more intense and cassis is coming through in the palate. This needs more time in the bottle, but much improved.
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1/14/2020 - Traxx wrote:
Decanted on night one for 2-3 hours, then back into the bottle finished on night two. Really textbook bordeaux at early drinking stage. Happy to have many more of these to follow over the long haul. Really nice wine.
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1/11/2020 - Nutty08 wrote: flawed
Unfortunately an off bottle. Purchased in 2010 but seemed like it had seen a little heat. Fruit a little stewed and palate and nose striped of complexity. Didn’t have the profile or complexity as expected. Opened a ‘06’for comparison which smoked this. Not consistent with my experience with this producer.
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11/24/2019 - DerAx wrote:
Just right to drink now. Maybe another year or so
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11/8/2019 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 94 Points
Served blind. I sort of had this quite quickly and pretty much thought 05 left bank Pauillac or possibly St Julien just on the nose. The wine has great balance, some meatiness. As some pencil shavings emerge my nod goes to Pauillac and I guess GPL 05 which I tasted before a few years back. It obviously speaks to its origin, is a proper classic claret and at 13 per cent alcohol retains a nice marine freshness. This has developed nicely over the last years coming from a not so cold cellar here. Hints towards what is in stock for perfectly stored bottles in 10-15 years in time. Great wine in absolute terms but taking price into the equation a phenomenal wine. Go buy if you haven’t already, it’s still sitting there at a reasonable price and if one looks to prices for the 1990 for example it probably has some catching up to do as supply dries up.
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10/26/2019 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
Académie des Cinquante 64th Annual Dinner (Sofitel The Grand, Amsterdam, NL): Quadruple decanted. Lively appearance, starting to mature. Quintessential Pauillac on the nose, floral, blackcurrants and warm spices, almost oyster shell minerality; beautifully balanced and elegant palate, pure and transparent style, sleek and poised, with perfectly integrated but firm tannins; excellent resonance and length. On fine form, perhaps just a bit light mid-palate.
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10/19/2019 - Traxx Likes this wine:
Drinking really well at the moment, largely primary fruit presentation, but some signs of development. Will look for more of these to add to the cellar, really quite nice wine.
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10/16/2019 - svdheijden wrote: 95 Points
Still closed and tight when opening the bottle. Double decanted four hours before drinking with one hour in the decanter in between and use of an aeration device to add more air. Black and red fruit paradise on the nose with nice top layer of crème de cassis. Deep and rich without being heavy; excellent balance. Very Pauillac on the palate, soft tannins and a spicy and long finish. Approaching maturity. Decades ahead. Might even gain a few more points in the longer run. Impressive showing!
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9/29/2019 - franinnyc Likes this wine: 93 Points
I little bit of funk that had to blow off. But then very nice. Good structure. Stood up nicely to the brisket.
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9/27/2019 - InVinjeVeritas Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic claret. Worked both with beef carpaccio and panfried cod.
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9/10/2019 - asparagus Likes this wine: 93 Points
A contrast next to a 2005 Vieux Telegraphe la Crau. Both opened an hour before dinner, decanted and enjoyed throughout the course of dinner. A classic bordeaux in a ripe year. Elegant, restrained. Some pencil shavings and cassis. Definitely on the red fruited end of the spectrum. This was young, but not an infant. Should enter its drinking window in the next 5 years and stay there (and improve) for decades to come.
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9/9/2019 - Pebben wrote: 94 Points
See previous notes – unfolding ever so slowly year by year – great now (94++), should peak in the mid to late 2020’ies (94-96 points).
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9/7/2019 - tbabes wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured, on the heels of a lovely 2000 GPL, which was substantially more open and ready for business. Still quite youthful, with primary notes of cassis, crushed stones, bramble, and hints of blackberry. Medium bodied, with good depth and grip, but still a bit reserved (stern) in terms of texture. I'll revisit in 2025!
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8/22/2019 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
From half bottle... This is pretty textbook showing an earthy, cassis profile with good brightness and soft tannins. Shy on the nose, there's a rounded mouthfeel, good length. Very good stuff, but lacking in a little pizzazz for current drinking. Probably 92 pts tonight with a point or two upside. Wait 5 more years minimum.
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8/19/2019 - bethel31 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good nose and slowly open up as it stays in the glass. Decanted a few hours before. Smooth with good mouthfeel and soft tannins.
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6/20/2019 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
Just as excellent as last night; deep, focused, black fruit dominated. Very long and driven. Pretty compelling stuff even if it remains embryonic. Glad to have a few of these around.
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6/19/2019 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
Curmudgeonly nose; tight blackberry, blueberry fruit with lots of beef bouillon and black licorice accents. Not exactly a delicate wine - no beating around the bush here. Lots of impact on the palate, really rich and saturating but not heavy. Perhaps more promising on the finish, which shows a delicious and very, very deep, pure fruit core. 94+ / 95 now, but this is for the future rather than the present.
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5/27/2019 - sorp222 wrote: 95 Points
Wow. Glorious pencil and fruit nose, almost a Pauillac cliche of creme de cassis through the palate. Delicious.
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5/24/2019 - phynes wrote: 93 Points
Drank the Leoville Poyferre ‘05 alongside the GPL ‘05. Both super-pleasant wines and surprisingly open but exhibiting less power than I had expected.
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4/13/2019 - s******n Likes this wine: 91 Points
Kam fast an den Pichon Comtesse Lalande ran. Toller Wein! Mit tollen Preis-Leistungsverhältnis
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4/3/2019 - jbeauprez Likes this wine: 94 Points
Spectacular
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3/16/2019 - Sundbyberg wrote: 91 Points
My third time with this vintage and the the first sips show wonderful Paullac fruit (95 pts), but then this wine turns a bit dark and raw. Will probably be very fine in 5 years or so.
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2/22/2019 - Torchy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Friday night blind BYO (Anders Condoe): Welcoming nose with red dark fruit - perfumed and floral. Hint of butter scent and some licorice. Powerful opening, with lots of taste. Blackcurrant, some licorice and some mint. Fine meshed tannins. The wine got a lot of air before serving.
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2/10/2019 - murkybird Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still quite brooding for my taste with creme de cassis, cocoa powder, and something vaguely marine on the finish. Rich mouthfeel with a nice tannic kick. Going to be very long lived
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2/4/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
This has really softened and come around over the past few years. The tannins are austere but soft. The cassis and cherry notes are expressive, open and inviting. The palate enjoys a concentrated layer of fruits, cedar, earth and tobacco, finishing with bright, ripe, red fruits. With 2 hours of air, the wine is starting to show quite well. By 2020. this should be on fire!
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1/23/2019 - GWEdwards Likes this wine: 92 Points
Will lay down the remaining 8 for at least a year. The florals opened after an hour on decant
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1/20/2019 - miadelt Likes this wine: 96 Points
Love this wine. It has a long, long finish, beautiful bouquet, smooth, intense flavors, and good body. The fruit was a little bigger than expected and a little ripe and so this can still get better as it takes on more flavors; but is wonderful now.
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1/10/2019 - NapaDoc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Rich cedar, tobacco, pencil lead nose with plenty of black fruit. Classic Pauillac aroma and taste. Smooth, with easy tannins, still showing great structure and character. Beautiful color. Every sip was delightful. A wine with layers of pleasure and mystery to unwrap.
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12/27/2018 - 87tellub Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured (majority of this note based on that) and then 3 hour-ish decant. I'll call the color a medium purple, pretty youthful in appearance. Nose has dark fruit, cedar, vanilla, dark cocoa, sweet pipe tobacco. Nice nearly full bodied palate. Great mouthful with a lot of vivacity. Nice persistence. A lot of acidity and reasonable tannic strucutre that is not distracting. Certainly plenty of life left heare as fairly primary still. Seems to get lighter in body after the 3-4 hour decant.
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12/25/2018 - Solidgold wrote: 93 Points
Drank this last night. Took 1.5 hours to open up. Good earthy and balance finish.
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11/5/2018 - pikemasterflash wrote: 94 Points
Excellent tonight. Tonight this is the best wine that I have drank in the last two years. If it was only a little more viscous it would have been great
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10/26/2018 - Rezy13 wrote:
Dark core, Fuller garnet rim; dark fruit, tobacco, rust, somewhat floral, Bordeaux varietals for sure, didn’t scream Bordeaux; somewhat closed and shut down on the palate with darker fruit, grainy tannin in finish with distinct mineral, shorter finish; called ‘05-‘08 St Emilion.
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10/4/2018 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
clear, deep purple-black
clean, profound excellent (still young) tertiary aromas of mature dark fruits, leather, tobacco, forest-floor, oak-vanilla
dry, high tannins, high acidity, full body, well balanced and harmonised, rich flavours, tobacco, dark mature fruits, excellent structure & complexity, long dry woody finish
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9/27/2018 - Ericsson wrote: 92 Points
Passé en carafe durant 1 heure. Grenat foncé.
A l’ouverture, arômes de cassis puis s’est refermé.
Après 1 heure de plus dans les verres a commencé à s’ouvrir (un peu), montrant de la finesse, le vin est soyeux aussi mais sans vraiment exprimer tout son potentiel. A peu évolué depuis 2 ans.
Donner encore 2-3 ans.
Bu juste avant Léoville Barton 2006, plus accessible.
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9/26/2018 - Chimer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted alongside a flight of other 2005’s, this is now approachable having been very tight a couple of years ago. Classic elegant cedary GPL, hides its muscle, lovely balance and finesse, no rush and much more complexity should reveal itself with more bottle age. Lovely nonetheless.
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7/14/2018 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Well-balanced, nice creme-de-cassis notes, drinking nicely though likely over-priced.
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5/5/2018 - rooman Likes this wine: 93 Points
This will be a superb wine but just not yet. At present it’s more like a dark brooding monster. It has filled out since the first bottle from the case 4 years ago but the dark red fruit has yet to develop those secondary flavours one can see lurking in the distance. I will try the next bottle in around five years. In ten years it will be superb.
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4/27/2018 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 93 Points
Prowine Asia 2018 after-party! Drank blind in the declared line-up.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour with slight garnet rim. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of boysenberries, blckberries, dark red cherries, cedar wood. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (13%), velvety high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of grilled bell peppers, cedar wood, blackberries, black cherries, dark red cherries, emerging leather. Long finish.
Very good quality. Well-made Left-Bank Bordeaux in adolescent stage of life only. Still many years more to go before it develops more tertiary notes.
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4/22/2018 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Faded red fruit, more moder, raspberry less earth
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4/7/2018 - Roentgen Ray Does not like this wine: 89 Points
Flat and flabby. Either the s was in a dumb phase or the bottle had a storage issue during transatlantic-transcontinental shipping.
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3/31/2018 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
Decanted for 3 hours, dark red, powerful nose & palate, a rich, lush & silky GPL!
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3/10/2018 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a treat, decanted for two hours and this $50/bottle at futures wine feels and is a value quality drinker. The balance of tannin and acidity is nigh on perfect, the soft mouth-filling velvet is ronded and structured. Love this value Bordeaux. The spice is in the background and the black and blueberry fruit is superb. Ripe crème de cassis gives a luscious rich swirl. The finish is a medium twenty seconds and all the you wish for.
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3/5/2018 - Haboulhosn wrote: 89 Points
I bought this bottle 6 years ago with great anticipation towards the opening of its drinking window. Considering the quality and pedigree of the 2005 vintage, this wine was expected to deliver a satisfying, if not memorable, experience. With close to 13 years under its belt, the window for this bottle should now be open.
The wine boasted a complex nose that released plenty of aromas for the mind to ponder. However, that’s where its glory ended. On the palate, the wine was light handed and somewhat diluted. The finish lacked depth and longevity. Some may say that it’s in a dormant state. In my opinion, it lacks the imagination and structure for a reawakening. Only time will tell.
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2/9/2018 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
This is either in a closed dumb phase or it isn’t going to get any better than it is now. I had this years ago when it was upon release and it was awesome. Maybe that’s because it hadn’t shutdown yet. It is lacking a midpalate and a central core of fruit. Even after a 90 minute decant, it lacked a soul. Lots of graphite, mineral, cigar, burnt embers... all of what I love in Bordeaux, without the true soul of a noble Pauillac.
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2/6/2018 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
double decanted for sediment removal 2 hours before tasting --
(there was not lot of hard big solid sediment chinks)
This wine is very good on its own though still young. Took few more hours to open.
Needs at least another 5 years before it may enter its prime drinking window. But already very enjoyable. So hold!!!. Stunning wine.
Notes of graphite, earthy crushed rocks, and ample black fruits. Wonderfully structured on the palate, with firm and ripe tannins, good acidity and focus, great balance and depth. Great long enjoyable aftertaste.
Wait till 2020 at least...
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1/10/2018 - IvanLi wrote: 93 Points
The wine has all the essential components of a Great Pauillac Cab blend: cassis, licorice, wet earth, lead pencil, bell pepper. The wine is fully resolved and is ready to drink.
Where it is clearly inferior to a higher class chateau is the lack of structure, depth, breadth and length of finish.
Still a great wine from an outstanding vintage, good price to quality ratio.
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1/7/2018 - Pebben wrote: 94 Points
More or less consistent with previous note.
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12/22/2017 - azscot Does not like this wine:
Bought at auction from K&L. Corked. No nose, no fruit. Nothing. Zilch. Zero. Zip.
Second wine I've won on a bid at auction that has been a waste of money. Without knowing the provenance of a wine there's a cautionary tale that even though a wine is authentic if it's not kept in the right environment it's not worth bidding for.
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12/16/2017 - soyhead wrote:
from magnum with several hour decant. tasted again next day. i think this wine is showing well, and has plenty of life as evidenced by the next day tasting. nose - hint of soil, mushrooms. mouth - celery, cherry, tobacco, and smooth only partially ripe cherry on the finish. it drinks lighter than one might suspect (hence claret), and is refreshing with good minerality. perfect pairing for steak. i think as a stand alone it might disappoint.
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11/19/2017 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pnp. Was expecting a tough and tannic 05 but this was anything but. Silky smooth palate with plenty of lead pencil, dark fruit, some sous bois. Oak well integrated. Good length.
Better than the 2000 and 1996 in my eyes. Pnp is the way to go right now, I suspect a decant will bring out the tannins at this stage.
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10/21/2017 - Oechsle wrote: 91 Points
Had high expectations for this 05. Audouzed for 2 hours and enjoyed over two additional hours. Nose is high pitched, sharp with hints of sweet dark berry fruit, brambles, green herbs and touch of gaminess. Palate shows medium body, dense concentration, rich mid palate, underlying tannins and acidity leave your mouth bone dry. Not much complexity. Needs a hunk of meat, which I happen to have. Tart dark fruits on the palate, plum, drying, no real richness or ripeness here. This is a decent wine from a very good year and was hoping for more after holding a decade. Does this need more time? The 2009 Spivak Pinot I had earlier was more interesting. Purchased as futures, stored accordingly and enjoyed 60-70 with grilled beef. Drink now -10yrs… Na zdrowie
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9/1/2017 - Frijole wrote:
dark plum red, medium clarity, slight brickish hue
Nose: classis, plum, dark chocolate, earth, thyme, bay leaf, vanilla, iron, oak
Pal: cassis, plum, dark chocolate, cigar, tobacco, earth, pencil lead, vanilla, thyme, bay leaf, stem, tannins, oak
Feel: full, round, chewy, tannic
Finish: long
TC9
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8/29/2017 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
From 375ml... surprisingly open and friendly. This has ripe yet classic fruit of morello cherries, graphite, some wood. Still has drying tannins on the finish, but the rest of the structure is quite smooth and integrated. Early maturity with primary nuances lingering. Less powerful than I recall, this is still quite charming and has upside to be sure.
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7/9/2017 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark red, beautiful nose and a stellar palate, love this GPL and imho one of the best modern GPL with many more years of decadent pleasure ahead
94
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6/25/2017 - miadelt Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Beautiful aromas. Complex. Smooth. Classic. Towards the end, when the food was gone, the wine had some bitterness on the finish. Drinking great right now but will last.
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6/20/2017 - Sundbyberg wrote: 93 Points
My second time with the 2005.
Decanted 4 hours, and then also had a double decant just before dinner.
An old school Paulliac, which shows more fruit than other 2005s from Paulliac I have had, but also less elegance.
Not as elegant as Lynch Bages or Clerc Milon from the same vintage. Not as nice fruit as the 2005 Pontet Canet.
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5/22/2017 - robertdtwo Likes this wine: 95 Points
More than two years since last try. Three-hour decant & rebottle for transit to restaurant. Lovely light minerality, graphite, cassis, wet leather and an almost Margaux-like perfume. Intoxicating nose (*sorry* pun intended). Velvety tannins that feel as if they've resolved more than their brief-ish life should have allowed. Great stuff! A touch of blueberry on finish as last half-glass slid home.
I never expected this to be this good this early in its life. Wow.
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5/10/2017 - wineappreciation wrote: 91 Points
From a half bottle: Blueberry, cassis, hints of graphite; rounded, softened tannins, long finish, a little muted but quite pleasant
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5/10/2017 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
What a surprise, open and surprisingly ready, delicious and giving oodles of drinking pleasure
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4/26/2017 - jonnyoro wrote: 96 Points
From .375- no decant, and wow. Very open and approachable... deceptively so. Very fragrant, black fruit, mocha, crushed dried herbs. Medium bodied, full of lead, tar, blackberry, and sneaky, sweet big tannins. I've tasted a lot of '05 left bank wines and this is the most drinkable now; that said, it's going to get better and better- the very first time I had this was at the chateau barrel tasting in 2007. It's a great wine.
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4/18/2017 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Alpharetta, GA): Very dark core with maroon rim; currants, black currant, oak, wet earth, holly bush; silky palate, fatter, love the silkiness to the tannin; delicious, my #2.
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4/18/2017 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 93 Points
A beauty!
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4/15/2017 - RockinCabs Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose: ripe cassis, blackberry and plum notes. Graphite and floral notes beginning to appear. Like the duhart the alcohol showed a bit but blew off in the decanter. Palate: generous and full with velvety textures at this point. Black fruit, tobacco and some graphite/smoke notes. Finish: still a bit one note with cassis and licorice but this will come together.
Opened and decanted 3hrs prior to dinner. On its way to being a great GPL. OK to try now as this is not as locked up as other 05 pauillacs. Needs another 15-20 yrs for prime drinking.
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3/10/2017 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
DInner with Isaac & Lil (Pine Close): Very, very nice - this is fast becoming a classic GPL. Double decanted and opened for a few hours, this took time to get going, but when it did, it had a beautiful Pauillac nose, with ripe cassis, pencil lead, cedar wood and just a gust of tobacco spice. Very attractive. The palate though - wow. It still has the sheer structure and balance to age for decades, but the 2005 super acidity and mouthcoating tannins of youth have mellowed tremendously, and started to integrate with the wine's beautiful velvety depth of dark cassis and fine menthol and tobacco spice flavours. This was just dark, deep and lovely though, and supremely polished - really classy, yet so approachable and delicious, with a wonderfully full, complete finish to boot. There were little complexities like dark chocolate and savoury olive tapenade peeping out at points, but the fruit was still rather primary. Still years and years to go then, but this is really something. One of the best GPLs I have ever had.
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3/5/2017 - Pebben wrote: 94 Points
See previous note. Checking in again after just over three years, and while perhaps having softened a little around the edges, there really hasn’t been a whole lot of evolution. Unsurprisingly beautifully perfumed from the get go, and a couple of hours in the glass ensure near perfect balance. I do, however, believe there’s room for further improvement as the mid-palate still seems slightly coiled up, but a decision to open or wait should now be based on how you like your Bordeaux more than anything else (94-96 points).
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2/25/2017 - Bordeaux_Jon Likes this wine: 98 Points
From a half bottle, first pour from a Coravin, no decant, drank over 3 hours.
A exuberant, full sensory experience, I smelled and sipped this wine while watching Nocturnal Animals, a great movie filled with passion, tension, emotion, and introspection. This wine filled me with the same.
The aromatics were already filling the room as it was poured from the Coravin. A wave of bright red fruit, cassis and raspberry. Over the night the wine showed so many sides, so many different red fruit aromatics, and then waves of cigary oak. Earlier on, I got this blackberry and lead pencil nose that is so Pauillac, but the wine has such a diversity of bouquet, it was hardly austere like a typical Pauillac. At one point, the nose was filled with chocolate and coffee, that it reminded my wife of Kahlúa.
The palate is intense, full of red fruit, oak, and cigar. At first the tannic frame was present but subsumed by the fruit, later it came out forcefully as many scenes in the movie did, but by the end the tannins had integrated and the finish had lengthened into something very lovely.
I would not decant this wine, if you like complexity. This wine makes me wonder about giving last week's Mouton 1986 a 98 point score, because somehow it seems to transcend that wine, and the other 4 first growths from 1986 I had together with it.
In a word, incredible!
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12/24/2016 - Saadissimo Likes this wine: 98 Points
One of the great GPLs, perhaps surpassing the extraordinary 2000 vintage. Pauillac at its finest: concentrated cassis, balanced with cedar and spice, well structured with a lingering finish. Bravo to Monsieur Borie!
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11/24/2016 - Ericsson wrote: 92 Points
Robe légèrement moins foncée et brillante que Trotanoy bu juste avant.
3 heures de carafe, nez un peu plus expressif sur les baies noires et rouges, de torréfaction.
L´attaque en bouche est plus douce, le corps moins puissant que Trotanoy, plus féminin presque.
J'aurais pensé qu'il délivrerait plus aujourd'hui mais ce n'était pas le cas.
À revoir.
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8/22/2016 - jonanator wrote: 92 Points
Really good! Has yet to come close to potential though. Started to show reasonably well after a few hours in glass. Needs 5+ years.
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7/9/2016 - flashvictor Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours prior to drinking. Served with pork chops, green beans and asparagus. Beautiful nose of cassis, glove leather, Asian spice and a hint of camphor leads to a medium body. Dark cherry, raspberry and a little stewed prune dominate the palate with a bit of blueberry and mushroom. The silky mouthfeel envelopes all crevices of the mouth. Smooth dry tannins drive finish for over seconds. My only complaint with this wine is the small amount of stewed prune flavors otherwise a fantastic effort drinking great now and for years to come.
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7/2/2016 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 93 Points
I have been following this beauty since 2013 so was keen to taste it again today, beautiful Pauillac nose of ripe black berries, even with a 3 hour decant this wine was still tight and tannic, delicious but still needs 5 years
93+
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6/11/2016 - RayOB Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank at 67
Fully open and drinking beautifully. Nose of tar, tobacco, spice, dark fruit and cedar. Smooth rich palate. Lovely.
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4/25/2016 - hkbob Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opaque purple. The nose was rather tightly coiled but with time in the glass gave notes of creosote, brambly fruit , tobacco, smoke and game. Dark fruited palate with a full body, robust tannins and solid underlying structure. Very enjoyable now although still a baby. I expect this will merit a few more points with another 5 to 10 years of bottle age.
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3/11/2016 - NickP Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent bordeaux with good body, balance and nose.
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1/1/2016 - nwebstar Likes this wine: 91 Points
I wanted to like this wine more but found it to be like a thoroughly pleasant lesser vintage wine. It was balanced and classically Bordeaux but with little to be enthused about. It was gentle, inky, tinged with light a savoury finish. I totally enjoyed it but expected more from 2005.
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12/17/2015 - MarcelloW Likes this wine:
Still very tight. Did not open up, even after several hours in the decanter. Don't touch any bottle for the next 5 years.
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11/28/2015 - MGrange wrote: 92 Points
Not showing at it's best today with hardly any fruit to detect and a short finish. I am sure it will be better in 5 years. 92+
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10/25/2015 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 6.5 hours. The nose had truffle, caramel, blue fruit, black fruit, cedar wood and tobacco. Palate had really pretty blue and black fruits with some cinnamon and cedar wood in the mid palate. If you like your wine young, this is beautiful. Its so rich yet elegant. The depth and intensity were there without over extracting the wine. This is a classic left bank Bordeaux which will be more beautiful in 10 years time. Give it at least 5 more years or decant it for 8 hours.
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10/23/2015 - wineordeath Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich, deep plum with a bit of tobacco and coffee on the nose. Pure. Came across on the palate as a bit light with soft, ripe tannins. Needs time.
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10/16/2015 - jonanator wrote: 92 Points
This particular bottle didn't show quite as well as the last one I had. Just not quite as expressive on the palate or the nose. Still very enjoyable but I think I will try to resist opening another for 6mths or a year.
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9/14/2015 - quaffnov Likes this wine: 91 Points
G-P-L Vertical (82',90',96',98',00',03',05') Evening: Number five out of seven at the table for me but only because it was the youngest. The elements are all there for development, with great structure throughout and a nose that is well along the way with pleasant graphite, cassis and tobacco elements. The palate is already very nice but will get a whole lot better in the next 10 years. If you have multiple bottles give one a try now so you can compare down the road.
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8/25/2015 - jonanator wrote: 93 Points
Absolutely beautiful wine, although I feel like this will benefit with some more cellar time. This is impeccably balanced with silky smooth tannins.
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7/17/2015 - Burgnick wrote:
Slow oxed for 8 hours in room temperature. First taste was flat which gave me a feeling that the wine had too much aeration. So I have decided to chill this for a while for 15 minutes. The first pour after the chilling did not show much improvement. I almost gave up on the wine. However, the wine opened up after a while in the glass with wet forest floor, caramel, chocolate, black currants and some muskiness. The palate had a good balance between fruit and structure, drinking beautifully for a young bordeaux. I would decant the wine for a straight 3-4 hours next time to get the best of out it.
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6/28/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Forest floor, leaf, cedar chest, spice, cassis, tobacco and blackberry create the nose. On the palate, the tannins are refined. The wine is starting to soften and offer the right amount of tension balancing ripe fruit and freshness to make this a real treat. If you like your wines young, you can drink this now. But I’m waiting at least another 5 years or more to start opening my bottles.
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5/30/2015 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 95 Points
Classic Pauillac, very correct. Gave this a 6 hours decant, but she is still very tight, at least 5 years away from the early plateau. I keep my fingers crossed and hope this will turn into something like a 1990 remake, I think it could...
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5/25/2015 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful, full-bodied Amarillys notes, black and red fruit, cassis, sweet cedar, rich and ripe, balanced and smooth all the way down.
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5/17/2015 - Primordialsoup Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice open nose. Inky- needs more time but should improve as a result.
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5/15/2015 - swapdoc wrote:
Zachys Mixed Tating: Bright red fruits, cherry, with a hint of vanilla aromatics. Good persistence. Very enjoyable now, should continue to improve.
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4/23/2015 - MEKWINE wrote:
Goedhuis tasting at the Saatchi Gallery West London. Lovely, classis Pauillac nose of cassis and tobacco, more expressive than Lynch Bages on the night. A tad disappointing on the palate, short to mid-length and rather underwhelming. I had the same issue with Bages 05, a lot of expectation and little joy.
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4/14/2015 - Sundbyberg wrote: 95 Points
A classic Paulliac from what could be the best bordeauxvintage since 82? A nose full of cassis. A palate with laser precision and wonderful, elegant, dark, almost black, fruit. This is a lot without being overerextracted or in your face. Not my type of wine, I like them a bit lighter, but the quality is indisputable. Pnp.
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4/7/2015 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 92 Points
We popped and poured this in a restaurant, and as much as you try and wait, this just isn't fair to the wine. So my score reflects that. I think if I had a chance to decant it, it would have rated higher. But as an aged Pauillac, you could taste the "dirt" of the region. It took a while for the muted flavors to start to blossom. What a shame, I think we killed/wasted what could have been a spectacular wine.
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4/3/2015 - vintman Likes this wine: 97 Points
First bottle from a case. Decanted an hour. This wine is just beautiful. Took a while for the nose to open up. When it did it was excellent..On the nose cassis, pencil, slight incense...on the palate so velvety with a nice finish. Truly, very enjoyable.
For the price and the vintage, I wouldn't mind backing up the truck and loading up on more of this GPL! 97 points
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3/9/2015 - Doni.Bertolami wrote: 93 Points
2005 Bordeaux Tasting: Tasted along with the pontet canet and pichon baron. Classic pauillac nose. Spicy but very elegant palate. Needs some time for the tannins to further integrate. Seemed a bit thin against the pontet and pichon. But if you like it very elegant this is probably the wine you favour amongst the three.
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3/1/2015 - LIE-user wrote: 96 Points
Wow, amazing. It can be as simpel as that - at least sometimes.
Already great after opening the bottle, but improved a lot within the next two hours.
Seems to have reached it's prime drinking window. Unfortunately just five more of this in my cellar, because this will ensure great moments for the next 15 years :-(
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2/9/2015 - robertdtwo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Three hour Vinturi decant & rebottle for transit to restaurant. French earth, lovely light minerality, graphite, cassis, wet leather and an almost Margaux-like perfume. Intoxicating nose (*sigh* yes, pun intended). Velvety tannins that feel as if they've resolved more than their decade-old life should have allowed. Great stuff; 94 rating might be a tad stingy, but I'll hold 95+ for the next taste!
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1/29/2015 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bordeaux 2005 : Ten years on (Bordeaux Index London): Tasted next to Lynch Bages… Very Bordeaux nose. Pronounced notes of cassis and tobacco. Palate is medium plus body with tight aspect today… Tobacco and tar. Beef blood hints. I think I prefer this to Lynch Bages as it seems fresher. Bordeaux Index's Giles Cooper agreed, and – given the better pricing – a no brainer. He said that he had sold 60 cases of GPL in the last 18 hours… An excellent if relative bargain for this expensive vintage.
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1/25/2015 - jda8600 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decant for 1 hour and consumed with a friend over a 3 hour period. Understated aromatics confirmed initially on palate with a building of floral notes, blue fruit and pencil lead mid palate. Finish begins to reveal a slight depth of black fruit which lingers close to 30 seconds with acidity and tannins well balanced. Old world style with classic structure accessible at the moment yielding enjoyment to those who prefer this style. Beautiful.
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1/3/2015 - Pearls_b4Swine wrote: 93 Points
Excellent -- decanted only an hour. Bound to show much better with a few more years.
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12/22/2014 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Double Blind $80 - $100 (Bin 75): Dark core, some clarity, brighter thin maroon rim; green, licorice, black currant, some weediness, some funk, incense; jammier on the palate, very fruit driven which was different from the nose, some green pepper, slight cigar, eucalyptus, strong, lots of licorice; GPL did come out through the thought process; 92+.
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12/8/2014 - TightLettuce Likes this wine: 97 Points
This bottle is amazing, and considering the potency of the vintage, drank magnificently for it's youth. I would consider it within it's drinking window at this point although it will certainly age gracefully over the next 8 years or so. 1 hour decant, developed a beautiful earthy nose of saddle leather, tobacco, pencil shavings and was lightly perfumed. I just wanted to sit and smell it all night (much the same as the last reviewer). Everyone in the group couldn't get enough of it. A nice silky smooth, and well balanced leave on the palate rounded off what might be the finest bottle of wine I've had in a while. Superb!
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10/18/2014 - Jamie Manley wrote: 97 Points
Like the 1982, this wine never disappoints, has never shut down, and only gets better and better. At current pricing, this has to be the bargain of the vintage. You really could not ask for more from a Pauillac. A nose to die for - deep black cherry, cassis, graphite, tobacco, and very strong pencil notes. I could whiff this all night. The palate ups the game with rich fruit and velvet for a long and layered finish. Some tannins still to be sorted, and secondary and tertiary flavors should develop in another 5 years. This will match or even exceed the brilliant 1982. I am going long on this one. 97 Pts.
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9/24/2014 - Enfantterrible wrote: 90 Points
this is several years from being ready. 48 hours after opening, this was just starting to come around. next bottle in 2018
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9/24/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
Wow, this just keeps better and better. Offering a boatload of fresh, ripe berries, tobacco, truffle, cedar chest, tobacco, espresso and blackberry notes, the wine really delivers the goods. The finish is long, clean, intense and pure. 2 hours of air and it hit the spot.
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9/4/2014 - SonnyChiba wrote: 92 Points
91-92+ pts. This has a lot of potential ahead of it. Still on the young side and also in an awkward state at the moment. But full of interesting black fruit flavours, and great structure. No detailed notes taken, but remember enjoying this one.
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9/3/2014 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Good nose and mouthfeel. Lots of black cherry and dark plum on this one. Lots of life left. Really liked it. Will try again in 1-2 years.
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9/2/2014 - macker100 wrote: 92 Points
Over dinner with friends. Spice, oak, dark raspberries on nose. A bigger style that needs a lot of time in the cellar as it is a bit awkward at present. Still oaky and closed up on day 2 at home.
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9/2/2014 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Dinner with an out of town guest? (Pasha 1604): Tasted blind, I wouldn't have picked Pauillac, perhaps a more modern style, but otherwise a rather young big Bordeaux. A bit more restrained than a tasting 3 years ago
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6/3/2014 - Ericsson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Non carafé, mais ouvert 3 heures avant consommation et bu sur 90 minutes. Toutefois, je pense passer la prochaine bouteille en carafe.
Couleur rubis foncé, moyennement brillante. Nez d'abord retenu, s'ouvrant sur le cassis, puis sur le cèdre, le menthol, le cirage. En bouche, on sent la structure tanique d'abord de manière un peu diffuse, puis de plus en équilibre avec la matière. Il y a de la finesse aussi. La finale est longue, elle s'allonge encore avec le temps.
92 pts pour aujourd'hui mais certainement quelques points de plus à venir, ce qui est fréquent avec GPL.
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5/9/2014 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
Short notes, sorry. YOUNG, barely approachable. Well balanced fruit, tannins, however its youth yielded minimum structure but great promise. Definitely needs long decant if desired to drink now.
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4/20/2014 - alion wrote: 94 Points
Stored in natural cellar. 2 hours air. More advanced than expected. Blackcurrant, black plum, woody spice and violet nose. Dark, firm, powerful on the palate. Dry - evident wood. Finishes long. Needs a year or 2 to come together but this is pretty wonderful already.
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3/12/2014 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
Dinner at Cafe Lyon: The nose has a feeling of both richness and herbal notes. Tobacco, violet, cedar and briar. Palate drops the herbs and shows off plenty of richness along with super refined tannins. Very modern in style with the oak playing a big part, I liked it even still.
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12/2/2013 - jamie24 wrote: 94 Points
very young but with a long decant and from a half bottle i got an insight into the future and it looks very promising. so well balanced and correct. nice fruit/tannin balance. not bad value for a good pauillac from a top vintage. long future ahead.
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11/19/2013 - WDK wrote: 93 Points
Dark ruby/purple. Medium body, black fruit balanced by a firms structure and long finish.
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11/16/2013 - Pebben wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for close to two hours before tasting. Deep garnet core, pink rim. Intriguing bouquet of blackcurrants, dark plums, pencil shavings, menthol, toffee, liquorish, cinnamon stick, damp forest floor and smoky oak. Massive concentration, structure and length. Since I’m the fortunate owner of a full case I couldn’t resist opening a bottle early. Very enjoyable even at this stage, but has the potential to become a superstar. So if you have only one bottle, please follow the excellent advice offered by many other CT community members – let it rest until at least 2020 (94-97 points).
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9/23/2013 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
Iconic wine soiree, 1st quartet round, 4th meeting (at Yagil's): -- double decanted for sediment removal 4 hours before tasting --
(there was lot of hard big solid sediment chinks)
This wine is very good on its own though still young. Some of us thought it was better than the 1998 Mouton Rothschild and the 1997 Lafleur!!!
Needs at least another 5 years before it may enter its prime drinking window. But already very enjoyable. So hold!!!. Stunning wine.
Notes of graphite, earthy crushed rocks, and ample black fruits. Wonderfully structured on the palate, with firm and ripe tannins, good acidity and focus, great balance and depth. Great long enjoyable aftertaste.
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8/31/2013 - Jamie Manley wrote: 96 Points
Had these side by side over 2 nights. First off, let me say that these are 2 fabulous young, repeat YOUNG, Bordeaux. If you have just a few, please let them sleep.
2003 Cos - A little tight on the nose, but it does come around a bit with air. Cassis, graphite, leather, oak, and pencil. The palate definitely has more to offer. A sweet entry with candied cassis, plum, dry earth, and toasty oak is finished with hints of tobacco and pencil. A very nice mouth feel with prominent tannin and more acidity than I expected, given the year. 2003 Cos is a complete winner with nothing but upside. 95 Pts
2005 GPL - A nose that screams Pauillac. Cassis, cherry, briar, menthol, burning embers, and pencil. Rich palate of black cherry, cassis, cigar ash, briar patch, and pencil. Exquisite mouth feel that unfolds like a gentle waterfall. I love this wine and I love GPL in great years....the little train that could! 96+ Pts
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8/18/2013 - DDS wine lover wrote: 92 Points
Drank at Havana in Bar Harbor. Good. Complex. Layers of flavor and structure, but tannins were strong and overwhelming still. Needs more time. Better after opening up. Smokey, blackberry, cherry flavor. Good legs, acidity. Smooth after taste. Not lingering or bitter.
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6/26/2013 - Lord Rayas wrote: 92 Points
Chris bday dinner (Cipriani): opaque and brooding. don't really know how to make of it now, but will no doubt improve vastly. has all the right ingredients but needs 10+ years.
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6/10/2013 - andrewdl wrote: 93 Points
Big, bold and luscious. Layered and complex, this will continue to drink for a number of years.
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6/9/2013 - Jamie Manley wrote: 97 Points
This is such a great wine and still widely available for a very reasonable price. About a year since my last bottle and this shows no sign of shutting down. It is a classic young Pauillac with all of the goods. Aromas of crème de cassis, black cherry, menthol, briar, oak, and pencil. The palate mirrors the nose, but there is a richness of fruit that leads me to believe that this may rival the 82 when it is ready. Beautiful balance and mouth feel make for a very focused wine. Probably 10 to 15 years away at least, this will be a fun one to follow. Load up ladies and gents! 97 Pts.
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4/20/2013 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 96 Points
Purple perfume de cassis explodes from uncorked bottle in this beautifully balanced full-bodied ripe fruited summer flower fabulous finishing with fantastic texture.
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3/16/2013 - Winelover101 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted and drank, continued to improve over the 2+ hours. Very nicely balanced, surprisingly lean for vintage. Nose still dialled way down but nice long finish on the palette. Very enjoyable now and seems like quite a bit of improvement to come.
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2/9/2013 - miadelt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Vertical tasting of GPL, '00 through '05. Poured two hours before tasting. '01 was my favorite, followed by '05 (which may still improve with age), then '00, '03, '04, and '02. All were medium bodied. Tannins were soft. '02 had green flavors.
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12/12/2012 - Jojala Likes this wine: 97 Points
Few Bordeaux with Christian: Sweeter nose compared to SHL and much more tamed, cherry. But what a palate... Impeccable balance, pure velvet, not a blockbuster, will not take heavy food. Wall of tannins is a wrong description, but there is certainly a wave of velvet meeting at the mid-palate and it is a delight. Cassis. At first the wine seemed short compared to the two others, but extended time in glass brought length. The tannins are made of silk, ripe and dense. Will be nice to see how this develops. Much more developed than the Smith Haut Lafitte.
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12/8/2012 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
Fine Bordeaux tasting (Brookline liquor mart): Integrated red fruits, tightly wound, blackberry, slight graphite; well integrated, medium tannins, needs time to develop complexity. Probably in a poor intermediate phase. Do not open now. 91+
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7/28/2012 - grafstrb wrote:
-- double decanted for approx. 1.5 hours before tasting --
-- tasted a couple pours non-blind over approx. 1 hour --
This wine is very good. Very deep and brooding right now, but not closed-off either. Lots of pleasure to be had in tasting this wine's latent potential. Needs at least another 8 years before it *might* be in its prime drink window. Drink or hold. Stunning wine.
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4/26/2012 - RayOB wrote: 94 Points
Goedhius Bordeaux Cru Classe Tasting (Saatchi Gallery): Amazing Pauillac with coffee, liquorice, cherry, cassis and earth on the nose. Complex round mouth with a long length.
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4/21/2012 - djdaqm wrote: 93 Points
Grand-Puy-Lacoste Vertical (Home): Drank as part of a Grand-Puy-Lacoste vertical that included the 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2005. Decanted for 4 hours prior to drinking. Out of the 4 wines, this had the most perfumey and inviting nose and greatest concentration, but still a bit closed/tight, despite the long decant. Good fruit concentration (dark berries, coffee, graphite) and nicely balanced acidity. Tannins are a bit chewy. Will be better with some time to integrate.
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12/9/2011 - St Paul wrote: 94 Points
Wow! This is a power house. Very Pauillac like with animalistic tones and black cherry.
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10/22/2011 - brucef35 wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful wine - sampled over 3.5 hours. It tasted great right out of the bottle - fruit forward but the merlot smoothed it quite nicely.
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9/17/2011 - tbabes wrote: 96 Points
Opened about 2 hours before dinner, and consumed over the subsequent 3 hours. Notes of graphite, crushed rocks, tree bark and oodles of black fruits. Very structured on the palate, with firm (but ripe) tannins, good acidity and focus, and a long finish. At this point, the '05 Grand Puy Lacoste is the essence of ripe black fruits, and has great balance and depth. Has already thrown quite a bit of sediment -- I suspect this will be a monumental wine in 15 years!
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7/23/2011 - Nutty08 wrote: 94 Points
GPL vertical with '96 Pauillacs (Scenic Loop Cafe, San Antonio, TX)): Decanted and returned to bottle 12hrs prior. Much more approachable than expexted. Expressive coffee and cassis nose. High toned and bright red fruit, quite forward at this stage with blackberry, cassis, and cherry. Tannins were present, but ripe and soft. The was a “crystalline” property to the fruit that is similar to ’06 Sassicaia. Finishes long, with a touch of vanilla and flinty/stony quality. Approachable now but primary, this will be a long lasting great Pauillac.
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7/4/2011 - DaddyNeedsPow wrote: 94 Points
Impeccable balance and purity. Clean flavors and LOOOOONG finish. Ultimately, though, it's a wine that didn't excite as much as we'd hoped. But if ever there is a wine to have confidence in for the future, this is it. Already on the second night it's being more of an extrovert. I'm sometimes unsure if I'm smelling the wine or the fiancee's Marc Jacobs fragrance (it IS the wine!). Scored 91 for the first evening and 93 for the second.
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6/16/2011 - tantotinto wrote: 92 Points
Tasted two hours after decanting. Wonderful nose of violets, black currant, mineral and a whiff of cinnamon. Soft cherry and graphite. Fine tannins that outweigh the fruit a bit at this point. More time will take this to a better place but it gives pleasure now. Classically old world in style and very well done. It is still available locally and looking more reasonably priced with each subsequent vintage. Purchasing a few more to put down is definitely in order. My rating reflects where it is today.
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5/27/2011 - Khamen wrote: 94 Points
Had this twice during the week as I enjoyed the tasting at the chateau so much. We also had a bottle with lunch yesterday before heading home. As with the new 2010 there are layers of creamy violets, smoky black fruit and iron ore. Very long and lovely balance. A wonderful Pauillac for the next 20 years.
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5/23/2011 - MattTM wrote:
CellarTracker Bordeaux Trip; 5/23/2011-5/26/2011 (Bordeaux, France): Fantastic nose, flaunting aromas of cassis, graphite, lead pencil, dark dried fruits, violets, cherry, black plum, all wrapped in a suitable amount of oak. Lots of dark plums come across on the palate, followed by cherry, prune, graphite, cigar leaf, and some lead pencil. Full bodied, with medium+ acidity and gripping, chalky tannins. Long finish, ending with notes of cherry and lead pencil shavings. For this being barely over 5 years old, this wasn’t as tightly wound as I expected it to be, and was actually approachable right now. However, there is no denying that many more years in the cellar will serve this well. Very good.
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5/23/2011 - grafstrb wrote: 97 Points
CT Bordeaux Trip 2011 - Day 1 (France, Bordeaux, Pauillac): -- tasted a single pour non-blind over 5 – 10 minutes --
Knee-buckling Nose of raspberry liquer, cinnamon, and a toffee/cognac note. The fruit on this Nose is just dead-sexy. Surprisingly expressive. The palate is similarly stunning, showing ample dark red and purple fruits, juicy acidity, and an ashy minerality; tight on the finish. Possibly my favorite wine of the trip. I now have a need to back-fill on this baby.
B: 50, 5, 14, 19, 9 = 97
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3/23/2011 - blanquito wrote: 95 Points
A bunch of these arrived recently, so I gave a 375ml a test drive. This is a beauty. Such a lovely bouquet, filled with notes of black pepper, campfire smoke, sweet licorice and subtle herbs. Very expressive. It's quite spicy right now with excellent ripeness, a big teeth-staining chewy mid-palate infused with glycerin and length, all married to wonderful freshness and zest. The tannins are ample but soft and ripe. Gregarious at the moment, I expect this will shut down sooner or later, and it's exotic notes will morph into classic tobacco and cedar while eschewing excessive greenery. Tasting akin to spicy syrah for the moment, this is a lush GPL which still retains a weightlessness and class. Easily the best 2005 I've tried yet. 95+ pt potential and delicious today.
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3/8/2011 - dxpian wrote: 93 Points
This is a real pretty wine with nice floral notes. Inky purple and ruby on the color with some garnet hue, deep and clear. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, cassis, and a little bit of strawberry-jam thing going on, but definitely not over-the-top, immersed in a nice bouquet of vanilla latte, cedar, walnut/almond, graphite and wet rock showing great minerality. Medium to full bodied wine with an abundance of blackberry and currant on the attack supported and very well-balanced by a solid structure of big, yet refined tannins and ripe acidity on the middle palate. The finish is long and complex, with plum, cassis, and layers upon layers of other fruit components, balanced with vanilla, cedar and nutty aftertaste. Absolutely loved the wine, and it is only approachable with extended decanting, I'd say 3 to 4 hours. Drinkable now, but this wine will continue to evolve gracefully into the next 20 years or so easy.
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2/20/2011 - ilee wrote: 94 Points
Opened out of curiosity, and poured only after 15 mins in decanter. Colour was dark ruby -- somewhat lighter than expected. Nose was slightly muted but unmistakable Pauillac with telltale notes of cassis, blackcurrant and lead pencil shavings. Precise, pure and with terrific balance of fruit and tannin, the 2005 GPL is surprisingly approachable for a wine its age; in this regard, it is streets ahead of the 2006. Medium-bodied but with a plump and round core of black fruits in the mid palate, this wine has enough legs to carry it far. Terrific long finish featuring yet more blackcurrants. Considering the vintage, prices are still very reasonable -- I could definitely drink a lot of this over the next few decades
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2/17/2011 - St Paul wrote: 92 Points
Deep nice fruit but still a child....I am going to enjoy this much more in 3-5 years time
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1/9/2011 - MarkMich wrote: 93 Points
Supriseingly open upon popping. Decanted for 4 plus hours and served with grilled steak. Classic pauillac nose of red fruit, graphite and a hint of anise. Red fruit, lead and some pepper on the palate. Certainaly a little tannic but not overwhelming. This is going to be a beautiful wine some day.
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9/27/2010 - tsmathiesen wrote: 85 Points
This is still quite young - purple but light / thin in color, medium body is under-developed, decanter time had little effect, tastes are pleasing but not ready for primetime. Had to try this early just for education, to see where we were.
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8/16/2010 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
A bit disappointed in this, but it may just need a lot more time to show it's stuff. I just recently had the '05 Clerc Milon, which I preferred (or maybe it's just more ready to drink now).
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12/30/2009 - SimonH wrote: 85 Points
Nice bright wine with great length that drank well on Christmas day. However it was ultimately disappointing for a 2005. I was expecting a much greater concentration of fruit and complexity on nose and palette despite 2h of decanting. Having paid over $100 for this wine I will not be buying any more
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11/21/2009 - tbabes wrote: 94 Points
I knew this was infanticide going in, but with 2+ cases in the cellar, I thought it would be educational. Popped and poured. A dark purple core with pink overtones; obviously very youthful appearance. Notes of black currants, lilly and crushed stones. Medium-bodied, with good acidity and ripe tannins; perfect balance. Nice focus on the finish; this one will certainly age and improve for years. Slight preference for the 2000 at a similar age.
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9/16/2009 - Purple Grillz wrote: 82 Points
There is a nose of animal fur, old wood and old plumbing. Color was appropriate to watered down flavors of apple skins, green strawberries, and municipal water fountain. There are some pencil shavings and graphite but that is about the only thing holding this up. I guess this is how you get a wine to last 40+ years, you get it as close to mineral water as you can. What a joke.
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6/30/2009 - DemeesterWim wrote: 93 Points
Excellent equilibrium, a nice classic pauillac style ! This wine drinks good now but can last a long time. Just lovely.
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6/20/2009 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
This is deep ruby with purple accents. Dark berries, oak and cassis strut their stuff in the nose. This concentrated, deep, full bodied wine is in the process of closing down. In the mouth, a blast of licorice tinged, blackberries with polished tannins is found in the long finish.
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3/20/2009 - plhew wrote: 93 Points
Very very closed upon opening and we drank it too fast, but see where it really has potential with time. Do not open another for min 3 years
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12/2/2008 - MRichman wrote:
2005 Horizontal (North Square, NYC): Classic Pauillac. Dense fruit, muscular, herbal. Classy profile with some notes of coffee.
B++
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12/2/2008 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 88 Points
2005 Bordeaux Test Drive (North Square): Bright, ripe, red cherry fruit but not jammy. Definitely sweet but not over the top. Has a touch of the usual Pauillac graphite and shows its oak on the finish, but there's good suppleness here and more of the fruit peeking through than most of the other wines today.
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10/15/2008 - Kirk Grant wrote:
With a wonderful presence of subtle smoke, strong scents of graphite, black fruits, and well integrated wood this was lovely to smell. In the mouth this was very tight but showed lovely blue & black fruits. This will be an outstanding wine given the time in the cellar that it deserves.
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10/15/2008 - cgrimes wrote: 93 Points
Dark ruby color, almost purple. Nose of violets, dark fruits, cassis, some tobacco, smoke. Similar palate with dense fruit, some minerality, strong, mouth-coating tannins. Very primary now but this will be a beauty. Was WOTN along with the Pichon Lalande.
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9/13/2008 - tefus wrote: 97 Points
Phenomenal, dark ruby red, decanted for four hours, tight nose, flavors of graphite, pencil shavings, and sweet cherries, thick tannins, refreshing acidity, 40 second finish. Needs much more time, but is exceptionally good right now. Might be a 100 points with time.
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1/13/2008 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine:
A wine which I buy regularly for its moderate prices (in an expensive high-end Bordeaux sense) and fine expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, in a robust Pauillac fashion, was very good. A subtle nose of licorice and a hint of cocoa on the finish, like a mini Latour. I thought I detected a bit of alcoholic heat, but the second nose of flowers gave this wine a fresh lift as well. Overall, a very nice GPL with a typical blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot. 91-93+. Barrel tasting.
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4/10/2006 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 92 Points
BORDEAUX 2005 / Cabernet rules; 4/5/2006-4/10/2006 (Bordeaux): a wine which I buy regularly for its moderate prices (in an expensive high-end Bordeaux sense) and fine expression of Cabernet Sauvignon, in a robust Pauillac fashion, was very good. A subtle nose of licorice and a hint of cocoa on the finish, like a mini Latour. I thought I detected a bit of alcoholic heat, but the second nose of flowers gave this wine a fresh lift as well. Overall, a very nice GPL with a typical blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot. 91-93+
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