Dark plum and light oak aromas, with similar taste and resolved tannins after several hour slow ox. Slightly overextracted, but the mild spiciness would go great with dry rub ribs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This was actually very good. It is finally balanced with currants, plum and toast notes, full bodied, dark, smooth and tannins are soft. Did aerate and decant. Initially was still a bit closed but opened up nicely after 2 hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark crimson. Plummy, ripe blackberry and cassis with a little sage and cedar on the nose; savory flavors really come through on the palate. Round and soft; tannins have completely resolved, making for a long silky finish. Pleasurable quaff at a terrific price. Enjoyed with NY strip. Probably not much left to happen from here, so would drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Splash decanted and tasted over 2 hours. Dark crimson with rose-colored meniscus. Blue-purple fruits (Prune, blueberry), creosote, lead pencil on the nose; disappointingly sour on the palate - black cherry, brett. Surprisingly short, dry finish. Day 2: This really needed a longer decant! Full and flavorful on the nose and palate. Sour flavors resolved and dryness has disappeared. More like a Pessac-Leognan in its current state, with rich black fruits and a round and flinty finish. Great QPR!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Community score of 88?! Not for me. This was such a pleasant surprise. Decanted but got impatient and drank after ~15 minutes. Very smooth. Went from good to excellent over the course of the meal. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I felt this held surprisingly well. With air, nice aromas of blackcurrant, prunes, and earth. Med-full on the palate, with fruit still present but well resolved; just a nice, aged, value Bordeaux.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow. What a disappointment. Nice color saturation. Wine was a deep purple almost leaning towards black. Bretty nose lead to more of the same on the palate. No mid palate and short on the finish. A real piece of crap or a highly flawed example.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine has come around adding secondary notes and gaining complexity. The tannins are refined and I don't think it is going to get any better. I've had two bottles recently that have been consistent.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour, drank in glass over a couple hours. This seemed nice enough, it still had some tannin. However, not much fruit is left. It makes me think it would have been better a couple years ago when there was still some fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This has been a "go-to-house-Bordeaux" for several years. Last night still showing very well. But lost all its drinkability today. Drink up, friends, the end is nigh!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Full body, very dark, deep purple almost black in color. Tastes primarily of currants and stewed prunes with some burnt toast. Finishes with drying tannins. Well structured but one dimensional. Maybe better in a couple more years to soften the tannins some but not sure of any changes to the flavor profile. More a food wine, with heavy grilled meats.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
At home with basic steaks and potatoes. Decanted for an hour, drank over 2 hours. Last bottle of this vintage.
Medium purple color, mild bricking at the edges but still strong core color. Dark and red fruits on the nose, floral and BdX graphite notes
Consistent with prior notes: "Palate of red fruits, plums, cherry liqueur, earth, bitter/dark chocolate, pencil/graphite. Opulent for a Bordeaux, very fruit forward despite the Bordeaux profile."
In a good spot now, should hold but no reason to wait, don't think this will improve much. Very nice wine and great QPR
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Some oxed, for 6 hours. Still needed almost an hour to blow of farmyard stench. Decent but low acid Merlot and Cabernet stewed fruits underneath. Drinkable with the right meal. Better alone in turkey day or with charcuterie.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
After open for a while, still slightly dusty and mushroom on the nose. Tannins definitely present, with dark fruits, leather, oak. Medium/short finish. Benefits from decanting; needs food.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drink this wine!! wait an hour after opening for it to come together. This not Petrus but drinks nice. Very soft but still tannins and fleshy If you have a bottle drink it, I would not buy anymore
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted 30 minutes before service. In the glass, somewhere between red, violet, and auburn, dark and saturated. On the nose, plums, graphite, and coffee grounds. On the palate, reticent fruit and a somewhat rough texture coupled with the first hints of aging, and secondary notes of coffee, dark chocolate, and tobacco. Pretty nice QPR from a good Bdx vintage. If I had a case, I'd drink 10 of these over the next year, and save a couple more for the next 3-5 just to see what happens. Not out of the question that this is still a little shy of its peak.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Again rated 88 points. Michel Rolland influence is evident in this big, purple, chewy red. Modern styled that has lots of tar and minerality if drank upon uncorking. With air, this integrates a bit, the tannins remain present but take a back seat to a balanced wine that has lots of ripe dark blue and blackberry fruit notes, subtle leather notes, with a drying coarse finish. Has some years left in it.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Reignac is a perennial favorite in my household. Lovely Bordeaux Supérieur quality and character for less than $15 per bottle. Any night of the week, it's like making a visit to a wine chateau in France. James Suckling noted that there is an unexpected note of tangerine -- which there is! -- together with the terroir and mocha tannins I do expect from a fine Bordeaux. Magnifique!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened even later in the night! This could use a little air time before tasting. I liked the old world profile of this. There's not a lot of fruit to be found in here but it's very enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The 2005 is fully rendered at this time. Looking back, was it worth the wait for futures to come in on the high tide? Yes and no. Here is a worthy wine at a very affordable price that held up well. But nothing magic. There are others just as good at even more favorable prices. The mystique of 2005 is out there somewhere, but the year allowed many average wines to rise above the common place if only for a season.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Filtered into decanter. Bit of sediment. Poured back into bottle for transport. Open to air 6 hours. Mocha, dark cherry, plum. Some herb and mushroom with a little earth. Tannins were gripping in this bottle. Acidity medium. Merlot is very prominent. Good QPR
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is borderline undrinkable tonight. Overripe stewed fruits, super plummy and pruny plus a tad hot. Lots of sediment and showing premature aging. I think this bottle is flawed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Getting very nice. Best one day one, where the fruit forward dark fruit seemed best with decent tannin/acids and tertiary starting to develop of tomato vine, and cucumber, but just bits of these with the earthiness. Day 2 the acids and tannin seemed almost non-existent, but still palatable. I expect this will be good for a few more years, but clearly a Bourgeois as opposed to one of the classified growths or even the better Bourgeois superior, like La Tour De Mons.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Solid. This is very fruit forward with the merlot fruit dominating. Not as much structure or tannin as three years ago and this seems to be at peak. It might stay in this place another couple of years, but I would definitely drink up in the near term. Very good now, but not for the long haul.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At home with a nice dinner, shrimp/prosciutto with pesto and red pepper rice. Gave this an hour decant, opened up, not needing more time to show.
Haven't had this one in a few years, a great taste per dollar choice. Medium purple color to the rim...rich nose of red fruits, plums, floral. Really nice on the decant.
Medium weight, tannins still pretty rustic. Palate of red fruits, plums, cherry liqueur, earth, bitter/dark chocolate, pencil/graphite. Opulent for a Bordeaux, very fruit forward despite the Bordeaux profile.
in a good spot, should hold based on tannins alone. Drink now or over next 5-7 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Corked. Second bottle of this producer that I've had that has been corked. Other was a 2003. Does not seem to be temperature or storage related but rather taint.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely nose of rich plum fruit with lots of earth and mushroom hints, more of the same on the palate, wished that I paired it with a steak and sautéed mushrooms, more of the same on the palate, very earthy, at its best, drink up, medium/big body, and a medium/long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of mocha chocolate, dark plum and cherry fruit, with hints of herbs, more of the same on the palate with lots of intense mouth filling flavors, smooth, ready to enjoy, at tis peak, easy to drink without food, medium body, and a medium/long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very tight and unyielding still. Requires a double decant and an hour of air to start to open. Great for the price, but I'd wait until 2018 to try it again.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnVnD let air for 2hrs. Drank half the bottle over the next three. Dense purple with rim that goes from crimson to clear. Cassis plum and pencil shavings on the nose with a whiff of clay. Medium weight with slightly rough tannins. Cassis blackberry coffee and bitter chocolate touch of cranberry and earth on the clean finish. A bit young and slightly disjointed. Better with food (duck confit tonight).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow, this is a big dark purple, modern bordeaux wine. Very ripe fruit, blackberries, blueberries and plum on a heavy full bodied frame. Very tannic for the first 60mins but then evolves into a new world version of bordeaux. A touch of oak, but balanced despite its opulence as it also has a bit of acidity that makes it enjoyable.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Sweet, smooth, extremely well balanced. A hint of cigar, burnt blackberry, pencil shavings, burnt cherry, and a very small hint of dried wasabi. Still a bit tannic. But will be drinking nicely for several more years. Drink now if you must, or hold for 3-4 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened at Yan's China Bistro with fish filet in black bean sauce, the bright plum color of the wine in the glass showed promise and it delivered large amounts of mocha chocolate, with hints of herbs and dark cherry fruit on the nose, more of the same on the palate with lots of intense mouth filling flavors that matched the dish very well, easy to drink, medium/long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
At seven years old, Dark purple, very opaque, dense and glass staining. This is big, almost chewy and muscular, not as much fruit but rather minerality and some tar. Lots of fine sediment which give it a gravelly/coarse texture. Make sure you do two things; stand this one up and pair it with a steak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Garnet in color, tobacco, cherry, pepper, vanilla/oak, and currant on nose. Not strong in terms of flavor, tannic, but not too overpowering. Full bodied, medium-medium long finish with some fruit and cherry at the end. Balanced, no heat, good quality to price. A good candidate for steak accompaniment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped 1 hour before first pour, consumed over 3 hours. Nose: Medium expressiveness, dark florals, smoke, menthol, tobacco, dark fruit - black berry and cassis and a hint of barnyard. Palate: Medium bodied, smoked dark fruit up front, holds up well through the mid-palate to the back-end with a tannic grip yet indicating this wine needs a few more years before peaking. Finish: Medium-plus length of slightly tart dark fruit - really good stuff, well worth the $15 tariff..
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
decanted for three hours, tasting throughout. A very high quality, low cost Bordeaux. Blackberries and cassis were foremost immediately upon opening. Later, cigar box and dried tobacco become more obvious. Strong acid and firm tannins. This wine is tasty now and I expect it has plenty of life in it.
edit: seeing my last note a month ago, I must wonder about either bottle variation, as this bottle is far more lively than the previous...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
NC Tasting 09 June 2012 JohnR's New House (JohnR's New House Wake Forest): Clean red fruits on the nose with hints of cedar, spice, and brown sugar notes. The palate is still very tannic, definitely tooth-coating, with red fruit and some earth starting to emerge. Still needs some time but I think it has potential for the tannins to drop and eventually reveal the clean, bright red fruit. At $20 / bottle its a great value now but will be a steal in a few years when it all comes together. WK Ratings- Style & Quality: B+, Value: A, Overall A-.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not complex but is a well made wine that has a body and weight to it that reflects the quality of the 2005 vintage. Tannins are still a touch raw but there is sufficient fruit to mean that this should continue to develop over the next year or two. Pretty good stuff considering the £6 price tag.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Well, 3 years later and although it is not "fantastic" it is definitely better. The tasting notes from 2008 are consistent with the wine now, but they have in fact mellowed and improved. There is still a nice musty, forest nose, but now there are fruit undertones as well. The tannins have resolved nicely. Enjoyable bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pop and pour ... Deep red/purple in color with a lovely, fruit forward nose. Sour cherry on the palate, well balanced by a big hit of acid and a firm tannic backbone. This was a very good wine, that I found a tad over-priced for what it is. Well-made, but not terribly complex or interesting. It struck me as a very nice everyday drinker that I would have been excited to find in the $20 range. At $10/bottle higher than that I thought it underperformed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Pencil lead, dirt and bit too much oak jump out, nice solid fruit darker types, solid tannins. This wine has to be decanted, not pop and pour. Great food wine. I get a kick out all the notes and serious tasting thoughts put into an under 20 bottle of wine. With that, where do you find a more solid bottle of merlot in the US. Not happening for this price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wonderful dark colour, fruity with a bitter ending which was less noticable with food. Still quite tannic so will wait another year or two before opening another bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank this again at a dinner tasting. Fruit and acidity is integrating more to create a well structured wine. Decant if you drink now or hold for a little longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aerated and then decanted to take some of the tannic edges off this big beast of a 2005 Bordeaux. Dark purple in color. This is 75% merlot and 25% cabernet and does drink like a merlot. Sweet berry liqueur notes, but it also has some earthy complexity to it as well. Really exciting stuff at $15/bottle. 89-91.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Opened and the nose was fantastic right away. That was the best part unfortuneatly, this was very tannic and tiring to drink. Very dark and full bodied. On day two the tannins barely faded but the fruit did. Not sure if this just needs more age or if it's too unbalanced to ever be good.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
OK, first, before you read on, this wine is terrible and if you think otherwise, we just don't taste palate to palate. This is everything I hate about the Parkerization of wine (though the French didn't necessarily need Parker to arrive at this). Let me back up a bit. Almost pitch black in color. Are we in Cahors? No. So where does this come from? Next, first whiff, slightly stewed dark fruit, followed by oak and alcohol. Are we in California? No. Finally, here we go. Thick overripe flavors of blurry casss lead into a wall of green off-kilter disjointed nasty tannins that say "overextract much?" Then the alcohol heat comes through finally trailing into a clipped cliche of bordeaux. More cassis, pencil shavings, yada yada yada. And you smack your lips and purse and just try to imagine that there is some acidity to bring this mess together. Well there is just a touch. Not enough to bring it together, mind you. But at least for that brief second you know you aren't in the new world. That and this isn't overwhelmingly oaky--though it is oakier than I would like. So I would drink this over Silver Oak any day. But I'd rather have my eyeball pulled out with a dull corkscrew than drink Silver Oak so that should tell you something. This is Bordeaux superieur. Why not simple supple fruit with a solid but not impenetrable structure and some nice finishing acidity. You know, winter stew wine. For things and people that try to act above their capabilities, there exists the following expression in French: "Ca pete plus haut que son cul" Literally, and yes, rather oddly, "it farts higher than its a$$". And when that happens, everybody loses. And that is exactly what this wine is doing...trying to be a grand crus. I had this wine in the early part of the decade (though it was never my favorite) and you could drink it. Not anymore. Thought you might like my "humble" opinion.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Palate: Initial PoP and drank over the span of 2 hours. To start, some tannins pronounced on the front of the palate that died off quickly. Over the 2 hours, the tannins mellowed and out came dark, black cherry and a hint of smoked peppers. Not sure this has the body to stand up to a whole lot more aging, but should get better for the next 3 - 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of spice, ripe fruit, gravel and cigar. On the palate spice, raspberries, minerals, cigar and mint. Medium finish and drinking well over all. For under $20 a real steal.
Four days later: Cigar, raspberry, floral, and spice. The palate is wonderful with spices, cherry, floral, oak and vanilla. This is a wonderful wine for the money. Highly recommended 05.
Nose: dark fruit, black licorice, dried cranberry Taste: initially strong tannins dark fruit, after 40 minutes mellows to nice dark fruit and dried cranberry
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Another great find in my year-long search for great Bordeaux values! Thanks again to Cory. The 2005 Château de Reignac has dark ruby color and a purple hue, exhibiting excellent finesse and elegance. With inky legs that can stain the glass, this wine is completely opaque in the center. An overall nose of meat and manure shows blackberry and ripe cherry aromas and lots of mineral, coffee bean, chocolate, new oak and a nutty character such as almond and cashew. I do get a little bit of vegetal notes as well, almost like Brussels sprouts. With aeration, it releases some cedar, licorice, leather components at the same time. Excitingly complex nose translates into a medium- to full-bodied wine. There's a ton of blackberry and very ripe plum on the attack with a touch of interesting citrus/orange note coming through, which is very well balanced with some velvety and chewy tannins. Great structure and very well rounded. Long finish that is also fruity and silky. I am speechless after this tasting... Never thought of a generic Bordeaux that can present such high level of complexity and sophistication. I agree with Parker, this wine certainly rivals with some of the higher classified growths, hands down! 90 points PLUS. This wine will age very well and continue to evolve and show some monstrous characters, and my score is about to increase with some time in the cellar. Best after 2012.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Please note.... This was an experiment done on suspected heat-damaged wine. This is NOT a review of a well-kept Chateau de Reignac.
Popped and poured at about 60 deg. Initial nose of stewed and rotting fruit. As mentioned by Otto, it does smell cooked (over a slow fire, fueled by rotting fruit). Interesting taste. It's a sour-tannic monster that does a pretty good job of hiding the cooked fruit. It doesn't taste real bad...... nevermind... yes it does. It's bad. I think that given time, once the tannins mellow, you'll be left with a bottle of liquid, rotted fruit. Down the drain it goes. My wife thinks that I'm trying to kill her, and this wine is proof.
Consumed over 2 days. Nose: On first day initially showed gamey and earthiness with dark fruit - black berry and black currant. Second day - gaminess gone, dark fruit more dominate with licorice aromas. Palate: Full bodied, little fruit - what does show is under-ripe dark fruit - pretty tart. Finish: Lengthy - dominated by tartness, but still enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not sure why, but I just pulled this from the cellar on whim. I wish I would have read the other notes first. Decanted one hour but still tannic and astringent. Acidity is good and there are some dark fruits waiting in the wings but just not ready yet. Wait a few years for the balance on this one, wish I did.
This one was a bit disappointing; very generic merlot-based budget bordeaux. Flavors are mild red berry, framed by some vanilla oak. Round but lacks excitement.
As others have said, this needs more time but if opened needs a decant and a couple hours. Once done I got dark, rich, ripe fruit on the nose and a palate of dark cherry, some earth and a touch of citrus. Very enjoyable and makes me want to seek out other '05 Bordeaux.
one glass first night. oof this was rough, little taste, astringent, little nose. Night two after settling in the cellar, was a significant improvement. dark purple/black in the glass. Plenty of pencil and cedar on the nose, more tannic and desiccating on the palate, but even that settled with additional airtime. All in a significant recovery, will want to wait a few years before opening again. I'm not disappointed. Had with spicy paprika chicken.
Normally would have waited on this one but Cellar Tracker placed ONE on the drinkability report so here we go. Great nose and rich flavor. first sip we could tell it needed air and probably more time in the jug. we'll wait 3+ years for the rest of these to get better. All in all a wonderful wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Don't know about this one .. at times showed very nice as if it had potential but would just close up just as fast leaving just about nothing but a bland wine. Time will tell .. would say at least another 3 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I don't drink much Bordeaux, but I was pleased with this bottle, which opened up nicely with moderate airtime. Great QPR here. I found coffee, plum, black fruit, and a bit of cedar. Excellent length, with just enough tannic grip after the decant to carry everything forward without wiping out my palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very nice bordeaux that needs lots of decanting but nice full flavors with big tannins. Raspberry, damson, blackberry, and a bit of cedar. Needs lots of air of course but very consumable for a 2005
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine at this price is proof that the 2005 Bordeaux vintage is something special. Decanted for just under two hours and gave it a go. It was a medium purple with hints of ruby and the nose revealed some smoke, florals, plums and earth. The flavor profile was rather unique in that it had some things you might expect such as plums, dark cherries, dark fruit and some coffee bean but it also had a very interesting citrus element. I have never experienced citrus in a bordeaux and it really rounded out the flavor profile with an interesting twist. I would not call this wine full bodied but it was a notch or two above medium bodied. Some nice acidity was present to balance out an abundance of fruit but the tannins were a bit rough for me making it a bit out of balance. This may be a different story with another hour or two of air time. The finish was medium to long with residual flavors of dark fruits, coffee bean and tobacco lingering. I am not entirely sure this one is open for business just yet but it is very good. Another few years of bottle age will serve this well. 50+5+12+15+6=88 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consumed over 2 days. First day: Nose - tight, violets, black currant. Palate - Dark fruit with some vegetables on the back end of the finish - 15 to 20 seconds. Second day: Nose - Violets penetrating the room, tightness gone. Palate - Fruit still there, vegetable flavors even stronger at the back end - not in a bad way though. Nice wine - didn't disappoint at all.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Damp forest nose. Dark red color and good minerality with subdued red fruit. Very tannic at first but opens up with a couple of hours in the decanter. Nice wine now; it should be fantastic with some bottle time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I really enjoyed this -- for me it was a classic bordeaux smell and taste, though it was tasted against a Cali Zin. The quality of this makes me excited for other 05 Bordeaux.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Admittedly, we do not buy a lot of bordeaux wines but given the press on 2005, we selected several to try. I wanted to attempt one now and hold another bottle of this moderately priced, but quality vintner. I cannot see how anyone would find this appealing at this juncture. Heavy tannins mask the fruit. We let it decant for 2 hours but still only slightly better results. It is a beautiful dark red color and I would certainly give it a shot--in 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow....I guess 2005 Bordeaux is a big thing. I am impressed with this great bottle. Very tannic...needs a couple hours open....displays powerful yet soft qualities of flowers, berries, vanilla...great mouthfeel once its aired out. Should improve with time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
3/16/2023 - bcg14 wrote: 90 Points
Dark plum and light oak aromas, with similar taste and resolved tannins after several hour slow ox. Slightly overextracted, but the mild spiciness would go great with dry rub ribs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2023 - Kentw wrote: 90 Points
This was actually very good. It is finally balanced with currants, plum and toast notes, full bodied, dark, smooth and tannins are soft. Did aerate and decant. Initially was still a bit closed but opened up nicely after 2 hours.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/11/2022 - sbfoote wrote: 85 Points
Last one. This one is dried out and not nearly as good as it used to be.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/25/2020 - dave kammerer wrote: 85 Points
past its prime
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2020 - vino_per_tutti Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark crimson. Plummy, ripe blackberry and cassis with a little sage and cedar on the nose; savory flavors really come through on the palate. Round and soft; tannins have completely resolved, making for a long silky finish. Pleasurable quaff at a terrific price. Enjoyed with NY strip. Probably not much left to happen from here, so would drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2020 - df1962 wrote: 91 Points
PnD let air for 2hrs.
Fresh vibrant with great balance.
Great fruit with cassis plum and blackberry on the nose and palate. Nice tertiary elements of sage cigar box and leather.
This is in a great zone right now. A revelation of the agebility of minor Bdx in a great vintage and how it improves.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/1/2020 - vino_per_tutti wrote: 90 Points
Splash decanted and tasted over 2 hours. Dark crimson with rose-colored meniscus. Blue-purple fruits (Prune, blueberry), creosote, lead pencil on the nose; disappointingly sour on the palate - black cherry, brett. Surprisingly short, dry finish.
Day 2: This really needed a longer decant! Full and flavorful on the nose and palate. Sour flavors resolved and dryness has disappeared. More like a Pessac-Leognan in its current state, with rich black fruits and a round and flinty finish. Great QPR!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2019 - William J. Le Petomane Likes this wine: 95 Points
Community score of 88?! Not for me. This was such a pleasant surprise. Decanted but got impatient and drank after ~15 minutes. Very smooth. Went from good to excellent over the course of the meal. Drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/23/2019 - guitarguy wrote: 89 Points
Blueberry, ash and currant in the nose with peppery blueberry, leather and zoo notes. Pretty good but drink now.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/28/2018 - mats13 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark plummy purple. A little short, but very chewy and enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/24/2018 - mats13 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Rich opaque purple. Dark fruit, some graphite on nose and palate, though rather short.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2018 - JuliannaDHS Likes this wine: 87 Points
Super dry with just a hint of dark plum. Still enjoyable, but definitely needs food to show at its best. Paired well with a chicken sausage pizza.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2017 - bigredPA Likes this wine: 89 Points
I felt this held surprisingly well. With air, nice aromas of blackcurrant, prunes, and earth. Med-full on the palate, with fruit still present but well resolved; just a nice, aged, value Bordeaux.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/23/2017 - Deryl Does not like this wine:
Cannot rate. Way over the hill.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2016 - Barakahn Does not like this wine: 85 Points
out of balance. obfuscated nose. what little fruit is left is overpowered by tannin. short finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/4/2016 - JMazen wrote: 78 Points
Wow. What a disappointment. Nice color saturation. Wine was a deep purple almost leaning towards black. Bretty nose lead to more of the same on the palate. No mid palate and short on the finish. A real piece of crap or a highly flawed example.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/2/2016 - aaronwine Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine has come around adding secondary notes and gaining complexity. The tannins are refined and I don't think it is going to get any better. I've had two bottles recently that have been consistent.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2016 - galewskj wrote: 88 Points
Pop and pour, drank in glass over a couple hours. This seemed nice enough, it still had some tannin. However, not much fruit is left. It makes me think it would have been better a couple years ago when there was still some fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/11/2016 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 88 Points
This has been a "go-to-house-Bordeaux" for several years. Last night still showing very well. But lost all its drinkability today. Drink up, friends, the end is nigh!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/19/2016 - Kentw wrote: 88 Points
Full body, very dark, deep purple almost black in color. Tastes primarily of currants and stewed prunes with some burnt toast. Finishes with drying tannins. Well structured but one dimensional. Maybe better in a couple more years to soften the tannins some but not sure of any changes to the flavor profile. More a food wine, with heavy grilled meats.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/12/2016 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 90 Points
Delicious! Enjoyed with Kate and Jan. Kate described it as "complex, earthy, and irresistible." Perfect combination.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/12/2015 - walkerjfw wrote: 89 Points
At home with basic steaks and potatoes. Decanted for an hour, drank over 2 hours. Last bottle of this vintage.
Medium purple color, mild bricking at the edges but still strong core color. Dark and red fruits on the nose, floral and BdX graphite notes
Consistent with prior notes: "Palate of red fruits, plums, cherry liqueur, earth, bitter/dark chocolate, pencil/graphite. Opulent for a Bordeaux, very fruit forward despite the Bordeaux profile."
In a good spot now, should hold but no reason to wait, don't think this will improve much. Very nice wine and great QPR
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2015 - Champagneinhand wrote: 89 Points
Similar to the bottle drunk at the same time. Consistent but wouldn't want to hold much longer. 10 years is plenty on the BS.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/26/2015 - Champagneinhand wrote: 89 Points
Some oxed, for 6 hours. Still needed almost an hour to blow of farmyard stench. Decent but low acid Merlot and Cabernet stewed fruits underneath. Drinkable with the right meal. Better alone in turkey day or with charcuterie.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2015 - k-dubious Likes this wine: 88 Points
After open for a while, still slightly dusty and mushroom on the nose. Tannins definitely present, with dark fruits, leather, oak. Medium/short finish. Benefits from decanting; needs food.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/24/2015 - Thad wrote: 85 Points
Drink this wine!! wait an hour after opening for it to come together.
This not Petrus but drinks nice. Very soft but still tannins and fleshy
If you have a bottle drink it, I would not buy anymore
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2015 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 90 Points
Superb Bordeaux, at an exceptional value. Every time I open a bottle to enjoy its delights, I only wish I'd bought even more.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2015 - jshufelt wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 30 minutes before service. In the glass, somewhere between red, violet, and auburn, dark and saturated. On the nose, plums, graphite, and coffee grounds. On the palate, reticent fruit and a somewhat rough texture coupled with the first hints of aging, and secondary notes of coffee, dark chocolate, and tobacco. Pretty nice QPR from a good Bdx vintage. If I had a case, I'd drink 10 of these over the next year, and save a couple more for the next 3-5 just to see what happens. Not out of the question that this is still a little shy of its peak.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/24/2015 - Merengue wrote: 88 Points
Again rated 88 points. Michel Rolland influence is evident in this big, purple, chewy red. Modern styled that has lots of tar and minerality if drank upon uncorking. With air, this integrates a bit, the tannins remain present but take a back seat to a balanced wine that has lots of ripe dark blue and blackberry fruit notes, subtle leather notes, with a drying coarse finish. Has some years left in it.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/7/2015 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 90 Points
Beautiful Bordeaux, drinking like a dream come true right now.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2014 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 90 Points
From France to Fairfield, spreading Christmas joy to the BoBoBoBoJo's. Glorious, flavorful, rich, rewarding, fine Bordeaux.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2014 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 90 Points
Reignac is a perennial favorite in my household. Lovely Bordeaux Supérieur quality and character for less than $15 per bottle. Any night of the week, it's like making a visit to a wine chateau in France. James Suckling noted that there is an unexpected note of tangerine -- which there is! -- together with the terroir and mocha tannins I do expect from a fine Bordeaux. Magnifique!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/19/2014 - JuliannaDHS wrote: 88 Points
Opened even later in the night! This could use a little air time before tasting. I liked the old world profile of this. There's not a lot of fruit to be found in here but it's very enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/14/2014 - Kusian Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still has good fruit. Drinking very well now. Well balanced.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/10/2014 - BigGer Likes this wine: 90 Points
The 2005 is fully rendered at this time. Looking back, was it worth the wait for futures to come in on the high tide? Yes and no. Here is a worthy wine at a very affordable price that held up well. But nothing magic. There are others just as good at even more favorable prices. The mystique of 2005 is out there somewhere, but the year allowed many average wines to rise above the common place if only for a season.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2014 - kcsteve Likes this wine: 89 Points
Filtered into decanter. Bit of sediment. Poured back into bottle for transport. Open to air 6 hours. Mocha, dark cherry, plum. Some herb and mushroom with a little earth. Tannins were gripping in this bottle. Acidity medium. Merlot is very prominent. Good QPR
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/15/2014 - Merengue wrote: flawed
This is borderline undrinkable tonight. Overripe stewed fruits, super plummy and pruny plus a tad hot. Lots of sediment and showing premature aging. I think this bottle is flawed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/15/2014 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine: 89 Points
Getting very nice. Best one day one, where the fruit forward dark fruit seemed best with decent tannin/acids and tertiary starting to develop of tomato vine, and cucumber, but just bits of these with the earthiness. Day 2 the acids and tannin seemed almost non-existent, but still palatable. I expect this will be good for a few more years, but clearly a Bourgeois as opposed to one of the classified growths or even the better Bourgeois superior, like La Tour De Mons.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/19/2014 - Matt T wrote: 90 Points
Solid. This is very fruit forward with the merlot fruit dominating. Not as much structure or tannin as three years ago and this seems to be at peak. It might stay in this place another couple of years, but I would definitely drink up in the near term. Very good now, but not for the long haul.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/18/2014 - Don and Pam Likes this wine: 89 Points
expecting a bit more excitement from this one.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 89 Points
At home with a nice dinner, shrimp/prosciutto with pesto and red pepper rice. Gave this an hour decant, opened up, not needing more time to show.
Haven't had this one in a few years, a great taste per dollar choice. Medium purple color to the rim...rich nose of red fruits, plums, floral. Really nice on the decant.
Medium weight, tannins still pretty rustic. Palate of red fruits, plums, cherry liqueur, earth, bitter/dark chocolate, pencil/graphite. Opulent for a Bordeaux, very fruit forward despite the Bordeaux profile.
in a good spot, should hold based on tannins alone. Drink now or over next 5-7 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/4/2014 - aaronwine wrote: flawed
Corked. Second bottle of this producer that I've had that has been corked. Other was a 2003. Does not seem to be temperature or storage related but rather taint.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2014 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
Lovely nose of rich plum fruit with lots of earth and mushroom hints, more of the same on the palate, wished that I paired it with a steak and sautéed mushrooms, more of the same on the palate, very earthy, at its best, drink up, medium/big body, and a medium/long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2014 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose of mocha chocolate, dark plum and cherry fruit, with hints of herbs, more of the same on the palate with lots of intense mouth filling flavors, smooth, ready to enjoy, at tis peak, easy to drink without food, medium body, and a medium/long finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2014 - jdoakpark wrote: 90 Points
Big and bold...nice
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2013 - Deryl Likes this wine: 90 Points
Well made, very competent effort. A little young. Does need some air time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/5/2013 - salcorn Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very tight and unyielding still. Requires a double decant and an hour of air to start to open. Great for the price, but I'd wait until 2018 to try it again.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2013 - df1962 wrote: 89 Points
PnVnD let air for 2hrs. Drank half the bottle over the next three. Dense purple with rim that goes from crimson to clear. Cassis plum and pencil shavings on the nose with a whiff of clay. Medium weight with slightly rough tannins. Cassis blackberry coffee and bitter chocolate touch of cranberry and earth on the clean finish. A bit young and slightly disjointed. Better with food (duck confit tonight).
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/14/2013 - Merengue wrote: 88 Points
Wow, this is a big dark purple, modern bordeaux wine. Very ripe fruit, blackberries, blueberries and plum on a heavy full bodied frame. Very tannic for the first 60mins but then evolves into a new world version of bordeaux. A touch of oak, but balanced despite its opulence as it also has a bit of acidity that makes it enjoyable.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/28/2013 - ckinv368 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Sweet, smooth, extremely well balanced. A hint of cigar, burnt blackberry, pencil shavings, burnt cherry, and a very small hint of dried wasabi. Still a bit tannic. But will be drinking nicely for several more years. Drink now if you must, or hold for 3-4 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2013 - prasm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium plus expressiveness, earthy dark fruit – black berry & blueberry, great balance – good fruit and acidity, nice medium-plus length finish.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/15/2013 - aaronwine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking nicely. Good solid fruit with integrated tannins. Could go a few more years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/30/2013 - sdwineguru wrote: 88 Points
Dark garnet; odd nose; tar, ripe grapes, wood, coriander, shoe polish; flavor matches the nose; not bad, just odd; woody finish. w/BBQ.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2013 - jfont123 wrote: 89 Points
Terrific
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2013 - Mtnmd1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Excellent value, in 375ml, drinking well now
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/16/2013 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened at Yan's China Bistro with fish filet in black bean sauce, the bright plum color of the wine in the glass showed promise and it delivered large amounts of mocha chocolate, with hints of herbs and dark cherry fruit on the nose, more of the same on the palate with lots of intense mouth filling flavors that matched the dish very well, easy to drink, medium/long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2013 - Surfdoc wrote: 89 Points
Med-full body with cassis and soft, French oak flavors. Moderate tannins round out this well structured wine. Good QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2013 - nevis11 Likes this wine: 88 Points
From a 375ml bottle. Consistent with previous note.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/28/2013 - nevis11 Likes this wine: 88 Points
From a 375ml bottle. Lovely bright red-purple colour. Fresh plummy cedary nose. Fleshy smooth palate. An easy-to-appreciate merlot dominated claret.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/31/2012 - Don and Pam wrote: 90 Points
letting this one decant for a few hours before I taste again. Very dry with a pleasant nose. I'm optimistic based on early indications.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2012 - Merengue wrote: 88 Points
At seven years old, Dark purple, very opaque, dense and glass staining. This is big, almost chewy and muscular, not as much fruit but rather minerality and some tar. Lots of fine sediment which give it a gravelly/coarse texture. Make sure you do two things; stand this one up and pair it with a steak.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/18/2012 - Noahc wrote:
Garnet to almost brick in color, slight heat, strong oak. Similar to last bottle except for more heat. Cloudy and should have let settle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2012 - Noahc wrote: 89 Points
Garnet in color, tobacco, cherry, pepper, vanilla/oak, and currant on nose. Not strong in terms of flavor, tannic, but not too overpowering. Full bodied, medium-medium long finish with some fruit and cherry at the end. Balanced, no heat, good quality to price. A good candidate for steak accompaniment.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/9/2012 - Matt T wrote: 89 Points
Really nice value. Good body with stiff tannins and good complexity. Not drinking quite as well on day two.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2012 - rremiker wrote: 89 Points
Very enjoyable right now, a great bottle and QPR.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/4/2012 - prasm wrote: 90 Points
Popped 1 hour before first pour, consumed over 3 hours. Nose: Medium expressiveness, dark florals, smoke, menthol, tobacco, dark fruit - black berry and cassis and a hint of barnyard. Palate: Medium bodied, smoked dark fruit up front, holds up well through the mid-palate to the back-end with a tannic grip yet indicating this wine needs a few more years before peaking. Finish: Medium-plus length of slightly tart dark fruit - really good stuff, well worth the $15 tariff..
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2012 - ecola Likes this wine: 88 Points
A solid wine, tastes real. Core of red cherry with dried leaves. Very dry and is clearly a food wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2012 - DNABog wrote:
Still lots of tannins and fruit. Give it a few more years
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2012 - prof b wrote: 88 Points
decanted for three hours, tasting throughout. A very high quality, low cost Bordeaux. Blackberries and cassis were foremost immediately upon opening. Later, cigar box and dried tobacco become more obvious. Strong acid and firm tannins. This wine is tasty now and I expect it has plenty of life in it.
edit: seeing my last note a month ago, I must wonder about either bottle variation, as this bottle is far more lively than the previous...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/9/2012 - WineKnurd wrote: 92 Points
NC Tasting 09 June 2012 JohnR's New House (JohnR's New House Wake Forest): Clean red fruits on the nose with hints of cedar, spice, and brown sugar notes. The palate is still very tannic, definitely tooth-coating, with red fruit and some earth starting to emerge. Still needs some time but I think it has potential for the tannins to drop and eventually reveal the clean, bright red fruit. At $20 / bottle its a great value now but will be a steal in a few years when it all comes together. WK Ratings- Style & Quality: B+, Value: A, Overall A-.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2012 - chapel hill wino wrote:
tight nose, closed down on the palate, good fruit cross section and desiccating tannins on night 2. HOLD
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/16/2012 - prof b wrote: 84 Points
all tannin and minimal fruit. i will wait, but i'm dubious of its improvement.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/14/2012 - Pang Harvey wrote: 87 Points
Not complex but is a well made wine that has a body and weight to it that reflects the quality of the 2005 vintage. Tannins are still a touch raw but there is sufficient fruit to mean that this should continue to develop over the next year or two. Pretty good stuff considering the £6 price tag.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2012 - John O' wrote: 92 Points
thru aerator and 2 hour decant. The extra air rounded off the rough edges I experienced on the last bottle. Very nice wne.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/25/2012 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Nice bottle and decanted 3 hours. Cherry, cigar, earth and spices. Medium finish and could improve a bit over the next few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/23/2012 - davidrh1 wrote: 90 Points
Well, 3 years later and although it is not "fantastic" it is definitely better. The tasting notes from 2008 are consistent with the wine now, but they have in fact mellowed and improved. There is still a nice musty, forest nose, but now there are fruit undertones as well. The tannins have resolved nicely. Enjoyable bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/19/2011 - markandsusanw Likes this wine: 88 Points
Pop and pour ... Deep red/purple in color with a lovely, fruit forward nose. Sour cherry on the palate, well balanced by a big hit of acid and a firm tannic backbone. This was a very good wine, that I found a tad over-priced for what it is. Well-made, but not terribly complex or interesting. It struck me as a very nice everyday drinker that I would have been excited to find in the $20 range. At $10/bottle higher than that I thought it underperformed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/16/2011 - pinotwinelover wrote: 90 Points
Pencil lead, dirt and bit too much oak jump out, nice solid fruit darker types, solid tannins. This wine has to be decanted, not pop and pour. Great food wine. I get a kick out all the notes and serious tasting thoughts put into an under 20 bottle of wine. With that, where do you find a more solid bottle of merlot in the US. Not happening for this price point.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/15/2011 - Pang Harvey wrote: 84 Points
Wonderful dark colour, fruity with a bitter ending which was less noticable with food. Still quite tannic so will wait another year or two before opening another bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/18/2011 - jonphillips wrote: 86 Points
Too bretty
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/7/2011 - ews3 wrote: flawed
mildly corked. some dark fruit still there.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/18/2011 - J2K wrote:
Drank this again at a dinner tasting. Fruit and acidity is integrating more to create a well structured wine. Decant if you drink now or hold for a little longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2011 - ecola Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good wine that is well made. Flavors of red berries and a little dirt. Needs food.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/22/2011 - Matt T wrote: 90 Points
Aerated and then decanted to take some of the tannic edges off this big beast of a 2005 Bordeaux. Dark purple in color. This is 75% merlot and 25% cabernet and does drink like a merlot. Sweet berry liqueur notes, but it also has some earthy complexity to it as well. Really exciting stuff at $15/bottle. 89-91.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2011 - Redline325 wrote: 84 Points
Opened and the nose was fantastic right away. That was the best part unfortuneatly, this was very tannic and tiring to drink. Very dark and full bodied. On day two the tannins barely faded but the fruit did. Not sure if this just needs more age or if it's too unbalanced to ever be good.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2011 - peebal wrote:
OK, first, before you read on, this wine is terrible and if you think otherwise, we just don't taste palate to palate. This is everything I hate about the Parkerization of wine (though the French didn't necessarily need Parker to arrive at this).
Let me back up a bit. Almost pitch black in color. Are we in Cahors? No. So where does this come from? Next, first whiff, slightly stewed dark fruit, followed by oak and alcohol. Are we in California? No. Finally, here we go. Thick overripe flavors of blurry casss lead into a wall of green off-kilter disjointed nasty tannins that say "overextract much?" Then the alcohol heat comes through finally trailing into a clipped cliche of bordeaux. More cassis, pencil shavings, yada yada yada. And you smack your lips and purse and just try to imagine that there is some acidity to bring this mess together. Well there is just a touch. Not enough to bring it together, mind you. But at least for that brief second you know you aren't in the new world. That and this isn't overwhelmingly oaky--though it is oakier than I would like. So I would drink this over Silver Oak any day. But I'd rather have my eyeball pulled out with a dull corkscrew than drink Silver Oak so that should tell you something.
This is Bordeaux superieur. Why not simple supple fruit with a solid but not impenetrable structure and some nice finishing acidity. You know, winter stew wine. For things and people that try to act above their capabilities, there exists the following expression in French: "Ca pete plus haut que son cul" Literally, and yes, rather oddly, "it farts higher than its a$$". And when that happens, everybody loses. And that is exactly what this wine is doing...trying to be a grand crus. I had this wine in the early part of the decade (though it was never my favorite) and you could drink it. Not anymore. Thought you might like my "humble" opinion.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/3/2011 - njgolfer wrote: 88 Points
Palate: Initial PoP and drank over the span of 2 hours. To start, some tannins pronounced on the front of the palate that died off quickly. Over the 2 hours, the tannins mellowed and out came dark, black cherry and a hint of smoked peppers. Not sure this has the body to stand up to a whole lot more aging, but should get better for the next 3 - 5 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/22/2011 - bbrantley wrote:
Drank over two nights. After 24 hours in the decanter, this was really good. Good plum-like fruit, smooth tannins and excellent concentration.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/20/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 89 Points
Nose of spice, ripe fruit, gravel and cigar. On the palate spice, raspberries, minerals, cigar and mint. Medium finish and drinking well over all. For under $20 a real steal.
Four days later: Cigar, raspberry, floral, and spice. The palate is wonderful with spices, cherry, floral, oak and vanilla. This is a wonderful wine for the money. Highly recommended 05.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
12/7/2010 - familydoc wrote:
Nose: dark fruit, black licorice, dried cranberry Taste: initially strong tannins dark fruit, after 40 minutes mellows to nice dark fruit and dried cranberry
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/3/2010 - alr6767 wrote:
Tight, wound up, tannic. Not open for business at the moment, but has fair potential and good value.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/27/2010 - dxpian wrote: 91 Points
Another great find in my year-long search for great Bordeaux values! Thanks again to Cory. The 2005 Château de Reignac has dark ruby color and a purple hue, exhibiting excellent finesse and elegance. With inky legs that can stain the glass, this wine is completely opaque in the center. An overall nose of meat and manure shows blackberry and ripe cherry aromas and lots of mineral, coffee bean, chocolate, new oak and a nutty character such as almond and cashew. I do get a little bit of vegetal notes as well, almost like Brussels sprouts. With aeration, it releases some cedar, licorice, leather components at the same time. Excitingly complex nose translates into a medium- to full-bodied wine. There's a ton of blackberry and very ripe plum on the attack with a touch of interesting citrus/orange note coming through, which is very well balanced with some velvety and chewy tannins. Great structure and very well rounded. Long finish that is also fruity and silky. I am speechless after this tasting... Never thought of a generic Bordeaux that can present such high level of complexity and sophistication. I agree with Parker, this wine certainly rivals with some of the higher classified growths, hands down! 90 points PLUS. This wine will age very well and continue to evolve and show some monstrous characters, and my score is about to increase with some time in the cellar. Best after 2012.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2010 - RobinHeimdahl wrote: 90 Points
This is a nice Bordeaux- much more my style than Balthvs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2010 - Anflynn wrote: 91 Points
Fair amount of Bret. Tanins coming into better balance, better after decanting. Likely really good in a few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/20/2010 - gjv115 wrote:
May have been an off bottle. Lots of brett. Not horrible but a little too much brett for me.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
6/26/2010 - Blue Shorts wrote: flawed
Please note.... This was an experiment done on suspected heat-damaged wine. This is NOT a review of a well-kept Chateau de Reignac.
Popped and poured at about 60 deg. Initial nose of stewed and rotting fruit. As mentioned by Otto, it does smell cooked (over a slow fire, fueled by rotting fruit). Interesting taste. It's a sour-tannic monster that does a pretty good job of hiding the cooked fruit. It doesn't taste real bad...... nevermind... yes it does. It's bad. I think that given time, once the tannins mellow, you'll be left with a bottle of liquid, rotted fruit. Down the drain it goes. My wife thinks that I'm trying to kill her, and this wine is proof.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
5/24/2010 - prasm wrote: 89 Points
Consumed over 2 days. Nose: On first day initially showed gamey and earthiness with dark fruit - black berry and black currant. Second day - gaminess gone, dark fruit more dominate with licorice aromas. Palate: Full bodied, little fruit - what does show is under-ripe dark fruit - pretty tart. Finish: Lengthy - dominated by tartness, but still enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2010 - Don and Pam wrote: 90 Points
taking a while to open up, started with a little "tinny" taste. good nose with an OK start. we'll give it more time in the decanter and revisit
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2010 - dwoody wrote: 84 Points
Awkward and muted. Either shut down or a little corked.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
2/6/2010 - J2K wrote: 89 Points
Not sure why, but I just pulled this from the cellar on whim. I wish I would have read the other notes first. Decanted one hour but still tannic and astringent. Acidity is good and there are some dark fruits waiting in the wings but just not ready yet. Wait a few years for the balance on this one, wish I did.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
2/6/2010 - sdwineguru wrote: 89 Points
Dark purple; earth/berries/mint nose; a bit of chocolate/Merlot; still hard and tannic; but good fruit and will come around with time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2010 - amateurwino wrote: 83 Points
This one was a bit disappointing; very generic merlot-based budget bordeaux. Flavors are mild red berry, framed by some vanilla oak. Round but lacks excitement.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/11/2010 - lopaka wrote: 89 Points
As others have said, this needs more time but if opened needs a decant and a couple hours. Once done I got dark, rich, ripe fruit on the nose and a palate of dark cherry, some earth and a touch of citrus. Very enjoyable and makes me want to seek out other '05 Bordeaux.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/4/2009 - chapel hill wino wrote:
one glass first night. oof this was rough, little taste, astringent, little nose. Night two after settling in the cellar, was a significant improvement. dark purple/black in the glass. Plenty of pencil and cedar on the nose, more tannic and desiccating on the palate, but even that settled with additional airtime. All in a significant recovery, will want to wait a few years before opening again. I'm not disappointed. Had with spicy paprika chicken.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/4/2009 - Don and Pam wrote: 91 Points
Normally would have waited on this one but Cellar Tracker placed ONE on the drinkability report so here we go. Great nose and rich flavor. first sip we could tell it needed air and probably more time in the jug. we'll wait 3+ years for the rest of these to get better. All in all a wonderful wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/24/2009 - cmr wrote: 84 Points
Don't know about this one .. at times showed very nice as if it had potential but would just close up just as fast leaving just about nothing but a bland wine. Time will tell .. would say at least another 3 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2009 - silton wrote: 89 Points
I don't drink much Bordeaux, but I was pleased with this bottle, which opened up nicely with moderate airtime. Great QPR here. I found coffee, plum, black fruit, and a bit of cedar. Excellent length, with just enough tannic grip after the decant to carry everything forward without wiping out my palate.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/4/2009 - jkramer65 wrote: 88 Points
very tight but great potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2009 - ashegedyn wrote:
Very nice bordeaux that needs lots of decanting but nice full flavors with big tannins. Raspberry, damson, blackberry, and a bit of cedar. Needs lots of air of course but very consumable for a 2005
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2009 - mghomula wrote: 88 Points
This wine at this price is proof that the 2005 Bordeaux vintage is something special. Decanted for just under two hours and gave it a go. It was a medium purple with hints of ruby and the nose revealed some smoke, florals, plums and earth. The flavor profile was rather unique in that it had some things you might expect such as plums, dark cherries, dark fruit and some coffee bean but it also had a very interesting citrus element. I have never experienced citrus in a bordeaux and it really rounded out the flavor profile with an interesting twist. I would not call this wine full bodied but it was a notch or two above medium bodied. Some nice acidity was present to balance out an abundance of fruit but the tannins were a bit rough for me making it a bit out of balance. This may be a different story with another hour or two of air time. The finish was medium to long with residual flavors of dark fruits, coffee bean and tobacco lingering. I am not entirely sure this one is open for business just yet but it is very good. Another few years of bottle age will serve this well. 50+5+12+15+6=88 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2009 - prasm wrote: 89 Points
Consumed over 2 days. First day: Nose - tight, violets, black currant. Palate - Dark fruit with some vegetables on the back end of the finish - 15 to 20 seconds. Second day: Nose - Violets penetrating the room, tightness gone. Palate - Fruit still there, vegetable flavors even stronger at the back end - not in a bad way though. Nice wine - didn't disappoint at all.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/20/2008 - davidrh1 wrote: 89 Points
Damp forest nose. Dark red color and good minerality with subdued red fruit. Very tannic at first but opens up with a couple of hours in the decanter. Nice wine now; it should be fantastic with some bottle time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/1/2008 - ews3 wrote: 89 Points
I really enjoyed this -- for me it was a classic bordeaux smell and taste, though it was tasted against a Cali Zin. The quality of this makes me excited for other 05 Bordeaux.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2008 - slippytoad wrote: 88 Points
Tastes big and young, more California that Bordeaux. Impressed for the money.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2008 - jdoakpark wrote: 90 Points
tannic bomb....way young now. Very austere and tannic with that being the dominant feature....will have to improve with cellaring.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2008 - ths wrote: 91 Points
Very tannic but with air it calms down a bit. Nice earthy notes and a great mouth-feel.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/21/2008 - JCaress wrote: 80 Points
Admittedly, we do not buy a lot of bordeaux wines but given the press on 2005, we selected several to try. I wanted to attempt one now and hold another bottle of this moderately priced, but quality vintner. I cannot see how anyone would find this appealing at this juncture. Heavy tannins mask the fruit. We let it decant for 2 hours but still only slightly better results. It is a beautiful dark red color and I would certainly give it a shot--in 5 years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/27/2008 - jdoakpark wrote: 93 Points
Wow....I guess 2005 Bordeaux is a big thing. I am impressed with this great bottle. Very tannic...needs a couple hours open....displays powerful yet soft qualities of flowers, berries, vanilla...great mouthfeel once its aired out. Should improve with time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2006 - LeDom du Vin wrote: 89 Points
(En Primeur / Futures) Opaque color. Floral and dark fruit aromas on the nose. Quite nice, elegant and balanced with very good acidity. Very Pleasant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment