Decanted for approximately 40 minutes and enjoyed over the next 2 hours. Seems to be in a good place. Classic old world style. Tannins dominate, but in a good way.
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Decanted for an hour in the glass. Stewed cherries on the nose. The palate is much more balanced now that the tannins have integrated. Really in a good spot now....finally.
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Drank over 2 days first glass was very green tasting not as I’d expect from a st emillion. 2nd night much more enjoyable w typical dark fruit flavors. Give it some air.
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Much better than a bottle tasted last year, this still has a lot of heat and some tannins, but it's drinking as well as it ever will. Some interesting citrus notes amid the still-dominant oak flavours together with some good cherry notes, but this could have been so much better without the vanilla and mocha from all that oak. If you like that sort of thing, it's fine, hence the score, but not a patch on the 98 or the 01.
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Consistent with notes 18 months ago. More on the extracted side, but multi-dimensional, textured, with good weight and balance. Drink through 2030+. Technical score: 93. Enjoyment score: 92.
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Opened and decanted 30-min ahead of a smoked meat brisket dinner. Dark purple ruby color, slightly cloudy. A powerful nose brings candied cherries, lush blackberries, creme de cassis, rich milk chocolate, sweet tobacco, pencil lead, and wild herbs. The palate is medium-full, round, concentrated, and silky, bringing sharp, sweet black fruit, including blueberries, boysenberries, black cherries, and blackcurrant, along with dried leather, dark chocolate, soy sauce, and lingering raspberries into the finish, which is firm yet refined. This is a well-balanced wine with linear flavors, a clean frame, and thick tannins. It should drink well for another 10+ years.
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Rich bloody ruby robe with good legs. With air, this really opened up nicely on the nose. Pretty perfume of pencil lead and cedar. Comes through nicely in the mouth as well. Rich, full, red fruit flavors with some earth unfolds in layers on the palate. Long, gentle finish. Not quite feminine, but trends in that direction. This shows no signs of decline and likely has many years of life ahead. It is even perhaps still developing. Nice wine. Essence of good Bordeaux. 5-13-16-8: 92/100.
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Good nose. Dark color. Surprisingly tight and still slightly tannic for its age. Should have decanted for couple of hours instead of drinking straight from the bottle. Would have liked it more had we decanted it and were accompanying this to a meat dish.
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Not bad but I wasn't over-impressed. Tannic at first, which I expected, thankfully not too much oak, but there isn't the depth of fruit I had hoped for. Maybe it'll come out of its shell in another two years.
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Loved the flavor, definately what I am looking for in a cab or merlot. Cherry, mint, cedar, asphalt... tastes great.... no off flavors such as metal, wood or vegetables but too darn astringent to be accesible.
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Tested on a well-aired bottle, 3+ hrs. Rich alluring balanced nose of deep fruit, nutmeg-type spice, flowers. In the mouth rich ripe chewy and slightly smoky ripe fruit (black currant, blackberrry, dark berry) and stone with meaty and salty notes and hints of bitterness. Finish lingers of same in balance. Dry. Body medium, acid medium, tannin medium or higher. Paired well with a chicken-wine-herb stew.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of wet stones, Kirsch, a bit of camphor and notes of plum. Flavors of plums, berries and cherries. Bright acidity, firm tannins, medium bodied. Hold.
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Old World vs. New World (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had chocolate and blackberry, spice and cherry, and a little earth. The palate was a little tannic, but had cherry and earth, blackberry, chocolate, and a spicy finish.
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Bordeaux Update (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): Wonderful complexity here with a stony edge to the aromas of berry, plum, earth, and spices. Really great on the palate as well with fresh plum and berry fruit. The structure is substantial but not overpowering and really gives superb texture throughout. Saint-Émilion was really great in 2005 and this does not disappoint.
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Bordeaux Update (Wine Exchange. Orange, CA): Strong fruits on the nose--purple, dark berries, plums--with milk chocolate. Less so on the palate, with some caramel and burnt sugar. Medium tannins and length of ~30 secs. Needs to integrate more with time.
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2/10/2023 - Intellectual Sasquatch Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for approximately 40 minutes and enjoyed over the next 2 hours. Seems to be in a good place. Classic old world style. Tannins dominate, but in a good way.
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12/26/2020 - Shugs_Claret wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour in the glass. Stewed cherries on the nose. The palate is much more balanced now that the tannins have integrated. Really in a good spot now....finally.
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8/7/2020 - waibeans wrote: 89 Points
Drank over 2 days first glass was very green tasting not as I’d expect from a st emillion. 2nd night much more enjoyable w typical dark fruit flavors. Give it some air.
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8/3/2020 - no leashes wrote: 90 Points
Dark fruit, mocha and mineral flavors, smooth and drinking well
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1/9/2019 - Julian Marshall wrote: 89 Points
Much better than a bottle tasted last year, this still has a lot of heat and some tannins, but it's drinking as well as it ever will. Some interesting citrus notes amid the still-dominant oak flavours together with some good cherry notes, but this could have been so much better without the vanilla and mocha from all that oak. If you like that sort of thing, it's fine, hence the score, but not a patch on the 98 or the 01.
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6/16/2018 - jlhkiss Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with notes 18 months ago. More on the extracted side, but multi-dimensional, textured, with good weight and balance. Drink through 2030+. Technical score: 93. Enjoyment score: 92.
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4/4/2017 - zin1guy wrote: flawed
Audreyeeew
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12/1/2016 - jlhkiss Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened and decanted 30-min ahead of a smoked meat brisket dinner. Dark purple ruby color, slightly cloudy. A powerful nose brings candied cherries, lush blackberries, creme de cassis, rich milk chocolate, sweet tobacco, pencil lead, and wild herbs. The palate is medium-full, round, concentrated, and silky, bringing sharp, sweet black fruit, including blueberries, boysenberries, black cherries, and blackcurrant, along with dried leather, dark chocolate, soy sauce, and lingering raspberries into the finish, which is firm yet refined. This is a well-balanced wine with linear flavors, a clean frame, and thick tannins. It should drink well for another 10+ years.
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6/26/2016 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rich bloody ruby robe with good legs. With air, this really opened up nicely on the nose. Pretty perfume of pencil lead and cedar. Comes through nicely in the mouth as well. Rich, full, red fruit flavors with some earth unfolds in layers on the palate. Long, gentle finish. Not quite feminine, but trends in that direction. This shows no signs of decline and likely has many years of life ahead. It is even perhaps still developing. Nice wine. Essence of good Bordeaux. 5-13-16-8: 92/100.
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5/30/2016 - rahul_d_chatter@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good nose. Dark color. Surprisingly tight and still slightly tannic for its age. Should have decanted for couple of hours instead of drinking straight from the bottle. Would have liked it more had we decanted it and were accompanying this to a meat dish.
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9/4/2015 - BklynNeophyte wrote: 91 Points
very nice.
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4/19/2015 - Julian Marshall wrote: 86 Points
Not bad but I wasn't over-impressed. Tannic at first, which I expected, thankfully not too much oak, but there isn't the depth of fruit I had hoped for. Maybe it'll come out of its shell in another two years.
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4/10/2013 - spo wrote:
Loved the flavor, definately what I am looking for in a cab or merlot. Cherry, mint, cedar, asphalt... tastes great.... no off flavors such as metal, wood or vegetables but too darn astringent to be accesible.
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12/26/2012 - NO SPIT wrote:
Outstanding wine, paired perfectly with slow roasted pork loin and fresh mushroom gravy with parm crusted broccoli. In a nice place right now.
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10/30/2010 - dynowine wrote: 90 Points
Tested on a well-aired bottle, 3+ hrs. Rich alluring balanced nose of deep fruit, nutmeg-type spice, flowers. In the mouth rich ripe chewy and slightly smoky ripe fruit (black currant, blackberrry, dark berry) and stone with meaty and salty notes and hints of bitterness. Finish lingers of same in balance. Dry. Body medium, acid medium, tannin medium or higher. Paired well with a chicken-wine-herb stew.
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7/25/2010 - Jhcwine wrote: 90 Points
Can't find my tasting note. Just recall that I was not overly impressed.
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7/7/2010 - Agucab wrote: 87 Points
Not as sweet and fruitful as a California Merlot. Chocolate, smooth tannins, would probably wait another 12 mo. Had at WTS Amarillo 7 July 10
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6/12/2010 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 91 Points
Saturdays at One - Volume 25: WIML91?
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of wet stones, Kirsch, a bit of camphor and notes of plum. Flavors of plums, berries and cherries. Bright acidity, firm tannins, medium bodied. Hold.
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6/12/2010 - mmurry Likes this wine: 89 Points
Old World vs. New World (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had chocolate and blackberry, spice and cherry, and a little earth. The palate was a little tannic, but had cherry and earth, blackberry, chocolate, and a spicy finish.
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3/22/2010 - NO SPIT wrote:
Very nice, will take another peek in 2012.
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3/6/2010 - Badfish wrote: 91 Points
Bordeaux Update (Wine Exchange - Orange, CA): Wonderful complexity here with a stony edge to the aromas of berry, plum, earth, and spices. Really great on the palate as well with fresh plum and berry fruit. The structure is substantial but not overpowering and really gives superb texture throughout. Saint-Émilion was really great in 2005 and this does not disappoint.
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3/6/2010 - djdaqm Likes this wine: 89 Points
Bordeaux Update (Wine Exchange. Orange, CA): Strong fruits on the nose--purple, dark berries, plums--with milk chocolate. Less so on the palate, with some caramel and burnt sugar. Medium tannins and length of ~30 secs. Needs to integrate more with time.
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5/18/2008 - LPskeleton wrote: 91 Points
roasted character of coffee, campfire and salami. packed with cherry and long on the finish.
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