Half. Lovely full ruby. Classic blackcurrant leaf and sandlewood nose. A touch of graphite too. Densely silky, blackcurrant and cool minerality. Tannins nicely resolved but sufficiently there with the acidity to give a spine. Good length. Last of my halves, and absolutely spot-on, the best to date. ****
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Plenty of vitality remains, showing no signs of decline but clearly at its pinnacle. The aromas are somewhat concealed by a touch of Brettanomyces, lending a barnyard funk, yet this does not detract from the wine, at least in my opinion. It continues to reveal notes of blueberries, pencil shavings, game, and well-integrated oak. A highly enjoyable Saint Julien, although not exhibiting its utmost potential on this particular occasion. Here's hoping my other bottle will shine brighter on a future date!
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I think I've had this wine half a dozen time and it always delivers.
This was classic St Julien with Cedar, red fruit, oak, and underbrush. A medium bodied, elegant yet structured wine, it is one of the best of the 1995s, better in my opinion than many of the first growths - Latour and Margaux for sure.
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6 hour slo-ox, 1 hour full decant. Needed longer decant, as it slowly evolved and softened it's tannins. Deep dark color, nose of dark fruit, cassis, oak and cedar, secondary notes, copious sweet tannins, which slowly resolved in glass. Perhaps even a slight bit astringent. Full bodied, big wine with a long finish. Needs either more decant or more time in the cellar.
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Tasted next to 2000 Léoville Poyferré. Less generous, more acidity, a little more greenness to it, without being underripe. Elegant on the palate, nice tannic structure, cool, with good length and depth. A little drying towards the finish. Slowly drink up. 92-94
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A good colour and still relatively youthful. Some sweet tobacco, cedar and blackberry. There's a bit of meaty funk and some graphite. It has plenty of savoury nuance, a thread of licorice and something salty, somewhat akin to black olive. Tannins remain supportive and the overall package is nicely balanced and energetic.
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Very dark aromas for a St. Julien. Smoke, rusty iron and dark berries, like in a Pessac. Really powerful on the palate. Developed, and at its peak now.
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Three flawed bordeaux reds (Tilia): Three Bordeaux enthusiasts meet for dinner, and all three Bordeaux wines are flawed? I think these were. All three decanted 1-2 hours, put back into the bottle, and then I drank about 1/3rd of each bottles over 3 hours. Can three wines be flawed on the same night? I think these were. All three decanted 1-2 hours, put back into the bottle, and then I drank about 1/3rd of each bottles over 3 hours.
1995 Château Léoville Poyferré - St. Julien 1996 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 2000 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte
The Lagrange was mine, I'd decanted it one hour a couple years ago and it was gangbusters. Tonight, some bordeaux nuance on the nose, and the palate is slightly sour and forgettable. Same with the other 2, the Leoville was the most sour, such that the owner had brough a backup and seemed concerned. At the very beginning, I got a distinct but light whiff of nail polish. These weren't obviously flawed, not corked, but they didn't show the way that they should. I'm leaving them unscored and likely flawed with volatile acidity.
1995 Château Léoville Poyferré - St. Julien 1996 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 2000 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte
The Lagrange was mine, I'd decanted it one hour a couple years ago and it was gangbusters. Tonight, some bordeaux nuance on the nose, and the palate is slightly sour and forgettable. Same with the other 2, the Leoville was the most sour, such that the owner had brough a backup and seemed concerned. At the very beginning, I got a distinct but light whiff of nail polish. These weren't obviously flawed, not corked, but they didn't show the way that they should. I'm leaving them unscored and likely flawed with volatile acidity.
Funny but under these circumstances, my starter white, an inexpensive Condrieu, was clearly wine of the night. So sad.
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Half. Consistent with a half last year and the year before — finally in the zone. Deep and quite dense ruby. Classic claret, blackcurrant and cigar box, a hint of richness within the 95 frame. Good mid palate texture and development with a positive and quite long finish. Does just what’s required in a satisfying and controlled rather than flamboyant way. ****
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This is very subtle and smooth. It feels like it is still holding back. A reticent nose of leather, dark red fruits. A bit tight on the palate. I was a bit worried of a bit of corkiness. But I don’t think that is present.
On Day 2 -- wow, this has really opend up nicely. Sorry I only have one bottle left!
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BYO Centropa (Centropa, Deichmann, Oslo): Dyp mørk farge med svakt brunlig kant. Deilig duft av modne solbær, sedertre og sigarkasse. Klassisk St. Julien på duft og smak. Pent utviklet med middels konsentrasjon, god mørk fruktighet og et behagelig tanningrep.
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From 75cl, perfect cork, decanted 1 hour. Exactly 2 years after my previous bottle (CT TN 13.12.2020), this showed a little more open, with pure cassis and fresh tobacco scent, dusty blackcurrant entry, and a fairly thin, "classic" St. Julien mid-palate. Fine, hardly exciting, but well worth the 40€ paid. Recent CT ratings in the 92–94P range seem overly enthusiastic on the strength of this bottle, which could easily have held, and possibly improved, for 5–10 years. 90–91(?)P
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Coravin. Deep ruby, youthful color with only slight bricking, younger than expected for its age; aromatic, blackberry and blackcurrant, cedar, a bit of pipe tobacco, slight star anise; palate is full bodied, smooth and textural, alcohol is well balanced (13%), well integrated black fruits, a bit of capsicum, tannins fully integrated, persistent flavors through the midpalate; medium length finish which is a touch shorter than expected for this caliber of wine. A very well made St. Julien, at maturity though still with some character of youth, slightly modern-edged in its polish but well balanced overall. These seem ready in this format. 93
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Wines with 25+ Years Non-Blind (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Still dark core, cloudy garnet rim; black currant, pencil shavings, earth, still young and purple; great texture, wet earth, tobacco, dark chocolate, fresh black fruit; in a great spot and needs more time; delicious.
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From Double Magnum. Blackberry and black currant on the open, transitioning to notes of graphite, cassis, and cedar. This was quite youthful and brambly (probably due to the format). Nice tannic grip and well-balanced. This was in a great place with plenty of fruit, but developing some wonderful secondary and tertiary characteristics.
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Half. Dense ruby. Consistent with a half last year, this has finally turned the corner and dropped its 95 surliness in favour of silky blackcurrant and cigar box and controlled sweetness of fruit. Proper claret and drinking absolutely à point. ****
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Fully resolved and drinking charmingly. Fresh and dried plum with a healthy dose of wet tobacco, diced bell peppers, and graphite. Fruit is fresh with some remaining plushness on the front palate into a grainy finish. Nice with the steak. I’d drink remaining bottles over the next 3-5 years.
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The 1995 has a pronounced nose initially of stewed fruit. Not especially pleasant. But after a while the stewed component dissipates and it becomes a bit more rounded. and the nose is a bit less jammy. It's a little less concentrated than the 1996, with more acid. Lovely silky texture though.
After a bit of air it puts on weight. Tannins are more pronounced than the '96, so maybe it has more life ahead. Overall a touch more pedestrian than the '96, but still a hugely enjoyable wine.
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Another bottle from a group of 1995 and 1996 Bordeauxs bought from The Chicago Wine Company in 2000. Every bottle has been completely flawed. Fill and cork were great, but the wine is total acid. Probably heat damaged before I bought them, but too late to return to TCWC
Half. After eight halves of “yeah, but so what?” three star efforts with the occasional ***1/2, this is at **** level. The fruit has lightened a little to a mid to deep red, the slight sullenness has been replaced by a controlled sweetness, and the dull, slightly threadbare velvet appears to be really quite silky. Hurrah! ****
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Close to the peak maturity with ruby color, well-developed spicy aromas dominated by tobacco and white pepper with hints of strawberry and spicy-tobacco flavors, but with notes of black fruits like tart-sweet plum and blackberry, plus slightly-bitter dark chocolate. It has a very long finish. The wine is good, but may lack some mid-palate layers that would make it more complete & enjoyable
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From 75cl of impeccable provenance, perfect cork, decanted 90 minutes. This bottle had medium everything: body, blackberry/blackcurrant scent, tannins, brett – you name it. A lovely Sunday evening drink with lamb, potatoes and greens, but no more than that. No complexity, architecture, resonance, all that stuff you buy fancy wine for. Fair value at the 40 EUR I paid, less fair value at current market rates. I remember enjoying the 1996 a lot more eight years ago (TN 25.11.2012) and indeed the 2002(!) very recently (TN 16.11.2020). This bottle would have held for another decade, which is precisely what I intend to do with the remaining one in my cellar, just to see. 90P
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Just classic St. Julien in a perfect drinking window. No need to decant; just 15 minutes in the glass. Dark red, almost black, in color with a nose of cedar, dark cherry, and pencil shaving. The finish is full, with St Julien restraint, unfolding notes of moist wood, forest floor, deep dark cherry and a hint of menthol. Not as complex as Ducru or Las Cases, nor as refined. But the slight rusticity was welcome with Wagyu.
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Decanted 90 minutes. Dark fruit, cassis, along with leather, cedar and sweet tobacco towards the finish. Medium + body, medium + acidity. Slightly chewy tannins. Early maturity, still leaning a bit towards youthful fruit.
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Definite reminders of the left bank on the nose, black fruit, herbs, meatiness, anise, graphite. In time, more oak notes, vanilla or other baking spice. On the palette, plum, nice black currant and cassis, graphite again, great licorice on the finish. Unbelievable balance. Like the 01 Leoville Barton I had recently I may be too inexperienced to pick all the flavours due to the balance. Maybe wild blackberry.
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Three hour decant. Deep ruby fading to a pale ruby outer edge. Such a complex, intriguing, and inviting nose that took sometime to unpick and eventually revealed a herbaceous, slightly medicinal notes of pine and eucalyptus, mineral qualities of graphite and pencil lead, sweet baking spices, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and anise, baked black fruits, blackberry, blackcurrant, and cassis. So elegant, wonderfully well finessed, and balanced on the palate.
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Classic Bordeaux. Nice bretty barnyard theme with sweet red fruit. If you don't like this you are not a Bordeaux oneophile. Great with red meat. Not mind blowing but really nice and drinking great right now.
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Ruby, browning too. Not a hugely expressive nose.Touch of black and plenty red fruits. Into real maturity. Saddles and smoky spices. Definitely a bit weak in the middle and not over long either but a most enjoyable maturing claret.
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Deep garnet with red raspberry rim variation, clear, shiny, bright. Very thin, medium - viscosity with fast moving tears barely discernible. Clean and fresh perfume with ripe black fruits and green leaf like element, fresh & tart, aromatic graphite or metallic element . Medium body with perfectly gripping tannin and acidity, medium alcohol, medium sweetness. So fresh no evidence on nose or palette of oak or earth yet delivers a moderately + complex experience. Excellent craftmanship and thoroughly delightful even on its own.
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Provenance, provenance, provenance acquired in 2016 ex-chateau, my thanks to the persons that cared for the 6 bottles i bought. 25 years young. clear & brick colored dry herbal with a backbone of cedar. Long enough on the finish, satisfying on the palate. Another 5 years, why not. a jewel of a Julien.
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Ruby, browning too. Not a hugely expressive nose. But oddly quite aromatic now in the mouth. Touch of black and plenty red fruits. Into real maturity. Saddles and smoky spices. Still a hint of grainy tannins but overall these are pretty resolved. Definitely a bit thin in the middle and not over long either but a most enjoyable maturing claret.
Half. Deep to mid ruby. Bright and surprisingly red fruited nose. Tannins fairly resolved, still slightly furry on the finish with structure a little more acidity led. Slightly tart red fruit. Lacks mid-palate padding and density of fruit. Finished well enough, if a little dry. Hmm, hopefully we’re in to a bit of bottle variation. ***
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This is a great QPR, bought it for $48.99 a bottle back in 2001. PnP and no decant. Pretty perfume of tobacco, red fruit and currants. The mouthful is really nice, medium to light bodied, bright red fruit and plenty of acidity that keeps this fresh. The only fault is it lacks just a bit more oomph on the body and finish to push it into a higher score. But this is really yummy.
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Tasted single blind in a flight of 95/96/2000 including all three Poyferre, this bottle had a lot of fruit, and then brett and cigar. I liked it quite a bit but preferred the 2000 which had more complexity on the nose and a denser palate. The 1996 was better still, with a haunting nose and a simple tasty palate. A solid performance for Poyferre all around!
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Advanced for the vintage, this is in its prime drinking window. Aromas of ripe black fruits, cedar, tobacco, and leather dominate the palate, and it is showing a maturity which was not present 18 months ago. The palate has a steeliness typical of 1995, but everything gels. As per my previous tasting, I find the tannic profile intrudes on the finish and does diminish the overall experience.
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Hints of barnyard, unripe blackberry, blueberry, cigar box, gravel; a little hard, still tannic, balanced, smooth, and substantial but somewhat monolithic, moderately long finish; may improve further with time
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Nose of cigar box, black currants, and black cherry, same on the palate, big body, very tasty, almost delicious, mouth filling wine, opened nicely throughout the evening, and a long, flavorful finish.
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Deep ruby, minimal bricking and more youthful than expected for a 1995 Bordeaux; highly aromatic, blackberry, blackcurrant, some minerality, some graphite, slight sweet tobacco; palate is full bodied, black fruits, fresh medium-plus acidity, tannins still youthful but approachable, midpalate still has fruit but not as complex as the nose; finish is medium length and fades off a touch towards the end. Not quite as strong as my last 2 bottles, but still an excellent bordeaux headed into early maturity. I think the slightly more modern style of Leoville Poyferre blends well with the more austere 1995 vintage, as this has a bit more fruit, concentration, and enjoyment than most 1995s that I've had. 93 2 hours decanted: Largely the same. Good fruit, nose intensity > palate, palate has maybe fleshed out a touch with more minerality than before, better fruit concentration through the midpalate; still just a touch shorter than desired on the finish. A nice Bordeaux. 5 hours: Not really improved with more air. Now maybe starting to hide its nose just a bit.
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Dinner at Imperial Treasure TPC. Deep ruby. Relatively low acidity, medium body. Quite concentrated and generously fruited, no signs of fading. Tannins still present but not harsh and provides good structure. Well balanced overall with some complexity and a long finish. Aging slowly and keeping very well for a 24 year old wine. Probably the best 1995 Bordeaux I have had so far and edges out a 1996 (a vintage widely considered to be superior to the 1995) Leoville Barton I had a few days back.
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Dark ruby. Medium intensity, with black berry, smoke, toast, tomato leaf, wet leaves. Dry, very well integrated tannin, high acidity, medium alcohol, medium body. Flavor intensity medium, with blackberry, toast, white pepper, tomato leaf. Medium finish.
Good - Balance, intensity
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Had stiff competition in an evening of aged BDX. Decanted 60 mins, this had surprisingly fresh blue fruits and typical St. Julien terroir. Nice acid edge and long finish, however it lacked that mid structure to balance out the fruit well. In that regard it was shown up by the 90 and 89 StJ that night.
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This is one of the better 1995 wines I can recall. Still fresh with balance and tasty tertiary notes. Perfect with roasted tenderloin and the fixings. Drink now to 2025.
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Very smooth, fully resolved and at its apex. One of the better wines I can recall from this vintage. A tad watery on the finish, however enough fruit remains to give a tasty lingering finish of ripe fruit. Enjoy now thru 2022.
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Color and smell lead you to expect a much older tasting wine than you actually find. Almost a light, watery aftertaste. Definitely in the drinking window if not nearing end. Good ... interesting ... some fruit left and well integrated just lacks soul.
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1995 Ch. Leoville Poyferre. Rubinrød med rosaorange kant. Klassisk forførende Bordeauxnese med tørkede bær, lær, røde frukter og litt blomst. Fruktig anslag med rødbær, urter, paprika og pepper. Saftig hyperelegant. Medium lengde 90-91
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Dark red with some browning, beautiful nose of cassis, black ripe fruits, mocha, so refined, silky smooth, needed a Bordeaux & this is my usual go to Chateau, in its drinking window 93
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Paternity Leave (including Thanksgiving); 11/5/2018-12/8/2018: Immediately on decanting, wafting of blackberry aromas from the decanter. Deep ruby with moderate age-appropriate bricking; aromatic, some black fruits but also red cherry, minerality throughout the nose; medium-full bodied, integrated fine-grained tannins, balanced medium alcohol (13% labeled), fresh medium acidity throughout, deep red and black fruits through the midpalate; clean persistent medium-plus finish. Similar to my last taste in 2013, this wine showcases superb balance, elegance, and stellar blend of aromatics, early/mid/late palate, and finish. Not the most complex with any of them (though not a simple wine either...), but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Just delicious, and still at early maturity with very little change in the last 5 years. 95. 1 hour air: A bit more complexity and subtlety on the nose. Exquisitely enjoyable.
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Still deep ruby, some browning. Has reached some maturity now. Finer and smoother. Still dark black fruits. Leather, farmyard, warm spices. Lots going on. Good length. Tannins now there but more restrained. Getting lovely. Fine.
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Deep red in the glass with a crimson edge. Loads of fruit on the nose. Ripe cranberry compote, black cherry and blackberry. A touch hot, and a bit of brett, but nothing offensive. Silky texture with supple tannin, balanced acidity, and decent length. The finish is a bit dry but that could resolve with time. All in all, very impressed here. The wine is clearly entering its prime and will likely last another 10 years and even longer depending on your preferences.
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Great wines at Oriole in Chicago!: Drank at Oriole in Chicago as part of a reserve tasting list. Nice 1995 St. Julien drinking well. This paired well with A5 Wagyu. Wine was big, with dark cherry, earth, dried pine box, some spicecake.
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Ready to drink, and not sure if there is potential for any further Improvement, the wine is mature on the nose and palate. Aromas of plum dominate with cedar and a hint of green apple on the nose. On the palate it is a little one dimensional, but with a phenomenally long finish if a little sour at the end. All in all a very enjoyable wine, but certainly not one of the big hitters of the vintage.
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1995 Bordeaux / Cali Cabernet Tasting (Casa de la Mata): Served blind in a 95 Cali/Bdx tasting. Classic aromas of plum, bell pepper and cigar. The palate is lighter and tighter and, again quite classic, with restrained plum fruit. Tannins are firm and fairly chewy in the finish. Fruit needs to flesh out and wake up, but will it? My #5, Group #3. I guessed BDX as did a majority of the group.
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#1 of 3 in a Leoville-Poyferre vertical, and the winner for me at this point in time. A beautifully complex and deep nose, with cassis, pencil shavings, leather, mushroom, bell pepper, and roses even. The lifting acidity holds the wine in place, while the tannins gently give way; ends with a cedary (but not oaky) finish. A classic example of a fully mature, left-bank bordeaux at its prime.
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Frenchies at St. Gen (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Some slow O time I believe; drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. Drank next to a '95 Barton. The nose here stands out, good purity, cassis, dry earth, wood spice. The palate is tighter and a bit more structured and more austere tonight than the Barton. Medium plus body, firm tannins.
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Another btl served along side the '95 Leoville Barton was also a nice btl of classic mature BDX. Here too the remaining structure needs to further resolve. if possible, for my liking. Tonight I preferred the Barton which had an extra gear and may have seen more air? 90pts+ / 91pts-
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Académie des Cinquante 62nd Annual Dinner (Restaurant In den Gapenden Eter, Leiden, NL): Mature but lively appearance; lovely left bank nose, feminine, floral and spicy, crushed red berries, gravel; elegant and refined palate, lovely ripe fruit and a certain generosity, slightly tough tannins (it is a 1995 after all); very good length. Excellent.
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Not quite as ready probably from a better source. Took 4hrs to open up. nice mint and tobacco character with lush black and blue fruits. Really nice, but this bottle showed the angularity of the '95 vintage. Well stored bottles should be held.
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Very, very lovely wine, and quite youthful at age 22. Deep ruby color, with what I swear are purple highlights. Unbelievably youthful appearance, still thick and viscous, too. The bouquet is sweet perfumed red fruits, even roses, that just waft out of the glass. Very feminine and pretty. Tannins all resolved, but still quite a good mouthful, lots of body, rich. Quite clearly at its plateau of maturity, it shows no sign of decline. Really just an excellent bottle of claret. I adore this. 5-14-17-9: 95/100.
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Dark red ruby in color. Wafting aromas of dark berry fruit, currants, graphite and perfumed cedar. Palate shows a good mix of sweet dark fruits and red currants, hint of leather and tobacco, good acidity, melting tannins and a long lingering cedar tinged finish.
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This is in a really great spot. Nice aromatics with cedar spice and dark fruit. Sandalwood on the palate with nice mature fruit, still very vibrant and expressive, with some chalky tannins. Moderate finish adding some gravel and flint notes with the sedar and sandalwood. For '95 this comes across more as a right bank the left, as the palate was a little softer and more accessible than expected. At peak, but should hold for some time. (Maybe 10yrs) 93-94
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When I first opened it, wasn't sure if it was corked. But the funky nose quickly dissipated and what was left was a beautifully aged Bordeaux. Not very complex. May not get any better.
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Delicious well aged St Julien here. Elegant, very tertiary with graphite, coffee, tobacco, leather. Relatively powerful, with cassis and a little blackcurrant left. I don't think it will improve much further - it is still very fresh and the tannins provide a little structure still, but it should hold well from some time, at least a decade...
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Monthly Wine Group: Bordeaux 2005 and Older (Lela, Bloomington MN): Small pour over 30 minutes. Unsure of any air here. Very good, but showing the rusticity that sometimes comes through on '95. The fruit is there, but a bit more edginess to the tannins, palate and the wood as well.
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Bordeaux dinner at Ripple with live rendition of the Star Spangled Banner (Ripple Restaurant in DC): This must be the day for Leoville Poyferre. Perfectly mature nose displaying soft warm cabernet red fruit, plum, a hint of cassis and lead pencil, cedar, leather and mineral. Nicely integrated palate, soft red fruit driven palate impression, a hint of slightly coarse tannins and a medium to long nicely mature claret nose. This is the most mature of the flight by a big margin. Beautiful mature Bordeaux expression makes up for the lack of complexity and concentration. A nice way to introduce nicely aged Bordeaux to the Loire Cab Franc lovers.
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Fit for a wine loving Groundhog: Bordeaux back to 1970, by way of a 1982 trio (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): Somewhat more austere and even a bit more rustic as compared to both the Cheval Blanc and the Mouton, but the wine showed much strength and poise on the mid palate, with full body and still unresolved tannins. The finish was long and as it sat in glass, it opened up more (although it had been opened since last night). A very good Saint Julien in tough company :-)
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Nose of cigar box, cedar, saddle leather, black currants, black cherry, and a touch of sage, same on the palate, an auction bottle in great condition for $79, big body, touch of soft tannins, delicious with roasted turkey and Monday Night Football, mouth filling wine, long finish.
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Really feeling conflicted. I very much love older wines. To me this bottle tasted spot on. My son thought it was showing its age and losing its fruit. My wife initially leaned in his direction, but as it continued to open up rather enjoyed the wine. Probably something to consume in the next five years!
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I was definitely looking forward to this bottle, having had it last year and it being phenomenal. I bought some more of it for my wedding's rehearsal dinner and to give to the groomsmen as gifts. The rehearsal dinner bottle was very good. Tasted single blind against a 1995 Beaulieu Vineyards Tapestry, it had a lovely nose of red fruit, prunes, and a medicinal cherry cassis note. There was some oak and cigar in there but the nose was really fruit dominated. The palate was smooth and the tannins were mostly resolved. It was a very nice wine but lacked the complexity of the prior bottle. This bottle was from a different source and honestly may simply have not been as evolved. It was definitely well liked at the dinner and the elegance and subtlety compared to the Tapestry made it clear to me and most others it was the Bordeaux rather than the Napa Cab. The high degree of primary fruit suggests more cellar time is the way to go. Most well stored higher-end Left Bank 1995s simply seem to need more time the predicted before. Either that, or they are just more austere and will never be as great as predicted. Time will tell.
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Tasted single blind in a mixed new/old world flight. When I initially opened this bottle I feared it was corked (so much so that I opened/decanted a second bottle, which actually turned out to be corked). This bottle was in fact sound though it never really came out to play. Nose was full, but rather non-delineated with notions of dried plum and cigar. Palate was lean with plenty of structure and drying tannin. The fruit was there, but never came into balance with the structure of the wine. I'm going to hold my remaining few bottles and hope for the best.
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Tasted single blind in a mixed new/old world flight. After much debate, I conceded that this bottle (the second opened) was corked. The nose certainly had a musty character, but what pushed me over the edge was that palate remained lean and lacking fruit even with substantial air.
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The Rotating Dinners, I.5: Blinds from Around the World (Chicago, IL): Served double blind in a flight of cabernet blends. The second bottle of this that was tasted was a bottle that was initially thought corked, but turned out not to be. This bottle, however, did not get four hours of air, and showed nothing like the corked bottle (TCA notwithstanding). The fruit was muted and the wine seemed tired more than anything. Although I correctly identified this as Left Bank again, there's no way I would have said this was the same wine as the previous bottle. In fact, given this bottle, I would say drink up, since it doesn't seem like the fruit will outlast the acid and tannins.
The Rotating Dinners, I.5: Blinds from Around the World (Chicago, IL): Served double blind in a flight of cabernet blends. An interesting story: the first bottle of this that was opened was thought to be corked, so a second bottle (this one) was opened. This one saw four hours of air in a large Erlenmeyer flask, and although I believe this bottle was actually corked, it showed some very clear and distinct Bordelais character on the palate. Despite the TCA, I still correctly identified this as Left Bank.
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Fantastic bottle! Complex, full wine that focused on the savory / vegetal noted. This has lots of life ahead of it. Very classic and what I look for.outstanding.
This was opened and decanted for sediment, and remained in the decanter for 2-3 hours.
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Blowout at Formento's (Chicago, IL): This is showing as classic Bordeaux ought to show. The nose has a lot of green pepper herbaceousness, as well as some nascent secondary characteristics. There's a real bit of rusticity on the palate though, where you really find some animale and barnyard notes. Very well-made Bordeaux that's drinking quite well now, though it's obvious that more time will only do this wine good.
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Not decanted. I openend the botte one hour before and consumed over 3-4 hours. After two hours the wine improved a lot (next time i will decant it for 2 hours). Pretty good wine, no hurry to drink. 92-93 pts.
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I have to respectively disagree with prior tasting notes. This wine was phenomenal! After the bottle was opened, I smelled the cork and I just knew it was going to be great. The first whiff of the wine from the glass took my breath away. So much black and red fruit, violets and floral notes, with a ton of complexity. It was absolutely incredible. With that nose, I didn't decant, and the wine rewarded we with evolution for hours. It just had everything in the nose. Cigar, oak, flowers, black cherry, dark blackberry fruit, a tiny bit of brett, forest floor, some green tobacco, a little pencil lead, and some St. Julien stink. Honestly, the nose on this wine read like a 100 point Robert Parker note. This wine changed my view on 1995 which I thought was over-rated. I recently had the 1995 Margaux, Latour, Haut Brion, Ducru Beaucaillou, Leoville Barton, Cos d'Estournel, and a few others in the past few months. This wine was way out of their league, with only the Ducru coming remotely close. Perhaps the other wines need time and will one day come around to something like this wine. Let's hope.
The palate was quite good but there is clear room for improvement. The wine is still quite young and I expect significant more development. While smooth and rich, the palate needs more time to develop a sexy long finish. At that point, this will be a 100 point wine, if not 105 points. The nose and palate are dominated by the fruit still, although with such complexity. I cannot believe this wine can be found for $100. Like many other recent experiences, I'm not sure $500 or $1000 wines can get better than this!
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Stored in cold cellar since release. High fill. Perfect condition. Ready. Medium bodied. Good acidity. Excellent balance. Lovely St Julien which just lacks concentration. Will keep but not improve.
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°°° Bordeaux 1995 °°°: Clear garnet in color. Nose shows roasted coffee, red berries and leather. A classical style Bordeaux, just for my taste a bit to much acidity. I liked it but at the same time I was missing the length and complexity. Still youthful and no hurry to drink
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Very much agree with the tasting note from 7/29, so won't belabor the point. I also thought the wine showed much younger than 20yrs. The only reason I didn't score it quite as highly was a touch of over acidity that came in mid-way which seemed just very slightly out of balance. Otherwise, the tasting notes are spot on. Just one more thing I'll say is that this reinforces my strong belief that for both banks 1995 is an incredibly good and underrated vintage. You can buy a lot of high end wines at cheaper prices than current releases, and they are obviously ready to drink. Bargains to be had.
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My tasting note is very similar to Bellissimo's - Good colour, nice evolution towards the rim, very bright. The nose is just gorgeous - leather, pencil shavings, spice box, tobacco, cassis fruit. On the palate good fruit, fresh, balanced with powdery tannins and very good length. Quite youthful in fact. If tasted blind I would have guessed this was significantly younger. As classic as they come, a wonderful bottle drinking very well at this stage. Not sure if it will improve, but absolutely no rush drinking this. 92-94
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Low acid, fat wine that's best drunk soon, but to be fair, it's drinking really well, and it IS 20 years old. The low acid provides a very supple, accessible style, with broad, ripe maturing fruit notes and a bit of cedar.
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Brought to a restaurant. Bottle sat open for approximately 60 minutes before we got around to it. I could be happy just smelling that classic old Bordeaux nose of leather, cigarbox, cassis and coffee all night. On the palate everything was smoothe and refined, fruit sill around. Sadly my last bottle but based upon how this was aging an individual at my table said he's happily going to hold on to his two for a while longer.
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Drank very well, no tasting notes recorded at the time. I recall it had very good acid, if not slightly elevated. Soft tannins. Better after an hour or so.
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Decanted for about 90 minutes. Absolutely in a great zone right now, perfectly balanced and complex. Somewhat lighter flavor profile than the 95 Calon Segur without being worse in any way, I expect the wine will enjoy 5+ years at this beautiful level.
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Decanted prior to drinking, but didn't aerate very long. Nose has lots of cigar tobacco and cedar. On the palate there is good acidity and still lots of tannins left. Definitely still some ageing potential. Concentration is good. Length is not particularly long. I thought maybe it was just a touch corked.
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Plum, black cherry with green notes and tobacco. The palette is focused and balanced; tannins still present but ripe and fine; though light the flavours are intense. Long finish.
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Very nice Bordeaux but still quite tannic with fairly high acidity. I think it needs more time to settle in, but not sure how the fruit will carry. There is a slight bit of funk in a good way that reflects a mature Bordeaux. Drink now with food or hold off.
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Second bottle from the same batch and albeit just a touch of TCA there was enough to spoil what would have been a 92 experience. Even through the cork taint the fruit was very evident and lush. Shame.
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Fading fast ... a disappointing wine ... should have had better longevity. No fruit or other character, just a woody, incense-like quality, which quickly became cloying. Perfectly stored since release.
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J'attendais ce vin impatiemment depuis 15 ans et il était excellent, surtout dans les 15 minutes suivant le service après 3 heures de carafe. Il s'est ensuite refermé un peu, mais surtout, il suivait le supérieur millésime 2000 qui lui portait un peu (beaucoup) ombrage. Il commence aussi à montrer des signes d'oxydation mais ses tannins sont si souples qu'il faudrait le boire par lui-même, sans être déjà saturé par les tannins des vins précédents.
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This wine gave me some hope for the overhyped 95 vintage. Just splendid with lamb roast---great profile, flavor and melded tannins. Could drink this anytime!
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This was ALL cedar wood. I mean everything - on the nose, on the attack, mid palate and finish. Like drinking liquid wood really, although surprisingly delicious as there was still some balance. The fruit was there, but as a secondary note and there were hints of acidity throughout. The tannins provided a decent structure that kept it together. Now I still quite like this experience but this bottle was not like the others I have had.
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Left Bank Bordeaux Group Tasting (Chez Matt et Reema): Based on this cork's pristine condition, this wine has easily 20-30 years left to go, in fact I would say an easy 30-40 years if the cellaring conditions are right.
Not as forward as the other wines we tasted, but this wine probably had the best palate and structure out of all. Very extracted and very youthful at this stage only showing a touch of brown at the meniscus. Pain grille, sweet oak, cigarbox, sweet cassis, berry compote, espresso, coffee grounds. Don't touch these for another 7 years where they should begin to start drinking at peak. 93-95pts.
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Dinner at Home (Home): From a 750. Color is a deep ruby with very little bricking; nose of dense black fruits, blackcurrant, blackberry, incredibly youthful, slight minerality; palate has superb fresh acidity and minerality to start, silky, dense fruit that integrates well and phases in right after, tannins kick in beautifully in the midpalate to give it structure; finish is clean and medium-long with juicy fruits to start. This wine shows some of the cleanest progression that I've ever seen with real changes in character between the nose, early palate, midpalate, endpalate, and finish. Beautiful, young, superb. 95++ (huge potential on this wine). Very young.
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Good ruby red in color. A nice melange of black currants, mulberry, spices, forest floor and tobacco greets the nose. Cassis and wood spice dominate a medium bodied palate with well integrated wood, acidity and sweet black fruits. The 1995 Poyferre makes for a satisfying drink but is admittedly a bit 'soft' on the palate and leaves you hanging for more structure.
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Sommelier 1995 Bordeaux Tasting - "Rocky and bloody, gamey and spicey with a strong presence of green tobacco and savory herbs on the nose; sandlewood and cherries streamline across the palate as the wine finishes with glorious acid; this is the venison in a flight of filets, but beautiful in its own right; Delicious! Drink or hold." - Scott Ota. All wines were opened and poured.
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Double decanted over 4h. This wine appears surprisingly young, fantastic intense nose dominated by sweet red and black currents, a small hint of pencil shavings and forest floor. The fruit is not very pronounced, yet still more than one would expect for a -95. Nice acidity and fine tannins that gives the wine a reasonable grip still, with earth and minerals very noticeable. It is perhaps a little thin on the mid-pallet, but this wine is delicious and still has many years ahead of it.
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Robe de belle saturation, presque opaque, rubis au centre avec un disque briqué de quelques millimètres. Dès l'ouverture le nez est très jasant, beaucoup de jeune fruit rouge, une touche charmante de bois, foins humide, sous bois. En bouche, l'attaque est souple, belle acidité, des tannins sur un grain fin et serré. Le tout en équilibre. Des saveurs similaire au bouquet, bonne longueur sur les cerises acidulées. 17.5-18/20
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- Garnet color and aromas of strawberry. It's in total harmony and has flavours of strawberry with a medium/full body. Round texture with a long finish - As always, amazing wine!
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Monthly Tasting Group: Bordeaux (Levain, Mpls): Very dark red color. This bottle was definitely not what I had seen recently. I think this was mildly corked. Rustic and muted, very tannic, quite austere.
60th Birthday Dinner at DiVino Edinburgh: Last minute substitute for the corked L-B. Plenty of fine dark berry fruit, some blackcurrant but plenty red too. Dances slight and smooth across the tongue. Something almost floral about it. Good balance. Just lacked real complexity after the wonders that had gone before.
From 750ml. I had the 1996 vintage just a few months ago, and unfortunately, the '95 lives in the shadow. Drinking very well though, and not anywhere close to being on its last legs.
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Duftender Wein nach edlen Gewürzen. Mittelstarke Struktur, recht modern komponiert und macht viel Spass. Ist eher weniger Tiefgründig, mit recht ordentlicher Holznote. Sehr zu empfehlen.
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Sept 1, 2012 - fantastic right now. Aired for one hour and tasted and appeared to be fading, so sucked air out, waiting for dinner, and then opened another hour later and was perfecto. Much better than 90 pts in Parker and one of the best wines i have had in ten years.
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Half bottle. Deep and quite dense dark ruby. Expressive nose, black currant fruit with a touch of black currant leaf. Quite ripe and rounded attack, good black currant fruit, a touch of minerality and a reasonable finish. Decent depth of flavour here. Still in a halfway house, its primary fruit having subsided but secondary complexity yet to emerge properly. Tannins are still present but softening and this is certainly approachable (in half) now, but would benefit I think from a while longer before it becomes more interesting. Signs at least that the 95s may be beginning to mellow. ***1/2
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Still a very deep robe with a thin brick disc. Oh, what a nose. I love this and maybe it's because this is a St. Julien from a chateau that I usually find a little too plump and glossy from a year that I usually find to stern and unyielding. A happy medium? At any rate, red-fruited with traces of cedar, minerality, and barnyard. It certainly doesn't jump out at you, but the nose is subtle and very nice. It even picks up a bit with more air, showing more barnyard and smoke. There's notable volatile acidity on the nose which carries through on the red-fruited (if lean) palate to a nice appley finish. Certainly in the '95 mold, but more accessible than the other two Leovilles. I think this is on its plateau and I'd drink this up within the next five or so years.
4- to 4
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Lovely deep ruby, touch of browning. Fabulous nose, spring flowers, cinnamon, cedar, cassis. Plenty of lovely fruit, quite elegant, good tannin structure, smoothing out now, medium to long finish. Very enjoyable, early maturity claret. Easy to like.
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Drinking very well at this point and presumably for years to come. Colour red, no bricking. Deep red fruit and cassis on the nose. Develping from berries to plum in the mouth, great structure througout a medium long finish.
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Birthday Wines (La Belle Vie, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color (no bricking). Decanted for 2 hours and drank 2+ glasses over 1.5 hours. Lovely nose of earth, florals, cedar, graphite, cassis, cigar box. The palate is soft and caressing, moderately full bodied, cedar, red and black fruits, cassis, dark cherry, berries, cedar, graphite, long finish, round tannins. This LP is drinking very well right now, and IMO just hitting its stride, and should continue to drink well for another 15+yrs. The tannins are still prominent, but nicely round. Two plus hours of decant time is about right currently.
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Ruby, touch of browning to rim. Light nose of blackcurrant and violets. Decent length, good acidity, quite fresh. Lacking something in mid palate perhaps. Cedar wood, fruit and something more meaty.Tannins definitely resolving. Good enough but no wow factor. Phase or just this bottle?
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Decanted for about 30minutes. Well round, fruit fwd supple and with no rough edges or harsh tannins. Light earth but the fruit dominated at this stage. A bit short on the finish and in general it lacked sparkle. Over all a nice weine to drink. Well within its drinking window but suffers from the 95 curse on cab sauv. 92 easily.
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Double decanted for 30 minutes to remove sediment. My first Bordeaux with any "real" age on it. All I can say is "wow, so this is what all the hype is about". Beautiful nose, and like silk across the palate. The finish was not incredibly long, but it was unlike anything I've ever tasted before. I'm not qualified to speak on a wine like this, but I will still score it for my personal purpose.
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decanted for 45 minutes and stayed in bottle for another 1.5 hours; quite tight in nose with some black fruits, herbs, vanilla and cedar; palate was quite simple and forward; quiet high in acidity; palate and bouquet became much better and open approaching the end; keep it cellar for at least 5 more years
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Still youthful cassis in the bouquet together with cedar, smoke etc. Same on the palate, some chocolate as well. Beautiful acidity and still powerful tannin and a great length. This bottle is much more youthful compared to the one I had earlier this year.
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1995 Bordeaux Retrospect: Alcohol :: 13% Very tight on the nose with strong dried herb, eucalyptus note dominating the aromatic profile with some underlying cassis fruits. Very fine tannin and fresh acidity, though quite rich on the palate but not really structured. Very soft and somewhat lean with short to medium length finish with fresh juicy sweet fruits and mineral and oak. This has to be the weakest Poyferre I ever had, straight forward and nothing much to offer.
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School dinner fundraiser (7/9/2011) (Our house): This was paired with the '97 Insignia and delivered old world contrast. Color shows very little age with nose of mushroom stew, damp earth and black currants. Good weight and solid grip across the midpalette with elegant blackberries and plums (in contrast to the mega-fruit of the Insignia), cigar smoke, and, after thirty minutes in the glass, intense wet-gravel minerality. Not much on the finish.
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Beautiful bouquet with cassis, a bit earth and beautifully integrated oak. Classical Bordeaux bouquet. On the palate a beautiful mature wine, with cassis and other dark fruits as well as a hint of graphite. Beautiful soft tannin with still a pleasant bite. Very juicy and wonderful full bodied wine with a long finish. Completely ready and it will probably stay on this level for a few years, but this bottle was at its peak NOW!
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Cassis, coffee, earth and blackberry open to a full bodied wine, that is slightly on the austere side. The tannic finish is filled with cassis and cranberry that ends with a tart, red berry note. This will be long lived, but it might not improve a lot from this stage.
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A very nice aged Bordeaux after 1+ hr of air. Lovely nose of sour cherries, a bit of pepper spice and a nice dark colour (not black). Very good mouthfeel and structure. A balance wine with a nice long finish.
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After an hour or so breathing its great. Intense nose of black fruits. Big mouth feel and plenty of tannins to go on for a long while. Wish I had more, but would sit on it to see what it will become.
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Mid to deep ruby but not opaque at all. Lots of blackcurrants, cerar wood and meat extract on the nose. Fine tannin structure but already receding. Definite claret feel but also something a bit earthy too. Day Two - even more elegant and smoother. Lovely balance, fine fruits. Still reasonably primary but already a fine drink. First of the case, this one is looking good!
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Half bottle, Decanted two hours, consistent with previous notes. Mid to full deep ruby. Cigar box and blackcurrant on the nose developing in to something more floral (violets) after an hour or two. Mulberry and blackcurrant on the attack, still reasonable grip on the mid-palate, good density and nice acidity on the finish. Decent length. Good match with ribeye and plenty of life in this. ***1/2
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Changing color. Green tobacco, cedar box, leather, cassis. Good acidity still - nice lift at end. Drinking very well right now though can probably go a while longer. Really good - wine of the day.
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Ian's Birthday Dinner - (Cali & Bordeaux: 1975/1990/1995) (Alexandria, VA): Truly wonderful nose of silky cherry, sweet tobacco, some earthy notes, with spices and cured meats. Really wonderful mouthfeel with ridiculous complexity. Flavors of sage, spices, dried cherries and shredded tobacco are perfectly integrated. This is a regal wine with typical "Leoville Poyferre charm".
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initially disappointing finishing with a menthol and herbal streak showing some astringency but after an hour the "green" wore off and the wine really began to strut its stuff displaying cedar, cigar, cassis, and black cherry, medium bodied, refined and classic in nature
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1995 Bordeaux at 15 years horizontal (Apiary, NYC): Smooth, sweet, silky with a bit of acidic tannic structure, some tobacco, and a long acidic finish. A strong yet elegant wine. Could use some more time. A-
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Sludgy depot. Plum-ruby colored. Alot of fun. Bouquet is already extraordinary if reserved: smells like sweet, dark cherries and mint. Mineral tones can be sensed. Picant on the palate, then a full fruit aromatic spreads out. Mouth-filling, fresh tannins spread the mint tastes out about :20-:25. Nuanced and elegant, a Poyferre of the best quality, and probably the most Mouton-esque (i.e. the mint).
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Couldn't resist any longer. Mature nose; some grilled beef and graphite. Palate was soft and mellow but then chased up by dry tannins. Will the tannins soften further? I'm not sure. That said still a lovely wine and a reminder of why old Bordeaux is hard to beat.
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Intoxicating nose, really good complexity and power, the bottle was undoubtedly at its peak now; very silky mouthfeel with reasonable length, and again multiple layers of complexity. Was the group's WOTN despite some stiff competition.
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Decanted 3hrs, wonderfully complex nose, tannins a bit dry but excellent mature fruit. Got better over the next couple of hours. Not getting better but should hold this level of quality for a few more years at least.
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Initially fruit with a bit of menthol on the nose; tight; after a couple of hours, revealed more cedar notes and a greater depth of fruit. Could probably benefit from another 5-10 years of cellaring.
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taste: a real lovely medium/full feel that is very elegant with well balanced tones of red currants, cranberries, red cherries, cedar, tobacco, and bits of red florals. Good tannins give the wine a good spine, and this comes off as just beginning to show what it really has to do
overall: a quintessential st julien that is just starting to hit its stride. This is what I love about Leoville-Poyferre as the elegance of the house is starting to really come out and has really started to enter what should be a good long window
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Fill was into the neck; popped and poured. A pretty purple-red core, turning to red at the rim; no signs of amber. Heavenly bouquet of ripe dark fruits (cassis and blackberry) with notes of black truffle, herbs, forrest flooer and earth. Medium to full bodied, with a wonderfully lush and velvety mid-palate; a touch of tannins (ripe tannins) that still need to be resolved, but a very pleasurable wine to drink. Should continue to evolve for years.
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Dinner for Angela (Chez Patrick, Sun Street, Hong Kong): Decanted for an hour or so. Lightening red/purple translucent colour. A hugely pleasant barnyard St. Julien nose with pronounced mineral notes. Light, elegant, slightly dilute palate that was the opposite of extraction. Gorgeous poise and classic cassis and redcurrant fruits balanced with just the right level of acidity. Some moderate length and improved with extended time in the decanter during the course of the dinner. This punched well above its weight on the night and was a great contrast to the two super-Spaniards. It is drinking really well at this stage.
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Wine 2 Very open, with sweet nose of caramel, cedar, tobacco and subdued black fruits. In the palate it is short and lacking intensity. By elimination, I guess this is the Poyferré.
Vino 2 Muy accesible, con una nariz modesta con notas de de caramelo, cedro, tabaco y frutos negros. En boca, es de cuerpo medio, con un final corto y carece de intensidad. Por eliminación creo que es el Poyferré.
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Leoville Poyferre masterclass with Didier Cuvelier (St Regis, Singapore): Very nice indeed when poured, but it faded rather worryingly after half an hour. Nose was plush and luxurious. Tea leaf, undergrowth, leather, wet earth, rich blackcurrants and a seam of Chinese medicine. I like the fresh balance on the palate, and there was lots of power in the attack, with cassis at the fore, followed by a touch of wood spice. Quite a bit of 1995 hardness on this one though - fine powdery tannins, but rather mouthcoating, giving the wine a sculpted in feel.The finish closed rather abrubtly when I first tasted it. Got a bit better, lengthening out with time to show some crystallined dark fruit, but that started fading shortly after it appeared. Time should do this wine some good - lots of quality material in there, just needs time to integrate, round out and stretch out.
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Appearance : maturing bordeaux - this looks good straight out of the bottle. Nose: spices and layers of complexity - some rustic earthy tones giving way to more refined dark, peppery fruit. Taste: Damp earth, truffles - fine tannins - crunchy pepper on the front of the palate. A bit watery on the finish with some sour notes coming through. Superb wine - good complexity but drink now if you have any - its not going to improve any more. Overall very good to excellent. Just lacked a bit of punch on the follow through.
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Perfect Bordeaux profile. Notes on the nose of leather, barnyard; you wouldn't mistake what this is. Quite drinkable now; requires a little air, but not too much. Impressibly balanced on the palate, with notes of dark red fruits, cedar, minerals. Medium finish.
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Half bottle. Full, deep colour. Good blackcurrant and mulberry nose, some cedar. Dense fruit on the attack with tobacco notes. Still noticeable tannin and good acidity. Quite big. OK now with food but obviously plenty of life in this. Decent length, some complexity just starting to develop. Very good. ***1/2
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Way overpaid for these from K&L. I thought the color was red as brick and both the nose and initial taste to be quite tart. The wine got better as it was given a chance to breathe and went quite nicely with cheese. At the end of the night the wine softend a bit and was much better but this is no exceptional Bordeaux.
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Dinner with Friends (Swampscott, MA): Dark ruby color. Terrific nose of blackberries and cassis with some smoke and a touch of iron. Palate showed good dark fruit characteristics, cedar, stones. Big but not overpowering tannins. This was an excellent wine, and my sense is that it will continue to improve as the tannins mellow and it develops more secondary characteristics.
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This was wonderful tonight -- right in its drink-ability window. Sweet, perfumed, complex, and yet nicely mellowed by age. This was the WOTN for the group. There was a slight sweetness to the wine, along with the signature bordeaux nose and finish. Very good. If you have some, don't wait. Its ready now.
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Beautiful Bordeaux that is drinking perfectly right now. Notes of leather, black cherry, tobacco, and the typical earthy nose of a Bordeaux. Decanting is recommended, but an hour or so is enough. Buy and enjoy this now if you can find it.
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After going to the local farmer's market this morning, and purchasing a Morgan Valley baby lamb leg, I did some research about what wines paired well with lamb. Some excellent food writers recommended a Bordeaux with lamb. What an incredible recommendation. Having now eaten the slow-roasted lamb, perfectly cooked for two hours in lemon, garlic, fresh basil and rosemary after a 6-hour, all-day marinade, I can now add my enthusiastic voice to those who highly, highly recommend a Bordeaux as the perfect accompaniment to lamb. Perhaps, however, the perfect pairing has its roots in this wonderful wine. The wine has a rich, powerful, Bordeaux nose, replete with earthy chalk, twigs, a hint of sweet cassis, and subtle espresso. The wine is ready now -- no need to wait. It is rich, full-bodied, with a wonderful texture. The wine has a little bricking at the edges, and some sediment, but its drinking perfectly -- squarely in its drink-ability window. There is a sweetness to this wine, which matches the sweetness in the perfume. The most incredible experience happens when I eat one of the home-made dolmades, which I made with grape leaves grown in our garden -- it can only be described as a symbiotic and perfect relationship. The perfect pairing of rich lamb, rice, garlic, lemon and mint, with the dusky, yet sweet flavors of an aged Bordeaux. Its quite amazing how well the dolmades pair with the Leoville Poyferre. There is something about the home-grown mint and the earthy Bordeaux which sings together in harmony. I decanted the Leoville for 8 hours before drinking, and I think that made all of the difference. The wine is singing with sweet, earthy, Bordeaux flavors, with a strong, powerful, and rich finish. There is absolutely no bitterness in this wine. It is rich, sweet, complex, and has a long, lingering finish. It even survived the bitterness of the Watercress, home-grown carrot and tomato salad without missing a beat. I hesitated to open this, thinking it might be too young. Far from it, after the 8 hours of decanting, its a wonderful treat. This is what fine Bordeaux is all about. You need not pay the huge price points of the great Bordeaux wines to find a gem like this at a reasonable and fair price.
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Audouzed for 3 1/2 hours, then double decanted and poured. Medium-bodied wine that is dark ruby in color. On the nose, dark fruit, earth, minerals, and wood smoke. On the palate, black currants, plums, and cedar on a very long 30-40 second finish. Nicely expressive nose to this wine, but the palate is not fully developed...the mid-palate is somewhat hollow. At the same time, the tannins, while still pleasantly grippy, have relaxed a fair bit. This wine can be enjoyed now, but I suspect it will still improve some in the next 3-5 years. In the end, I do not see it ever reaching lofty heights...it is what it is, and as such, is a very nice Bordeaux indeed.
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Didn't decant and the initial nose was horrendous and didn't taste much better. Let it sit for awhile and it started coming around pretty quickly, in retrospect should have decanted and let sit for awhile. I'd suggest waiting a couple years yet on this guy as it is still a bit tannic. Limestone and blackberry flavors in the background, would likely have gained a couple points if it was treated right (shame on me).
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Deep purple in colour with slight red bricking to the edges this Saint-Julien has a very complex nose. Fruit, especially blackcurrant, vanilla and cigar box characters abound. The palate is rich and full with excellent length and balance. Definitely at its peak for drinking now.
The BA wine list says: "The essence of a wine from Saint-Julien, the smallest of the four main communes of the Medoc region of Bordeaux, is its balance and finesse. This has attractive, evolved, toasty oak and sweet cassis aromas and a velvety, seductive fruit flavour that is typical of this property's efforts. 1995 was an excellent year now just at its peak of maturity"
Tasted in First class aboard BA59 from London Heathrow to Cape Town.
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Bought 4 upon release. Waited many years to try. Decanted for 2 hours. Still needs a lot of time in cellar. Big, thick wine that has quite a bit of tannin. The tannin is not bad, just effects the finish. Lots of cherry and plum and almost a bit syrah richness. Wait 5 years for the next one.
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Deep, dense ruby. Lovely nose of cassis and cigar box. Quite a big, velvety texture, grippy with finish dominated by still dryish tanins. Good fruit but this half seemed fairly closed. Certainly past the initial flattering, fruit phase, but think it needs longer for the tannins to interate. Left a glass for three or four hours and it still wasn't giving much. Think the potential is here, just needs time.
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Outstanding bottle. Ready to drink now. Powerful notes of cherry on the nose and palate. Not as earthy as one might expect in a Bordeaux, including, to my memory, this very one. Highly recommended.
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Drank last night with some aged big boys - thought it held it's own. Still very young w/ lots of unresolved (but not unpleasant tannins). Very primary in color - lots of fruit and cedar as well - integrated with great structure. Will not open the other for at least 5 years but not a waste to drink it now if you have them. Will buy more if the price is right.
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Toronto Offline at Reds with Ian Darshan Cauble: Well here it was, paired with the Montrose. A much cleaner wine, but one that I was not familiar with. Classic cedar, mint and red fruit, good concentration, was quite silky going down, but the finish was a bit shorter than I had hoped. Probably not paired well with the Montrose.
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Decanted for two hours. Still young, dark purple. Closed with some alot of minerality, some coffee and currant. Seems somewhat disjointed to me, smooth entry with some green notes, nice mouthfeel in the midpalate and lots of acid on the back end. Medium long finish with good dark fruit. Too early by five years.
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Served blind. Dark ruby/burgundy colour; ruddy. Aromas of vanilla, black plums, blackberry, peach, orange peel. Full-bodied, very tight, with notes of peaches, black fruit, oak, currant. Dry, short-moderate length finish, 20-25s, with black fruit. Way too young.
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Tasted at the Left Bank Bordeaux tasting at the home of FreeTheGrapes 1/19/2005.
This wine was decanted for six hours. The winery recommends 12 hours per FTG, but he forgot to open it in the morning. This was by far my favorite wine of this flight, and my number two WOTN.
There are no worries about this wine being shut down (though obviously age will make it show even better). Minerals, blackberries, roasted meats, and mint are effusive on the nose. This is a big, full-bodied wine with a great middle of jammy blackberries, leading to a very long, if somewhat oaky finish with tannins still noticeably present.
This wine is very approachable with decanting, but has so much more to give that I think we committed infanticide. At the current price, I plan to pick some up for aging. Then again, I may pick up more so I can kill more babies when the mood strikes me. Very highly recommended, and at current prices, in the top three for values on this night. I would take this over a similarly priced California cabernet any day of the week. I would rate it at 92 points with room for much improvement, and worth every dollar.
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Tasted at Vintage Wines, Ltd., unblinded from the tasting bar. Opaque ruby with red rim. Clean nose, showing intense currants, bing cherry, cassis and earth. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with massive sweet tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Excellent attack and evolution, leading to a very long, smooth finish. Bravo for Leoville-Poyferre!
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Youthful dark color. Green pepper, dill, and blackberry aromas. Rich and full-bodied, with concentrated currant flavors and graham crackers. Lots of tannin and acidity. Plenty of time in front of this one.
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Rich red currant and sweet cassis on the nose, followed by minerals, blueberries, and toasty oak throughout the palate. Years away from being outstanding. Has me drooling over my 2000 Poyferre’s!
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3/24/2024 - SimonG wrote: 92 Points
Half. Lovely full ruby. Classic blackcurrant leaf and sandlewood nose. A touch of graphite too. Densely silky, blackcurrant and cool minerality. Tannins nicely resolved but sufficiently there with the acidity to give a spine. Good length. Last of my halves, and absolutely spot-on, the best to date. ****
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3/10/2024 - Carson.McEvoy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Plenty of vitality remains, showing no signs of decline but clearly at its pinnacle. The aromas are somewhat concealed by a touch of Brettanomyces, lending a barnyard funk, yet this does not detract from the wine, at least in my opinion. It continues to reveal notes of blueberries, pencil shavings, game, and well-integrated oak. A highly enjoyable Saint Julien, although not exhibiting its utmost potential on this particular occasion. Here's hoping my other bottle will shine brighter on a future date!
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2/10/2024 - PoyferrAgent1998 Likes this wine: 89 Points
A straightforward Saint-Julien from the books: rich blue fruit, decent structure, integrated but soothing oak. The 95 is drinking very well currently.
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12/27/2023 - bon vivant wrote: flawed
Corked !
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12/1/2023 - hippoonroofeatingcake Likes this wine:
Medium weight, classic and delicious. Not haunting or complex at all but very pleasurable. Good now, no hurry though, still quite fruity.
66
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11/15/2023 - Bordeaux_Jon Likes this wine: 94 Points
I think I've had this wine half a dozen time and it always delivers.
This was classic St Julien with Cedar, red fruit, oak, and underbrush. A medium bodied, elegant yet structured wine, it is one of the best of the 1995s, better in my opinion than many of the first growths - Latour and Margaux for sure.
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10/14/2023 - Geoff Likes this wine: 91 Points
6 hour slo-ox, 1 hour full decant. Needed longer decant, as it slowly evolved and softened it's tannins. Deep dark color, nose of dark fruit, cassis, oak and cedar, secondary notes, copious sweet tannins, which slowly resolved in glass. Perhaps even a slight bit astringent. Full bodied, big wine with a long finish. Needs either more decant or more time in the cellar.
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10/9/2023 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Tasted next to 2000 Léoville Poyferré. Less generous, more acidity, a little more greenness to it, without being underripe. Elegant on the palate, nice tannic structure, cool, with good length and depth. A little drying towards the finish. Slowly drink up. 92-94
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9/11/2023 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 92 Points
A nice albeit not great wine. Not quite as brilliantly balanced as the 90.
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7/3/2023 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
A good colour and still relatively youthful. Some sweet tobacco, cedar and blackberry. There's a bit of meaty funk and some graphite. It has plenty of savoury nuance, a thread of licorice and something salty, somewhat akin to black olive. Tannins remain supportive and the overall package is nicely balanced and energetic.
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6/30/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: flawed
Lightly corked
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5/28/2023 - AudunG wrote: 93 Points
Very dark aromas for a St. Julien. Smoke, rusty iron and dark berries, like in a Pessac. Really powerful on the palate. Developed, and at its peak now.
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4/24/2023 - galewskj wrote:
Three flawed bordeaux reds (Tilia): Three Bordeaux enthusiasts meet for dinner, and all three Bordeaux wines are flawed? I think these were. All three decanted 1-2 hours, put back into the bottle, and then I drank about 1/3rd of each bottles over 3 hours.
Can three wines be flawed on the same night? I think these were. All three decanted 1-2 hours, put back into the bottle, and then I drank about 1/3rd of each bottles over 3 hours.
1995 Château Léoville Poyferré - St. Julien
1996 Château Lagrange (St. Julien)
2000 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte
The Lagrange was mine, I'd decanted it one hour a couple years ago and it was gangbusters. Tonight, some bordeaux nuance on the nose, and the palate is slightly sour and forgettable. Same with the other 2, the Leoville was the most sour, such that the owner had brough a backup and seemed concerned. At the very beginning, I got a distinct but light whiff of nail polish. These weren't obviously flawed, not corked, but they didn't show the way that they should. I'm leaving them unscored and likely flawed with volatile acidity.
1995 Château Léoville Poyferré - St. Julien
1996 Château Lagrange (St. Julien)
2000 Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte
The Lagrange was mine, I'd decanted it one hour a couple years ago and it was gangbusters. Tonight, some bordeaux nuance on the nose, and the palate is slightly sour and forgettable. Same with the other 2, the Leoville was the most sour, such that the owner had brough a backup and seemed concerned. At the very beginning, I got a distinct but light whiff of nail polish. These weren't obviously flawed, not corked, but they didn't show the way that they should. I'm leaving them unscored and likely flawed with volatile acidity.
Funny but under these circumstances, my starter white, an inexpensive Condrieu, was clearly wine of the night. So sad.
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3/31/2023 - hargy Likes this wine: 90 Points
mature but this is quite a lightweight for the vintage - I would have expected more complexity and depth
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3/26/2023 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
Half. Consistent with a half last year and the year before — finally in the zone. Deep and quite dense ruby. Classic claret, blackcurrant and cigar box, a hint of richness within the 95 frame. Good mid palate texture and development with a positive and quite long finish. Does just what’s required in a satisfying and controlled rather than flamboyant way. ****
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3/11/2023 - Ron Slye wrote: 94 Points
This is very subtle and smooth. It feels like it is still holding back. A reticent nose of leather, dark red fruits. A bit tight on the palate. I was a bit worried of a bit of corkiness. But I don’t think that is present.
On Day 2 -- wow, this has really opend up nicely. Sorry I only have one bottle left!
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1/24/2023 - GuWin wrote: 92 Points
BYO Centropa (Centropa, Deichmann, Oslo): Dyp mørk farge med svakt brunlig kant. Deilig duft av modne solbær, sedertre og sigarkasse. Klassisk St. Julien på duft og smak. Pent utviklet med middels konsentrasjon, god mørk fruktighet og et behagelig tanningrep.
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12/13/2022 - honest bob wrote: 90 Points
From 75cl, perfect cork, decanted 1 hour. Exactly 2 years after my previous bottle (CT TN 13.12.2020), this showed a little more open, with pure cassis and fresh tobacco scent, dusty blackcurrant entry, and a fairly thin, "classic" St. Julien mid-palate. Fine, hardly exciting, but well worth the 40€ paid. Recent CT ratings in the 92–94P range seem overly enthusiastic on the strength of this bottle, which could easily have held, and possibly improved, for 5–10 years. 90–91(?)P
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11/30/2022 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Coravin. Deep ruby, youthful color with only slight bricking, younger than expected for its age; aromatic, blackberry and blackcurrant, cedar, a bit of pipe tobacco, slight star anise; palate is full bodied, smooth and textural, alcohol is well balanced (13%), well integrated black fruits, a bit of capsicum, tannins fully integrated, persistent flavors through the midpalate; medium length finish which is a touch shorter than expected for this caliber of wine. A very well made St. Julien, at maturity though still with some character of youth, slightly modern-edged in its polish but well balanced overall. These seem ready in this format. 93
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11/24/2022 - curtr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drink up.
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10/14/2022 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Wines with 25+ Years Non-Blind (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Still dark core, cloudy garnet rim; black currant, pencil shavings, earth, still young and purple; great texture, wet earth, tobacco, dark chocolate, fresh black fruit; in a great spot and needs more time; delicious.
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9/28/2022 - Collector1855 wrote: 93 Points
Nice, mature Medoc nose with forest floor, tobacco and dark fruit. Medium- bodied palate, fully resolved tannins, drink up.
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8/8/2022 - malbrecht wrote: 93 Points
From Double Magnum. Blackberry and black currant on the open, transitioning to notes of graphite, cassis, and cedar. This was quite youthful and brambly (probably due to the format). Nice tannic grip and well-balanced. This was in a great place with plenty of fruit, but developing some wonderful secondary and tertiary characteristics.
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6/5/2022 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
Half. Dense ruby. Consistent with a half last year, this has finally turned the corner and dropped its 95 surliness in favour of silky blackcurrant and cigar box and controlled sweetness of fruit. Proper claret and drinking absolutely à point. ****
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5/31/2022 - MrSmithers Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle was in immaculate condition for a ‘95. Cork looked brand new still. Was surprised to find this had tons of life left.
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5/25/2022 - jkoenen wrote: 91 Points
Maybe a few years past its prime. Tannines not too prominent, but neither is the fruit...
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5/1/2022 - curtr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hr.
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3/4/2022 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
Fully resolved and drinking charmingly. Fresh and dried plum with a healthy dose of wet tobacco, diced bell peppers, and graphite. Fruit is fresh with some remaining plushness on the front palate into a grainy finish. Nice with the steak. I’d drink remaining bottles over the next 3-5 years.
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2/28/2022 - curtr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decant 1 hr.
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1/21/2022 - curtr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 1 hr. Deep, perfumed, great match for rack of lamb. Drink now - 2025.
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1/7/2022 - sbfoote wrote: 92 Points
Meaty, dark fruit, tobacco, fine tannins, moderately long finish, velvet texture. Like it.
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10/8/2021 - NewFrenchClaret Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted the 1995 and 1996 side by side.
The 1995 has a pronounced nose initially of stewed fruit. Not especially pleasant. But after a while the stewed component dissipates and it becomes a bit more rounded. and the nose is a bit less jammy. It's a little less concentrated than the 1996, with more acid. Lovely silky texture though.
After a bit of air it puts on weight. Tannins are more pronounced than the '96, so maybe it has more life ahead. Overall a touch more pedestrian than the '96, but still a hugely enjoyable wine.
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5/28/2021 - Border Boss wrote: flawed
Another bottle from a group of 1995 and 1996 Bordeauxs bought from The Chicago Wine Company in 2000. Every bottle has been completely flawed. Fill and cork were great, but the wine is total acid. Probably heat damaged before I bought them, but too late to return to TCWC
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5/5/2021 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
Half. After eight halves of “yeah, but so what?” three star efforts with the occasional ***1/2, this is at **** level. The fruit has lightened a little to a mid to deep red, the slight sullenness has been replaced by a controlled sweetness, and the dull, slightly threadbare velvet appears to be really quite silky. Hurrah! ****
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5/2/2021 - TGOT wrote: 90 Points
Needed 30+ minutes to open up, but still, past it’s prime. Bummer.
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2/11/2021 - dougie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for two hours. A beautiful wine. Going strong after 5 hours. Will go another decade at least.
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1/22/2021 - martin_e Likes this wine: 92 Points
Close to the peak maturity with ruby color, well-developed spicy aromas dominated by tobacco and white pepper with hints of strawberry and spicy-tobacco flavors, but with notes of black fruits like tart-sweet plum and blackberry, plus slightly-bitter dark chocolate. It has a very long finish. The wine is good, but may lack some mid-palate layers that would make it more complete & enjoyable
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12/18/2020 - Caciolo wrote:
Very good. Needs 2.5 hour decant
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12/13/2020 - honest bob wrote: 90 Points
From 75cl of impeccable provenance, perfect cork, decanted 90 minutes. This bottle had medium everything: body, blackberry/blackcurrant scent, tannins, brett – you name it. A lovely Sunday evening drink with lamb, potatoes and greens, but no more than that. No complexity, architecture, resonance, all that stuff you buy fancy wine for. Fair value at the 40 EUR I paid, less fair value at current market rates. I remember enjoying the 1996 a lot more eight years ago (TN 25.11.2012) and indeed the 2002(!) very recently (TN 16.11.2020). This bottle would have held for another decade, which is precisely what I intend to do with the remaining one in my cellar, just to see. 90P
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12/5/2020 - Sotto325 wrote: 92 Points
Just classic St. Julien in a perfect drinking window. No need to decant; just 15 minutes in the glass. Dark red, almost black, in color with a nose of cedar, dark cherry, and pencil shaving. The finish is full, with St Julien restraint, unfolding notes of moist wood, forest floor, deep dark cherry and a hint of menthol. Not as complex as Ducru or Las Cases, nor as refined. But the slight rusticity was welcome with Wagyu.
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11/19/2020 - Maphill01 Likes this wine:
Decanted 90 minutes. Dark fruit, cassis, along with leather, cedar and sweet tobacco towards the finish. Medium + body, medium + acidity. Slightly chewy tannins. Early maturity, still leaning a bit towards youthful fruit.
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11/7/2020 - Amberissey Likes this wine: 95 Points
Definite reminders of the left bank on the nose, black fruit, herbs, meatiness, anise, graphite. In time, more oak notes, vanilla or other baking spice. On the palette, plum, nice black currant and cassis, graphite again, great licorice on the finish. Unbelievable balance. Like the 01 Leoville Barton I had recently I may be too inexperienced to pick all the flavours due to the balance. Maybe wild blackberry.
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11/7/2020 - paintinginacave Likes this wine: 94 Points
Three hour decant. Deep ruby fading to a pale ruby outer edge. Such a complex, intriguing, and inviting nose that took sometime to unpick and eventually revealed a herbaceous, slightly medicinal notes of pine and eucalyptus, mineral qualities of graphite and pencil lead, sweet baking spices, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and anise, baked black fruits, blackberry, blackcurrant, and cassis. So elegant, wonderfully well finessed, and balanced on the palate.
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11/6/2020 - Clever Wine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Classic Bordeaux. Nice bretty barnyard theme with sweet red fruit. If you don't like this you are not a Bordeaux oneophile. Great with red meat. Not mind blowing but really nice and drinking great right now.
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8/9/2020 - cannym Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ruby, browning too. Not a hugely expressive nose.Touch of black and plenty red fruits. Into real maturity. Saddles and smoky spices. Definitely a bit weak in the middle and not over long either but a most enjoyable maturing claret.
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5/30/2020 - Bacchus&Ceres Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep garnet with red raspberry rim variation, clear, shiny, bright. Very thin, medium - viscosity with fast moving tears barely discernible. Clean and fresh perfume with ripe black fruits and green leaf like element, fresh & tart, aromatic graphite or metallic element . Medium body with perfectly gripping tannin and acidity, medium alcohol, medium sweetness. So fresh no evidence on nose or palette of oak or earth yet delivers a moderately + complex experience. Excellent craftmanship and thoroughly delightful even on its own.
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5/9/2020 - VAGentleman wrote: 85 Points
Mostly gone. Disappointing.
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4/26/2020 - englishman's claret wrote:
Sadly, the otherwise lovely blackcurrant, leather, and unsmoked cigar nose is irretrievably marred by brettanomyces.
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4/14/2020 - daegde Likes this wine: 93 Points
Provenance, provenance, provenance acquired in 2016 ex-chateau, my thanks to the persons that cared for the 6 bottles i bought. 25 years young. clear & brick colored dry herbal with a backbone of cedar. Long enough on the finish, satisfying on the palate. Another 5 years, why not. a jewel of a Julien.
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4/12/2020 - cannym Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ruby, browning too. Not a hugely expressive nose. But oddly quite aromatic now in the mouth. Touch of black and plenty red fruits. Into real maturity. Saddles and smoky spices. Still a hint of grainy tannins but overall these are pretty resolved. Definitely a bit thin in the middle and not over long either but a most enjoyable maturing claret.
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4/12/2020 - SimonG wrote: 88 Points
Half. Deep to mid ruby. Bright and surprisingly red fruited nose. Tannins fairly resolved, still slightly furry on the finish with structure a little more acidity led. Slightly tart red fruit. Lacks mid-palate padding and density of fruit. Finished well enough, if a little dry. Hmm, hopefully we’re in to a bit of bottle variation. ***
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3/30/2020 - winelover1808 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is a great QPR, bought it for $48.99 a bottle back in 2001. PnP and no decant. Pretty perfume of tobacco, red fruit and currants. The mouthful is really nice, medium to light bodied, bright red fruit and plenty of acidity that keeps this fresh. The only fault is it lacks just a bit more oomph on the body and finish to push it into a higher score. But this is really yummy.
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2/11/2020 - Bordeaux_Jon Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted single blind in a flight of 95/96/2000 including all three Poyferre, this bottle had a lot of fruit, and then brett and cigar. I liked it quite a bit but preferred the 2000 which had more complexity on the nose and a denser palate. The 1996 was better still, with a haunting nose and a simple tasty palate. A solid performance for Poyferre all around!
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1/3/2020 - djhammond Likes this wine: 91 Points
Advanced for the vintage, this is in its prime drinking window. Aromas of ripe black fruits, cedar, tobacco, and leather dominate the palate, and it is showing a maturity which was not present 18 months ago. The palate has a steeliness typical of 1995, but everything gels. As per my previous tasting, I find the tannic profile intrudes on the finish and does diminish the overall experience.
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12/21/2019 - BradA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really sweet— my style of Bordeaux. A soft tea like body with a nose of cedar and soft fragrance. Drink by 2022
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12/20/2019 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pre Christmas wine dinner, really good Bordeaux, rich & full bodied but elegant & silky, all class, everything you want in a Bordeaux and more!
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11/5/2019 - wineappreciation wrote: 91 Points
Hints of barnyard, unripe blackberry, blueberry, cigar box, gravel; a little hard, still tannic, balanced, smooth, and substantial but somewhat monolithic, moderately long finish; may improve further with time
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10/15/2019 - bestdamncab wrote: 93 Points
Nose of cigar box, black currants, and black cherry, same on the palate, big body, very tasty, almost delicious, mouth filling wine, opened nicely throughout the evening, and a long, flavorful finish.
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10/12/2019 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Deep ruby, minimal bricking and more youthful than expected for a 1995 Bordeaux; highly aromatic, blackberry, blackcurrant, some minerality, some graphite, slight sweet tobacco; palate is full bodied, black fruits, fresh medium-plus acidity, tannins still youthful but approachable, midpalate still has fruit but not as complex as the nose; finish is medium length and fades off a touch towards the end. Not quite as strong as my last 2 bottles, but still an excellent bordeaux headed into early maturity. I think the slightly more modern style of Leoville Poyferre blends well with the more austere 1995 vintage, as this has a bit more fruit, concentration, and enjoyment than most 1995s that I've had. 93
2 hours decanted: Largely the same. Good fruit, nose intensity > palate, palate has maybe fleshed out a touch with more minerality than before, better fruit concentration through the midpalate; still just a touch shorter than desired on the finish. A nice Bordeaux.
5 hours: Not really improved with more air. Now maybe starting to hide its nose just a bit.
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8/28/2019 - SGoenophile Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dinner at Imperial Treasure TPC. Deep ruby. Relatively low acidity, medium body. Quite concentrated and generously fruited, no signs of fading. Tannins still present but not harsh and provides good structure. Well balanced overall with some complexity and a long finish. Aging slowly and keeping very well for a 24 year old wine. Probably the best 1995 Bordeaux I have had so far and edges out a 1996 (a vintage widely considered to be superior to the 1995) Leoville Barton I had a few days back.
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6/22/2019 - ericadenza Likes this wine:
Dark ruby.
Medium intensity, with black berry, smoke, toast, tomato leaf, wet leaves.
Dry, very well integrated tannin, high acidity, medium alcohol, medium body. Flavor intensity medium, with blackberry, toast, white pepper, tomato leaf. Medium finish.
Good - Balance, intensity
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5/29/2019 - JGinMO wrote: 91 Points
Had stiff competition in an evening of aged BDX. Decanted 60 mins, this had surprisingly fresh blue fruits and typical St. Julien terroir. Nice acid edge and long finish, however it lacked that mid structure to balance out the fruit well. In that regard it was shown up by the 90 and 89 StJ that night.
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3/31/2019 - BradA Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is one of the better 1995 wines I can recall. Still fresh with balance and tasty tertiary notes. Perfect with roasted tenderloin and the fixings. Drink now to 2025.
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2/16/2019 - BradA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very smooth, fully resolved and at its apex. One of the better wines I can recall from this vintage. A tad watery on the finish, however enough fruit remains to give a tasty lingering finish of ripe fruit. Enjoy now thru 2022.
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2/14/2019 - curtr Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours. Ready to drink with no signs of fading. Now-2025.
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2/8/2019 - mankam wrote: 92 Points
Good right of the bottle and improved in the decanter over the next half hour. Good to the last drop.
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1/18/2019 - Wine Buergler Likes this wine: 93 Points
Color and smell lead you to expect a much older tasting wine than you actually find. Almost a light, watery aftertaste. Definitely in the drinking window if not nearing end. Good ... interesting ... some fruit left and well integrated just lacks soul.
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1/15/2019 - "Rhône Rider" Likes this wine: 91 Points
1995 Ch. Leoville Poyferre. Rubinrød med rosaorange kant. Klassisk forførende Bordeauxnese med tørkede bær, lær, røde frukter og litt blomst. Fruktig anslag med rødbær, urter, paprika og pepper. Saftig hyperelegant. Medium lengde 90-91
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1/12/2019 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark red with some browning, beautiful nose of cassis, black ripe fruits, mocha, so refined, silky smooth, needed a Bordeaux & this is my usual go to Chateau, in its drinking window
93
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11/22/2018 - aagrawal wrote: 95 Points
Paternity Leave (including Thanksgiving); 11/5/2018-12/8/2018: Immediately on decanting, wafting of blackberry aromas from the decanter. Deep ruby with moderate age-appropriate bricking; aromatic, some black fruits but also red cherry, minerality throughout the nose; medium-full bodied, integrated fine-grained tannins, balanced medium alcohol (13% labeled), fresh medium acidity throughout, deep red and black fruits through the midpalate; clean persistent medium-plus finish. Similar to my last taste in 2013, this wine showcases superb balance, elegance, and stellar blend of aromatics, early/mid/late palate, and finish. Not the most complex with any of them (though not a simple wine either...), but the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Just delicious, and still at early maturity with very little change in the last 5 years. 95.
1 hour air: A bit more complexity and subtlety on the nose. Exquisitely enjoyable.
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11/18/2018 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
1 hour decant. Probably at or near its peak.
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10/24/2018 - cannym Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still deep ruby, some browning. Has reached some maturity now. Finer and smoother. Still dark black fruits. Leather, farmyard, warm spices. Lots going on. Good length. Tannins now there but more restrained. Getting lovely. Fine.
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10/11/2018 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
Deep red in the glass with a crimson edge.
Loads of fruit on the nose. Ripe cranberry compote, black cherry and blackberry. A touch hot, and a bit of brett, but nothing offensive.
Silky texture with supple tannin, balanced acidity, and decent length. The finish is a bit dry but that could resolve with time.
All in all, very impressed here. The wine is clearly entering its prime and will likely last another 10 years and even longer depending on your preferences.
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7/12/2018 - SimonG wrote: flawed
1995 Bordeaux: Corked
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7/11/2018 - Charlie Carnes Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great wines at Oriole in Chicago!: Drank at Oriole in Chicago as part of a reserve tasting list. Nice 1995 St. Julien drinking well. This paired well with A5 Wagyu. Wine was big, with dark cherry, earth, dried pine box, some spicecake.
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5/21/2018 - djhammond Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ready to drink, and not sure if there is potential for any further Improvement, the wine is mature on the nose and palate. Aromas of plum dominate with cedar and a hint of green apple on the nose. On the palate it is a little one dimensional, but with a phenomenally long finish if a little sour at the end. All in all a very enjoyable wine, but certainly not one of the big hitters of the vintage.
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4/7/2018 - Geoff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Spectacular nose, deep dark color, stromg tannins, plentiful fruit, just a bit out of balance. Long, long finish.
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1/31/2018 - jmoon Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent w recent notes
Old school arm chair .... classic
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1/28/2018 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
1995 Bordeaux / Cali Cabernet Tasting (Casa de la Mata): Served blind in a 95 Cali/Bdx tasting. Classic aromas of plum, bell pepper and cigar. The palate is lighter and tighter and, again quite classic, with restrained plum fruit. Tannins are firm and fairly chewy in the finish. Fruit needs to flesh out and wake up, but will it? My #5, Group #3. I guessed BDX as did a majority of the group.
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12/19/2017 - heythatslife wrote: 94 Points
#1 of 3 in a Leoville-Poyferre vertical, and the winner for me at this point in time. A beautifully complex and deep nose, with cassis, pencil shavings, leather, mushroom, bell pepper, and roses even. The lifting acidity holds the wine in place, while the tannins gently give way; ends with a cedary (but not oaky) finish. A classic example of a fully mature, left-bank bordeaux at its prime.
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11/16/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Frenchies at St. Gen (St. Genevieve, Mpls, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Some slow O time I believe; drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. Drank next to a '95 Barton. The nose here stands out, good purity, cassis, dry earth, wood spice. The palate is tighter and a bit more structured and more austere tonight than the Barton. Medium plus body, firm tannins.
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11/16/2017 - chablis28 wrote: 91 Points
Another btl served along side the '95 Leoville Barton was also a nice btl of classic mature BDX. Here too the remaining structure needs to further resolve. if possible, for my liking. Tonight I preferred the Barton which had an extra gear and may have seen more air? 90pts+ / 91pts-
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10/28/2017 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
Académie des Cinquante 62nd Annual Dinner (Restaurant In den Gapenden Eter, Leiden, NL): Mature but lively appearance; lovely left bank nose, feminine, floral and spicy, crushed red berries, gravel; elegant and refined palate, lovely ripe fruit and a certain generosity, slightly tough tannins (it is a 1995 after all); very good length. Excellent.
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10/22/2017 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not quite as ready probably from a better source. Took 4hrs to open up. nice mint and tobacco character with lush black and blue fruits. Really nice, but this bottle showed the angularity of the '95 vintage. Well stored bottles should be held.
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10/1/2017 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very, very lovely wine, and quite youthful at age 22. Deep ruby color, with what I swear are purple highlights. Unbelievably youthful appearance, still thick and viscous, too. The bouquet is sweet perfumed red fruits, even roses, that just waft out of the glass. Very feminine and pretty. Tannins all resolved, but still quite a good mouthful, lots of body, rich. Quite clearly at its plateau of maturity, it shows no sign of decline. Really just an excellent bottle of claret. I adore this. 5-14-17-9: 95/100.
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8/22/2017 - devraj Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark red ruby in color. Wafting aromas of dark berry fruit, currants, graphite and perfumed cedar. Palate shows a good mix of sweet dark fruits and red currants, hint of leather and tobacco, good acidity, melting tannins and a long lingering cedar tinged finish.
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8/9/2017 - jmoore431 wrote: 93 Points
Tasted blind at a picnic: Classic Bordeaux nose; youthful and really nice.
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8/6/2017 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is in a really great spot. Nice aromatics with cedar spice and dark fruit. Sandalwood on the palate with nice mature fruit, still very vibrant and expressive, with some chalky tannins. Moderate finish adding some gravel and flint notes with the sedar and sandalwood. For '95 this comes across more as a right bank the left, as the palate was a little softer and more accessible than expected. At peak, but should hold for some time. (Maybe 10yrs) 93-94
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6/5/2017 - waywardsailor wrote: 93 Points
When I first opened it, wasn't sure if it was corked. But the funky nose quickly dissipated and what was left was a beautifully aged Bordeaux. Not very complex. May not get any better.
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5/28/2017 - barolo300 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Delicious well aged St Julien here. Elegant, very tertiary with graphite, coffee, tobacco, leather. Relatively powerful, with cassis and a little blackcurrant left. I don't think it will improve much further - it is still very fresh and the tannins provide a little structure still, but it should hold well from some time, at least a decade...
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4/13/2017 - danckie Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice mature Bordeaux. Tannins mostly desolved. Balanced. Red fruit and some cassis. Mild well integrated acidity. Medium body. Good length. No rush.
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3/2/2017 - Chaz Bham wrote:
Malheureusement, un peu bouchonné.
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2/19/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Monthly Wine Group: Bordeaux 2005 and Older (Lela, Bloomington MN): Small pour over 30 minutes. Unsure of any air here. Very good, but showing the rusticity that sometimes comes through on '95. The fruit is there, but a bit more edginess to the tannins, palate and the wood as well.
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2/2/2017 - dcwino wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux dinner at Ripple with live rendition of the Star Spangled Banner (Ripple Restaurant in DC): This must be the day for Leoville Poyferre. Perfectly mature nose displaying soft warm cabernet red fruit, plum, a hint of cassis and lead pencil, cedar, leather and mineral. Nicely integrated palate, soft red fruit driven palate impression, a hint of slightly coarse tannins and a medium to long nicely mature claret nose. This is the most mature of the flight by a big margin. Beautiful mature Bordeaux expression makes up for the lack of complexity and concentration. A nice way to introduce nicely aged Bordeaux to the Loire Cab Franc lovers.
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2/2/2017 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fit for a wine loving Groundhog: Bordeaux back to 1970, by way of a 1982 trio (Ripple Restaurant in Washington D.C.): Somewhat more austere and even a bit more rustic as compared to both the Cheval Blanc and the Mouton, but the wine showed much strength and poise on the mid palate, with full body and still unresolved tannins. The finish was long and as it sat in glass, it opened up more (although it had been opened since last night). A very good Saint Julien in tough company :-)
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12/7/2016 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful wine. I decanted this wine about 6-7 hours ahead and that made it open up and really improve in the glass.
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11/21/2016 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of cigar box, cedar, saddle leather, black currants, black cherry, and a touch of sage, same on the palate, an auction bottle in great condition for $79, big body, touch of soft tannins, delicious with roasted turkey and Monday Night Football, mouth filling wine, long finish.
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9/4/2016 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really feeling conflicted. I very much love older wines. To me this bottle tasted spot on. My son thought it was showing its age and losing its fruit. My wife initially leaned in his direction, but as it continued to open up rather enjoyed the wine. Probably something to consume in the next five years!
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8/26/2016 - Bordeaux_Jon Likes this wine: 93 Points
I was definitely looking forward to this bottle, having had it last year and it being phenomenal. I bought some more of it for my wedding's rehearsal dinner and to give to the groomsmen as gifts. The rehearsal dinner bottle was very good. Tasted single blind against a 1995 Beaulieu Vineyards Tapestry, it had a lovely nose of red fruit, prunes, and a medicinal cherry cassis note. There was some oak and cigar in there but the nose was really fruit dominated. The palate was smooth and the tannins were mostly resolved. It was a very nice wine but lacked the complexity of the prior bottle. This bottle was from a different source and honestly may simply have not been as evolved. It was definitely well liked at the dinner and the elegance and subtlety compared to the Tapestry made it clear to me and most others it was the Bordeaux rather than the Napa Cab. The high degree of primary fruit suggests more cellar time is the way to go. Most well stored higher-end Left Bank 1995s simply seem to need more time the predicted before. Either that, or they are just more austere and will never be as great as predicted. Time will tell.
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8/18/2016 - Nanda wrote: 87 Points
Tasted single blind in a mixed new/old world flight. When I initially opened this bottle I feared it was corked (so much so that I opened/decanted a second bottle, which actually turned out to be corked). This bottle was in fact sound though it never really came out to play. Nose was full, but rather non-delineated with notions of dried plum and cigar. Palate was lean with plenty of structure and drying tannin. The fruit was there, but never came into balance with the structure of the wine. I'm going to hold my remaining few bottles and hope for the best.
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8/18/2016 - Nanda wrote: flawed
Tasted single blind in a mixed new/old world flight. After much debate, I conceded that this bottle (the second opened) was corked. The nose certainly had a musty character, but what pushed me over the edge was that palate remained lean and lacking fruit even with substantial air.
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8/18/2016 - acyso wrote: 85 Points
The Rotating Dinners, I.5: Blinds from Around the World (Chicago, IL): Served double blind in a flight of cabernet blends. The second bottle of this that was tasted was a bottle that was initially thought corked, but turned out not to be. This bottle, however, did not get four hours of air, and showed nothing like the corked bottle (TCA notwithstanding). The fruit was muted and the wine seemed tired more than anything. Although I correctly identified this as Left Bank again, there's no way I would have said this was the same wine as the previous bottle. In fact, given this bottle, I would say drink up, since it doesn't seem like the fruit will outlast the acid and tannins.
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8/18/2016 - acyso wrote: flawed
The Rotating Dinners, I.5: Blinds from Around the World (Chicago, IL): Served double blind in a flight of cabernet blends. An interesting story: the first bottle of this that was opened was thought to be corked, so a second bottle (this one) was opened. This one saw four hours of air in a large Erlenmeyer flask, and although I believe this bottle was actually corked, it showed some very clear and distinct Bordelais character on the palate. Despite the TCA, I still correctly identified this as Left Bank.
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8/6/2016 - pilot360 wrote:
Fantastic bottle! Complex, full wine that focused on the savory / vegetal noted. This has lots of life ahead of it. Very classic and what I look for.outstanding.
This was opened and decanted for sediment, and remained in the decanter for 2-3 hours.
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6/18/2016 - Griffeyfan04 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ready to drink right at opening. Lots of good stuff going on in here. If you have one open it up and enjoy
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6/9/2016 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Blowout at Formento's (Chicago, IL): This is showing as classic Bordeaux ought to show. The nose has a lot of green pepper herbaceousness, as well as some nascent secondary characteristics. There's a real bit of rusticity on the palate though, where you really find some animale and barnyard notes. Very well-made Bordeaux that's drinking quite well now, though it's obvious that more time will only do this wine good.
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6/6/2016 - SLIMES Likes this wine: 91 Points
This still has a way to go. Drinking well now with a 2hr decant but this is worth holding for a while longer.
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6/4/2016 - Thejaaysog Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very impressive smoothness and a real feeling of melting in the mouth. Good fruit and a really generously layered wine. Very pleasurable.
(Magnum)
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3/21/2016 - etyc Likes this wine:
After the Baron, this was where it got more exciting. Scents of dark-berries, ash, tobacco. Had a round mouthfeel; Drinking very well, very enjoyable.
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3/5/2016 - Ridgerunner Likes this wine: 94 Points
In an extremely good place right now!
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2/6/2016 - Romol Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not decanted. I openend the botte one hour before and consumed over 3-4 hours. After two hours the wine improved a lot (next time i will decant it for 2 hours). Pretty good wine, no hurry to drink. 92-93 pts.
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1/1/2016 - dougie Likes this wine: 93 Points
Perfect food wine.
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12/23/2015 - soyhead wrote:
nose - smoky dark cherry
mouth - pure, minerally, juicy dark cherry. perfect for food. nice.
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12/19/2015 - mjdixon Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opens up sfter 2 hours with lots of fruit and no tannins
Drinking perfectly
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12/5/2015 - Bordeaux_Jon Likes this wine: 99 Points
I have to respectively disagree with prior tasting notes. This wine was phenomenal! After the bottle was opened, I smelled the cork and I just knew it was going to be great. The first whiff of the wine from the glass took my breath away. So much black and red fruit, violets and floral notes, with a ton of complexity. It was absolutely incredible. With that nose, I didn't decant, and the wine rewarded we with evolution for hours. It just had everything in the nose. Cigar, oak, flowers, black cherry, dark blackberry fruit, a tiny bit of brett, forest floor, some green tobacco, a little pencil lead, and some St. Julien stink. Honestly, the nose on this wine read like a 100 point Robert Parker note. This wine changed my view on 1995 which I thought was over-rated. I recently had the 1995 Margaux, Latour, Haut Brion, Ducru Beaucaillou, Leoville Barton, Cos d'Estournel, and a few others in the past few months. This wine was way out of their league, with only the Ducru coming remotely close. Perhaps the other wines need time and will one day come around to something like this wine. Let's hope.
The palate was quite good but there is clear room for improvement. The wine is still quite young and I expect significant more development. While smooth and rich, the palate needs more time to develop a sexy long finish. At that point, this will be a 100 point wine, if not 105 points. The nose and palate are dominated by the fruit still, although with such complexity. I cannot believe this wine can be found for $100. Like many other recent experiences, I'm not sure $500 or $1000 wines can get better than this!
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9/11/2015 - Thoughtful Likes this wine: 91 Points
Stored in cold cellar since release. High fill. Perfect condition. Ready. Medium bodied. Good acidity. Excellent balance. Lovely St Julien which just lacks concentration. Will keep but not improve.
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8/23/2015 - Wine_lvr wrote: 93 Points
°°° Bordeaux 1995 °°°: Clear garnet in color. Nose shows roasted coffee, red berries and leather. A classical style Bordeaux, just for my taste a bit to much acidity. I liked it but at the same time I was missing the length and complexity. Still youthful and no hurry to drink
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8/4/2015 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very much agree with the tasting note from 7/29, so won't belabor the point. I also thought the wine showed much younger than 20yrs. The only reason I didn't score it quite as highly was a touch of over acidity that came in mid-way which seemed just very slightly out of balance. Otherwise, the tasting notes are spot on. Just one more thing I'll say is that this reinforces my strong belief that for both banks 1995 is an incredibly good and underrated vintage. You can buy a lot of high end wines at cheaper prices than current releases, and they are obviously ready to drink. Bargains to be had.
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7/29/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
My tasting note is very similar to Bellissimo's - Good colour, nice evolution towards the rim, very bright. The nose is just gorgeous - leather, pencil shavings, spice box, tobacco, cassis fruit. On the palate good fruit, fresh, balanced with powdery tannins and very good length. Quite youthful in fact. If tasted blind I would have guessed this was significantly younger. As classic as they come, a wonderful bottle drinking very well at this stage. Not sure if it will improve, but absolutely no rush drinking this. 92-94
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7/11/2015 - bmr67 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic nose and balanced fruit, acidit & tannins.
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4/2/2015 - jmoon Likes this wine: 92 Points
very good classic old school bdx with cedar wood earth and leather armchair . Still fresh with life in front of it
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3/16/2015 - yofog wrote:
Low acid, fat wine that's best drunk soon, but to be fair, it's drinking really well, and it IS 20 years old. The low acid provides a very supple, accessible style, with broad, ripe maturing fruit notes and a bit of cedar.
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1/6/2015 - Bellissimo Likes this wine:
Brought to a restaurant. Bottle sat open for approximately 60 minutes before we got around to it. I could be happy just smelling that classic old Bordeaux nose of leather, cigarbox, cassis and coffee all night. On the palate everything was smoothe and refined, fruit sill around. Sadly my last bottle but based upon how this was aging an individual at my table said he's happily going to hold on to his two for a while longer.
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12/29/2014 - pomelo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Quelle élégance et quelle jeunesse. À coucher pour encore 8 à 10 ans au minimum
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12/24/2014 - Mark Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank very well, no tasting notes recorded at the time. I recall it had very good acid, if not slightly elevated. Soft tannins. Better after an hour or so.
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12/6/2014 - MLD70 Likes this wine:
Decanted for about 90 minutes. Absolutely in a great zone right now, perfectly balanced and complex. Somewhat lighter flavor profile than the 95 Calon Segur without being worse in any way, I expect the wine will enjoy 5+ years at this beautiful level.
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10/14/2014 - djdaqm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted prior to drinking, but didn't aerate very long. Nose has lots of cigar tobacco and cedar. On the palate there is good acidity and still lots of tannins left. Definitely still some ageing potential. Concentration is good. Length is not particularly long. I thought maybe it was just a touch corked.
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9/21/2014 - Txa wrote:
- Medium forming legs - Drinking nicely. Decanting for 1 hour is key
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7/12/2014 - Milos wrote: 91 Points
Plum, black cherry with green notes and tobacco. The palette is focused and balanced; tannins still present but ripe and fine; though light the flavours are intense. Long finish.
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5/23/2014 - dkeyes Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice Bordeaux but still quite tannic with fairly high acidity. I think it needs more time to settle in, but not sure how the fruit will carry. There is a slight bit of funk in a good way that reflects a mature Bordeaux. Drink now with food or hold off.
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4/13/2014 - BBinSC wrote: 93 Points
Very good Leoville, had just a hint of left bank funk, still good acid and some tannin. Length was good.
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3/15/2014 - Papies wrote: flawed
Second bottle from the same batch and albeit just a touch of TCA there was enough to spoil what would have been a 92 experience. Even through the cork taint the fruit was very evident and lush. Shame.
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3/15/2014 - Papies wrote: flawed
The name is Corked, Heavily Corked
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12/25/2013 - Niagara wrote: 85 Points
Fading fast ... a disappointing wine ... should have had better longevity. No fruit or other character, just a woody, incense-like quality, which quickly became cloying. Perfectly stored since release.
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12/6/2013 - Rktekt3 wrote: 80 Points
Just plain bad.
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11/7/2013 - millesime66 wrote: 92 Points
J'attendais ce vin impatiemment depuis 15 ans et il était excellent, surtout dans les 15 minutes suivant le service après 3 heures de carafe. Il s'est ensuite refermé un peu, mais surtout, il suivait le supérieur millésime 2000 qui lui portait un peu (beaucoup) ombrage. Il commence aussi à montrer des signes d'oxydation mais ses tannins sont si souples qu'il faudrait le boire par lui-même, sans être déjà saturé par les tannins des vins précédents.
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10/12/2013 - BradA wrote: 93 Points
This wine gave me some hope for the overhyped 95 vintage. Just splendid with lamb roast---great profile, flavor and melded tannins. Could drink this anytime!
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9/3/2013 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 95 Points
As ridiculously delishious as the previous note.
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7/28/2013 - JGinMO wrote: 93 Points
Started out a bit muted, but opened up greatly as the evening went on. I don't think much is to be gained by waiting on these.
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7/25/2013 - JGinMO wrote: 94 Points
Took an hour plus to open, but terrific, with plenty of life. See no reason to wait on these but no rush either
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6/24/2013 - MrBrege wrote: 90 Points
This was ALL cedar wood. I mean everything - on the nose, on the attack, mid palate and finish. Like drinking liquid wood really, although surprisingly delicious as there was still some balance. The fruit was there, but as a secondary note and there were hints of acidity throughout. The tannins provided a decent structure that kept it together. Now I still quite like this experience but this bottle was not like the others I have had.
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5/10/2013 - mattyboy_ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Left Bank Bordeaux Group Tasting (Chez Matt et Reema): Based on this cork's pristine condition, this wine has easily 20-30 years left to go, in fact I would say an easy 30-40 years if the cellaring conditions are right.
Not as forward as the other wines we tasted, but this wine probably had the best palate and structure out of all. Very extracted and very youthful at this stage only showing a touch of brown at the meniscus. Pain grille, sweet oak, cigarbox, sweet cassis, berry compote, espresso, coffee grounds.
Don't touch these for another 7 years where they should begin to start drinking at peak. 93-95pts.
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4/26/2013 - rdewolff wrote: 94 Points
Quelle magnifique vin!! A boire sans modération!
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4/21/2013 - curtr Likes this wine:
30 minute decant was too little for a young wine like this. Great potential in the future.
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4/5/2013 - aagrawal wrote: 95 Points
Dinner at Home (Home): From a 750. Color is a deep ruby with very little bricking; nose of dense black fruits, blackcurrant, blackberry, incredibly youthful, slight minerality; palate has superb fresh acidity and minerality to start, silky, dense fruit that integrates well and phases in right after, tannins kick in beautifully in the midpalate to give it structure; finish is clean and medium-long with juicy fruits to start. This wine shows some of the cleanest progression that I've ever seen with real changes in character between the nose, early palate, midpalate, endpalate, and finish. Beautiful, young, superb. 95++ (huge potential on this wine). Very young.
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3/16/2013 - devraj wrote: 91 Points
Good ruby red in color. A nice melange of black currants, mulberry, spices, forest floor and tobacco greets the nose. Cassis and wood spice dominate a medium bodied palate with well integrated wood, acidity and sweet black fruits. The 1995 Poyferre makes for a satisfying drink but is admittedly a bit 'soft' on the palate and leaves you hanging for more structure.
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3/3/2013 - europat55 wrote: 92 Points
Euro-Themed Lunch - In Pursuit of Balance with US Domestic Wines (Donato Enoteca, Redwood City, CA): Leather, tobacco, dark berries. Seems to have plenty of life ahead. Tasted blind and correctly guessed as Bordeaux.
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2/24/2013 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Sommelier 1995 Bordeaux Tasting - "Rocky and bloody, gamey and spicey with a strong presence of green tobacco and savory herbs on the nose; sandlewood and cherries streamline across the palate as the wine finishes with glorious acid; this is the venison in a flight of filets, but beautiful in its own right; Delicious! Drink or hold." - Scott Ota. All wines were opened and poured.
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2/12/2013 - ludwigbpm wrote: 92 Points
Sans notes
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1/19/2013 - MrBrege wrote: 93 Points
Double decanted over 4h. This wine appears surprisingly young, fantastic intense nose dominated by sweet red and black currents, a small hint of pencil shavings and forest floor. The fruit is not very pronounced, yet still more than one would expect for a -95. Nice acidity and fine tannins that gives the wine a reasonable grip still, with earth and minerals very noticeable. It is perhaps a little thin on the mid-pallet, but this wine is delicious and still has many years ahead of it.
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1/11/2013 - dtrall wrote: 93 Points
Cosmo in telluride! Bordeaux style I was looking for! Delicious right from the bottle!
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11/15/2012 - fblais wrote: 95 Points
Robe de belle saturation, presque opaque, rubis au centre avec un disque briqué de quelques millimètres. Dès l'ouverture le nez est très jasant, beaucoup de jeune fruit rouge, une touche charmante de bois, foins humide, sous bois. En bouche, l'attaque est souple, belle acidité, des tannins sur un grain fin et serré. Le tout en équilibre. Des saveurs similaire au bouquet, bonne longueur sur les cerises acidulées. 17.5-18/20
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11/15/2012 - rdewolff wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color and aromas of strawberry. It's in total harmony and has flavours of strawberry with a medium/full body. Round texture with a long finish - As always, amazing wine!
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10/28/2012 - rocknroller wrote: flawed
Monthly Tasting Group: Bordeaux (Levain, Mpls): Very dark red color. This bottle was definitely not what I had seen recently. I think this was mildly corked. Rustic and muted, very tannic, quite austere.
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10/27/2012 - cannym wrote: 91 Points
60th Birthday Dinner at DiVino Edinburgh: Last minute substitute for the corked L-B. Plenty of fine dark berry fruit, some blackcurrant but plenty red too. Dances slight and smooth across the tongue. Something almost floral about it. Good balance. Just lacked real complexity after the wonders that had gone before.
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9/30/2012 - vancouvermatt wrote: 91 Points
From 750ml. I had the 1996 vintage just a few months ago, and unfortunately, the '95 lives in the shadow. Drinking very well though, and not anywhere close to being on its last legs.
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9/28/2012 - md20 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Duftender Wein nach edlen Gewürzen. Mittelstarke Struktur, recht modern komponiert und macht viel Spass. Ist eher weniger Tiefgründig, mit recht ordentlicher Holznote. Sehr zu empfehlen.
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9/1/2012 - Les Kangas Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sept 1, 2012 - fantastic right now. Aired for one hour and tasted and appeared to be fading, so sucked air out, waiting for dinner, and then opened another hour later and was perfecto. Much better than 90 pts in Parker and one of the best wines i have had in ten years.
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8/24/2012 - SimonG wrote: 90 Points
Half bottle. Deep and quite dense dark ruby. Expressive nose, black currant fruit with a touch of black currant leaf. Quite ripe and rounded attack, good black currant fruit, a touch of minerality and a reasonable finish. Decent depth of flavour here. Still in a halfway house, its primary fruit having subsided but secondary complexity yet to emerge properly. Tannins are still present but softening and this is certainly approachable (in half) now, but would benefit I think from a while longer before it becomes more interesting. Signs at least that the 95s may be beginning to mellow. ***1/2
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7/27/2012 - rdewolff Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a winner. Lovely balance. Red fruits, 1995, but now in 2012 you can still feel his power and strength. Go for it!
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7/21/2012 - englishman's claret wrote: 92 Points
Still a very deep robe with a thin brick disc. Oh, what a nose. I love this and maybe it's because this is a St. Julien from a chateau that I usually find a little too plump and glossy from a year that I usually find to stern and unyielding. A happy medium? At any rate, red-fruited with traces of cedar, minerality, and barnyard. It certainly doesn't jump out at you, but the nose is subtle and very nice. It even picks up a bit with more air, showing more barnyard and smoke. There's notable volatile acidity on the nose which carries through on the red-fruited (if lean) palate to a nice appley finish. Certainly in the '95 mold, but more accessible than the other two Leovilles. I think this is on its plateau and I'd drink this up within the next five or so years.
4- to 4
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5/18/2012 - cannym wrote: 91 Points
Lovely deep ruby, touch of browning. Fabulous nose, spring flowers, cinnamon, cedar, cassis. Plenty of lovely fruit, quite elegant, good tannin structure, smoothing out now, medium to long finish. Very enjoyable, early maturity claret. Easy to like.
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5/12/2012 - MrBrege Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well at this point and presumably for years to come. Colour red, no bricking. Deep red fruit and cassis on the nose. Develping from berries to plum in the mouth, great structure througout a medium long finish.
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5/10/2012 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Birthday Wines (La Belle Vie, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color (no bricking). Decanted for 2 hours and drank 2+ glasses over 1.5 hours. Lovely nose of earth, florals, cedar, graphite, cassis, cigar box. The palate is soft and caressing, moderately full bodied, cedar, red and black fruits, cassis, dark cherry, berries, cedar, graphite, long finish, round tannins. This LP is drinking very well right now, and IMO just hitting its stride, and should continue to drink well for another 15+yrs. The tannins are still prominent, but nicely round. Two plus hours of decant time is about right currently.
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3/25/2012 - cannym wrote: 90 Points
Ruby, touch of browning to rim. Light nose of blackcurrant and violets. Decent length, good acidity, quite fresh. Lacking something in mid palate perhaps. Cedar wood, fruit and something more meaty.Tannins definitely resolving. Good enough but no wow factor. Phase or just this bottle?
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1/29/2012 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about 30minutes.
Well round, fruit fwd supple and with no rough edges or harsh tannins. Light earth but the fruit dominated at this stage. A bit short on the finish and in general it lacked sparkle. Over all a nice weine to drink. Well within its drinking window but suffers from the 95 curse on cab sauv. 92 easily.
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1/25/2012 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Double decanted for 30 minutes to remove sediment. My first Bordeaux with any "real" age on it. All I can say is "wow, so this is what all the hype is about". Beautiful nose, and like silk across the palate. The finish was not incredibly long, but it was unlike anything I've ever tasted before. I'm not qualified to speak on a wine like this, but I will still score it for my personal purpose.
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1/14/2012 - burgburgburg wrote: 90 Points
decanted for 45 minutes and stayed in bottle for another 1.5 hours; quite tight in nose with some black fruits, herbs, vanilla and cedar; palate was quite simple and forward; quiet high in acidity; palate and bouquet became much better and open approaching the end; keep it cellar for at least 5 more years
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12/20/2011 - 100pp wrote: 92 Points
Cassis, coffee, some earth. Still very much alive.
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11/26/2011 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Académie des Cinquante Claret Tasting (Restaurant De Zwethheul **, Schipluiden, Netherlands): A relatively masculine style of Poyferré, not as exotic as the 1990, not as classical as the 1996, but still with a certain charm, a very complete wine and very 1995. Very high quality. Now - 2025.
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9/18/2011 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Still youthful cassis in the bouquet together with cedar, smoke etc. Same on the palate, some chocolate as well. Beautiful acidity and still powerful tannin and a great length. This bottle is much more youthful compared to the one I had earlier this year.
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7/23/2011 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 83 Points
1995 Bordeaux Retrospect: Alcohol :: 13%
Very tight on the nose with strong dried herb, eucalyptus note dominating the aromatic profile with some underlying cassis fruits. Very fine tannin and fresh acidity, though quite rich on the palate but not really structured. Very soft and somewhat lean with short to medium length finish with fresh juicy sweet fruits and mineral and oak. This has to be the weakest Poyferre I ever had, straight forward and nothing much to offer.
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7/9/2011 - overhill wrote: 91 Points
School dinner fundraiser (7/9/2011) (Our house): This was paired with the '97 Insignia and delivered old world contrast. Color shows very little age with nose of mushroom stew, damp earth and black currants. Good weight and solid grip across the midpalette with elegant blackberries and plums (in contrast to the mega-fruit of the Insignia), cigar smoke, and, after thirty minutes in the glass, intense wet-gravel minerality. Not much on the finish.
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7/1/2011 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful bouquet with cassis, a bit earth and beautifully integrated oak. Classical Bordeaux bouquet. On the palate a beautiful mature wine, with cassis and other dark fruits as well as a hint of graphite. Beautiful soft tannin with still a pleasant bite. Very juicy and wonderful full bodied wine with a long finish. Completely ready and it will probably stay on this level for a few years, but this bottle was at its peak NOW!
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5/31/2011 - cartt01 wrote: flawed
- Brick color.
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5/22/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Cassis, coffee, earth and blackberry open to a full bodied wine, that is slightly on the austere side. The tannic finish is filled with cassis and cranberry that ends with a tart, red berry note. This will be long lived, but it might not improve a lot from this stage.
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2/19/2011 - JeremyQ wrote: 92 Points
A very nice aged Bordeaux after 1+ hr of air. Lovely nose of sour cherries, a bit of pepper spice and a nice dark colour (not black). Very good mouthfeel and structure. A balance wine with a nice long finish.
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1/20/2011 - ctjared wrote:
After an hour or so breathing its great. Intense nose of black fruits. Big mouth feel and plenty of tannins to go on for a long while. Wish I had more, but would sit on it to see what it will become.
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12/31/2010 - sean20waldo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Smooth mature silky med weight claret. Minty and hint of earth brings down score
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12/31/2010 - cannym wrote: 92 Points
Mid to deep ruby but not opaque at all. Lots of blackcurrants, cerar wood and meat extract on the nose. Fine tannin structure but already receding. Definite claret feel but also something a bit earthy too. Day Two - even more elegant and smoother. Lovely balance, fine fruits. Still reasonably primary but already a fine drink. First of the case, this one is looking good!
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12/24/2010 - SimonG wrote:
Half bottle, Decanted two hours, consistent with previous notes. Mid to full deep ruby. Cigar box and blackcurrant on the nose developing in to something more floral (violets) after an hour or two. Mulberry and blackcurrant on the attack, still reasonable grip on the mid-palate, good density and nice acidity on the finish. Decent length. Good match with ribeye and plenty of life in this. ***1/2
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12/15/2010 - goofy Yno wrote: flawed
corked
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12/2/2010 - Brian Kennedy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Changing color. Green tobacco, cedar box, leather, cassis. Good acidity still - nice lift at end. Drinking very well right now though can probably go a while longer. Really good - wine of the day.
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11/19/2010 - lagrein wrote: 91 Points
Wonderfully youthfull, colour showing a bit of age. Powerful nose, very silky in the mouth and still a fruity aroma powerhouse.
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11/5/2010 - tooch wrote: 93 Points
Ian's Birthday Dinner - (Cali & Bordeaux: 1975/1990/1995) (Alexandria, VA): Truly wonderful nose of silky cherry, sweet tobacco, some earthy notes, with spices and cured meats. Really wonderful mouthfeel with ridiculous complexity. Flavors of sage, spices, dried cherries and shredded tobacco are perfectly integrated. This is a regal wine with typical "Leoville Poyferre charm".
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10/15/2010 - oliverz Likes this wine: 90 Points
Bouquet quite typical Bordeaux, deep
black fruits and tannin, quite long finish
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10/5/2010 - DonalOB wrote: 92 Points
Great fruit with emerging complexity. Still like a young wine though.
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9/26/2010 - S. Lorin wrote: 92 Points
initially disappointing finishing with a menthol and herbal streak showing some astringency but after an hour the "green" wore off and the wine really began to strut its stuff displaying cedar, cigar, cassis, and black cherry, medium bodied, refined and classic in nature
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8/23/2010 - MRichman wrote:
1995 Bordeaux at 15 years horizontal (Apiary, NYC): Smooth, sweet, silky with a bit of acidic tannic structure, some tobacco, and a long acidic finish. A strong yet elegant wine. Could use some more time.
A-
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8/7/2010 - Rani wrote: 90 Points
Tasted blind. Lots of pencil lead and dark fruit. Clearly a left bank Bordeaux. Feels a bit diluted, and overall a bit simple and short.
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7/26/2010 - slaughterer wrote: 95 Points
Sludgy depot. Plum-ruby colored. Alot of fun. Bouquet is already extraordinary if reserved: smells like sweet, dark cherries and mint. Mineral tones can be sensed. Picant on the palate, then a full fruit aromatic spreads out. Mouth-filling, fresh tannins spread the mint tastes out about :20-:25. Nuanced and elegant, a Poyferre of the best quality, and probably the most Mouton-esque (i.e. the mint).
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2/12/2010 - Wrighty wrote: 92 Points
Couldn't resist any longer. Mature nose; some grilled beef and graphite. Palate was soft and mellow but then chased up by dry tannins. Will the tannins soften further? I'm not sure. That said still a lovely wine and a reminder of why old Bordeaux is hard to beat.
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1/30/2010 - Impulse wrote: 94 Points
Intoxicating nose, really good complexity and power, the bottle was undoubtedly at its peak now; very silky mouthfeel with reasonable length, and again multiple layers of complexity. Was the group's WOTN despite some stiff competition.
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12/30/2009 - MLD70 wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 3hrs, wonderfully complex nose, tannins a bit dry but excellent mature fruit. Got better over the next couple of hours. Not getting better but should hold this level of quality for a few more years at least.
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12/11/2009 - jackarmando wrote: 90 Points
Initially fruit with a bit of menthol on the nose; tight; after a couple of hours, revealed more cedar notes and a greater depth of fruit. Could probably benefit from another 5-10 years of cellaring.
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12/6/2009 - lanatolman wrote: 92 Points
Agree with all the notes and better after being opened for 24 hours...Softened up nicely and very drinkable.
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9/17/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
The Grand Crew- French Wines 10 years and older (Lockwood Restaurant, Chicago IL): nose: red currants galore on the nose with lovely tones of red cherries, cedar, tobacco, and hints of red florals. A real lovely and elegant nose that had a real silky pretty quality to it with excellent and classy depth
taste: a real lovely medium/full feel that is very elegant with well balanced tones of red currants, cranberries, red cherries, cedar, tobacco, and bits of red florals. Good tannins give the wine a good spine, and this comes off as just beginning to show what it really has to do
overall: a quintessential st julien that is just starting to hit its stride. This is what I love about Leoville-Poyferre as the elegance of the house is starting to really come out and has really started to enter what should be a good long window
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9/2/2009 - tbabes wrote: 94 Points
Fill was into the neck; popped and poured. A pretty purple-red core, turning to red at the rim; no signs of amber. Heavenly bouquet of ripe dark fruits (cassis and blackberry) with notes of black truffle, herbs, forrest flooer and earth. Medium to full bodied, with a wonderfully lush and velvety mid-palate; a touch of tannins (ripe tannins) that still need to be resolved, but a very pleasurable wine to drink. Should continue to evolve for years.
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9/1/2009 - johnwine wrote: 90 Points
I agree with Parker on this wine and think that it will take at least three to five more years to come to early maturity. Try again in 2012.
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7/31/2009 - Goldstone wrote: 91 Points
Dinner for Angela (Chez Patrick, Sun Street, Hong Kong): Decanted for an hour or so. Lightening red/purple translucent colour. A hugely pleasant barnyard St. Julien nose with pronounced mineral notes. Light, elegant, slightly dilute palate that was the opposite of extraction. Gorgeous poise and classic cassis and redcurrant fruits balanced with just the right level of acidity. Some moderate length and improved with extended time in the decanter during the course of the dinner. This punched well above its weight on the night and was a great contrast to the two super-Spaniards. It is drinking really well at this stage.
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6/24/2009 - hcampana wrote: 90 Points
1995 Bordeux Horizontal in New York City
Wine 2
Very open, with sweet nose of caramel, cedar, tobacco and subdued black fruits. In the palate it is short and lacking intensity. By elimination, I guess this is the Poyferré.
Vino 2
Muy accesible, con una nariz modesta con notas de de caramelo, cedro, tabaco y frutos negros. En boca, es de cuerpo medio, con un final corto y carece de intensidad. Por eliminación creo que es el Poyferré.
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4/22/2009 - sfqwino wrote: 90 Points
Some secondary nuance of leather and mushrooms. A little unimpressive for its current price point, but a nice wine no doubt.
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4/22/2009 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Leoville Poyferre masterclass with Didier Cuvelier (St Regis, Singapore): Very nice indeed when poured, but it faded rather worryingly after half an hour. Nose was plush and luxurious. Tea leaf, undergrowth, leather, wet earth, rich blackcurrants and a seam of Chinese medicine. I like the fresh balance on the palate, and there was lots of power in the attack, with cassis at the fore, followed by a touch of wood spice. Quite a bit of 1995 hardness on this one though - fine powdery tannins, but rather mouthcoating, giving the wine a sculpted in feel.The finish closed rather abrubtly when I first tasted it. Got a bit better, lengthening out with time to show some crystallined dark fruit, but that started fading shortly after it appeared. Time should do this wine some good - lots of quality material in there, just needs time to integrate, round out and stretch out.
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3/14/2009 - James B wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with previous notes. The wine is exiting its "dumb" phase is drinking beautifully now.
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12/12/2008 - goofy Yno wrote: flawed
corked
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10/9/2008 - MRichman wrote:
Leoville Barton vs. Leoville Poyferre (Morton's NYC): Firm, slightly candied. Tiny tannins. Still a bit tight.
B++
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10/4/2008 - Rubinstein wrote: 92 Points
I liked this a lot. Very nice Balance and fruit. No hard edges, medium bodied and just lovely.
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9/16/2008 - pjaines wrote: 89 Points
Appearance : maturing bordeaux - this looks good straight out of the bottle. Nose: spices and layers of complexity - some rustic earthy tones giving way to more refined dark, peppery fruit. Taste: Damp earth, truffles - fine tannins - crunchy pepper on the front of the palate. A bit watery on the finish with some sour notes coming through. Superb wine - good complexity but drink now if you have any - its not going to improve any more. Overall very good to excellent. Just lacked a bit of punch on the follow through.
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8/31/2008 - James B wrote: 92 Points
Perfect Bordeaux profile. Notes on the nose of leather, barnyard; you wouldn't mistake what this is. Quite drinkable now; requires a little air, but not too much. Impressibly balanced on the palate, with notes of dark red fruits, cedar, minerals. Medium finish.
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8/30/2008 - A&C wrote: 91 Points
A nice treat. Barnyard, but not too much barnyard. Signature Poyerre fruit. Nicely balanced. Many nice years ahead for this wine.
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8/17/2008 - SimonG wrote:
Half bottle. Full, deep colour. Good blackcurrant and mulberry nose, some cedar. Dense fruit on the attack with tobacco notes. Still noticeable tannin and good acidity. Quite big. OK now with food but obviously plenty of life in this. Decent length, some complexity just starting to develop. Very good. ***1/2
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6/16/2008 - pikemasterflash wrote: 91 Points
Way overpaid for these from K&L. I thought the color was red as brick and both the nose and initial taste to be quite tart. The wine got better as it was given a chance to breathe and went quite nicely with cheese. At the end of the night the wine softend a bit and was much better but this is no exceptional Bordeaux.
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5/1/2008 - gsquireh wrote: 93 Points
1285 Avenue of the Americas: A balanced wine of currant jam and and cinnamon spice. A sweet and graceful wine.
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3/14/2008 - cgseldin wrote: 92 Points
This is a big boy, with a vigorous core of black fruit and substantial tannin still kicking around. Delicious though.
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2/1/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
HDH 95/96 Comparative Tasting (Newberry Library, Chicago IL): nose: nice classic and soft nose of cedar, red currant, and spices
taste: interesting, very interesting. getting tobbacco and red currants up front, and a interesting green tea flavor on the back palate
overall: very interesting wine. May need some time to fully wake up as it still is a young wine. It has a sweetness to it to
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1/18/2008 - cgrimes wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Friends (Swampscott, MA): Dark ruby color. Terrific nose of blackberries and cassis with some smoke and a touch of iron. Palate showed good dark fruit characteristics, cedar, stones. Big but not overpowering tannins. This was an excellent wine, and my sense is that it will continue to improve as the tannins mellow and it develops more secondary characteristics.
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11/15/2007 - DavidKehler wrote:
This was a wonderful wine.
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11/4/2007 - A&C wrote: 93 Points
This was wonderful tonight -- right in its drink-ability window. Sweet, perfumed, complex, and yet nicely mellowed by age. This was the WOTN for the group. There was a slight sweetness to the wine, along with the signature bordeaux nose and finish. Very good. If you have some, don't wait. Its ready now.
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11/4/2007 - James B wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful Bordeaux that is drinking perfectly right now. Notes of leather, black cherry, tobacco, and the typical earthy nose of a Bordeaux. Decanting is recommended, but an hour or so is enough. Buy and enjoy this now if you can find it.
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9/22/2007 - A&C wrote: 94 Points
After going to the local farmer's market this morning, and purchasing a Morgan Valley baby lamb leg, I did some research about what wines paired well with lamb. Some excellent food writers recommended a Bordeaux with lamb. What an incredible recommendation. Having now eaten the slow-roasted lamb, perfectly cooked for two hours in lemon, garlic, fresh basil and rosemary after a 6-hour, all-day marinade, I can now add my enthusiastic voice to those who highly, highly recommend a Bordeaux as the perfect accompaniment to lamb. Perhaps, however, the perfect pairing has its roots in this wonderful wine. The wine has a rich, powerful, Bordeaux nose, replete with earthy chalk, twigs, a hint of sweet cassis, and subtle espresso. The wine is ready now -- no need to wait. It is rich, full-bodied, with a wonderful texture. The wine has a little bricking at the edges, and some sediment, but its drinking perfectly -- squarely in its drink-ability window. There is a sweetness to this wine, which matches the sweetness in the perfume. The most incredible experience happens when I eat one of the home-made dolmades, which I made with grape leaves grown in our garden -- it can only be described as a symbiotic and perfect relationship. The perfect pairing of rich lamb, rice, garlic, lemon and mint, with the dusky, yet sweet flavors of an aged Bordeaux. Its quite amazing how well the dolmades pair with the Leoville Poyferre. There is something about the home-grown mint and the earthy Bordeaux which sings together in harmony. I decanted the Leoville for 8 hours before drinking, and I think that made all of the difference. The wine is singing with sweet, earthy, Bordeaux flavors, with a strong, powerful, and rich finish. There is absolutely no bitterness in this wine. It is rich, sweet, complex, and has a long, lingering finish. It even survived the bitterness of the Watercress, home-grown carrot and tomato salad without missing a beat. I hesitated to open this, thinking it might be too young. Far from it, after the 8 hours of decanting, its a wonderful treat. This is what fine Bordeaux is all about. You need not pay the huge price points of the great Bordeaux wines to find a gem like this at a reasonable and fair price.
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9/2/2007 - DFC wrote: 92 Points
Audouzed for 3 1/2 hours, then double decanted and poured. Medium-bodied wine that is dark ruby in color. On the nose, dark fruit, earth, minerals, and wood smoke. On the palate, black currants, plums, and cedar on a very long 30-40 second finish. Nicely expressive nose to this wine, but the palate is not fully developed...the mid-palate is somewhat hollow. At the same time, the tannins, while still pleasantly grippy, have relaxed a fair bit. This wine can be enjoyed now, but I suspect it will still improve some in the next 3-5 years. In the end, I do not see it ever reaching lofty heights...it is what it is, and as such, is a very nice Bordeaux indeed.
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4/22/2007 - jolson wrote: 89 Points
Didn't decant and the initial nose was horrendous and didn't taste much better. Let it sit for awhile and it started coming around pretty quickly, in retrospect should have decanted and let sit for awhile. I'd suggest waiting a couple years yet on this guy as it is still a bit tannic. Limestone and blackberry flavors in the background, would likely have gained a couple points if it was treated right (shame on me).
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2/24/2007 - jamieirving wrote: 88 Points
Deep purple in colour with slight red bricking to the edges this Saint-Julien has a very complex nose. Fruit, especially blackcurrant, vanilla and cigar box characters abound. The palate is rich and full with excellent length and balance. Definitely at its peak for drinking now.
The BA wine list says: "The essence of a wine from Saint-Julien, the smallest of the four main communes of the Medoc region of Bordeaux, is its balance and finesse. This has attractive, evolved, toasty oak and sweet cassis aromas and a velvety, seductive fruit flavour that is typical of this property's efforts. 1995 was an excellent year now just at its peak of maturity"
Tasted in First class aboard BA59 from London Heathrow to Cape Town.
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2/10/2007 - dougie wrote: 92 Points
Bought 4 upon release. Waited many years to try. Decanted for 2 hours. Still needs a lot of time in cellar. Big, thick wine that has quite a bit of tannin. The tannin is not bad, just effects the finish. Lots of cherry and plum and almost a bit syrah richness. Wait 5 years for the next one.
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1/6/2007 - SimonG wrote:
Deep, dense ruby. Lovely nose of cassis and cigar box. Quite a big, velvety texture, grippy with finish dominated by still dryish tanins. Good fruit but this half seemed fairly closed. Certainly past the initial flattering, fruit phase, but think it needs longer for the tannins to interate. Left a glass for three or four hours and it still wasn't giving much. Think the potential is here, just needs time.
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1/5/2007 - Redzed wrote: 92 Points
Lovely wine, full round and generous. Caressing long finish. Earthy and soft.
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11/24/2006 - James B wrote: 92 Points
Outstanding bottle. Ready to drink now. Powerful notes of cherry on the nose and palate. Not as earthy as one might expect in a Bordeaux, including, to my memory, this very one. Highly recommended.
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11/13/2006 - DanB wrote:
Drank last night with some aged big boys - thought it held it's own. Still very young w/ lots of unresolved (but not unpleasant tannins). Very primary in color - lots of fruit and cedar as well - integrated with great structure. Will not open the other for at least 5 years but not a waste to drink it now if you have them. Will buy more if the price is right.
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3/28/2006 - beachbum wrote: 91 Points
Toronto Offline at Reds with Ian Darshan Cauble: Well here it was, paired with the Montrose. A much cleaner wine, but one that I was not familiar with. Classic cedar, mint and red fruit, good concentration, was quite silky going down, but the finish was a bit shorter than I had hoped. Probably not paired well with the Montrose.
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12/20/2005 - MRichman wrote:
1995 Bordeaux Transit Strike Horizontal (Salute Restaurant, NYC): Lush, sofy, juicy. A little lack of structure.
B/B+
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12/12/2005 - sdylewski wrote:
wow, really nice and balanced. well aged, with some nice tannins and mellow fruit... seemed like a perfect bordeaux should be.
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4/16/2005 - johnnywebs wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for two hours. Still young, dark purple. Closed with some alot of minerality, some coffee and currant. Seems somewhat disjointed to me, smooth entry with some green notes, nice mouthfeel in the midpalate and lots of acid on the back end. Medium long finish with good dark fruit. Too early by five years.
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3/18/2005 - futronic wrote: 89 Points
Served blind. Dark ruby/burgundy colour; ruddy. Aromas of vanilla, black plums, blackberry, peach, orange peel. Full-bodied, very tight, with notes of peaches, black fruit, oak, currant. Dry, short-moderate length finish, 20-25s, with black fruit. Way too young.
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1/19/2005 - SacredCow wrote: 92 Points
Tasted at the Left Bank Bordeaux tasting at the home of FreeTheGrapes 1/19/2005.
This wine was decanted for six hours. The winery recommends 12 hours per FTG, but he forgot to open it in the morning. This was by far my favorite wine of this flight, and my number two WOTN.
There are no worries about this wine being shut down (though obviously age will make it show even better). Minerals, blackberries, roasted meats, and mint are effusive on the nose. This is a big, full-bodied wine with a great middle of jammy blackberries, leading to a very long, if somewhat oaky finish with tannins still noticeably present.
This wine is very approachable with decanting, but has so much more to give that I think we committed infanticide. At the current price, I plan to pick some up for aging. Then again, I may pick up more so I can kill more babies when the mood strikes me. Very highly recommended, and at current prices, in the top three for values on this night. I would take this over a similarly priced California cabernet any day of the week. I would rate it at 92 points with room for much improvement, and worth every dollar.
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2/7/2003 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at Vintage Wines, Ltd., unblinded from the tasting bar. Opaque ruby with red rim. Clean nose, showing intense currants, bing cherry, cassis and earth. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with massive sweet tannins and similar flavors as for the nose. Excellent attack and evolution, leading to a very long, smooth finish. Bravo for Leoville-Poyferre!
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12/15/2002 - otisabdul wrote: 88 Points
Youthful dark color. Green pepper, dill, and blackberry aromas. Rich and full-bodied, with concentrated currant flavors and graham crackers. Lots of tannin and acidity. Plenty of time in front of this one.
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11/27/2002 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
Dark brooding color. Aromas of dark chocolate and spices. A rather earthy wine with mushroom notes. Full bodied with chewy tannins. 90+ points.
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11/17/2002 - R2-D2 wrote: 90 Points
Rich red currant and sweet cassis on the nose, followed by minerals, blueberries, and toasty oak throughout the palate. Years away from being outstanding. Has me drooling over my 2000 Poyferre’s!
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