Popped and poured into Grassl 1855s at cellar temp. Lots of bricking. Tart red fruit on the nose, tobacco, leather and smoke. Bit thin on the palate with good acid and tame tannin; tea-like. For this bottle, the nose outshines the palate.
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1996 is a weird vintage to me. I’ve gone through 6 of them over the past 12 months or so and it’s been all over the place! Some too tired, some seemed fine but underwhelming and some were pretty darn good. This was the best yet. So “best yet” that as I’m writing this, there is but one glass left in the decanter. I went through the whole darn bottle myself.
That bottle’s nose is all fresh red berries, some leather and meatiness, a touch of herbal medley and even a little bit of metallic twang. A pretty darn nice old school Bordeaux symphony. The palate doesn’t do 100% justice to the nose but it holds the road: fresh (almost thin) first palate, chewy and acidic mid palate and then a long crunchy red berries finish with a whole whack of tannins staying on the inner cheeks and gums. That mid palate really compensates for the somewhat thin entry. Old, fresh, serious and chewy. I’m loving this bottle tonight.
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1996 Chateau Marquis d’ Aligre Margaux. Alc 12.5% Moderate intense purple with only. Little clearing Wild nose with brush and purple fruits Palate follows with excellent fruit with some leather and bramble. Really still intense and interesting
Matches a medium rare CostCo Ribeye with a chanterelle cream sauce and rutabaga purée
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Initially, not very giving and harsh tannins. Against all recommendations, i decanted and let it sit for an hour. It improved. After 2 hours, it came into its own. Very little fine sediment in this bottle. The nose is red-fruited with understated florals and then the dirty bunch appears: leather, little tobacco and a hit of pyrazines/funk. But every thing is a little muted. Palate is decent after those 2 hours: easy front palate, the mid-palate is a little hollow and the finish still shows a little tannic grip. Good and the food got the best out of this but not as good as the one I had in September which was singing.
What an interesting wine. Another pick up from Lyle Fass (all hits so far, no misses).
Taking Monsieur Boyer’s advice, I decanted this for about 10 hours, threw it in the fridge, and drank the next day. Crazy? Maybe.
The nose on this is wild. Mature claret to a T. Leather, cranberry, sous bois, old book, loads of bell pepper. Product of a bygone era.
Palate waxes and wanes, but is never boring. Fresh red fruit, hints of blackberry too. Earthy potting soil and some mushroom. Some interesting tannins—integrated but not entirely resolved? Some nice grit where it counts.
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First things first, the wines of Bel Air Marquis d’Aligre or “BAMA”, as they are affectionately known, are not for everyone. They are essentially relics of a bygone era, made by a man who has largely resisted change over the last 74 years. Yes, that’s right, Jean-Pierre has been making the wine at BAMA since 1950. While nearly everyone around him has adopted whatever technology or technique that is trending, Jean-Pierre has held fast to his tradition. Before I get into the tasting notes, it’s worth sharing that opening a bottle of BAMA is a wild trip. A spirit walk of sorts. There are periods when you think the wine is fading and then minutes later, it’s a whirling dervish. It transformed every 20 minutes so be ready for the ride of your life.
Popped and poured; consumed over two days. Remarkable throughout. The cork did its job with only some saturation. In the glass, the wine is a deep garnet color moving towards a rust color rim; slightly hazy with a near opaque, translucent core. Medium viscosity with light staining of the tears and some signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous showing notes of desiccated cherries, currants, rhubarb, prunes, pomegranate, tobacco, cedar box, a well-conditioned horse saddle, an old library, espresso, roasted Brussels sprouts and damp earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium(+?) tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is seriously 5 minutes long; it’s got the elegance of Margaux with an almost unctuous texture. Truly remarkable. A veritable abyss of complexity. Drink now with patience but honestly, I’m not even sure a wine like this ever dies so I wouldn’t be concerned about holding these for another couple decades. Wow.
I like to imagine that every time a bottle of BAMA is opened, Michael Rolland suffers a crippling bowel obstruction.
Notes of cranberries, currants, and old leather-bound books resting in a rich oak bookcase. Also something vegetal like celery. But zero oak (obviously). This is ready, and still might improve, but in no danger of a decline anytime soon.
I enjoyed this, but I preferred the 2014 Baudry Grezeaux from last weekend more. Bordeaux is just not my thing, but still better than Jura or Natural Wine.
Hot damn. Served double blind. I did not know this but no one around the table had ever had BAMA. I was so happy to introduce this wine to them. Evolved nose of leather, mushrooms, red and white flowers and some red berries. The nose kept on evolving as it sat in the glass bringing a hint of dark fruit and some more florals forward. Beautiful integrated palate with fine delicate tannins, medium low acidity and some rustic earth and red berries going to fresh button mushrooms. Singing. Everyone just went gaga for this wine. Good showing bottle.
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Colour: medium(+) ruby, fading to brick Nose: medium intensity, tertiary, developed. When first opened, nose was dominated by fresh earth and fresh mushrooms, then by red bell pepper. After being open a while, this faded and other characters came to the foreground. Cassis, black cherry, red and black plum, strawberry jam. Rosehip. Earth, fresh mushrooms, tobacco. Cedar, smoke, graphite, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove. Palate: dry, medium(+) acidity, medium(+) tannins -- smooth and fully resolved but still present and drying, medium alcohol (12,5%), medium(-) bodied. Medium intensity, medium length finish. Cassis, black cherry, red and black plum, strawberry jam. Rosehip. Earth, fresh mushrooms, tobacco. Cedar, smoke, graphite, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove. Conclusions: outstanding. Very elegant and restrained, "old school" Bordeaux. Drink now, EDIT: likely will not improve with further ageing (but may hold well on its current plateau for some time with good cellaring) [WAS: likely not suited to further ageing]. Seal: natural cork (saturated but still holding, did not fall apart on opening!) DAY2: I left a bit under half the bottle open overnight, and the mushroom aroma has completely gone. Still plenty of red and black fruit, some spice, earth, and tobacco. Green bell pepper is more prominent than I remember from yesterday. It seems a little lighter bodied than I remember from yesterday, but is still very good.
Quality drink with plenty of fruit and tension. I made sure to decant, stopping before any haze. Not a heavyweight by any means but one that leaves lasting impact through the finish.
I did pour the rest of the bottle, which did have haze but no large sediment, and it was negatively impacted -- it tasted dusty and dry with little fruit -- so I suggest to be very careful when decanting.
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Nose is a nice blend of fruits and forest, but the initial taste is not good, smooth initially due to mellowed tannins but no balance due to lack of fruit and just tertiary notes (feels locked up). A couple hrs later reveals a much better wine, harmonious and integrated, some dried fruit and the previously burnt wood turns into a spring forest (poetic in a way, almost like new growth post forest fire - then again im in nyc 6/6/2023 and we’re covered by the Canadian fire smoke)
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I have had mixed results with wines from this producer, and this was a miss. I purchased the bottle in 2018 from Chambers St Wines, I believe an offering from the chateau, but I could be misremembering.
Cork was largely saturated. The nose is largely savory and green, with bell pepper, smoke, and earth. It’s somewhat musty / muddled, and there is minimal fruit. On the palate, the wine is diluted, with very high acidity, with some light red fruit, smoke, and earth. There is little enjoyment to be had.
I have had good experiences with this producer’s 2000, but chasing other vintages like 1995 and now 1996 has been disappointing.
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Pas ma meilleure bouteille. Achat aux enchères, niveau sous base goulot. Le nez est assez végétal, chlorophylle, poivre, bouche droite, les tanins sont beaux, notes là encore végétales, menthe, cuir, pointe fruits rouges. A pris de l'ampleur à l'aération, j'avais eu peur de l'ouvrir à l'avance, j'aurais dû. 91-92
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On opening, nose is quite vegetal with sweet peppers. Palate still has good acidity. The nose has a little manure, palate has a truffles-buried-in-wet-dirt dustiness to it. Just a touch of black cherry and blackcurrants seem to lurk on the nose. Excited to see how this is after decanting.
Update: four hours later, the nose is burnt caramel, green olive, tobacco, mint. Tannins have softened. The next morning: overripe plum, yet still a rather salty wine. Reminiscent of northern rhone at this point.
Glad I have another bottle. I will probably drink within ~6 hours of decanting next time though, as I found past that it starts to lose its depth.
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Pop and pour. Color is a beautiful, translucent ruby. The nose is effusive and complex, but rustic. It smells like a scene out of a campfire--damp earth, game, wet tobacco, dried red fruits, and a really pretty floral note come through. Similar on the palate. It's initially very inviting, and the tannins feel integrated but build through the finish. Definitely old school.
I didn't get the love for this producer with some previous bottles I've had, but this was a stunner. Glad to have a few more.
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Highly recommend. This time I only decanted it for 2 hours. Slthe depth and complexity is simply incredible. It's very difficult to convey how good this wine actually is.
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Really began to show after six hours. Aromatic on initial decant with pretty florals; tight palate. Changed gears midway through dinner, very noticeable flowering. Aromatics - orange rind, eucalyptus, rose petal. On the palate - strawberry, hinoki wood, bracing acid and tannic structure. Medium finish. Soulful. Will give it a full day next time.
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Great nose of dark cherry, tobacco and graphite. The complex palate is more austere, with tobacco, mushroom, graphite, and cassis, but the dearth of fruit makes it a very hard match to the American steakhouse style dinner it was paired with. Very Good. Decanted for 2 hours.
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Possibly a lot of bottle variation with this, given the poor reviews. My bottle was firing on all cylinders from the get go. Evolved nose and color, showing leaf matter, black cherry, and after a couple hours, a hint of horse stables. Palate is fresher than the nose suggests, with excellent acid, still vibrant if somewhat autumnal stone fruit and black cherry, iodine, dried flowers and Pessac-ish petrichor and scorched earth. Surprisingly rich, even if it lacks an extra gear of complexity, and drinking in a perfect place.
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Graphite, dried leaves, black tea and dark cherry on the nose, color is quite bricked and definitely in the tertiary zone at this point. Palate has a very strong iron component to it, dark cherry, cigar box, coffee, very typical old school Bordeaux characteristics. Fully integrated tannic structure, still strong acidity the delivers a long finish. A ‘proper claret’, in what fans of the style would consider in the correct drinking window, advanced but without fruit being dried up
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PNP. Decanted off moderate sediment. Needed an hour to blow off and open up, please let this breathe or decant. Fully mature Bordeaux, earthy notes of mushroom, leather, cigar box, sous bois. Just a hint of tomato. The fruit is black currant mixed with red fruit. I actually preferred this alone vs with steak, as the food covered up the subtle flavors.
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Stood up for months and decanted, still had fine sediment in last 2-3oz. Medium-plus ruby with age-appropriate bricking; aromatics are fairly reticent right now with some trace black fruits, mulch, forest floor; palate is full bodied, some black fruits remaining, medium-plus to high acidity especially for bordeaux, tertiary forest floor flavors, a bit shrill in the midpalate as the fruit fades, a bit of soy and tamari throughout, tannins still somewhat present, low alcohol (12.5%); finish is short-medium length. At the moment this isn't quite in balance but I think a little air will help it flesh out a bit. Still, definitely fully mature if not a little over the hill. The 1995 was certainly drinking better right now. 87 1 hour air: Definitely fleshes out. Aromatically more complex with soy, tamari, cedar; palate also shows tertiary soy and a bit more depth. Heading in a good direction for now. 3 hours air: No, not heading in a positive direction. The fruit never fleshed out, the tertiary complexity did not gain more prominence. Still seems a bit unbalanced and more about structure than flavor. Not what I expect from Margaux, and honestly at this point I'm considering not finishing the bottle. This was a miss. 85-
Aromatic with a mostly tertiary loam, cedar, and leather nose. Mostly tertiary palate, primary fruit seems long gone. Finish is short, clipped, finishing with an iron/iodine note. Mature wine, that seems a little past peak to me. Even more tired on day 2. Even so this is still elegant and charming and perfectly fine with prime rib. Just doesn’t have the complexity of some others. But it does have soul. (Given other more experiences taster who favor this being an off bottle, will withhold score)
First time trying a Margaux that can hold up so well without ANY new oak on it. Wonderful stuff. Not yet fully developed, but getting there slowly. Notes of ripe raspberry, dark cherry, dried leaves, dark chocolate, shiitake mushroom, caramel and cloves. Loads of complexity, just opening up more and more in the glass. Medium-bodied Bordeaux blend with a nice acidity and medium alcohol. Tannins are still grippy, rounding up all the elements in the wine. Beautiful evolution with a lot of potential coming its way.
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Pop and pour. Notes from 2 hrs open. On the nose: loads of cedar, dried blackberry, dried leaves and herbs...so soft and enticing. On the palate: dried herbs, blackberry, cedar.toast, good acidity. Lighter styled, but lovely density, attenuated tannin. Firmly secondary with some tertiary notes...yum.
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This is in a nice place now — fully resolved tannins and nice mouthfeel. Mushroom driven nose with some good cherry on the palate. Decanted this for 4h+ as i usually do with this producer and the tannins were fully resolved with everything in balance. That being said the fruit is starting to run low and while acidity is good, i don’t see this getting better from here. Very similar to lots of ‘96 burgundy which never really let that fruit shine before fading away — reminded me of a ‘96 Gouges Les St Georges consumed recently. Enjoyable but I would drink this now if you have it.
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A blend composed of relatively early-harvested Merlot, Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenère. The exact blend isn't really known, but estimated to be one third of Merlot, one third of Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and the remainder rounded out by the remaining varieties. Fermented slowly in large cement tanks with no extraction. Aged for 6 months in old, neutral barriques, then returned to the cement tanks and bottled after several years of aging. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted in Bel Air-Marquis d'Aligre 2010-1985 vertical tasting after 5-6 hours of decanting.
Quite translucent and moderately evolved red with a somewhat rusty maroon hue and a clear, colorless rim. The nose feels surprisingly restrained and slightly dusty with very understated aromas of developed blackcurrant-driven fruit, some campfire smoke, a little bit of sappy leafy character and a hint of earth. The wine is silky, medium-to-moderately full-bodied and somewhat dull on the palate with quite reticent flavors of ripe blackcurrants, some red-toned plummy fruit, a little bit of dusty earth, light gamey notes of meat, a hint of tobacco and an autumnal touch of old leaves. The wine is rather high in acidity with rather grippy and somewhat angular medium tannins. The finish is quite long, dry and dusty with some tannic grip and rather light flavors of blackcurrants, some dusty earth, a little bit of leafy greenness and a hint of tobacco.
A surprisingly reticent, dull and underwhelming vintage of BA-Marquis. People were wondering if the wine was suffering from a very mild case of TCA - not enough to make the wine feel corked, but enough to mute the fruit - but reading the CT tasting notes it seems quite obvious that we had a textbook 1996 BAMA. In this vintage when almost everybody else made thoroughly impressive powerhouses of wine, BAMA seems to have made a very reticent, dull and underwhelming wine that was rather a dud upon opening and never really got any better over the evening. Almost a polar opposite to 1998 - a vintage which was rather poor on the Left Bank yet in which BAMA excelled. I can imagine this wine will keep just fine for many more years - perhaps even decades - since it doesn't show much evolution, but I doubt it is going to be a memorable vintage, no matter how old it gets. If you get to choose, pick any other 1990's vintage of BAMA over this one. Rather poor value at 39,90€.
Not quite as stellar as the last bottle I tried, a little muted even. There is the usual blackberry and raspberry, but it suffered in comparison with the 98 tasted at the same time. I agree that 2036 is really optimistic!
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Had some friends over who are seriously sophisticated beer drinkers but relative novice wine drinkers. I decided to do a mini-vertical and horizontal tasting over the evening of some Bordeaux. After seeing some recent tasting notes on the 1985 Pichon’s I decided to do a 1985 horizontal of Pichon Baron and Pichon Lalande. The mini-vertical was a 1995 and 1996 Chateau Belair-Marquis d’Aligre. I decanted all four at about 4pm and we tasted them repeatedly over the next 8 hours. This 1996 was the least attractive wine all night. It looked youthful with little to no bricking and a nose that was very floral and red fruited with a bit of menthol but little fruit. The palate was a little tart, perhaps slightly under-ripe. Mostly red berry and under-ripe plum oriented. Finish was pretty short and had a lack of depth and complexity compared to the 1985 Pichon’s and its previous vintage. I’m not so sure this will age as well as some of the other CT users who average a drinking window through 2036. Interesting wine but not nearly as enjoyable as the other three bottles tonight.
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Quite youthful even after an 8hr decant. Next bottle will see a 24hr decant. Very old school Bordeaux. Red currant, violets, minerals & earth. Very elegant.
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Old school and in the zone. Nose of florals, iron, and berries. Much of the same on the palate along with tobacco. Tannins are mostly resolved. Should hold but no reason not to drink now.
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Like this a lot - it's solid, old school claret with a lightness of touch and sense of restraint to the fruit. The red and dark fruit here is in the background, relative to the more savoury tobacco, graphite, and other earthy notes, but while it's a pleasant wine, I'm puzzled by all the geeky fuss being made over this. It's a solid old school Bordeaux in the same style of a Cantemerle or an older Sociando Mallet, but doesn't have quite the depth or complexity I'd expect from those wines. At the price, I'd pass.
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Drank over three hours. This was a solid, polished but old school bordeaux. medium to light bodied but with clear fruit and some tannin. enjoyable, but i'd argue overpriced.
Pop and pour. Nice nose with loads of sweet tobacco, dry earth, blackberry, but no real Margaux perfume (this is really a quibble, since the wine was a perfect pairing for our Picanha). On the palate, excellent acidity, more blackberry, dried earth, and very finely grained tannin on the juicy finish. Extremely enjoyable.
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Slow oxe'ed for 8 hrs then decanted. Opened up at 3h decant mark. Nice aromas of cassis, dried black cherries, leather, earth, and bark. Palate also has cassis, but now more dried red cherries, earth, pencil shavings, bark and leather. Excellent acids with moderate tannins in a nice elegant frame. Drinking at peak. Fruit begins to dry out at 5h after decanting. Beautiful synergy with medium rare ribeye - the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Beautiful old school Bordeux.
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Takes a while to open up and show the dark berries, tar, earth, tobacco and cedar, plenty of structure and the tannins need a few hours decant to soften, surprisingly fresh fruit feel with more pronounced acidity and a medium plus length finish.
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Double decanted in the Am then drunk over and hour or two. The last two glasses drunk the following night.
This is intriguing. On the first night, it seems stony and savory, ferrous, with cedar wood and an umami almost porcini in the back ground, and stony fruit more than cassis. It is structured and detailed, yet seems very analog and seemingly nuanced behind the wall. It was pretty tight on day one: structured and focused and on the compact side. Interesting but lacking much charm on day one.
On day two, with the bottle left recorked overnight on the counter, it came into more balance. It's interesting, because as stern as the wine came across on the first night, there is surprisingly ripe fruit underneath. Still structured, but less stern with more fruit: plum and cassis again, still cedar, some salt cured olive, cedar, and subtle florals. There still was a sense of iron and umami. The fruit fleshed out by the end of the second night, gaining depth and breadth, but all with a sense of balance. There is density and sap, and make no mistake, in spite of its balance, it is pretty large scaled, yet the power is not brutish. Stony and savory, and very interesting. A singular wine drinking at early peak. I will hold my remaining bottle for 5-10 minimum. I am not sure if I would choose to drink this weekly, but I am very glad I tired this and look forward to the next bottle. 92
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Solid, old school Bdx. Opens to moist earth, leather and mushroom. Fruit comes in strong after quite a bit of decant time; currant and red berries. Medium bodied and understated; impeccably balanced. Really nice bottle, better in time.
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Drank with the 95. Initially, more tannic and less fresh, so this time I did decant. The aromas were quite similar, with a little leather and honey added. The attack was more like slightly jammified wild raspberry, although the blackcurrant was just behind, with more volume than the 95 in the middle section and a totally different finish: this time, it was creamy blackberry, building slowly and subtly but lingering just as long as the 95's.
Comparing the two side by side favoured the 95 - that crushed wild strawberry was irresistible. But the two were equally good. The elegance, the perfect balance, the persistent fruit, without artifact or excessive concentration. It seems uncouth to actually score them, but I would say 93 for the 96 and 94 for the 95.
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Pale red in color. Dark fruits, cedar, and forest floor flavors. Rather rich on the palate and even a bit sweet even. This was somewhat unique to me as there are not many 1990s-era Bordeaux’s that taste like this. There’s still a lot of tannic structure in place for a couple decades of drinking to come.
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Fully mature and resolved. A lovely balanced and classic Margaux, nice sweet nose and silky smooth on the palette, red fruit, forest floor, a touch of soy. This is a great example of an aged classic Bordeaux. Not the last word in complexity or power but a really lovely wine.
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Developed, greenish, stemmy cabernet aromas - albeit not that expressive even after 3h of air. Nice, fresh and clean midweight palate without much complexity, but on the other hand devoid of oaky layers. Old-school wine, needs lots of air and a bit of patience, but drinks well.
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Robe grenat orangée avec frange aqueuse et d'intensité moyenne. Nez sur notes kirschées (sensation d'alcool), pruneau, fumée. Bouche soyeuse au corps "Bourguignon" pour un Margaux, légère astringence des tanins en milieu de bouche. Finale sur notes de sous-bois et cuir. À boire, ne gagnera à rester en cave. À tester sur petits gibiers à plume. 88/100
The 1996 Marquis d'Aligre is not that dissimilar from the 1986, bursting from the glass with a lovely bouquet of raspberry, blackcurrant, cedar, tobacco leaf and gravelly soil tones. On the palate this wine is impeccably balanced, very concentrated, and a good decade or more away from maturity, with a savory and refined tannic structure and an ample endowment of fruit which will really blossom when the tannins melt away and the wine's latent ripeness becomes apparent. While this may challenge tasters who're unfamiliar with what great Bordeaux used to taste like, it's exactly what I've been looking for. Think of this estate as the Figeac or Grand Puy Lacoste of Margaux, with an even more old-school élevage and a very pure terroir signature.
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(12.5% vol) I'm enjoying this wine much more on Day 2 than I did yesterday, even though it was decanted for 1+ hours. A rather rich brick-red colour. There is a freshness to the nose with roses, caramel, cedar, and some earthy notes present (these aromas are tightly wound up with one another). There is a clean and smooth mouthfeel. I do detect some floral notes as well as a little spice (cinnamon) on the palate and finish. I also think that this wine does show some individuality and overall I would say that it is a very pleasing wine. I would suspect that this wine would definitely benefit from a few more years of bottle age.
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2/18/2024 - ekorn wrote:
Popped and poured into Grassl 1855s at cellar temp. Lots of bricking. Tart red fruit on the nose, tobacco, leather and smoke. Bit thin on the palate with good acid and tame tannin; tea-like. For this bottle, the nose outshines the palate.
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2/10/2024 - philmtl wrote:
1996 is a weird vintage to me. I’ve gone through 6 of them over the past 12 months or so and it’s been all over the place! Some too tired, some seemed fine but underwhelming and some were pretty darn good. This was the best yet. So “best yet” that as I’m writing this, there is but one glass left in the decanter. I went through the whole darn bottle myself.
That bottle’s nose is all fresh red berries, some leather and meatiness, a touch of herbal medley and even a little bit of metallic twang. A pretty darn nice old school Bordeaux symphony. The palate doesn’t do 100% justice to the nose but it holds the road: fresh (almost thin) first palate, chewy and acidic mid palate and then a long crunchy red berries finish with a whole whack of tannins staying on the inner cheeks and gums. That mid palate really compensates for the somewhat thin entry. Old, fresh, serious and chewy. I’m loving this bottle tonight.
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1/28/2024 - Cain974 wrote: flawed
No tanins, quite flat and slightly cork, review on next bottle
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12/18/2023 - ssouth Likes this wine: 93 Points
1996 Chateau Marquis d’ Aligre Margaux. Alc 12.5%
Moderate intense purple with only. Little clearing
Wild nose with brush and purple fruits
Palate follows with excellent fruit with some leather and bramble. Really still intense and interesting
Matches a medium rare CostCo Ribeye with a chanterelle cream sauce and rutabaga purée
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12/9/2023 - philmtl Likes this wine:
Initially, not very giving and harsh tannins. Against all recommendations, i decanted and let it sit for an hour. It improved. After 2 hours, it came into its own. Very little fine sediment in this bottle. The nose is red-fruited with understated florals and then the dirty bunch appears: leather, little tobacco and a hit of pyrazines/funk. But every thing is a little muted. Palate is decent after those 2 hours: easy front palate, the mid-palate is a little hollow and the finish still shows a little tannic grip. Good and the food got the best out of this but not as good as the one I had in September which was singing.
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12/2/2023 - AndrewWill wrote:
What an interesting wine. Another pick up from Lyle Fass (all hits so far, no misses).
Taking Monsieur Boyer’s advice, I decanted this for about 10 hours, threw it in the fridge, and drank the next day. Crazy? Maybe.
The nose on this is wild. Mature claret to a T. Leather, cranberry, sous bois, old book, loads of bell pepper. Product of a bygone era.
Palate waxes and wanes, but is never boring. Fresh red fruit, hints of blackberry too. Earthy potting soil and some mushroom. Some interesting tannins—integrated but not entirely resolved? Some nice grit where it counts.
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11/23/2023 - thesternowl wrote: 95 Points
First things first, the wines of Bel Air Marquis d’Aligre or “BAMA”, as they are affectionately known, are not for everyone. They are essentially relics of a bygone era, made by a man who has largely resisted change over the last 74 years. Yes, that’s right, Jean-Pierre has been making the wine at BAMA since 1950. While nearly everyone around him has adopted whatever technology or technique that is trending, Jean-Pierre has held fast to his tradition. Before I get into the tasting notes, it’s worth sharing that opening a bottle of BAMA is a wild trip. A spirit walk of sorts. There are periods when you think the wine is fading and then minutes later, it’s a whirling dervish. It transformed every 20 minutes so be ready for the ride of your life.
Popped and poured; consumed over two days. Remarkable throughout. The cork did its job with only some saturation. In the glass, the wine is a deep garnet color moving towards a rust color rim; slightly hazy with a near opaque, translucent core. Medium viscosity with light staining of the tears and some signs of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous showing notes of desiccated cherries, currants, rhubarb, prunes, pomegranate, tobacco, cedar box, a well-conditioned horse saddle, an old library, espresso, roasted Brussels sprouts and damp earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium(+?) tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is seriously 5 minutes long; it’s got the elegance of Margaux with an almost unctuous texture. Truly remarkable. A veritable abyss of complexity. Drink now with patience but honestly, I’m not even sure a wine like this ever dies so I wouldn’t be concerned about holding these for another couple decades. Wow.
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11/16/2023 - MrOctoberfest Likes this wine:
I like to imagine that every time a bottle of BAMA is opened, Michael Rolland suffers a crippling bowel obstruction.
Notes of cranberries, currants, and old leather-bound books resting in a rich oak bookcase. Also something vegetal like celery. But zero oak (obviously). This is ready, and still might improve, but in no danger of a decline anytime soon.
I enjoyed this, but I preferred the 2014 Baudry Grezeaux from last weekend more. Bordeaux is just not my thing, but still better than Jura or Natural Wine.
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10/12/2023 - Eric Wright wrote: flawed
Flat. Wet cardboard. Maybe cooked.
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9/8/2023 - philmtl Likes this wine:
Hot damn. Served double blind. I did not know this but no one around the table had ever had BAMA. I was so happy to introduce this wine to them. Evolved nose of leather, mushrooms, red and white flowers and some red berries. The nose kept on evolving as it sat in the glass bringing a hint of dark fruit and some more florals forward. Beautiful integrated palate with fine delicate tannins, medium low acidity and some rustic earth and red berries going to fresh button mushrooms. Singing. Everyone just went gaga for this wine. Good showing bottle.
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7/21/2023 - penguinoid Likes this wine:
Colour: medium(+) ruby, fading to brick
Nose: medium intensity, tertiary, developed. When first opened, nose was dominated by fresh earth and fresh mushrooms, then by red bell pepper. After being open a while, this faded and other characters came to the foreground. Cassis, black cherry, red and black plum, strawberry jam. Rosehip. Earth, fresh mushrooms, tobacco. Cedar, smoke, graphite, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove.
Palate: dry, medium(+) acidity, medium(+) tannins -- smooth and fully resolved but still present and drying, medium alcohol (12,5%), medium(-) bodied. Medium intensity, medium length finish. Cassis, black cherry, red and black plum, strawberry jam. Rosehip. Earth, fresh mushrooms, tobacco. Cedar, smoke, graphite, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove.
Conclusions: outstanding. Very elegant and restrained, "old school" Bordeaux. Drink now, EDIT: likely will not improve with further ageing (but may hold well on its current plateau for some time with good cellaring) [WAS: likely not suited to further ageing].
Seal: natural cork (saturated but still holding, did not fall apart on opening!)
DAY2: I left a bit under half the bottle open overnight, and the mushroom aroma has completely gone. Still plenty of red and black fruit, some spice, earth, and tobacco. Green bell pepper is more prominent than I remember from yesterday. It seems a little lighter bodied than I remember from yesterday, but is still very good.
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7/19/2023 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
Light, elegant, expressive and nicely layered with mature flavors. Not especially deep, but delicious and enjoyable.
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6/18/2023 - MarkLA wrote: 92 Points
Quality drink with plenty of fruit and tension. I made sure to decant, stopping before any haze. Not a heavyweight by any means but one that leaves lasting impact through the finish.
I did pour the rest of the bottle, which did have haze but no large sediment, and it was negatively impacted -- it tasted dusty and dry with little fruit -- so I suggest to be very careful when decanting.
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6/7/2023 - funderwood10 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nose is a nice blend of fruits and forest, but the initial taste is not good, smooth initially due to mellowed tannins but no balance due to lack of fruit and just tertiary notes (feels locked up). A couple hrs later reveals a much better wine, harmonious and integrated, some dried fruit and the previously burnt wood turns into a spring forest (poetic in a way, almost like new growth post forest fire - then again im in nyc 6/6/2023 and we’re covered by the Canadian fire smoke)
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6/4/2023 - Robmcl920 Does not like this wine: 85 Points
I have had mixed results with wines from this producer, and this was a miss. I purchased the bottle in 2018 from Chambers St Wines, I believe an offering from the chateau, but I could be misremembering.
Cork was largely saturated. The nose is largely savory and green, with bell pepper, smoke, and earth. It’s somewhat musty / muddled, and there is minimal fruit. On the palate, the wine is diluted, with very high acidity, with some light red fruit, smoke, and earth. There is little enjoyment to be had.
I have had good experiences with this producer’s 2000, but chasing other vintages like 1995 and now 1996 has been disappointing.
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5/16/2023 - steko78 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pas ma meilleure bouteille. Achat aux enchères, niveau sous base goulot. Le nez est assez végétal, chlorophylle, poivre, bouche droite, les tanins sont beaux, notes là encore végétales, menthe, cuir, pointe fruits rouges. A pris de l'ampleur à l'aération, j'avais eu peur de l'ouvrir à l'avance, j'aurais dû. 91-92
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5/11/2023 - HHMiller1 Likes this wine:
On opening, nose is quite vegetal with sweet peppers. Palate still has good acidity. The nose has a little manure, palate has a truffles-buried-in-wet-dirt dustiness to it. Just a touch of black cherry and blackcurrants seem to lurk on the nose. Excited to see how this is after decanting.
Update: four hours later, the nose is burnt caramel, green olive, tobacco, mint. Tannins have softened. The next morning: overripe plum, yet still a rather salty wine. Reminiscent of northern rhone at this point.
Glad I have another bottle. I will probably drink within ~6 hours of decanting next time though, as I found past that it starts to lose its depth.
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4/15/2023 - Eric Wright Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely nose of dark cherry and earth. Palate a bit simple, but still solid QPR. Best with approximately an hour of air.
Second day glass from coravin. Much more fruit. Very alive, limited signs of age. Tannins and acid bright, but balanced.
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2/12/2023 - mcktuck wrote: 95 Points
Pop and pour. Color is a beautiful, translucent ruby. The nose is effusive and complex, but rustic. It smells like a scene out of a campfire--damp earth, game, wet tobacco, dried red fruits, and a really pretty floral note come through. Similar on the palate. It's initially very inviting, and the tannins feel integrated but build through the finish. Definitely old school.
I didn't get the love for this producer with some previous bottles I've had, but this was a stunner. Glad to have a few more.
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12/25/2022 - RodaParis Likes this wine: 97 Points
Highly recommend. This time I only decanted it for 2 hours. Slthe depth and complexity is simply incredible. It's very difficult to convey how good this wine actually is.
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12/10/2022 - 10xM Likes this wine: 90 Points
Rustic, red fruit, acid backbone.
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11/25/2022 - dreambeam Likes this wine:
Really began to show after six hours. Aromatic on initial decant with pretty florals; tight palate. Changed gears midway through dinner, very noticeable flowering. Aromatics - orange rind, eucalyptus, rose petal. On the palate - strawberry, hinoki wood, bracing acid and tannic structure. Medium finish. Soulful. Will give it a full day next time.
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11/11/2022 - theRealPepe wrote: 89 Points
Great nose of dark cherry, tobacco and graphite. The complex palate is more austere, with tobacco, mushroom, graphite, and cassis, but the dearth of fruit makes it a very hard match to the American steakhouse style dinner it was paired with. Very Good.
Decanted for 2 hours.
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10/20/2022 - ohne_musik wrote: 93 Points
Possibly a lot of bottle variation with this, given the poor reviews. My bottle was firing on all cylinders from the get go. Evolved nose and color, showing leaf matter, black cherry, and after a couple hours, a hint of horse stables. Palate is fresher than the nose suggests, with excellent acid, still vibrant if somewhat autumnal stone fruit and black cherry, iodine, dried flowers and Pessac-ish petrichor and scorched earth. Surprisingly rich, even if it lacks an extra gear of complexity, and drinking in a perfect place.
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10/15/2022 - DoubleMagnum Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Dull and lifeless. Guess this wasn't meant to age this long?
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8/13/2022 - RodaParis wrote: flawed
After 24h in the decanter it only smelled of paint thinner and had no taste.
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7/2/2022 - Todd French wrote:
Graphite, dried leaves, black tea and dark cherry on the nose, color is quite bricked and definitely in the tertiary zone at this point. Palate has a very strong iron component to it, dark cherry, cigar box, coffee, very typical old school Bordeaux characteristics. Fully integrated tannic structure, still strong acidity the delivers a long finish. A ‘proper claret’, in what fans of the style would consider in the correct drinking window, advanced but without fruit being dried up
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2/11/2022 - Maphill01 wrote:
PNP. Decanted off moderate sediment. Needed an hour to blow off and open up, please let this breathe or decant. Fully mature Bordeaux, earthy notes of mushroom, leather, cigar box, sous bois. Just a hint of tomato. The fruit is black currant mixed with red fruit. I actually preferred this alone vs with steak, as the food covered up the subtle flavors.
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1/11/2022 - aagrawal wrote: 85 Points
Stood up for months and decanted, still had fine sediment in last 2-3oz. Medium-plus ruby with age-appropriate bricking; aromatics are fairly reticent right now with some trace black fruits, mulch, forest floor; palate is full bodied, some black fruits remaining, medium-plus to high acidity especially for bordeaux, tertiary forest floor flavors, a bit shrill in the midpalate as the fruit fades, a bit of soy and tamari throughout, tannins still somewhat present, low alcohol (12.5%); finish is short-medium length. At the moment this isn't quite in balance but I think a little air will help it flesh out a bit. Still, definitely fully mature if not a little over the hill. The 1995 was certainly drinking better right now. 87
1 hour air: Definitely fleshes out. Aromatically more complex with soy, tamari, cedar; palate also shows tertiary soy and a bit more depth. Heading in a good direction for now.
3 hours air: No, not heading in a positive direction. The fruit never fleshed out, the tertiary complexity did not gain more prominence. Still seems a bit unbalanced and more about structure than flavor. Not what I expect from Margaux, and honestly at this point I'm considering not finishing the bottle. This was a miss. 85-
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12/27/2021 - Nutty08 wrote:
Aromatic with a mostly tertiary loam, cedar, and leather nose. Mostly tertiary palate, primary fruit seems long gone. Finish is short, clipped, finishing with an iron/iodine note. Mature wine, that seems a little past peak to me. Even more tired on day 2. Even so this is still elegant and charming and perfectly fine with prime rib. Just doesn’t have the complexity of some others. But it does have soul.
(Given other more experiences taster who favor this being an off bottle, will withhold score)
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11/23/2021 - grapenomad wrote: 93 Points
First time trying a Margaux that can hold up so well without ANY new oak on it. Wonderful stuff. Not yet fully developed, but getting there slowly. Notes of ripe raspberry, dark cherry, dried leaves, dark chocolate, shiitake mushroom, caramel and cloves. Loads of complexity, just opening up more and more in the glass. Medium-bodied Bordeaux blend with a nice acidity and medium alcohol. Tannins are still grippy, rounding up all the elements in the wine. Beautiful evolution with a lot of potential coming its way.
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7/28/2021 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Pop and pour. Notes from 2 hrs open. On the nose: loads of cedar, dried blackberry, dried leaves and herbs...so soft and enticing. On the palate: dried herbs, blackberry, cedar.toast, good acidity. Lighter styled, but lovely density, attenuated tannin. Firmly secondary with some tertiary notes...yum.
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12/31/2020 - Varchas wrote: 92 Points
This is in a nice place now — fully resolved tannins and nice mouthfeel. Mushroom driven nose with some good cherry on the palate. Decanted this for 4h+ as i usually do with this producer and the tannins were fully resolved with everything in balance. That being said the fruit is starting to run low and while acidity is good, i don’t see this getting better from here. Very similar to lots of ‘96 burgundy which never really let that fruit shine before fading away — reminded me of a ‘96 Gouges Les St Georges consumed recently. Enjoyable but I would drink this now if you have it.
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9/2/2020 - forceberry wrote: 83 Points
A blend composed of relatively early-harvested Merlot, Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec and Carmenère. The exact blend isn't really known, but estimated to be one third of Merlot, one third of Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Cabernet Franc and the remainder rounded out by the remaining varieties. Fermented slowly in large cement tanks with no extraction. Aged for 6 months in old, neutral barriques, then returned to the cement tanks and bottled after several years of aging. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted in Bel Air-Marquis d'Aligre 2010-1985 vertical tasting after 5-6 hours of decanting.
Quite translucent and moderately evolved red with a somewhat rusty maroon hue and a clear, colorless rim. The nose feels surprisingly restrained and slightly dusty with very understated aromas of developed blackcurrant-driven fruit, some campfire smoke, a little bit of sappy leafy character and a hint of earth. The wine is silky, medium-to-moderately full-bodied and somewhat dull on the palate with quite reticent flavors of ripe blackcurrants, some red-toned plummy fruit, a little bit of dusty earth, light gamey notes of meat, a hint of tobacco and an autumnal touch of old leaves. The wine is rather high in acidity with rather grippy and somewhat angular medium tannins. The finish is quite long, dry and dusty with some tannic grip and rather light flavors of blackcurrants, some dusty earth, a little bit of leafy greenness and a hint of tobacco.
A surprisingly reticent, dull and underwhelming vintage of BA-Marquis. People were wondering if the wine was suffering from a very mild case of TCA - not enough to make the wine feel corked, but enough to mute the fruit - but reading the CT tasting notes it seems quite obvious that we had a textbook 1996 BAMA. In this vintage when almost everybody else made thoroughly impressive powerhouses of wine, BAMA seems to have made a very reticent, dull and underwhelming wine that was rather a dud upon opening and never really got any better over the evening. Almost a polar opposite to 1998 - a vintage which was rather poor on the Left Bank yet in which BAMA excelled. I can imagine this wine will keep just fine for many more years - perhaps even decades - since it doesn't show much evolution, but I doubt it is going to be a memorable vintage, no matter how old it gets. If you get to choose, pick any other 1990's vintage of BAMA over this one. Rather poor value at 39,90€.
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8/8/2020 - MrOctoberfest Likes this wine:
Wow. Just wow. Best Cabernet based wine since my last BAMA.
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6/30/2020 - Julian Marshall wrote: 91 Points
Not quite as stellar as the last bottle I tried, a little muted even. There is the usual blackberry and raspberry, but it suffered in comparison with the 98 tasted at the same time. I agree that 2036 is really optimistic!
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6/20/2020 - oldwines Likes this wine: 90 Points
Had some friends over who are seriously sophisticated beer drinkers but relative novice wine drinkers. I decided to do a mini-vertical and horizontal tasting over the evening of some Bordeaux. After seeing some recent tasting notes on the 1985 Pichon’s I decided to do a 1985 horizontal of Pichon Baron and Pichon Lalande. The mini-vertical was a 1995 and 1996 Chateau Belair-Marquis d’Aligre. I decanted all four at about 4pm and we tasted them repeatedly over the next 8 hours. This 1996 was the least attractive wine all night. It looked youthful with little to no bricking and a nose that was very floral and red fruited with a bit of menthol but little fruit. The palate was a little tart, perhaps slightly under-ripe. Mostly red berry and under-ripe plum oriented. Finish was pretty short and had a lack of depth and complexity compared to the 1985 Pichon’s and its previous vintage. I’m not so sure this will age as well as some of the other CT users who average a drinking window through 2036. Interesting wine but not nearly as enjoyable as the other three bottles tonight.
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4/11/2020 - jhw425 wrote: 91 Points
Good stuff. Definitely old school wirh the green and lower alcohol. Opened 4 hrs prior then a 2 hour decant. Last glass was the best
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11/15/2019 - Nick4378 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quite youthful even after an 8hr decant. Next bottle will see a 24hr decant. Very old school Bordeaux. Red currant, violets, minerals & earth. Very elegant.
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11/9/2019 - stefad wrote: 90 Points
Vin suave à souhait, un jus sans grosse extraction, bouchon complètement imbibé - boire les autres bouteilles sous 2/4 ans.
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9/28/2019 - jhw425 wrote: 90 Points
Good. Could use a longer than 4 hour aeration
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6/9/2019 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Old school and in the zone. Nose of florals, iron, and berries. Much of the same on the palate along with tobacco. Tannins are mostly resolved. Should hold but no reason not to drink now.
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5/12/2019 - salil wrote: 88 Points
Like this a lot - it's solid, old school claret with a lightness of touch and sense of restraint to the fruit. The red and dark fruit here is in the background, relative to the more savoury tobacco, graphite, and other earthy notes, but while it's a pleasant wine, I'm puzzled by all the geeky fuss being made over this. It's a solid old school Bordeaux in the same style of a Cantemerle or an older Sociando Mallet, but doesn't have quite the depth or complexity I'd expect from those wines. At the price, I'd pass.
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5/12/2019 - prof b wrote:
Drank over three hours. This was a solid, polished but old school bordeaux. medium to light bodied but with clear fruit and some tannin. enjoyable, but i'd argue overpriced.
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5/10/2019 - Aravind Asok wrote:
Pop and pour. Nice nose with loads of sweet tobacco, dry earth, blackberry, but no real Margaux perfume (this is really a quibble, since the wine was a perfect pairing for our Picanha). On the palate, excellent acidity, more blackberry, dried earth, and very finely grained tannin on the juicy finish. Extremely enjoyable.
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4/27/2019 - James Kim Likes this wine: 92 Points
Slow oxe'ed for 8 hrs then decanted. Opened up at 3h decant mark. Nice aromas of cassis, dried black cherries, leather, earth, and bark. Palate also has cassis, but now more dried red cherries, earth, pencil shavings, bark and leather. Excellent acids with moderate tannins in a nice elegant frame. Drinking at peak. Fruit begins to dry out at 5h after decanting. Beautiful synergy with medium rare ribeye - the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Beautiful old school Bordeux.
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1/6/2019 - eoinhharkins wrote: 93 Points
Takes a while to open up and show the dark berries, tar, earth, tobacco and cedar, plenty of structure and the tannins need a few hours decant to soften, surprisingly fresh fruit feel with more pronounced acidity and a medium plus length finish.
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1/4/2019 - diggydan wrote: 93 Points
Very pretty, good ripeness, leather. Elegant, soft, mature.
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12/16/2018 - cct wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted in the Am then drunk over and hour or two. The last two glasses drunk the following night.
This is intriguing. On the first night, it seems stony and savory, ferrous, with cedar wood and an umami almost porcini in the back ground, and stony fruit more than cassis. It is structured and detailed, yet seems very analog and seemingly nuanced behind the wall. It was pretty tight on day one: structured and focused and on the compact side. Interesting but lacking much charm on day one.
On day two, with the bottle left recorked overnight on the counter, it came into more balance. It's interesting, because as stern as the wine came across on the first night, there is surprisingly ripe fruit underneath. Still structured, but less stern with more fruit: plum and cassis again, still cedar, some salt cured olive, cedar, and subtle florals. There still was a sense of iron and umami. The fruit fleshed out by the end of the second night, gaining depth and breadth, but all with a sense of balance. There is density and sap, and make no mistake, in spite of its balance, it is pretty large scaled, yet the power is not brutish. Stony and savory, and very interesting. A singular wine drinking at early peak. I will hold my remaining bottle for 5-10 minimum. I am not sure if I would choose to drink this weekly, but I am very glad I tired this and look forward to the next bottle. 92
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11/25/2018 - WST Likes this wine: 91 Points
Solid, old school Bdx. Opens to moist earth, leather and mushroom. Fruit comes in strong after quite a bit of decant time; currant and red berries. Medium bodied and understated; impeccably balanced. Really nice bottle, better in time.
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10/14/2018 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank with the 95. Initially, more tannic and less fresh, so this time I did decant. The aromas were quite similar, with a little leather and honey added. The attack was more like slightly jammified wild raspberry, although the blackcurrant was just behind, with more volume than the 95 in the middle section and a totally different finish: this time, it was creamy blackberry, building slowly and subtly but lingering just as long as the 95's.
Comparing the two side by side favoured the 95 - that crushed wild strawberry was irresistible. But the two were equally good. The elegance, the perfect balance, the persistent fruit, without artifact or excessive concentration. It seems uncouth to actually score them, but I would say 93 for the 96 and 94 for the 95.
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7/18/2018 - jgreco Does not like this wine: 89 Points
Pale red in color. Dark fruits, cedar, and forest floor flavors. Rather rich on the palate and even a bit sweet even. This was somewhat unique to me as there are not many 1990s-era Bordeaux’s that taste like this. There’s still a lot of tannic structure in place for a couple decades of drinking to come.
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3/11/2017 - Hazeo wrote: 92 Points
Fully mature and resolved. A lovely balanced and classic Margaux, nice sweet nose and silky smooth on the palette, red fruit, forest floor, a touch of soy. This is a great example of an aged classic Bordeaux. Not the last word in complexity or power but a really lovely wine.
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10/8/2016 - Finare Vinare wrote: 89 Points
Developed, greenish, stemmy cabernet aromas - albeit not that expressive even after 3h of air. Nice, fresh and clean midweight palate without much complexity, but on the other hand devoid of oaky layers. Old-school wine, needs lots of air and a bit of patience, but drinks well.
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9/4/2016 - stefad wrote: 88 Points
Robe grenat orangée avec frange aqueuse et d'intensité moyenne.
Nez sur notes kirschées (sensation d'alcool), pruneau, fumée. Bouche soyeuse au corps "Bourguignon" pour un Margaux, légère astringence des tanins en milieu de bouche.
Finale sur notes de sous-bois et cuir.
À boire, ne gagnera à rester en cave. À tester sur petits gibiers à plume. 88/100
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4/8/2015 - William Kelley Likes this wine: 94 Points
The 1996 Marquis d'Aligre is not that dissimilar from the 1986, bursting from the glass with a lovely bouquet of raspberry, blackcurrant, cedar, tobacco leaf and gravelly soil tones. On the palate this wine is impeccably balanced, very concentrated, and a good decade or more away from maturity, with a savory and refined tannic structure and an ample endowment of fruit which will really blossom when the tannins melt away and the wine's latent ripeness becomes apparent. While this may challenge tasters who're unfamiliar with what great Bordeaux used to taste like, it's exactly what I've been looking for. Think of this estate as the Figeac or Grand Puy Lacoste of Margaux, with an even more old-school élevage and a very pure terroir signature.
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3/23/2011 - Gian wrote: 87 Points
ruby red color, some earth note and dark fruit. medium to full bodied , fine tannins but present , probably can age a lot of years more.
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3/8/2009 - Griffin wrote:
(12.5% vol)
I'm enjoying this wine much more on Day 2 than I did yesterday, even though it was decanted for 1+ hours. A rather rich brick-red colour. There is a freshness to the nose with roses, caramel, cedar, and some earthy notes present (these aromas are tightly wound up with one another). There is a clean and smooth mouthfeel. I do detect some floral notes as well as a little spice (cinnamon) on the palate and finish. I also think that this wine does show some individuality and overall I would say that it is a very pleasing wine. I would suspect that this wine would definitely benefit from a few more years of bottle age.
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2/16/2008 - Morten Kiernan wrote: 88 Points
good nose, perfume and floral hints. Raspberry? the fruit was slightly underpowered on the tastebuds, but otherwise good wine.
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