Monthly Boys' Wine Night (Eric's House, Hong Kong): Totally 'black slab' inpenetratable colour...looks like a 2005. Nose is very pencil lead and graphite purity, huge depth of black and red currant fruits, sweet/sour fruit that is unusual and interesting,. Slightly tart and still surprisingly tannic but which reflects the wet, sour vintage. A bit short on the finish.
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Deeply coloured. Fragrant fruitcake, plums, licorice and spice. Sweet and cedary, delicious. Intense, very rich, dark plummy fruit and earthy spice, cedary, fruitcake spice, deep and impressive. Silky and balanced with a powerful finish, big fine furry tannins. Superb.
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The Wines of Francois Mitjavile, with Mark Savage MW (Handford Wines, London): A wine more for history value given this represents one of the first proper/serious wines of FM under TR, 1985 being the first according to Mark Savage. Well Secondary, savory wine, light herby touches, soft fruit touches, elegant and well aged. Very pleasant wine to enjoy now and we would suggest one does not wait much longer. 92
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Occasional dinner group; TOP Bordeaux 1988: Mild and interesting bouquet with cassis, iodine, sweet licorice, julienne and some barnyard flavors. On the palate a concentrated wine with chocolate, red and dark berries, herbs and spices, good acidity and drying tannin with a firm amount of bitterness. The bouquet is complex and great, but on the palate the wine disappoints a bit. Overall I scored it 91.
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SOM'd overnight. Bricking rim. A mature nose with leather, some herbal- mossy notes, sweet supple fruit, with green more than black olives, bitter chocolate, and some decaying leaves at first. After time in the glass the fruit emerged round, soft and supple, with surprising tannins that sneak in on the back end of the roundness on the midpalate. My guess is that is '88 tendencies. This is mostly secondary now, and for me in a great window for drinking. Others who prefer more upfront fruit will find it sliding I suppose, but for me this was a complicated very enjoyable wine in a great place. Drink up. 92
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($150) The Mann's '88 Blowout: Wins the best nose award from me. Sweet candy, baby powder. Candy cigarettes. Captivating. The palate doesn't live up however. Tight and acidic.
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8/31/2020 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 90 Points
Monthly Boys' Wine Night (Eric's House, Hong Kong): Totally 'black slab' inpenetratable colour...looks like a 2005. Nose is very pencil lead and graphite purity, huge depth of black and red currant fruits, sweet/sour fruit that is unusual and interesting,. Slightly tart and still surprisingly tannic but which reflects the wet, sour vintage. A bit short on the finish.
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3/30/2019 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deeply coloured.
Fragrant fruitcake, plums, licorice and spice. Sweet and cedary, delicious.
Intense, very rich, dark plummy fruit and earthy spice, cedary, fruitcake spice, deep and impressive. Silky and balanced with a powerful finish, big fine furry tannins. Superb.
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9/20/2017 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
The Wines of Francois Mitjavile, with Mark Savage MW (Handford Wines, London): A wine more for history value given this represents one of the first proper/serious wines of FM under TR, 1985 being the first according to Mark Savage.
Well Secondary, savory wine, light herby touches, soft fruit touches, elegant and well aged. Very pleasant wine to enjoy now and we would suggest one does not wait much longer. 92
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10/23/2015 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Occasional dinner group; TOP Bordeaux 1988: Mild and interesting bouquet with cassis, iodine, sweet licorice, julienne and some barnyard flavors. On the palate a concentrated wine with chocolate, red and dark berries, herbs and spices, good acidity and drying tannin with a firm amount of bitterness. The bouquet is complex and great, but on the palate the wine disappoints a bit. Overall I scored it 91.
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12/26/2014 - theonlylittledog wrote: 91 Points
Big rich. Still has a good tannic grip but quite soft and elegant.
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8/12/2011 - cct wrote: 92 Points
SOM'd overnight. Bricking rim. A mature nose with leather, some herbal- mossy notes, sweet supple fruit, with green more than black olives, bitter chocolate, and some decaying leaves at first. After time in the glass the fruit emerged round, soft and supple, with surprising tannins that sneak in on the back end of the roundness on the midpalate. My guess is that is '88 tendencies. This is mostly secondary now, and for me in a great window for drinking. Others who prefer more upfront fruit will find it sliding I suppose, but for me this was a complicated very enjoyable wine in a great place. Drink up. 92
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12/12/2010 - IAMVLAD wrote: 89 Points
good bit of fruit left. nice, in the austere 1988 manner.
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8/23/2007 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 89 Points
4 Bordeaux Tasted third place. Lovely currants on the nose, big, intense tasting, very soft fruit, touch simple, medium finish.
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1/19/2006 - Eric wrote: 91 Points
St. Émilion (and Pomerol) offline at Kaspar's (Seattle, WA): Iron, chocolate, musky and dusky. Mmm, a nice palate, vibrant, chewy and masculine.
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10/21/2005 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 93 Points
Château Le Tertre Rôteboeuf Vertical (Bentley Hotel): Quite dark in colour, clear bricking.
A slightly dirty note to the nose.
Lacks the lush fruit of the 89 and 90, and suffered for coming after them.
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12/1/2001 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($100) The Mann's '88 Blowout: red-black in the glass with some translucency at the rim
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12/1/2001 - OneLastSyrah wrote:
($150) The Mann's '88 Blowout: Wins the best nose award from me. Sweet candy, baby powder. Candy cigarettes. Captivating. The palate doesn't live up however. Tight and acidic.
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