Appearance: Ruby red, with a somewhat see-through veneer Aroma: Violets, old raspberries, pepper, and a bit of black tea. Palate: Quite mellow at this age, with some bit of a tannic finish. I also do get some of that dark fruit and leather aspect in the taste as well.
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Classic claret. Decanted for about 2 hours. Still a lovely deep ruby colour. The nose is black fruits with some bay leaf and pepper. The palette is medium bodied and well integrated now - still showing lots of fruit but with resolved tannins. It’s getting towards time to drink up.
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Last bottle. Perfect cork; barely soaked. Quite a bit of sediment in the bottle. Not unexpected. Full ruby red, but just on the edge of garnet, with a dried rose petal rim. Faded blackberry nose with ink, camphor, prune plum, tobacco and a hint of graphite. Fully mature and quite delicate. Medium bodied, a little thin on the mid-palate, no tannins in sight, fresh acidity and a dry, slightly astringent finish. The flavoura are delicate dried and slightly sour dark fruits, woody spice and black tea. Pleasant food wine but feels like it's on a slow decline and time to drink up.
Lush Pauillac, still tad young, chewy dry tannins, needs 2 hours of decant to open up: plum, bramble, mushroom, dark cherry, leather, tobacco, blackcurrant, smoke, medium plus body, long dry black fruit dominant finish. Hold for at least 2 years
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Almost 20 years of age for this 5th growth estate run by the Lurton family. Sitting next door to Ch. Latour, this Pauillac estate has famous neighbours. Limestone soil brings a stone like minerality to the wine. There’s baking spice, dried or burnt oak, tight liquorish and some subtle aniseed and perhaps even mint. Fruit is predominantly blackcurrant. Soft tannins and a medium finish. Medium bodied.
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Blueberry, gravel, leather, cigar box; linear, powerful but supple, moderately long finish but somewhat muted; may still be a little young or possibly just a bit weak and faded
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En magnum. Decanted one hour. Excellent nose, pencil shavings, iodine, violets and brambles. Palate retains freshness with fine tannins; blackcurrant fruits and light violet. Drinking ideally now. Drink now-2027.
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Takes time to develop but that’s what I love about these is the progression from subtle and simple to complex and rewarding. Dried cherries, cedar, graphite and a bit of allspice on the nose. Plum, dark cherries and leather flavors with a dry finish of good length.
If you have any there is no rush as this bottle is showing plenty of vibrancy
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High intensity aromas of cranberry, strawberry, red cherry, ripe black cherry, black berry, black plum, black currant, cinnamon, cedar, earth, licorice.
Pronounced palate.
Full body, high acidity, medium (+) silky tannins, medium (+) finish.
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Pronounced on the nose with rich blackcurrant, black plum, black cherry, raspberry, mint, cedar, chocolate, vanilla, leather, earth, tobacco and prune. Truffle and savoury notes after more air. Developing.
Pronounced and dry on the palate with some tart cherry / blackcurrant coming through. High acidity, medium plus partly resolved tannins, Medium plus body, medium alcohol, medium plus finish.
Can drink now but has potential for aging or further aging.
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Ruby color, slight signs of bricking. Perfect botte with perfect cork. Nose is fragrant with black currants, forest floor, cherry paste. Fresh and with good acidity, this brims with red cherries and currants, with some notes of menthol and more forest foliage. Grainy tannins, medium long finish. Slow ox’ed for about two hours, it came together nicely. It does feel a bit disjointed, but the improvement with air and the overall freshness tells me this is still quite young and will improve further in the next 4-5 years. A good pour.
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Delightful wine. Paired well with beef but will do well with cheese or hors d’oeuvres. Low tannin and fully developed. We have one more bottle and should be opened in next year.
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Aromas and flavors are still outstanding. Strong structure. This bottle has a bit more sentiment than I remember in previous bottles. Still a great drinking experience.
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Showing beautifully tonight. Had more of a red cherry and red plum fruit character than I would expect from a Pauillac, but there's no question that it's maturing nicely and is in good balance.
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Drinking extremely well, definitely recommend and a good QPR wine. Short decant at tableside as we had it at a restaurant and friends brought the bottle, would recommend a much longer decant if possible. Drink or hold - fully mature now but has an easy decade to go with proper cellaring, not sure of how much further of an upside it will have with more cellar time. Dark inky purple, oak & tannins present but well integrated, not a particularly fruit forward wine but this is where I think a much longer decant would help, full bodied, well balanced, good mouth feel and s long pleasant aftertaste present. Nose initially somewhat muted and astringent but once it opened up with air the nose became dark and aromatic with plum, violet, brambles and a hint of smoke. Soft tannins anchoring the flavor profile the entire length with well integrated oak, dark stone fruit and cassis present up front with more minerally stone, graphite and smoked meaty finish.
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Decanted an hour before dinner. Youthful purple core, turning towards garnet at the rim. Notes of blackberry, currants, crushed stone, and bramble. Medium bodied, firm structure with ripe tannins, good depth and concentration, long and focused finish. Has improved immensely since last tasted 3.5 years ago, and should continue to improve!
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Last of three. Note about one hour after opening, no decant. Still pretty dark in centre with a nice brick red rim. Fragrant and complex on the nose, with dark currant and dark cherry fruit, some earthy notes maybe leather and some cedar as well. Complex and very interesting on the nose. Palate is equally complex, some sweetness from cherry and currant fruit, a little bitter and earthy, but a nice long finish with both sweet and savoury - hints of mushroom, wood, earth. Complex, interesting and drinking great. Easily the best showing of the three bottles.
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Gang of 4 in Covid19 times; Pauillac: In the beautiful bouquet dark berries like cassis, minerals and oak. On the palate juicy dark berries, chocolate and firm acidity. Beautiful wine.
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Three hour decant and the nose was promising: black currant, dark cherry, a hint of lead pencil and a little vegetal development. The wine wound up with almost no fruit. The mouthfeel was there but the flavour almost nonexistent. Same thing the next day after a double decant four hours ahead. Maybe in a late dumb phase in such a stellar vintage?
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On opening I was a bit underwhelmed, it seemed a bit light and astringent. But after about 3 hours of decanting I was very impressed. Admittedly by this point I was well into the meal, not paying full attention and had already drunk a lot - nevertheless it impressed me as being smoky and meaty on the nose and beginning of the palate, dialling it down across the mid palate, and then finishing with rather mature cigar and wet coal characters. Really enjoyed it.
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Dekantert. Ser ut til å ha kommet dit jeg håpet den ville komme. Meget pen, behag, også dag 2, selv om den nok forfaller mot ordinær nedover i flasken. Best dag 1.
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This took some time to settle down. The first glass, after 2 hours decanting, was promising but still aggressively tannic and acidic.
After 5 hours it feels a lot calmer and its in a good place. A fine tannic bite remains that carries every mouthful through past the lingering hint of cherry wood and cassis. It's not quite silky but it's smooth, resolved and quite excellent. Graphite lives here. Smoke too.
Drinking well, will go for years I reckon.
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A lovely wine. Drinking very well now. Decanted 2 hours prior and then drunk over another 2. Classic claret, but slightly delicate flavours. In a good phase, all together and resolved. Could have asked for a bit more intensity?
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Dark. Cedary, dusty, dry, very lightly tannic and slightly leathery. Classic left bank aromas and flavours, these Chateaux are so reliable. Cork looked almost brand new, so the bottle as a whole was perhaps in better condition than the last, and was still drinking well after 3 hours of slow consumption. Initially with steak frites, then as I cooked a ragu for the following day. Great stuff, one bottle left - it will not see out the year!
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Double decanted a few hours early and then Decanted 30 mins before dinner. Excellent nose and palate with aged dark fruit, forest floor, leather and classic Bordeaux must. Very nicely aired with steak au poirve and rosemary potatoes.
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Terrific on opening, cedar, lead, dust, blackcurrant - classic pauillac, really pleasant. Poured and tasted directly. However after an hour or so the magic had gone and the wine tasted thinner and subdued. I don't think this one has much left in the tank. My advice would be to drink it in a larger group - everyone gets a glass when the going is good.
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(1/08/21) There was zero bricking evident in this bottle and plenty of black cherries and truffles on the nose and the palate. The wine still had excellent structure, and the truffles were the extent of the tertiary development, so I would say this bottle was definitely just inside its drinking window.
I give this bottle extremely high marks for its powerful truffle and black cherry bouquet (which I can smell a foot and a half from the glass), its balance, and its intensity, but there was a slight dryness to the tannins and a little sourness/tartness in the fairly short finish that brought the overall score down.
Nonetheless, this was a very solid and worthwhile fifteen-year-old bottle of Pauillac that didn’t break the bank. 13% abv. (***/15.5/91)
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From Coravin - Still dark purple, maybe a slight lightening compared to previous viewings. Nose needs a bit of coaxing, but is worth the reward as you get classic Paulliac. Pure Cassis, earthy notes, pencil lead, but really tight and poised. Delicate and classy, its all there, but you need to go looking. Palate is starting to open up now. Finally! You get all of the nose plus extras. Flavours are pure, and the tannins are in a great place right now. Softening beautifully, but still with a soothing grip. 2005 is true vin de garde. Plenty of time to go on this, but worth checking in on if you have a few.
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To date, I’ve generally found the 2005 Bordeaux vintage to be unapproachable, unrelentingly tannic, and hard. Slightly hesitant in opening this tonight. Developing, but angular, with some structural sharp edges. Red, dry, austere fruits are there, and you can taste the raw potential. I like this, but to me, it’s got a looooong way to go. Hold
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After a good 3 hour decant or so this shows a lovely balance between rather more forward red fruit flavours alongside a more meaty character. Tannins are dusty, powdery. It sort of swings between the two characters. It’s rather polite for a pauillac.
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A Small 2005 Bordeaux Horizontal: [Tasted Blind] Visually this shows virtually zero evolution. Pure ruby, even some flecks of pink and purple. The nose shows violet, plum, kirsch, licorice, and perhaps just a whisper of mushroom or almost a truffle element, but admittedly I'm stretching a bit for that. I find this somewhat on the soft side on the palate with medium minus tannin and medium minus acidity. This seems to be quite squarely centered on the deep rich fruit with very little secondary or tertiary development. The finish does linger nicely replaying much of the nose but with a little lick of alcohol. Fortunately I did not detect too much in the way of new wood for this somewhat more clean and modern styled wine. My classical palate was missing some of the traditional Bordeaux secondary character here.
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Gang of 4 in Covid19 times; Margaux versus Pauillac (@ RW): Beautiful bouquet with perfumed licorice impressions, cinnamon and some smoke. On the palate red and dark berries, beautiful and juicy acidity and round tannin. Very pleasant wine in a good drinking stage.
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Again deep garnet in colour showing a little tingle of brick red at the rim. Black currant, black cherry and cedar on the nose. Concentrated black fruit with more cedar, sweet spices and lovely balance. High acidly and tannins seem a bit mellower since I had the first bottle. Nice complexity and opened up much more in the second day, very long finish. Great wine.
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Very disappointed. Decanted for two hours but it didn’t open up. The description from me and other guests is that it was harsh with not much of a nose. Opened two bottles, both the same.
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Pulled the cork from the bottle sampled last week via Coravin. With more time to breathe tonight I saw a lot of improvement over last week. Will save the final bottle for at least one year.
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The bottle has now 15 years of age. Right out of the bottle, the colour unexpectedly seems still quite young, dark, purple and opaque. In the nose however rather modest and restrained: No fruit, but some automn leafs and cigar box. On the palate flavours of automn leafs, a bit herbal, with a short ending. The next day a little bit more expressive, so air did help. All in all a correct claret, but without much fun or sexyness. This bottle was ok for now, but will not leave its fingerprint in my hedonistic memories.
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Drew a good sized glass with Coravin to enjoy with dinner tonight. Some blackberry and cassis along with forest floor notes. A very enjoyable pairing with marinated steak. Needs time to breath and gain complexity. A big improvement from the bottle drank 2 years ago.
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Very consistent with what I've been through! Vibrant spicy black fruits on the nose and yet dark in colour, the chewy fruits cover your palate with medium to long finish, a touch tannic, easy to drink, capable to age it for another ten years!
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Deep garnet to brick red. Quite shy nose with aromas of dry underbrush, graphite, tar and smoke. Elements of dark (80%) chocolate and dried blackcurrant, raisin and liquorice. Medium+ bodied, sweet cocoa powder texture with plenty of fruit balanced bu a bright lemon-edges acidity. Flavours of cassis, black cherry and spicy oak mingle to give a delicious, slightly restrained wine. Well knit, this is a glossy, fine wine from the riper 2005 vintage that shows gently tugging tannins on the finish without a lot of depth but extremely enjoyable. alcohol well integrated. A far more integrated wines that a few years back.
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Decanted for about an hour. Perfect fill and cork; very little sediment. Medium dark ruby red with no outward signs of advanced age. Classic Bordeaux nose of cassis, plum, pronounced graphite, light hedgerow and smokiness. Quite subtle and nuanced aromas with nothing in your face. Quite fresh smelling. Smooth, high acid, very dry in the mouth. Medium bodied. Crunchy red and black fruit flavours, more hedgerow and graphite. Medium finish that is a touch hollow. Palate and nose are perfectly aligned. Feels a tad hot on the finish, but otherwise a classically styled Bordeaux drinking very nicely now with food. Solid 90 pointer
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Me semble plus accompli que la bouteille bue en 2019 (cette dernière était sans doute prématurément fatiguée). Jolie Bordeaux classique, sur son plateau.
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Opened and decanted 3 hours before dinner. Still young, but this seems to be in a decnt spot right now (if you like your Bordeaux on the youngish side). Cassis, red fruits and a lovely finish. Only quibble is that it seems a little hollow on the mid-palate. Will follow this over several days and see if extended aeration will cause the mid-palate to fill out.
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First bottle after getting case out of storage last week. Deep rich garnet in colour, lovely pronounced nose of cassis, cedar and a little spice. More cassis and concentrated black fruit on the palette. Full bodied, high acidity and tannins still quite high. Great balance and mouth feel with a long finish.
Very good wine!
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A lot of cassis, char. Thick texture, lacks clarity and backbone. Slight green bitterness in the finish. A little oak on the nose which is less prevalent on the palate. Boring. Boring. Boring.
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This wine has come on in the last 5 years. Still deep and no age on rim, now with classic Pauillac nose of blackcurrants cedar wood and tobacco. Solid fruit hit on the palate with more complex nuances of spice, smoke, vanilla wrapped in a long slightly austere finish. Tannins firm but mature and can be finished with pleasure without food to accompany. I have moved this up a notch to the Community's score. i think ready now.
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Still deep colour, black fruit nose with the classic pencil lead hint and just that awesome bdx structure. Still feels tight and needs time to truly open up. Powerful palate, fruit to the fore, tannins starting to soften, but has to unclench its fists a bit imo. Another few years at least to get into those underlying flavours. Potentila is there but 2005 is a patience game. Not like 2009 or 2010. Really feel the quality but no letting up until you wait. Drinkable, but best put on hold for now
After an hour’s decant I was slightly less enthusiastic than when last tasted - the palate a bit light followed by rather robust tannins. But after another hour and with some food it became fleshier and showed a bit more developed tertiary dead leaf character. Overall very attractive.
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Le nez offre tout ce qu'on peut s'attendre d'un Bordeaux de presque 15 ans: encore pas mal de fruits noirs, des notes de cacao, de tabac, et un peu de notes d'évolutions (champignons et feuilles mortes). Malheureusement la bouche ne suit pas: pas mal moins intense que le nez, le vin semble assez creux en milieu et en fin de bouche. Bref, il y a clairement un manque de concentration, ce qui étonne pour un cru classé (même modeste) de 2005. Le vin ne possédait juste pas la matière suffisante pour un long vieillissement. Les tannins sont encore assez serrés, mais il n'y a plus de fruti pour enrober le tout. Les Cambon-La Pelouse et Meyney 2005 bu récemment en offraient davantage. Quand même très agréable, souple et digeste, on reste quand même septique devant ce vin qui aurait pu en donner davantage (à moins que je sois malchanceux et que je sois tombé sur une bouteille moyenne). 88-89
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I didn't like this when it was released - it was jumbled, and didn't make sense. But now it's pulled itself together, and in a very nice way. Drink or hold.
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Give this a good decant. Opened up in large glass and drank best after 3hrs (finished over another). The decant softens some of the bright cherry in this as well as smooths out the tannins. After time it drinks very well and paired well with grilled rib-eye.
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Drinking very well now. Tannins have smoothed out. Has really come together since last bottle tasting in March 2014! Worth the wait. Cherry, pepper, leather, tobacco on nose. Sour cherry, currant, earthy.
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Champlain Charest, autour 60$ de mémoire. Bouchon bien conservé. Bouquet initialement sur le poivron, puis l'air le délie les arômes de cuir, boite a cigare, fruits noirs. Petits relents de terre humide au travers. Bouche avec un peu de graphite, fruits noirs, tannins fins, longueur moyenne. Très à mon gout maintenant. À point. Un Pauillac au RQP appréciable. ***
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Dark red color. Decanted initially for 30 minutes then drank over 2 hours at the lake. Very nice; there's a perfume here, a mix of cassis and some deeper red fruits on the nose, dried earth, anise, and a floral overtone. The palate is medium plus bodied, cassis, gravelly minerality, anise, round tannins and good balance. Good on initial pour, but better with the 30 minute decant and continued to improve over the first hour or more. This is definitely ready for drinking, no rush either. This was quite the value back in the day too.
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Classic old world Paulliac. Leather, pencil lead, graphite, fresh blackberry, currant, and very subtle eucalyptus and bell pepper. Great balance and delicious with ribeye. Was it worth cellaring for 10 years? I had my doubts, but this exceeded expectations.
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'Fleshy' certainly, and might expect more from '05 classed growth (not very complex or structured)... but still - balanced and enjoyable - will leave remaining bottles to sit another few years
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Chunky sediment so an easy decant. Deep boysenberry colour with no bricking at all. Smells great right out of the gate! Burning embers and dark berry fruit on the nose. Some pencil shavings - especially the graphite. Very smooth. Good balance and everything is in its proper place. Still a bit of unresolved oak on the palate. But overall a nice old style Old World drop. Quite a dry finish. The fruit plays a secondary role to the overall textural impression and taste of the wine. A good food accompaniment.
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I was expecting to be disappointed based on previous notes but I found this extremely attractive. Classic, fleshy, only just beginning to open up, I'm confident it will continue to improve.
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I was hoping not to be disappointed after reading previous notes... First night was OK but nothing particularly interesting. Second night went down the sink.
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• 1st glass PoP – strawberries, tart cherry, lots of tannins, hot to the lips, lots of unresolved alcohol. Deep rich ruby color, huge nose, short finish, aftertaste was a bit astringent/green/bitter. A bit disappointed • 2nd glass (30mins decant) – black berry/jammy flavors emerge. Color went from crimson to a an inky purple color. Finish still a bit harsh. • 3rd glass (1hr decant) – tannins integrated, still short finish, acid beginning to show medium+. • No sediment. Probably need more time in the cellar
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Nose - youthful, somewhat jammy, blackberrie, ripe, vanilla, cedar, nutmeg, some nose and eye burn. Some notes of anisette. Some pungent pickle juice.
Palate - flavorful, powerful, tastes new world. I get an earlier reference to Zin. Medium tannins,medium plus alcohol, medium plus body, big mouth feel. Flavors are blackberries, jammines, more cooked v fresh. Finish is medium. A bit of sour cherry candy. More sour than sweet.
I have decanted half the bottle to get some air and see how it progresses. I’ve read the prior recent reviews which compelled me to consume vs hold. Just since writing, the nose is getting much more fragrant but hot. On palate burns inside of lips. Will write another note
I bought at discount so a fun experiment but not worth what wine searcher shows as current price. Seems like a winemakers experiment. It’s drinkable but not what you would expect from it’s provenance.
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From a 375. Significant chunks of sediment settled on the back of the bottle. Deep ruby with just slight bricking; nose is aromatic, some heat, cherry cola, oak is better integrated; palate is full bodied, high alcohol (listed at 13% but tastes like 15%), integrated tannins, alcohol covers up any fruit through the midpalate; short finish. Honestly, this reminds me of a Turley zin, which isn't entirely unenjoyable, but it's not what a Pauillac should be. I don't expect these to improve from here. 82
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Very similar note to my prior one around three years ago - same cherry and currant fruit - very correct, balanced, but without much wow or complexity. There is some nice earthiness with a nice long finish.
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I've been drinking a case of this over the last few years and it's not getting any better. There's nothing really wrong with it but equally pretty much nothing of note. Quite short.
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Slow ox for 2.5 hours then decanted and had it over an 2 hours.
Nose was classic Bordeaux and really inviting. Fruit, leather, violets and graphite.
At first taste, it seemed that the fruit was in dominance with ripe notes coming through strongly that left it a little less poised. Not jammy though if that’s your concern.After a while, it became more structured and linear.
It then started to fleet between these two stages. Maybe it was the food i was having with it (Chinese steamboat).
Left me slightly confused. Overall, i would say enjoyable, classic Bordeaux that probably needs a couple more years to iron out the awkwardness.
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Bdx varietal tasting - peppers, fresh loam, dark fruits, graphite and pencel shavings. There is a pure fruitiness that I enjoy but unmistakenly old world.
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Enjoyed over four days. This hit all the right nerves, true to place, unpretentious, and rounded. Traditionally styled, it will not win awards for elegance or sophistication, but it is exceptionally balanced, stalwartly structured, and the finish lingers a long while. Noticeably fuller and rounder than the 2009 Langoa-Barton tasted alongside it. 92-93.
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In magnum. Decanted 1 hour. Cracking Pauillac nose - pencil, leather, meatiness. Excellent palate with good acid, medium fine tannins and ripe blackcurrants. Drinking well now but certainly has several years ahead. Very enjoyable. Drink now-2025.
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My, my. What a difference 4 days in the fridge made (with the bottle re-corked). The nose became deeper, much more perfumed. Hints of cedar and graphite on the nose. The finish became deeper too - more nuanced, more open. Such a joy to drink. Upped the score to 91.
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For a private tasting of 2005 grand crus and I didn't want to pick from my very best, so this did the job. Way to young, but interesting to evaluate at this stages, opens up reasonably on opening, showing lead pencil, red berries on the nose that closes down again after some time, mouth filling and juicy with power and substance, and very prominent though mature tannins. Let it rest for at least five more years.
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Started out closed in both the bouquet and taste, but not tannic. Then opened into a smooth, balanced wine. Loved the balance of flavors, with enough structure to hold up to our meal. Complimented our duck dinner nicely.
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Bordeaux tasting at my local store: This is inky purple, almost black . Aroma of spice and ripe berries. On the palate, rich and concentrated with ripe blackberry dominating with a minty background. Tannins are powerful. It’s hard to believe this comes from the same vintage as the Batailley. This could go on for decades.
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This bottle, unlike several prior bottles was really terrific. Still with plenty of fruit, nicely aged layers of flavor and good depth. Primarily dark berry, charcoal and earth with a very bordeaux-like, lean texture and a long finish. Slightly austere, but with none of the bitterness or harshness of prior bottles. This was classic, aged bordeaux and very enjoyable. 92
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Definitely not First Growth. Solid Vin Ordinaire for a Thursday night. A bit austere. I don't see it getting any better, tannins seem fairly in check, acid is balanced. It's just nothing special.
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Drank over 3 days and held up well. It was a very nice bordeaux, earthy, quite rich with dark plums and a nice finish. I enjoyed it and it has the mix of classic and modern Bordeaux style that I like, but a couple of qualitatve steps behind the 05 Calon Segur I had recently.
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I was a bit surprised, based on previous outings, that this wine was 1st ranked in our '05 Bordeaux tasting. It showed very even balance with a nice cherry flavor in the mid. Still a lot of tannin, but it really all came together with the Mahon. I also found overtones of perfume and flowers on the nose. The finish is what seems to hold this wine back from greatness. It was a little hollow.
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Good, not memorable, claret that is too expensive for what is, but with some classic notes/flavors. No need to seek this out, but it does the trick if you really need some solid Bordeaux with age that tastes not like a horse stable.
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Deep dark ruby red in color. The nose is dominated by a rocky smell very pauillac with just a hint of black fruit. On the palate this is a heavily structured wine with still big strong tannins. The rocks from the nose come across on the palate as well very little fruit still wound fairly tight. Finish is long with some complexity.
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Still tight and tannic, but drinkable - and better on the second day (at least for the first hour, then began to fall apart). Dark, inky and earthy with black fruits and tar. Lean texture and firm structure with some harshness and more tannin and acidity than fruit Definitely improving over time, but I don't think there is enough fruit to ever achieve balance with alll the structure. 88-89
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A good effort and though it wasn't a stand-out wine in terms of depth or complexity. Seems to be in an early drinking window as it was ready soon after popping and pouring.
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Great tannins after about an hour opened The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like mineral, blackberry and blueberry. It tastes like blackberry and mineral. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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Dark red, classic Pauillac nose with lots of black fruits, medium bodied but even after 2.5 hours in the decanter it's still young, very pure and will get better with age 90+
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Glass decanted for half an hour. Not much going on with this wine for me. The fruit, black currants and plums, is restrained, taut, and muted, bordering on the austere. It seems in balance now, but it's hard to tell whether the wine is just in a quiet phase or whether longer cellar time will improve it. Lovely deep purple color, though. Nice enough wine but nothing special.
As a postscript, the wine was smoother after two days, but still subdued. Maybe a longer decant at the outset is indicated.
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Tasted as an example the Pauillac commune of the 2005 vintage. Very deep colour with no age on rim. Blackcurrant and woody spice on nose, firm slightly un-ripe tannins with good fruit and complexity, I think would benefit from another couple of years ageing. 14.5/20 at the moment
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this was a nice bottle of wine, pretty correct with nice currant and cherry fruit, some nice earthy notes on the nose, but generally was a little tamer than expected. Overall impression was pretty good - nice wine.
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We took a bottle of this (one of 4 left in the cellar from a case bought on futures) to our favorite local restaurant. Opened and decanted in front of us, it was bad. It was lacking in aroma and fruit with a somewhat sharp, almost vinegary edge. There was no sign of seepage around the cork. How disappointing. This has always been one of my favorite chateaux. I'll open the next one at home and hope for a better result.
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Very dark, very firm, very lean and very taught. Decent fruit flavors, but lacks richness, ripeness and depth. Much better than a couple of years ago, but not sure there is a lot of upside.
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13% alc; Deep black red to bricking rim. Attractive bouquet displaying cedarwood, dried spices, sandalwood, ripe black fruit and underbrush. A touch of raisin too. Full-bodied with a rich, yet firmish texture complimented by lemon-edged acidity and flavours of graphite, pencil shavings, spices and plenty of blackcurrants. Fairly weighty wine with narrowly focussed tannins that are powdery. A classic year with richness and firm yet fine structure combine to yield a robust yet sleek frame that gives an athletic wine. Classic Pauillac, quite open and is drinking well yet will hold on for a few years to come. Whilst it lacks the dimension of a top wine, it is delightful and has a bit of complexity. As the wine opened in the decanter, there was cold, clammy note and the tannins didn't feel quite as interwoven as at first sight.
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Good fruit with a little tartness. The nose upon opening was big, round, and full. After 2 hour decant, it was still fresh, but lost a little of its fullness. On the palate it became a little thin and the finish seemed a empty compared to the '09 and the '10 HBL.
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disappointing experience, especially considering the GCC status and the excellent vintage, it offers a thin layout, lacking matter and concentration and lacking structure, I feel that additional cellaring won't help : this won't bring extra substance, scoring 87
it performed slightly better during the second day : more mature, but it was only during a brief period, the "bad" acidity quickly came back, but it merits one point extra
This was underwhelming. There was some fruit and oak on the nose, but it was tight and confined. Medium bodied, with less structure than anticipated. Will wait a few years until trying another one.
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Had a few days apart from a 2005 Chateau de Seguin, and the comparison is not favorable to this wine. Certainly, the nose on the Haut Bages Liberal is much more complex and interesting on the plus side. However, the mid-palate is hollow without any significant character, followed by some untamed tannins on the finish. Not a good sign 10 years after the vintage and not a favorable message for the future bottles.
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The nose pops with cassis, tobacco and cedar chest notes. With an hour of air, the tannins soften and the cassis and leafy, green olive laden finish comes though nicely. The wine is correct, but finishes short. This classically, firm styled wine is still quite young and should be better with another 5 years in the bottle.
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Some blue / black fruits on the nose and palate but the dry, dusty tannins shut everything down. Multiple hours in the decanter, additional time in the glass with vigorous swirling, and the addition of lamb could not coax anything else out of the wine. Consensus at the table- waaaay to early to have opened these bottles. This borderlines on being undrinkable now; B- overall, maybe another 5 years will help other aspects of the wine develop.
Immensely enjoyable! Youthful as well as energetic! Pair it with lamb this time! What a partnership! Please refer my previous tasting notes! Thank you!
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Tasted during a Wine advocate event - A matter of taste. Medium-dark garnet. Distinctively bretty and earthy nose. On the palate this impression continues, needs more fruit to score in the 90ies. If you like this Cru be on the look out for the 2009.
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Have had three bottles to date. All were disappointing with way too much brett. I got extreme and decanted this latest bottle for 24 hours. Yes, really. The brett disappeared and the wine came out. Dark brooding fruit, and forest floor on the nose, black plum, earth, leather, on the palette. Tannins are mellow. All in all a very good wine, yet the hassle factor was high.
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OK guys. This is a 2005 Bordeaux - It needs air time. Stored at 58 degrees. Decanted 8 hours before drinking. Beautiful, balanced, classic, soft tannin, medium body, not bold, not complex. But very drinkable and delicious right now. Paid $40 on a future. Good value.
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2 bottles opened to confirm first impression. Light, fruity, and not well organized. Not closed at all, just a mess. Disappointing as this was well stored.
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A bit too ripe, more stewed fruit than I expected, and somewhat one-dimensional despite the high pedigree. Did balance out a bit over the meal, so perhaps a decant would round off the edges on this one?
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Deep red-black to a garnet rim. Classic Bordeaux and, more particularly, Pauillac bouquet with graphite, blackcurrants, damson, cassis, dry scrub and some raisin. Very ripe fruit that shows as rich on the palate, a dry lemon twist of acidity gives freshness and solid, grippy tannins to aid structure. Full-bodied, with good concentration, perhaps a little foursquare and a note of alcohol burn, and flavours of black olive, baked blackcurrants, raisin and a port-like finish. A modern interpretation of Pauillac that is powerful and firmly built but seems to lack the panache and the punch is a little too bruising.
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Medium dark color with light brick edges. Big nose of stewed fruit and funk. Touch of Brett on the palate with sweet blackberry. Slight sweet ending and medium/short length.
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Decanted for 1/2 hour and drank over two. Classic flavors of earth, graphite, muted currant, a little barnyard. Evolved to full bodied while drinking with a good tannic backbone that provided structure without being over the top. This is in a good place right now if you like a younger Bordeaux as the tannins are in check but it hasn't picked up the "aged" characteristics.
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Tasted this wine in a 2005 Bordeaux Tasting together with Clerc Milon, Rauzan-Gassies, Durfort Vivens, Beychevelle, and others. The wine was out of a range from 8 different châteaus from four different appellations one of the best. A beautiful nose, stunning taste and the most individual one. Searching for a quality/price wine from 2005? Haut Bages Liberal is the Château to look for!
As with the bottle 5 years ago, it was light and uninspiring but blossomed on day 2. Gaining weight and presence, and the Pauillac character like graphite, dark fruit (which was somewhat subdued). Not a flashy or exuberant wine but very much what I enjoy in a classic Bordeaux, despite the fruit being a bit hidden at this point.
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Lush and chewy. When decanting, the fragrance filled the room with lavender and berries. Flavors include cassis and licorice. A little pepper in the finish. Drinking very well. Wish this wasn't my only bottle.
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Light oak, cassis and plum, some pencil shavings. Performing beautifully for the value that it is. Certainly can go longer but seems as though it has entered its peak era and will drink well for the next 5 to 10 years.
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Dark ruby in colour and Purple hue! Superb nose of Blackcurrant, Creme Cassis!! It is a bit closed on the palate, black fruits dominate! Tobacco, very spicy! It can be easily kept for 10, 15 years!! Sheer Pauillac! Love it! Fantastic value!
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A refined full bodied wine with a dense purple core . Notes of raspberry, dried fruit and chocolate. On the palate the fruit is clean and pure with hints of plum and some more raspberry. The tannins are soft and ripe leading to a long velvety finish. A great effort. Drink over the next 10 years.
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Trialto Old World Classics Tasting: Enjoyable nose that is lavishly oaked and not as closed as I feared it might be. Vanilla, Caramel, pyrazines, dark berry fruit. I was expecting massive tannins on the palate but to my surprise I found them quite silky and ripe. Should really morph into something nice given a few more years. Too primary for my palate today.
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From 375. Grab a big glass, and enjoy the myriad of aromas here. Extremely interesting, depth and concentration, give this beauty an instant attraction. Oozes flavour and class, with power a plenty. One for many years yet. 92+
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Drank a half bottle with my wife. This 2005 5th growth is even less attractive as compared to the chateau segur de cabanac I drink the next day. Spicy with little hint of black fruits, the finish is short.
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From a half. Color is deep opaque ruby-purple; nose has huge oak, vanilla, cedar, slight toasted aroma, completely overpowers any fruit; palate is full bodied, rich, fine grained and strong tannin, some midpalate blackberry and red cherry fruit; finish is medium length, rich, finishes nondescript. This is like an overoaked barrel sample, very young and tannic, with no concept of place. (Pauillac? Where is the graphite, the density of fruit, or the complexity?) Not all negative though... it's not hot and reasonably well balanced, oak content aside. Would not recommend to buy, and definitely not my style, but given that I already own more I'll plan on waiting 5 years until my next half and see whether the oak and tannins integrate and the fruit becomes more prominent. 87-88 Update: I was pretty harsh... actually an enjoyable wine, but still overoaked and no sense of place. 88-89
I got a ton of oak from this bottle. Too much in fact. I want to say much different from last bottle. Puzzling. *side note- professional reviews don't mention the oak in this monster. Even more puzzling.
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Still too early - needs several more years. Cassis and cedar on the nose. Bright fruits with some tar, smoke and cedar on the palate. Rather tart and underipe- like cranberry juice. Slightly lean with sharp edges and a somewhat sour finish. Not really in a good spot right now.
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Very dark ruby color; oak, tart black currant, blackberry, roast coffee nose; rich, tart black currant, tart blackberry, roast coffee palate; medium-plus finish (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot; 40% in new oak)
Blind tasting group reunion (Dario and Ross): Tasted Blind. Minty with plenty of oak on the nose...and I went for Australia ! This is very modern and ripe and not what I expect from a Pauillac at all. Anyway, with more air, it showed a hint of cedar but at this point I don't give a crap. Sad.
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Bright cassis, cedar wood, tobacco and cranberry opens to a medium/full bodied tannic wine that is bordering on the lean side. The tannins were harder than I last recalled. This is not fun to drink at the moment. It might improve with another 5-10 more years of bottle age.
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Similar experience to previous bottle in March. I guess I am a little more impressed this time around. This wine takes time for the nose to come out. Even with a decant, it was still more than a hour or so before I really started to get the total offering of this wine.
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Passed through Vinturi into decanter.Never been a fan of the Vinturi. I think it was a mistake, in my opinion the Vinturi muted the wine, there was nothing really there. The nose was dominated by wet moss like smells with very little fruit and faint smell of spices at the back end. The finish was sort with velvety tannins, hollow in the mid pallet. The wine was not bad, very easy to drink, but I expected more. Next bottle will only decant.
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Currant, graphite, and plum. Soft silky tannins suggest this is in the "ready to drink" mode. Lovely, balanced, but hard to imagine it evolving into much more than what it is today.
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I don´t agree with others on this site. This is a lovely Bordeaux just in the right time to drink. The nose is fantastic and the taste is perfect match to lambchops. Sorry that I only have one bottle.
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This is an excellent wine! Flavors of dark cherries, black currant, licorice, tobacco, dark chocolate, vanilla and toasted oak. Medium-to-full-bodied wine that has a heightened presence all throughout the ride. Very lively acidity and vivid tannins that grip the finish, but doesn't come tart at all - just the right amount to give it a fleshy character. Delicate, but at the same time very well-structured and balanced. Goes magnificently well with Indian food. Drink from 2012 to 2022.
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Decanted approximately 1 hour, followed for another hour and a half. Deep inky purple. Out of the gate, the nose was reticent, and unfortunately that continued throughout the course of the evening, giving up only hints of what this wine has to offer. With some coaxing, notes of plum, graphite and cedar were apparent. On the palate, this is still brutally tannic, not offering much drinking pleasure due to the massive structure. Tough to evaluate a wine in this closed state.
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This really delivered for me. After a couple of hours in the decanter it was silky and fruity. It complimented a steak like white on rice. A great buy. 91-93
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Spice and leather nose, nice all-around wine, some berries but not so fruity at all, a good Pauillac, "real Bordeaux" for a good price. Not going to knock you over, but tastes like an older wine, quite enjoyable.
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Decanted this wine, since I am trying this wine before it's expected time. It was actually very drinkable, with smooth integrated tannins and acid level working very well with the grilled steak dinner. I am tempted to say this wine is ready to drink. Quite enjoyable now with the decant. Good fruit and floral qualities on the nose.
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Day 1, 1hr decant, similar to previous notes and not the good ones. A little spice on the nose, medium bodied, astringent, herbal, zero fruit, round, mouthwatering acidity, medium tannins. Not fun to drink, will save others for my mother-in-law. Day 2, better, tannins calmed down, more round and full bodied on the palate, unfortunately barely a hint of dark fruit, silky tannins. Disappointed for a WS 93.
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My note mirrors that of another CT taster in that I found this wine nearly undrinkable. Not that it was bad, it was just completely shut down. Closed up tight like a drum. No rating. Maybe try another on the 5th of Never since that's when it appears it'll be ready to drink at this point.
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS #064; Bordeaux; Pauillac (By RvD): Beautiful, almost still purple color. Deep bouquet with black cherries, cassis, leather and licorice and beautiful oak. On the palate the same impressions plus blackberries and blueberries. And chocolate bitterness. Concentrated with a firm amount of acidity, tannin and bitterness. In this stage quite impressive, but -from memory, and concerning other vintages- after some ageing this wine tends to disappoint a bit. Nevertheless for now a 91++
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Cedar, spice, cassis, licorice. black raspberry and tobacco aromas open the wine. With a medium/full body, this correctly made Pauillac needs another year or two to come around.
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Impossible to rate now. Expressive nose of violets, cherries and wax. Very astringent and acidic, not much fruit coming through. Not that pleasant to drink right now. Feels like it needs another 5 years.
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With steak in the Pope's Eye in Putney. This was much more accessible than I was expecting and simply delicious. Still very very young but fabulously fragrant, rich and round, and great with the fat of a sirloin. Before this evening I'd have thought it infanticide but I'm going to have to get a case delivered and start drinking it. I'm all the more grateful for the advice that means I have a few.
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Denne gikk utrolig bra til ytrefilet av hjort og fløtegrattinerte poteter. Flott ung typeriktig Pauillac! Bra nå, men vil nok tjenne på 3-4 år til i kjelleren. Vinene kom virkelig til sin rett når maten kom på bordet, så det anbefales å drikke denne til litt kraftige kjøttretter nå for å temme tanninene litt.
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The first impression is of great intense Cabernet Cassis and then the wine crushes with very powerful tannins. This is certainly a wine for the cellar. Full-bodied and very rich, but that hard frame of tannins are always present. $79.99 OH Retail.
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I can't resist this sheer beauty! Deep deep purple in color with nose of noble dark fruits, unmistakably Pauillac by any means! The evolution of the dark fruits in the glass simply adorable! Haut-Bages Liberal at it's very best! Marvelous!!!
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Sheer beauty! Really a good effort! CS at it's very very best! Finish is long! Reminding me of some very serious second growth! At it's primitive stage, a 15 to 20 years wine! Well done!
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This was very closed to me. A mixture of dense fruit, acid and tannins that are all disjoint. The 06 I had last week was much more in balance and enjoyable, albeit with less 'stuffing', as it were. What madness drove me to open an 05 at this stage? Probably because it was the most easily accessible bottle at the time of choosing a wine ...
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Big and opulant, very new world style with very ripe fruit profile, tastes years older than it is. This wine is ready to drink now, though I suspect it will not do well over the long term.
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This wine has stuffing, 12 hours of decant revealed a strong wine that was reasonably complex and would've shown even better with another 5 years of age. As it was, plenty came through at dinner with steak and potatoes. Cliche? yes, but delicious.
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Pale lavender meniscus moving to red-violet core. Nose of briary black fruit, redcurrant, flowers, and black licorice. Flavors of iron, cassis, and minerals, with medium body, medium-plus tannins, and medium acidity. Finishes with raspberry, minerals, and tart peach pit for around 30 seconds. Day 2 saw more floral and red fruit notes emerge with the tannins becoming much more silky.
Not finding any old world qualities here. Plummy, inky fruit. Boring, Boring. Where's the leather/earth/mineral, etc? Well, there was a little mineral at the end, if you concentrate real hard. Trying to like this wine, as it used to be a reasonably priced go-to Bordeaux. Now it's Bore-doh. Hopefully just drinking it too young.
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Light and astringent, with strong tannins on the back. Unlike the last bottle this was pop and poured at a tasting so I didn't get a chance to revisit the next day ... I believe this wine is still shut down hard.
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Wonderful wine from a great vintage. Definitely has plenty of room to improve, very young at this point. The deep ink color of the wine is beautiful from seeing it on the cork to seeing it in the glass. Served with a rabbit leg, which is paired very nicely with. The earth notes linger in your mouth.
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Found some half bottles in the closeout bin, so I thought I would kill one early. Decanted for about 5 hours prior to serving. Expressive nose of black currant jam, fennel and a bit of tar. Great concentration on the palate with juicy ripe plums and blackberry. Really sweet and easy tannins and a mediumish finish. Great value for 05.
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K&L Value Bordeaux Tasting: nose - toasty oak. mouth - light red fruit. i did not appreciate the spiciness that was touted. One of the more expensive wines of the night , yet paradoxically to me seemingly lacking in complexity.
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Tasted alongside the 05 Pagodes de Cos over 2 days. Colour deep inky purple. Nose of blackberry, plum and some graphite notes. Palate initially completely closed on the fruit front, but over 48 hours blossomed as the (very refined but prominent) tannins softened, and lovely plum, cassis and savoury smoky flavours emerged. Will certainly benefit from 5-7 years in the cellar. Interestingly, showed poorly alongside the PdC initially, but the latter faded considerably and left the HBL standing tall by the end. Would have drunk well into the 3rd day if I'd been patient I expect.
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This bottle was popped and poured and paired with lamp chops and steamed vegetable. It started with a deep ruby color. This is a young wine (2005) so I was not concerned with bricking or spoil. Immediately after the bottle was corked (even before the pour) my guests were commenting on the powerful and pleasant aroma. There were slight tastings of cherry, oak, smoke and a resident light bitter in the background. This proved to be a dry, medium bodied, uncomplicated wine. It was nicely balanced and the bitter seemed to be removed with time, however the deep fruits never presented themselves. The finish was solid but not lengthy. I hope time in the cellar will help bring out in the taste what we all smelled in the aroma.
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almost California, ALMOST. Not in it's prime yet, hold. I'd buy it again. Couldn't find any smoke VinoMe tasted/smelled. I guess we smoked different things.
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Bibendum Bordeaux tasting (Lord's Cricket Ground - London): Powerful nose, firm fruits, good oak, silky and velvety on the palate. Quite raw, and energetic with crunchy black and red fruit. Maybe some violets and pencil lead. This is very young and in keeping with the vintage has many years before it is ready for the dinner table. Lock this one up till it comes of age. At least another 5years. 91+
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I decanted for 2 hours which was probably not enough. This fruit seems very muted on this wine and I agree with the others that it is a bit closed. This one will definitely benefit from several more years in the cellar. However I am not convinced that this bottle is worthy of its 1855 classification status. I prefer the $20 2001 or 2003 Chateau Cantelys. I drank the following day and still wasn't as open as I would expect.
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Dégustation de 10 bordeaux 2005. HBL est plutôt austère par rapport aux autres, tant au nez qu'au palet. Il y a du bois, crayon et cèdre, des fruits rouges murs, tendant vers la cerise (bigarot) et la mure. L'ensemble est très puissant en bouche, les tannins très présents. Assez classique, à attendre.
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Went through a bit of a journey with this bottle. Opened and decanted for approximately 4 hours and then double decanted back into the bottle for another 3.5 hours. Throughout the trek, the nose maintained the same lovely soft pencil shavings, plums, cigar box, and blackberries. This just seemed to get softer and more elegant over the course of the evening. This was the best part of the wine. Unfortunately, the taste never really showed quite as well. From start to finish this wine was wound up tighter than a fishing reel. Even by the last glass, which would have been about 9 hours of air, it was showing some lovely tobacco, mineral, and dark fruits, but you really had to work through the tight tannins to get to it. Considering this plot is next door to Lynch-Bages, it's quite the deal in comparison, but patience will be needed with this infant. I would guess at least 8-10 years will be required to really see what this wine has to offer. I think that this is a good litmus test for my 05 Pauillacs. Answer...DO NOT TOUCH!
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Caroline Wine Shop - Bordeaux 2001 to 2005 (Carolines Wine Shop): Medium to deep ruby red colour with vibrant crimson edges. It is a highly aromatic and intense wine, revealing ripe black fruits and freshness with graphite and pastry elements. The entry is all about cassis, black plum and ripe blackcurrant fruit that leads to a rich textural experience reminiscent of black currant and yoghurt crumble. A sophisticated wine, there are layers of complexity, some oak toast, and a powerful presence on the mid-palate. Firm finely grained tannins with that upward lift keep the wine interesting towards a long and complex finish. Excellent! 80 CS, 17 Merlot, 3 PV.
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Still VERY young and tight. A fantastic nose but very closed down. Pencil lead, chocolate, well structured but closed tannins. Didn't have a chance to decant nor try the following day.
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Day 1 - Decanted for approx 4-5 hours. Disappointing considering that I liked the 02 or 03 HBLs I've had earlier this year. I hope this is simply a bad bottle. Rather lean and a bit tart and sour both on the nose and on the palette. Finish is tannic and shows some length, but too little too late. 85. Day 2 - MUCH better. Gained a lot of weight and the complex deep fruit emerged. A lot of lead pencil and leather. Tannins protruding slightly but smooth and nicely balanced overall. A solid 90 now, with potential for more in the future. At least 5+ years for my other bottles I say.
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Popped and poured. Very astringent and had to decant. Drank over the course of 4 hours. I agree with the prior comment. Very understated fruit. I paired it with an eight-spice dry rubbed ribeye. Maybe the spices deadened my taste buds, but I just couldn't get much fruit. Otherwise a very good bottle wine with good structure. A bit backward perhaps. Not convinced it's worth the $55 price tag.
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Decanted for four hours and I probably could've gone for 6-7. Still extremely young. Tight tannins, vegetal components and very understated fruit. Lots of pencil lead!
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Bordeaux Report: 13% alcohol. nose of black and blueberries, spicy black pepper, cocoa, graphite, hints of bell pepper, and a bit of heat. full bodied. nice balanced ripe fruit and tannins.
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2005 Bordeaux (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): A rather sharp nose of burnt tobacco, herbs, and sour cherries. On the palate, more tart red fruit and a slightly vegetal component on the finish. OK, but I was not really digging this wine too much. RP88-90, WS93.
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Very nice Pauillac, fulfilling its promise from barrel, with distinct cassis notes and a nuanced medium bodied palate, with a smooth finish. Probably not too expensive and worth seeking out.
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BORDEAUX 2005 / Cabernet rules; 4/5/2006-4/10/2006 (Bordeaux): Pure cedar like aromas and lovely fruit expression. Wet tannins, flavorful juice, with both corpulence and persistence and a linear focus of flavor with a fine finish. Lacks perhaps the depth and sublime finesse of the greats, but what a wine! When I found out it was HBL, I could not believe it. Let’s wait for the bottle tasting but from barrel, this is a wine to buy. 92-94+
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3/4/2024 - Rhetion Likes this wine: 91 Points
Appearance: Ruby red, with a somewhat see-through veneer
Aroma: Violets, old raspberries, pepper, and a bit of black tea.
Palate: Quite mellow at this age, with some bit of a tannic finish. I also do get some of that dark fruit and leather aspect in the taste as well.
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2/16/2024 - Sinclelz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Classic claret. Decanted for about 2 hours. Still a lovely deep ruby colour. The nose is black fruits with some bay leaf and pepper. The palette is medium bodied and well integrated now - still showing lots of fruit but with resolved tannins. It’s getting towards time to drink up.
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12/4/2023 - TGLeroy Likes this wine: 89 Points
Does need a couple hours to open, but seems to maybe have seen it’s better days?
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11/17/2023 - the shrub wrote:
Good after about an hour decant
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8/28/2023 - Tao wrote: 92 Points
Great nose of pure black currant fruits along with a touch of woody, spicy, leathery bouquet! Drinking gorgeously now, a satisfying, lengthy finish!
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7/28/2023 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Last bottle. Perfect cork; barely soaked. Quite a bit of sediment in the bottle. Not unexpected. Full ruby red, but just on the edge of garnet, with a dried rose petal rim. Faded blackberry nose with ink, camphor, prune plum, tobacco and a hint of graphite. Fully mature and quite delicate. Medium bodied, a little thin on the mid-palate, no tannins in sight, fresh acidity and a dry, slightly astringent finish. The flavoura are delicate dried and slightly sour dark fruits, woody spice and black tea. Pleasant food wine but feels like it's on a slow decline and time to drink up.
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5/14/2023 - Mark van Delft Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lush Pauillac, still tad young, chewy dry tannins, needs 2 hours of decant to open up: plum, bramble, mushroom, dark cherry, leather, tobacco, blackcurrant, smoke, medium plus body, long dry black fruit dominant finish. Hold for at least 2 years
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5/8/2023 - Ross Weatherburn wrote:
Almost 20 years of age for this 5th growth estate run by the Lurton family. Sitting next door to Ch. Latour, this Pauillac estate has famous neighbours. Limestone soil brings a stone like minerality to the wine. There’s baking spice, dried or burnt oak, tight liquorish and some subtle aniseed and perhaps even mint. Fruit is predominantly blackcurrant. Soft tannins and a medium finish. Medium bodied.
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4/16/2023 - the shrub wrote: 89 Points
Nice but too young
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4/10/2023 - olaf.foertsch@gmx.de Likes this wine: 93 Points
The Second day: remarkable
Worth $50, Guide Hachette **, 90 PP...
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4/8/2023 - olaf.foertsch@gmx.de Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfect
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1/23/2023 - wineappreciation wrote: 90 Points
Blueberry, gravel, leather, cigar box; linear, powerful but supple, moderately long finish but somewhat muted; may still be a little young or possibly just a bit weak and faded
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1/6/2023 - GNBB wrote: 92 Points
En magnum. Decanted one hour. Excellent nose, pencil shavings, iodine, violets and brambles. Palate retains freshness with fine tannins; blackcurrant fruits and light violet. Drinking ideally now. Drink now-2027.
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1/1/2023 - StraightnoChaser Likes this wine: 91 Points
Takes time to develop but that’s what I love about these is the progression from subtle and simple to complex and rewarding.
Dried cherries, cedar, graphite and a bit of allspice on the nose.
Plum, dark cherries and leather flavors with a dry finish of good length.
If you have any there is no rush as this bottle is showing plenty of vibrancy
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11/6/2022 - sjfunkenhauser wrote: 91 Points
Deep garnet colour.
High intensity aromas of cranberry, strawberry, red cherry, ripe black cherry, black berry, black plum, black currant, cinnamon, cedar, earth, licorice.
Pronounced palate.
Full body, high acidity, medium (+) silky tannins, medium (+) finish.
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11/1/2022 - Irish_Wine wrote: 91 Points
Deep garnet.
Pronounced on the nose with rich blackcurrant, black plum, black cherry, raspberry, mint, cedar, chocolate, vanilla, leather, earth, tobacco and prune. Truffle and savoury notes after more air. Developing.
Pronounced and dry on the palate with some tart cherry / blackcurrant coming through. High acidity, medium plus partly resolved tannins, Medium plus body, medium alcohol, medium plus finish.
Can drink now but has potential for aging or further aging.
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10/14/2022 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ruby color, slight signs of bricking. Perfect botte with perfect cork. Nose is fragrant with black currants, forest floor, cherry paste. Fresh and with good acidity, this brims with red cherries and currants, with some notes of menthol and more forest foliage. Grainy tannins, medium long finish. Slow ox’ed for about two hours, it came together nicely. It does feel a bit disjointed, but the improvement with air and the overall freshness tells me this is still quite young and will improve further in the next 4-5 years. A good pour.
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10/3/2022 - Doanebob Likes this wine: 92 Points
It is drinking so well now. I don't think it will get any better so enjoy.
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9/24/2022 - Drinkmenow Likes this wine:
Delightful wine. Paired well with beef but will do well with cheese or hors d’oeuvres. Low tannin and fully developed. We have one more bottle and should be opened in next year.
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9/10/2022 - popopdrops wrote: 88 Points
Ikke dekantert. Småpen, på det jevne, på grensen til kjedelig.
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8/15/2022 - DJSeiler wrote: 93 Points
Aromas and flavors are still outstanding. Strong structure. This bottle has a bit more sentiment than I remember in previous bottles. Still a great drinking experience.
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7/3/2022 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 89 Points
Ikke dekantert. Pen.
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5/8/2022 - gtilley wrote:
Showing beautifully tonight. Had more of a red cherry and red plum fruit character than I would expect from a Pauillac, but there's no question that it's maturing nicely and is in good balance.
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4/30/2022 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last bottle - now fully mature and a point. Tannins soft, fruit rich and lots of nuanced complexity. A bargain.
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4/18/2022 - Easter Everywhere Likes this wine:
superb now. no rush on these
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3/31/2022 - cigar52 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking very well since last note, but losing a little bit of firmness. Will drink 5 remaining bottles in next 12 months.
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3/19/2022 - ikkaariainen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking extremely well, definitely recommend and a good QPR wine. Short decant at tableside as we had it at a restaurant and friends brought the bottle, would recommend a much longer decant if possible. Drink or hold - fully mature now but has an easy decade to go with proper cellaring, not sure of how much further of an upside it will have with more cellar time. Dark inky purple, oak & tannins present but well integrated, not a particularly fruit forward wine but this is where I think a much longer decant would help, full bodied, well balanced, good mouth feel and s long pleasant aftertaste present. Nose initially somewhat muted and astringent but once it opened up with air the nose became dark and aromatic with plum, violet, brambles and a hint of smoke. Soft tannins anchoring the flavor profile the entire length with well integrated oak, dark stone fruit and cassis present up front with more minerally stone, graphite and smoked meaty finish.
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2/17/2022 - tbabes wrote: 92 Points
Decanted an hour before dinner. Youthful purple core, turning towards garnet at the rim. Notes of blackberry, currants, crushed stone, and bramble. Medium bodied, firm structure with ripe tannins, good depth and concentration, long and focused finish. Has improved immensely since last tasted 3.5 years ago, and should continue to improve!
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2/6/2022 - dfusina wrote: 92 Points
Worth the wait. two hour decant. Perfect.
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1/29/2022 - thebonnydooner wrote: 92 Points
Last of three. Note about one hour after opening, no decant.
Still pretty dark in centre with a nice brick red rim. Fragrant and complex on the nose, with dark currant and dark cherry fruit, some earthy notes maybe leather and some cedar as well. Complex and very interesting on the nose. Palate is equally complex, some sweetness from cherry and currant fruit, a little bitter and earthy, but a nice long finish with both sweet and savoury - hints of mushroom, wood, earth. Complex, interesting and drinking great. Easily the best showing of the three bottles.
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12/30/2021 - popopdrops wrote: 88 Points
Dekantert. På det jevne, småpen, også dag 2-
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12/22/2021 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Gang of 4 in Covid19 times; Pauillac: In the beautiful bouquet dark berries like cassis, minerals and oak. On the palate juicy dark berries, chocolate and firm acidity. Beautiful wine.
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11/13/2021 - MikeOstr Likes this wine:
Remarkably silky and smooth, has definitely aged well.
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10/24/2021 - Hanjob68 wrote: 86 Points
Three hour decant and the nose was promising: black currant, dark cherry, a hint of lead pencil and a little vegetal development. The wine wound up with almost no fruit. The mouthfeel was there but the flavour almost nonexistent. Same thing the next day after a double decant four hours ahead. Maybe in a late dumb phase in such a stellar vintage?
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10/10/2021 - gtilley wrote:
On opening I was a bit underwhelmed, it seemed a bit light and astringent. But after about 3 hours of decanting I was very impressed. Admittedly by this point I was well into the meal, not paying full attention and had already drunk a lot - nevertheless it impressed me as being smoky and meaty on the nose and beginning of the palate, dialling it down across the mid palate, and then finishing with rather mature cigar and wet coal characters. Really enjoyed it.
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10/7/2021 - popopdrops Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dekantert. Ser ut til å ha kommet dit jeg håpet den ville komme. Meget pen, behag, også dag 2, selv om den nok forfaller mot ordinær nedover i flasken. Best dag 1.
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10/3/2021 - dfcrutcher Likes this wine: 90 Points
Soft tannins with prevalent, if somewhat generic, fruit. Medium weight, with a light glyceriney feel. Pleasantly surprised.
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9/12/2021 - richardkim Likes this wine: 90 Points
Aromas of dark fruits and subtle cigar box, very restrained. The palate is balanced, fresh, and lovely, though tending on the lighter side.
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8/23/2021 - mp44 wrote: 92 Points
keeps improving - and lots of road ahead
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8/7/2021 - cugel_saga Likes this wine: 92 Points
This took some time to settle down. The first glass, after 2 hours decanting, was promising but still aggressively tannic and acidic.
After 5 hours it feels a lot calmer and its in a good place. A fine tannic bite remains that carries every mouthful through past the lingering hint of cherry wood and cassis.
It's not quite silky but it's smooth, resolved and quite excellent.
Graphite lives here. Smoke too.
Drinking well, will go for years I reckon.
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8/7/2021 - ThompsonandFrench Likes this wine: 90 Points
A lovely wine. Drinking very well now. Decanted 2 hours prior and then drunk over another 2. Classic claret, but slightly delicate flavours. In a good phase, all together and resolved. Could have asked for a bit more intensity?
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7/2/2021 - oenanthe Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark. Cedary, dusty, dry, very lightly tannic and slightly leathery. Classic left bank aromas and flavours, these Chateaux are so reliable. Cork looked almost brand new, so the bottle as a whole was perhaps in better condition than the last, and was still drinking well after 3 hours of slow consumption. Initially with steak frites, then as I cooked a ragu for the following day. Great stuff, one bottle left - it will not see out the year!
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5/31/2021 - floating_cellar wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted a few hours early and then Decanted 30 mins before dinner. Excellent nose and palate with aged dark fruit, forest floor, leather and classic Bordeaux must. Very nicely aired with steak au poirve and rosemary potatoes.
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5/30/2021 - Mingles Likes this wine: 91 Points
In a good place. Beautiful with beef. Just nice, relaxed and satisfying Pauillac with a bbq 👍.
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5/21/2021 - oenanthe Likes this wine: 85 Points
Terrific on opening, cedar, lead, dust, blackcurrant - classic pauillac, really pleasant. Poured and tasted directly. However after an hour or so the magic had gone and the wine tasted thinner and subdued. I don't think this one has much left in the tank. My advice would be to drink it in a larger group - everyone gets a glass when the going is good.
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2/24/2021 - mp44 Likes this wine: 91 Points
same comment as my last taste 8 months ago - solid, with potential to improve from here
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1/24/2021 - Sennma wrote:
had stolen a glass of this 5 years ago using a Coravin. was amazed at how well the wine held up under preservation for that long.
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1/16/2021 - pinkhouse Likes this wine: 88 Points
Cellared since release. Continues to be somewhat tight like so many 05s. Enjoyable but keen for this one to blossom. Will it? Not sure.
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1/15/2021 - popopdrops wrote: 89 Points
Åpen noen timer, også i glass. Absolutt pen.
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1/8/2021 - Jake Barnes wrote: 91 Points
(1/08/21) There was zero bricking evident in this bottle and plenty of black cherries and truffles on the nose and the palate. The wine still had excellent structure, and the truffles were the extent of the tertiary development, so I would say this bottle was definitely just inside its drinking window.
I give this bottle extremely high marks for its powerful truffle and black cherry bouquet (which I can smell a foot and a half from the glass), its balance, and its intensity, but there was a slight dryness to the tannins and a little sourness/tartness in the fairly short finish that brought the overall score down.
Nonetheless, this was a very solid and worthwhile fifteen-year-old bottle of Pauillac that didn’t break the bank. 13% abv. (***/15.5/91)
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1/7/2021 - thewineoceros wrote: 91 Points
From Coravin - Still dark purple, maybe a slight lightening compared to previous viewings. Nose needs a bit of coaxing, but is worth the reward as you get classic Paulliac. Pure Cassis, earthy notes, pencil lead, but really tight and poised. Delicate and classy, its all there, but you need to go looking. Palate is starting to open up now. Finally! You get all of the nose plus extras. Flavours are pure, and the tannins are in a great place right now. Softening beautifully, but still with a soothing grip. 2005 is true vin de garde. Plenty of time to go on this, but worth checking in on if you have a few.
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12/26/2020 - wmccone54 Likes this wine: 90 Points
To date, I’ve generally found the 2005 Bordeaux vintage to be unapproachable, unrelentingly tannic, and hard. Slightly hesitant in opening this tonight. Developing, but angular, with some structural sharp edges. Red, dry, austere fruits are there, and you can taste the raw potential. I like this, but to me, it’s got a looooong way to go. Hold
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12/24/2020 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 92 Points
Needs to be drunk soon. Slightly flat finish
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12/20/2020 - gtilley wrote:
After a good 3 hour decant or so this shows a lovely balance between rather more forward red fruit flavours alongside a more meaty character. Tannins are dusty, powdery. It sort of swings between the two characters. It’s rather polite for a pauillac.
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12/17/2020 - Wine Canuck wrote: 90 Points
A Small 2005 Bordeaux Horizontal: [Tasted Blind] Visually this shows virtually zero evolution. Pure ruby, even some flecks of pink and purple. The nose shows violet, plum, kirsch, licorice, and perhaps just a whisper of mushroom or almost a truffle element, but admittedly I'm stretching a bit for that. I find this somewhat on the soft side on the palate with medium minus tannin and medium minus acidity. This seems to be quite squarely centered on the deep rich fruit with very little secondary or tertiary development. The finish does linger nicely replaying much of the nose but with a little lick of alcohol. Fortunately I did not detect too much in the way of new wood for this somewhat more clean and modern styled wine. My classical palate was missing some of the traditional Bordeaux secondary character here.
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12/17/2020 - twfwinedude wrote:
Opened the last bottle of a case for my wife's birthday. Beautiful...the wine and the wife. Very smooth, subtle complexity....the wine and the wife.
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11/25/2020 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Gang of 4 in Covid19 times; Margaux versus Pauillac (@ RW): Beautiful bouquet with perfumed licorice impressions, cinnamon and some smoke. On the palate red and dark berries, beautiful and juicy acidity and round tannin. Very pleasant wine in a good drinking stage.
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11/21/2020 - Craig Taylor Likes this wine: 90 Points
Again deep garnet in colour showing a little tingle of brick red at the rim.
Black currant, black cherry and cedar on the nose.
Concentrated black fruit with more cedar, sweet spices and lovely balance. High acidly and tannins seem a bit mellower since I had the first bottle. Nice complexity and opened up much more in the second day, very long finish.
Great wine.
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11/14/2020 - Pidgeon Does not like this wine: 84 Points
Very disappointed. Decanted for two hours but it didn’t open up. The description from me and other guests is that it was harsh with not much of a nose.
Opened two bottles, both the same.
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10/30/2020 - cigar52 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking well. Opened up after a half hour.
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10/8/2020 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pulled the cork from the bottle sampled last week via Coravin.
With more time to breathe tonight I saw a lot of improvement over last week.
Will save the final bottle for at least one year.
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10/2/2020 - Château Merci-Beaucoup wrote: 85 Points
The bottle has now 15 years of age. Right out of the bottle, the colour unexpectedly seems still quite young, dark, purple and opaque. In the nose however rather modest and restrained: No fruit, but some automn leafs and cigar box. On the palate flavours of automn leafs, a bit herbal, with a short ending. The next day a little bit more expressive, so air did help. All in all a correct claret, but without much fun or sexyness. This bottle was ok for now, but will not leave its fingerprint in my hedonistic memories.
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9/28/2020 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drew a good sized glass with Coravin to enjoy with dinner tonight.
Some blackberry and cassis along with forest floor notes.
A very enjoyable pairing with marinated steak.
Needs time to breath and gain complexity.
A big improvement from the bottle drank 2 years ago.
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9/25/2020 - Tao wrote: 92 Points
Very consistent with what I've been through! Vibrant spicy black fruits on the nose and yet dark in colour, the chewy fruits cover your palate with medium to long finish, a touch tannic, easy to drink, capable to age it for another ten years!
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9/5/2020 - mjdixon Likes this wine: 90 Points
Pleasant for the price but no complexity.
Went well with Lamb loin.
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9/3/2020 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep garnet to brick red.
Quite shy nose with aromas of dry underbrush, graphite, tar and smoke. Elements of dark (80%) chocolate and dried blackcurrant, raisin and liquorice.
Medium+ bodied, sweet cocoa powder texture with plenty of fruit balanced bu a bright lemon-edges acidity.
Flavours of cassis, black cherry and spicy oak mingle to give a delicious, slightly restrained wine. Well knit, this is a glossy, fine wine from the riper 2005 vintage that shows gently tugging tannins on the finish without a lot of depth but extremely enjoyable. alcohol well integrated. A far more integrated wines that a few years back.
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8/25/2020 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for about an hour. Perfect fill and cork; very little sediment. Medium dark ruby red with no outward signs of advanced age. Classic Bordeaux nose of cassis, plum, pronounced graphite, light hedgerow and smokiness. Quite subtle and nuanced aromas with nothing in your face. Quite fresh smelling. Smooth, high acid, very dry in the mouth. Medium bodied. Crunchy red and black fruit flavours, more hedgerow and graphite. Medium finish that is a touch hollow. Palate and nose are perfectly aligned. Feels a tad hot on the finish, but otherwise a classically styled Bordeaux drinking very nicely now with food. Solid 90 pointer
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8/20/2020 - alfagirl Likes this wine: 92 Points
Superb Bordeaux. Full bodied and silky finish. Notes of blackberry and cassis. Wish I had more.
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8/19/2020 - Villon wrote: 91 Points
Me semble plus accompli que la bouteille bue en 2019 (cette dernière était sans doute prématurément fatiguée). Jolie Bordeaux classique, sur son plateau.
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8/15/2020 - mp44 Likes this wine: 91 Points
lovely - but will continue to improve it feels like
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8/2/2020 - asparagus Likes this wine: 89 Points
Opened and decanted 3 hours before dinner. Still young, but this seems to be in a decnt spot right now (if you like your Bordeaux on the youngish side). Cassis, red fruits and a lovely finish. Only quibble is that it seems a little hollow on the mid-palate. Will follow this over several days and see if extended aeration will cause the mid-palate to fill out.
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7/19/2020 - BRSAustinTex Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious and drinking VERY well right now. Was tight for first 10 years but finally has opened up. Wish I had been more patient! Still years to go.
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7/5/2020 - Craig Taylor Likes this wine: 90 Points
First bottle after getting case out of storage last week. Deep rich garnet in colour, lovely pronounced nose of cassis, cedar and a little spice. More cassis and concentrated black fruit on the palette. Full bodied, high acidity and tannins still quite high. Great balance and mouth feel with a long finish.
Very good wine!
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7/1/2020 - french16 wrote:
A lot of cassis, char. Thick texture, lacks clarity and backbone. Slight green bitterness in the finish. A little oak on the nose which is less prevalent on the palate.
Boring. Boring. Boring.
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6/21/2020 - jdinkin1 wrote: 91 Points
Well made. Perfect time EM to drink.
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5/1/2020 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine has come on in the last 5 years. Still deep and no age on rim, now with classic Pauillac nose of blackcurrants cedar wood and tobacco. Solid fruit hit on the palate with more complex nuances of spice, smoke, vanilla wrapped in a long slightly austere finish. Tannins firm but mature and can be finished with pleasure without food to accompany. I have moved this up a notch to the Community's score. i think ready now.
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4/21/2020 - thewineoceros wrote:
Still deep colour, black fruit nose with the classic pencil lead hint and just that awesome bdx structure. Still feels tight and needs time to truly open up. Powerful palate, fruit to the fore, tannins starting to soften, but has to unclench its fists a bit imo. Another few years at least to get into those underlying flavours. Potentila is there but 2005 is a patience game. Not like 2009 or 2010. Really feel the quality but no letting up until you wait. Drinkable, but best put on hold for now
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4/15/2020 - popopdrops wrote: 87 Points
Kort dekant. Noe tung. Virker varm tross sine 13%. Ikke mye utvikling dag 2.
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3/29/2020 - jdinkin1 wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful wine. A couple of years left but in a sweet spoke now
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2/29/2020 - ljl203 wrote: 90 Points
Savory, dried cherry twigs. Medium weight tannins. Food friendly.
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1/11/2020 - gtilley wrote:
After an hour’s decant I was slightly less enthusiastic than when last tasted - the palate a bit light followed by rather robust tannins. But after another hour and with some food it became fleshier and showed a bit more developed tertiary dead leaf character. Overall very attractive.
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12/21/2019 - frankyB Likes this wine: 87 Points
Sometimes, the simplest things are the best. Perfect match with a steak, green beens, mushrooms. Ready,drink now.
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10/13/2019 - Villon wrote: 89 Points
Le nez offre tout ce qu'on peut s'attendre d'un Bordeaux de presque 15 ans: encore pas mal de fruits noirs, des notes de cacao, de tabac, et un peu de notes d'évolutions (champignons et feuilles mortes). Malheureusement la bouche ne suit pas: pas mal moins intense que le nez, le vin semble assez creux en milieu et en fin de bouche. Bref, il y a clairement un manque de concentration, ce qui étonne pour un cru classé (même modeste) de 2005. Le vin ne possédait juste pas la matière suffisante pour un long vieillissement. Les tannins sont encore assez serrés, mais il n'y a plus de fruti pour enrober le tout. Les Cambon-La Pelouse et Meyney 2005 bu récemment en offraient davantage. Quand même très agréable, souple et digeste, on reste quand même septique devant ce vin qui aurait pu en donner davantage (à moins que je sois malchanceux et que je sois tombé sur une bouteille moyenne). 88-89
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9/29/2019 - Roel R wrote: 92 Points
Ach, had ik hier nog maar even doosje van.
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9/11/2019 - bubbachumps wrote: 92 Points
Pauillac, Margaux or St Emilion for Mid-Week Wine Group (Shear's Grotto): Dusty nose, faint touch of coffee and blackberry.. Earth and cherry on the palate. My notes commented that this was likely on the older side 15+ years and I was close. Finished 6 of 6.
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7/27/2019 - vino vidi vici Likes this wine:
I didn't like this when it was released - it was jumbled, and didn't make sense. But now it's pulled itself together, and in a very nice way. Drink or hold.
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7/26/2019 - Primordialsoup Likes this wine: 92 Points
Give this a good decant. Opened up in large glass and drank best after 3hrs (finished over another). The decant softens some of the bright cherry in this as well as smooths out the tannins. After time it drinks very well and paired well with grilled rib-eye.
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7/21/2019 - stevenrcagle wrote: 92 Points
Drinking very well now. Tannins have smoothed out. Has really come together since last bottle tasting in March 2014! Worth the wait. Cherry, pepper, leather, tobacco on nose. Sour cherry, currant, earthy.
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6/24/2019 - Avicenne Likes this wine: 89 Points
Champlain Charest, autour 60$ de mémoire.
Bouchon bien conservé.
Bouquet initialement sur le poivron, puis l'air le délie les arômes de cuir, boite a cigare, fruits noirs. Petits relents de terre humide au travers.
Bouche avec un peu de graphite, fruits noirs, tannins fins, longueur moyenne.
Très à mon gout maintenant. À point. Un Pauillac au RQP appréciable.
***
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6/9/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Dark red color. Decanted initially for 30 minutes then drank over 2 hours at the lake. Very nice; there's a perfume here, a mix of cassis and some deeper red fruits on the nose, dried earth, anise, and a floral overtone. The palate is medium plus bodied, cassis, gravelly minerality, anise, round tannins and good balance. Good on initial pour, but better with the 30 minute decant and continued to improve over the first hour or more. This is definitely ready for drinking, no rush either. This was quite the value back in the day too.
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5/28/2019 - Easter Everywhere wrote: flawed
corked
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5/22/2019 - scotty_b wrote: 92 Points
Classic old world Paulliac. Leather, pencil lead, graphite, fresh blackberry, currant, and very subtle eucalyptus and bell pepper. Great balance and delicious with ribeye. Was it worth cellaring for 10 years? I had my doubts, but this exceeded expectations.
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5/8/2019 - BRSAustinTex Likes this wine: 90 Points
Opened up after 1.5 hrs.
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4/21/2019 - popopdrops wrote: 88 Points
Dekantert. Pen nok, men ikke mer.
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2/26/2019 - ELH wrote: 90 Points
Has matured well. Balanced and quietly expressive. Not overly complex. Hard to foresee whether further aging will materially improve it.
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12/25/2018 - mp44 Likes this wine: 91 Points
'Fleshy' certainly, and might expect more from '05 classed growth (not very complex or structured)... but still - balanced and enjoyable - will leave remaining bottles to sit another few years
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12/19/2018 - rpontual Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice red color, no sign of aging. Well balanced. Dark red fruit on palate.
Drinking well. Would benefit of more cellar time.
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11/24/2018 - Kepos Likes this wine: 90 Points
Was actually rather good, fleshy, some plum, kirsch, not very complex and easy to drink
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11/23/2018 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Chunky sediment so an easy decant. Deep boysenberry colour with no bricking at all. Smells great right out of the gate! Burning embers and dark berry fruit on the nose. Some pencil shavings - especially the graphite. Very smooth. Good balance and everything is in its proper place. Still a bit of unresolved oak on the palate. But overall a nice old style Old World drop. Quite a dry finish. The fruit plays a secondary role to the overall textural impression and taste of the wine. A good food accompaniment.
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10/28/2018 - gtilley wrote:
I was expecting to be disappointed based on previous notes but I found this extremely attractive. Classic, fleshy, only just beginning to open up, I'm confident it will continue to improve.
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10/23/2018 - Jimskiw Does not like this wine: 87 Points
I was hoping not to be disappointed after reading previous notes... First night was OK but nothing particularly interesting. Second night went down the sink.
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10/11/2018 - mpalestini wrote: 89 Points
• 1st glass PoP – strawberries, tart cherry, lots of tannins, hot to the lips, lots of unresolved alcohol. Deep rich ruby color, huge nose, short finish, aftertaste was a bit astringent/green/bitter. A bit disappointed
• 2nd glass (30mins decant) – black berry/jammy flavors emerge. Color went from crimson to a an inky purple color. Finish still a bit harsh.
• 3rd glass (1hr decant) – tannins integrated, still short finish, acid beginning to show medium+.
• No sediment. Probably need more time in the cellar
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9/24/2018 - Wine Poor wrote: 88 Points
Just ok this time.
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9/3/2018 - Ellen5181 wrote: 84 Points
On open
Appearance - clear, medium plus, ruby. Vibrant
Nose - youthful, somewhat jammy, blackberrie, ripe, vanilla, cedar, nutmeg, some nose and eye burn. Some notes of anisette. Some pungent pickle juice.
Palate - flavorful, powerful, tastes new world. I get an earlier reference to Zin. Medium tannins,medium plus alcohol, medium plus body, big mouth feel. Flavors are blackberries, jammines, more cooked v fresh. Finish is medium. A bit of sour cherry candy. More sour than sweet.
I have decanted half the bottle to get some air and see how it progresses. I’ve read the prior recent reviews which compelled me to consume vs hold. Just since writing, the nose is getting much more fragrant but hot. On palate burns inside of lips. Will write another note
I bought at discount so a fun experiment but not worth what wine searcher shows as current price. Seems like a winemakers experiment. It’s drinkable but not what you would expect from it’s provenance.
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9/2/2018 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 89 Points
Good but short finish almost watery. Bit disappointing.
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9/1/2018 - tbabes wrote: 86 Points
Youthful appearance, with primary notes of asphalt and hints of dark fruits. Austere on the palate, with too many sharp edges. Disappointing
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8/25/2018 - aagrawal wrote: 82 Points
From a 375. Significant chunks of sediment settled on the back of the bottle. Deep ruby with just slight bricking; nose is aromatic, some heat, cherry cola, oak is better integrated; palate is full bodied, high alcohol (listed at 13% but tastes like 15%), integrated tannins, alcohol covers up any fruit through the midpalate; short finish. Honestly, this reminds me of a Turley zin, which isn't entirely unenjoyable, but it's not what a Pauillac should be. I don't expect these to improve from here. 82
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8/24/2018 - thebonnydooner wrote: 90 Points
Very similar note to my prior one around three years ago - same cherry and currant fruit - very correct, balanced, but without much wow or complexity. There is some nice earthiness with a nice long finish.
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7/27/2018 - Doverho wrote: 86 Points
Thin. Probably past peak.
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7/3/2018 - jdinkin1 wrote: 89 Points
Ready to drink. Enjoy
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6/3/2018 - gooner1221 wrote: 87 Points
I've been drinking a case of this over the last few years and it's not getting any better. There's nothing really wrong with it but equally pretty much nothing of note. Quite short.
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6/1/2018 - heymamalow wrote: 90 Points
Slow ox for 2.5 hours then decanted and had it over an 2 hours.
Nose was classic Bordeaux and really inviting. Fruit, leather, violets and graphite.
At first taste, it seemed that the fruit was in dominance with ripe notes coming through strongly that left it a little less poised. Not jammy though if that’s your concern.After a while, it became more structured and linear.
It then started to fleet between these two stages. Maybe it was the food i was having with it (Chinese steamboat).
Left me slightly confused. Overall, i would say enjoyable, classic Bordeaux that probably needs a couple more years to iron out the awkwardness.
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5/11/2018 - bajayngo wrote:
Bdx varietal tasting - peppers, fresh loam, dark fruits, graphite and pencel shavings. There is a pure fruitiness that I enjoy but unmistakenly old world.
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4/1/2018 - chefdilletante wrote:
Ripeness still coming though. Not elegant but ripe and coming along. Would give another few years to integrate more fully.
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3/30/2018 - Motz wrote: 92 Points
Enjoyed over four days. This hit all the right nerves, true to place, unpretentious, and rounded. Traditionally styled, it will not win awards for elegance or sophistication, but it is exceptionally balanced, stalwartly structured, and the finish lingers a long while. Noticeably fuller and rounder than the 2009 Langoa-Barton tasted alongside it. 92-93.
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3/18/2018 - GNBB wrote: 91 Points
In magnum. Decanted 1 hour. Cracking Pauillac nose - pencil, leather, meatiness. Excellent palate with good acid, medium fine tannins and ripe blackcurrants. Drinking well now but certainly has several years ahead. Very enjoyable. Drink now-2025.
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2/24/2018 - aelloyd Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious. Smooth and very classic flavour
Drinking perfectly now (Sept 2020). Possibly at its peak
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12/25/2017 - bonedocnine Likes this wine: 89 Points
solid wine that is good. Not a stunner but was great with prime rib for Christmas Eve Dinner.
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9/17/2017 - asparagus Likes this wine: 91 Points
Same bottle as my previous note.
My, my. What a difference 4 days in the fridge made (with the bottle re-corked). The nose became deeper, much more perfumed. Hints of cedar and graphite on the nose. The finish became deeper too - more nuanced, more open. Such a joy to drink. Upped the score to 91.
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9/13/2017 - asparagus wrote: 88 Points
Dark purple. Very dense and concentrated. Some cassis.
Pleasant enough, but a bit underwhelming, considering the vintage.
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9/6/2017 - Baltazar wrote: 90 Points
For a private tasting of 2005 grand crus and I didn't want to pick from my very best, so this did the job. Way to young, but interesting to evaluate at this stages, opens up reasonably on opening, showing lead pencil, red berries on the nose that closes down again after some time, mouth filling and juicy with power and substance, and very prominent though mature tannins. Let it rest for at least five more years.
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7/28/2017 - petec-s Likes this wine: 90 Points
Initially reticent, but opening out nicely after time in the glass, excellent.
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7/1/2017 - PDavisMarble wrote: 88 Points
Deep crimson. Delicate nose. Wine paled in comparison to the '02 Palmer. Pleasant, crisp acids, a bit fruity, not terribly complex.
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6/13/2017 - petec-s Likes this wine: 92 Points
showing particularly well now, robust fine powerful underlying cassis, pure and long. excellent.
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5/27/2017 - kstoddard wrote: flawed
Corked
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5/18/2017 - Serge Birbrair Likes this wine:
darn good for $42
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5/4/2017 - emcglade Likes this wine: 91 Points
Started out closed in both the bouquet and taste, but not tannic. Then opened into a smooth, balanced wine. Loved the balance of flavors, with enough structure to hold up to our meal. Complimented our duck dinner nicely.
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2/25/2017 - CondorKhan wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux tasting at my local store: This is inky purple, almost black . Aroma of spice and ripe berries. On the palate, rich and concentrated with ripe blackberry dominating with a minty background. Tannins are powerful. It’s hard to believe this comes from the same vintage as the Batailley. This could go on for decades.
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2/25/2017 - rickspicks wrote: 92 Points
This bottle, unlike several prior bottles was really terrific. Still with plenty of fruit, nicely aged layers of flavor and good depth. Primarily dark berry, charcoal and earth with a very bordeaux-like, lean texture and a long finish. Slightly austere, but with none of the bitterness or harshness of prior bottles. This was classic, aged bordeaux and very enjoyable. 92
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2/23/2017 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine: 88 Points
Definitely not First Growth. Solid Vin Ordinaire for a Thursday night. A bit austere. I don't see it getting any better, tannins seem fairly in check, acid is balanced. It's just nothing special.
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2/21/2017 - Hazeo wrote: 91 Points
Drank over 3 days and held up well. It was a very nice bordeaux, earthy, quite rich with dark plums and a nice finish. I enjoyed it and it has the mix of classic and modern Bordeaux style that I like, but a couple of qualitatve steps behind the 05 Calon Segur I had recently.
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2/11/2017 - petec-s Likes this wine: 93 Points
showing beautifully on this occasion.
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2/9/2017 - up4wine wrote: 90 Points
I was a bit surprised, based on previous outings, that this wine was 1st ranked in our '05 Bordeaux tasting. It showed very even balance with a nice cherry flavor in the mid. Still a lot of tannin, but it really all came together with the Mahon. I also found overtones of perfume and flowers on the nose. The finish is what seems to hold this wine back from greatness. It was a little hollow.
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2/1/2017 - nschmidt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking beautifully now. Sad to see my last one gone.
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12/3/2016 - petec-s Likes this wine: 92 Points
showed beautifully, refined with a succulent palate. excellent.
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11/26/2016 - RyanJames Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good, not memorable, claret that is too expensive for what is, but with some classic notes/flavors. No need to seek this out, but it does the trick if you really need some solid Bordeaux with age that tastes not like a horse stable.
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11/25/2016 - jnocera Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep dark ruby red in color. The nose is dominated by a rocky smell very pauillac with just a hint of black fruit. On the palate this is a heavily structured wine with still big strong tannins. The rocks from the nose come across on the palate as well very little fruit still wound fairly tight. Finish is long with some complexity.
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10/25/2016 - mthespike wrote: 92 Points
Still very youthful, with prevalent red and blue fruit. Excellent wine, but could probably benefit from another 5+ years.
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10/25/2016 - mthespike wrote: 93 Points
Still very youthful, with prevalent red and blue fruit. Excellent wine, but could probably benefit from another 5+ years.
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10/21/2016 - BRSAustinTex wrote: 90 Points
Delicious and drinking well now. Needs a 2-3 hr decant.
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10/13/2016 - rickspicks wrote: 89 Points
Still tight and tannic, but drinkable - and better on the second day (at least for the first hour, then began to fall apart). Dark, inky and earthy with black fruits and tar. Lean texture and firm structure with some harshness and more tannin and acidity than fruit Definitely improving over time, but I don't think there is enough fruit to ever achieve balance with alll the structure. 88-89
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9/23/2016 - Hazeo wrote: 90 Points
A good effort and though it wasn't a stand-out wine in terms of depth or complexity. Seems to be in an early drinking window as it was ready soon after popping and pouring.
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6/26/2016 - Gwen Lim wrote:
Too young to open now. Very tannic and acidic, Low on fruit not sure if it's on sleep mode. Some mint, herb and vanilla secondaries.
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6/22/2016 - nschmidt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank at Mish Mish with friends. Not a particularly complex wine but a real crowd pleaser.
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4/23/2016 - Kobsjones Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great tannins after about an hour opened
The wine looks garnet colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like mineral, blackberry and blueberry. It tastes like blackberry and mineral. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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3/21/2016 - JNgai wrote: 87 Points
- Ruby color.
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1/10/2016 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark red, classic Pauillac nose with lots of black fruits, medium bodied but even after 2.5 hours in the decanter it's still young, very pure and will get better with age
90+
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12/7/2015 - RayOB wrote: 92 Points
Drank at Nicolas
Really beautiful and open. Classic claret. Lovely
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11/14/2015 - ELH wrote: 87 Points
Glass decanted for half an hour. Not much going on with this wine for me. The fruit, black currants and plums, is restrained, taut, and muted, bordering on the austere. It seems in balance now, but it's hard to tell whether the wine is just in a quiet phase or whether longer cellar time will improve it. Lovely deep purple color, though. Nice enough wine but nothing special.
As a postscript, the wine was smoother after two days, but still subdued. Maybe a longer decant at the outset is indicated.
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10/22/2015 - nschmidt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Smooth and quite tasty though not extraordinary. Everyone at dinner liked it.
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10/20/2015 - Zazzaman Likes this wine: 86 Points
Tasted as an example the Pauillac commune of the 2005 vintage. Very deep colour with no age on rim. Blackcurrant and woody spice on nose, firm slightly un-ripe tannins with good fruit and complexity, I think would benefit from another couple of years ageing. 14.5/20 at the moment
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10/16/2015 - IvanKrazy wrote: 88 Points
Very flat nose, not getting much out of it. Still enjoying it but not what I expected.
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9/27/2015 - thebonnydooner wrote: 89 Points
this was a nice bottle of wine, pretty correct with nice currant and cherry fruit, some nice earthy notes on the nose, but generally was a little tamer than expected. Overall impression was pretty good - nice wine.
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9/13/2015 - Kevdog wrote: 88 Points
Very underwhelming Bordeaux, I doubt age will help this
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8/31/2015 - twfwinedude wrote:
We took a bottle of this (one of 4 left in the cellar from a case bought on futures) to our favorite local restaurant. Opened and decanted in front of us, it was bad. It was lacking in aroma and fruit with a somewhat sharp, almost vinegary edge. There was no sign of seepage around the cork. How disappointing. This has always been one of my favorite chateaux. I'll open the next one at home and hope for a better result.
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8/10/2015 - rickspicks wrote: 88 Points
Very dark, very firm, very lean and very taught. Decent fruit flavors, but lacks richness, ripeness and depth. Much better than a couple of years ago, but not sure there is a lot of upside.
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8/8/2015 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 89 Points
13% alc; Deep black red to bricking rim.
Attractive bouquet displaying cedarwood, dried spices, sandalwood, ripe black fruit and underbrush. A touch of raisin too.
Full-bodied with a rich, yet firmish texture complimented by lemon-edged acidity and flavours of graphite, pencil shavings, spices and plenty of blackcurrants. Fairly weighty wine with narrowly focussed tannins that are powdery. A classic year with richness and firm yet fine structure combine to yield a robust yet sleek frame that gives an athletic wine. Classic Pauillac, quite open and is drinking well yet will hold on for a few years to come.
Whilst it lacks the dimension of a top wine, it is delightful and has a bit of complexity. As the wine opened in the decanter, there was cold, clammy note and the tannins didn't feel quite as interwoven as at first sight.
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7/11/2015 - RayOB wrote: 91 Points
Drank in Ireland
This really has opened up beautifully and is singing in its prime.
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6/25/2015 - ctjared Likes this wine:
dry, integrated tannins. not very fruity, but solid
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6/12/2015 - up4wine wrote: 88 Points
Good fruit with a little tartness. The nose upon opening was big, round, and full. After 2 hour decant, it was still fresh, but lost a little of its fullness. On the palate it became a little thin and the finish seemed a empty compared to the '09 and the '10 HBL.
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5/7/2015 - John McCabe wrote: 91 Points
Quite underwhelming, considering the vintage. Pleasant, some sweetness, not a lot of depth.
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4/13/2015 - Kris G Does not like this wine: 88 Points
disappointing experience, especially considering the GCC status and the excellent vintage, it offers a thin layout, lacking matter and concentration and lacking structure, I feel that additional cellaring won't help : this won't bring extra substance, scoring 87
it performed slightly better during the second day : more mature, but it was only during a brief period, the "bad" acidity quickly came back, but it merits one point extra
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3/27/2015 - twfwinedude Likes this wine:
Beautiful. Lovely fruit, smooth mouthfeel, long finish.
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3/21/2015 - stevenrcagle wrote: 89 Points
This was underwhelming. There was some fruit and oak on the nose, but it was tight and confined. Medium bodied, with less structure than anticipated. Will wait a few years until trying another one.
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2/19/2015 - up4wine wrote: 86 Points
Had a few days apart from a 2005 Chateau de Seguin, and the comparison is not favorable to this wine. Certainly, the nose on the Haut Bages Liberal is much more complex and interesting on the plus side. However, the mid-palate is hollow without any significant character, followed by some untamed tannins on the finish. Not a good sign 10 years after the vintage and not a favorable message for the future bottles.
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2/6/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
The nose pops with cassis, tobacco and cedar chest notes. With an hour of air, the tannins soften and the cassis and leafy, green olive laden finish comes though nicely. The wine is correct, but finishes short. This classically, firm styled wine is still quite young and should be better with another 5 years in the bottle.
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1/31/2015 - nschmidt wrote: 88 Points
Pleasant tasting but nothing really interesting. Less powerful than I expected.
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1/28/2015 - WineKnurd wrote: 80 Points
Primal Cabernet Battle (Primal, Durham NC): Fourth wine of the Primal Cabernet Battle, paired with braised lamb, red wine jus, brunoise veggies and creamy polenta.
Some blue / black fruits on the nose and palate but the dry, dusty tannins shut everything down. Multiple hours in the decanter, additional time in the glass with vigorous swirling, and the addition of lamb could not coax anything else out of the wine. Consensus at the table- waaaay to early to have opened these bottles. This borderlines on being undrinkable now; B- overall, maybe another 5 years will help other aspects of the wine develop.
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12/3/2014 - Tao wrote: 92 Points
Immensely enjoyable! Youthful as well as energetic! Pair it with lamb this time! What a partnership! Please refer my previous tasting notes! Thank you!
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11/28/2014 - Collector1855 wrote: 88 Points
Tasted during a Wine advocate event - A matter of taste. Medium-dark garnet. Distinctively bretty and earthy nose. On the palate this impression continues, needs more fruit to score in the 90ies. If you like this Cru be on the look out for the 2009.
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11/3/2014 - MarkusBig wrote: 89 Points
Have had three bottles to date. All were disappointing with way too much brett. I got extreme and decanted this latest bottle for 24 hours. Yes, really. The brett disappeared and the wine came out. Dark brooding fruit, and forest floor on the nose, black plum, earth, leather, on the palette. Tannins are mellow. All in all a very good wine, yet the hassle factor was high.
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10/27/2014 - ChiTwnWineGuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
OK guys. This is a 2005 Bordeaux - It needs air time. Stored at 58 degrees. Decanted 8 hours before drinking. Beautiful, balanced, classic, soft tannin, medium body, not bold, not complex. But very drinkable and delicious right now. Paid $40 on a future. Good value.
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10/20/2014 - vino vidi vici Does not like this wine:
Other than the graphite, I just don't get it.
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10/11/2014 - khmark7 wrote: 83 Points
2 bottles opened to confirm first impression. Light, fruity, and not well organized. Not closed at all, just a mess. Disappointing as this was well stored.
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9/4/2014 - BRSAustinTex Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tight in the beginning but really came around after a 2hr decant. Great balance of cherry, peat, roasted meat and a beautiful acid to round it out.
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5/23/2014 - BRSAustinTex wrote: 88 Points
Tight and thin in the beginning but opened up and settled down after 2 hrs.
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5/13/2014 - JonnyG wrote: 89 Points
A bit too ripe, more stewed fruit than I expected, and somewhat one-dimensional despite the high pedigree. Did balance out a bit over the meal, so perhaps a decant would round off the edges on this one?
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5/2/2014 - cab blends wrote: 90 Points
AHA Heart's Delight Vintners Dinner - Chateau Margaux (Washington DC): Marmite and a lot of aromatics on the nose. Still needs time to lie down and evolve.
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4/18/2014 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 88 Points
Deep red-black to a garnet rim. Classic Bordeaux and, more particularly, Pauillac bouquet with graphite, blackcurrants, damson, cassis, dry scrub and some raisin. Very ripe fruit that shows as rich on the palate, a dry lemon twist of acidity gives freshness and solid, grippy tannins to aid structure. Full-bodied, with good concentration, perhaps a little foursquare and a note of alcohol burn, and flavours of black olive, baked blackcurrants, raisin and a port-like finish. A modern interpretation of Pauillac that is powerful and firmly built but seems to lack the panache and the punch is a little too bruising.
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3/30/2014 - brigcampbell wrote:
OCPoker4wine - Ashley and Brian come home (WCC - Irvine CA): Blind - guessed Bordeaux.
Medium dark color with light brick edges. Big nose of stewed fruit and funk. Touch of Brett on the palate with sweet blackberry. Slight sweet ending and medium/short length.
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3/20/2014 - King of the Farm Does not like this wine: 82 Points
Misplaced my formal notes, tasted blind along with 16 other Bordeaux blends... I recorded this as the worst of the night.
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3/18/2014 - HOS Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 1/2 hour and drank over two. Classic flavors of earth, graphite, muted currant, a little barnyard. Evolved to full bodied while drinking with a good tannic backbone that provided structure without being over the top. This is in a good place right now if you like a younger Bordeaux as the tannins are in check but it hasn't picked up the "aged" characteristics.
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2/23/2014 - Connaître Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted this wine in a 2005 Bordeaux Tasting together with Clerc Milon, Rauzan-Gassies, Durfort Vivens, Beychevelle, and others. The wine was out of a range from 8 different châteaus from four different appellations one of the best. A beautiful nose, stunning taste and the most individual one. Searching for a quality/price wine from 2005? Haut Bages Liberal is the Château to look for!
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2/7/2014 - Hazeo wrote: 91 Points
As with the bottle 5 years ago, it was light and uninspiring but blossomed on day 2. Gaining weight and presence, and the Pauillac character like graphite, dark fruit (which was somewhat subdued). Not a flashy or exuberant wine but very much what I enjoy in a classic Bordeaux, despite the fruit being a bit hidden at this point.
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1/19/2014 - slapsht007 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lush and chewy. When decanting, the fragrance filled the room with lavender and berries. Flavors include cassis and licorice. A little pepper in the finish. Drinking very well. Wish this wasn't my only bottle.
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12/31/2013 - BRSAustinTex Likes this wine: 90 Points
Beautiful nose but very tight and closed on first night. Day 2 was much more open. Perhaps in a closed phase?
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12/10/2013 - brianngibson wrote: 91 Points
Light oak, cassis and plum, some pencil shavings. Performing beautifully for the value that it is. Certainly can go longer but seems as though it has entered its peak era and will drink well for the next 5 to 10 years.
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11/17/2013 - carlkallen wrote: 90 Points
11/17/2013 Wine really very good right now. Hard to hold it further. Steven's favorite during dinner. Maybe to 2017?
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11/17/2013 - carlkallen wrote: 89 Points
Wine really very good right now. Hard to hold it further. Steven's favorite during dinner. Maybe to 2017?
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11/16/2013 - Tao wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby in colour and Purple hue! Superb nose of Blackcurrant, Creme Cassis!! It is a bit closed on the palate, black fruits dominate! Tobacco, very spicy! It can be easily kept for 10, 15 years!! Sheer Pauillac! Love it! Fantastic value!
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10/16/2013 - Wineguy76 Likes this wine: 90 Points
A refined full bodied wine with a dense purple core . Notes of raspberry, dried fruit and chocolate. On the palate the fruit is clean and pure with hints of plum and some more raspberry. The tannins are soft and ripe leading to a long velvety finish. A great effort. Drink over the next 10 years.
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10/2/2013 - Wine Canuck wrote: 92 Points
Trialto Old World Classics Tasting: Enjoyable nose that is lavishly oaked and not as closed as I feared it might be. Vanilla, Caramel, pyrazines, dark berry fruit. I was expecting massive tannins on the palate but to my surprise I found them quite silky and ripe. Should really morph into something nice given a few more years. Too primary for my palate today.
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8/19/2013 - John McCabe wrote: 90 Points
Beautiful nose on this right upon opening the bottle. On the palate, a bit thinner and less exciting, but still pretty nice - some leather tones.
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8/9/2013 - dase13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark red in color. Scents are ripe dark berries. Tastes of a number of elements such as dark ripe berries, some meaty-ness and really nice tannins.
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8/9/2013 - thewineoceros wrote: 92 Points
From 375. Grab a big glass, and enjoy the myriad of aromas here. Extremely interesting, depth and concentration, give this beauty an instant attraction. Oozes flavour and class, with power a plenty. One for many years yet. 92+
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7/19/2013 - JChan wrote: 87 Points
Drank a half bottle with my wife. This 2005 5th growth is even less attractive as compared to the chateau segur de cabanac I drink the next day. Spicy with little hint of black fruits, the finish is short.
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7/1/2013 - aagrawal wrote: 88 Points
From a half. Color is deep opaque ruby-purple; nose has huge oak, vanilla, cedar, slight toasted aroma, completely overpowers any fruit; palate is full bodied, rich, fine grained and strong tannin, some midpalate blackberry and red cherry fruit; finish is medium length, rich, finishes nondescript. This is like an overoaked barrel sample, very young and tannic, with no concept of place. (Pauillac? Where is the graphite, the density of fruit, or the complexity?) Not all negative though... it's not hot and reasonably well balanced, oak content aside. Would not recommend to buy, and definitely not my style, but given that I already own more I'll plan on waiting 5 years until my next half and see whether the oak and tannins integrate and the fruit becomes more prominent. 87-88
Update: I was pretty harsh... actually an enjoyable wine, but still overoaked and no sense of place. 88-89
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6/30/2013 - jtinto wrote:
I got a ton of oak from this bottle. Too much in fact. I want to say much different from last bottle. Puzzling. *side note- professional reviews don't mention the oak in this monster. Even more puzzling.
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6/25/2013 - bcd Likes this wine: 90 Points
Needs at least 8 more years
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6/16/2013 - rickspicks wrote: 87 Points
Still too early - needs several more years. Cassis and cedar on the nose. Bright fruits with some tar, smoke and cedar on the palate. Rather tart and underipe- like cranberry juice. Slightly lean with sharp edges and a somewhat sour finish. Not really in a good spot right now.
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3/24/2013 - John McCabe wrote: 91 Points
Some bright leather tones, somewhat tart.
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3/3/2013 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Very dark ruby color; oak, tart black currant, blackberry, roast coffee nose; rich, tart black currant, tart blackberry, roast coffee palate; medium-plus finish (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot; 40% in new oak)
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3/3/2013 - europat55 wrote: 88 Points
Euro-Themed Lunch - In Pursuit of Balance with US Domestic Wines (Donato Enoteca, Redwood City, CA): Very fruity, oaky nose. Cassis, plum. Very modern. Seems way too young to drink at this point. Not my style and certainly not what I would expect from a Bordeaux. Tasted blind.
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2/24/2013 - Sheila62 Does not like this wine:
i hated this over oaked wine. This was served blind, and upon first sniff i knew it was modern mess of a left bank bordeaux.
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2/18/2013 - french16 Does not like this wine:
Blind tasting group reunion (Dario and Ross): Tasted Blind. Minty with plenty of oak on the nose...and I went for Australia ! This is very modern and ripe and not what I expect from a Pauillac at all. Anyway, with more air, it showed a hint of cedar but at this point I don't give a crap. Sad.
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11/17/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
Bright cassis, cedar wood, tobacco and cranberry opens to a medium/full bodied tannic wine that is bordering on the lean side. The tannins were harder than I last recalled. This is not fun to drink at the moment. It might improve with another 5-10 more years of bottle age.
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10/30/2012 - up4wine wrote: 89 Points
Similar experience to previous bottle in March. I guess I am a little more impressed this time around. This wine takes time for the nose to come out. Even with a decant, it was still more than a hour or so before I really started to get the total offering of this wine.
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10/15/2012 - GEDC wrote: 89 Points
Passed through Vinturi into decanter.Never been a fan of the Vinturi. I think it was a mistake, in my opinion the Vinturi muted the wine, there was nothing really there. The nose was dominated by wet moss like smells with very little fruit and faint smell of spices at the back end. The finish was sort with velvety tannins, hollow in the mid pallet. The wine was not bad, very easy to drink, but I expected more. Next bottle will only decant.
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9/1/2012 - brianngibson wrote: 91 Points
Currant, graphite, and plum. Soft silky tannins suggest this is in the "ready to drink" mode. Lovely, balanced, but hard to imagine it evolving into much more than what it is today.
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8/24/2012 - janka wrote: 92 Points
I don´t agree with others on this site. This is a lovely Bordeaux just in the right time to drink. The nose is fantastic and the taste is perfect match to lambchops. Sorry that I only have one bottle.
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8/21/2012 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is an excellent wine! Flavors of dark cherries, black currant, licorice, tobacco, dark chocolate, vanilla and toasted oak. Medium-to-full-bodied wine that has a heightened presence all throughout the ride. Very lively acidity and vivid tannins that grip the finish, but doesn't come tart at all - just the right amount to give it a fleshy character. Delicate, but at the same time very well-structured and balanced. Goes magnificently well with Indian food. Drink from 2012 to 2022.
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5/12/2012 - alittle wrote: 88 Points
Decanted approximately 1 hour, followed for another hour and a half. Deep inky purple. Out of the gate, the nose was reticent, and unfortunately that continued throughout the course of the evening, giving up only hints of what this wine has to offer. With some coaxing, notes of plum, graphite and cedar were apparent. On the palate, this is still brutally tannic, not offering much drinking pleasure due to the massive structure. Tough to evaluate a wine in this closed state.
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4/3/2012 - Capybara562 wrote: 90 Points
Tons of sweet fruit, with the body and tannic structure to balance. Matched nicely with slow-cooker pot roast and carrots.
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4/1/2012 - jtinto wrote: 91 Points
This really delivered for me. After a couple of hours in the decanter it was silky and fruity. It complimented a steak like white on rice. A great buy. 91-93
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3/31/2012 - CTwine wrote: 93 Points
Nice red fruit lovely in the mouth,
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3/31/2012 - Old Doug wrote: 90 Points
Spice and leather nose, nice all-around wine, some berries but not so fruity at all, a good Pauillac, "real Bordeaux" for a good price. Not going to knock you over, but tastes like an older wine, quite enjoyable.
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3/25/2012 - LSussman wrote:
Dark in color and rather tannic but improves with time. Not really that interesting but for $36 I will enjoy my remaining 9 bottles
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3/17/2012 - up4wine wrote: 88 Points
Decanted this wine, since I am trying this wine before it's expected time. It was actually very drinkable, with smooth integrated tannins and acid level working very well with the grilled steak dinner. I am tempted to say this wine is ready to drink. Quite enjoyable now with the decant. Good fruit and floral qualities on the nose.
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3/11/2012 - Fenderltd wrote: 92 Points
This wine was even better on the 2nd day!
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2/27/2012 - Kdog wrote: 86 Points
Day 1, 1hr decant, similar to previous notes and not the good ones. A little spice on the nose, medium bodied, astringent, herbal, zero fruit, round, mouthwatering acidity, medium tannins. Not fun to drink, will save others for my mother-in-law. Day 2, better, tannins calmed down, more round and full bodied on the palate, unfortunately barely a hint of dark fruit, silky tannins. Disappointed for a WS 93.
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12/29/2011 - Rob MacKay wrote:
My note mirrors that of another CT taster in that I found this wine nearly undrinkable. Not that it was bad, it was just completely shut down. Closed up tight like a drum. No rating. Maybe try another on the 5th of Never since that's when it appears it'll be ready to drink at this point.
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12/14/2011 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #064; Bordeaux; Pauillac (By RvD): Beautiful, almost still purple color. Deep bouquet with black cherries, cassis, leather and licorice and beautiful oak. On the palate the same impressions plus blackberries and blueberries. And chocolate bitterness. Concentrated with a firm amount of acidity, tannin and bitterness. In this stage quite impressive, but -from memory, and concerning other vintages- after some ageing this wine tends to disappoint a bit. Nevertheless for now a 91++
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10/1/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 90 Points
Cedar, spice, cassis, licorice. black raspberry and tobacco aromas open the wine. With a medium/full body, this correctly made Pauillac needs another year or two to come around.
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7/12/2011 - Capybara562 wrote: 90 Points
Deeply fragrant and balanced - great with grilled filet mignon. This is ready to drink.
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6/23/2011 - GraemeBell wrote:
Impossible to rate now. Expressive nose of violets, cherries and wax. Very astringent and acidic, not much fruit coming through. Not that pleasant to drink right now. Feels like it needs another 5 years.
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5/23/2011 - Hazeo wrote:
Earthy and leathery but little fruit showing through. Medium bodied and not a lot of charm. 87
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5/4/2011 - brianngibson wrote: 90 Points
Currant, licorice, and tar.
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4/3/2011 - elbosco wrote: 89 Points
Starting to crawl out of its shell but drying tannins still dominate. Respectable aromatics and finish. Give it another couple of years.
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3/10/2011 - jamesabdavis wrote:
With steak in the Pope's Eye in Putney. This was much more accessible than I was expecting and simply delicious. Still very very young but fabulously fragrant, rich and round, and great with the fat of a sirloin. Before this evening I'd have thought it infanticide but I'm going to have to get a case delivered and start drinking it. I'm all the more grateful for the advice that means I have a few.
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2/18/2011 - Bernt Olav wrote: 91 Points
Denne gikk utrolig bra til ytrefilet av hjort og fløtegrattinerte poteter. Flott ung typeriktig Pauillac! Bra nå, men vil nok tjenne på 3-4 år til i kjelleren. Vinene kom virkelig til sin rett når maten kom på bordet, så det anbefales å drikke denne til litt kraftige kjøttretter nå for å temme tanninene litt.
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12/24/2010 - Margauxguy wrote: 90 Points
Great quaff. 2005 fruitiness and balance. Will go on and on. Perfect as a pop and pour bottle that will impress friends
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12/18/2010 - joshwoodward wrote: 90 Points
Cabby nose - medium+ tannins, acidic, good but generic Bordeaux. Medium ripe, concentrated. $80
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12/12/2010 - austinbeeman- austinbeeman.com wrote: 93 Points
The first impression is of great intense Cabernet Cassis and then the wine crushes with very powerful tannins. This is certainly a wine for the cellar. Full-bodied and very rich, but that hard frame of tannins are always present.
$79.99 OH Retail.
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10/28/2010 - Tao wrote: 92 Points
I can't resist this sheer beauty! Deep deep purple in color with nose of noble dark fruits, unmistakably Pauillac by any means! The evolution of the dark fruits in the glass simply adorable! Haut-Bages Liberal at it's very best! Marvelous!!!
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10/2/2010 - Tao wrote: 92 Points
Sheer beauty! Really a good effort! CS at it's very very best! Finish is long! Reminding me of some very serious second growth! At it's primitive stage, a 15 to 20 years wine! Well done!
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9/2/2010 - Hazeo wrote:
This was very closed to me. A mixture of dense fruit, acid and tannins that are all disjoint. The 06 I had last week was much more in balance and enjoyable, albeit with less 'stuffing', as it were. What madness drove me to open an 05 at this stage? Probably because it was the most easily accessible bottle at the time of choosing a wine ...
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5/22/2010 - RWINO wrote: 88 Points
Big and opulant, very new world style with very ripe fruit profile, tastes years older than it is. This wine is ready to drink now, though I suspect it will not do well over the long term.
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5/20/2010 - BradboBaggins Likes this wine:
This wine has stuffing, 12 hours of decant revealed a strong wine that was reasonably complex and would've shown even better with another 5 years of age. As it was, plenty came through at dinner with steak and potatoes. Cliche? yes, but delicious.
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4/27/2010 - Margauxguy wrote: 88 Points
good, not memorable
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4/6/2010 - TylerMcNinch wrote:
Pale lavender meniscus moving to red-violet core. Nose of briary black fruit, redcurrant, flowers, and black licorice. Flavors of iron, cassis, and minerals, with medium body, medium-plus tannins, and medium acidity. Finishes with raspberry, minerals, and tart peach pit for around 30 seconds. Day 2 saw more floral and red fruit notes emerge with the tannins becoming much more silky.
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3/7/2010 - BRSAustinTex wrote: 87 Points
Nose of raw meat.
Begins with eucalyptus & mint. Leather & earth on finish with strong tannins. Still quite young and closed down.
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2/20/2010 - rstark wrote: 88 Points
Not finding any old world qualities here. Plummy, inky fruit. Boring, Boring. Where's the leather/earth/mineral, etc? Well, there was a little mineral at the end, if you concentrate real hard. Trying to like this wine, as it used to be a reasonably priced go-to Bordeaux. Now it's Bore-doh. Hopefully just drinking it too young.
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2/19/2010 - Hazeo wrote:
Light and astringent, with strong tannins on the back. Unlike the last bottle this was pop and poured at a tasting so I didn't get a chance to revisit the next day ... I believe this wine is still shut down hard.
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12/30/2009 - GUTuna wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful wine from a great vintage. Definitely has plenty of room to improve, very young at this point. The deep ink color of the wine is beautiful from seeing it on the cork to seeing it in the glass. Served with a rabbit leg, which is paired very nicely with. The earth notes linger in your mouth.
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10/12/2009 - keelegl wrote: 92 Points
Found some half bottles in the closeout bin, so I thought I would kill one early. Decanted for about 5 hours prior to serving. Expressive nose of black currant jam, fennel and a bit of tar. Great concentration on the palate with juicy ripe plums and blackberry. Really sweet and easy tannins and a mediumish finish. Great value for 05.
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9/26/2009 - John McCabe wrote: 89 Points
Needed a good hour of decanting to open up - only drinkable then really. Needs more time
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9/12/2009 - Kuixote wrote: 88 Points
Nose: blood/heme and fruit. Vestigal oak. Mouth: chewey; less fruit on the mouth than the nose hinted.
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9/12/2009 - soyhead wrote: 85 Points
K&L Value Bordeaux Tasting: nose - toasty oak.
mouth - light red fruit. i did not appreciate the spiciness that was touted. One of the more expensive wines of the night , yet paradoxically to me seemingly lacking in complexity.
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8/5/2009 - wenderoth wrote: 90 Points
Tasted alongside the 05 Pagodes de Cos over 2 days. Colour deep inky purple. Nose of blackberry, plum and some graphite notes. Palate initially completely closed on the fruit front, but over 48 hours blossomed as the (very refined but prominent) tannins softened, and lovely plum, cassis and savoury smoky flavours emerged. Will certainly benefit from 5-7 years in the cellar. Interestingly, showed poorly alongside the PdC initially, but the latter faded considerably and left the HBL standing tall by the end. Would have drunk well into the 3rd day if I'd been patient I expect.
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6/21/2009 - DJSeiler wrote: 90 Points
This bottle was popped and poured and paired with lamp chops and steamed vegetable. It started with a deep ruby color. This is a young wine (2005) so I was not concerned with bricking or spoil. Immediately after the bottle was corked (even before the pour) my guests were commenting on the powerful and pleasant aroma. There were slight tastings of cherry, oak, smoke and a resident light bitter in the background. This proved to be a dry, medium bodied, uncomplicated wine. It was nicely balanced and the bitter seemed to be removed with time, however the deep fruits never presented themselves. The finish was solid but not lengthy. I hope time in the cellar will help bring out in the taste what we all smelled in the aroma.
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6/2/2009 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
almost California, ALMOST. Not in it's prime yet, hold. I'd buy it again. Couldn't find any smoke VinoMe tasted/smelled. I guess we smoked different things.
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4/24/2009 - CTwine wrote: 95 Points
Good fruit. Shows the depth to to a top level wine with some time.l
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4/22/2009 - thewineoceros wrote: 91 Points
Bibendum Bordeaux tasting (Lord's Cricket Ground - London): Powerful nose, firm fruits, good oak, silky and velvety on the palate. Quite raw, and energetic with crunchy black and red fruit. Maybe some violets and pencil lead. This is very young and in keeping with the vintage has many years before it is ready for the dinner table. Lock this one up till it comes of age. At least another 5years. 91+
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4/13/2009 - markcat wrote: 86 Points
I decanted for 2 hours which was probably not enough. This fruit seems very muted on this wine and I agree with the others that it is a bit closed. This one will definitely benefit from several more years in the cellar. However I am not convinced that this bottle is worthy of its 1855 classification status. I prefer the $20 2001 or 2003 Chateau Cantelys. I drank the following day and still wasn't as open as I would expect.
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2/23/2009 - Fcapeilleres wrote:
Dégustation de 10 bordeaux 2005.
HBL est plutôt austère par rapport aux autres, tant au nez qu'au palet.
Il y a du bois, crayon et cèdre, des fruits rouges murs, tendant vers la cerise (bigarot) et la mure. L'ensemble est très puissant en bouche, les tannins très présents. Assez classique, à attendre.
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1/26/2009 - TashNYC wrote: 91 Points
Grand Crus de Bordeaux Tasting: 2005 & 2006 wines (NYC, The Lighthouse, Pier 60, Chelsea Piers): Good but a little closed. Needs time. Next door to Lynch Bages and 1/2 the price
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12/24/2008 - jhannah27 wrote: 88 Points
Went through a bit of a journey with this bottle. Opened and decanted for approximately 4 hours and then double decanted back into the bottle for another 3.5 hours. Throughout the trek, the nose maintained the same lovely soft pencil shavings, plums, cigar box, and blackberries. This just seemed to get softer and more elegant over the course of the evening. This was the best part of the wine. Unfortunately, the taste never really showed quite as well. From start to finish this wine was wound up tighter than a fishing reel. Even by the last glass, which would have been about 9 hours of air, it was showing some lovely tobacco, mineral, and dark fruits, but you really had to work through the tight tannins to get to it. Considering this plot is next door to Lynch-Bages, it's quite the deal in comparison, but patience will be needed with this infant. I would guess at least 8-10 years will be required to really see what this wine has to offer. I think that this is a good litmus test for my 05 Pauillacs. Answer...DO NOT TOUCH!
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12/21/2008 - JOsgood wrote: 90 Points
Started very tannic but with air really came around and showed nicely. Good balance of fruit and earth. Worth having in the cellar.
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12/8/2008 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Very pleasant and open now, I can only imagine how good this one will be in the future.
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11/13/2008 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 93 Points
Caroline Wine Shop - Bordeaux 2001 to 2005 (Carolines Wine Shop): Medium to deep ruby red colour with vibrant crimson edges. It is a highly aromatic and intense wine, revealing ripe black fruits and freshness with graphite and pastry elements.
The entry is all about cassis, black plum and ripe blackcurrant fruit that leads to a rich textural experience reminiscent of black currant and yoghurt crumble. A sophisticated wine, there are layers of complexity, some oak toast, and a powerful presence on the mid-palate. Firm finely grained tannins with that upward lift keep the wine interesting towards a long and complex finish. Excellent!
80 CS, 17 Merlot, 3 PV.
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10/8/2008 - Yagil wrote: 89 Points
Wine Depot
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9/26/2008 - BRSAustinTex wrote: 90 Points
Still VERY young and tight. A fantastic nose but very closed down. Pencil lead, chocolate, well structured but closed tannins. Didn't have a chance to decant nor try the following day.
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9/21/2008 - Hazeo wrote: 90 Points
Day 1 - Decanted for approx 4-5 hours.
Disappointing considering that I liked the 02 or 03 HBLs I've had earlier this year. I hope this is simply a bad bottle. Rather lean and a bit tart and sour both on the nose and on the palette. Finish is tannic and shows some length, but too little too late. 85.
Day 2 - MUCH better. Gained a lot of weight and the complex deep fruit emerged. A lot of lead pencil and leather. Tannins protruding slightly but smooth and nicely balanced overall. A solid 90 now, with potential for more in the future. At least 5+ years for my other bottles I say.
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8/23/2008 - storres28 wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Very astringent and had to decant. Drank over the course of 4 hours. I agree with the prior comment. Very understated fruit. I paired it with an eight-spice dry rubbed ribeye. Maybe the spices deadened my taste buds, but I just couldn't get much fruit. Otherwise a very good bottle wine with good structure. A bit backward perhaps. Not convinced it's worth the $55 price tag.
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6/18/2008 - BRSAustinTex wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for four hours and I probably could've gone for 6-7. Still extremely young. Tight tannins, vegetal components and very understated fruit. Lots of pencil lead!
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3/7/2008 - mbk07 wrote: 90 Points
Fruity, actually just unidimension, shows good leghts
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2/16/2008 - wcacern wrote: 89 Points
Bordeaux Report: 13% alcohol. nose of black and blueberries, spicy black pepper, cocoa, graphite, hints of bell pepper, and a bit of heat. full bodied. nice balanced ripe fruit and tannins.
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2/16/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 86 Points
2005 Bordeaux (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): A rather sharp nose of burnt tobacco, herbs, and sour cherries. On the palate, more tart red fruit and a slightly vegetal component on the finish. OK, but I was not really digging this wine too much. RP88-90, WS93.
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1/22/2008 - Vino Me wrote: 91 Points
2005 Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting (Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois): This is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon. Smoke and underbrush on the nose. Modern style and open at the present time. Rather grapey with plenty of fruit. Some pleasing tartness on the finish. 90-91 points.
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1/21/2008 - winefool wrote: 88 Points
UGC 2005 Bordeaux Tasting (and dinner) (The Drake): Full ruby purple color. Monolithic black fruit nose with some spice. Tight angular black fruit on the palate.
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1/19/2008 - AZ Cat wrote:
(1) Drank at Chuck & Stephanie’s. Very young - almost definitely a 1+ with some age.
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1/19/2008 - hcampana wrote: 88 Points
2005 Bordeaux @ Union des Grand Crus (San Francisco, CA): Nose is approachable and diverse, but this medium bodied wine lacks flavor intensity and has a drying finish to score higher. Still very decent.
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1/19/2008 - tanglenet wrote:
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (San Francisco): Tasted at the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux in SF. Quick notes: super dry with reticent fruit. Unrated.
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1/18/2008 - rjonwine@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2005 Vintage Tasting; 1/18/2008-1/19/2008 (Los Angeles and San Francisco): Dark red violet color; ripe plum and berry nose; good rich fruit, plum, with plush mouthfeel and good acidity; medium-plus finish (a good buy) (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot; 40% in new oak)
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1/13/2008 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine:
Very nice Pauillac, fulfilling its promise from barrel, with distinct cassis notes and a nuanced medium bodied palate, with a smooth finish. Probably not too expensive and worth seeking out.
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4/5/2006 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 93 Points
BORDEAUX 2005 / Cabernet rules; 4/5/2006-4/10/2006 (Bordeaux): Pure cedar like aromas and lovely fruit expression. Wet tannins, flavorful juice, with both corpulence and persistence and a linear focus of flavor with a fine finish. Lacks perhaps the depth and sublime finesse of the greats, but what a wine! When I found out it was HBL, I could not believe it. Let’s wait for the bottle tasting but from barrel, this is a wine to buy. 92-94+
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