Good to open now.. well balance and still has a lot in it.. red fruits and berry on the aroma with hints of oak and vanilla. Medium body with long finishing. A persistent and everlasting wine but lack of complexity and surprising factors
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Stood up for six hours. Decanted. Fine sediment still made its way through the filter. Leather, tea and savory notes. Blackberry and currant fruit carried on an acidic spine. Tannins are well incorporated and there are really no hard edges.
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First experience with Lascombes. Still vibrant dark fruit while starting to show tertiary notes of graphite, cedar, leather. Silky tannins, balanced. Can easily age another 5-10 years
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95 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate A gorgeous example of Lascombes, the 2005, a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, continues the remarkable turn-around in quality that began five years ago. A stunningly opulent wine with a dense purple color, the 2005 possesses a beautiful perfume of spring flowers, blueberries, blackberries, creosote, and graphite, full body, silky but noticeable tannins, a layered mouthfeel, and a stunning, 45+-second finish. This is a brilliant, modern-styled Margaux that should age for 30-35 years. 94 Wine & Spirits A joyous Lascombes, this is the first vintage to hit stride since the US investment firm Colony Capital took over in 2001. It's a meaty wine draped in fragrant tannin, built for long aging. It's also an exuberant wine, in both the bright, red currant-scented fruit and the bristle of the tannin. A playfully complex flavor lasts for minutes, the wine still youthful and fresh four days after it was opened. Margaux chic. 93 Wine Spectator Dark in color, with an impressive nose of licorice, toasty oak, chocolate and blackberry. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Very pretty and structured.
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Really singing right now. Tons of Left Bank tertiary notes - cedar, graphite, mild florals - along with restrained, elegant dark fruit. This should continue to drink quite well and I am glad to have one more to check again in 5-10 years.
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Last bottle of 6 and frankly, good riddance. 5 of 6 bottles were under performing if not downright bad. Maybe I got a bad batch but this wine was astringent, devoid of fruit and just plain unpleasant. After 14 years of patient cellaring, I can clearly say this was a wasted effort.
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Forgot I had this so recently - notes consistent with previous note - still lots of primary fruits - a bit of green pepper and some sour tannins remind me it is Bordeaux. Drink or Hold.
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Decanted for 60 minutes, brought to restaurant, slow O'd for another 90 minutes before we got around to this. Part of a larger tasting with wines going back to 1990 (our table). This was the youngest...and it showed.
Black cherry, blackberry, cassis, with bits of vanilla over dried leaves. This has ample acids, is almost plush in the mouthfeel profile yet there are plenty of tannins bringing up the rear. Have two more and will try spacing them out over the next 10 years to see what evolves.
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Some barnyard on the nose at first, but that blew off. What was left was a surprisingly young (most people pegged it as a 5, 10 year old at most), dark, balanced, beautiful wine. Too bad it was gone quickly, as the follow up tastes were excellent.
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amazing; poured from a magnum. such a pretty bordeaux. lots of bright red cherry and raspberry; def claret medium bodied; very smooth long finish; good acidity; all in balance - not overblown. some hints of tobacco but def not a wine with dominant secondary notes but just a pure polished classy wine enjoyed by a big group of eight for dinner
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This is in a lovely place for a 2005 left bank. I decanted it for 60 minutes and it was ready to go. It still has plenty of verve, but the secondary flavors are now present. The fruit is sweet and the tannins are very fine. The fruit has further development before it fully integrates the oak, which I hope it does in the next few years. No harm opening it now, but I suspect (and hope) better things will come with a few more years.
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Held since release. Impressive, modern take on Bordeaux. Smooth and well-balanced. No rough edges here, but still seems slightly reticent. Fine to open now. Even better on day two (increased one point).
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8 years since the last time I tried it, it’s at peak. Lovely nose with leather, evolved dark fruit, a touch of barnyard, pencil shavings, some dried herbs in the background. Oak nicely absorbed with a fine texture, medium bodied with tannins still there but fine and nicely integrated. Great stuff. 94-95.
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Ready to drink -- don't think it will improve with more age. Ripe dark berry fruit still apparent on the palate, some cassis, well integrated, soft tannins, opens within an hour. Short length.
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Medium dark garnet. Blackberry, mulberries, and boysenberry with a touch of must on the nose. Very light texture with bright red raspberries and lingonberries. Quite nice.
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PnP Purchased upon release. This has really come along since our first bottle. You can taste the vineyard. Earth notes, truffle, herbs with currant and black fruit. Some tea notes. Silky smooth, strong finish. Great.
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Stored in a temperature controlled cellar since release this wine is a a beautiful garnet with no sense of age. The nose is gives off a bit of hay and cigar box. Tart cherry notes and smooth tannins. It is in balance but I think I miss a bit of the youthful fruit that it had on release.
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Deep, dark, primary red in color. Big, earthy nose with a hint of lavender. Ripe, red fruit on the palate, black raspberry, sour cherry and currants up front with secondary notes of minerals and earth. Still plenty of backbone after a 90 minute decant. Great example of a quality, mature Bordeaux.
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45% Merlot, 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot, 13.5% vol.
Was decanted 2h before dinner. Intense, mature nose with leather, underwood, black currant and a suggestion of spiciness. On the palate smooth and round, medium+ bodied and a long finish that still shows some grip.
Superb classic Margaux at its peak for my palate, drink within the next 6 to 10 years.
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Fortunate to be served this, I impatiently drank my bottles too young as per usual. Lovely red fruit with a good vein of minerality, wine is showing well but has lots of life still left. Curious if with time it’d develop some tertiary complexity. No time soon.
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More primary and less developed that the '05 du Tertre tried recently and needing decanting to open up. For that reason I think it is still developing and remains at least a short term hold. Such slow development in so many of these '05 Medocs! Dark and primary in colour, savoury and dense. Firm, mouth filling and dry palate, very Medoc in style and a great platform for (hopefully) the more floral perfume to come. There is a little more flamboyance Eg in the oak treatment than some other locals, but its well done and they have achieved a lovely wine.
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My first shot at a left bank 2005 and it didn't disappoint. Quite full and powerful but the tannins were nicely integrated. Didn't have time for a longer decant but I think a 2 hour decant ahead of drinking would be best. Lovely dark fruit and beautiful Margaux perfume began to develop on the last few sips. Right at the beginning of the window but will go for another 20+.
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One bottle really quite oaky but a second a near-facsimile (to my pleasant surprise) to a note from last year with boysenberry, violet, espresso, and still-integrating oak.
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So this’ll be an odd TN…. Opened this last week, had 2 glasses, vacuvin’d, stuck in the fridge, went to bed, forgot to post a note. If I’d remembered, it would have been something like this - big, tannic, tart, acts young, fruit hiding. So tonight I grabbed the bottle, poured and let it warm. Holy cow, did my wife switch out the wine?!? (😂did a helluva job, replaced the sludge and everything). Now it’s warm, inviting, smooth, eucalypty-cherry, bit of cigar ash - still way big, no way this is classic claret but damn it’s good. So what happened? I’m not smart enough to know - but I recommend air if you open this now😆
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Partners' meeting at Chu Yen. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour with thin garnet edge. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of tobacco leaf, cedar, ripe capsicum, red plum, dark red cherry, blackcurrant. Developing. On the palate, dry, lovely high acidity, medium alcohol (13.5%), lovely resolving softening high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of blackcurrant, ripe dark red cherries, juicy red plums, nice tobacco leaf, sweet cedar. Big spicy oak to the long finish. Very good quality. Very approachable on pop and pour surprisingly and open for business, though it can age more also. Oak well integrated and doesn't show up that much until the finish.
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Brought by a friend to taste. I have always enjoyed the Grand Vin from this estate, especially older vintages…the 1970 is still drinking great. But this wine seems an example of selling out to modern critics. This is horribly over-oaked in my opinion. It is ripe and heavily (heavy-handed?) extracted and far from balanced. Nothing subtle about this. We decanted and tasted over 6 hours and never did it get past the massive oak induced flavors, to the point that it seemed to smell and taste like furniture that had been freshly stained. Not attractive to me at all.
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Popped and poured. Dark ruby color. There’s some cedar in the nose with some dark cherry. Nice palate. Plum, blueberry maybe. A lot of comments in this site about oak. I can maybe get a tad of that but I think it’s integrated. Nice.
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From 375. TFM 23 new years dinner. Very good and correct bordeaux, early drinking window. Boisonberry tobacco and musty earth on the nose. Palate still evolving but in a good place, oak integrated. Maybe a little hollow, might fill out with time. Good finish. Great match with the lamb.
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Coravin fun - Bordeaux (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Black hued fruits are slightly baked; blackcurrant over blackberry and plums, sweet spices, cedar, slight wet earth and leather. Medium plus intensity acidity, again slight baked blackcurrant over plums, brambles, sweet spice, quite fleshy, generous, talc textured tannins prove slightly leathery, all travel long. Pleasant.
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This wine needs at least 2h decant. I opened the bottle and took a first sip and was very disappointed. Horse saddle and rotting green waste was my first association; after 1h still more a herbel infusion than a great wine, but…. After 2+ hours all the black fruits were there and it transformed into a profound and superbe Bordeaux. Will get even better if you can keep it for some years.
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Wines at Jordan's wedding: Liked the pretty and perfumed nose but the palate was a little disappointing. Attractive red fruit but the midpalate was hollow and had a clipped finish.
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I didn't take notes on this unfortunately, but very much enjoyed it. Red and black fruits, seems to just be entering a nice drinking window. Decanted for about 60 minutes.
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5/15/2013 rated 93 points: Decanted an hour and the aroma jumped right out of the decanter. While still obviously young, this was the first '05 Bordeaux I've truly enjoyed. Others have been too stern still. We can count on Margaux to come around a little sooner than say a St Julien can't we? Black currant, graphite, tobacco, plum, and a floral note all on decent tannins. This will be fine in 2015! (12248 views)
9 years later this is just entering it's window. Now-2030
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Gave this bottle a thorough decanting. It was a beautiful wine that opened up very nicely over the course of dinner. It was consumed alongside a few high-end WA Cabernet Sauvignons of the same vintage. This bottle was possibly the best of the evening.
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Medium ruby. Nose of sour cherry, a little barnyard on open that quickly blew off, blackberry, woody, and a bit of VA. Sour raspberries on the palate, with drying medium wood tannin and medium(-plus) acidity. This is in a strange place right now (if this isn’t an off bottle) with wood still quite in the forefront and fruit somewhat one dimensional. No idea if this will come into better balance with more time.
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Color rubí muy oscuro y brillante. Aroma intenso y profundo, esencialmente frutal, fruta roja y negra, destacan las cerezas, con mina de lápiz, tierra y humo. Boca sedosa, fina y elegante, roble muy bien integrado, muy Margaux , con su característico equilibrio y delicadeza, final muy largo que trae nuevamente sutiles recuerdos de fruta matizada negra y roja
Creo que este vino aún tiene capacidad de ir a más y desde luego tiene una enorme previsión de durabilidad.
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2 of 6. I am really unhappy with this wine. Bought on release and stored perfectly. Wine is tart and almost sour. i was hoping it would go well with Fathers Day steaks but it was not good. On Day 2 it did not improve and started to fall apart a bit. Will put in the fridge and try again in a day or two. Maybe a bad bottle?
The 05 Lascombes still needs to integrate its oak a bit, but beyond the oak-derived aromas there’s a pretty, succulent boysenberry nose with subtle violet. The fruit and flowers are amplified on the palate, flowing through to a fragrant finish. The tannins are still quite grippy. It’s nice to see Lascombes doing well, even if they aren’t quite competing with the likes of Brane Cantenac.
Drinking from 2025-2030, on account of the need for the oak to integrate and the tannin to mellow.
Judgement of Greenbay, 03 Mouton, 06 Monte Bello, 05 Brainaire Ducru, 03 Lascombs, 06 Quintessa. Monte Bello ranked first with Statistical significance over all except Quintessa which was second. 13 judges. All wines were drinking exceptionally well!
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7th of 10. Gave this one a 1.5 hr decant or so. Followed a glass of Bourbon. It may finally be opening up becoming more approachable. Great nose right up front. Expressive. Has definitely begun to round out it's rough edged youth. Secondary notes have formed making this quite nice across mid-palate and into finish. Fine mouthfeel and finish. Best bottle yet.
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Decanted one hour. This wine in earlier years was awkward and felt overdone but as it ages it continues to get better. This was the best version I have had. Lovely nose of violets and blackberry. The palate is full bodied, rich, hedonistic and layered but it is becoming better integrated and balanced than I remember it.
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Very classic nose, altho almost more like a Pauillac with warm red fruit, cedar and graphite, but also a little floral component like a classic Margaux. Had a very smooth mouthfeel, and while nothing jumped out at me flavor-wise, it did have a nice red fruit acidity that carried through the finish. Good, not great.
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Rhubard, plum, a little worn leather, black currant, a little toast. This is really classic Margaux - not lacking power but elegant and round on the palate. A little cedar on the finish.There’s really something unique about 05 - fruit is so juicy and ripe but also fresh and bright. I was struggling to see the excitement in 05 for many years but to me they really seem to have opened up over the past few years - glad to see how I was misjudging the vintage.
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Decanted for 30 minutes and consumed over 3+ hours. Good color with clear rim on the edges. Floral nose. Creamy entry with a soft feel. Medium body, subtle minerals, probably at peak. 91/92
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Powerful, muscular and needs plenty of coaxing... The nose has rather feint blackfruits, and the palate was lacking in fruits and I only seemed to get leather and oak, I hear from @[1|8254419|Hangi] the 2005 LC may be overly ripe and just past its drinking window.. could be true. Otherwise, it just needed more TLC and decanting time, to expose the ripe fruit and cedar. First of 4 Margauxs at Joshua birthday dinner and RL's gracious hosting of the pre NY Eve party at Beast, Batai. Thanks DL for sharing ??
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YESSSSS. So, with trepidation I opened this...would it be gone? Would it be too young? But, it was sort of goldilocks just right...a good deal of secondary aromas ( real pencil box, cedar, low tones); sort of classy bdx, relatively old school, except for 13.5 a/c. Developed but still fresh and youngish ... so I would say this large-format 3-ltrs has many years in it. Will open next one in 5 years (2026)
This bottle brought happiness. Maybe not the most elegant, complex or long wine BUT this is a perfectly approachable BDX at the sweetest age, when it reaches adulthood at the fruit tertiary junction…. Bliss
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1.5 hour decant - just started to open... I think we finished it off before it hit it's stride. Deep, dark color in the glass. Vibrant nose and big tannin structure after the fresh air. I agree with some of the other reviews that it's not a fruit forward wine, but delicious just the same. I think it's got plenty of time, but will probably pop my second (and last) this year - with a 2.5 hour decant!
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Coravin fun - Lascombes & Belgrave (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Toasted oak, cream, slight nail varnish remover, black and red currant jam, cedar tends to cigar box, pyrazine here as well as a little spiced plum. Medium plus intensity acidity, tannins are chalky and drying, fruit struggles a little beneath this but shows through with some buttery creamy notes on the long finish. Time?
Lots of iron, mineral. Good full fruit, well contained in structure. Black fruit, toasted oak and some dried herbs. This is good, solid, well aged Bdx. More St Julien than Margaux really. Not a ton of nuance or finesse, but good blocky dark fruited wine. Drink at the proper temperature and this should be good for another 10 years.
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Purchased in Naples 2 days ago. Bottle was pristine. Decanted one hour before dinner. Beautiful middleweight. Balanced, medium full body. Drink now through 2025
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A real treat - lovely aromatics of spicy red fruit, mint and tobacco leaf. Medium bodied packing excellent depth of flavor - not much fruit but plenty of earthen tones with a dose of leather and tobacco. Very masculine - even a little austere. My impression is that it is easily going strong another 10 years or more. Exceptional experience.
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Drank first from Coravin a few months ago. Finished second half of bottle last night, with a delicious rib eye, mac n cheese, baked potato, ceasar salad. Excellent wine. Drink up.
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Had at home midweek (YOLO!) with lamb rack with a mint, almond , Evoo chutney. Absolutely lovely. Little sediment in the bottle. Smell was interestingly earthy and savory … others describe as meaty and I can see that… somewhat like what a Rhone or Syrah wine can show. Flavor profile was totally left bank with smooth tannins and dark fruit.
Great wine. Wish I had more.
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2005 Lascombes is the model Bordeaux to accompany any seriously good steak dinner. Black & blueberries with Rainier cherry & dark spices (cinnamon & black pepper) plus chocolate & cedar are found in abundance, but the best part is that this wine tastes like beef drippings from a roasting pan.
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Agree with other reviewers. I believe this wine is peaking. It was best about 90 minutes after opening. Some tobacco and a hint of cherry on the nose. Hints of cherry and cured meat on the palate. Finish was medium at peak.
As per my April '20 note. At its peak over the next few years to my taste - but with the structure to go longer if that's what you like. Till 2025 from my point of view. 2035 for those who prefer slightly faded favourite aunts.
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This bottle was a wonderful introduction to Lascombes. The nose is earthy, tobacco leaf, a hint of olives. The palate is really interesting: feels "old" in the best way. It's barely ripe, the oak is harmonious, the focus is on terroir. The texture is phenomenal - silky and chewy while complementing everything. Outside of 1er and Super 2nd growths (Cos and Las Cases), this might be the finest Left Bank Bordeaux I've had. Stunning.
QPR 7.5 (of 10)
Aging 2031 at least
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"Post-Pandemic" Dinner with friends at their house. Slo-oxed for about 30 minutes, but the wine needed more air time to show its best. Each glass showed more of the red and dark red fruits, earth, and spice, and less of the mostly resolved tannins. An hour or two decant (as other TNs have noted) may do the trick. There's a good 5+ years of enjoyment here (probably 10), just air it out.
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Just coming into its own. This has a long life ahead. At least two hours of air required for the beautiful dark fruit to com into balance with the well structured tannin, which is dominant at the outset. Sipping now at the 6 hour mark and spice box and cedar are strongly in the picture, while the tannin and fruit are still holding their own well. This is a lovely wine that has a ways to go before it peaks. First bottle of a case. (Happy dance!)
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Not what I was expecting. This bottle has traveled with me for about 13 years and was really looking forward to drinking it. Was expecting more from the wine. It just seemed off balance for a high caliber Bordeaux. Took about 2 hours to settle. Lots of rounded robust red fruit with some forest floor.
Garnet purple. Gorgeous nose of black cherry, blackberry, cassis and a slight olive note. Medium bodied. Fine dry tannins and then the balancing acidity kicks in. Long smooth finish. 🍷 is singing and paired beautifully with roasted leg of lamb. Still plenty of life left.
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Purchased as a future, pristine bottle and cork, popped + poured. Purple core with no obvious signs of age. Reticent nose, with notes of crushed stones, blackberry, cassis; hints of earth and tree bark. Medium bodied, a bit stern in structure, with noticeable but ripe tannins, good acidity, and a medium finish. Much better than a bottle opened 3 years ago, but this needs decanting of several hours or another 5+ years in the cellar.
Violets and blackberry on the nose. On the palate, dark berry fruit and currants with notes of plum and earth, with light tannins and good acidity on the medium to long finish. This is classic Margaux, and although it's not as elegant as it could be it was a good value at about $75. This seems to be early in its drinking window, and it may improve.
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Notes after following this bottle for 24hrs open. 90% opaque dark ruby color with a moderate amount of fine sediment. No fading. Profound bouquet of cassis/blackberry, pencil shavings, lavender, cooked meat, and a little bazooka bubblegum. I don't really get any of the vanilla that is mentioned by other reviews. The palate adds tar and tobacco to the bouquet, but it is grippy and still a bit locked up even after 24 hours. Long and persistent, if not fully cohesive yet. I think another 5 years will make a big difference for the better. 5+12+17+9= 93
If blindfolded, I would’ve guessed this was a Margaux because of the violets and graphite on the nose. The palate opened up nicely after a 1 h decent to reveal cassis, dark fruits and a hint of cigar box and spice. Tannins not fully integrated yet and I suspect these rough edges will be sanded down in 3-5 y. Overall though a really enjoyable wine.
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Medium ruby. Decanted for an hour and followed over three. Starts with subtle vanilla, menthol, pyrazines, tobacco and cedar. Baked plums and raspberry flavors. Decent entry but quickly falls off a cliff. The finish feels watered down. Seems disjointed showing ripeness and greenness at the same time. The oak becomes prominent with air. Disappointing QPR.
A really good wine from a stellar year. Again, this is a wine that may benefit from more aging. I liked to nuanced fruit and even balance, yet it’s not all there.... perhaps in three more years?
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There’s so much oak here that there’s no need for a bottle. Now, I’m not prejudiced against Cabernet made in a more exuberant style. I love many a Napa. But this just reeks of cooked plum and vanilla, and tastes of french press dregs. Second of two bottles opened, both identical.
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Powerful Margaux, showing dense fruit, ruby red with medium legs. The nose reveals blueberry, dark cherry and a hint of wet garden paving stone. The jammy fruit yields to a leather and salty finish that is long and satisfying. We had this with our Thanksgiving dinner and it was the star, standing up the the flavor barrage that was thrown at it with grace and aplomb.
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PNP with a double decant. Beautiful nose of dark berries/fruits quite long just gorgeous . Delivered the same tastes in the mouth with gentle tannin and smooth mouthfeel. Lovely. 2nd have of bottle drunk 4 hours later. Completely faded no fruit all dry and mild tannin. I think these means temperature is crucial and when open don’t linger. Definitely feel the fruit is going to disappear soon and become all terteriary flavours.
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Popped and poured. This wine has never lived up to expectations set by Robert Parker although with age it has gotten better as exuberant fruit and oak have mellowed and integrated into the wine. The nose is quite attractive with aromas of violets and truffle come through. The palate shows ripe black currant but some subtle earthy notes of underbrush and mushrooms have begun to come out in the mid palate. It still feels a little unbalanced and not fully integrated though. Let’s see how it ages as it still has at least a decade ahead of it.
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Unfortunately I cannot share the enthusiasm of other more recent reviews here. Maybe my bottle, which has been stored since release at lowly 11 °C, was still too young and undeveloped, boasting predominantly sweet black fruit and only some hints of a mushroomy complexity. But my main issue with the wine is that it feels just too extracted in the mouth. Slightly adstringent and biting, not as supple and fluid as I would hope for in a Margaux Cru Classé. The wine may be impressive with its immortal black colour and full flavours, however it seems a bit overdone and not true to its appellation. I have one bottle left, which I am not going to touch for a minimum of five years. Maybe something magical will happen by then?!
Pop and pour. This 15 years bottle is at this point with just Aromas Of Young leather. Medium red color, this Margaux is round, very little tannins and a medium long finishing. Two hours decant is enough to let it express itself.
Opened 3 hours decanted one hour served at 18. Gentle nose of fruit followed by sous bois. In the mouth medium bodied but fuller and rounder than some previous bottles. Soft dark fruit, delicate earth & savoury notes with just a little edge to the pleasing intergrated tannins. Altogether a well balance ‘a point’ Margaux.
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Great bouquet. Decanted for one hour served at 18c. Dark fruits smooth beautiful balance good length and classy. Over the course an hour it didn’t disappoint but became much more Pauilaac like. Tannins becam evident but not over powering with notes or sous bois an tobacco.
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Drinking beautifully. Tannins integrated perfectly. Vinerrated and decanted for 6 hours. So seemless I needed the fireworks to break it up and give it a pop. I wanted to quaff it but it was impossible. The huge nose and forever finish would not allow it. Drank it by myself over 4 hours. Only wish I had more, love me some Margaux!
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Fabulous. Opened Friday. Initially funk, earth on the nose. Thought it was a Cayuse. However the palate was a little disjointed but not bad. Some fruit, minerals, tanins. Would have given a score of 90. Saved enough to drink a little over the next 3 days. What an evolution. Wine has lost the funk and is smooth, medium to full body, very balanced with delicious dark fruit and complex savary flavors. Nice finish. On day 1, opened bottle for several hours, then decanted for 1 hour. Prior comments suggest a long decant (5 hours) and I have to agree based in my experience with this bottle. Lots of years left, will revisit a bottle in 5 years .
Zoom blind tasting #4: Bordeaux (At home during circuit breaker): Really good. I last tried it upon release, where it wore its robe of new oak a bit too tightly. Time has been kind to the wine though. This had a wonderful nose today, still with bits of toasty coffee and oak spice, but these were swirling around deeper notes of damp earth and cassis, some tobacco, and a then a little twist of damp leaves. Lovely. The palate really showed off the quality of the 2005 vintage, with a chew of fine, but still firm tannins, and then juicy and wonderfully-integrated acidity, forming a lovely frame for the wine’s deep, ripe flavours of sweet cassis and berries. There was a real sense of strength, depth and fine-boned elegance to the wine. It was unashamedly modern in its leanings, but there was just tons of quality on it. Lovely long finish too, with a trail of cassis fruit, and more earthy, mineral tones drawing into a nice lengthy back-palate, here kissed with a bit of spice, herb, and maybe just that little hint of dried flowers. The Margaux was really starting to show here. Like many 2005s, this will last for just about forever; on today’s showing, I would put it aside for at least a decade before broaching again. It is already delicious though - a good precursor showing off its potential.
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-- decanted 30 min. before initial taste -- -- tasted non-blind over approx. 3 hours on Day 1; re-visited on Day 2 -- -- 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot --
NOSE: piercing cassis aroma, and also some freshly-potted flowers; medium-light mineral note. Day 2: moderate oak and a bit fumey, which I didn't perceive on Day 1.
BODY: medium bodied; some sediment present; earthy garnet color of great depth --- still very youthful in appearance.
TASTE: mostly dark-fruited, with hints of coffee grounds, red berries, and ballpoint ink; medium-light to medium oak; still some tannins; alc. not noticeable; adequate acidity; ripe, but not gloppy; still youthful, but in a good "youthful window" at the moment; will maybe wait another 5 years before checking-in again. It's not Margaux-pretty, but it's an excellent wine if you're willing to accept that it's not stereotypical of its appellation. This could be a good crossover wine for those who might find their preferences trending away from Napa (for example) and towards Bordeaux. Gut impression score: 92 – 94. Drink Now through 2035.
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Soave and complex aromas that I am not able to tell, beautifully balanced. Two hours decanting. Round, tannins and acidity subdue . Either me or the wine lost intensity after few hours.
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This wine has had an unusual evolution. Early on exuberant and decadent, then it seems to go through an awkward phase for many years so the last few of these I had I was underwhelmed. But this bottle shows that this wine is emerging from its awkward phase. One hour decant. The nose is still a bit shy. The palate however was delicious. Black currant, plum, tobacco and forest floor this has a nice core of sweet fruit and long finish. The wine has become better integrated with time and should continue to improve over the next ten years.
Acquired from auction (Brentwood). Decanted, and tasted over two evenings. First evening - consistent ruby color, semi opaque from core to rim. Coffee, fig, forest floor, green pepper on the nose. Little reserved. Second evening, similar results, more chocolate, coffee, fig, dark berry, truffle.
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3.5yrs since my first noted (already on its plateau) bottle. À point blackcurrant, cedary/smokey nuances, earth and smoke. Dry spice. Medium bodied but concentrated: elegant as one would expect from a GC Margaux - what's not to like?! Now and till 2025 (at least).
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Decanted two hours before serving. Very purple with a lovely nose. This wine went nicely with a grilled rack of lamb, although I can see myself giving this a 92 or more in five years as it develops greater complexity.
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Winespecials Wine Evening (Restaurant Holz und Feuer, Kirchheim, Germany): Glass: Gabriel Universal Popped and poured. Clear, medium ruby color. Clean, classic BDX nose, leather, brett, some tobacco, riper than the Duhart. On the palate round, soft, dense, salty mineral core, lovely red fruit, herbaceous. Nice, animating acidity. Drinks very well at the moment. At the moment a bit better than the Duhart. On the long run, I am not so sure.. 91-92
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Medium fruit. Light leather notes. Hints of peat moss, mushrooms and light smoke. Full mouth feel, 30 second finish and medium tannins. One of our favorite Bordeaux wines
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opens with nose of blackberry, wet earth, old leather, and just the right amount of bret (brettanomyces). not showing much signs of age. color is dark crimson but not inky. soft and lovely on the palate with just enough acidity to hold everything together. beautiful earthiness mixed in with plum, dark berry, black current, and pencil lead. smooth with a nice long finish. drinking well now but has many years left. first of three bottles. classic bordeaux!
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Lost all sharpness. Smooth. The nose is still more exciting than the taste. Was hoping for more complexity frankly. Carafed for two hours. Too much airing?
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From memory, drinking extremely well with an hour of air. Floral nose, inky dark smooth dark fruit laced with minerals and earth but errs on the modern oaky style which may not be everyone's cup of tea. Seamless and wonderful. 93-94
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9th Annual Holiday Dinner and Cellar Raid (Naperville, IL): Part of wine dinner and cellar raid so did not take detailed notes. Sad to see this one go as it my last and would have loved to try this on it's 20th birthday. However, someone grabbed this as their choice, and it seemed like a great time to try. Just as good as in 2016, although perhaps a bit more balanced
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Tightly wound brooding giant, slouching towards Bethlehem. My children will enjoy the early development of its secondary characteristics in the 2040's, when it will garner the 98-99 point scores it will richly deserve. I seriously need to consider switching to pinot. Can you do that on a 2nd-5th growth Bordeaux budget?
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Friday Afternoon: Very earthy on the nose, with dry forest floor, violets, cassis, pencil, oak. The palate shows lots of pencil, dried wood, cassis, good purity, full bodied, firmish tannins. Very good.
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Consistent with my notes from almost 6 years ago. Great flavors on first impact, then gets a little withdrawn rest of the evening, with second night (under pump) being best. Lots going on here, and may make sense to wait another 5 years.
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Dark ruby color. Looks like it was bottled yesterday. Hints of jammy fruit and licorice, but not over the top. I was concerned it would be a fruit bomb, but this is more classic than modern. Tannins are slightly drying on the finish, but are resolving. Very, very nice wine.
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Vinetasters: 2005 Bordeaux 2nd Growths (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. Slightly pruney on the nose, there’s some coffee elements and a roasted component. The palate is overdone as well, showing more of those same overripe elements from the nose. The fruit seems to be drying out here and there’s a lot of tannin to slog through. Not particularly enticing at this stage; whether this will integrate and those roasted elements recede or not is a question only time will answer. In any case, not particularly convincing now. My 9th, group's 1st.
(opened and decanted for 3 hours, drank 1 glass and stored overnight in vacuum sealed bottle - notes are from day 2) Pretty ripe plum color Nose sings of cassis with cracked green and black peppercorns - think La (not Dave) Chappelle. With more air there is baked plantains (yes, first time I have ever said that) and brambley pine in the background. Pretty combination of sweet plum and astringent rind (melon and orange), sweet licorice and savory tea. Fresh acidity and a very long layered finish. Lots of depth and contrasts. Like my experience with many 2005 Bordeaux, the vintage drank really well early and is also rewarding time with layers and nuance. The 2005 Lascombes has a lot of interesting years left.
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1 hour decant, dark red in color, nose of dark fruits, mainly plum, cherry, cassis and figs with walnuts, giving way to mostly cherry with vanilla, leather, cedar, tobacco, cocoa, soy sauce. Palate is medium to full body, very opulent, smooth, nice acidity for balance, dark fruits, plums, smoke, tobacco and chocolate, finish is medium to long with dusty tannins, which are very much alive. This will get better with further aging. I think it is a great Bordeaux, not may the most classic but very hedonistic, more modern style. Drink with some decant or hold
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Relieved that’s it’s now singing at precious levels after my “off bottle” in June. It wasn’t. I froze it and thawed tonight and patiently coaxed it to the right temp and another hour in the decanter and ... glorious. Temperature is key.. 20-22 degrees, not 18, makes such a difference.
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Give it 2 h of air and the show begins. Real bordeaux. Dark fruits, herbal minty stuff, soft but a youthful tannic backbone. In its early window. No shame to try one. Room for improvement. 94+
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Youthful in appearance, with bold black fruit and cassis, and a tarry, burnt rubber note that resolves with time in air to pleasant smoke aroma that complements the licorice note. Beautiful nose altogether.
The mouth follows through pretty well, too. Pure fruit, foresty notes, and tobacco. Quite delicious. Tannins are not quite resolved, and slightly gritty.
Probably drinking at peak, but it’ll stay at this plateau for several years.
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Courtesy of Bret, drank at Westhome. All bottles opened for approximately 2 hours prior to tasting, and all 4 were superb and ready to drink with some air. No tasting notes, and scores reflect general impression over the course of the evening.
Off bottle? One hour decant and fairly generic but enjoyable Bordeaux but non descriptive compared to previous bottles. Hopefully a dumb phase during transition to maturity.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Black Currant, dried black fruit. Gorgeous nose. The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis) and blackberry. The body is medium/full. The wine has leathery texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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Decanted over three days. First day: smokey tobacco on the nose and palate dominated, tannins perfect, very enjoyable. Second day: very different, smokey nose and palate gave way to creosote and anise with tannins still present. Third day like the second, only a little less but still highly enjoyable. Great finish all three days. I would drink this now, decant for a couple hours and enjoy it all in the first 24 hours.
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Dark red color with slight browning at the rim and some very fine sediment in bottle. Pipe tobacco, currants, blackberry, black licorice & cedar on nose. Medium body, medium+ tannins, high acidity and very long finish. Flavor profile on nose was similar to the palate.
Loved this. 93-94 range.
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This is drinking well now. Needs 1 hour decant. Longer and it starts fading. Nose: floral, red berries, and well done toast. Elegant with medium body. Not complex. Black mission figs, bordeaux funk, blackberry compote, hint of oak and the toast again. Medium finish.
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Opened this with 7 others for the big 52. It shown highly above the others with its silky textures and savory earthen fruit. The guests were surprised at its appearance and loved it.
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Whyne Not? (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red/purple color. Slow O for 2 hours. From 375ml, drank a glass over an hour. Started a bit subtle on the nose, but it didn't take long to show itself. Deeply eathy, black and blue fruits, pencil, dried herbs on the nose. The palate is medium full bodied, powerful, deep with cassis, succulent, blackberry,tar and pencil lead. The tannins are very approachable and at the least in this format certainly it is showing well, but more to come for sure.
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Just a fantastic wine. The funk on initial decant was very much enjoyable. Smells very bretty with ripe blackberry juice soaked in a cigar box that had some ashes. The palate had a huge OMG reaction due to its luxurious texture, fantastic truffle, cigar, blackberry/olialla berry, mint, tobacco smoke, mineral laiden long cool finish. If you like the funk as I, then you've got an hour of it before it blows off. It starts to turn into more chocolaty cherry notes. But even then it's just glorious yum yum.
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Tasted blind. Extracted, modern wine. There is a green nose here, almost whole cluster like. Unusual but for me it did not bother me. Rich palate, generous oak, lots of fruit. Napaesque. I would drink this up. Not sure how long it will last.
Opened 2 hours prior to our wine dinner. This has really come together. All secondary notes, earth, truffle, herbs, dark chocolate . Full bodied, smooth, good finish. Great Bordeaux.
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Chilly night, stayed in snuggled with the dogs on the couch enjoyed this lovely Margaux. Decanted 60 minutes, consumed over 3 hours. Fairly similar over entire period. Darker cherry to blackberry, currants, tobacco, little bit of cocoa and licorice. Nicely integrated tannins though just a bit short on the finish. Drinking well but should hold or develop more tertiary components for many years.
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Annual Coravin blitz - day three (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Blackberry, blackcurrant, earthy spice, cedar, a little cigar box and leather, biscuit and Cassis. Mouth-wateringly juicy, tightly tannic, quite talc textured and drying which closes down the palate a little which the fruit struggles to cope with. Hmm. Time.
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Gorgeous wine. Tasted over 3 days. Luxurious mouthfeel. Textures of black fruit, licorice and tobacco smoke. Chocolate popped out. Surprised how it held up for 3 days with very little change.
This is definitely on the finesse side of the Bordeaux spectrum. Clearly from an excellent vintage. Well delineated flavors and silky tannins, but not as full bodied as other Margaux from this vintage. I will sit on the rest of this case for a couple of years to see if it fleshes out. This is drinking well enough now for those who want to give it a taste.
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Just a gourgeous wine; such a seductive nose. Classic Margaux in every way. Oak and tannins well integrated. Graceful; mid-weight. Finishes a bit short.
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Beautiful in color. Nose was sublime. Decanted and poured through an aerator 4 hours before drinking. Served with grilled fillet mignon. No disappointments here: classic Margaux, drinking very well now but will last for years to come.
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This followed an 89' Clerc milon which was humming...
What a letdown! Man I hope this wine is just in hibernation, because I had high hopes and have several more! Tonight it was lacking the middle and seemed a bit tight and watered down. Yet the structure is definitely in place. IDK...Confused about this. Reminded me of the same shitty experience I have had with the 2005 Brainaire Ducru. Confused!
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Decanted for 3 hours and had with Turkey for Thanksgiving. Aroma has earthy, rusty pipe quality (bit like Pauillac) and slight Brett, which I thought made it more complex. With more air in the glass, the aroma revealed classic, red fruits (raspberry to dark cherry) with slight oak, nicely layered in. Flavor was classic, elegant Margaux fruit and balance. In short, delicious now. Slight tannins in the finish, that I don’t think will go away. Have this with meats and sauces that counter-act the tannins, and it would be more sublime. With Turkey, perhaps not an ideal combo. Drink now.
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In a good place right now. Lovely sweet fruit nose, with good length. Palette round and medium in length, with still some tannins that fairly quickly recede after a 30-45 minute opening. Not that layered, but very nice left bank all the same. Would like to have bought more back when I first purchased these.
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Dark violet. Spicy blueberry and moss nose, with a bit less body than expected. Loss some vigor with time open. Blueberry, moss,blackberry, cedar, and coffee.
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Inviting nose exhibiting the Margaux terroir which is almost always appreciated. Yet, a prominent barnyard funk continues thru entry and lingers into 2nd hour of decant when it begins to dissipate revealing the subtleties this wine has to offer. Dry with some alcohol and slightly astringent yet layered and balanced enough to be acceptable at this stage. Decent finish. An enjoyable wine given time.
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Nice nose of black currant, tobacco and flowers. The body is concentrated and decently integrated after a few hours decant with flavors of black berry, lead pencil and cassis. Unfortunately though there is a bit of alcoholic warmth and emptiness impacting the mid palate that limits the potential and flavor of this wine. Over time maybe this will integrate better.
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Decanted 6 hrs. No question this does carry a modern polish, its appearant on the nose, a glossy palate, etc. But it still has that cassis quality that to me anyway still stays Bordeaux vs a New World equivalent. Should be drinking for a decade plus - happy to have this with non serious wine people when a special occasion type wine is appropriate. Reminded me a lot of aged Andrew Will wine.
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Strange wine. First lesson. This needs a heavy decant. After an hour and a half this was awkward without a nose. An hour later better. Still the nose is modest for a margaux. The body is medium bodied and a touch austere. Black and blue fruit, minerals and touch of cigar box. Nice long but not yet complex finish. I think this wine will do better with age and is probably in a somewhat awkward drinking window now.
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I couldn't add to the 2/14/18 notes by up4wine:"Mighty fine '05 Margaux. Full fruit flavor with wonderful balance and very well integrated. Much smoother than I thought an '05 would be at this stage of development. Long finish. Great wine even though it was young.Great QPR ten years ago when I bought it for $50. Wish I had bought lots more.
Second Sunday Group: 2005 Bordeaux (R&D's): Double blind. Aromas of green tobacco, iron and red fruit. Red fruit on the palate, though dry and quite tannic and another with a hole in the midpalate and short fiinsh. Fleshes out somewhat with air.
P: LM body; LOVELY, almost swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which stays within hailing distance of the init frt as it slowly, seamlessly evolves into a quite LONG, BALANCED finish with a tangy/swtness & an OCCASIONAL *glimpse* of bitterness to the VERY fine tannins. In its window, but will likely still improve through '20/'21, poss more? My EXC, with more a distinct possibility before all is said & done. 15, 16 (3x), & 16.5++/20 Jancis Robinson, + 13 scores & 1 medal on wine-searcher's Tasting Notes pg. [As of late Mar '20, wine-searcher still shows 4 sources @ $140-$180].
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Mighty fine '05 Margaux. Full fruit flavor with wonderful balance and very well integrated. Much smoother than I thought an '05 would be at this stage of development. Long finish
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The fruit (red) is still present, but the tannins are very drying and there is heat on the finish. Did I wait to long?
Follow-up next day. After an hour it opened up considerably, but still was tannic and a bit hot on the finish. Waiting a few years may buy you more integration, but maybe just maybe it's never going to be great and popping one now is a good idea.
Purchased as a future, with fill into the neck and a sound cork. A dark purple black core, with no real signs of age. Rather foursquare, with primary notes of dark fruit, asphalt and some oak. Texture was a bit brutish, particularly for the appellation and vintage. No "velvet" here, and seemed rather Californian in nature. Perhaps time will work its magic, but I have my doubts.
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Tasted after two hours of air. Youthful in colour but the palette of dark fruitis quite soft already with a smooth silky mouthfeel. However, a little ripe and oaky, and overall a bit flat lacking depth and complexity. Disappointing given the previous bottle.
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Opaque crimson color. Popped and poured, this had an oddly bitter flavor around the edges of the tongue. I gave this a 4+ hours decant, which significantly improved things. This has a brooding nose of blackberry, graphite, perfume, and ink. The palate is luscious, composed of black fruit and the beginnings of some tertiary sous bois flavors. This finishes long, with tannins that have softened somewhat but would still support another 5-10 years in the cellar. This wine has been criticized by other tasters as overly oaky and modern, but I (usually being quite sensitive to this) didn't find this to be the case. In total, this was a middle-of-the-fairway Bordeaux just entering its drinking window.
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Bought 12 bottles that comes with OWC from a wine collector at a good price. First tasted 2009 vintage in 2013, that Margaux bottle has since left a distinctive memory in me. 2005 is a Margaux wine, earthy nose with long aftertaste. It was unbelievable. Decanted for 1 hour.
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Well aged, ready to drink. Balanced with good earthy notes and blackberry and cherry notes. Great nose upon opening that softened and then perked back up after a 2 hour decant. Wonderful wine that can be drank now or wait a bit. Enjoyed with a hearty roast.
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Super aromatic right out of the bottle. Drank over a 2 hours. I liked it better early on, after about 30 minutes of air. Didn't really develop a lot of complexity with more air.
Nose great from the pop with cedar, sour cherry notes. On the palate, soft at first then firming up with cranberry and some of that sour cherry. Edges had all disappeared, some secondary flavors but still comes across as, at most, young middle aged. Open and soft from the pop but developed more spine with about an hour's air and was very good. Drank side-by-side with Brane-Cantenac 05 (first of a 6pack for both). At first I thought this was too soft and preferred the BC but after an hour or two of air, I ended up liking this one better, mostly because the BC had a weak nose.
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Bordeaux Blends (Jason's house): Decanted 2 hours. An interesting mix of blueberry and tomato on the nose. Mostly graphite, smoke and red fruit on the palate. Tannins are still a bit high. I enjoyed the complexity of this wine, and feel it'll be better in 5 years.
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WOTN at Vie just a terrific expression of bordeaux blend without the $$$$ tart strawberries evolved into darker blueberries and always with the french earth undertones fantastic with both appetizers and the sturgeon
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Cedar, tabacco, dried red fruits, clove and cinnamon, chewy tannins but really resolved now, great balance and medium finish. This is drinking so well right now.
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i let it decant for 1 hour. it probably could have gone for another 1-2 hours. Great body and finish. Almost felt like a hybrid of old world and new world
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The 2005 Lascombes has evolved nicely since my last tasting note from 2011. Opened about an hour before dinner, no decant; the fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. Has already thrown a decent amount of sediment. Notes of ripe black fruits and vanilla; not your classic Margaux bouquet, but appealing. Medium bodied, with nice texture, grip and finish.
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Deeply colored. Totally modern nose of rubber, charred oak and sweet fruit. Intense and filled with extract. Very good if you like this style - not my thing. Excellent underlying material. Still lots of tannin. Don’t know how it will age. Certainly, is not your father’s Margaux. (89+?)
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Very oaky and thick... I wouldn't know this as Bdx without having the bottle in front of me. I will hold on additional bottles with the hope that they even out a bit.
6th Annual Christmas dinner and cellar raid (Naperville, IL): Part of Christmas Dinner and Cellar Raid, didn't take detailed notes. Been sitting on these for quite some time. I love the 05's and want to wait to give them time to evolve but was happy that someone chose this as I think it's the right time to take a peek and see what is there. This is amazing and will continue to show more as time goes on.
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Taste: Full bodied with medium acidity and high tannins. The tannins are wood driven and prominent with black cherries, coffee grounds, licorice, anisette, and black fruits. The oak is over bearing and the tones are alcoholic.
Overall: This was terribly disappointing. It is all about the extraction and oak while ignoring balance.
The Rotating Dinners, I.7: 2005 Bordeaux Blends (Chicago, IL): Served double-blind (but it was known this was a 2005 Bordeaux blend). To properly describe this wine, I have replaced all the adjectives in my original tasting note with "oaky": Oaky and oaky, oaky and over-oaked. Oaky and oaky, an oaky bruiser of a wine. An oaky, heavy-oaked wine. I guessed oaky Bordeaux. So now that it's clear how idiotic things are when there's only oak everywhere, here's the original note: dark and leathery; dense and over-extracted. Heavy and anonymous, a real bruiser of a wine. An uninspiring heavy-handed wine. I guessed modern Bordeaux.
Same comments. Give this a few hours and you will be rewarded. Very nice 10 year old Bordeaux, hitting its stride and very easy to gulp down. Should buy some more Lascombes - good QPR.
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Drinking well now with a few hours of air, but still a lot of tannin and structure that overpowers the fruit a bit. Surely this will be better in a few years.
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Brisket Bash Deux: 10 Vintage Vertical of Clos de Papes and more (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Very dark purple/red color. Two hours of air i believe. Small pour. Wasn't taking notes at this point. Good Margaux nose, has that nice core of '05 fruit and concentration, still a bit primary, and some firm tannins. I think this is going to be much better in an another 3-5 years. The trio of 02, 03, and '04 are prettier right now and more ready. 92(+)pts.
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Classic Margaux in an amazing vintage drinking very well right now. After an hour decant, was stunned how smooth the dark berry fruit integrated with the tannins. Secondary flavors of anise, smoke and earth are present in every sip...unmistakingly bordeaux. Exceeded every expectation.
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Color is dark and opaque. Concentrated fruit, some smoke & leather, gravel. Tannins firm but not grippy. Drinking pretty well now, but has lots of life left.
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Deliberate infanticide (that wasn't!). Two hour decant. Concentrated red and black hedgeberries with smoke, tobacco and hints of sweet anise and spice. Smooth integrated tannins. Velvety, elegant and Margaux to the core. Drinking beautifully now but have no doubt will see out the next decade and quite probably garner an extra point or two. 93+?+
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Layered, concentrated flavors, great structure. Earthy, dark berries, firm tannins. Will age well with more time. Decant an hour. WOTN for Steve and Linda.
I'd pretty much agree with Indiscriminate Palate's note from earlier this month. Shows nice overall balance but has plenty of oak to integrate yet. This actually worked very well as a dessert wine with our chocolate torts tonight. 13.5%. I could see owning this wine if the price is sub $70. It leans modern in style but is very tasty.
Tapas & an Embarassment of Riches at Craig's (Craig & Nita's Place): Very dark/purple red color. Drank 1 glass over an hour. Full bodied, young, firm tannins, blackberry, blackberry liqueur like, currants, spiced wood, really good with the chocolate tart as Chablis 28 noted. Very tasty, but this is a big vintage and it needs another 10 years to be a peak.
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Very dark, opaque ruby. Fairly rich nose of darker ripe red fruit, cedar, and graphite; not a Margaux nose, but certainly Bordeaux. The palate is rich, with red and black fruit, loads of graphite, black tea, and some spicy oak and vanilla. Very tight, with loads of tannin and medium acid. Big, but not grotesquely so. Still quite young and unyielding, but with nice potential. Some mineral on the medium-length cassis/cherry finish. Very good. 90-93.
Opened and drank right away Slightly closed and austere Mineral, flinty some cedar Started to evolve over a hour seems to have great potential Try again in couple of years
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Had to pop and pour so ran through aerator. Very nice classic earth/tobacco and some barnyard you get from some aged Bordeaux. Blueberry, red fruits smooth and easy to drink. A couple more years on the last two.
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Poured through a Vinturi into a carafe and let it breathe for about an hour.
The wine is singing. Beautiful nose of blackberries, cherries, with just a touch of leather and earth. Taste is of fresh black fruit, a touch of nutmeg and baking spices. Long, somewhat tannic finish.
Delicious. Drink or hold.
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Popped and poured at lunch. Had it with French Onion soup and a braised Lamb Sandwich. This is really in a great place right now. I'm sure it will get better over the next few years, but its not a crime to drink it today. Dark red color, rich mouth feel, and subtle (but there) dark red fruits. Medium-long finish.
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Enjoyed as part of a “same vintage [2005], different place” tasting.
The three wines were the Havens Bourriquot, Chateau Lascombes and Domenico Clerico Barolo Pajana.
The Havens (91-92) had a great broad nose with a bright red center evolving to pale brick red at the edges. On the tongue there was a surprising amount of fruit in balance with the tannins. The taste of the fruit was predominantly black cherry with a touch of tobacco.
The Clerico (90) was pale brick red and unexpectedly fruit forward. It was jammy with lots of strawberry and sweetness. I found it very attractive and it was jaw loosening.
The Lascombes (93+) was the wine of the night for me. It is blood red with a flowered yet heady nose. On the tongue it was all about balance among fruit, tannin, earth and air. It was delicious.
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My third time with this vintage. The first time was quite a sweet experince, while the second tasting can be summarized with one word: oak. This third time, given 20-30 minutes in the glass the oak disappears and the great, sweet, old school, fruit is starting to show. 93 as of now, with the potential to reach 94-95 pts.
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Flickinger Tasting at The Casino (Chicago, IL): From double-magnum. The nose is promising enough, with some very lovely black fruits and a touch of graphite, although the Margaux perfume seems to be missing. The palate is just awful though. Syrupy and sickly sweet, followed with an offensive bitter streak of oak, this belongs in the vanguard of all that is wrong with Bordeaux today: Angelus, Pavie, Domaine de Chevalier, Pape Clement, and friends.
Early maturity now and just so enjoyable right now. After a 2hr decant, this was just singing. Lovely ripe dark purple fruits and anise on the palate. Silky tannins that are well integrated. Very good.
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Grape: a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot Color: dark ruby Aroma/ bouquet: dark fruit Taste: deep, balanced, long finish. I like the concentration of fruit, level of tannins, and acidity.
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I think RP underrated this wine a lot on his last tasting in 2015. (88+) The wine is still young, but with a good decant already a pleasure to drink. Everybody at the table liked it.
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The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like meaty, tobacco, coffee and oak. It tastes like black currant (cassis), blackberry, fig, meaty and tobacco. The body is medium/full. The wine has polished texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has high acidity.
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Rich, dense, but not as complex nor pleasing as the last bottle consumed two years before. Had with rack of lamb New Years Eve. Decanted for three hours. Still plenty of firm tannins and acidity but maybe not fully integrated. Going to wait maybe three years minimum before popping the next one. Maybe just in an awkward stage right now.
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Dark ruby. Very funky nose initially; it was decanted and left for some 3 hours to breath. Afterwards the funk was almost gone. The nose was complex with blackberry, ripe plum, cassis, spice, barnyard nuances and cigar box notes. Medium+ body with sticky tannin and medium acidity. More earthy that fruity with the oak still quite prominent through a combination of spice and tobacco. You can sense dark ripe fruit flavors mainly towards the end. Medium to long finish. Good balance but it will be better in a couple of years.
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The Cabernet was very apparent here after the Bordeaux Funk wore off, great cassis, cherry, currants, tea and tobacco. Very clean fruit, great balance and a medium tannins still left. This is still drinking well right now but can easily age for another 5-10.
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Drank with Merlot and Petit Verdot from California for varietal comparison. Black fruit nose with a bit of jammy. After couple hours cigar box and mineral emerge from blackberry. Purple Velvet texture with subtle tannin for long finish. In the beginning nose and palate is closer to Merlot, 2 hours later, it has more Petit Verdot than Merlot with additional complexity.
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I loved it. Nice fruit with a Margaux typical body. Elegant. Long finish. Needs couple of hours air to smoothen. This was the best Lascombes I ever tried. I just called my wine shop to buy another case.
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Only 3 months since the last bottle but this one comes across as noticeably less alcoholic. Still modern and oaky but decent fruit and nice finish. Very good.
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fattening up. Quite tannic first hour, really needs good protein. Sung with beef. Day four after fridge storage still great dark deep and delicious. One of my favourite wines
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Very nice wine. Good fruit and concentration. Deep with good body, but had no sense of place no terroir nothing Margaux about it. This wine could have come from anywhere. Because of that fact it wasn't the real deal for me. But no doubt a fine wine and as usual overpriced
Nose - with 1 hr aeration improves, giving a smoky & funky rich nose with suggestions of dark berry, coffee, and turned earth Mouth - also rich, well delineated, mocha, dark berry, with mouthcoating tannins. This was more charming and fruity in its youth and is more funky and complex with age though I can see it needing another decade to really be ready. Sadly for me I lack perseverance this being bottle 3 of 3.
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Interesting.....aromatic, ready to drink without any decant and very soft. No hard tannins or sharp flavors, just a nice approachable red. Grapey juicy finish, but lacking any complexity, hence the 89 score. I was expecting a monster but this is rather refined considering the vintage.
My bottles were stored in an Eurocave until the last year.
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This was opened and allowed to stand for four hours. Early on, this showed a moderate amount of sweet dark fruit with a bitter tobacco finish, but as time went by some currant and cherry showed up, and the bitterness subsided. The nose shows camphor and eucalyptus. I would not have guessed this was a Margaux, but otherwise this is a good Bordeaux with some room to improve in the future.
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Cellared since release. Perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour. Dark red to rim. Oak and alcoholic heat dominate cassis and savory umami notes on the nose. Ripe fruit and oak on the palate, noticeable alcohol, medium body, no real Margaux-ness, not sure that the fruit will outlast the oak and alcohol, but pretty good if you're not oak averse and drink this as a cocktail wine. ABV on the label is 13.5%, not that high, but tastes more alcoholic than wines with higher ABVs. Good-very good depending on your oak tolerance.
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Nose explodes with cedar, tobacco, tea, eucalyptus, mint and cherry cassis liquor. Palate is silky, medium red fruit, fairly integrated tannins and very good length and balance. I had to try this after Parker's recent review of the wine and I'll have to say he had a bad bottle as this is very good. it's not a profound wine, but it drinks well now and will last another 10 years.
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This feminine Margaux is well in the middle of phase one, and drinking oh so beautifully..Full of vigor and class. Has developed a tobacco nose that transitions to mild espresso and truffle on the plate with perfect sweetness, complete balance, elegance, and finesse. The finish is quite long and the dry grip make it so light footed and sexy...This is a "beautiful" wine.
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I was able to decant and let this sit for over an hour before drinking, which really helped. It still took another hour to open up. But when it did, this was a great wine. Earthy barnyard on the nose and herbal/ spicy on the palate with some plummy fruit. Smooth and long finish, this was a very well balanced wine. It went very well with multiple foods served at a Spanish themed dinner. Paella, Garlic shrimp, and sliced sirloin steak. I have three bottles left, and there is a lot of life left in this wine. It should last for many more years.
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We had this for my wife's birthday at L'Antibes. We shared sweetbreads appetizer My wife had duck breast and I had Pork tenderloin. All perfect with the Lascombes. Although left bank, it has a strong component of Merlot which adds mellowness to this earthy Bordeaux. Earthy barnyard on the nose and herbal/ spicy on the palate with plum (Merlot). Smooth finish, I don't get the strong tannins others have mentioned
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2005 Bordeaux Retrospective (Morrell Wine, 1 Rockefeller Plaza): The nose showed dark berry, floral tones, earth and minerals with hints of sweet herbs. This was immensely pretty to say the least, as it turned darker and sweeter with air. On the palate, I found soft textures giving way to dark, mature fruit tones with hints of plum and savory herbs. It was immediate yet delectable on the nose and palate, finishing with dark fruits and inner floral tones.
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Black fruit on the nose and a fruit explosion which gave way to a tannic finish. I think this wine still has a lot of upside as the last glass was the best after a long decant and dinner.
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Opened by Mark. Decanted for 4 hours. I loved this wine on release and it excellent again although I liked it slightly better before it closed down. Dark garnet and slightly cloudy. A little funk on the nose at first. Earthy texture with notes of roses, tar and leather. Dry finish. Full bodied. Might need the most time of any of the 5 bordeaux we opened. 94+ points but drinking a few points less than that now.
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Bordeaux 2005 : Ten years on (Bordeaux Index London): Very oaky on the nose. Richness on the mid palate, there is juiciness, but it is drying on the finish. Not sure about the future here, seems to be too oaky and dry for the long run… but perhaps will please other palates. Rating reserved.
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Sweet red berry Cab nose and palette, and not as much wood as other reviewed. Was pleasant enough, but not as complex as I hoped. Expected it to get better as it opened, but it didn't change much. Was considering getting more of this, but may just stay with my initial purchase.
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The 05 Lascombes continues to perform beautifully and consistently. Still young, loaded with dark fruit, with cassis and dark chocalate notes. Silky texture and lively tannins leaves me looking forward to the next bottle. A great wine and outstanding value.
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Dark purple, concentrated. The nose took 2 hours to open fully, and was totally closed down in the first hour. Black currant, blueberry, smoke, graphite, cigarbox, and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, solid mid-palate. Firm tannins need time to soften. Long, lingering finish. I would guess that this will really shine in 5 years, though it is enjoyable now if you give it enough air.
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Christmas eve in the OC, drank along with an 05 St Emilion for a comparison. Decanted for about 90 minutes to have with dinner. Wanted to revisit this one - the longer decant made a difference with this bottle.
Nice deep purple color. Nose had some barnyard funk that blows off after a bit, classic Margaux nose underneath. Dark fruits, currants, cedar, tobacco, anise. Blackberry and lavender on the mid palate. Nice texture, layered and long finish. Elegant wine that will continue to evolve.
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2-3 hour decant. Expressive showing Margaux on nose and palate. More barn yard funk than I expected and than I remember from prior bottles, but it blows off with time. Integrated fine tannins and some astringency. Layers reveal themselves on the journey. Delicious now but loads of time left as would be expected. Decant recommended.
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Beautiful deep purple and expansive bouquet. Piles of black fruit, tar, earth. Concentrated and intense, clearly young. Decent acidity and tannins. I will sit on my last bottle for 5-10 years.
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Jag såg att jag skrev väldigt passande sista jag drack detta så att jag infogar samma text. Lascombes 2005 är verkligen ett otroligt insmickrande vin. Jag såg precis att vi redan korkat upp mer än en låda de senaste 3 åren. Otroligt inbjudan doft med mörk frukt, rostade kaffeböner, lakrits, läder, cigarrlåda, blyerts, rosor och allt vad man kan önska av en Bordeaux från 2005. Otroligt fylligt, kraftfullt och komplext utan att tappa elegansen. Och vilken magiskt lång eftersmak.
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After 30-45 minutes in the glass: Sweet, seductive, old world, fruit, medium to full bodied, a bit dark, not very complex, but quite beautiful. Oaky at the end, but it works well. Should gain 1-2 points with cellaring. Had the 2008 some years ago and thought it was close to awful due to a lot of oak, but the 2005 was a very different experience.
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Drank too early but what a fabulous exression of true Margaux. Drank some time ago and just now recording so notes are fleeting. What I can say is that the nose, mouth feel, fruit, structure and balance were at their peak. While this wine has more time it is drinking fabulously now and you won't regret drinking it young.
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Regular dinner group (@ EM): Beautiful bouquet with red and black forest fruits and beautiful oak. On the palate some autumn impressions, some sweetness, firm acidity and tannin with a good bite and firm bitterness. Although the bouquet shows some development, in the mouth it is still youthful. In fact still a bit too young. Beautiful wine. Try again around 2018 - 2020. 92+ for now.
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As per prev notes; cool fresh blueberries, plums, dark deep and delicious. I just love it... But needs 1-2 hour decant and ideally 16 degrees C serve as the fruit gets darker and fresher when slightly cool.
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My #1 and Tie for 1st in group of 4 versus "05 Ch. La Croix St. Georges, "05 La Gomerie, and '05 Leoville Barton. Garnet with thin translucent rim. Rich dark fruit, spices, on the nose, a bit of oak, blackberries, and baked blueberries on the palate covering the tannins entirely. Drank over 4 hour evening and it never let up continuing to come on till the end. Fine to medium tannins are still present. Medium + finish. Excellent wine which is approachable with a decant but has more years. So bummed I don't have more of these...
nice aromas on the nose, including notes of a musty cellar.
on the palate, red fruit and medium oak. Tannins are medium to firm, and not yet well-integrated. I think at least 5 more years until this wine hits its stride. note to self: try another in 2016.
overall, this wine is nicely expressive and should mature into a beauty that represents the region well.
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PnP at home. Garnet with thin translucent rim. This is wide open immediately upon opening. Dark fruit, spices, Christmas cake on the nose, a fair bit of oak and sweet dark and red fruit on the palate covering the tannins entirely. While this is young, it is clearly already more integrated than those 09/10s, and pleasant to drink. The wine closes after about 45min in the decanter, the fruit pulls back and fine to medium tannins appear. Left the decanter in the warm living room and came back to the wine a good 4h later. After applying some ice on the decanter this is indeed showing much improved, the oak is far more subtle, making the sweet, red and dark fruit shine. Fine to medium tannins are still present. Medium to medium + finish. Excellent wine which is approachable with a long decant but is best left alone for a few more years. 92+
¤FW - What a remarkable wine! Stunning concentration, and even though it's heavy oaked it doesn't feel heavy or too much. Lots of tobacco and coffee together with blackcurrant and ceder. Full bodied, with good acidity and a sublime intensity. A masterpiece from a great vintage!
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First bottle consumed since Christmas 2013. Decanted over 6 hours; threw only moderate sediment. The wine really started to open up after 5 hours, showcasing a lovely bouquet of fruits (more red and blue than black) backed up up subtle smokiness and a line of savoriness (salt, a touch of meatiness, etc.) that made this wine scream for a something robustly flavored with herbs such as lamb. (I say "robust", not "bold" or "spice".) Tannins after hour 6 were quite silky, although after just a couple of hours in the decanter a person would have missed the boat on this wine completely, including finding the tannins needing more time to resolve. What impressed me more is that this wine really enters elegantly and grows continually through the mid palate and into the finish. It's undoubtedly a modern Bordeaux but it also exhibits very fine balance and a structure that while not quite seamless is very well done, provided one decants. Honestly, before it got to 6 hours I found that the palate did not meet the expectations created by the nose. I expect a long life ahead. Feel free to drink some now if you are prepared to decant, but by all means try to hold back a number of bottles.
Tasted blind. Mocha, blackberry, barnyard, tobacco nose with some charcoal and vanilla creeping in. Violets, mineral, sage, cool, tannic palate. Obvious oak signature, especially the acrid oak tannin on the back end, but I don't find this objectionably oaky at all, just way too young.
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My guests (Amateur sommelier) compared it with Don Melchor 2003 ( 93) and rated it as a solid 94. Already well balanced, we decanted for one hour and the aromas showed up. Dark red Margaux , velvety, round and really delicious.
Efter den otroligt hedonistiska kvällen i onsdags då vi klunkade i oss 10 st fantastiska Bordeaux årgång 2000 och lite andra trevligheter som Krug så fick man ju ikväll fortsätta på Bordeauxtemat.
Lascombes 2005 är verkligen ett otroligt insmickrande vin. Jag såg precis att vi redan korkat upp mer än en låda de senaste 3 åren. Otroligt inbjudan doft med mörk frukt, rostade kaffeböner, lakrits, läder, cigarrlåda, blyerts, rosor och allt vad man kan önska av en Bordeaux från 2005. Otroligt fylligt, kraftfullt och komplext utan att tappa elegansen. Och vilken magiskt lång eftersmak.
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-- double-decanted approx. 2 hours before tasting -- -- tasted a couple pours non-blind over a couple hours --
Violet-ruby color of medium-deep depth. Smoky coffee and red Twizzlers licorice on the Nose. Medium bodied. Black cherry flavor, with a little bit of earthy funk; good acidity; medium tannins still need time to settle; very good; seems that it will continue to age nicely.
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Exquisite Margaux. Drinking very well now. Opened and decanted an hour on the occasion of Gail's 50th birthday. Dined at home on black ink linguini with Amatriciana sauce. Wouldn't have mattered. This wine was delicious. Velvety texture, dark brooding color. Long finish. Praise The Lord that I have a few more.
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Two hour decant and drank over one more- improved out of bottle over time. Wonderfully expressive nose of flowers and slate, earth, graphite and camphor- Margaux showing through and showing off. Still a bit tight on entry w/ slight bitter edge initially but that fades over time. Almost turns creamy with dark pitted-fruit, charcoal, and a hint of rose petals. Dusty tannins that finishes with grip. Has the stuffing for easily another ten. So good it makes me want to open another bottle but I'll revisit in a year and again and again while trying to hold for another decade.
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Dumb, Dumb and Dumbmer. I made an impulsive choice when in a rush. Wonderful, excellent, beautiful wine that should have been allowed to sleep. Took to restaurant so notes not available. The wine has rich color and aromatics on the nose. Palate smooth and silky with well integrated tannins and good acidity. Black fruit permeates palate into a quasi-dry lingering finish. Sorry notes not more detailed.
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PnP might've knocked a point or two off score… In 2010/11 I was certain this wine was headed for mid-90s, but now I'm not so sure. Floral nose has diminished a bit, but dark fruit palate remains. The lovely mild mineral and barnyard has subsided and, frankly, it seems a bit flat right now. Interesting to note that a TON of sediment remained after pouring last glass, and I don't remember that from opening last one almost two years ago. The chocolate finish wasn't there this time, either.
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Drank over two nights, and much better second night. In fact, really excellent second night, with pure fruit flavors shining through the structure. Even first night this was approachable, but i'd wait another couple years before drinking again.
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Popped and poured into a decanter, and then served immediately. Should have waited longer! Initially quite harsh and tannic, the wine gradually got better and better after an hour. Nice underlying sweetness, quite chewy and creamy on the palate, hints of licorice and lots of juicy dark fruits. Paired well with Chinese food. Will have to try it again next time after proper decanting for 2 hours!
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Great juice in the wrong hands. It is everything wrong with bad-modern wines. I like the 2004 Lascombes but this vintage is bad. Conclusion: A great vintage in the wrong hands= bad wine. Lesson learned.
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tremendous terroir, minerals on the nose and wonderfully integrated taste. subtle tannins. I decanted for three hours, and in retrospect, that was probably too much, with a bit of the zest of the wine dissipating. 92
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To be fair I'm not a regular Bordeaux drinker. This was open for at least 3 hours before I began to enjoy. Even better the second night. Tannins suggest this has a way to go to I'll trust the experts and wait a few years to open the next one
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Full bodied, decadent wine. Layers of flavor. Beautiful, powerful nose. Berries, flowers, lead pencil. And tops it off with a great finish. Still a baby.
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I had to try one (knowing it needs time). This has fantastic potential and is decent now. Elegant, balanced Margaux. Darker fruit, well balanced tannins, some earth and spice same through as it decanted. Very smooth now. Was very nice, shows great promise. Resist the urge to drink now and let it rest another 5+ years and will be rewarded. 92 now, should become 95 easy.
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Beautiful bouquet with cassis, luxurious toasted oak and a very pleasant bit of barnyard which blows off after a while. On the palate red as well as black forest fruits, ink, juicy acidity, lovely oak, round tannin with a soft bite and a great concentration. A luxurious and lush wine. Modern and classical at the same time. Starting to show itself slowly now, so young puberty stage. Around 2020 this will probably be a feast. 93+ for now.
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The victim of poor location in the batting order. This was drunk after a '95 Leo-Poy, which was miles more developed, open, and masculine in nature. Still, this effort held its own with style and grace, as any quality Margeaux should.
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Decanted an hour and the aroma jumped right out of the decanter. While still obviously young, this was the first '05 Bordeaux I've truly enjoyed. Others have been too stern still. We can count on Margaux to come around a little sooner than say a St Julien can't we? Black currant, graphite, tobacco, plum, and a floral note all on decent tannins. This will be fine in 2015!
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Decanted 3 hours. Paired nicely with filet w port wine demi glace. Open for business; nice balance but a just maybe a bit one-dimensional at this point.
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Nearly four years to the day since I last tasted this, and not sure if it was less interesting now than it was then because it's aged, or because it was served in the middle of four other quite superior wines (guessing both, actually).
A fine example of a wine that was better on release - not all the wines in this zip code get better. In the instant case, this followed an '03 Leoville-Barton, second was a 2001 Pavie (the wines that followed this Lascombes were the '03 Pichon-Longueville CdL, and finally the '03 Cos d'Estournel). Perhaps an illustration sums up the performance of this wine better than a traditional tasting note: L-B, excellent, the top of the wave, so to speak, then Pavie, ok, not the top of the wave, but not too far from it, then the Lascombes, the bottom of the wave, with thoughts instantly turning to getting back on top of that wave - which I certainly did once I'd tasted the '03 Cos d'Estournel).
All of this is tantamount to saying that with the oak having softened since release, a much clearer sense of what this is actually composed of, becomes evident. This was my least favorite red on the night, behind a mediocre '05 Cain Five. So very glad I didn't buy that 3.0L on release. Drink sooner than later.
Very dark red bordeau color, translucid, aromas of cassis, red berries, Well balanced tannins and acciditynand spices. A great Margaux that keeps improving. Much, much better and harmonic than 8 months ago.
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I opened my first bottle of this knowing full well that this is really way too young to drink, but I wanted to see how it is performing at this stage. I didn't decant it, but opened the bottle 3 hours before serving. Classic Bordeaux aroma. Very nice complexity. But a bit thin and not enough acidity. So I'm not sure what to make of this. It's quite possible that this wine is shut down at the moment. I'll try the next bottle in a few years to see how things are progressing.
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Misc Bordeaux (Frederiksberg): Impressive nose with sewage, coffee and lots of black currants/dark plum. Equally impressive dense and compact black currant palate that is quite intense. Huge backbone of acidity and tannins. Surprisingly this is just a huge wine.
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Beautiful wine, glad to see some friends with this.
Love the texture and balance on this. It's light on its feet, with all elements working together very well. Crisp acidity, red fruit, soil, and refined tannins. Greater than the sum of its parts. The finish captivates, with very good length and intensity. Recommended.
Opened and drank straight from 55 degree cellar first night. Bitter, tight finish at first (as might be expected), but opened over an hour and showed great complexity without brett-yness that sometimes passes for complexity. Still way young.
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Still very young, took time to unwind. Nose had some barnyard, licorice, tobacco and cedar. Tart red fruits up front, oak (restrained), cocoa, currants. Would be a good wine to revisit on Day 2+. OK to drink, better to hold. Long life ahead
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I love this wine. Smoke and spicy fruit on the nose. Strong oak and grainy tannins but elegantly balanced with the ripe fruit. Good length. Many years left in this wine but great drinking now.
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Open and decanted. Served with arugula and prime rib salad. Really nice and round tannin already. Dark purple. Pretty fruit. Some earth. Seems more new world than old world at this point
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Closed nose with a hint of licorice, opening to very light nose... in the mouth, very tannic with hidden fruit, after two hours in the glass the fruit appears a bit more, but still overpowered by tannin extraction 91+/100 could improve with age if the tannins melt down, but completely closed and without pleasure at this stage
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Notes are from day 2 after a re-cork. Nose: Currants, white pepper, hints of licorice, soy sauce, tobacco leaf, and a hint of cedar. Palate: Slightly tart currants on the attack. Not as sweet as the day before. Good acidity and drying tannins show up on the mid-palate, then give way to currants on the finish.
Definitely a lot less complex on day 2 than day 1 where I was getting sweeter currants, cocoa powder, and a rounder feel. I was actually expecting this to improve in complexity with a day in the bottle but it definitely declined. Still, the material is there for a very good bottle, though I would drink it all in one night.
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Bordeaux Blends Around the World (Manhattan Beach, CA): Decanted over 12 hours. Very tight and tannic. Not showing much fruit. Hopefully just in a closed stage now. Was opening up a bit in the glass over the course of the evening. Try again in a few years.
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Nice coffee aromas beginning to develop in this wine, and not so tight as a couple of years ago, with some fruit at the end. Another five years should find it quite appealing.
I haven't pulled one of these from the cellar in over a year...a bit of a funky phase right now. Still good, but one of those 'this wine is only good with food' things going on right now. Of course, it may have been my fault, as this was a pop 'n' pour at a restaurant and I didn't even insist on decanting. Let's call this one 'my bad.' I still love this producer.
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paired with the '02 Lascombes and the overall winner for taste but the '02 ready now. would describe floral nose and raspberry/blackberry hidden behind dense tannin. will enjoy another bottle in 3-5 yrs and should be even better. Long finish.
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Decanted for about three hours and drank over the course of the evening. Paired very well with filet. Even though it started to open up towards the end of the bottle and show some nice lavender and other floral notes, I think this needs more time..... Funny how the '05 Pontet we drank last week pretty much killed this bottle.
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Exquisite fruit, perfumed, simply lovely. Decanted for about three hours before bringing to Savona and pairing with lamb. This wine is in the heart of its arc. Plenty of years left but it's presenting very well.
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Drank with friends at dinner last Friday...the restaurant was BYBB (bring your best bottle). The Lascombes beat a 1997 Opus One, 2008 insignia, and a 1991 Beringer...it'S just an outstanding wine, far more complex than most. Not sure how much better this can get
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Nose was big and powerful. On the tongue, lots of depth and power. Unfortunately, we drank this during a lively discussion with a group, so I didn't have the opportunity to note particular nuances of this wine.
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Slow oxed in bottle for 2 hours and decanted for 4 hours prior to grilled filet mignon. Tobacco / currants / cherry / dried cherry / blackberry & floral? element on nose - similar palate with layers of flavor & wall of tannins (this wine went great with the steak but too tannic on its own today). Medium+ body with long finish - this wine tasted the best on night 3 (in cellar under vacu-vin). Interesting comparing this to a similarly rated (WS) Paloma 2009 Spring Mountain Cab - night and day although both wines were interesting. 92++
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A wonderful wine! The red/black fruit amora is outstanding. The tannin is balancing pretty well with acidity and fruitiness. This a classical margaux. It will last for many more years, but drinking now is already a treat.
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Wow! Not totally opened up yet but still really impressive. I think I'll drink one every three or four years to watch them develop. But even now, a real treat.
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24-hr bottle decant, followed by vinturi into wide based decanter. Another two hours of air and a final vinturi into the glass. Exactly what this needed. As hoped for and anticipated, this delivered flowers, black and blue fruit, some burning embers and mineral. Power and elegance. Next bottle? Maybe three years down the line.
Hold. 94-96.
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Not really like a Margaux wine. Powerful, concentrated and fruity, not very floral "Margaux style". The wood was not yet integrated, maybe should wait for its improvement. This is a good wine, but not a wine that I really like to drink once again.
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Not as modern as I expected given the reputation of recent vintages of Lascombes. Tight for the first three nights, on day four this opened up to show luscious fruit, a touch of peppery and herby spice, and hints of mineral. At least for this vintage, I believe that criticisms that this property has lost all Margaux typicity will be unfounded in the long run. Nice wine.
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Unmistakable Margaux perfume. Mediium body, surprising for the vintage, suggests future grace and elegance. Blue spring flowers and crushed rocks. Palate-cleansing dryness, heading toward future complexity. This is tight now, ready to explode into something quite profound in 2 years+
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A wonderful wine! Unbelieveable depth, soft power, perfume like bouquet with crashed berries, earthy, plum, licrorice, leather, fabulous mid palate, balanced, casis, currant, minerals, layers after layers. It is so approachable now while it can be drank for next 20 yrs too.
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Revisiting this btl to see how it's developing since last tasting a year back. Nose is even lovelier than I remembered - bursting at the rim w amazing aromatics of violets and fresh red fruits, not green or shy at all. It wows you even before you taste a drop. Just on the bouquet alone, superb. The palate has gained weight since last tasted, more rounded and substantial now, althou still relatively light-bodied. Plummy overtones. Tannins still stubbornly bitter. Rather short finish. A great vintage, but only a good wine.
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Super impressive wine but needs more time. Pretty balanced now. Great Aromatics, fruit and good structure. Stills needs time to integrate and strut. Wait a few years on this one.
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Fantastiskt gott vin. Underbar doft av plommon, frukt, rostat kaffe och cederträ. Perfekt balans i smaken med fin struktur med mängder av frukt men ändå fin syra och kryddighet. Verkligen lång eftersmak. Det är så här ett nutida bordeaux skall smaka. Kommer säkert bara att bli bättre och bättre
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reticent at first with a funky barnyard note. with an hour the fruit was showing through, the funk had blown away revealing a nice bouquet of white flowers, leather and bright fruit. on the palate, a structured and masculine framework for the fruit and aromatics to wrap around. elegant yet rustic.
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Darker and richer in color with less brown hues. Has a nose with more elegance and femininity. Primary red fruit flavors with some sweet vanilla and toasty oak
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Lots of primary fruit both on the nose and palate. Less cassis but more red fruit and spice, typical from what I learned on Lascombes. Tannins are q strong at first but sweet at the same time. I don't think it drinks as well as Parker thought, it is someow still quite acidic. I don't know how this will drink in 2019 but for now it didn't blow me away. There is a lot of substance here but it is still too young to judge which way this will develop. For now just 92 pts.
( decanted this for an hour)
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Only had time to decant for 15 minutes. Slight barnyard aroma on nose. Velvet, feminine character with medium tannins. Very enjoyable, but lacked the complexity of character I had hoped/expected. Will decant future bottles longer based on others tasting notes.
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Wow, this was like velvet going down. Dark purple in color, but the smell of a big, bold, bordeaux. I thought it was great, but my father in law says still needs a few more years.
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No formal notes - 2h decant before serving. Odd nose, some cedar and lots of aniseed... Body was not balanced, good tannins but the acidity was really disturbing and there was a lack of fruitiness... Not what we had expected from this wine. Flawed.
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Decanted 2 hours. Color: beautiful, dark purple. Nose: beautiful bouquet: black rasperry, wood, vanilla, coffee. Body: medium plus with long finish. We didn't finish the wine at dinner and tasted it after another 3 1/2 hours (total 5 1/2 hours): it enhanced the above. A very lovely, complex wine, which became much smoother after 5 1/2 hours.
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Pungent aromas of vanilla, blackberry, blueberry, licorice, black cherry and espresso. Thick, rich, dense, lush and polished, this powerful, fruit filled Margaux wine demands up to a decade to shed its oak dominated personality.
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What a Bordeaux and how great to drink now. Lots of toasted breadcrust, blueberries, cassis, very very good. I was surprised how well this wine showed at this moment!
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Decanted for 3 hours. Medium-plus dark purple/ruby. Pronounced aromas of blackberry, black raspberry, currant, cigar box, and a touch of spice from oak...just a treat to take in the nose in glass;\ ever evolving with fruit giving way to notes of earthy tobacco and then back to the fruit. Medium-plus body, with excellent concentration. On the palate, this youthful wine shows an amazing core of crushed berries, earth, herbaceous notes (anise), and sweet oak. The tannins are smooth and refined yet substantial and help to carry the fruit and oak through on the lengthy finish. The nose is something special...and although the palate shows great fruit, the oak is still a bit pronounced and distracting at this stage. However, with time the oak will integrate further and this structured Margaux should gain even more nuance and finesse. Best to hold for 5+ years or give a decent decant if opening now.
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Inky, dark, floral modern margaux. This wine has seamlessly smooth and creamy texture, with a polished blend of ripe dark fruit, smokey oak, mocha, stoney minerals, cassis. Quite open for business if you don't mind tannins (which are fine and smooth). Almost comparable to the 05 Malescot at this stage but also slightly less complex, who knows in 10 or 20 years though.
Day 2 – Doesn't hold up as well as the Malescots for a day 2 ... surprising given its structure
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Blueberry and floral nose, with an added element I can't decide is tar, smoke, or some combination of both. Mild barnyard in the bouquet background, mild mocha and light minerality mid-palate and oh so s-m-o-o-t-h tannins versus my expectation on first taste of this vintage.
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Color: bright, deep red, clear Nose: Perfumed, flower, dark fruit, wood Palate: perfumed, dark fruit, sweet round non angular tannins, long smooth elegant fini sh. ready and still has many years left in it. personification of Margaux terroir. Do not Miss, still on the market and even less than on premier offering price!
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Jason's birthday party. Opened by our host by accident, and clearly child abuse to drink this wine so young. Not decanted or allowed to breathe. Dark purple color. Still primary in all respects but incredibly delicious. Nose of blackberries, Asian spices, cassis and white flowers. Powerful and elegant and, actually, completely enjoyable now. This will improve improve nicely with age. The best vintage of Lascombes I have had. 95+
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Wow, this just kills on the nose, its like a fresh piece of cedar laced with cherry, pencil, violets and velveteen, just breathtaking. The palate needs some resolving, for it does not match the nose at this time, lacks the proper complexity for it's professional score, pedigree and price point, but does display Margaux's beautiful hallmark elegance. 2 more in the cellar, will hold off for now.
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Drank at restaurant This wine is incredible. In a few years this has the potential of becoming a high 90's bordeaux. If this is drinking this good now, I expect angels to sing in 10 to 20 years. Exceptional wine
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Decante 3-4 hours. This wine was shut down for business on this night, but still displayed some nice features that should come around and produce an excellent wine in the future. Vibrant cassis and leather on the nose. In the mouth, a wall of tannin conceals the faint flavors that come across the palate. Need to try this in 10 years.
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Nose is clean, medium + intensity, very youthful. Shows earth, touches of green, red fruits, smoke, barrel (secondary).
Palate is dry, no noticeable alcohol. Tannins are medium to medium +, they stand above the fruit flavors of the body, which is at medium. The acidity is medium as well. The flavor intensity is medium +, with the finish being medium in length but only because the tannins cut it short.
Overall this is a very good to outstanding wine in its youth. The many different aroma characteristics (meaning not just primary fruit) lead me to believe that with time the tannins will soften into the body, the fruit will integrate, and the acidity will hold it. In five years the wine will have acheived a much great integration of fruit and tannin with the length developing to very long (my guess 15 years for that evolution) with the ability to develop for 20 more beyond that.
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Decanted 6 hours. Absolutely necessary. Last time I had this wine from my cellar we drank within an hour of opening. Patience may makes the heart grow fonder. but for sure makes this Margaux taste finer. Nose of red berry, oak, truffle, supple new leather and delightful floral aromas. Full mouthfeel, almost clingy with zingy ripe red fruits, fresh acidity, and smooth candied tannins. The finish is long, sweet and memorable.
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I saw this came out on top of a 2005 Bordeaux tasting conducted by GJE, so I decided to crack the case a try a bottle. Double decanted, and let it air for 5 hours prior to service. An impenetrably dark purple color, with absolutely no signs of age. A pleasant (but primary) bouquet of blackberry, cassis, flower, and a hint of spice. Medium to full bodied; very structured at this stage, but with good concentration and depth of flavor -- a long and tannic finish. Certainly not ready to drink now -- revisit in 2015 or so -- but appears to have the stuffing to develop into an outstanding wine.
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Un nez plus expressif, plus masculin que le 2007. Tiré d'un magnum contrairement au 2007. On peut vraiment l'attendre mais on note déjà un élevage savamment mené dans un millésime très riche et il plaît grandement à tous les convives.
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Aerated, decanted and enjoyed over 4 hours. Nose and flavors exploded from glass. Great nose of burnt embers and dry rubbed bbq'd brisket and meat. Nice mouth feel. No bitter tannins in this bottle as others have described. This went well with a grass-fed steak. But, I would have liked to study it on its own. Outstanding approachable wine.
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Taste: Power and elegance in a bottle. Very precise and steady stream of flavours. The tannins are rather grippy here and would require several years before it shows its best. But very impressive.
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Very nice bottle. It was elegant. It had a nose of fruit. Not a lot of earth but did have a little spice. Tasted like an Aussie / California hybrid than a traditional French bottle.
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Deep garnet color. Clean, pure ripe fruit. Structured but balanced tannin and fruit. Very food friendly and sweet easy drinking now. Loads of black cherry, oak and vanilla with creamy mouth coating tannin on the finish.
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Grabbed one out of the cellar to sample. ONE WORD: Special!!! Nose of plums and cherries. Inital, bright plums, cherries, strawberries, cedar, cassis, Oak is perfect, hint of vanilla, acid is bright but not punishing, sweet tannins ending a victory lap of leather and truffles
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Earth, tabacco, cedar and dark fruit on the nose. Palate a bit muted. Licorice, anise, cherry, blueberry and coffee. A bit to tart right now and firm tannins.
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A real beauty. Surprisingly exciting and open straight from the bottle, it almost felt like it closed up a bit after a few hours. This is quite drinkable now, even though it will improve with age.
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Decanted at cellar temperature for 5 hours. Aromas of coffee, black fruits, tobacco, earth, leather. A very full mouth-feel. Taste similar to the nose, with the addition of dark chocolate and with BIG tannins. Went extremely well with grilled NY Strips (montreal style). Long, tannic finish. A beautiful margaux. Needs more time, but shwing very well right now.
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Dark ruby. Pretty full nose with cassis, graphite, cedary oak, menthol, grilled toast, floral notes. Medium body with some lushness, long palate filling texture with black and blue fruit, some garrigue and smoky earth. I didn't have time to give this enough air and shared with four so not a lot of time in glass. Tasty. Probably on a good trajectory for the future.
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This was good as s__t. Rich and opulent, but very well balanced. Too young, but decanted first which helped. Earth and barnyard, blueberries, spice box, cedar, and a bit of brambles. Delicious now, I'm sure it will be even better in 5 or 10 years, but couldn't keep my hands off it. Went well with the cheese plate after dinner - especially the Roquefort.
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Decanted into a flower vase (clean thankfully) at the restaurant for 1.5 hrs. This was really good. Earthy on the nose, but plenty of fruit tocarry the day. Certainly could use some more time in the cellar
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Has a tremendous amount of tobacco and earthiness to the nose but the palate is very cherry driven and somewhat light. Finishes abruptly and without a sense of tannin and direction. Somewhat rounded beyond natural? A lovely early drinking wine for sure.
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Smoky smell and a little harsh right out of the bottle. After a while, it softened a bit but probably needs to age at least a couple more years before opening up.
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Decanted 30 minutes and consumed over an hour. Nose: Initially big barnyard and smoke, later big black fruit came to the forefront. Palate: Medium to full bodied dominated by the dark fruit. Finish: Medium length showing the best with the last taste. We definitely rushed this wine to meet a dinner reservation time - next time this wine will be decanted 2 hours before first pour. That being said, this was still a very enjoyable wine.
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Blueberry and floral nose, with an added element I can't decide is tar, smoke, or some combination of both. Mild barnyard in the bouquet background, mild mocha and light minerality mid-palate and oh so s-m-o-o-t-h tannins versus my expectation on first taste of this vintage. And the best way to try this wine? Buy some for yourself, but get your friend to open one out of his cellar while yours age (thanks, Bobo N!).
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Young and bold, but drinking well after a quick decant. Blueberrry and blackberry are dominant fruits. Bouquet includes tar, barnyard, and an undertone of sweet floral that other reviewers have referred to as the margaux perfume. Glad I tried this young Bordeaux and have a few more in the cellar, but not as many as RobertD2.
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I was surprised that this wine was being opened at the end of the night, but ultimately amazed at how well it showed. It drinks beautifully right now with elegant red and dark berries galore, a coffee midpalate, and serious back end tannins. Good minerality to boot. Delicious already with huge potential if you can be patient...
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WGS: 2005 Bordeaux; 4/17/2010-4/18/2010 (Hilton Hotel Singapore): Coffee ..very much freshly brewed coffee nose...singular but aromatic coffee in the morning! Lovely fruits, charming and seductive lucsious and deeply black. Looking back at past notes, think this wine probably wouldnt evolve into a different beast altogether but would probably deepen its current dark fruit, modern coffee oak , dark choc kind of style.
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Decanted with a funnel for six hours, 65 degree day (perfect). Dark garnet-black, with a light, chrystal rim. Wild blackberry, dark chocolate, licorice, mineral and the classic Margaux perfume. Enthalling and almost illicit. The tannins are a stunning velvet glove, with a noticable grip. Very complex and the concentration is very well-executed. This is an uber '03, with better acidity, structure and complexity. Persistant finish that is sweet and elegant. The best Lascombes that I've had. You need to decant. Very youthful and delicious. A full-figured Lascombes. Drink 2015 -.
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Ryan's Wine Tasting #002 - Compare and Contrast (Blaine, MN): Popped the cork 7 hours prior, with the last 3 in the decanter. A wonderful Margaux. Incredibly dark purple, with a classic perfumed nose. Well balanced and extremely elegant, smooth mouthfeel. Good acidity and lovely long finish. This is tasty now with a long decant, but I am looking forward to following this over the next 10-15 years. At $50, this is a great classified Bdx QPR.
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Drank it too fast, should have decanted or given it more time. Great color with a very barnyard and earthy nose that carried to the mouth. Wanted air, wanted to open, we didn't give it the chance, hence my 90. I've had this before and it is more than a 90 point wine IMO, but given we rushed it we had a 90 point experience -- our bad! The structure here is amazing. You can taste the layers as they come from the nose into the mouth, and you can taste them on the finish as well, which is nice and long even before opening. Great wine. Give it time and air.
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Decanted 3+ hours; purple black; nose with tobacco, tea, cedar surrounding deep black and cherry fruit; big mouth-filling dark sweet fruit more than a touch tannic- needs more time for sure.
Very very good but not quite as open or good as bottle last November.
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Very dark, very rich wine. Strong dark coffee and fruit aromas on the nose, deep and almost viscous on the palate. Very primary but drinking well now. This is a well made wine, but compared to the '88s and even the '99 bordeaux's tried previously, I would have more trouble nailing this as bordeaux and that's a problem for me. Could easily be mistaken for a leaner cali bordeaux blend. If you care, this seems to be a prime example of the homogenization of wine effect. A tasy, technically correct bottle of wine that doesn't represent the unique intersection of place and vintage that I think all good wine should.
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PAWS Tasting (Tria Fermentation School): I didn't like this bottle... blueberry jam and chocolate. drying tannins, although I am still skeptical of the aging potential here
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Exceptional potential. Was a little slow out of the glass but started to come around after a couple of hours. Refined tannic structure and awesome primary fruit of a blackberry and cassis compote.
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Decanted for three hours. The notes sum this wine up well. Impressive power and elegance, but nice notes of earth and tobacco to pair with the black berry fruit. Long finish--45 seconds or so. 93-94 now, could get to 95-96. I actually liked this quite a bit when I sampled it right after popping the cork--the nose and flavors were great right away. I tend to love young, powerful wines, so it's going to be really hard for me to sit on these.
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Young and tight, with a very complex well knitted core of dark and bright fruit, fine sweet tannins. Chocolate covered strawberries mid palate. Outstanding wine that will only get richer and more comples over time.
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Decanted for 5 hours. Firm tannins, luscious fruit and great structure. A glass saved for Day 2 tasted even better. Delicious now, but obviously needs more time.
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Minneapolis Wine Club Does Bordeaux; 1/22/2010-1/23/2010 (Kevin's House): Sampled at 2 times during the tasting. At first a nice wine but not great. I decanted this wine for 3 hours and it needed another 2 at least. Dark color and a nose of mineral, cassis, coffee and spices. Palate is intense and really features a nice balance of fruit and earth components. This wine shows a massive finish and as many have noted not Margaux style but it is a great wine. Certainly a cellar for 10 plus years wine.
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Minneapolis Wine Club 1/22/10 (Kevin's House): Nose: Funk which blows off with air quickly revealing some pencil lead and earth. Palate: BIG tannins with black fruit. Earthy with a rich mouthfeel and a very lengthy finish. This wine is a bruiser and needs some time. While not your typical Margaux in style this is nonetheless very nice with a 92-94 point potential for the patient individual.
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Dark purple. Big nose with cherry, oak, minerals, leather, and coffee. Taste is great with bing cherries, coffee, violets, minerals, dust and oak. Finish is powerful and medium tannins present. Of course this wine has 20 years but I am amazed how much is there right now.
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Just at the beginning of being a fine wine. Decanted for 5 hours. Inky purple color with a little iridescence in the initial bubbles. Smooth tannins, full bodied dark berry fruit with a little earthiness. This will only get better.
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Dinner with great friends in Denver, Night 2 (Denver, CO): Dark color, ruby rim with moderate extraction. On the nose very primary and very Margaux with beautifully floral blackcurrants, raspberries, blackberries… plenty of new barrique influence, not much in the way of earthiness yet. On the palate moderate + acidity, a classic doughnut Cabernet midpalate of moderate breadth, a firmish tannic finish, moderate alcohol. Great balance and intensity, good length, average complexity at this stage. Finesse is there, texturally quite nice and big in nature, great expression of place. Obviously a very well made wine from a great vintage with a long future ahead of it. Could take a while to evolve though textural elements are in balance now… check in with it in 5-7 years to see if it is budging.
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Annual Dinner with Mark and Megan (Our house. Denver, CO): Decanted 3 hours (and needed it). Deep reddish violet. Rich aromas of blackberries, cassis, spicy and graphite. Sweet velvety, but almost monolithic fruit matched well to grainy, gritty tannins. Seems to be showing toasted oak. Flavors are primary, not complex and the wine is not showing much finesse at the moment. However, the power and balance are really impressive. This should be really nice down the road.
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Luxurious bouquet with ripe cassis and toasted oak. Well concentrated cassis juice with graphite and powerful but soft tannin. This is a serious and complex wine with elegance as well as power. A beauty already, but the next 5+ years it will only improve. 93+
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Tasted at the Decanter fine wine encounter Jewels of Margaux masterclass in London 21/11/09. Guest speakers, Henry Lurton, Alexander Van Beek, Dominique Befve, John Kolasa. Coffee on the nose, deep red in colour, strong deep black fruits with a hint of coffee and chocolate to the taste, still young, good now in its raw state, but i think with time this will be better than the 06
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very deep almost opaque on the eye. on the nose this wine was closed I picked up aromas of oak, black fruit, spice and choc.
on the palate the wine was dry with heavy tannin, with a very smooth elegant feel and flavor of plum raspberry and black currants with pepper mint and little oak.
this wine needs to be kept not ready at all but showing promise would suggest decanting for 3 or more hours
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Drinking surprisingly well at this stage... much better than most of the other 2005 Bordeaux that I have tasted so far! Hopefully this still has room to grow...
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This wine was decanted and poured. It showed exceptionally well from beginning to end. The aromatics showed a nuanced mix of black fruits, graphite, camp fire, cedar and tobacco. The color is a dark purple to almost black. The medium/full bodied palate shows length and balance. The tannins provide firmness and grip. This drinks well now for its youthful vigor. This will improve with bottle age bringing out more nuance, complexity and subtlety.
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Closed when first opened. With 2 hours of air it was very nice but still seemed as though it was holding back. Seems like there will be some improvement with age but very enjoyable now.
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delicious, full bodied, complex tannins, do yourself the favor and wait to drink this until at least 2012+ to give it time. it will develop in the bottle thru 2020 and probably beyond.
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Really nice Margaux. Modern styled wine with great balance and elegance. Blackberry, and black cherry. Earth and wet stone. Floral perfume and Margaux terroir. Medium to full bodied and silky tannin. Showed surprisingly well after an hour in the decanter. Drinking beautifully now, but will certainly develop more complexity and depth with some bottle age. Wonderful Bordeaux! 94+
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This was drinking much better a year ago, when it was a more full-bodied, sweeter, but not overdone wine. Now it has lost much of its sweetness and taken on a more acidic and tart flavor. My sense it that it is starting to shut-down, so no need to penalize it for that. Last year it was drinking a good 93 points and was a real crowd pleaser.
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Open 24 hours: This has a rich, perfumed nose of blackberry, plum, cedar and tobacco. This smells absolutely delicious. Those blackberries show richly again on the palate with strong cedar notes. The black fruit in this is delicious. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, the tannins are nice and silky and build as you take more sips of the wine and cling to your cheeks. Completely balanced, great drying finish. This is a delicious wine. Why not score higher? While it does everything well it doesn't offer many complex flavors, no real WOW factor. That said, this does do everything else right and is absolutely delicious. Elegant is a good word for this wine.
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Very deep, almost black colour. Deep, dark soy nose like the 05 Pontet Canet. Sombre, red fruited atack. Just not a very vibrant showing - wine seems shut down so judgement reserved for now.
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Robert Chadderdon Selections (Denver, CO): Dark ruby toward purple, with a rich, elegant nose and palate of plum, blackberry and tobacco. I was surprised that it's showing this approachable now; This is clearly has one foot in the modern camp. I think I'd open one in about 4-5 years. Approx $75.
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05' Bordeaux Tasting!: dark plum, cherry, cocoa, minerals, licorice, very smokey with hint of cured meat, coffee notes. ripe juicy fruit with sweet ripe tannins.
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My second bottle, first one was "fresh off the boat" and it has benefitted from even the one year in the bottle. Great character, will do well in the bottle for years to come. Really enjoyed this, will pick up some more if I can find it and cellar it.
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Opened a bottle as a reference point to see how my others develop down the road. Interesting bottle - had a lot of tart berry at first with heavy tannins, but it settled down after several hours in the decanter and opened up to an array of red and black fruits. The nose did not give much at any point, which was expected, though slightly disappointing if only because the perfume of Margaux is one of the most compelling when at full throttle. Should be great in 10 years, but no rating for now.
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Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of coffee, plums and a bit of florals. Flavors of plums and cherries. Medium to bright acidity, firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Nowhere near ready to drink so therefore no official rating. Continue to hold.
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Very expressive, with a nice toasty, earthy character with a hint of graphite. Very similar to past, recent vintages of Lascombes, but a bit more fruit forward. It should age very well.
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Popped and poured. Purple in the glass. Coffee bouquet. Medium-bodied with oak, smoke, earth, dark berries and gripping tannins in the mouth, and a long, complex finish. Improved dramatically after extended decant (24 hrs+); accordingly, should reach its peak in approx. 10 years. Not a great bargain (paid $89 for 750 ml), but still a good value for an 05 Bordeaux under $100. Deserving of the high scores it has received in the wine press.
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This is one of the best bottles I have had. Decanted for about 45 minutes. The high merlot content allows it to be more drinkable now than most bordeaux. Wonderful bouquet of oak, cloves and mocha. Taste is complex and smooth. Dark fruit and medium to full bodied. Perfectly well balanced finish. Might even get better.
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Dinner (Doug 'n Susie's): Well, while it's not fair to compare this with the '05 Angelus, it certainly showed better tonight. Definitely done in a more modern style. Very toasty nose with espresso, currants, and smoke. The texture on this is fantastic. Silky with moderately dusty tannins, blueberries and currants, finishing with a burst of acidity, almost jammy. I believe Parker said it should last 30+ years, but I think that might be pushing it by about 15 years.
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-- decanted for an hour or two before tasting -- -- tasted non-blind -- -- 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot --
NOSE: rich bouquet of coffee, concentrated blackberries, and pencil lead; red apple note as well as a slight hint of secondary funk.
BODY: lots of superfine particulate matter; inky garnet color of great depth; medium-full bodied.
TASTE: this is a big big wine: flavors of cassis, coffee, and cedar are off-set by a strong minerality; a meaty element is there too ... superlong finish (2.5 minutes); comes across bitter and tannic right now, but there's enough acidity to call this well-balanced; all the parts are there, but this needs some serious time to harmonize; will be ridiculous-good 10+ years from now.
B: 50, 5, 13, 18, 9 = 95
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Union des Grand Cru Tasting (Lighthouse (Pier 61, Chelsea Piers)): At UGC Grand Tasting in New York. Met expectations. Complex nose, better than 06. Flavor profile was very similar to the 06, although this had a nicer finish. Probably not worth the 05 price compared with the similar 06.
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Wine Watch Best of 2008 Tasting (Ft. Lauderdale, FL): This wine was open when tasted as I have been seeing that a lot of 05's are starting to shut down now. Opened with bright red and dark fruit then you get the big tannins that will require time to soften. The balanced package of fruit, tannin, and acidity bode well for long term aging, and still enjoyable now with decanting, but the future is what this wine is about, with an upside of 2-3 more points.
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Crystal French Wine Sale (Bordeaux) (Crystal Wines): Black fruit pie but a very interestingly complex one with just a bit of cat's pee. Mocha notes and burnt tyres follow on the back. This has very good pure dark fruits that show potential. Heavy tannins but not bruising.
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Note: This wine was popped and poured -- I strongly recommend you decant for a few hours right now, or cellar this wine for 10+ years.
Color: Dark raisiny purple - very elegant. Nose: Soft oak (well-toasted), mild licorice notes, cloves, with blackberry and ultra dark chocolate on the background. Carries itself well. Palate: About as silky smooth as a wine could be hitting the palate. The palate is TIGHT TIGHT TIGHT right now, and dusty, but with textbook Margaux flavors of deep dark soil, blackberries, and tannins completely filling the mouth after a few seconds and drying it out. My only complaint is that it's not mature yet (duh), but it will be an absolute beauty. Finish: Caressing, 30-45+ seconds, very smooth and well-balanced.
An amazing wine that will only get better with time.
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As far as 2005 goes, you're not going to find a better priced 2nd growth. 3rd and 4th growths are going to be more expensive. In the nose, floral, earthy/dusty and lots a ripe fruit. Wonderfully balanced, medium to full bodied, again ripe berry flavors. Great quality wine.
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Shared with S&B on 7/5/08 after 4 hours decanting--served up alongside '04 Montrose; see previous note from 5/16. Inky,too, yes; drinkable now, with long fnish, it's no doubt on its way toward disclosure of deeper blackfruit flavors.
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This is definitely a ripe, dense and inky beast. It reminded me very much of the 2000 Montrose. This rich full bodied wine has aromas of ink and blackberries which follow through onto the palate....it will be interesting to see how this one plays out in the future....my guess is that it doesn't quite have the balance required for it to age gracefully.
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Beltramos tasting. This is a very concentrated wine that hits you with concentrated rich black fruit up front and then has long tannic finish. On the inky purple side. I really enjoyed this wine.
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Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2005 vintage tasting and dinner (Conrad Interntational, Singapore): UGC tasting. Good wine, but rather heavy on the oak, so that the first thing that hit me was vanilla and toasted toffee. Some fruit and floral notes lurked under that. The palate was dense and thick, and there was good acidity that brought a nice sanse of balance. The finish had a flush of spice and alcohol heat. Not bad, well made and enjoyable, but a little simple and lacking the concentration of flavour to stand up to the oak at this point. May improve over time if and when the fruit begins to emerge from under all that toasty oak.
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Tasted on 5/11/08 with L, after 3.5 hours decanting; lived up to the 2005 hype--black cherry and licorice, was really getting good around the 5-hour point, seeming to improve by the moment. Will wait a while to get into the next bottle.
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France vs. West Coast (Vancouver, WA): Very dark. Intense and complex nose. Full bodied and very tannic. A great wine that needs lots of time in the cellar.
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2005 Bordeaux: Episode 2 (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. Wow, what a terrific wine! Lavish and seductive aromas of mixed berry crepes, scorched earth, espresso beans, and pain grille. Sensuous on the palate, with exotic notes of blackberries, kirsch, Indian spices, and smoke. Ripe tannins and long caressing finish. WA 94-96, WS 93. 93-94 points.
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2005 Bordeaux Report: Episode 2 (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): The seductive aromas just waft out of this one with hints of sweet boysenberry, vanilla, crushed stones, and flowers. The palate is deeply concentrated with sweet raspberry flavor and tremendous minerality all while maintaining wonderful elegance and balance. Superb.
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Almost black-purple to the edge. Nose of pencil shavings, ketchup, and sweet fruits. Very big and concentrated. Dusty in the mouth. Medium and pleasant herbal and cherry finish. Decent, but at this stage, it is nothing extraordinary.
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First taste of the 2005 vintage and was not dissapointed. Great bouquet, structure and balance. Not as much up front fruit in the mid palate as I would have liked but should be fantastic with some age. Try not to drink more for a couple years
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Just fantastic! Opened a .375 to see what this wine was all about. No decanting. Right out of bottle it was open, clean, loads of red fruit, popcorn butter ( only way i could describe it) and well integrated tannins. Going to be unreal in a few years but drinking much better than i thought it would be now. MUCH better than the 04.
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Minor 2005 Bordeaux, Major Quality (The Wine Club, San Francisco): This is virtually black!! Reduced nose but ravishing, lush palate with spherical blackberry fruit, lead pencil, and a hint of caramel. Exquisite balance with great underlying structure. Outstanding and should age beautifully.
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2005 Left Bank Bordeauxs @ Table and Vine (West Springfield, MA): (52% Cab Sauv 45% Merlot 3% Petit Verdot) Dark wine. Treated with 80% new French oak. Complex mixture of cassis, gravel, vanilla and moss. Superb structure which clamps like a drum on the finish. With air, some chocolate flavors emerged. Lots of grip, Very classy. $89.99
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A slight disappointment since the barrel tasting, which I really liked. I think this was an awkward time to taste – in Duesseldorf – in any case, but there was also that annoying oak infusion so common at this estate in recent years that takes away from the pleasure of the fruit. No doubt Mr. Parker will give it a very high score and it will also be sold at a very high price. My advice: seek out Brane Cantenac or Rauzan Segla instead.
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1st higher end bordeux I've had from '05 vintage. Wasn't in a good tasting state, and I hate tasting wines like this. But, the nose was fairly cedery. Lots of oak on the nose and the palate. Very tannic. I wasn't wowed by this wine, but was interested enough to wish I could have spent some more time with it.
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Bordeaux vs. Burgundy (Farpointe Cellar): A fabulous nose of chocolate and toasted vanilla, with blackberry and floral notes on the finish. The palate was very soft and had black currant, graphite, and coffee. It finished with some cherry
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Jotted down some notes last night while consuming this wine over about a four hour period. Pretty heavily oaked and downright unpleasant to drink at first, but then some lovely red cherry notes started to come through. A quality wine, it will likely age for a considerable time. It took some coaxing, but after an hour or so in the decanter the Margaux appellation started to march in. This may be a modern wine, but in a good way. It enhances the positive traits of Margaux. Blanquito, his brother and I had a bottle of the 2004 Lascombes in NYC last spring with a model from Seattle in the lobby of the Ritz Carlton after the dinner with Alfred Tesseron, and it was basically undrinkable due to the excessive oak. Then again, we basically popped and poured, with no decanting. This 2005 Lascombes has all the aromatics you look for in quality Margaux. On the palate it is quite full-bodied, my second "big" 2005 Margaux in less than a week, the other being the '05 Rauzan-Gassies. The wine is ripe, without the austerity of 2002 and 2004. I've now had the 2002, 2004, and 2005 Lascombes, and like the 2005 best, followed by the 2002. The color of the 2005 is a beautiful, clean, deep ruby/purple, although I'm not sure it is as dark as that crazy, extracted Cap de Faugeres I had the night before. Three hours later: Wow, this is turning into an outstanding wine, it has benefitted dranatically from decanting. I get really ripe cherries. On the nose, the fruit has now taken over from the oak. Beautiful, lengthy finish, the kind that leaves you with that ever-so-satisfying dry mouth that you need to replenish with a cold glass of water. I understand the concerns, but I think the whole issue of internationalization of Bordeaux is a bit overrated. A wine like this still provides the thrill and distinct Margaux character, the level of ripeness we look for in great Bordeaux, even if there is significant extraction. The alcohol level-- 13.5%-- is about where you would expect it, and in no way whatsoever intrudes on the enjoyment of the wine. The wine is bright and fresh, it seems to be a wine from a great vintage. I've loved the 2000s I've had-- from my extremely limited experience with 2005, I'm wondering if they aren't cleaner, crisper, less sappy and sweet, less "full", than those very ripe 2000s. But that's just an extremely premature impression. Some of those 2000s, particularly St. Juliens like Langoa Barton, Branaire, Lagrange, are incredibly sweet. I don't quite get that so far with 2005, you sort of taste the "cool nights" in the wines. There's a beautiful acidity and crispness to this 2005 Lascombes. It strikes as a "cleanly made" effort. I'll bet the skins were right where the winemakers wanted them when they were picked. Four hours later the aromatics continue to soar. Very impressive! A cherry and oak delight, almost like a Burgundy from some oak-driven Burgundy estate. Once the oak tamed this became a profound wine. If you decide to uncork one, be sure to give it lots of oxygen, at least three hours. The final glass is absolutely brilliant. Everything is in place with this wine, a 95-pointer, maybe even better. Rating: 95+ points.
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Dinner at Chris Palm's: Most iimpressive. The nose gives a lovely expression to sweet red fruit, buttered popcorn, oak and lilac. This is another large scaled wine in the mouth featuring concentrated red dark fruit and licorice with tons of structure and tons of tannin. Really impressive stuff that will need many years in the cellar.
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Tasting Group Dinner - Paella, White Burgundy, Steaks, and Bordeaux (Chris Palm's House, Minneapolis): Wonderful nose of dark berries. The palate shows stunningly pure, complex layers of dark fruit, smoky campfire, earth, espresso, and leather. Huge tannin, fruit concentration, and structure. Initially singing, this closed down after a brief time in the glass and turned dark and brooding. When this opens back up many years from now, we are all in for a treat. My WOTF.
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2005 Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting (Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois): 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 3% Petite Verdot. This wine blew away the 2003 that I had on release. Wow! Very impressive. A complex wine which was showing very well. Notes of smoke, tar, leather, red berries and currants. Ripe tannins in the medium to full bodied wine. Round finish. One of the few wines which was enjoyable to drink now. 94-95 points.
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UGC 2005 Bordeaux Tasting (and dinner) (The Drake): Medium soft red color. Clean slightly sweet medium nose of red fruit. Nice sweet rich red fruit on the palate. Lighter but good friut and I though the oak was pretty well integrated. 93-94 pts.
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Rich, ripe and opulent. Filed with sweet, jammy black fruit, coffee and vanilla notes. As is the case for numerous Chateau in 2005, this is the finest Lascombes produced in modern times. While oaky at this stage, with this much concentration of ripe fruit, things should come togetheranf the oak will integrate for this wine with time.
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2005 Bordeaux @ Union des Grand Crus (San Francisco, CA): Great nose of deep black fruit, smoke and oak. The palate dissapoints though. Slightly hollow mid palate and a tannic, drying finish. If fruit is absent when young, fruit will be absent forever.
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2 hour decant from .375. Beautiful opaque ruby red with medium viscosity. Nose is a bit muted at this point, but very pretty; think of a No. 2 pencil soaked in plum sauce with a spritz of perfume. Sharp and youthfully tannic, with fresh acidity framed by plum, cherry, and spice on the palate. Excellent structure. Long and complex finish. Re-visit in 2011.
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4/13/2024 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted with steak. Smoothed out but dubious QPR. 13.5%
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4/13/2024 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light nose initially; light blackberry; earth; with time some manura and leather with length and classic terrior elements and long textured finish.
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3/25/2024 - HWG99 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good to open now.. well balance and still has a lot in it.. red fruits and berry on the aroma with hints of oak and vanilla. Medium body with long finishing. A persistent and everlasting wine but lack of complexity and surprising factors
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2/21/2024 - Jfsiegel Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fragrant and wonderful. Nose of cut flowers, dark fruit and a hint if sweet spices?
Palate us floral and earthy. Had out and not to do a proper study but damn it opens well.
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2/16/2024 - paulst Likes this wine: 89 Points
Developing; greenish blackberry; light sweet fruit; lean finish.
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2/9/2024 - gmbdds wrote: 93 Points
Stood up for six hours. Decanted. Fine sediment still made its way through the filter. Leather, tea and savory notes. Blackberry and currant fruit carried on an acidic spine. Tannins are well incorporated and there are really no hard edges.
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1/24/2024 - MarcPal Likes this wine: 93 Points
First experience with Lascombes. Still vibrant dark fruit while starting to show tertiary notes of graphite, cedar, leather. Silky tannins, balanced. Can easily age another 5-10 years
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1/18/2024 - Spinedoc007 wrote:
Super wine! Unreal noise and opened so nicely over 2 hrs…
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1/9/2024 - Mi Pisco wrote: 93 Points
95
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A gorgeous example of Lascombes, the 2005, a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot, continues the remarkable turn-around in quality that began five years ago. A stunningly opulent wine with a dense purple color, the 2005 possesses a beautiful perfume of spring flowers, blueberries, blackberries, creosote, and graphite, full body, silky but noticeable tannins, a layered mouthfeel, and a stunning, 45+-second finish. This is a brilliant, modern-styled Margaux that should age for 30-35 years.
94
Wine & Spirits
A joyous Lascombes, this is the first vintage to hit stride since the US investment firm Colony Capital took over in 2001. It's a meaty wine draped in fragrant tannin, built for long aging. It's also an exuberant wine, in both the bright, red currant-scented fruit and the bristle of the tannin. A playfully complex flavor lasts for minutes, the wine still youthful and fresh four days after it was opened. Margaux chic.
93
Wine Spectator
Dark in color, with an impressive nose of licorice, toasty oak, chocolate and blackberry. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Very pretty and structured.
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1/1/2024 - Chateaunole-du-Pape Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really singing right now. Tons of Left Bank tertiary notes - cedar, graphite, mild florals - along with restrained, elegant dark fruit. This should continue to drink quite well and I am glad to have one more to check again in 5-10 years.
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12/31/2023 - Sausalito wrote:
Drinking perfectly.
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12/29/2023 - Gen NY Does not like this wine: 81 Points
Last bottle of 6 and frankly, good riddance. 5 of 6 bottles were under performing if not downright bad. Maybe I got a bad batch but this wine was astringent, devoid of fruit and just plain unpleasant. After 14 years of patient cellaring, I can clearly say this was a wasted effort.
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12/15/2023 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still young; deep and concentrated; blackberry; long berry and layered finish.
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12/9/2023 - Ricky99 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just a beauty. Fruit shows up a little after decant. Beautiful balance.
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12/9/2023 - EyeDoc wrote: 94 Points
Forgot I had this so recently - notes consistent with previous note - still lots of primary fruits - a bit of green pepper and some sour tannins remind me it is Bordeaux. Drink or Hold.
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10/15/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Bordeaux 2008 and Older (BLVD Kitchen & Bar, Wayzata, MN): Drank a glass over an hour. Same bottle as Bellissimo. Big, funky, wood spices, lacquer, dense, silky, full bodied, blackberry, mulberry. Still youthful.
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10/15/2023 - Bellissimo wrote:
Decanted for 60 minutes, brought to restaurant, slow O'd for another 90 minutes before we got around to this. Part of a larger tasting with wines going back to 1990 (our table). This was the youngest...and it showed.
Black cherry, blackberry, cassis, with bits of vanilla over dried leaves. This has ample acids, is almost plush in the mouthfeel profile yet there are plenty of tannins bringing up the rear. Have two more and will try spacing them out over the next 10 years to see what evolves.
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10/2/2023 - Cow Town Likes this wine: 94 Points
Some barnyard on the nose at first, but that blew off. What was left was a surprisingly young (most people pegged it as a 5, 10 year old at most), dark, balanced, beautiful wine. Too bad it was gone quickly, as the follow up tastes were excellent.
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10/1/2023 - winelover1808 Likes this wine: 95 Points
amazing; poured from a magnum. such a pretty bordeaux. lots of bright red cherry and raspberry; def claret medium bodied; very smooth long finish; good acidity; all in balance - not overblown. some hints of tobacco but def not a wine with dominant secondary notes but just a pure polished classy wine enjoyed by a big group of eight for dinner
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9/24/2023 - O'Meara Likes this wine:
This is in a lovely place for a 2005 left bank. I decanted it for 60 minutes and it was ready to go. It still has plenty of verve, but the secondary flavors are now present. The fruit is sweet and the tannins are very fine. The fruit has further development before it fully integrates the oak, which I hope it does in the next few years. No harm opening it now, but I suspect (and hope) better things will come with a few more years.
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9/22/2023 - Matt T wrote: 94 Points
Held since release. Impressive, modern take on Bordeaux. Smooth and well-balanced. No rough edges here, but still seems slightly reticent. Fine to open now. Even better on day two (increased one point).
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9/18/2023 - Yorgos Likes this wine: 95 Points
8 years since the last time I tried it, it’s at peak. Lovely nose with leather, evolved dark fruit, a touch of barnyard, pencil shavings, some dried herbs in the background. Oak nicely absorbed with a fine texture, medium bodied with tannins still there but fine and nicely integrated. Great stuff. 94-95.
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9/8/2023 - amc Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ready to drink -- don't think it will improve with more age. Ripe dark berry fruit still apparent on the palate, some cassis, well integrated, soft tannins, opens within an hour. Short length.
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9/1/2023 - Radboy wrote: 93 Points
Delicious wine!
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8/31/2023 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium dark garnet. Blackberry, mulberries, and boysenberry with a touch of must on the nose. Very light texture with bright red raspberries and lingonberries. Quite nice.
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8/15/2023 - HOS wrote: 95 Points
PnP Purchased upon release. This has really come along since our first bottle. You can taste the vineyard. Earth notes, truffle, herbs with currant and black fruit. Some tea notes. Silky smooth, strong finish. Great.
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8/3/2023 - jmoon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious and in a great place now. Nice deep fruit, no funk, good complexity.
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7/19/2023 - EyeDoc wrote: 92 Points
Stored in a temperature controlled cellar since release this wine is a a beautiful garnet with no sense of age. The nose is gives off a bit of hay and cigar box. Tart cherry notes and smooth tannins. It is in balance but I think I miss a bit of the youthful fruit that it had on release.
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7/1/2023 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep, dark, primary red in color. Big, earthy nose with a hint of lavender. Ripe, red fruit on the palate, black raspberry, sour cherry and currants up front with secondary notes of minerals and earth. Still plenty of backbone after a 90 minute decant. Great example of a quality, mature Bordeaux.
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6/30/2023 - amateur62 Likes this wine: 93 Points
45% Merlot, 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot, 13.5% vol.
Was decanted 2h before dinner. Intense, mature nose with leather, underwood, black currant and a suggestion of spiciness. On the palate smooth and round, medium+ bodied and a long finish that still shows some grip.
Superb classic Margaux at its peak for my palate, drink within the next 6 to 10 years.
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6/15/2023 - Snowey Likes this wine:
New batch. Lots of sediment. Lovely nose that evolved over two or so hours. Flavors showed earth and tertiary flavors.
Lovely
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6/4/2023 - soyhead wrote:
Fortunate to be served this, I impatiently drank my bottles too young as per usual. Lovely red fruit with a good vein of minerality, wine is showing well but has lots of life still left. Curious if with time it’d develop some tertiary complexity. No time soon.
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5/13/2023 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 93 Points
Holding up much better than I originally assessed.
Now till 2030 rather than my original '25.
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4/27/2023 - Shanta wrote:
More primary and less developed that the '05 du Tertre tried recently and needing decanting to open up. For that reason I think it is still developing and remains at least a short term hold. Such slow development in so many of these '05 Medocs!
Dark and primary in colour, savoury and dense. Firm, mouth filling and dry palate, very Medoc in style and a great platform for (hopefully) the more floral perfume to come.
There is a little more flamboyance Eg in the oak treatment than some other locals, but its well done and they have achieved a lovely wine.
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3/30/2023 - Hanjob68 Likes this wine: 94 Points
My first shot at a left bank 2005 and it didn't disappoint. Quite full and powerful but the tannins were nicely integrated. Didn't have time for a longer decant but I think a 2 hour decant ahead of drinking would be best. Lovely dark fruit and beautiful Margaux perfume began to develop on the last few sips. Right at the beginning of the window but will go for another 20+.
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3/27/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:
One bottle really quite oaky but a second a near-facsimile (to my pleasant surprise) to a note from last year with boysenberry, violet, espresso, and still-integrating oak.
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3/7/2023 - Squirreljam Likes this wine:
So this’ll be an odd TN…. Opened this last week, had 2 glasses, vacuvin’d, stuck in the fridge, went to bed, forgot to post a note. If I’d remembered, it would have been something like this - big, tannic, tart, acts young, fruit hiding. So tonight I grabbed the bottle, poured and let it warm. Holy cow, did my wife switch out the wine?!? (😂did a helluva job, replaced the sludge and everything). Now it’s warm, inviting, smooth, eucalypty-cherry, bit of cigar ash - still way big, no way this is classic claret but damn it’s good. So what happened? I’m not smart enough to know - but I recommend air if you open this now😆
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2/19/2023 - Derek Darth Taster Likes this wine: 93 Points
Partners' meeting at Chu Yen.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour with thin garnet edge. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of tobacco leaf, cedar, ripe capsicum, red plum, dark red cherry, blackcurrant. Developing.
On the palate, dry, lovely high acidity, medium alcohol (13.5%), lovely resolving softening high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of blackcurrant, ripe dark red cherries, juicy red plums, nice tobacco leaf, sweet cedar. Big spicy oak to the long finish.
Very good quality. Very approachable on pop and pour surprisingly and open for business, though it can age more also. Oak well integrated and doesn't show up that much until the finish.
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2/15/2023 - oldwines Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Brought by a friend to taste. I have always enjoyed the Grand Vin from this estate, especially older vintages…the 1970 is still drinking great. But this wine seems an example of selling out to modern critics. This is horribly over-oaked in my opinion. It is ripe and heavily (heavy-handed?) extracted and far from balanced. Nothing subtle about this. We decanted and tasted over 6 hours and never did it get past the massive oak induced flavors, to the point that it seemed to smell and taste like furniture that had been freshly stained. Not attractive to me at all.
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1/15/2023 - Gracer wrote: 90 Points
Needs more time
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1/7/2023 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Dark ruby color. There’s some cedar in the nose with some dark cherry. Nice palate. Plum, blueberry maybe. A lot of comments in this site about oak. I can maybe get a tad of that but I think it’s integrated. Nice.
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1/1/2023 - ron m wrote:
From 375. TFM 23 new years dinner. Very good and correct bordeaux, early drinking window. Boisonberry tobacco and musty earth on the nose. Palate still evolving but in a good place, oak integrated. Maybe a little hollow, might fill out with time. Good finish. Great match with the lamb.
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12/31/2022 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Bordeaux (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Black hued fruits are slightly baked; blackcurrant over blackberry and plums, sweet spices, cedar, slight wet earth and leather. Medium plus intensity acidity, again slight baked blackcurrant over plums, brambles, sweet spice, quite fleshy, generous, talc textured tannins prove slightly leathery, all travel long. Pleasant.
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12/26/2022 - Pinot1501 Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine needs at least 2h decant. I opened the bottle and took a first sip and was very disappointed. Horse saddle and rotting green waste was my first association; after 1h still more a herbel infusion than a great wine, but…. After 2+ hours all the black fruits were there and it transformed into a profound and superbe Bordeaux. Will get even better if you can keep it for some years.
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11/30/2022 - Kris G wrote: 91 Points
Attractive fresh fruits and no dominant wood.
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11/12/2022 - melvinyeowq wrote: 90 Points
Wines at Jordan's wedding: Liked the pretty and perfumed nose but the palate was a little disappointing. Attractive red fruit but the midpalate was hollow and had a clipped finish.
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11/10/2022 - JCGuthrie wrote:
I didn't take notes on this unfortunately, but very much enjoyed it. Red and black fruits, seems to just be entering a nice drinking window. Decanted for about 60 minutes.
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9/23/2022 - Grinner wrote: 93 Points
No formal notes, but this was great again:
5/15/2013 rated 93 points: Decanted an hour and the aroma jumped right out of the decanter. While still obviously young, this was the first '05 Bordeaux I've truly enjoyed. Others have been too stern still. We can count on Margaux to come around a little sooner than say a St Julien can't we? Black currant, graphite, tobacco, plum, and a floral note all on decent tannins. This will be fine in 2015! (12248 views)
9 years later this is just entering it's window. Now-2030
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9/15/2022 - Redteeth wrote:
Gave this bottle a thorough decanting. It was a beautiful wine that opened up very nicely over the course of dinner. It was consumed alongside a few high-end WA Cabernet Sauvignons of the same vintage. This bottle was possibly the best of the evening.
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8/7/2022 - indiscriminate palate wrote:
Medium ruby. Nose of sour cherry, a little barnyard on open that quickly blew off, blackberry, woody, and a bit of VA. Sour raspberries on the palate, with drying medium wood tannin and medium(-plus) acidity. This is in a strange place right now (if this isn’t an off bottle) with wood still quite in the forefront and fruit somewhat one dimensional. No idea if this will come into better balance with more time.
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8/7/2022 - FEDEVIDAL Likes this wine: 94 Points
Color rubí muy oscuro y brillante. Aroma intenso y profundo, esencialmente frutal, fruta roja y negra, destacan las cerezas, con mina de lápiz, tierra y humo. Boca sedosa, fina y elegante, roble muy bien integrado, muy Margaux , con su característico equilibrio y delicadeza, final muy largo que trae nuevamente sutiles recuerdos de fruta matizada negra y roja
Creo que este vino aún tiene capacidad de ir a más y desde luego tiene una enorme previsión de durabilidad.
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6/20/2022 - Gen NY Does not like this wine: 86 Points
2 of 6. I am really unhappy with this wine. Bought on release and stored perfectly. Wine is tart and almost sour. i was hoping it would go well with Fathers Day steaks but it was not good. On Day 2 it did not improve and started to fall apart a bit. Will put in the fridge and try again in a day or two. Maybe a bad bottle?
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6/6/2022 - englishman's claret wrote: 91 Points
The 05 Lascombes still needs to integrate its oak a bit, but beyond the oak-derived aromas there’s a pretty, succulent boysenberry nose with subtle violet. The fruit and flowers are amplified on the palate, flowing through to a fragrant finish. The tannins are still quite grippy. It’s nice to see Lascombes doing well, even if they aren’t quite competing with the likes of Brane Cantenac.
Drinking from 2025-2030, on account of the need for the oak to integrate and the tannin to mellow.
90-92 points
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4/30/2022 - Wizaard1 wrote:
Judgement of Greenbay, 03 Mouton, 06 Monte Bello, 05 Brainaire Ducru, 03 Lascombs, 06 Quintessa. Monte Bello ranked first with Statistical significance over all except Quintessa which was second. 13 judges. All wines were drinking exceptionally well!
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4/15/2022 - Primordialsoup Likes this wine: 93 Points
7th of 10. Gave this one a 1.5 hr decant or so. Followed a glass of Bourbon. It may finally be opening up becoming more approachable. Great nose right up front. Expressive. Has definitely begun to round out it's rough edged youth. Secondary notes have formed making this quite nice across mid-palate and into finish. Fine mouthfeel and finish. Best bottle yet.
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3/10/2022 - Mhbeaune wrote: flawed
Not pleasant. Def Brett in the background although not initially on the muted nose. No fruit at all. Slightly astringent.
Not correct
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2/25/2022 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted one hour. This wine in earlier years was awkward and felt overdone but as it ages it continues to get better. This was the best version I have had. Lovely nose of violets and blackberry. The palate is full bodied, rich, hedonistic and layered but it is becoming better integrated and balanced than I remember it.
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1/29/2022 - DickMull Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very classic nose, altho almost more like a Pauillac with warm red fruit, cedar and graphite, but also a little floral component like a classic Margaux. Had a very smooth mouthfeel, and while nothing jumped out at me flavor-wise, it did have a nice red fruit acidity that carried through the finish. Good, not great.
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1/23/2022 - OmiyaDrinker wrote: 93 Points
Rhubard, plum, a little worn leather, black currant, a little toast. This is really classic Margaux - not lacking power but elegant and round on the palate. A little cedar on the finish.There’s really something unique about 05 - fruit is so juicy and ripe but also fresh and bright. I was struggling to see the excitement in 05 for many years but to me they really seem to have opened up over the past few years - glad to see how I was misjudging the vintage.
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1/20/2022 - JS199 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes and consumed over 3+ hours. Good color with clear rim on the edges. Floral nose. Creamy entry with a soft feel. Medium body, subtle minerals, probably at peak. 91/92
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1/1/2022 - jww Likes this wine: 90 Points
lovely wine
drinking well at open and conrtinued to evolve over 1.5 hours
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12/31/2021 - Juliansi wrote:
Powerful, muscular and needs plenty of coaxing... The nose has rather feint blackfruits, and the palate was lacking in fruits and I only seemed to get leather and oak, I hear from @[1|8254419|Hangi] the 2005 LC may be overly ripe and just past its drinking window.. could be true. Otherwise, it just needed more TLC and decanting time, to expose the ripe fruit and cedar. First of 4 Margauxs at Joshua birthday dinner and RL's gracious hosting of the pre NY Eve party at Beast, Batai. Thanks DL for sharing ??
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12/26/2021 - mukden wrote: 92 Points
YESSSSS. So, with trepidation I opened this...would it be gone? Would it be too young? But, it was sort of goldilocks just right...a good deal of secondary aromas ( real pencil box, cedar, low tones); sort of classy bdx, relatively old school, except for 13.5 a/c. Developed but still fresh and youngish ... so I would say this large-format 3-ltrs has many years in it. Will open next one in 5 years (2026)
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12/25/2021 - JulesMaster_1982 wrote: 93 Points
This bottle brought happiness. Maybe not the most elegant, complex or long wine BUT this is a perfectly approachable BDX at the sweetest age, when it reaches adulthood at the fruit tertiary junction…. Bliss
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12/24/2021 - Intellectual Sasquatch Likes this wine: 92 Points
1.5 hour decant - just started to open... I think we finished it off before it hit it's stride. Deep, dark color in the glass. Vibrant nose and big tannin structure after the fresh air. I agree with some of the other reviews that it's not a fruit forward wine, but delicious just the same. I think it's got plenty of time, but will probably pop my second (and last) this year - with a 2.5 hour decant!
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12/18/2021 - JDB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Served with duck breast with a port/blueberry sauce, It didn’t suck !!!
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12/14/2021 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Lascombes & Belgrave (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Toasted oak, cream, slight nail varnish remover, black and red currant jam, cedar tends to cigar box, pyrazine here as well as a little spiced plum. Medium plus intensity acidity, tannins are chalky and drying, fruit struggles a little beneath this but shows through with some buttery creamy notes on the long finish. Time?
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11/10/2021 - MRichman wrote:
Lots of iron, mineral. Good full fruit, well contained in structure. Black fruit, toasted oak and some dried herbs. This is good, solid, well aged Bdx. More St Julien than Margaux really. Not a ton of nuance or finesse, but good blocky dark fruited wine. Drink at the proper temperature and this should be good for another 10 years.
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11/5/2021 - NBouras915 wrote: 93 Points
Purchased in Naples 2 days ago. Bottle was pristine. Decanted one hour before dinner. Beautiful middleweight. Balanced, medium full body. Drink now through 2025
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10/2/2021 - Phil M1 Likes this wine:
This was drinking very nicely with pnp, but probably could have shone more of its quality with an hour or 2 decant time.
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9/30/2021 - randyjc wrote: 94 Points
A real treat - lovely aromatics of spicy red fruit, mint and tobacco leaf. Medium bodied packing excellent depth of flavor - not much fruit but plenty of earthen tones with a dose of leather and tobacco. Very masculine - even a little austere. My impression is that it is easily going strong another 10 years or more. Exceptional experience.
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9/10/2021 - Joshbturner Likes this wine:
Drank first from Coravin a few months ago. Finished second half of bottle last night, with a delicious rib eye, mac n cheese, baked potato, ceasar salad. Excellent wine. Drink up.
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8/4/2021 - Snowey Likes this wine:
Best Bordeaux I have had from my cellar!
Had at home midweek (YOLO!) with lamb rack with a mint, almond , Evoo chutney.
Absolutely lovely. Little sediment in the bottle. Smell was interestingly earthy and savory … others describe as meaty and I can see that… somewhat like what a Rhone or Syrah wine can show.
Flavor profile was totally left bank with smooth tannins and dark fruit.
Great wine. Wish I had more.
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8/1/2021 - Janstan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lavender,cedar. Went well with lamb sausage
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7/31/2021 - Sanlucar Likes this wine: 94 Points
2005 Lascombes is the model Bordeaux to accompany any seriously good steak dinner. Black & blueberries with Rainier cherry & dark spices (cinnamon & black pepper) plus chocolate & cedar are found in abundance, but the best part is that this wine tastes like beef drippings from a roasting pan.
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7/16/2021 - Troon wrote: 91 Points
Agree with other reviewers. I believe this wine is peaking. It was best about 90 minutes after opening. Some tobacco and a hint of cherry on the nose. Hints of cherry and cured meat on the palate. Finish was medium at peak.
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7/7/2021 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 93 Points
As per my April '20 note.
At its peak over the next few years to my taste - but with the structure to go longer if that's what you like. Till 2025 from my point of view. 2035 for those who prefer slightly faded favourite aunts.
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6/23/2021 - BBinSC wrote: 95 Points
94-95
The Ghost of Tom Collins
Bottle 5
This bottle was a wonderful introduction to Lascombes. The nose is earthy, tobacco leaf, a hint of olives. The palate is really interesting: feels "old" in the best way. It's barely ripe, the oak is harmonious, the focus is on terroir. The texture is phenomenal - silky and chewy while complementing everything. Outside of 1er and Super 2nd growths (Cos and Las Cases), this might be the finest Left Bank Bordeaux I've had. Stunning.
QPR 7.5 (of 10)
Aging 2031 at least
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5/2/2021 - VlgJeff wrote: 91 Points
"Post-Pandemic" Dinner with friends at their house. Slo-oxed for about 30 minutes, but the wine needed more air time to show its best. Each glass showed more of the red and dark red fruits, earth, and spice, and less of the mostly resolved tannins. An hour or two decant (as other TNs have noted) may do the trick. There's a good 5+ years of enjoyment here (probably 10), just air it out.
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5/2/2021 - mwellington wrote: 94 Points
Just coming into its own. This has a long life ahead. At least two hours of air required for the beautiful dark fruit to com into balance with the well structured tannin, which is dominant at the outset. Sipping now at the 6 hour mark and spice box and cedar are strongly in the picture, while the tannin and fruit are still holding their own well. This is a lovely wine that has a ways to go before it peaks. First bottle of a case. (Happy dance!)
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4/28/2021 - napasoutherner Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not what I was expecting. This bottle has traveled with me for about 13 years and was really looking forward to drinking it. Was expecting more from the wine. It just seemed off balance for a high caliber Bordeaux. Took about 2 hours to settle. Lots of rounded robust red fruit with some forest floor.
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4/12/2021 - libero wrote: 93 Points
This 16 years old bottle is ready to drink. Just let it decante for one to two hours.
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4/10/2021 - jimyeni Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice
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4/4/2021 - NuTricks wrote: 95 Points
Garnet purple. Gorgeous nose of black cherry, blackberry, cassis and a slight olive note. Medium bodied. Fine dry tannins and then the balancing acidity kicks in. Long smooth finish. 🍷 is singing and paired beautifully with roasted leg of lamb. Still plenty of life left.
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3/20/2021 - TWMDoesWine Likes this wine: 95 Points
Star
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3/16/2021 - wrsvino wrote:
Really awesome Bordeaux, in its prime. Bright but brooding fruit, good acidity. Drink by 2023.
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2/19/2021 - tbabes wrote: 91 Points
Purchased as a future, pristine bottle and cork, popped + poured. Purple core with no obvious signs of age. Reticent nose, with notes of crushed stones, blackberry, cassis; hints of earth and tree bark. Medium bodied, a bit stern in structure, with noticeable but ripe tannins, good acidity, and a medium finish. Much better than a bottle opened 3 years ago, but this needs decanting of several hours or another 5+ years in the cellar.
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1/31/2021 - RichardP wrote: 93 Points
Violets and blackberry on the nose. On the palate, dark berry fruit and currants with notes of plum and earth, with light tannins and good acidity on the medium to long finish. This is classic Margaux, and although it's not as elegant as it could be it was a good value at about $75. This seems to be early in its drinking window, and it may improve.
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1/21/2021 - fingers Likes this wine: 93 Points
Notes after following this bottle for 24hrs open.
90% opaque dark ruby color with a moderate amount of fine sediment. No fading.
Profound bouquet of cassis/blackberry, pencil shavings, lavender, cooked meat, and a little bazooka bubblegum. I don't really get any of the vanilla that is mentioned by other reviews. The palate adds tar and tobacco to the bouquet, but it is grippy and still a bit locked up even after 24 hours. Long and persistent, if not fully cohesive yet. I think another 5 years will make a big difference for the better.
5+12+17+9= 93
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1/17/2021 - dnicewicz Likes this wine: 93 Points
If blindfolded, I would’ve guessed this was a Margaux because of the violets and graphite on the nose. The palate opened up nicely after a 1 h decent to reveal cassis, dark fruits and a hint of cigar box and spice. Tannins not fully integrated yet and I suspect these rough edges will be sanded down in 3-5 y. Overall though a really enjoyable wine.
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1/16/2021 - DavidWong168 Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Medium ruby. Decanted for an hour and followed over three. Starts with subtle vanilla, menthol, pyrazines, tobacco and cedar. Baked plums and raspberry flavors. Decent entry but quickly falls off a cliff. The finish feels watered down. Seems disjointed showing ripeness and greenness at the same time. The oak becomes prominent with air. Disappointing QPR.
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1/1/2021 - BradA Likes this wine: 91 Points
A really good wine from a stellar year. Again, this is a wine that may benefit from more aging. I liked to nuanced fruit and even balance, yet it’s not all there.... perhaps in three more years?
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12/1/2020 - colorflavorlocking wrote: 80 Points
There’s so much oak here that there’s no need for a bottle. Now, I’m not prejudiced against Cabernet made in a more exuberant style. I love many a Napa. But this just reeks of cooked plum and vanilla, and tastes of french press dregs. Second of two bottles opened, both identical.
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11/26/2020 - jschnabel wrote: 93 Points
Powerful Margaux, showing dense fruit, ruby red with medium legs. The nose reveals blueberry, dark cherry and a hint of wet garden paving stone. The jammy fruit yields to a leather and salty finish that is long and satisfying. We had this with our Thanksgiving dinner and it was the star, standing up the the flavor barrage that was thrown at it with grace and aplomb.
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10/31/2020 - Mhbeaune Likes this wine: 91 Points
PNP with a double decant. Beautiful nose of dark berries/fruits quite long just gorgeous . Delivered the same tastes in the mouth with gentle tannin and smooth mouthfeel. Lovely. 2nd have of bottle drunk 4 hours later. Completely faded no fruit all dry and mild tannin. I think these means temperature is crucial and when open don’t linger. Definitely feel the fruit is going to disappear soon and become all terteriary flavours.
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10/24/2020 - mclanew wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. This wine has never lived up to expectations set by Robert Parker although with age it has gotten better as exuberant fruit and oak have mellowed and integrated into the wine. The nose is quite attractive with aromas of violets and truffle come through. The palate shows ripe black currant but some subtle earthy notes of underbrush and mushrooms have begun to come out in the mid palate. It still feels a little unbalanced and not fully integrated though. Let’s see how it ages as it still has at least a decade ahead of it.
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10/16/2020 - Eric Becker Does not like this wine: 90 Points
Unfortunately I cannot share the enthusiasm of other more recent reviews here. Maybe my bottle, which has been stored since release at lowly 11 °C, was still too young and undeveloped, boasting predominantly sweet black fruit and only some hints of a mushroomy complexity. But my main issue with the wine is that it feels just too extracted in the mouth. Slightly adstringent and biting, not as supple and fluid as I would hope for in a Margaux Cru Classé. The wine may be impressive with its immortal black colour and full flavours, however it seems a bit overdone and not true to its appellation. I have one bottle left, which I am not going to touch for a minimum of five years. Maybe something magical will happen by then?!
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9/20/2020 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Powerful if not overpowering. Possibly still too young. After 2 hr decant, it feels like 2-3 years more wouldn‘t hurt.
Still an excellent wine. And will stay this way for 5-7 years at least. Will get better.
1,5 hrs later up one point. Excellent. Just decant 3 hrs or so.
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9/16/2020 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious. Lots of different flavors and very complex. A talking wine.
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9/8/2020 - libero wrote: 94 Points
Pop and pour. This 15 years bottle is at this point with just Aromas Of Young leather. Medium red color, this Margaux is round, very little tannins and a medium long finishing. Two hours decant is enough to let it express itself.
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9/7/2020 - Mhbeaune Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened 3 hours decanted one hour served at 18. Gentle nose of fruit followed by sous bois. In the mouth medium bodied but fuller and rounder than some previous bottles. Soft dark fruit, delicate earth & savoury notes with just a little edge to the pleasing intergrated tannins. Altogether a well balance ‘a point’ Margaux.
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8/19/2020 - Mhbeaune Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great bouquet. Decanted for one hour served at 18c. Dark fruits smooth beautiful balance good length and classy. Over the course an hour it didn’t disappoint but became much more Pauilaac like. Tannins becam evident but not over powering with notes or sous bois an tobacco.
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8/5/2020 - Bibidudu Likes this wine: 90 Points
Silly velvety tannings
Enjoyable to sip
Black fruits nuances and leather and tobacco
Medium bodied
Round structure
Nice <
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7/11/2020 - ADiamond Likes this wine: 92 Points
Perfect in every respect, classic Lascombes, classic Margaux.
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7/4/2020 - pikemasterflash wrote: 92 Points
Smooth as silk. Delicious. Originally poured half the bottle using a Coravin but then had to go back and finish it
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7/4/2020 - Time traveller Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully. Tannins integrated perfectly. Vinerrated and decanted for 6 hours. So seemless I needed the fireworks to break it up and give it a pop. I wanted to quaff it but it was impossible. The huge nose and forever finish would not allow it. Drank it by myself over 4 hours. Only wish I had more, love me some Margaux!
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6/8/2020 - perlasteve Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fabulous. Opened Friday. Initially funk, earth on the nose. Thought it was a Cayuse. However the palate was a little disjointed but not bad. Some fruit, minerals, tanins. Would have given a score of 90. Saved enough to drink a little over the next 3 days. What an evolution. Wine has lost the funk and is smooth, medium to full body, very balanced with delicious dark fruit and complex savary flavors. Nice finish. On day 1, opened bottle for several hours, then decanted for 1 hour. Prior comments suggest a long decant (5 hours) and I have to agree based in my experience with this bottle. Lots of years left, will revisit a bottle in 5 years
.
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5/23/2020 - soyhead wrote:
a lovely showing tonight and I would say right in its drinking window. coffee and wet hay on the nose. elegant well integrated fruit on the palate.
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5/22/2020 - Wizaard1 wrote: 93 Points
Amazing dark fruit with nice long finish
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5/17/2020 - Tonythefish Likes this wine: 93 Points
See prior notes - decanted for about 60 minutes and was even better than last bottle
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5/16/2020 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Zoom blind tasting #4: Bordeaux (At home during circuit breaker): Really good. I last tried it upon release, where it wore its robe of new oak a bit too tightly. Time has been kind to the wine though. This had a wonderful nose today, still with bits of toasty coffee and oak spice, but these were swirling around deeper notes of damp earth and cassis, some tobacco, and a then a little twist of damp leaves. Lovely. The palate really showed off the quality of the 2005 vintage, with a chew of fine, but still firm tannins, and then juicy and wonderfully-integrated acidity, forming a lovely frame for the wine’s deep, ripe flavours of sweet cassis and berries. There was a real sense of strength, depth and fine-boned elegance to the wine. It was unashamedly modern in its leanings, but there was just tons of quality on it. Lovely long finish too, with a trail of cassis fruit, and more earthy, mineral tones drawing into a nice lengthy back-palate, here kissed with a bit of spice, herb, and maybe just that little hint of dried flowers. The Margaux was really starting to show here. Like many 2005s, this will last for just about forever; on today’s showing, I would put it aside for at least a decade before broaching again. It is already delicious though - a good precursor showing off its potential.
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5/6/2020 - grafstrb wrote:
-- decanted 30 min. before initial taste --
-- tasted non-blind over approx. 3 hours on Day 1; re-visited on Day 2 --
-- 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot --
NOSE: piercing cassis aroma, and also some freshly-potted flowers; medium-light mineral note. Day 2: moderate oak and a bit fumey, which I didn't perceive on Day 1.
BODY: medium bodied; some sediment present; earthy garnet color of great depth --- still very youthful in appearance.
TASTE: mostly dark-fruited, with hints of coffee grounds, red berries, and ballpoint ink; medium-light to medium oak; still some tannins; alc. not noticeable; adequate acidity; ripe, but not gloppy; still youthful, but in a good "youthful window" at the moment; will maybe wait another 5 years before checking-in again. It's not Margaux-pretty, but it's an excellent wine if you're willing to accept that it's not stereotypical of its appellation. This could be a good crossover wine for those who might find their preferences trending away from Napa (for example) and towards Bordeaux. Gut impression score: 92 – 94. Drink Now through 2035.
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5/1/2020 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 91 Points
5th CB Wine Night - Yang Ming Seafood!
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4/6/2020 - libero wrote: 94 Points
Soave and complex aromas that I am not able to tell, beautifully balanced. Two hours decanting. Round, tannins and acidity subdue . Either me or the wine lost intensity after few hours.
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4/5/2020 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine has had an unusual evolution. Early on exuberant and decadent, then it seems to go through an awkward phase for many years so the last few of these I had I was underwhelmed. But this bottle shows that this wine is emerging from its awkward phase. One hour decant. The nose is still a bit shy. The palate however was delicious. Black currant, plum, tobacco and forest floor this has a nice core of sweet fruit and long finish. The wine has become better integrated with time and should continue to improve over the next ten years.
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4/3/2020 - Jokermac Likes this wine: 90 Points
Acquired from auction (Brentwood). Decanted, and tasted over two evenings. First evening - consistent ruby color, semi opaque from core to rim. Coffee, fig, forest floor, green pepper on the nose. Little reserved. Second evening, similar results, more chocolate, coffee, fig, dark berry, truffle.
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4/2/2020 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 93 Points
3.5yrs since my first noted (already on its plateau) bottle.
À point blackcurrant, cedary/smokey nuances, earth and smoke. Dry spice. Medium bodied but concentrated: elegant as one would expect from a GC Margaux - what's not to like?!
Now and till 2025 (at least).
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3/21/2020 - booksmiths wrote: 91 Points
Decanted two hours before serving. Very purple with a lovely nose. This wine went nicely with a grilled rack of lamb, although I can see myself giving this a 92 or more in five years as it develops greater complexity.
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3/13/2020 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 92 Points
Winespecials Wine Evening (Restaurant Holz und Feuer, Kirchheim, Germany): Glass: Gabriel Universal
Popped and poured. Clear, medium ruby color. Clean, classic BDX nose, leather, brett, some tobacco, riper than the Duhart.
On the palate round, soft, dense, salty mineral core, lovely red fruit, herbaceous. Nice, animating acidity. Drinks very well at the moment. At the moment a bit better than the Duhart. On the long run, I am not so sure.. 91-92
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2/12/2020 - Tonythefish wrote: 91 Points
Medium fruit. Light leather notes. Hints of peat moss, mushrooms and light smoke. Full mouth feel, 30 second finish and medium tannins. One of our favorite Bordeaux wines
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1/30/2020 - vinus_operandi Likes this wine: 92 Points
opens with nose of blackberry, wet earth, old leather, and just the right amount of bret (brettanomyces). not showing much signs of age. color is dark crimson but not inky. soft and lovely on the palate with just enough acidity to hold everything together. beautiful earthiness mixed in with plum, dark berry, black current, and pencil lead. smooth with a nice long finish. drinking well now but has many years left. first of three bottles. classic bordeaux!
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1/29/2020 - JHSP Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice wine which will continue to develop and show even better with 5-10 more years!
Very balanced and good length!
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1/26/2020 - nic.fcn wrote: 92 Points
Lost all sharpness. Smooth. The nose is still more exciting than the taste. Was hoping for more complexity frankly. Carafed for two hours. Too much airing?
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1/18/2020 - Hazeo wrote: 94 Points
From memory, drinking extremely well with an hour of air. Floral nose, inky dark smooth dark fruit laced with minerals and earth but errs on the modern oaky style which may not be everyone's cup of tea. Seamless and wonderful. 93-94
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12/24/2019 - Siebs Cellar Likes this wine: 93 Points
A solid bordeaux.
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12/23/2019 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 94 Points
In a great place. A fine balance of fruit, tannins and alcohol. It has many years left.
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12/15/2019 - llindahl Likes this wine: 92 Points
Red fruit in abundance, cherries and fresh figs. Some oak and stable on the nose. Classic Bordeaux, well balanced acidity. A nice classic wine
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12/14/2019 - bablues wrote: 95 Points
9th Annual Holiday Dinner and Cellar Raid (Naperville, IL): Part of wine dinner and cellar raid so did not take detailed notes. Sad to see this one go as it my last and would have loved to try this on it's 20th birthday. However, someone grabbed this as their choice, and it seemed like a great time to try. Just as good as in 2016, although perhaps a bit more balanced
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12/7/2019 - Lemari Likes this wine: 92 Points
Garnet color, clean but light nose. Well balanced effort, flavor profile a bit post peak. Surprisingly little sediment. Enjoy now +5 years.
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11/4/2019 - oncocyte Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tightly wound brooding giant, slouching towards Bethlehem. My children will enjoy the early development of its secondary characteristics in the 2040's, when it will garner the 98-99 point scores it will richly deserve. I seriously need to consider switching to pinot. Can you do that on a 2nd-5th growth Bordeaux budget?
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11/3/2019 - CWilliam wrote:
Consistent with my note from 4/2019. Excellent wine and aging beautifully. 93-94 range.
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11/1/2019 - dnnk88 wrote: 89 Points
Cassis, prunes, violets, pencil shavings. Slightly dry. Direct drinking. Not bad.
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10/25/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Friday Afternoon: Very earthy on the nose, with dry forest floor, violets, cassis, pencil, oak. The palate shows lots of pencil, dried wood, cassis, good purity, full bodied, firmish tannins. Very good.
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10/24/2019 - levinml wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with my notes from almost 6 years ago. Great flavors on first impact, then gets a little withdrawn rest of the evening, with second night (under pump) being best. Lots going on here, and may make sense to wait another 5 years.
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10/19/2019 - edm Likes this wine:
Dark ruby color. Looks like it was bottled yesterday. Hints of jammy fruit and licorice, but not over the top. I was concerned it would be a fruit bomb, but this is more classic than modern. Tannins are slightly drying on the finish, but are resolving. Very, very nice wine.
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10/10/2019 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Acker Merrall & Condit Bordeaux vs. California Tasting (Michelangelo Hotel): Almost new world in style and still very young. I would give this another 3 - 5 years in the bottle. If drinking now, decant for 2 hours.
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10/6/2019 - acyso wrote: 85 Points
Vinetasters: 2005 Bordeaux 2nd Growths (Skokie, IL): Served double blind. Slightly pruney on the nose, there’s some coffee elements and a roasted component. The palate is overdone as well, showing more of those same overripe elements from the nose. The fruit seems to be drying out here and there’s a lot of tannin to slog through. Not particularly enticing at this stage; whether this will integrate and those roasted elements recede or not is a question only time will answer. In any case, not particularly convincing now. My 9th, group's 1st.
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9/9/2019 - unionst Likes this wine: 93 Points
(opened and decanted for 3 hours, drank 1 glass and stored overnight in vacuum sealed bottle - notes are from day 2)
Pretty ripe plum color
Nose sings of cassis with cracked green and black peppercorns - think La (not Dave) Chappelle. With more air there is baked plantains (yes, first time I have ever said that) and brambley pine in the background.
Pretty combination of sweet plum and astringent rind (melon and orange), sweet licorice and savory tea. Fresh acidity and a very long layered finish. Lots of depth and contrasts.
Like my experience with many 2005 Bordeaux, the vintage drank really well early and is also rewarding time with layers and nuance.
The 2005 Lascombes has a lot of interesting years left.
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8/28/2019 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
Wine10 monthly meeting (Messa Restaurant, Tel-Aviv): Excellent nose & balanced; balanced, complexed, elegant;
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8/18/2019 - isdblm@lsu.edu Likes this wine: 96 Points
4th since 2007--getting better and a good decade to go; much more to give
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8/12/2019 - advinm41 Likes this wine: 93 Points
1 hour decant, dark red in color, nose of dark fruits, mainly plum, cherry, cassis and figs with walnuts, giving way to mostly cherry with vanilla, leather, cedar, tobacco, cocoa, soy sauce. Palate is medium to full body, very opulent, smooth, nice acidity for balance, dark fruits, plums, smoke, tobacco and chocolate, finish is medium to long with dusty tannins, which are very much alive. This will get better with further aging. I think it is a great Bordeaux, not may the most classic but very hedonistic, more modern style. Drink with some decant or hold
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8/4/2019 - jmoon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Relieved that’s it’s now singing at precious levels after my “off bottle” in June. It wasn’t. I froze it and thawed tonight and patiently coaxed it to the right temp and another hour in the decanter and ... glorious. Temperature is key.. 20-22 degrees, not 18, makes such a difference.
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7/21/2019 - Frank Schneider wrote: 94 Points
Give it 2 h of air and the show begins. Real bordeaux. Dark fruits, herbal minty stuff, soft but a youthful tannic backbone. In its early window. No shame to try one. Room for improvement. 94+
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7/20/2019 - JGinMO wrote: 93 Points
At reunion 2019, still so young but great woody secondary flavors, outstanding.
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7/14/2019 - pgm wrote: 94 Points
Youthful in appearance, with bold black fruit and cassis, and a tarry, burnt rubber note that resolves with time in air to pleasant smoke aroma that complements the licorice note. Beautiful nose altogether.
The mouth follows through pretty well, too. Pure fruit, foresty notes, and tobacco. Quite delicious. Tannins are not quite resolved, and slightly gritty.
Probably drinking at peak, but it’ll stay at this plateau for several years.
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7/13/2019 - steinersing wrote: 91 Points
this is quite approachable now and has good density.
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6/23/2019 - bobadopolis wrote: 93 Points
Courtesy of Bret, drank at Westhome. All bottles opened for approximately 2 hours prior to tasting, and all 4 were superb and ready to drink with some air. No tasting notes, and scores reflect general impression over the course of the evening.
2005 Clinet: 96
2004 Leoville Barton: 95
2009 d'Armailhac: 94
2005 Lascombes: 93
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6/22/2019 - robertek wrote: 92 Points
Starting to be approachable these 05's...
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6/22/2019 - jmoon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Off bottle? One hour decant and fairly generic but enjoyable Bordeaux but non descriptive compared to previous bottles. Hopefully a dumb phase during transition to maturity.
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6/20/2019 - havana4 🍾🍇 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Black Currant, dried black fruit. Gorgeous nose.
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like black currant (cassis) and blackberry. The body is medium/full. The wine has leathery texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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5/11/2019 - ChristoBretts Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted over three days. First day: smokey tobacco on the nose and palate dominated, tannins perfect, very enjoyable. Second day: very different, smokey nose and palate gave way to creosote and anise with tannins still present. Third day like the second, only a little less but still highly enjoyable. Great finish all three days. I would drink this now, decant for a couple hours and enjoy it all in the first 24 hours.
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4/7/2019 - CWilliam wrote: 94 Points
Popped cork and aerated 2 hours before drinking.
Dark red color with slight browning at the rim and some very fine sediment in bottle. Pipe tobacco, currants, blackberry, black licorice & cedar on nose. Medium body, medium+ tannins, high acidity and very long finish. Flavor profile on nose was similar to the palate.
Loved this. 93-94 range.
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3/27/2019 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Better than last one.
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3/25/2019 - WizardNeedsFood Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is drinking well now. Needs 1 hour decant. Longer and it starts fading. Nose: floral, red berries, and well done toast. Elegant with medium body. Not complex. Black mission figs, bordeaux funk, blackberry compote, hint of oak and the toast again. Medium finish.
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3/24/2019 - BradA wrote: 91 Points
Not a blockbuster or powerful wine; rather a smooth operator. While I like it and it’s very pleasant, I would have enjoy more omphh.
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3/18/2019 - Fractalage Likes this wine: 95 Points
Opened this with 7 others for the big 52.
It shown highly above the others with its silky textures and savory earthen fruit. The guests were surprised at its appearance and loved it.
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3/13/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Whyne Not? (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red/purple color. Slow O for 2 hours. From 375ml, drank a glass over an hour. Started a bit subtle on the nose, but it didn't take long to show itself. Deeply eathy, black and blue fruits, pencil, dried herbs on the nose. The palate is medium full bodied, powerful, deep with cassis, succulent, blackberry,tar and pencil lead. The tannins are very approachable and at the least in this format certainly it is showing well, but more to come for sure.
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3/10/2019 - jmoon Likes this wine: 93 Points
Prob at peak. Wild powerful nose. Delicious dark fruit. Improved after 1hr decant.
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3/9/2019 - Kwlharvey wrote:
Quite well resolved tanin. Oaky taste. Medium to full body. Sweet? I liked it.
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2/25/2019 - Fractalage Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just a fantastic wine.
The funk on initial decant was very much enjoyable. Smells very bretty with ripe blackberry juice soaked in a cigar box that had some ashes.
The palate had a huge OMG reaction due to its luxurious texture, fantastic truffle, cigar, blackberry/olialla berry, mint, tobacco smoke, mineral laiden long cool finish.
If you like the funk as I, then you've got an hour of it before it blows off. It starts to turn into more chocolaty cherry notes.
But even then it's just glorious yum yum.
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2/17/2019 - Collector1855 wrote: 93 Points
Tasted blind. Extracted, modern wine. There is a green nose here, almost whole cluster like. Unusual but for me it did not bother me. Rich palate, generous oak, lots of fruit. Napaesque. I would drink this up. Not sure how long it will last.
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2/11/2019 - HOS wrote: 95 Points
Opened 2 hours prior to our wine dinner. This has really come together. All secondary notes, earth, truffle, herbs, dark chocolate . Full bodied, smooth, good finish. Great Bordeaux.
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2/8/2019 - Bellissimo Likes this wine:
Chilly night, stayed in snuggled with the dogs on the couch enjoyed this lovely Margaux. Decanted 60 minutes, consumed over 3 hours. Fairly similar over entire period. Darker cherry to blackberry, currants, tobacco, little bit of cocoa and licorice. Nicely integrated tannins though just a bit short on the finish. Drinking well but should hold or develop more tertiary components for many years.
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2/2/2019 - chatters wrote:
Annual Coravin blitz - day three (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Blackberry, blackcurrant, earthy spice, cedar, a little cigar box and leather, biscuit and Cassis. Mouth-wateringly juicy, tightly tannic, quite talc textured and drying which closes down the palate a little which the fruit struggles to cope with. Hmm. Time.
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1/24/2019 - Fractalage Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gorgeous wine.
Tasted over 3 days.
Luxurious mouthfeel. Textures of black fruit, licorice and tobacco smoke.
Chocolate popped out.
Surprised how it held up for 3 days with very little change.
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1/22/2019 - O'Meara Likes this wine:
This is definitely on the finesse side of the Bordeaux spectrum. Clearly from an excellent vintage. Well delineated flavors and silky tannins, but not as full bodied as other Margaux from this vintage. I will sit on the rest of this case for a couple of years to see if it fleshes out. This is drinking well enough now for those who want to give it a taste.
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1/20/2019 - jbeauprez Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just a gourgeous wine; such a seductive nose. Classic Margaux in every way. Oak and tannins well integrated. Graceful; mid-weight. Finishes a bit short.
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1/19/2019 - Gladstone Lake Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful in color. Nose was sublime. Decanted and poured through an aerator 4 hours before drinking. Served with grilled fillet mignon. No disappointments here: classic Margaux, drinking very well now but will last for years to come.
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1/2/2019 - Purple Tooth wrote: 90 Points
This followed an 89' Clerc milon which was humming...
What a letdown! Man I hope this wine is just in hibernation, because I had high hopes and have several more! Tonight it was lacking the middle and seemed a bit tight and watered down. Yet the structure is definitely in place. IDK...Confused about this. Reminded me of the same shitty experience I have had with the 2005 Brainaire Ducru. Confused!
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12/19/2018 - gme wrote: 90 Points
Great nose, BlackBerry, earth, mineral/graphite.
Whoa! Young. Grippy tannins on palate, underripe blackberries, nice acid.
Tannic finish.
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11/23/2018 - Winemaker51 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 3 hours and had with Turkey for Thanksgiving. Aroma has earthy, rusty pipe quality (bit like Pauillac) and slight Brett, which I thought made it more complex. With more air in the glass, the aroma revealed classic, red fruits (raspberry to dark cherry) with slight oak, nicely layered in. Flavor was classic, elegant Margaux fruit and balance. In short, delicious now. Slight tannins in the finish, that I don’t think will go away. Have this with meats and sauces that counter-act the tannins, and it would be more sublime. With Turkey, perhaps not an ideal combo. Drink now.
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11/11/2018 - Hermosabritdad Likes this wine: 92 Points
In a good place right now. Lovely sweet fruit nose, with good length. Palette round and medium in length, with still some tannins that fairly quickly recede after a 30-45 minute opening. Not that layered, but very nice left bank all the same. Would like to have bought more back when I first purchased these.
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11/9/2018 - smphelps wrote: 89 Points
Dark violet. Spicy blueberry and moss nose, with a bit less body than expected. Loss some vigor with time open. Blueberry, moss,blackberry, cedar, and coffee.
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10/27/2018 - D.Callahan Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very good Margaux. Definitely an old world style wine but hitting its stride 13 years after harvest.
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10/12/2018 - Primordialsoup Likes this wine: 92 Points
Inviting nose exhibiting the Margaux terroir which is almost always appreciated. Yet, a prominent barnyard funk continues thru entry and lingers into 2nd hour of decant when it begins to dissipate revealing the subtleties this wine has to offer. Dry with some alcohol and slightly astringent yet layered and balanced enough to be acceptable at this stage. Decent finish. An enjoyable wine given time.
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9/30/2018 - TexasBob wrote: 93 Points
Medium-dark violet-purple. Highly perfumed wine with notes of prime and raisin. Some prune with blackberry; really delicious.
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9/1/2018 - mclanew wrote: 90 Points
Nice nose of black currant, tobacco and flowers. The body is concentrated and decently integrated after a few hours decant with flavors of black berry, lead pencil and cassis. Unfortunately though there is a bit of alcoholic warmth and emptiness impacting the mid palate that limits the potential and flavor of this wine. Over time maybe this will integrate better.
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8/26/2018 - jww Likes this wine: 91 Points
very nice wine
closed at opening after an hour it was delightful
classic Bordeaux
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8/9/2018 - TCKM wrote: 92 Points
delicious
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8/3/2018 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
In excellent shape, with blackberry, cocoa, and licorice.
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7/10/2018 - jdtonic Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bitter bing cherry juice with a touch of sassafras, red currants and a whiff of cola/club/mineral. Ran out of decant time at two hours..
A good food wine- but what doesn’t work with crispy scallops and pork belly?
The non-serious wine dinner comment seems apt.
[Bottom of glass left overnight still bitter cherry dominates at breakfast.]
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7/7/2018 - aquaman Likes this wine: 91 Points
It was open for a big party.. But not bad.. Would buy again
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7/3/2018 - Dale M wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 6 hrs. No question this does carry a modern polish, its appearant on the nose, a glossy palate, etc. But it still has that cassis quality that to me anyway still stays Bordeaux vs a New World equivalent. Should be drinking for a decade plus - happy to have this with non serious wine people when a special occasion type wine is appropriate. Reminded me a lot of aged Andrew Will wine.
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6/30/2018 - mclanew wrote: 90 Points
Strange wine. First lesson. This needs a heavy decant. After an hour and a half this was awkward without a nose. An hour later better. Still the nose is modest for a margaux. The body is medium bodied and a touch austere. Black and blue fruit, minerals and touch of cigar box. Nice long but not yet complex finish. I think this wine will do better with age and is probably in a somewhat awkward drinking window now.
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4/30/2018 - Roentgen Ray wrote: 90 Points
Dark purple color.
Current aromas, with some high toned notes.
Clean blueberry and mineral notes on the tongue.
Slightly grippy tannins finish it out.
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4/7/2018 - gcarl wrote: 93 Points
I couldn't add to the 2/14/18 notes by up4wine:"Mighty fine '05 Margaux. Full fruit flavor with wonderful balance and very well integrated. Much smoother than I thought an '05 would be at this stage of development. Long finish. Great wine even though it was young.Great QPR ten years ago when I bought it for $50. Wish I had bought lots more.
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4/2/2018 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 92 Points
a nice early drinking window
earth, clay with some dark fruit and blueberries
liked by all
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3/11/2018 - AllRed wrote: 87 Points
Second Sunday Group: 2005 Bordeaux (R&D's): Double blind. Aromas of green tobacco, iron and red fruit. Red fruit on the palate, though dry and quite tannic and another with a hole in the midpalate and short fiinsh. Fleshes out somewhat with air.
My #5, Domino's #3
Group #3, 48 pts
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3/5/2018 - chuckos77 wrote: 85 Points
Not a huge fan. Didn't feel it had the flavors it should for a grand cru. Soft and non descriptive is best I can give it
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2/17/2018 - srh Likes this wine:
3 Shared Bottles (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): It was SO *generous* of you to share this 2nd Growth, Dr. Tom! :)
“45% Merlot, 52% C.S., & 3% P.V.; 13.5% ABV;”
N: Fragrant vanilla, rest tough to parse
P: LM body; LOVELY, almost swtish frt met by an astringent pucker which stays within hailing distance of the init frt as it slowly, seamlessly evolves into a quite LONG, BALANCED finish with a tangy/swtness & an OCCASIONAL *glimpse* of bitterness to the VERY fine tannins. In its window, but will likely still improve through '20/'21, poss more? My EXC, with more a distinct possibility before all is said & done. 15, 16 (3x), & 16.5++/20 Jancis Robinson, + 13 scores & 1 medal on wine-searcher's Tasting Notes pg. [As of late Mar '20, wine-searcher still shows 4 sources @ $140-$180].
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2/14/2018 - up4wine wrote: 92 Points
Mighty fine '05 Margaux. Full fruit flavor with wonderful balance and very well integrated. Much smoother than I thought an '05 would be at this stage of development. Long finish
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2/14/2018 - Barnaby33 wrote:
The fruit (red) is still present, but the tannins are very drying and there is heat on the finish. Did I wait to long?
Follow-up next day. After an hour it opened up considerably, but still was tannic and a bit hot on the finish. Waiting a few years may buy you more integration, but maybe just maybe it's never going to be great and popping one now is a good idea.
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1/7/2018 - tbabes wrote: 89 Points
Purchased as a future, with fill into the neck and a sound cork. A dark purple black core, with no real signs of age. Rather foursquare, with primary notes of dark fruit, asphalt and some oak. Texture was a bit brutish, particularly for the appellation and vintage. No "velvet" here, and seemed rather Californian in nature. Perhaps time will work its magic, but I have my doubts.
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1/7/2018 - Hazeo wrote: 90 Points
Tasted after two hours of air. Youthful in colour but the palette of dark fruitis quite soft already with a smooth silky mouthfeel. However, a little ripe and oaky, and overall a bit flat lacking depth and complexity. Disappointing given the previous bottle.
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12/9/2017 - NineteenEightyTwo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opaque crimson color. Popped and poured, this had an oddly bitter flavor around the edges of the tongue. I gave this a 4+ hours decant, which significantly improved things. This has a brooding nose of blackberry, graphite, perfume, and ink. The palate is luscious, composed of black fruit and the beginnings of some tertiary sous bois flavors. This finishes long, with tannins that have softened somewhat but would still support another 5-10 years in the cellar. This wine has been criticized by other tasters as overly oaky and modern, but I (usually being quite sensitive to this) didn't find this to be the case. In total, this was a middle-of-the-fairway Bordeaux just entering its drinking window.
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11/24/2017 - jww Likes this wine: 92 Points
wonderful wine pop and pour rich fruity nose
tasted blackberry and slight leathery and cedar
nice finish
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11/20/2017 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
Lovely blackberry fruit along with beautiful, racy fresh acidity. My last of a case from K&L.
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11/16/2017 - Serge Birbrair wrote:
Very Californiaesq. I'd never guess Bordeaux in blind tasting.
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11/12/2017 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Generous barnyard nose with some heat: A- Rich palate: B+/B++
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11/6/2017 - Poh Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bought 12 bottles that comes with OWC from a wine collector at a good price. First tasted 2009 vintage in 2013, that Margaux bottle has since left a distinctive memory in me. 2005 is a Margaux wine, earthy nose with long aftertaste. It was unbelievable.
Decanted for 1 hour.
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10/8/2017 - mwarren707 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well aged, ready to drink. Balanced with good earthy notes and blackberry and cherry notes. Great nose upon opening that softened and then perked back up after a 2 hour decant. Wonderful wine that can be drank now or wait a bit. Enjoyed with a hearty roast.
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8/17/2017 - nic.fcn wrote:
Second bottle. Better now, can still wait. Will try the next one in 2 years. Let it breathe in a carafe at least 2 hours.
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8/13/2017 - Two Winos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank from 375. Great little Margaux. Loved everything about it. Nose was classic Bordeaux funk.
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8/3/2017 - Sniffy-Sniff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Super aromatic right out of the bottle. Drank over a 2 hours. I liked it better early on, after about 30 minutes of air. Didn't really develop a lot of complexity with more air.
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7/27/2017 - Squirreljam wrote: 93 Points
Nose great from the pop with cedar, sour cherry notes. On the palate, soft at first then firming up with cranberry and some of that sour cherry. Edges had all disappeared, some secondary flavors but still comes across as, at most, young middle aged. Open and soft from the pop but developed more spine with about an hour's air and was very good.
Drank side-by-side with Brane-Cantenac 05 (first of a 6pack for both). At first I thought this was too soft and preferred the BC but after an hour or two of air, I ended up liking this one better, mostly because the BC had a weak nose.
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7/23/2017 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux Blends (Jason's house): Decanted 2 hours. An interesting mix of blueberry and tomato on the nose. Mostly graphite, smoke and red fruit on the palate. Tannins are still a bit high. I enjoyed the complexity of this wine, and feel it'll be better in 5 years.
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6/10/2017 - Fuzzy Squash Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent pairing with herb marinated lamb chops.
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6/10/2017 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 94 Points
WOTN at Vie
just a terrific expression of bordeaux blend without the $$$$
tart strawberries evolved into darker blueberries and always with the french earth undertones
fantastic with both appetizers and the sturgeon
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5/26/2017 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cedar, tabacco, dried red fruits, clove and cinnamon, chewy tannins but really resolved now, great balance and medium finish. This is drinking so well right now.
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5/19/2017 - Siebs Cellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very smooth. Good fruit, full mouth.
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5/15/2017 - jon_goodman1 wrote: 94 Points
i let it decant for 1 hour. it probably could have gone for another 1-2 hours. Great body and finish. Almost felt like a hybrid of old world and new world
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3/21/2017 - Chrisinroch wrote:
Pnp. Opened up nicely over about 90 minutes. Very drinkable now
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3/18/2017 - tbabes wrote: 92 Points
The 2005 Lascombes has evolved nicely since my last tasting note from 2011. Opened about an hour before dinner, no decant; the fill was into the neck and the cork was sound. Has already thrown a decent amount of sediment. Notes of ripe black fruits and vanilla; not your classic Margaux bouquet, but appealing. Medium bodied, with nice texture, grip and finish.
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3/17/2017 - dbkitc wrote: 89 Points
Deeply colored. Totally modern nose of rubber, charred oak and sweet fruit. Intense and filled with extract. Very good if you like this style - not my thing. Excellent underlying material. Still lots of tannin. Don’t know how it will age. Certainly, is not your father’s Margaux. (89+?)
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2/11/2017 - ovenmitt wrote: 89 Points
Very oaky and thick... I wouldn't know this as Bdx without having the bottle in front of me. I will hold on additional bottles with the hope that they even out a bit.
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2/10/2017 - moben wrote: 93 Points
Well within the prime drinking window but could definitely age more. Better the second day.
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1/15/2017 - Saadissimo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Aromatic with dark berries and lilacs. Medium bodied. Stony, dry, with good structure and decent finish.
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12/27/2016 - yinha wrote: 90 Points
Enjoyed at a house party. Was served slight too warm. Nevertheless enjoyable and drinking well, though clearly still young
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12/25/2016 - Boatdrinker Likes this wine:
Gotta be honest, this was Christmas dinner wine after a looong day and a looong week. I remember it being delicious, which is enough for me.
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12/17/2016 - bablues wrote: 95 Points
6th Annual Christmas dinner and cellar raid (Naperville, IL): Part of Christmas Dinner and Cellar Raid, didn't take detailed notes. Been sitting on these for quite some time. I love the 05's and want to wait to give them time to evolve but was happy that someone chose this as I think it's the right time to take a peek and see what is there. This is amazing and will continue to show more as time goes on.
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12/12/2016 - KeithAkers wrote: 75 Points
Rotating Dinner Series- 2005 Blind Bordeaux Blends from around the world (The Bristol, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose is purely driven by oak and extraction with black cherries, loads of coffee grounds, licorice, anisette, and black berries. All of that is wrapped up in oak with some alcohol notes as well.
Taste: Full bodied with medium acidity and high tannins. The tannins are wood driven and prominent with black cherries, coffee grounds, licorice, anisette, and black fruits. The oak is over bearing and the tones are alcoholic.
Overall: This was terribly disappointing. It is all about the extraction and oak while ignoring balance.
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12/12/2016 - acyso wrote: 70 Points
The Rotating Dinners, I.7: 2005 Bordeaux Blends (Chicago, IL): Served double-blind (but it was known this was a 2005 Bordeaux blend). To properly describe this wine, I have replaced all the adjectives in my original tasting note with "oaky": Oaky and oaky, oaky and over-oaked. Oaky and oaky, an oaky bruiser of a wine. An oaky, heavy-oaked wine. I guessed oaky Bordeaux. So now that it's clear how idiotic things are when there's only oak everywhere, here's the original note: dark and leathery; dense and over-extracted. Heavy and anonymous, a real bruiser of a wine. An uninspiring heavy-handed wine. I guessed modern Bordeaux.
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12/4/2016 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same comments. Give this a few hours and you will be rewarded. Very nice 10 year old Bordeaux, hitting its stride and very easy to gulp down. Should buy some more Lascombes - good QPR.
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11/27/2016 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking well now with a few hours of air, but still a lot of tannin and structure that overpowers the fruit a bit. Surely this will be better in a few years.
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10/29/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Brisket Bash Deux: 10 Vintage Vertical of Clos de Papes and more (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Very dark purple/red color. Two hours of air i believe. Small pour. Wasn't taking notes at this point. Good Margaux nose, has that nice core of '05 fruit and concentration, still a bit primary, and some firm tannins. I think this is going to be much better in an another 3-5 years. The trio of 02, 03, and '04 are prettier right now and more ready. 92(+)pts.
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10/19/2016 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar notes to last time.
Great QPR.
Ready to go in my opinion.
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10/17/2016 - Loekkeboe wrote:
Very good and concentrated. Elegant.
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8/27/2016 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic Margaux in an amazing vintage drinking very well right now. After an hour decant, was stunned how smooth the dark berry fruit integrated with the tannins. Secondary flavors of anise, smoke and earth are present in every sip...unmistakingly bordeaux. Exceeded every expectation.
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8/27/2016 - timdrex wrote: 92 Points
Color is dark and opaque. Concentrated fruit, some smoke & leather, gravel. Tannins firm but not grippy. Drinking pretty well now, but has lots of life left.
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8/9/2016 - ADiamond Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking very well now, low tannins, fruit up front
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7/31/2016 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deliberate infanticide (that wasn't!). Two hour decant.
Concentrated red and black hedgeberries with smoke, tobacco and hints of sweet anise and spice. Smooth integrated tannins. Velvety, elegant and Margaux to the core.
Drinking beautifully now but have no doubt will see out the next decade and quite probably garner an extra point or two. 93+?+
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7/31/2016 - cliffkol wrote: 94 Points
Layered, concentrated flavors, great structure. Earthy, dark berries, firm tannins. Will age well with more time. Decant an hour. WOTN for Steve and Linda.
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7/18/2016 - jonanator wrote: 93 Points
Similar notes to last bottle. Very, very good. Drinking well now but more time will really allow this to blossom.
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7/6/2016 - JMFWC Likes this wine: 91 Points
Showing well with pretty leather notes but still young. Needs 10 more years or so.
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6/24/2016 - chablis28 wrote: 92 Points
I'd pretty much agree with Indiscriminate Palate's note from earlier this month. Shows nice overall balance but has plenty of oak to integrate yet. This actually worked very well as a dessert wine with our chocolate torts tonight. 13.5%. I could see owning this wine if the price is sub $70. It leans modern in style but is very tasty.
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6/23/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Tapas & an Embarassment of Riches at Craig's (Craig & Nita's Place): Very dark/purple red color. Drank 1 glass over an hour. Full bodied, young, firm tannins, blackberry, blackberry liqueur like, currants, spiced wood, really good with the chocolate tart as Chablis 28 noted. Very tasty, but this is a big vintage and it needs another 10 years to be a peak.
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6/8/2016 - indiscriminate palate wrote: 91 Points
Very dark, opaque ruby. Fairly rich nose of darker ripe red fruit, cedar, and graphite; not a Margaux nose, but certainly Bordeaux. The palate is rich, with red and black fruit, loads of graphite, black tea, and some spicy oak and vanilla. Very tight, with loads of tannin and medium acid. Big, but not grotesquely so. Still quite young and unyielding, but with nice potential. Some mineral on the medium-length cassis/cherry finish. Very good. 90-93.
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5/2/2016 - jww Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened and drank right away
Slightly closed and austere
Mineral, flinty some cedar
Started to evolve over a hour seems to have great potential
Try again in couple of years
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4/24/2016 - cpsmith33 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had to pop and pour so ran through aerator.
Very nice classic earth/tobacco and some barnyard you get from some aged Bordeaux. Blueberry, red fruits smooth and easy to drink.
A couple more years on the last two.
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4/17/2016 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 93 Points
Others liked the 2003 clerc milon better but this was my WOTN
french mud balanced nicely with some dark fruit and blueberry
simply terrific
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3/31/2016 - Blue Shorts Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful.
Poured through a Vinturi into a carafe and let it breathe for about an hour.
The wine is singing. Beautiful nose of blackberries, cherries, with just a touch of leather and earth. Taste is of fresh black fruit, a touch of nutmeg and baking spices. Long, somewhat tannic finish.
Delicious. Drink or hold.
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3/26/2016 - Primordialsoup Likes this wine: 91 Points
After a very nice nose, not getting much from this after a 3hr decant. Seemed a bit muted. Closed? Enjoyed, but was hoping for more oomph.
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3/10/2016 - wdlohr wrote: 92 Points
rich black color with aromas of gravel and mellow earth. Nice blend of spicy poor and subtle smooth pepper
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3/8/2016 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured at lunch. Had it with French Onion soup and a braised Lamb Sandwich. This is really in a great place right now. I'm sure it will get better over the next few years, but its not a crime to drink it today. Dark red color, rich mouth feel, and subtle (but there) dark red fruits. Medium-long finish.
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3/6/2016 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Pulled this to replace a pruney 1997 Dalla Valle cab. This was just slightly better. A charred oak taste blanketed the beautiful fruit. What a shame.
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2/20/2016 - SMagowan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Enjoyed as part of a “same vintage [2005], different place” tasting.
The three wines were the Havens Bourriquot, Chateau Lascombes and Domenico Clerico Barolo Pajana.
The Havens (91-92) had a great broad nose with a bright red center evolving to pale brick red at the edges. On the tongue there was a surprising amount of fruit in balance with the tannins. The taste of the fruit was predominantly black cherry with a touch of tobacco.
The Clerico (90) was pale brick red and unexpectedly fruit forward. It was jammy with lots of strawberry and sweetness. I found it very attractive and it was jaw loosening.
The Lascombes (93+) was the wine of the night for me. It is blood red with a flowered yet heady nose. On the tongue it was all about balance among fruit, tannin, earth and air. It was delicious.
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2/6/2016 - Sundbyberg wrote: 93 Points
My third time with this vintage. The first time was quite a sweet experince, while the second tasting can be summarized with one word: oak.
This third time, given 20-30 minutes in the glass the oak disappears and the great, sweet, old school, fruit is starting to show. 93 as of now, with the potential to reach 94-95 pts.
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2/3/2016 - acyso wrote: 70 Points
Flickinger Tasting at The Casino (Chicago, IL): From double-magnum. The nose is promising enough, with some very lovely black fruits and a touch of graphite, although the Margaux perfume seems to be missing. The palate is just awful though. Syrupy and sickly sweet, followed with an offensive bitter streak of oak, this belongs in the vanguard of all that is wrong with Bordeaux today: Angelus, Pavie, Domaine de Chevalier, Pape Clement, and friends.
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1/18/2016 - jonanator wrote: 93 Points
Early maturity now and just so enjoyable right now. After a 2hr decant, this was just singing. Lovely ripe dark purple fruits and anise on the palate. Silky tannins that are well integrated. Very good.
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1/14/2016 - joeoei Likes this wine: 90 Points
Grape: a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot
Color: dark ruby
Aroma/ bouquet: dark fruit
Taste: deep, balanced, long finish. I like the concentration of fruit, level of tannins, and acidity.
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1/12/2016 - MarcelloW Likes this wine: 93 Points
I think RP underrated this wine a lot on his last tasting in 2015. (88+) The wine is still young, but with a good decant already a pleasure to drink. Everybody at the table liked it.
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1/1/2016 - JROBAZZI Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like meaty, tobacco, coffee and oak. It tastes like black currant (cassis), blackberry, fig, meaty and tobacco. The body is medium/full. The wine has polished texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has high acidity.
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1/1/2016 - Walkersj Likes this wine: 92 Points
One hour decant, elegant old world claret.
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12/31/2015 - Gail and Len wrote: 90 Points
Rich, dense, but not as complex nor pleasing as the last bottle consumed two years before. Had with rack of lamb New Years Eve. Decanted for three hours. Still plenty of firm tannins and acidity but maybe not fully integrated. Going to wait maybe three years minimum before popping the next one. Maybe just in an awkward stage right now.
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12/27/2015 - Yorgos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark ruby. Very funky nose initially; it was decanted and left for some 3 hours to breath. Afterwards the funk was almost gone. The nose was complex with blackberry, ripe plum, cassis, spice, barnyard nuances and cigar box notes. Medium+ body with sticky tannin and medium acidity. More earthy that fruity with the oak still quite prominent through a combination of spice and tobacco. You can sense dark ripe fruit flavors mainly towards the end. Medium to long finish. Good balance but it will be better in a couple of years.
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12/14/2015 - tim m wrote: 92 Points
This is still developing and needs to be aerated to open up. Really nice balanced wine.
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11/26/2015 - colorflavorlocking wrote: 85 Points
Surprised this wine was bordeaux. Sweet black fruit, too much oak. A mess. But this wine is so huge it is hard not to like.
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11/16/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
The Cabernet was very apparent here after the Bordeaux Funk wore off, great cassis, cherry, currants, tea and tobacco. Very clean fruit, great balance and a medium tannins still left. This is still drinking well right now but can easily age for another 5-10.
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11/15/2015 - WorldTraveler Al Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank with Merlot and Petit Verdot from California for varietal comparison. Black fruit nose with a bit of jammy. After couple hours cigar box and mineral emerge from blackberry. Purple Velvet texture with subtle tannin for long finish. In the beginning nose and palate is closer to Merlot, 2 hours later, it has more Petit Verdot than Merlot with additional complexity.
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11/6/2015 - MarcelloW Likes this wine: 94 Points
I loved it. Nice fruit with a Margaux typical body. Elegant. Long finish. Needs couple of hours air to smoothen. This was the best Lascombes I ever tried. I just called my wine shop to buy another case.
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10/11/2015 - dbg wrote:
Only 3 months since the last bottle but this one comes across as noticeably less alcoholic. Still modern and oaky but decent fruit and nice finish. Very good.
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9/19/2015 - ctjared Likes this wine:
Drinking very well. Integrated with medium plus finish
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8/26/2015 - jmoon Likes this wine: 94 Points
fattening up. Quite tannic first hour, really needs good protein. Sung with beef. Day four after fridge storage still great dark deep and delicious. One of my favourite wines
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8/19/2015 - Ispendtoomuchmoneyonwine Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very nice wine. Good fruit and concentration. Deep with good body, but had no sense of place no terroir nothing Margaux about it. This wine could have come from anywhere. Because of that fact it wasn't the real deal for me. But no doubt a fine wine and as usual overpriced
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8/18/2015 - soyhead wrote:
Nose - with 1 hr aeration improves, giving a smoky & funky rich nose with suggestions of dark berry, coffee, and turned earth
Mouth - also rich, well delineated, mocha, dark berry, with mouthcoating tannins. This was more charming and fruity in its youth and is more funky and complex with age though I can see it needing another decade to really be ready. Sadly for me I lack perseverance this being bottle 3 of 3.
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8/11/2015 - khmark7 wrote: 89 Points
Interesting.....aromatic, ready to drink without any decant and very soft. No hard tannins or sharp flavors, just a nice approachable red. Grapey juicy finish, but lacking any complexity, hence the 89 score.
I was expecting a monster but this is rather refined considering the vintage.
My bottles were stored in an Eurocave until the last year.
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8/8/2015 - EuroCaveNZ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking really well right now. Rich aroma, firm tannins (a little grainy) but good balance and length. Distinctly savoury (in a pleasant way)
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7/22/2015 - jmoon Likes this wine: 94 Points
in a great place...and will only get better for sure
Delicious from first pour but a little tannic : tight
Loosen up nicely after 1/2 hour in decant and started to sing after an hour or so; started w cassis then plush dark chocolatety, plums
Classy, unlike this note.
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7/20/2015 - RichardP wrote: 92 Points
This was opened and allowed to stand for four hours. Early on, this showed a moderate amount of sweet dark fruit with a bitter tobacco finish, but as time went by some currant and cherry showed up, and the bitterness subsided. The nose shows camphor and eucalyptus. I would not have guessed this was a Margaux, but otherwise this is a good Bordeaux with some room to improve in the future.
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7/5/2015 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release. Perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour. Dark red to rim. Oak and alcoholic heat dominate cassis and savory umami notes on the nose. Ripe fruit and oak on the palate, noticeable alcohol, medium body, no real Margaux-ness, not sure that the fruit will outlast the oak and alcohol, but pretty good if you're not oak averse and drink this as a cocktail wine. ABV on the label is 13.5%, not that high, but tastes more alcoholic than wines with higher ABVs. Good-very good depending on your oak tolerance.
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6/30/2015 - pakabear Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose explodes with cedar, tobacco, tea, eucalyptus, mint and cherry cassis liquor. Palate is silky, medium red fruit, fairly integrated tannins and very good length and balance. I had to try this after Parker's recent review of the wine and I'll have to say he had a bad bottle as this is very good. it's not a profound wine, but it drinks well now and will last another 10 years.
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5/27/2015 - Uglypinga Likes this wine:
Oaky nose with olives, cheese rind and some florals. The palate is full of tannins and more Brie. Some crunchy fruit behind it. Way too young.
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5/25/2015 - Purple Tooth wrote: 94 Points
This feminine Margaux is well in the middle of phase one, and drinking oh so beautifully..Full of vigor and class. Has developed a tobacco nose that transitions to mild espresso and truffle on the plate with perfect sweetness, complete balance, elegance, and finesse. The finish is quite long and the dry grip make it so light footed and sexy...This is a "beautiful" wine.
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5/8/2015 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 93 Points
I was able to decant and let this sit for over an hour before drinking, which really helped. It still took another hour to open up. But when it did, this was a great wine. Earthy barnyard on the nose and herbal/ spicy on the palate with some plummy fruit. Smooth and long finish, this was a very well balanced wine. It went very well with multiple foods served at a Spanish themed dinner. Paella, Garlic shrimp, and sliced sirloin steak. I have three bottles left, and there is a lot of life left in this wine. It should last for many more years.
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4/17/2015 - Plabella wrote: 95 Points
great structure tasted like a real Margaux, dirty, tabacco and dark fruit
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4/11/2015 - Livermore wrote: 94 Points
Concentrated and with prominent tannins. Full-bodied with a long finish. Very well balanced.
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4/10/2015 - fritza wrote: 92 Points
We had this for my wife's birthday at L'Antibes. We shared sweetbreads appetizer My wife had duck breast and I had Pork tenderloin. All perfect with the Lascombes.
Although left bank, it has a strong component of Merlot which adds mellowness to this earthy Bordeaux. Earthy barnyard on the nose and herbal/ spicy on the palate with plum (Merlot). Smooth finish, I don't get the strong tannins others have mentioned
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4/7/2015 - Sundbyberg wrote: 87 Points
Had this wine maybe six months ago and thought it was great, scored it 94. This time the oak was just overwhelming. Pnp.
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3/30/2015 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
2005 Bordeaux Retrospective (Morrell Wine, 1 Rockefeller Plaza): The nose showed dark berry, floral tones, earth and minerals with hints of sweet herbs. This was immensely pretty to say the least, as it turned darker and sweeter with air. On the palate, I found soft textures giving way to dark, mature fruit tones with hints of plum and savory herbs. It was immediate yet delectable on the nose and palate, finishing with dark fruits and inner floral tones.
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3/29/2015 - Wizaard1 wrote: 92 Points
Classic margaux style, coffee, chocolate after a few hours of opening
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3/22/2015 - mnoljo wrote: 93 Points
Black fruit on the nose and a fruit explosion which gave way to a tannic finish. I think this wine still has a lot of upside as the last glass was the best after a long decant and dinner.
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3/21/2015 - Vino Me wrote: 94 Points
Opened by Mark. Decanted for 4 hours. I loved this wine on release and it excellent again although I liked it slightly better before it closed down. Dark garnet and slightly cloudy. A little funk on the nose at first. Earthy texture with notes of roses, tar and leather. Dry finish. Full bodied. Might need the most time of any of the 5 bordeaux we opened. 94+ points but drinking a few points less than that now.
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2/6/2015 - yenda Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still young yet pleasant to drink
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1/29/2015 - PanosKakaviatos Does not like this wine:
Bordeaux 2005 : Ten years on (Bordeaux Index London): Very oaky on the nose. Richness on the mid palate, there is juiciness, but it is drying on the finish. Not sure about the future here, seems to be too oaky and dry for the long run… but perhaps will please other palates. Rating reserved.
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1/24/2015 - Surfdoc wrote: 92 Points
Smooth, dark cassis with graphite, cedar and an underlying earthiness. Medium-soft tannins give good structure and a nice finish.
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1/3/2015 - Hermosabritdad wrote: 89 Points
Sweet red berry Cab nose and palette, and not as much wood as other reviewed. Was pleasant enough, but not as complex as I hoped. Expected it to get better as it opened, but it didn't change much. Was considering getting more of this, but may just stay with my initial purchase.
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1/1/2015 - InflationHedge Likes this wine: 94 Points
The 05 Lascombes continues to perform beautifully and consistently. Still young, loaded with dark fruit, with cassis and dark chocalate notes. Silky texture and lively tannins leaves me looking forward to the next bottle. A great wine and outstanding value.
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12/30/2014 - colorflavorlocking wrote: 80 Points
Sweet, but not porty. Blubbery. But you have to respect the gall of it.
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12/27/2014 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 93 Points
Dark purple, concentrated. The nose took 2 hours to open fully, and was totally closed down in the first hour. Black currant, blueberry, smoke, graphite, cigarbox, and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, solid mid-palate. Firm tannins need time to soften. Long, lingering finish. I would guess that this will really shine in 5 years, though it is enjoyable now if you give it enough air.
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12/27/2014 - slippytoad Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep, dark fruit, quite backward. Leather, smoke, cedar. Really great!
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12/25/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points
Christmas eve in the OC, drank along with an 05 St Emilion for a comparison. Decanted for about 90 minutes to have with dinner. Wanted to revisit this one - the longer decant made a difference with this bottle.
Nice deep purple color. Nose had some barnyard funk that blows off after a bit, classic Margaux nose underneath. Dark fruits, currants, cedar, tobacco, anise. Blackberry and lavender on the mid palate. Nice texture, layered and long finish. Elegant wine that will continue to evolve.
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12/25/2014 - Primordialsoup Likes this wine: 93 Points
2-3 hour decant. Expressive showing Margaux on nose and palate. More barn yard funk than I expected and than I remember from prior bottles, but it blows off with time. Integrated fine tannins and some astringency. Layers reveal themselves on the journey. Delicious now but loads of time left as would be expected. Decant recommended.
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12/12/2014 - MattB72 wrote: 94 Points
great wine. 2 hr decant. Still early, try next one in 2016+
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12/7/2014 - jeffal66 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful deep purple and expansive bouquet. Piles of black fruit, tar, earth. Concentrated and intense, clearly young. Decent acidity and tannins. I will sit on my last bottle for 5-10 years.
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12/5/2014 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 94 Points
Jag såg att jag skrev väldigt passande sista jag drack detta så att jag infogar samma text.
Lascombes 2005 är verkligen ett otroligt insmickrande vin. Jag såg precis att vi redan korkat upp mer än en låda de senaste 3 åren.
Otroligt inbjudan doft med mörk frukt, rostade kaffeböner, lakrits, läder, cigarrlåda, blyerts, rosor och allt vad man kan önska av en Bordeaux från 2005. Otroligt fylligt, kraftfullt och komplext utan att tappa elegansen. Och vilken magiskt lång eftersmak.
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11/18/2014 - Sundbyberg wrote: 94 Points
After 30-45 minutes in the glass:
Sweet, seductive, old world, fruit, medium to full bodied, a bit dark, not very complex, but quite beautiful. Oaky at the end, but it works well. Should gain 1-2 points with cellaring.
Had the 2008 some years ago and thought it was close to awful due to a lot of oak, but the 2005 was a very different experience.
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11/14/2014 - jmoon Likes this wine: 93 Points
as per prev notes. More resolved, slightly less thrilling. 1 hr decant
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11/2/2014 - BillyT wrote: 93 Points
Drank too early but what a fabulous exression of true Margaux. Drank some time ago and just now recording so notes are fleeting. What I can say is that the nose, mouth feel, fruit, structure and balance were at their peak. While this wine has more time it is drinking fabulously now and you won't regret drinking it young.
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10/26/2014 - jmoon Likes this wine: 94 Points
as per prev notes... 2 he decant. Darl violets and black currant , Margaux elegance, cool and well balanced. Med to full bodied
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10/11/2014 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Regular dinner group (@ EM): Beautiful bouquet with red and black forest fruits and beautiful oak. On the palate some autumn impressions, some sweetness, firm acidity and tannin with a good bite and firm bitterness. Although the bouquet shows some development, in the mouth it is still youthful. In fact still a bit too young. Beautiful wine. Try again around 2018 - 2020. 92+ for now.
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10/10/2014 - jmoon Likes this wine: 94 Points
As per prev notes; cool fresh blueberries, plums, dark deep and delicious. I just love it... But needs 1-2 hour decant and ideally 16 degrees C serve as the fruit gets darker and fresher when slightly cool.
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10/9/2014 - tb76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
My #1 and Tie for 1st in group of 4 versus "05 Ch. La Croix St. Georges, "05 La Gomerie, and '05 Leoville Barton. Garnet with thin translucent rim. Rich dark fruit, spices, on the nose, a bit of oak, blackberries, and baked blueberries on the palate covering the tannins entirely. Drank over 4 hour evening and it never let up continuing to come on till the end. Fine to medium tannins are still present. Medium + finish. Excellent wine which is approachable with a decant but has more years. So bummed I don't have more of these...
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9/14/2014 - timdrex Likes this wine: 92 Points
nice aromas on the nose, including notes of a musty cellar.
on the palate, red fruit and medium oak. Tannins are medium to firm, and not yet well-integrated. I think at least 5 more years until this wine hits its stride. note to self: try another in 2016.
overall, this wine is nicely expressive and should mature into a beauty that represents the region well.
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8/17/2014 - ctjared Likes this wine:
needs air and likely some time
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8/8/2014 - pavel_p wrote: 92 Points
PnP at home. Garnet with thin translucent rim. This is wide open immediately upon opening. Dark fruit, spices, Christmas cake on the nose, a fair bit of oak and sweet dark and red fruit on the palate covering the tannins entirely. While this is young, it is clearly already more integrated than those 09/10s, and pleasant to drink. The wine closes after about 45min in the decanter, the fruit pulls back and fine to medium tannins appear.
Left the decanter in the warm living room and came back to the wine a good 4h later. After applying some ice on the decanter this is indeed showing much improved, the oak is far more subtle, making the sweet, red and dark fruit shine. Fine to medium tannins are still present. Medium to medium + finish. Excellent wine which is approachable with a long decant but is best left alone for a few more years. 92+
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7/11/2014 - Lilja Likes this wine: 94 Points
¤FW - What a remarkable wine! Stunning concentration, and even though it's heavy oaked it doesn't feel heavy or too much. Lots of tobacco and coffee together with blackcurrant and ceder.
Full bodied, with good acidity and a sublime intensity. A masterpiece from a great vintage!
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6/22/2014 - Roentgen Ray wrote:
Tight and closed.
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6/16/2014 - edwilley3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
First bottle consumed since Christmas 2013. Decanted over 6 hours; threw only moderate sediment. The wine really started to open up after 5 hours, showcasing a lovely bouquet of fruits (more red and blue than black) backed up up subtle smokiness and a line of savoriness (salt, a touch of meatiness, etc.) that made this wine scream for a something robustly flavored with herbs such as lamb. (I say "robust", not "bold" or "spice".) Tannins after hour 6 were quite silky, although after just a couple of hours in the decanter a person would have missed the boat on this wine completely, including finding the tannins needing more time to resolve. What impressed me more is that this wine really enters elegantly and grows continually through the mid palate and into the finish. It's undoubtedly a modern Bordeaux but it also exhibits very fine balance and a structure that while not quite seamless is very well done, provided one decants. Honestly, before it got to 6 hours I found that the palate did not meet the expectations created by the nose. I expect a long life ahead. Feel free to drink some now if you are prepared to decant, but by all means try to hold back a number of bottles.
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6/14/2014 - andtheodor wrote: 91 Points
Tasted blind. Mocha, blackberry, barnyard, tobacco nose with some charcoal and vanilla creeping in. Violets, mineral, sage, cool, tannic palate. Obvious oak signature, especially the acrid oak tannin on the back end, but I don't find this objectionably oaky at all, just way too young.
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6/4/2014 - Frankaa wrote: 90 Points
Needs some more time in the
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5/3/2014 - libero wrote: 94 Points
My guests (Amateur sommelier) compared it with Don Melchor 2003 ( 93) and rated it as a solid 94. Already well balanced, we decanted for one hour and the aromas showed up. Dark red Margaux , velvety, round and really delicious.
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4/4/2014 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 95 Points
Efter den otroligt hedonistiska kvällen i onsdags då vi klunkade i oss 10 st fantastiska Bordeaux årgång 2000 och lite andra trevligheter som Krug så fick man ju ikväll fortsätta på Bordeauxtemat.
Lascombes 2005 är verkligen ett otroligt insmickrande vin. Jag såg precis att vi redan korkat upp mer än en låda de senaste 3 åren.
Otroligt inbjudan doft med mörk frukt, rostade kaffeböner, lakrits, läder, cigarrlåda, blyerts, rosor och allt vad man kan önska av en Bordeaux från 2005. Otroligt fylligt, kraftfullt och komplext utan att tappa elegansen. Och vilken magiskt lång eftersmak.
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3/29/2014 - grafstrb wrote:
-- double-decanted approx. 2 hours before tasting --
-- tasted a couple pours non-blind over a couple hours --
Violet-ruby color of medium-deep depth. Smoky coffee and red Twizzlers licorice on the Nose. Medium bodied. Black cherry flavor, with a little bit of earthy funk; good acidity; medium tannins still need time to settle; very good; seems that it will continue to age nicely.
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3/15/2014 - jfurey21 wrote: 94 Points
wow. wow. wow. opened up gloriously after two hours. Just brilliant.
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3/15/2014 - Gail and Len Likes this wine: 93 Points
Exquisite Margaux. Drinking very well now. Opened and decanted an hour on the occasion of Gail's 50th birthday. Dined at home on black ink linguini with Amatriciana sauce. Wouldn't have mattered. This wine was delicious.
Velvety texture, dark brooding color. Long finish. Praise The Lord that I have a few more.
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2/15/2014 - Primordialsoup Likes this wine: 93 Points
Two hour decant and drank over one more- improved out of bottle over time. Wonderfully expressive nose of flowers and slate, earth, graphite and camphor- Margaux showing through and showing off. Still a bit tight on entry w/ slight bitter edge initially but that fades over time. Almost turns creamy with dark pitted-fruit, charcoal, and a hint of rose petals. Dusty tannins that finishes with grip. Has the stuffing for easily another ten. So good it makes me want to open another bottle but I'll revisit in a year and again and again while trying to hold for another decade.
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1/8/2014 - BillyT wrote: 92 Points
Dumb, Dumb and Dumbmer. I made an impulsive choice when in a rush. Wonderful, excellent, beautiful wine that should have been allowed to sleep. Took to restaurant so notes not available. The wine has rich color and aromatics on the nose. Palate smooth and silky with well integrated tannins and good acidity. Black fruit permeates palate into a quasi-dry lingering finish. Sorry notes not more detailed.
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1/3/2014 - robertdtwo wrote: 91 Points
PnP might've knocked a point or two off score… In 2010/11 I was certain this wine was headed for mid-90s, but now I'm not so sure. Floral nose has diminished a bit, but dark fruit palate remains. The lovely mild mineral and barnyard has subsided and, frankly, it seems a bit flat right now. Interesting to note that a TON of sediment remained after pouring last glass, and I don't remember that from opening last one almost two years ago. The chocolate finish wasn't there this time, either.
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12/26/2013 - levinml wrote: 94 Points
Drank over two nights, and much better second night. In fact, really excellent second night, with pure fruit flavors shining through the structure. Even first night this was approachable, but i'd wait another couple years before drinking again.
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12/22/2013 - Davyd Chong wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured into a decanter, and then served immediately. Should have waited longer! Initially quite harsh and tannic, the wine gradually got better and better after an hour. Nice underlying sweetness, quite chewy and creamy on the palate, hints of licorice and lots of juicy dark fruits. Paired well with Chinese food. Will have to try it again next time after proper decanting for 2 hours!
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12/15/2013 - jmoon Likes this wine: 94 Points
Elegant cool Margaux style. Luscious and captivating blue and black fruits and subtle wood. Really delicious, great buying.
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12/3/2013 - maarviken wrote:
Fantastisk bra og balansert
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11/25/2013 - Drankard Does not like this wine:
Great juice in the wrong hands. It is everything wrong with bad-modern wines. I like the 2004 Lascombes but this vintage is bad. Conclusion: A great vintage in the wrong hands= bad wine. Lesson learned.
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11/17/2013 - docscottgs Likes this wine:
tremendous terroir, minerals on the nose and wonderfully integrated taste. subtle tannins. I decanted for three hours, and in retrospect, that was probably too much, with a bit of the zest of the wine dissipating. 92
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11/11/2013 - Tarpon222 wrote: 91 Points
To be fair I'm not a regular Bordeaux drinker. This was open for at least 3 hours before I began to enjoy. Even better the second night. Tannins suggest this has a way to go to I'll trust the experts and wait a few years to open the next one
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10/18/2013 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
Full bodied, decadent wine. Layers of flavor. Beautiful, powerful nose. Berries, flowers, lead pencil. And tops it off with a great finish. Still a baby.
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10/11/2013 - Winepop7 wrote: 92 Points
I had to try one (knowing it needs time). This has fantastic potential and is decent now. Elegant, balanced Margaux. Darker fruit, well balanced tannins, some earth and spice same through as it decanted. Very smooth now. Was very nice, shows great promise. Resist the urge to drink now and let it rest another 5+ years and will be rewarded. 92 now, should become 95 easy.
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9/27/2013 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful bouquet with cassis, luxurious toasted oak and a very pleasant bit of barnyard which blows off after a while. On the palate red as well as black forest fruits, ink, juicy acidity, lovely oak, round tannin with a soft bite and a great concentration. A luxurious and lush wine. Modern and classical at the same time. Starting to show itself slowly now, so young puberty stage. Around 2020 this will probably be a feast. 93+ for now.
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9/21/2013 - jonanator wrote: 92 Points
So balanced. Obviously young but hints to a great future. One of the better examples of a good lascombes. Delicious Margaux
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9/9/2013 - laurajane832 wrote:
A gorgeous example of Lascombes, the 2005, a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45%
beautiful perfume of spring flowers, blueberries, blackberries, creosote, and graphite, full
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9/6/2013 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 92 Points
The victim of poor location in the batting order. This was drunk after a '95 Leo-Poy, which was miles more developed, open, and masculine in nature. Still, this effort held its own with style and grace, as any quality Margeaux should.
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8/11/2013 - Pemberton Michael Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely. Definitely Margeaux - needs more bottle time.
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7/28/2013 - jtinto Likes this wine: 92 Points
Already drinking great especially with a little air. Very proportioned. No detailed notes.
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6/22/2013 - GlöckliWein wrote: 95 Points
EXEPTIONEL !°°
outstanding for this Chateau !
Great and thick Juice !
very concentrated and very well off land of a typicall Lascombes..
going into a Pontet canet 2003 and more !
a very fantastic beautiful and rich LASCOMBES !!!
95 of 100 points !
GREAT STUFF
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6/21/2013 - Edward Hafer wrote: 93 Points
Excellent wine, really got going after 2 hours of air.
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6/9/2013 - Dsen Likes this wine: 93 Points
good structure and concentration
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5/15/2013 - Grinner wrote: 93 Points
Decanted an hour and the aroma jumped right out of the decanter. While still obviously young, this was the first '05 Bordeaux I've truly enjoyed. Others have been too stern still. We can count on Margaux to come around a little sooner than say a St Julien can't we? Black currant, graphite, tobacco, plum, and a floral note all on decent tannins. This will be fine in 2015!
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5/13/2013 - Chrisinroch wrote:
Decanted 3 hours. Paired nicely with filet w port wine demi glace. Open for business; nice balance but a just maybe a bit one-dimensional at this point.
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5/11/2013 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Nearly four years to the day since I last tasted this, and not sure if it was less interesting now than it was then because it's aged, or because it was served in the middle of four other quite superior wines (guessing both, actually).
A fine example of a wine that was better on release - not all the wines in this zip code get better. In the instant case, this followed an '03 Leoville-Barton, second was a 2001 Pavie (the wines that followed this Lascombes were the '03 Pichon-Longueville CdL, and finally the '03 Cos d'Estournel). Perhaps an illustration sums up the performance of this wine better than a traditional tasting note: L-B, excellent, the top of the wave, so to speak, then Pavie, ok, not the top of the wave, but not too far from it, then the Lascombes, the bottom of the wave, with thoughts instantly turning to getting back on top of that wave - which I certainly did once I'd tasted the '03 Cos d'Estournel).
All of this is tantamount to saying that with the oak having softened since release, a much clearer sense of what this is actually composed of, becomes evident. This was my least favorite red on the night, behind a mediocre '05 Cain Five. So very glad I didn't buy that 3.0L on release. Drink sooner than later.
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5/9/2013 - chatters wrote:
United Cellars Grand Bordeaux Tasting 2013 (Royal Automobile Club, Macquarie Street, Sydney): Deep ruby. Aromas of perfumed, slight cheese, slight meat, spice, black currant and almost cherry. High tannin, touches of white pepper spice, big front of mouth tannin grip, all layered over black fruit. Still young, needs time, lovely.
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5/4/2013 - Lessthanzero wrote:
Silky smooth and elegant. This really shouldn't be as open as it was? Makes me wonder how long this will go.
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4/12/2013 - libero wrote: 93 Points
Very dark red bordeau color, translucid, aromas of cassis, red berries,
Well balanced tannins and acciditynand spices. A great Margaux that keeps improving. Much, much better and harmonic than 8 months ago.
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4/6/2013 - JJA wrote: 91 Points
I opened my first bottle of this knowing full well that this is really way too young to drink, but I wanted to see how it is performing at this stage. I didn't decant it, but opened the bottle 3 hours before serving. Classic Bordeaux aroma. Very nice complexity. But a bit thin and not enough acidity. So I'm not sure what to make of this. It's quite possible that this wine is shut down at the moment. I'll try the next bottle in a few years to see how things are progressing.
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3/26/2013 - BillyT wrote: 93 Points
Ok, Wow, stunning, elegant, smooth well integrated tannins, well structured. Don't have more becaue we were at dinner with firends. Great wine.
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3/23/2013 - canan wrote: 96 Points
Misc Bordeaux (Frederiksberg): Impressive nose with sewage, coffee and lots of black currants/dark plum.
Equally impressive dense and compact black currant palate that is quite intense. Huge backbone of acidity and tannins.
Surprisingly this is just a huge wine.
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3/13/2013 - Robert Pavlovich wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful wine, glad to see some friends with this.
Love the texture and balance on this. It's light on its feet, with all elements working together very well. Crisp acidity, red fruit, soil, and refined tannins. Greater than the sum of its parts. The finish captivates, with very good length and intensity. Recommended.
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3/4/2013 - xtian wrote: 92 Points
A bit restrained but absolutely lovely.
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3/1/2013 - maarviken wrote:
Fantastisk rik 2005 , et godt år, masse kraft
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2/23/2013 - steinersing Likes this wine: 91 Points
currently closed and quite tannic, years to early to drink even with 3hours decanting. but surely this will become a pleasant wine
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2/21/2013 - levinml wrote: 93 Points
Opened and drank straight from 55 degree cellar first night. Bitter, tight finish at first (as might be expected), but opened over an hour and showed great complexity without brett-yness that sometimes passes for complexity. Still way young.
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2/20/2013 - jww Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice wine I would guess at its peak
Fruity nose well balanced and soft finish not tannic
A good value
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2/7/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 92 Points
Still very young, took time to unwind. Nose had some barnyard, licorice, tobacco and cedar. Tart red fruits up front, oak (restrained), cocoa, currants. Would be a good wine to revisit on Day 2+. OK to drink, better to hold. Long life ahead
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2/2/2013 - EuroCaveNZ wrote: 93 Points
I love this wine. Smoke and spicy fruit on the nose. Strong oak and grainy tannins but elegantly balanced with the ripe fruit. Good length. Many years left in this wine but great drinking now.
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1/7/2013 - xtian wrote: 91 Points
Very restrained with a hidden core of fruit. A little herbal.
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12/24/2012 - Pearls_b4Swine wrote: 96 Points
My third bottle so far, and boy, it was brilliant last night.
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12/16/2012 - Invinoverytas wrote: 92 Points
Open and decanted. Served with arugula and prime rib salad. Really nice and round tannin already. Dark purple. Pretty fruit. Some earth. Seems more new world than old world at this point
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10/26/2012 - Philippe_C wrote: 91 Points
Closed nose with a hint of licorice, opening to very light nose... in the mouth, very tannic with hidden fruit, after two hours in the glass the fruit appears a bit more, but still overpowered by tannin extraction 91+/100 could improve with age if the tannins melt down, but completely closed and without pleasure at this stage
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10/10/2012 - WDSteers wrote: 91 Points
pepper and spice with dark fruit. still firm tannin. went well with balsamic beef/acorn squash stew
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10/4/2012 - gunpwdr wrote: 91 Points
Notes are from day 2 after a re-cork. Nose: Currants, white pepper, hints of licorice, soy sauce, tobacco leaf, and a hint of cedar. Palate: Slightly tart currants on the attack. Not as sweet as the day before. Good acidity and drying tannins show up on the mid-palate, then give way to currants on the finish.
Definitely a lot less complex on day 2 than day 1 where I was getting sweeter currants, cocoa powder, and a rounder feel. I was actually expecting this to improve in complexity with a day in the bottle but it definitely declined. Still, the material is there for a very good bottle, though I would drink it all in one night.
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9/20/2012 - cabber wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux Blends Around the World (Manhattan Beach, CA): Decanted over 12 hours. Very tight and tannic. Not showing much fruit. Hopefully just in a closed stage now. Was opening up a bit in the glass over the course of the evening. Try again in a few years.
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9/19/2012 - salcorn wrote: 93 Points
Nice coffee aromas beginning to develop in this wine, and not so tight as a couple of years ago, with some fruit at the end. Another five years should find it quite appealing.
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8/31/2012 - Hawk94 wrote: 94 Points
A lovely Bordeaux! One of the best values.
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8/17/2012 - libero wrote: 92 Points
A solid 92 points 2005 Margaux
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8/15/2012 - libero wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour, a little mineral with red berries taste. Medium dark, needs about 4 hours decanting to reach its potential. A nice Margaux
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7/16/2012 - drgrape wrote: 92 Points
Smooth and soft.
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5/15/2012 - Santaliz wrote: 89 Points
Not what I remembered, tannic less fruit. Hoping for better on the rest.
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4/16/2012 - robertdtwo wrote: 90 Points
I haven't pulled one of these from the cellar in over a year...a bit of a funky phase right now. Still good, but one of those 'this wine is only good with food' things going on right now. Of course, it may have been my fault, as this was a pop 'n' pour at a restaurant and I didn't even insist on decanting. Let's call this one 'my bad.' I still love this producer.
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4/12/2012 - WDSteers wrote: 93 Points
paired with the '02 Lascombes and the overall winner for taste but the '02 ready now.
would describe floral nose and raspberry/blackberry hidden behind dense tannin. will enjoy another bottle in 3-5 yrs and should be even better. Long finish.
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4/2/2012 - ovenmitt wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for about three hours and drank over the course of the evening. Paired very well with filet. Even though it started to open up towards the end of the bottle and show some nice lavender and other floral notes, I think this needs more time..... Funny how the '05 Pontet we drank last week pretty much killed this bottle.
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3/31/2012 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
Lovely effortless Margaux. Subtle lilac and lavender tones. Starting to open up more after the extra year or two in bottle.
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3/30/2012 - nic.fcn wrote:
Nose is good, but the taste is still too sharp tanin. It needs to age more to be more rounded. Another 5 years would be good.
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3/25/2012 - alwebb2000 wrote: 90 Points
Opened at Christmas. Very closed and not ready.
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3/14/2012 - jeffal66 wrote: 93 Points
Exquisite fruit, perfumed, simply lovely. Decanted for about three hours before bringing to Savona and pairing with lamb. This wine is in the heart of its arc. Plenty of years left but it's presenting very well.
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3/5/2012 - SB_Spakrs wrote: 95 Points
Everything I remembered. This wine will last quite a bit. Very closed still, maybe another 10 years before the start of perfection.
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1/28/2012 - Epricha1 wrote: 93 Points
Drank with friends at dinner last Friday...the restaurant was BYBB (bring your best bottle). The Lascombes beat a 1997 Opus One, 2008 insignia, and a 1991 Beringer...it'S just an outstanding wine, far more complex than most. Not sure how much better this can get
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1/10/2012 - timdrex wrote: 92 Points
Nose was big and powerful. On the tongue, lots of depth and power. Unfortunately, we drank this during a lively discussion with a group, so I didn't have the opportunity to note particular nuances of this wine.
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1/2/2012 - CWilliam wrote: 92 Points
Slow oxed in bottle for 2 hours and decanted for 4 hours prior to grilled filet mignon. Tobacco / currants / cherry / dried cherry / blackberry & floral? element on nose - similar palate with layers of flavor & wall of tannins (this wine went great with the steak but too tannic on its own today). Medium+ body with long finish - this wine tasted the best on night 3 (in cellar under vacu-vin). Interesting comparing this to a similarly rated (WS) Paloma 2009 Spring Mountain Cab - night and day although both wines were interesting. 92++
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12/21/2011 - rpontual wrote: 93 Points
A wonderful wine! The red/black fruit amora is outstanding. The tannin is balancing pretty well with acidity and fruitiness. This a classical margaux. It will last for many more years, but drinking now is already a treat.
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11/26/2011 - rasandler wrote: 93 Points
Wow! Not totally opened up yet but still really impressive. I think I'll drink one every three or four years to watch them develop. But even now, a real treat.
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11/24/2011 - Jack wrote: 91 Points
While these are good now I think they will come together down the road and be better. Hold for a few more years.
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11/24/2011 - Santaliz wrote: 93 Points
Classic aromas & flavors right out of the bottle & even better over 3 hours. Will open annually over the next 10 years.
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11/20/2011 - kreavin wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic.
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11/16/2011 - CdP in NYC wrote:
24-hr bottle decant, followed by vinturi into wide based decanter. Another two hours of air and a final vinturi into the glass. Exactly what this needed. As hoped for and anticipated, this delivered flowers, black and blue fruit, some burning embers and mineral. Power and elegance. Next bottle? Maybe three years down the line.
Hold. 94-96.
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11/15/2011 - Button Yang wrote: 94 Points
Not really like a Margaux wine. Powerful, concentrated and fruity, not very floral "Margaux style". The wood was not yet integrated, maybe should wait for its improvement. This is a good wine, but not a wine that I really like to drink once again.
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11/15/2011 - amateurwino wrote: 93 Points
Not as modern as I expected given the reputation of recent vintages of Lascombes. Tight for the first three nights, on day four this opened up to show luscious fruit, a touch of peppery and herby spice, and hints of mineral. At least for this vintage, I believe that criticisms that this property has lost all Margaux typicity will be unfounded in the long run. Nice wine.
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11/13/2011 - Henry Miller wrote: 93 Points
Unmistakable Margaux perfume. Mediium body, surprising for the vintage, suggests future grace and elegance. Blue spring flowers and crushed rocks. Palate-cleansing dryness, heading toward future complexity. This is tight now, ready to explode into something quite profound in 2 years+
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11/11/2011 - Hawk94 Likes this wine: 95 Points
A wonderful wine! Unbelieveable depth, soft power, perfume like bouquet with crashed berries, earthy, plum, licrorice, leather, fabulous mid palate, balanced, casis, currant, minerals, layers after layers. It is so approachable now while it can be drank for next 20 yrs too.
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11/4/2011 - Andice wrote: 90 Points
Revisiting this btl to see how it's developing since last tasting a year back. Nose is even lovelier than I remembered - bursting at the rim w amazing aromatics of violets and fresh red fruits, not green or shy at all. It wows you even before you taste a drop. Just on the bouquet alone, superb. The palate has gained weight since last tasted, more rounded and substantial now, althou still relatively light-bodied. Plummy overtones. Tannins still stubbornly bitter. Rather short finish. A great vintage, but only a good wine.
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10/27/2011 - beachnic wrote: 94 Points
Super impressive wine but needs more time. Pretty balanced now. Great Aromatics, fruit and good structure. Stills needs time to integrate and strut. Wait a few years on this one.
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10/7/2011 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 95 Points
Fantastiskt gott vin. Underbar doft av plommon, frukt, rostat kaffe och cederträ. Perfekt balans i smaken med fin struktur med mängder av frukt men ändå fin syra och kryddighet. Verkligen lång eftersmak. Det är så här ett nutida bordeaux skall smaka. Kommer säkert bara att bli bättre och bättre
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9/25/2011 - kthornton78 wrote: 92 Points
reticent at first with a funky barnyard note. with an hour the fruit was showing through, the funk had blown away revealing a nice bouquet of white flowers, leather and bright fruit. on the palate, a structured and masculine framework for the fruit and aromatics to wrap around. elegant yet rustic.
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9/25/2011 - WineBec wrote: 91 Points
Darker and richer in color with less brown hues. Has a nose with more elegance and femininity. Primary red fruit flavors with some sweet vanilla and toasty oak
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9/25/2011 - Chrisw97 wrote: 92 Points
Lots of primary fruit both on the nose and palate. Less cassis but more red fruit and spice, typical from what I learned on Lascombes. Tannins are q strong at first but sweet at the same time. I don't think it drinks as well as Parker thought, it is someow still quite acidic. I don't know how this will drink in 2019 but for now it didn't blow me away. There is a lot of substance here but it is still too young to judge which way this will develop. For now just 92 pts.
( decanted this for an hour)
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9/3/2011 - Sovinator Likes this wine: 91 Points
Only had time to decant for 15 minutes. Slight barnyard aroma on nose. Velvet, feminine character with medium tannins. Very enjoyable, but lacked the complexity of character I had hoped/expected. Will decant future bottles longer based on others tasting notes.
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8/31/2011 - Epricha1 wrote: 92 Points
Wow, this was like velvet going down. Dark purple in color, but the smell of a big, bold, bordeaux. I thought it was great, but my father in law says still needs a few more years.
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8/26/2011 - TimmyR wrote:
No formal notes - 2h decant before serving. Odd nose, some cedar and lots of aniseed... Body was not balanced, good tannins but the acidity was really disturbing and there was a lack of fruitiness... Not what we had expected from this wine. Flawed.
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8/23/2011 - Coffeecup wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Color: beautiful, dark purple. Nose: beautiful bouquet: black rasperry, wood, vanilla, coffee. Body: medium plus with long finish. We didn't finish the wine at dinner and tasted it after another 3 1/2 hours (total 5 1/2 hours): it enhanced the above. A very lovely, complex wine, which became much smoother after 5 1/2 hours.
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7/15/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Pungent aromas of vanilla, blackberry, blueberry, licorice, black cherry and espresso. Thick, rich, dense, lush and polished, this powerful, fruit filled Margaux wine demands up to a decade to shed its oak dominated personality.
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7/13/2011 - G_H Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a Bordeaux and how great to drink now. Lots of toasted breadcrust, blueberries, cassis, very very good. I was surprised how well this wine showed at this moment!
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6/5/2011 - *Vine* wrote:
Decanted for 3 hours. Medium-plus dark purple/ruby. Pronounced aromas of blackberry, black raspberry, currant, cigar box, and a touch of spice from oak...just a treat to take in the nose in glass;\ ever evolving with fruit giving way to notes of earthy tobacco and then back to the fruit. Medium-plus body, with excellent concentration. On the palate, this youthful wine shows an amazing core of crushed berries, earth, herbaceous notes (anise), and sweet oak. The tannins are smooth and refined yet substantial and help to carry the fruit and oak through on the lengthy finish. The nose is something special...and although the palate shows great fruit, the oak is still a bit pronounced and distracting at this stage. However, with time the oak will integrate further and this structured Margaux should gain even more nuance and finesse. Best to hold for 5+ years or give a decent decant if opening now.
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5/20/2011 - sterin wrote: 94 Points
Great fruit with notes of leather, coffee and graphite. Well balanced. Tons of structure.
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5/20/2011 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Very nice showing tonight.
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5/15/2011 - leonardo_de_araujo wrote: 92 Points
Very earthy, humid earth (Cow manure)
Liquorice, dark chocolate
Very round/soft tannins
Very elegant, very
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5/12/2011 - BinVA wrote: 92 Points
Coffee, chocolate, enjoyable.
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5/3/2011 - Hazeo wrote: 94 Points
Inky, dark, floral modern margaux. This wine has seamlessly smooth and creamy texture, with a polished blend of ripe dark fruit, smokey oak, mocha, stoney minerals, cassis. Quite open for business if you don't mind tannins (which are fine and smooth). Almost comparable to the 05 Malescot at this stage but also slightly less complex, who knows in 10 or 20 years though.
Day 2 – Doesn't hold up as well as the Malescots for a day 2 ... surprising given its structure
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4/23/2011 - marshalc wrote: 90 Points
very good but not singing yet.
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3/30/2011 - robertdtwo wrote: 93 Points
Blueberry and floral nose, with an added element I can't decide is tar, smoke, or some combination of both. Mild barnyard in the bouquet background, mild mocha and light minerality mid-palate and oh so s-m-o-o-t-h tannins versus my expectation on first taste of this vintage.
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3/28/2011 - Veritas 53 wrote: 95 Points
Color: bright, deep red, clear
Nose: Perfumed, flower, dark fruit, wood
Palate: perfumed, dark fruit, sweet round non angular tannins, long smooth elegant fini
sh. ready and still has many years left in it. personification of Margaux terroir. Do not Miss, still on the market and even less than on premier offering price!
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3/22/2011 - Jdog wrote: 95 Points
Jason's birthday party. Opened by our host by accident, and clearly child abuse to drink this wine so young. Not decanted or allowed to breathe. Dark purple color. Still primary in all respects but incredibly delicious. Nose of blackberries, Asian spices, cassis and white flowers. Powerful and elegant and, actually, completely enjoyable now. This will improve improve nicely with age. The best vintage of Lascombes I have had. 95+
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3/19/2011 - robertgoulet wrote: 92 Points
Wow, this just kills on the nose, its like a fresh piece of cedar laced with cherry, pencil, violets and velveteen, just breathtaking. The palate needs some resolving, for it does not match the nose at this time, lacks the proper complexity for it's professional score, pedigree and price point, but does display Margaux's beautiful hallmark elegance. 2 more in the cellar, will hold off for now.
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3/8/2011 - Kayeman wrote: 94 Points
Drank at restaurant This wine is incredible. In a few years this has the potential of becoming a high 90's bordeaux. If this is drinking this good now, I expect angels to sing in 10 to 20 years. Exceptional wine
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3/5/2011 - SB_Spakrs wrote: 95 Points
Very young. Seems like it would keep for a longer time. Buying up stock to lay down for the next decade. Very special indeed!
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2/19/2011 - bubbachumps wrote: 91 Points
Decante 3-4 hours. This wine was shut down for business on this night, but still displayed some nice features that should come around and produce an excellent wine in the future. Vibrant cassis and leather on the nose. In the mouth, a wall of tannin conceals the faint flavors that come across the palate. Need to try this in 10 years.
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2/5/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Color is clear, medium +, ruby.
Nose is clean, medium + intensity, very youthful. Shows earth, touches of green, red fruits, smoke, barrel (secondary).
Palate is dry, no noticeable alcohol. Tannins are medium to medium +, they stand above the fruit flavors of the body, which is at medium. The acidity is medium as well. The flavor intensity is medium +, with the finish being medium in length but only because the tannins cut it short.
Overall this is a very good to outstanding wine in its youth. The many different aroma characteristics (meaning not just primary fruit) lead me to believe that with time the tannins will soften into the body, the fruit will integrate, and the acidity will hold it. In five years the wine will have acheived a much great integration of fruit and tannin with the length developing to very long (my guess 15 years for that evolution) with the ability to develop for 20 more beyond that.
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1/13/2011 - N2Vin wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 6 hours. Absolutely necessary. Last time I had this wine from my cellar we drank within an hour of opening. Patience may makes the heart grow fonder. but for sure makes this Margaux taste finer. Nose of red berry, oak, truffle, supple new leather and delightful floral aromas. Full mouthfeel, almost clingy with zingy ripe red fruits, fresh acidity, and smooth candied tannins. The finish is long, sweet and memorable.
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1/12/2011 - tbabes wrote: 93 Points
I saw this came out on top of a 2005 Bordeaux tasting conducted by GJE, so I decided to crack the case a try a bottle. Double decanted, and let it air for 5 hours prior to service. An impenetrably dark purple color, with absolutely no signs of age. A pleasant (but primary) bouquet of blackberry, cassis, flower, and a hint of spice. Medium to full bodied; very structured at this stage, but with good concentration and depth of flavor -- a long and tannic finish. Certainly not ready to drink now -- revisit in 2015 or so -- but appears to have the stuffing to develop into an outstanding wine.
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1/11/2011 - stadler wrote: 91 Points
Un nez plus expressif, plus masculin que le 2007. Tiré d'un magnum contrairement au 2007. On peut vraiment l'attendre mais on note déjà un élevage savamment mené dans un millésime très riche et il plaît grandement à tous les convives.
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1/3/2011 - arthrovine wrote: 93 Points
Aerated, decanted and enjoyed over 4 hours. Nose and flavors exploded from glass. Great nose of burnt embers and dry rubbed bbq'd brisket and meat. Nice mouth feel. No bitter tannins in this bottle as others have described. This went well with a grass-fed steak. But, I would have liked to study it on its own. Outstanding approachable wine.
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12/20/2010 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Started out very tasty and then closed down a little. Went from wow to very good in short order. I think these need a little more cellar time.
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11/20/2010 - ikileo wrote:
Crystal Wines "French Wine Fair" (Crystal Wines): Nose: Just opened. Hence a rather tight nose. Could only detect the primary fruit notes which were expected but very fragrant.
Taste: Power and elegance in a bottle. Very precise and steady stream of flavours. The tannins are rather grippy here and would require several years before it shows its best. But very impressive.
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11/5/2010 - powrsurg wrote: 93 Points
Very nice bottle. It was elegant. It had a nose of fruit. Not a lot of earth but did have a little spice. Tasted like an Aussie / California hybrid than a traditional French bottle.
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10/24/2010 - N2Vin wrote: 93 Points
Deep garnet color. Clean, pure ripe fruit. Structured but balanced tannin and fruit. Very food friendly and sweet easy drinking now. Loads of black cherry, oak and vanilla with creamy mouth coating tannin on the finish.
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10/3/2010 - sarlyb Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is a very good bottle of wine...which is exactly how I wanted to spend my Sunday afternoon.
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9/19/2010 - viking60 wrote: 97 Points
Grabbed one out of the cellar to sample. ONE WORD: Special!!! Nose of plums and cherries. Inital, bright plums, cherries, strawberries, cedar, cassis, Oak is perfect, hint of vanilla, acid is bright but not punishing, sweet tannins ending a victory lap of leather and truffles
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9/12/2010 - the godfather wrote:
a big ripe tannic heavily oaked bdx
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9/6/2010 - WinstonWolfe wrote: 91 Points
Earth, tabacco, cedar and dark fruit on the nose. Palate a bit muted. Licorice, anise, cherry, blueberry and coffee. A bit to tart right now and firm tannins.
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8/31/2010 - John McCabe wrote: 95 Points
A real beauty. Surprisingly exciting and open straight from the bottle, it almost felt like it closed up a bit after a few hours. This is quite drinkable now, even though it will improve with age.
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8/14/2010 - Blue Shorts wrote: 93 Points
50+5+13+17+8
Decanted at cellar temperature for 5 hours. Aromas of coffee, black fruits, tobacco, earth, leather. A very full mouth-feel. Taste similar to the nose, with the addition of dark chocolate and with BIG tannins. Went extremely well with grilled NY Strips (montreal style). Long, tannic finish. A beautiful margaux. Needs more time, but shwing very well right now.
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8/12/2010 - MindMuse wrote: 92 Points
Dark ruby. Pretty full nose with cassis, graphite, cedary oak, menthol, grilled toast, floral notes. Medium body with some lushness, long palate filling texture with black and blue fruit, some garrigue and smoky earth. I didn't have time to give this enough air and shared with four so not a lot of time in glass. Tasty. Probably on a good trajectory for the future.
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7/25/2010 - tourette wrote: 93 Points
This was good as s__t. Rich and opulent, but very well balanced. Too young, but decanted first which helped. Earth and barnyard, blueberries, spice box, cedar, and a bit of brambles. Delicious now, I'm sure it will be even better in 5 or 10 years, but couldn't keep my hands off it. Went well with the cheese plate after dinner - especially the Roquefort.
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6/17/2010 - memphishusky wrote:
Decanted into a flower vase (clean thankfully) at the restaurant for 1.5 hrs. This was really good. Earthy on the nose, but plenty of fruit tocarry the day.
Certainly could use some more time in the cellar
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6/6/2010 - soyhead wrote: 91 Points
Nose - earthy, oak
Mouth - tannic , fruity, yet restrained. Delicious but clearly bordeaux. No jamminess here
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5/25/2010 - Faryan wrote: 91 Points
2005 Margaux Blind Horizontal (Urbana Restaurant, DC): Tasted single blind in flights of other 05 Margaux. All wines double decanted two hours. Small variance in temperature of service.
Has a tremendous amount of tobacco and earthiness to the nose but the palate is very cherry driven and somewhat light. Finishes abruptly and without a sense of tannin and direction. Somewhat rounded beyond natural? A lovely early drinking wine for sure.
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5/25/2010 - KingSlacker999 wrote: 91 Points
Bit tannic now, slight barnyard on the nose, red fruit. Tannins a bit drying. Room to develop too. Will be much better in 3+ years.
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5/7/2010 - ArtJr wrote: 87 Points
Smoky smell and a little harsh right out of the bottle. After a while, it softened a bit but probably needs to age at least a couple more years before opening up.
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5/3/2010 - prasm wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 30 minutes and consumed over an hour. Nose: Initially big barnyard and smoke, later big black fruit came to the forefront. Palate: Medium to full bodied dominated by the dark fruit. Finish: Medium length showing the best with the last taste. We definitely rushed this wine to meet a dinner reservation time - next time this wine will be decanted 2 hours before first pour. That being said, this was still a very enjoyable wine.
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5/2/2010 - robertdtwo wrote: 93 Points
Blueberry and floral nose, with an added element I can't decide is tar, smoke, or some combination of both. Mild barnyard in the bouquet background, mild mocha and light minerality mid-palate and oh so s-m-o-o-t-h tannins versus my expectation on first taste of this vintage. And the best way to try this wine? Buy some for yourself, but get your friend to open one out of his cellar while yours age (thanks, Bobo N!).
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5/2/2010 - Bobo N wrote: 94 Points
Young and bold, but drinking well after a quick decant. Blueberrry and blackberry are dominant fruits. Bouquet includes tar, barnyard, and an undertone of sweet floral that other reviewers have referred to as the margaux perfume. Glad I tried this young Bordeaux and have a few more in the cellar, but not as many as RobertD2.
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4/18/2010 - soyhead wrote: 93 Points
I was surprised that this wine was being opened at the end of the night, but ultimately amazed at how well it showed. It drinks beautifully right now with elegant red and dark berries galore, a coffee midpalate, and serious back end tannins. Good minerality to boot. Delicious already with huge potential if you can be patient...
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4/18/2010 - Alex H wrote: 87 Points
WGS: 2005 Bordeaux; 4/17/2010-4/18/2010 (Hilton Hotel Singapore): Coffee ..very much freshly brewed coffee nose...singular but aromatic coffee in the morning! Lovely fruits, charming and seductive lucsious and deeply black. Looking back at past notes, think this wine probably wouldnt evolve into a different beast altogether but would probably deepen its current dark fruit, modern coffee oak , dark choc kind of style.
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4/18/2010 - Matt Scott wrote: 95 Points
Decanted with a funnel for six hours, 65 degree day (perfect). Dark garnet-black, with a light, chrystal rim. Wild blackberry, dark chocolate, licorice, mineral and the classic Margaux perfume. Enthalling and almost illicit. The tannins are a stunning velvet glove, with a noticable grip. Very complex and the concentration is very well-executed. This is an uber '03, with better acidity, structure and complexity. Persistant finish that is sweet and elegant. The best Lascombes that I've had. You need to decant. Very youthful and delicious. A full-figured Lascombes. Drink 2015 -.
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4/17/2010 - mn_horn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ryan's Wine Tasting #002 - Compare and Contrast (Blaine, MN): Popped the cork 7 hours prior, with the last 3 in the decanter. A wonderful Margaux. Incredibly dark purple, with a classic perfumed nose. Well balanced and extremely elegant, smooth mouthfeel. Good acidity and lovely long finish. This is tasty now with a long decant, but I am looking forward to following this over the next 10-15 years. At $50, this is a great classified Bdx QPR.
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4/12/2010 - jcable wrote: 90 Points
Drank it too fast, should have decanted or given it more time. Great color with a very barnyard and earthy nose that carried to the mouth. Wanted air, wanted to open, we didn't give it the chance, hence my 90. I've had this before and it is more than a 90 point wine IMO, but given we rushed it we had a 90 point experience -- our bad! The structure here is amazing. You can taste the layers as they come from the nose into the mouth, and you can taste them on the finish as well, which is nice and long even before opening. Great wine. Give it time and air.
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4/12/2010 - slada wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 3+ hours; purple black; nose with tobacco, tea, cedar surrounding deep black and cherry fruit; big mouth-filling dark sweet fruit more than a touch tannic- needs more time for sure.
Very very good but not quite as open or good as bottle last November.
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3/26/2010 - Chris Newport wrote:
Very dark, very rich wine. Strong dark coffee and fruit aromas on the nose, deep and almost viscous on the palate. Very primary but drinking well now. This is a well made wine, but compared to the '88s and even the '99 bordeaux's tried previously, I would have more trouble nailing this as bordeaux and that's a problem for me. Could easily be mistaken for a leaner cali bordeaux blend. If you care, this seems to be a prime example of the homogenization of wine effect. A tasy, technically correct bottle of wine that doesn't represent the unique intersection of place and vintage that I think all good wine should.
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3/25/2010 - ews3 wrote: 87 Points
PAWS Tasting (Tria Fermentation School): I didn't like this bottle... blueberry jam and chocolate. drying tannins, although I am still skeptical of the aging potential here
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3/14/2010 - BinVA wrote: 92 Points
Let this one open up for a couple hours and the chocolate on the nose comes jumping out. Very good bottle for $49 from WTSO.
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3/11/2010 - etherscreen wrote:
large, tannic, but nice florals. good fruit. a steal <$50.
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3/4/2010 - Venturifan wrote: 93 Points
Exceptional potential. Was a little slow out of the glass but started to come around after a couple of hours. Refined tannic structure and awesome primary fruit of a blackberry and cassis compote.
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2/21/2010 - rcmcb wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for three hours. The notes sum this wine up well. Impressive power and elegance, but nice notes of earth and tobacco to pair with the black berry fruit. Long finish--45 seconds or so. 93-94 now, could get to 95-96. I actually liked this quite a bit when I sampled it right after popping the cork--the nose and flavors were great right away. I tend to love young, powerful wines, so it's going to be really hard for me to sit on these.
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2/21/2010 - RWINO wrote: 95 Points
Young and tight, with a very complex well knitted core of dark and bright fruit, fine sweet tannins. Chocolate covered strawberries mid palate. Outstanding wine that will only get richer and more comples over time.
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2/7/2010 - drgrape wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 4 hours. Inky purple and dark fruit cab taste. A little too much oak right now, but tannis are just about right. Drinking very well.
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1/24/2010 - dmalcolm wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 5 hours. Firm tannins, luscious fruit and great structure. A glass saved for Day 2 tasted even better. Delicious now, but obviously needs more time.
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1/23/2010 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club Does Bordeaux; 1/22/2010-1/23/2010 (Kevin's House): Sampled at 2 times during the tasting. At first a nice wine but not great. I decanted this wine for 3 hours and it needed another 2 at least. Dark color and a nose of mineral, cassis, coffee and spices. Palate is intense and really features a nice balance of fruit and earth components. This wine shows a massive finish and as many have noted not Margaux style but it is a great wine. Certainly a cellar for 10 plus years wine.
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1/22/2010 - Mattshank wrote: 91 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club 1/22/10 (Kevin's House): Nose: Funk which blows off with air quickly revealing some pencil lead and earth. Palate: BIG tannins with black fruit. Earthy with a rich mouthfeel and a very lengthy finish. This wine is a bruiser and needs some time. While not your typical Margaux in style this is nonetheless very nice with a 92-94 point potential for the patient individual.
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1/22/2010 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Dark purple. Big nose with cherry, oak, minerals, leather, and coffee. Taste is great with bing cherries, coffee, violets, minerals, dust and oak. Finish is powerful and medium tannins present. Of course this wine has 20 years but I am amazed how much is there right now.
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12/24/2009 - drgrape wrote: 95 Points
Just at the beginning of being a fine wine. Decanted for 5 hours. Inky purple color with a little iridescence in the initial bubbles. Smooth tannins, full bodied dark berry fruit with a little earthiness. This will only get better.
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12/13/2009 - markjanes wrote: 89 Points
Dinner with great friends in Denver, Night 2 (Denver, CO): Dark color, ruby rim with moderate extraction. On the nose very primary and very Margaux with beautifully floral blackcurrants, raspberries, blackberries… plenty of new barrique influence, not much in the way of earthiness yet. On the palate moderate + acidity, a classic doughnut Cabernet midpalate of moderate breadth, a firmish tannic finish, moderate alcohol. Great balance and intensity, good length, average complexity at this stage. Finesse is there, texturally quite nice and big in nature, great expression of place. Obviously a very well made wine from a great vintage with a long future ahead of it. Could take a while to evolve though textural elements are in balance now… check in with it in 5-7 years to see if it is budging.
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12/12/2009 - thomaskeil wrote: 92 Points
Annual Dinner with Mark and Megan (Our house. Denver, CO): Decanted 3 hours (and needed it). Deep reddish violet. Rich aromas of blackberries, cassis, spicy and graphite. Sweet velvety, but almost monolithic fruit matched well to grainy, gritty tannins. Seems to be showing toasted oak. Flavors are primary, not complex and the wine is not showing much finesse at the moment. However, the power and balance are really impressive. This should be really nice down the road.
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12/9/2009 - ChinonRouge wrote: 90 Points
Showing ok. A little aromatically challenged at the moment. Nice but not stellar. Probably will improve in time. Would hold for now.
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12/1/2009 - dannyk8232 wrote:
Enjoyed this, although it was extremely tight and difficult to evaluate.
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11/22/2009 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Luxurious bouquet with ripe cassis and toasted oak. Well concentrated cassis juice with graphite and powerful but soft tannin. This is a serious and complex wine with elegance as well as power. A beauty already, but the next 5+ years it will only improve. 93+
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11/21/2009 - winston churchill wrote: 90 Points
Tasted at the Decanter fine wine encounter Jewels of Margaux masterclass in London 21/11/09. Guest speakers, Henry Lurton, Alexander Van Beek, Dominique Befve, John Kolasa. Coffee on the nose, deep red in colour, strong deep black fruits with a hint of coffee and chocolate to the taste, still young, good now in its raw state, but i think with time this will be better than the 06
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11/21/2009 - WineManWill90 wrote: 89 Points
very deep almost opaque on the eye. on the nose this wine was closed I picked up aromas of oak, black fruit, spice and choc.
on the palate the wine was dry with heavy tannin, with a very smooth elegant feel and flavor of plum raspberry and black currants with pepper mint and little oak.
this wine needs to be kept not ready at all but showing promise would suggest decanting for 3 or more hours
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11/17/2009 - Pre-emptive wrote: 92 Points
The wine tastes closed compared with a few months ago.
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11/17/2009 - xtian wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 3 hours and it was gorgeous; cannot wait for it to put on some bottle age.
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11/15/2009 - europat55 wrote: 91 Points
Drinking surprisingly well at this stage... much better than most of the other 2005 Bordeaux that I have tasted so far! Hopefully this still has room to grow...
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11/13/2009 - sehill wrote: flawed
Corked!!!!!
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11/8/2009 - sehill wrote: 94 Points
This wine was decanted and poured. It showed exceptionally well from beginning to end. The aromatics showed a nuanced mix of black fruits, graphite, camp fire, cedar and tobacco. The color is a dark purple to almost black. The medium/full bodied palate shows length and balance. The tannins provide firmness and grip. This drinks well now for its youthful vigor. This will improve with bottle age bringing out more nuance, complexity and subtlety.
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11/8/2009 - John McCabe wrote: 95 Points
I know this is not ready yet, but still tasting beautifully. Reminds me of the '03 but a bit more powerful and concentrated.
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11/6/2009 - Jack wrote: 92 Points
Closed when first opened. With 2 hours of air it was very nice but still seemed as though it was holding back. Seems like there will be some improvement with age but very enjoyable now.
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10/18/2009 - Nedder_travels_the_world wrote: 95 Points
delicious, full bodied, complex tannins, do yourself the favor and wait to drink this until at least 2012+ to give it time. it will develop in the bottle thru 2020 and probably beyond.
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10/12/2009 - Pre-emptive wrote: 95 Points
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
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10/3/2009 - pian0_player wrote: 94 Points
Really nice Margaux. Modern styled wine with great balance and elegance. Blackberry, and black cherry. Earth and wet stone. Floral perfume and Margaux terroir. Medium to full bodied and silky tannin. Showed surprisingly well after an hour in the decanter. Drinking beautifully now, but will certainly develop more complexity and depth with some bottle age. Wonderful Bordeaux! 94+
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9/16/2009 - JJL wrote:
This was drinking much better a year ago, when it was a more full-bodied, sweeter, but not overdone wine. Now it has lost much of its sweetness and taken on a more acidic and tart flavor. My sense it that it is starting to shut-down, so no need to penalize it for that. Last year it was drinking a good 93 points and was a real crowd pleaser.
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9/15/2009 - gripNsip wrote: 92 Points
Open 24 hours: This has a rich, perfumed nose of blackberry, plum, cedar and tobacco. This smells absolutely delicious. Those blackberries show richly again on the palate with strong cedar notes. The black fruit in this is delicious. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, the tannins are nice and silky and build as you take more sips of the wine and cling to your cheeks. Completely balanced, great drying finish. This is a delicious wine. Why not score higher? While it does everything well it doesn't offer many complex flavors, no real WOW factor. That said, this does do everything else right and is absolutely delicious. Elegant is a good word for this wine.
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5/19/2009 - DAN BAILEY wrote:
Very deep, almost black colour. Deep, dark soy nose like the 05 Pontet Canet. Sombre, red fruited atack. Just not a very vibrant showing - wine seems shut down so judgement reserved for now.
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5/12/2009 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Robert Chadderdon Selections (Denver, CO): Dark ruby toward purple, with a rich, elegant nose and palate of plum, blackberry and tobacco. I was surprised that it's showing this approachable now; This is clearly has one foot in the modern camp. I think I'd open one in about 4-5 years. Approx $75.
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4/26/2009 - wcacern wrote: 92 Points
05' Bordeaux Tasting!: dark plum, cherry, cocoa, minerals, licorice, very smokey with hint of cured meat, coffee notes. ripe juicy fruit with sweet ripe tannins.
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4/20/2009 - jcable wrote: 93 Points
My second bottle, first one was "fresh off the boat" and it has benefitted from even the one year in the bottle. Great character, will do well in the bottle for years to come. Really enjoyed this, will pick up some more if I can find it and cellar it.
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4/16/2009 - TheBusiness724 wrote:
Opened a bottle as a reference point to see how my others develop down the road. Interesting bottle - had a lot of tart berry at first with heavy tannins, but it settled down after several hours in the decanter and opened up to an array of red and black fruits. The nose did not give much at any point, which was expected, though slightly disappointing if only because the perfume of Margaux is one of the most compelling when at full throttle. Should be great in 10 years, but no rating for now.
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4/11/2009 - wineismylife wrote:
WIMLNR
Tasted April 11, 2009 at a retail tasting.
Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of coffee, plums and a bit of florals. Flavors of plums and cherries. Medium to bright acidity, firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Nowhere near ready to drink so therefore no official rating. Continue to hold.
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4/11/2009 - mmurry wrote: 94 Points
France vs. Italy: International Showdown (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had blueberry, floral notes, blackberry, smoke, and pencil lead. The palate had blackberry, blueberry, graphite, and a floral finish.
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4/10/2009 - win wrote: 92 Points
Very expressive, with a nice toasty, earthy character with a hint of graphite. Very similar to past, recent vintages of Lascombes, but a bit more fruit forward. It should age very well.
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3/1/2009 - Dagalaifus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Purple in the glass. Coffee bouquet. Medium-bodied with oak, smoke, earth, dark berries and gripping tannins in the mouth, and a long, complex finish. Improved dramatically after extended decant (24 hrs+); accordingly, should reach its peak in approx. 10 years. Not a great bargain (paid $89 for 750 ml), but still a good value for an 05 Bordeaux under $100. Deserving of the high scores it has received in the wine press.
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2/17/2009 - Mr France wrote: 96 Points
This is one of the best bottles I have had. Decanted for about 45 minutes. The high merlot content allows it to be more drinkable now than most bordeaux. Wonderful bouquet of oak, cloves and mocha. Taste is complex and smooth. Dark fruit and medium to full bodied. Perfectly well balanced finish. Might even get better.
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2/15/2009 - jjclips2 wrote: 96 Points
Dinner (Doug 'n Susie's): Well, while it's not fair to compare this with the '05 Angelus, it certainly showed better tonight. Definitely done in a more modern style. Very toasty nose with espresso, currants, and smoke. The texture on this is fantastic. Silky with moderately dusty tannins, blueberries and currants, finishing with a burst of acidity, almost jammy. I believe Parker said it should last 30+ years, but I think that might be pushing it by about 15 years.
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2/2/2009 - grafstrb wrote: 95 Points
-- decanted for an hour or two before tasting --
-- tasted non-blind --
-- 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot --
NOSE: rich bouquet of coffee, concentrated blackberries, and pencil lead; red apple note as well as a slight hint of secondary funk.
BODY: lots of superfine particulate matter; inky garnet color of great depth; medium-full bodied.
TASTE: this is a big big wine: flavors of cassis, coffee, and cedar are off-set by a strong minerality; a meaty element is there too ... superlong finish (2.5 minutes); comes across bitter and tannic right now, but there's enough acidity to call this well-balanced; all the parts are there, but this needs some serious time to harmonize; will be ridiculous-good 10+ years from now.
B: 50, 5, 13, 18, 9 = 95
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1/26/2009 - jrobs7777 wrote:
Union des Grand Cru Tasting (Lighthouse (Pier 61, Chelsea Piers)): At UGC Grand Tasting in New York. Met expectations. Complex nose, better than 06. Flavor profile was very similar to the 06, although this had a nicer finish. Probably not worth the 05 price compared with the similar 06.
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1/26/2009 - ews3 wrote: 91 Points
Union des Grand Crus 2005 & 2006 Bordeaux Tasting - NYC (Lighthouse, NYC): Similar flavor profile to the '06, better finish.
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1/14/2009 - vinole wrote: 92 Points
Wine Watch Best of 2008 Tasting (Ft. Lauderdale, FL): This wine was open when tasted as I have been seeing that a lot of 05's are starting to shut down now. Opened with bright red and dark fruit then you get the big tannins that will require time to soften. The balanced package of fruit, tannin, and acidity bode well for long term aging, and still enjoyable now with decanting, but the future is what this wine is about, with an upside of 2-3 more points.
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11/2/2008 - Alex H wrote: 87 Points
Crystal French Wine Sale (Bordeaux) (Crystal Wines): Black fruit pie but a very interestingly complex one with just a bit of cat's pee. Mocha notes and burnt tyres follow on the back. This has very good pure dark fruits that show potential. Heavy tannins but not bruising.
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10/24/2008 - Rossodio wrote: 92 Points
Note: This wine was popped and poured -- I strongly recommend you decant for a few hours right now, or cellar this wine for 10+ years.
Color: Dark raisiny purple - very elegant.
Nose: Soft oak (well-toasted), mild licorice notes, cloves, with blackberry and ultra dark chocolate on the background. Carries itself well.
Palate: About as silky smooth as a wine could be hitting the palate. The palate is TIGHT TIGHT TIGHT right now, and dusty, but with textbook Margaux flavors of deep dark soil, blackberries, and tannins completely filling the mouth after a few seconds and drying it out. My only complaint is that it's not mature yet (duh), but it will be an absolute beauty.
Finish: Caressing, 30-45+ seconds, very smooth and well-balanced.
An amazing wine that will only get better with time.
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8/21/2008 - Berno wrote: 95 Points
As far as 2005 goes, you're not going to find a better priced 2nd growth. 3rd and 4th growths are going to be more expensive. In the nose, floral, earthy/dusty and lots a ripe fruit. Wonderfully balanced, medium to full bodied, again ripe berry flavors. Great quality wine.
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7/10/2008 - isdblm@lsu.edu wrote: 95 Points
Shared with S&B on 7/5/08 after 4 hours decanting--served up alongside '04 Montrose; see previous note from 5/16. Inky,too, yes; drinkable now, with long fnish, it's no doubt on its way toward disclosure of deeper blackfruit flavors.
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6/27/2008 - winejam wrote: 93 Points
This is definitely a ripe, dense and inky beast. It reminded me very much of the 2000 Montrose. This rich full bodied wine has aromas of ink and blackberries which follow through onto the palate....it will be interesting to see how this one plays out in the future....my guess is that it doesn't quite have the balance required for it to age gracefully.
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6/20/2008 - EMichels wrote: 95 Points
Red Carpet Tasting: Beautiful all around; Quiet nose; Very balanced; Big, big build
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6/15/2008 - aaronwine wrote: 94 Points
Beltramos tasting. This is a very concentrated wine that hits you with concentrated rich black fruit up front and then has long tannic finish. On the inky purple side. I really enjoyed this wine.
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6/1/2008 - Alex H wrote: 90 Points
Union des Grand Crus de Bordeaux: Review of 2005 Vintage (Conrad Centennial Singapore): Deep dark brooding fruits. More berries than cherries. Definitely a parker wine but on reflection, this did stand out. 87 to 92pts.
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5/26/2008 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2005 vintage tasting and dinner (Conrad Interntational, Singapore): UGC tasting. Good wine, but rather heavy on the oak, so that the first thing that hit me was vanilla and toasted toffee. Some fruit and floral notes lurked under that. The palate was dense and thick, and there was good acidity that brought a nice sanse of balance. The finish had a flush of spice and alcohol heat. Not bad, well made and enjoyable, but a little simple and lacking the concentration of flavour to stand up to the oak at this point. May improve over time if and when the fruit begins to emerge from under all that toasty oak.
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5/17/2008 - EyeDoc wrote: 95 Points
Wow - what a blockbuster - amazingly in balance at such a youthful age. Try this if you own it. Not too oaky and much better than the 03.
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5/16/2008 - isdblm@lsu.edu wrote: 94 Points
Tasted on 5/11/08 with L, after 3.5 hours decanting; lived up to the 2005 hype--black cherry and licorice, was really getting good around the 5-hour point, seeming to improve by the moment. Will wait a while to get into the next bottle.
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5/3/2008 - kris.h wrote: 94 Points
France vs. West Coast (Vancouver, WA): Very dark. Intense and complex nose. Full bodied and very tannic. A great wine that needs lots of time in the cellar.
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4/26/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 93 Points
2005 Bordeaux: Episode 2 (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot. Wow, what a terrific wine! Lavish and seductive aromas of mixed berry crepes, scorched earth, espresso beans, and pain grille. Sensuous on the palate, with exotic notes of blackberries, kirsch, Indian spices, and smoke. Ripe tannins and long caressing finish. WA 94-96, WS 93. 93-94 points.
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4/26/2008 - Badfish wrote: 95 Points
2005 Bordeaux Report: Episode 2 (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): The seductive aromas just waft out of this one with hints of sweet boysenberry, vanilla, crushed stones, and flowers. The palate is deeply concentrated with sweet raspberry flavor and tremendous minerality all while maintaining wonderful elegance and balance. Superb.
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4/10/2008 - jordanj wrote: 92 Points
Almost black-purple to the edge. Nose of pencil shavings, ketchup, and sweet fruits. Very big and concentrated. Dusty in the mouth. Medium and pleasant herbal and cherry finish. Decent, but at this stage, it is nothing extraordinary.
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4/6/2008 - plhew wrote: 94 Points
First taste of the 2005 vintage and was not dissapointed. Great bouquet, structure and balance. Not as much up front fruit in the mid palate as I would have liked but should be fantastic with some age. Try not to drink more for a couple years
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4/5/2008 - kehoutek wrote: 94 Points
Just fantastic! Opened a .375 to see what this wine was all about. No decanting. Right out of bottle it was open, clean, loads of red fruit, popcorn butter ( only way i could describe it) and well integrated tannins. Going to be unreal in a few years but drinking much better than i thought it would be now. MUCH better than the 04.
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3/29/2008 - drwine2001 wrote:
Minor 2005 Bordeaux, Major Quality (The Wine Club, San Francisco): This is virtually black!! Reduced nose but ravishing, lush palate with spherical blackberry fruit, lead pencil, and a hint of caramel. Exquisite balance with great underlying structure. Outstanding and should age beautifully.
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3/10/2008 - mdefreitas wrote: 92 Points
2005 Left Bank Bordeauxs @ Table and Vine (West Springfield, MA): (52% Cab Sauv 45% Merlot 3% Petit Verdot) Dark wine. Treated with 80% new French oak. Complex mixture of cassis, gravel, vanilla and moss. Superb structure which clamps like a drum on the finish. With air, some chocolate flavors emerged. Lots of grip, Very classy. $89.99
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3/9/2008 - PanosKakaviatos Does not like this wine:
A slight disappointment since the barrel tasting, which I really liked. I think this was an awkward time to taste – in Duesseldorf – in any case, but there was also that annoying oak infusion so common at this estate in recent years that takes away from the pleasure of the fruit. No doubt Mr. Parker will give it a very high score and it will also be sold at a very high price. My advice: seek out Brane Cantenac or Rauzan Segla instead.
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3/6/2008 - hutch wrote:
1st higher end bordeux I've had from '05 vintage. Wasn't in a good tasting state, and I hate tasting wines like this. But, the nose was fairly cedery. Lots of oak on the nose and the palate. Very tannic. I wasn't wowed by this wine, but was interested enough to wish I could have spent some more time with it.
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2/24/2008 - plitton wrote:
Soft and Velvety--but not much fruit.
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2/23/2008 - gowrie wrote: 96 Points
Decanter The Great Bordeaux Fine Wine Encounter (The Landmark Hotel, London NW1): Our starting wine of the tasting and what a wine to start on! Classic Margaux nose. Liquorice and blackberry. Coffee beans. Good structure and long finish.
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2/23/2008 - Vinoguy wrote: 91 Points
Decanter Bordeaux Fine Wine Encounter (The Landmark Hotel, London): Closed nose (cold sample). This is dense, backward, extremely tannic but with immense concentration and structure. When the tannins resolve this will be terrific. 91 pts on this showing.
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2/23/2008 - mmurry wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux vs. Burgundy (Farpointe Cellar): A fabulous nose of chocolate and toasted vanilla, with blackberry and floral notes on the finish. The palate was very soft and had black currant, graphite, and coffee. It finished with some cherry
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2/23/2008 - JimHow wrote: 95 Points
Jotted down some notes last night while consuming this wine over about a four hour period. Pretty heavily oaked and downright unpleasant to drink at first, but then some lovely red cherry notes started to come through. A quality wine, it will likely age for a considerable time. It took some coaxing, but after an hour or so in the decanter the Margaux appellation started to march in. This may be a modern wine, but in a good way. It enhances the positive traits of Margaux. Blanquito, his brother and I had a bottle of the 2004 Lascombes in NYC last spring with a model from Seattle in the lobby of the Ritz Carlton after the dinner with Alfred Tesseron, and it was basically undrinkable due to the excessive oak. Then again, we basically popped and poured, with no decanting. This 2005 Lascombes has all the aromatics you look for in quality Margaux. On the palate it is quite full-bodied, my second "big" 2005 Margaux in less than a week, the other being the '05 Rauzan-Gassies. The wine is ripe, without the austerity of 2002 and 2004. I've now had the 2002, 2004, and 2005 Lascombes, and like the 2005 best, followed by the 2002. The color of the 2005 is a beautiful, clean, deep ruby/purple, although I'm not sure it is as dark as that crazy, extracted Cap de Faugeres I had the night before. Three hours later: Wow, this is turning into an outstanding wine, it has benefitted dranatically from decanting. I get really ripe cherries. On the nose, the fruit has now taken over from the oak. Beautiful, lengthy finish, the kind that leaves you with that ever-so-satisfying dry mouth that you need to replenish with a cold glass of water. I understand the concerns, but I think the whole issue of internationalization of Bordeaux is a bit overrated. A wine like this still provides the thrill and distinct Margaux character, the level of ripeness we look for in great Bordeaux, even if there is significant extraction. The alcohol level-- 13.5%-- is about where you would expect it, and in no way whatsoever intrudes on the enjoyment of the wine. The wine is bright and fresh, it seems to be a wine from a great vintage. I've loved the 2000s I've had-- from my extremely limited experience with 2005, I'm wondering if they aren't cleaner, crisper, less sappy and sweet, less "full", than those very ripe 2000s. But that's just an extremely premature impression. Some of those 2000s, particularly St. Juliens like Langoa Barton, Branaire, Lagrange, are incredibly sweet. I don't quite get that so far with 2005, you sort of taste the "cool nights" in the wines. There's a beautiful acidity and crispness to this 2005 Lascombes. It strikes as a "cleanly made" effort. I'll bet the skins were right where the winemakers wanted them when they were picked. Four hours later the aromatics continue to soar. Very impressive! A cherry and oak delight, almost like a Burgundy from some oak-driven Burgundy estate. Once the oak tamed this became a profound wine. If you decide to uncork one, be sure to give it lots of oxygen, at least three hours. The final glass is absolutely brilliant. Everything is in place with this wine, a 95-pointer, maybe even better. Rating: 95+ points.
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1/25/2008 - KenK wrote: 91 Points
Nice. Good raw material, but quite angular right now.
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1/23/2008 - Dave Dalluge wrote:
Dinner at Chris Palm's: Most iimpressive. The nose gives a lovely expression to sweet red fruit, buttered popcorn, oak and lilac. This is another large scaled wine in the mouth featuring concentrated red dark fruit and licorice with tons of structure and tons of tannin. Really impressive stuff that will need many years in the cellar.
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1/23/2008 - Siggy wrote: 94 Points
Tasting Group Dinner - Paella, White Burgundy, Steaks, and Bordeaux (Chris Palm's House, Minneapolis): Wonderful nose of dark berries. The palate shows stunningly pure, complex layers of dark fruit, smoky campfire, earth, espresso, and leather. Huge tannin, fruit concentration, and structure. Initially singing, this closed down after a brief time in the glass and turned dark and brooding. When this opens back up many years from now, we are all in for a treat. My WOTF.
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1/22/2008 - Vino Me wrote: 95 Points
2005 Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting (Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois): 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 3% Petite Verdot. This wine blew away the 2003 that I had on release. Wow! Very impressive. A complex wine which was showing very well. Notes of smoke, tar, leather, red berries and currants. Ripe tannins in the medium to full bodied wine. Round finish. One of the few wines which was enjoyable to drink now. 94-95 points.
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1/21/2008 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
UGC 2005 Bordeaux Tasting (and dinner) (The Drake): Medium soft red color. Clean slightly sweet medium nose of red fruit. Nice sweet rich red fruit on the palate. Lighter but good friut and I though the oak was pretty well integrated. 93-94 pts.
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1/20/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Rich, ripe and opulent. Filed with sweet, jammy black fruit, coffee and vanilla notes. As is the case for numerous Chateau in 2005, this is the finest Lascombes produced in modern times. While oaky at this stage, with this much concentration of ripe fruit, things should come togetheranf the oak will integrate for this wine with time.
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1/19/2008 - hcampana wrote: 87 Points
2005 Bordeaux @ Union des Grand Crus (San Francisco, CA): Great nose of deep black fruit, smoke and oak. The palate dissapoints though. Slightly hollow mid palate and a tannic, drying finish. If fruit is absent when young, fruit will be absent forever.
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12/15/2007 - Grinder wrote: 92 Points
2 hour decant from .375. Beautiful opaque ruby red with medium viscosity. Nose is a bit muted at this point, but very pretty; think of a No. 2 pencil soaked in plum sauce with a spritz of perfume. Sharp and youthfully tannic, with fresh acidity framed by plum, cherry, and spice on the palate. Excellent structure. Long and complex finish. Re-visit in 2011.
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3/28/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote:
2005 Bordeaux en Primeur; 3/26/2006-3/28/2006 (Bordeaux France): En Primeur tasting. Sweet black fruit oddly comes across as austere due to the tannic structure. Will need more cellar time than most others at this level in this vintage.
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