Last of my 12 bottles bought en primeur. It has been such an interesting journey to follow this wine that was one of the "big, small wines" of 2005 in Bordeaux. In many ways it ended on a high note - perfectly mature now. Still very dark and dense, but more in balance now than previously.
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PnP through Nuance Wine Finer. Still nice balance. Fair amount of sediment. Dark fruit on the nose, hint of leather. On the palate, nice balance of fruit and minerality. Medium finish. For a reasonably priced bottle, has held up well. Enjoyed. 88pts. Aloha!
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Still very dark. Much more youthful than its age should indicate. Starting to show more Bordeaux notes than it did some years back. Quite full-bodied and fruit-packed. Certainly a good glass of wine (especially the modest en-primeur price taken into consideration). Still a bit unsure where this wine will go. I think I'll wait a couple of years before opening the next bottle.
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Bought for 13/b from Binnys almost 9 years ago--first bottle tried from the wood 6-pack. Decanted with normal sediment for its age. Dark purple; fragrant blackcurrant nose; semi-rich black fruit body, minerally (a characteristic of Fronsac, in my experience); good finish. Delicious, though feels lean due to the minerality. Stored horizontally in a cool, dark basement since purchase. My evaluation: I've stopped giving scores on a "100-point scale" as I've become less convinced that they can be meaningful to others. I use a 4-category scale (perhaps with +/-)--not including flawed--which runs outstanding/notable/drinkable/poor. I considered this outstanding- when considering quality, age, and price.
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Easy to drink. Has a fine balance and is well integrated. No complexity or serious detours as it airs. A good wine, but contemplation might be wasted on its simple structure.
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Coravin fun - Dom. de Chevalier plus lunch (My place, parramatta, sydney): aromas of spiced black plum with extra sweet spice, muted leathery notes here as well. On the palate the wine is reasonably fresh with savoury plums and spice, alcohol warmth wades in here as well as quite drying tannins which the fruit struggles to get past.
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This was an interesting wine. Im leaning to a previous note which questions the drying of this wine. Blueberry, violets and creamy oak upon openning and the plums and other fruits joining in later in the show. The tannin is still firm and it is fresh and alive. I am just not sure the wine will come around. but will follow this over the next few years and see. Better with food than without
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Still quite young. Astringent but softens up with some air. Very dark and intense for a Merlot dominated wine. My best asses.ent is that this wine still needs more time. Will try again next year.
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Dense ripe Merlot with substantial tannin still. Leaning towards over extraction. And maybe drying out.
Will this ever open up ? Will it gain any complexity with age? I think not, so you have to enjoy it for what it is now, and most people will like this, but it's frustrating if you've cellared this 7+ years. Especially when the 2009s are more accessible and impressive.
Sealed with cork. 14% alcohol. Drink now and over next few years.
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Dark and intense. Much better than two years ago, but still quite youthful. Opens up with some air. Nice notes of black fruit and cherry. A bit dry on the aftertaste. I will try next bottle in a year or so (or earlier with a good decanting)
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Color: Dark, impenetrable. Nose: Beef bouillon, licorice, dark fruits like blackberry. Mouth: Black grapes, in the finish some dried herbs. It is like dark fruit jelly with some herb sprinkles atop is springing up of cracks. Quite tannic but the tannins are ripe and not green. Quite a monster of a wine with a sweet core from the fruit. Excellent and off the beaten Bordeaux path. This wine is quite intense but the finish is rather short meaning standard short. Would the finish have been more prolonged it would have earned an even higher score. Will hold against any food. It is on its peak now. 85% Merlot, 15% Cab franc, 14% alc. The open bottle after having spent some time in the fridge has become a bit flat and boring.
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So here we are at 8 years in and I've popped the last bottle of this I have. Sadly it's probably less enjoyable now than it was on release. Too many of these affordable 2005 Bordeaux are clogging up my storage space and I've lost patience.
Opened the case I bought en primeur. Very nice wine, but still way too young. Great on the nose and very promising structure, but quite short aftertaste for the time being.
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Dark coloured, the nose gives us a intense mushroom scent along with dark cherries, smoke and earth. Earthy in the palate, it is also intense, I'm running deep in the woods. Good acidity, but tannins are a lot present. Some spices that softens in the mouth. It doesn't tastes the same as the last bottle I openned, I will revisit my other bottles in a year. Decent wine, but it seems to evolve quicker. An hour of breathing will definetly help.
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Really a special wine, 85% Merlot/15% Cab Franc, but fairly robust for that combo of varietals. Appearance was dark and inky, but maybe not as much as say a Shiraz. Nose was a strong, pleasurable bowl of black cherries. Taste was the same bowl of cherries, plus hint of leather, earthy, tons of tannin just a touch softened and balanced by 7 years but a welcome addition to the wine. I let it breathe for two hours and it spent another hour in the decanter. Over time it morphed into being even more splendid, but in retrospect, it would have been fine after an hour or two. Once we passed the third hour, it started to soften even more....maybe half a click more than what we wanted, but still really good. This wine is at its peak NOW. DRINK NOW. We had it with a bison pot roast we infused with a hopped pale ale in a crock pot for 10 hours and it stood up to all the seasonings and the slightly gamy bison.
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PnP through Nuance Wine Finer. Dark purple color. Blackberries on the nose. On the palate, dark fruit, moderate tannins. Slight tartness on the finish. Definitely heavy on the merlot in this blend. Nice wine. 88pts. Aloha!
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Clear garnet color, floral nose with dark fruit and tobacco notes; round and concentrated palate of dark berries and cassis, with a lingering creaminess on the finish. With air becomes more delicious. Tannic and complex, but approachable, which makes it outstanding in my book, especially given its value status. Drink or hold.
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It was interesting checking in on one of my favorite QPR plays from 2005 Bordeaux at 5 years. Tannins are still quite chalky but the fruit is beginning to shine through. Check back in a year.
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For the price, was expecting an everyday drinker, but this is something a bit more special.
Opened 30 minutes before tasting. Inky purple in color. Young, bold French nose of currants, red apples, dust, spice, barnyard. Big and young to the taste, ripe blackberry up front, easing into cooked apple and strawberry, ending with some Meyer lemon and baking spice, all with a dark coffee undercurrent. Extra-long finish, still very tannic, almost exceedingly so.
Really good now, but everything about this says lay it down a while. Terrific QPR, hope I can find more.
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Pleasantly surprised by htis one. Somewhat restrained nose of flowers and black fruits. Nice juicy mouth feel with an abundance of ripe fruit flavors. Smooth soft finish completed the surprise.
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Opaque ruby. Inviting nose of dark fruit, cassis, and limestone. Powerful, intense flavors of cassis, currant, oak, vanilla, and stony earth. Firm, lush tannins indicate the wine's staying power and ageability. Well-balanced (it'll be perfect when the tannins drop a bit), with an everlasting finish.
Drink 2010 through 2017.
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Not bad; medium body, medium finish, medium degree of balance. Graphiite and dark fruit on the palate but it does not really scream terroir. Its a decent wine but nothing special on its own. Its an average QPR with respect to the world market and at the same time not a good representation of bordeaux.
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Bordeaux Today (2005s) (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): Dark purple to the rim with a ripe explosive nose of plum and cinnamon. Soft supple red fruit on the palate with a hint of inky greenness that is attractive. The tannins are firm and the concentration is somewhat light on the finish. Good.
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6/9/2022 - tphilca Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Well stored bottle but tasted past prime. Nothing much of interest but did not taste corked.
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4/11/2022 - KristianT Likes this wine: 91 Points
Last of my 12 bottles bought en primeur. It has been such an interesting journey to follow this wine that was one of the "big, small wines" of 2005 in Bordeaux. In many ways it ended on a high note - perfectly mature now. Still very dark and dense, but more in balance now than previously.
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3/2/2021 - Bobc7had wrote: 90 Points
Drinking beautifully
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7/16/2020 - bg3034 wrote: 88 Points
PnP through Nuance Wine Finer. Still nice balance. Fair amount of sediment. Dark fruit on the nose, hint of leather. On the palate, nice balance of fruit and minerality. Medium finish. For a reasonably priced bottle, has held up well. Enjoyed. 88pts. Aloha!
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4/4/2020 - KristianT Likes this wine: 89 Points
Still very dark. Much more youthful than its age should indicate. Starting to show more Bordeaux notes than it did some years back. Quite full-bodied and fruit-packed. Certainly a good glass of wine (especially the modest en-primeur price taken into consideration). Still a bit unsure where this wine will go. I think I'll wait a couple of years before opening the next bottle.
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12/26/2018 - Oenecnist wrote:
Bought for 13/b from Binnys almost 9 years ago--first bottle tried from the wood 6-pack. Decanted with normal sediment for its age. Dark purple; fragrant blackcurrant nose; semi-rich black fruit body, minerally (a characteristic of Fronsac, in my experience); good finish. Delicious, though feels lean due to the minerality. Stored horizontally in a cool, dark basement since purchase. My evaluation: I've stopped giving scores on a "100-point scale" as I've become less convinced that they can be meaningful to others. I use a 4-category scale (perhaps with +/-)--not including flawed--which runs outstanding/notable/drinkable/poor. I considered this outstanding- when considering quality, age, and price.
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11/13/2018 - anstruletz Likes this wine:
Still drinking great.
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10/8/2018 - quanmeister wrote: 90 Points
One of the better cheap bordeaux wines I have tried. Still not worth the price.
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7/20/2016 - BcDuncan Likes this wine: 90 Points
great time to drink this very good wine; not acidic, great fruit
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6/28/2016 - up4wine wrote: 86 Points
Easy to drink. Has a fine balance and is well integrated. No complexity or serious detours as it airs. A good wine, but contemplation might be wasted on its simple structure.
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1/10/2016 - KristianT wrote: 88 Points
Still a bit on the fence here. Hopefully this wine is still too young as all its good intentions and good elements still don't quite fall into place.
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9/13/2015 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Dom. de Chevalier plus lunch (My place, parramatta, sydney): aromas of spiced black plum with extra sweet spice, muted leathery notes here as well. On the palate the wine is reasonably fresh with savoury plums and spice, alcohol warmth wades in here as well as quite drying tannins which the fruit struggles to get past.
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9/2/2015 - kopke Likes this wine: 89 Points
Beau nez
Il a charmé les dames!
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8/9/2015 - BigJ wrote: 86 Points
This was an interesting wine. Im leaning to a previous note which questions the drying of this wine.
Blueberry, violets and creamy oak upon openning and the plums and other fruits joining in later in the show.
The tannin is still firm and it is fresh and alive. I am just not sure the wine will come around. but will follow this over the next few years and see. Better with food than without
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7/24/2015 - KristianT wrote: 89 Points
Still quite young. Astringent but softens up with some air. Very dark and intense for a Merlot dominated wine. My best asses.ent is that this wine still needs more time. Will try again next year.
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6/13/2015 - Vmaster007 wrote: 86 Points
It was a pleasant wine, lots of fruit and good balance.
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12/9/2014 - anstruletz wrote: 90 Points
Drinking great
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10/11/2014 - ProfByron wrote: 85 Points
Dense ripe Merlot with substantial tannin still. Leaning towards over extraction. And maybe drying out.
Will this ever open up ? Will it gain any complexity with age? I think not, so you have to enjoy it for what it is now, and most people will like this, but it's frustrating if you've cellared this 7+ years. Especially when the 2009s are more accessible and impressive.
Sealed with cork. 14% alcohol. Drink now and over next few years.
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9/12/2014 - KristianT wrote: 88 Points
Dark and intense. Much better than two years ago, but still quite youthful. Opens up with some air. Nice notes of black fruit and cherry. A bit dry on the aftertaste. I will try next bottle in a year or so (or earlier with a good decanting)
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5/18/2014 - wineaficionado Likes this wine: 90 Points
Color: Dark, impenetrable. Nose: Beef bouillon, licorice, dark fruits like blackberry. Mouth: Black grapes, in the finish some dried herbs. It is like dark fruit jelly with some herb sprinkles atop is springing up of cracks. Quite tannic but the tannins are ripe and not green. Quite a monster of a wine with a sweet core from the fruit. Excellent and off the beaten Bordeaux path. This wine is quite intense but the finish is rather short meaning standard short. Would the finish have been more prolonged it would have earned an even higher score. Will hold against any food. It is on its peak now. 85% Merlot, 15% Cab franc, 14% alc. The open bottle after having spent some time in the fridge has become a bit flat and boring.
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12/18/2013 - RobertDwyer wrote: 86 Points
So here we are at 8 years in and I've popped the last bottle of this I have. Sadly it's probably less enjoyable now than it was on release. Too many of these affordable 2005 Bordeaux are clogging up my storage space and I've lost patience.
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10/27/2013 - jfurey21 wrote: 89 Points
Had this with steak for Mimi's birthday. enjoyable. great QPR. Big cherry flavor with some nice backbone. I decanted for an hour.
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10/5/2013 - sczetty wrote: 90 Points
Still very good. Had it with breaded pork chips ala Wiener schnitzel. Strong black cherry taste.
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4/28/2013 - ianinvirginia wrote:
This needs a ton of time, with still-primary fruit and sandy tannin.
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12/3/2012 - GoBlue2002 wrote: flawed
Brett. Lots of barnyard and almost undetectable fruit with overall muted flavors. Left it open a couple hours and hoped for improvement. It got worse.
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11/3/2012 - KristianT wrote: 88 Points
Opened the case I bought en primeur. Very nice wine, but still way too young. Great on the nose and very promising structure, but quite short aftertaste for the time being.
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10/7/2012 - Vmaster007 wrote: 84 Points
Dark coloured, the nose gives us a intense mushroom scent along with dark cherries, smoke and earth.
Earthy in the palate, it is also intense, I'm running deep in the woods. Good acidity, but tannins are a lot present. Some spices that softens in the mouth. It doesn't tastes the same as the last bottle I openned, I will revisit my other bottles in a year. Decent wine, but it seems to evolve quicker. An hour of breathing will definetly help.
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9/9/2012 - Drial14 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Think this a drink now wine. Quite a bit of sediment on the bottle .only need less than an hour after decant. Then started to fad a bit.
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8/15/2012 - Z1nnfull wrote: 91 Points
Really a special wine, 85% Merlot/15% Cab Franc, but fairly robust for that combo of varietals. Appearance was dark and inky, but maybe not as much as say a Shiraz. Nose was a strong, pleasurable bowl of black cherries. Taste was the same bowl of cherries, plus hint of leather, earthy, tons of tannin just a touch softened and balanced by 7 years but a welcome addition to the wine. I let it breathe for two hours and it spent another hour in the decanter. Over time it morphed into being even more splendid, but in retrospect, it would have been fine after an hour or two. Once we passed the third hour, it started to soften even more....maybe half a click more than what we wanted, but still really good. This wine is at its peak NOW. DRINK NOW. We had it with a bison pot roast we infused with a hopped pale ale in a crock pot for 10 hours and it stood up to all the seasonings and the slightly gamy bison.
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4/21/2012 - ggkemp wrote: 87 Points
Very deep color, Fruity nose, fairly simple pleasant flavor, moderate finish..
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3/10/2012 - joet626 wrote: 88 Points
Dark in color. Smooth on the palate. Very good with food. Had half a glass after dinneranddid not care for it. very dry. Must have with food.
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5/1/2011 - grippo24 wrote: 89 Points
Citrus with peppermint flavor, good finish more long lasting and good with a steak
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4/19/2011 - bg3034 Likes this wine: 88 Points
PnP through Nuance Wine Finer. Dark purple color. Blackberries on the nose. On the palate, dark fruit, moderate tannins. Slight tartness on the finish. Definitely heavy on the merlot in this blend. Nice wine. 88pts. Aloha!
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12/20/2010 - AtoZ wrote: 88 Points
Decent. Kind of simple. Even a tad dirty. Just not exciting. At home with short ribs.
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11/9/2010 - RobertDwyer wrote: 89 Points
One of my favorite value 05 Bordeaux.
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11/5/2010 - mmcdds wrote: 88 Points
Simple, enjoyable, more modern styled bordeaux with fairly forward blackberry flavors and and soft chalky tannins. Nice QPR.
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10/22/2010 - pgb67 wrote: 93 Points
Clear garnet color, floral nose with dark fruit and tobacco notes; round and concentrated palate of dark berries and cassis, with a lingering creaminess on the finish. With air becomes more delicious. Tannic and complex, but approachable, which makes it outstanding in my book, especially given its value status. Drink or hold.
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9/13/2010 - RobertDwyer wrote: 88 Points
It was interesting checking in on one of my favorite QPR plays from 2005 Bordeaux at 5 years. Tannins are still quite chalky but the fruit is beginning to shine through. Check back in a year.
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6/4/2010 - finlero wrote: 89 Points
For the price, was expecting an everyday drinker, but this is something a bit more special.
Opened 30 minutes before tasting. Inky purple in color. Young, bold French nose of currants, red apples, dust, spice, barnyard. Big and young to the taste, ripe blackberry up front, easing into cooked apple and strawberry, ending with some Meyer lemon and baking spice, all with a dark coffee undercurrent. Extra-long finish, still very tannic, almost exceedingly so.
Really good now, but everything about this says lay it down a while. Terrific QPR, hope I can find more.
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4/10/2010 - tbvl wrote: 89 Points
Black currant and forth comming in the nose. Ok concentration in mouth but a little off balance. Think it will benefit getting some years lying down.
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9/7/2009 - DaleW wrote:
Quite modern, mocha notes over black plums and cassis, lush texture. B
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8/24/2009 - WineForRob wrote: 90 Points
Pleasantly surprised by htis one. Somewhat restrained nose of flowers and black fruits. Nice juicy mouth feel with an abundance of ripe fruit flavors. Smooth soft finish completed the surprise.
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8/1/2009 - DaleW wrote:
Very modern, rich, some vanilla and cocoa, solid black plum fruit, lush, low acids. Not a ton of complexity or typicity, but a fun little Merlot. B
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3/26/2009 - THaas wrote: 90 Points
Opaque ruby. Inviting nose of dark fruit, cassis, and limestone. Powerful, intense flavors of cassis, currant, oak, vanilla, and stony earth. Firm, lush tannins indicate the wine's staying power and ageability. Well-balanced (it'll be perfect when the tannins drop a bit), with an everlasting finish.
Drink 2010 through 2017.
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9/9/2008 - AzorianMatador wrote: 88 Points
Not bad; medium body, medium finish, medium degree of balance. Graphiite and dark fruit on the palate but it does not really scream terroir.
Its a decent wine but nothing special on its own. Its an average QPR with respect to the world market and at the same time not a good representation of bordeaux.
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8/16/2008 - tanglenet wrote:
K&L SF Wines Bordeaux (San Francisco): Served at a tasting at K&L Wines. Quick notes. Not much fruit showing; dry, tight, tannic finish. Not rated.
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7/20/2008 - wildcat fan wrote: 92 Points
very good smooth
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7/12/2008 - Badfish wrote: 88 Points
Bordeaux Today (2005s) (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): Dark purple to the rim with a ripe explosive nose of plum and cinnamon. Soft supple red fruit on the palate with a hint of inky greenness that is attractive. The tannins are firm and the concentration is somewhat light on the finish. Good.
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4/5/2006 - LeDom du Vin Likes this wine: 90 Points
(En Primeur / Futures) Beautiful fruit, very good texture and balance, a bit light.
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