A winery direct bottle with perfect provenance since release. My good drinking friends know what I think of California wines that sell themselves as Bordeaux and every time we come across a bottle like this, I get to say, I told you so. While there are a few exceptions and surprises out there, I say, embrace yourself and just be you. This is far from a Bordeaux, yet its a delicious left bank inspired wine with a much higher dose of Cabernet Franc, which could make the argument that this is a right banked left banker. However, those green tobacco notes never came through the 15.1% ABV wine. This is clearly in its sunset years, judging by the lackluster appearance and If I had more of this, I would drink it soon. I have never been impressed with this producer and if I owned this (which thankfully I dont), I would drink them in their incredible youthful, playful stage (within the first 7-10 years). Its clearly resolved, harmonious, and delicious, but If you sold one of these, you could probably buy 3 better bottles of wine. This was totally outclassed by a 2007 Favia right next to it. Maybe it's because the Favia was embracing its placement in the world, and just shining as itself. Thanks to my friend for opening this bottle for us. DRINK
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Dark ruby color, with dark cherries, graphite, and plum on the nose, with secondary notes of green pepper and forest floor. Ripe cherries, blackberries, cassis, chocolate, spice, and figs flow smoothly across the palate to a long, mouth coating finish. I poured from the bottle and it opened immediately. This wine has aged really well, and is still drinking beautifully, even though it is past its drinking window. Rich, ripe, full and round, this is lush and opulent. I am running out of adjectives to describe this, but you get the picture. Delicious!
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Consistent with earlier tastings. Tasted at our Pour Boys end of summer wine dinner. https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2023/09/pour-boys-end-of-summer-23-wine-dinner.html
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As always, love this wine. I always think of this being one of the most "old world" tasting CA cabs... but drinking side by side with a lot of aged BDX, I could definitely tell its contemporary Cali roots. But excellent! Drank from magnum.
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purple red color just starting to show some age at the rim, pure buttery nose, cassis, ripe blackberry, on the palate opulent forward fruit, berry and cherry, a hint of chocolate and light chalk notes throughout, fine length with chalk notes heightened on the tail end, relaxed and elegant, this is in a great place, while it fared well in a grand tasting tonight this is a wine I would love to just slowly sip for several hours while relaxing or savor over a multi-course dinner.
****+, ready to go with time in hand
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Cork Vault Bottle Share 9.1.22 (Charlotte, NC): Decanted and tasted after two hours. Was served this blind and able to call the wine off the nose alone, having recently had the ‘97 Les Pavots. Ruby colored, Rich new world nose of decidedly Bordeaux varietals. Smooth on the mouthfeel this is a richly integrated wine of red cherries and black fruits still quite concentrated. Needs more time or air to unpack those delicious flavors. So while this was a truly tasty wine it lacked the complexity I am confident it can show in a few years time. Any critique is personal preference really. Anyone who wants to enjoy a high quality fruit forward Bordeaux blend would be well-served by this wine at any juncture.
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Celebrated wife's 40th with a 17 year old classic Napa bottle in Charter House in Monterey, CA. Drinking at its peak now or maybe on the slight descend. The tannins have fully integrated and the primary flavor notes have transitioned into notes of graphite, iron bar, dried prunes, and mushrooms. Not your typical modern day Napa bottling as this was showing more like a Bordeaux. This drank nicely with a 14 oz New York strip with garlic mash potatoes and sauteed mushrooms. Drink Now!
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Decanted and drank over 2 hours. Deep purple color, excellent nose of dark and red fruit and cedar. Wine has excellent fruit, smooth tannins and delicious long finish. Drinking beautifully.
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Got a glass here now. The cork came out in pieces but the wine is still good. After being open for an hour, the nose is light cherry and hint of floral . The palate is fruit forward with black cherry, cassis , sweet black tea, vanilla and a little oak. The tannins are fully resolved . This wine was stored at 50F so I am thinking it might be at the end of the storage phase and should be drank now based on my experience and those below ; just saying . Happy New Year
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Ruby colored, medium full bodied, smooth and harmonious layers of black berry, black raspberry and currant fruits with notes of tobacco, mocha and hints of anise and graphite on a soft silky tannin laced lingering finish. From the Reserve List at the Del Ray Beach Wine Room https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/06/pour-boy-wine-dinner-at-del-ray-beach.html Consistent with earlier tasting.
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Still very youthful but at a beautiful stage. There is a nice melange of black currant, black cherry, spicy cedar, anise, leather, and cocoa powder. Very balanced between the juicy fruits and other elements. Smooth, balanced, deep, and layered. Textbook California Cabernet.
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Dark ruby color, the nose really explodes from the glass with dark, rich fruit and spice, the wine is medium/full bodied with mouthcoating fruit, lots of dark fruit and spice, some tannins still evident but great long and delicious finish. Drinking beautifully now.
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One of my favorite vintages of Les Pavots. Silky, massive mouth, and loaded with fruit. Still drinking youthfully but definitely in its window. Bummed this is my last bottle of the vintage.
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Medium bodied California Cab blend. Silky smooth red fruits. Fine tannins on the finish. Mature, probably as good as this is going to get. Nice tonight.
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Gorgeous nose of blueberries, cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, smoke, eucalyptus, black pepper, tobacco, herbs, leather, wet leaves, earth, vegetables and graphite.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs. Smooth and elegant.
Dry on the palate with blueberries, plums, cherries, figs, licorice, wood, vanilla, sweet cherries, graphite, spices, earth, wet leaves, herbs, light vegetables and black pepper.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
What a great surprise. This Bordeaux blend is drinking so beautifully right now. Well balanced and very complex. Gentle with lots of fruits and earth notes.
This 14 year old from Knights Valley needs a couple of hours to open up properly and really show up. Delicious.
Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 95 points.
A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 2% Petit verdot.
I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
15.1% alcohol by volume.
97 points.
$200.
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Opened, decanted, this was smooth, deep, complex, and not really different from my note when it was Opened via Coravin and aired for one hour. Excellent juice!
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Tasted blind. PNP. Terrific fruit forward nose, graphite, spice, this has great concentration of beautiful complex fruit flavors, blueberry cobbler, still has excellent tannic structure and dark fruit finish.
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Very nice but probably not worth what I paid for it. There is an herbal finish that I don’t personally love, almost medicinal. I see other people on CellarTracker describing the finish as having notes of licorice, which I didn’t come up with on my own, but after reading their notes I would definitely agree...
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This was right in the drinking zone tonight - the best bottle of Les Pavots I’ve had. Full bodied, and big with cassis, blue fruit and vanilla upfront. Silky tannins but still enough structure to explode in the mouth with a long, intense finish of licorice, mint and a touch of herbs. Will go for many more years but why wait?
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So much for waiting a year or 2 (almost 2 mos!), decanted for a couple of hrs then back in the bottle, deep ruby, black cherry & raspberry with a touch of licorice, med. tannins, long finish; delicious, drink or hold (picked up another 6 bottles), another great bottle (definitely California)!
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Amazing new world Bordeaux blend with silky, smooth tannins, expressive blackberry fruit that has an array of secondary flavors such as mocha, dark chocolate, tobacco, tea leaf and cassis. Wonderfully layered with a finish that goes on and on. This is a world class wine that is drinking very well right now.
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Purple color with a bouquet and flavor dominated by barbecue notes with some underlying muted cassis. Bottle clearly past its prime and no need for further comment.
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Dark inky color and quite viscus. Minimal cellar aromas. Rich dark raspberry and blueberry flavors with some tar and cranberry on a very lengthy finish. Time to drink.
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Drank from magnum at end of harvest celebration dinner. Line-up (all magnum format): 1996 Mailly Grand Cru Champagne Millesime, 2009 PYCM Meursault Les Perrieres, 2007 Le Clos du Caillou Chateaneuf-du-Pape Reserve, 2005 Peter Michael Les Pavots, 2004 Cheval Blanc, and 1989 Cos d’Estournel.
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An enormous wine for a Napa Cabernet. I really thought that given the level of tannins that this may have been opened to soon. An hour into the tasting the wine began to hum. Blackberry, cassis and some background graphite. Long finish and very well balanced.
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Decanted for an hr then back in the bottle, dark ruby, mainly dark cherry with some blackberry & a touch of pepper & vanilla, mod. tannins, long finish; delicious, drink or hold (no rush)
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Still young out of magnum at 11 years. Popped and poured and was lovely and luscious from the first sip to the last - though after an hour it really blossomed. Layers of dark fruit, toast, herbs, with a nice core of acids and smooth tanins. Expect this will be tasting even better in a few years.
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Bling tasted. Notes included an up front blackberry jam with a background flavor of prune. An enormous wine of proportions which I can only suggest border on a well produced syrah or grenache wine. I really thought that given the level of tannins, (which BTW were abundantly evident), that this may have been a that style of wine or perhaps a zinfandel. When I saw that it was a PM Les Pavots I was not surprised. Sure it was a blend and yes it was big. The tannins should keep this humming for a decade or more.
DO NOT OPEN THIS WINE YET !!! You are doing yourself a dis-service. It has the Horsepower to hold and improve and it is likley to do so.
Overall and given the 1 hour in which I held, swilrled and tasted this glass it got better. I noticed the bell pepper in it, as well as a complex array of blue & black fruits.
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Double decanted, then so'd for an hr, garnet with no brick, soft dark fruit with a touch of well integrated tobacco & oak, soft tannins, long finish; delicious, but still a little young for my taste although everyone else disagreed, drink or hold
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The wine has developed nicely and still has plenty of fruit, in fact quite jammy. Didn't really need much time in the air and a good time to drink now, while it may still have a few more years of holding steady.
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Bordering between youth and second phase, little if any bricking, still dark purple, a lush, slightly sweet, almost soft wine, sipped together with cheese and then chocolate. Is that a diet? Not sure where it's going, not sure there is enough structure to carry this a while
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This could be the best bottle of wine I have ever enjoyed. No flaws. No sediment. Dark ruby garnet color. No sediment. Perfect florals and fruits. Enjoyed alone. No food pairing. Wish I had a case of this. No tannin or acid. Medium alcohol. Long, long finish. This is an exceptional and astonishing wine. So ready to drink, and, so much bottle life left in this jewel. Drink up and enjoy a testimony to what wine is all about.
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Not sure what WS was thinking with a 97 score, but Tanzer is right on. The wine while still having a few gritty tannins on first opening and somewhat chunky ones after a couple hours also had some prune elements that took this wine down a point for me. Notwithstanding that, there overripe and nearly jammy black and blue fruits in waves with some nice vanilla Oak and hints of green peppers to keep this wine plenty interesting.
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South Charlotte Wine Lovers - California Bordeaux Blends (Bob and Anita's Place on Lake Wylie): Just a classy wine. Cherry on the nose with some butter popcorn and olive noted. Red and dark fruits on the tongue with a rich, smooth creaminess and silky long finish. The finish makes this wine. Rating one point better than my last bottle. Drank alongside Ridge MB (97), Pahlmeyer (05) and Quintessa (05). My WOTN by a slight margin over the Ridge Monte Bello.
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I can't say it better than Parker. It is lush and opulent. Suffice it to say, this Cabernet blend is one of the few that is worth the price of admission. It exceeded my expectations. Great effort IMO.
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Red fruits on the nose and palate. Good supporting flavors of pepper and earthy spices. Very bright and fruit forward, tightly wound and lacking grace that will probably develop with age. Still, a lot of integrated flavors. Will likely improve with age.
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Dark ruby colored, elegant and polished, full bodied with full complex concentrated layers of blackberry, black raspberry and blackcurrant with tones of black tea, cigar box and hint of dark mocha and cedar on a silky smooth finish. https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/06/otbn-2014.html
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This is drinking beautifully well tight now. In perfect balance between all of the elements, with great complexity and a nice long finish with delicious acidity.
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This is drinking beautifully well right now. Perfectly balanced, though you can feel the tannins, they are velvety. Great balance between the fruit and balance, yet it's complex and has a long finish.
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Solid 9.3, but bad value at 1.0 The entire group enjoyed the 2005 L'Esprit des Pavots just as much and at 1/3rd the price it's a no-brainer choice. This is a good wine, but not for the price. Nice tannic grip and a good balance between the fruit and structural elements.
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Not impressed at this price, plenty of better less expensive wines. Second bottle we have had in 2 weeks (2004), and both times cork has broken, although this 2005 was better. Big, almost jammy ( think rombauer zin). Have more bottles so will try again and hope for better result.
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Smoke and blackberry nose; peppery with menthol, gunpowder, black currant, blueberry and boysenberry flavors; plush, lush and smooth. Interestingly, three hours after opening it is closing up a bit and showing more tannins. Clearly still lots of life, but very good today.
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Decanted for 30 minutes and drank over the next 90 minutes. Dark with a great nose and long after taste. Accompanied the fiet mignon we all had excellently. Everyone thought it was a great bottle.
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--- COLOR: Deep garnet with medium garnet rim NOTE: Nose is deep black plum liqueur (the kind the French use when serving a Champagne cocktail), toasted almond (that's new for a cab!), cherry pipe tobacco. Mouth is rich cassis & red raspberry liqueur, 60% dark chocolate bar, hints of ash. Finish is ripe/rich red fruits, tinge of heat, but great concentration of fruit buttressed by the cocoa/espresso combo that intermingles with it. Nice juice, approaching Schrader quality. Just a bit too plum/prune-oriented.
DECANT: 1-4 hours GLASS USED: Bordeaux TASTE: 9.4- OTHER: COST: 155 VALUE: 5.0 PREVIOUSLY TASTED: TRY AGAIN: now - 2018 PAIRING: Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net ---
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Double decanted and drank after 2 1/2 hours. Dark ruby/purple color, delicious nose of fruit, oak and spice. The wine is drinking beautifully with excellent fruit, cedar, cocoa and a long delicious finish.
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Atypical California style. Thick. Big and round expression of chocolate, expresso, and cassis. Just like Parker said. Score! Love it when I describe it like the pros. This wine will last forever.
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We enjoyed the heck out of this wine with braised short ribs I marinated in a Rancho Sisquoc Cab mixture. This is a superior wine that displays it's strength subtly through a masterful crafting. This vintage is fairly fruit driven, yet the structure and complexity creates a depth that is marvelous. There are plenty of reviews describing the sensations of this wine so I'll forgo the same. Les Pavots rocks the house, plain & simple. Drink now to 2018.
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- Garnet color with medium forming legs. It's in total harmony with a full body. Satin-Like texture with a long finish - Amazing Bordeaux style red, ripe, full, now at it's best, takes 30 minutes in the glass to open up, a superstar
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A lovely wine. Very elegant and fime with a great structure and complex length. I would never have had this down as a californian wine in a blind tasting. Absolutely perfect to a porterhouse steak at SW in Las Vegas.
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Dark red-purple color. Youthful nose shows a fair bit of oak at this stage, but also spicy, earthy, and graphite notes that stand up to the ripe, rich fruit. In the mouth, stuffed with rich black fruit, spice, earth, and herb notes, with prominent acidity and a quite tannic finish. Needs more time to fully integrate, but this is quite good indeed. A-
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No formal notes, but this was really good. Had it at Per Se for lunch; started to really open up after an hour in the decanter, and eventually the air helped everything come together very nicely. Needs more time in the bottle to reach its potential.
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Decanted, using a funnel, for two hours. See previous notes. The nose has changed slightly to: loamy current, blackberry, crumbled rock, sage and cream soda. It's been about seven months since I last had this and it really is THAT good. Please do a serious decant and let her breathe. If not, the '05 Les Pavots will remind you of woodshop.
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Three hour decant. Developing nicely. Really smooth Bordeaux blend that sits somewhere in the middle of the Cali ripeness and extraction scale. Les Pavots has definitely become one of our go to wines year after year.
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Geez, I don't get it. This tastes more like wood than wine to me. Big concentration, and you can tell there is Cabernet lurking in their somewhere, but the overwhelming impression is bitter oak. This may resolve itself in time, but I generally find that the combination of major ripeness and awkward oak does not resolve itself. I drank this wine alongside a 2006 Kathryn Hall, which is not what I consider a great wine, but was oh so much more enjoyable than this one (and a third the price). Everybody at the table agreed.
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Decanted three times over two hours. Garnet with an almost black core. Impacted amounts of loamy currant, raspberry, black tea, sage, candied fruit, and red soil. Luscious and refined. The tannins are juicy with velvet. What length; one minute+. There's almost a hint of truffle at the end. There's a lot of "wow" factor to this wine. This is my kind of Cali-Bordeaux. Quite ready now, however, this could age. 15.1% alcohol and no heat. This does not seem like Bordeaux, which really shows the strength of Les Pavots and how well a wine just outside of Napa can really be. There is evident terroir to this regal wine. Drink now - 2020.
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From magnum. Young, black fruits and graphite notes. Ripe, bold, big wine, but certainly kept in check with medium grain, abundant tannins. Very promising.
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Keep this one on the shelf!! I can't wait to see what this wine will do in about 5-10 years but now is not the time to experiment with it. It did show all the makings of a beautiful wine but only time will tell.
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This is massive and concentrated with luxurious blueberry, black raspberry and licorice flavors. Deep and intoxicating with very ripe sweet tannins, and a touch of alcohol. Finishes with power and persistence. Very enjoyable now but likely to improve with additional near term cellaring.
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Black current and black cherry flavors. Fruit forward but not jammy. Tannins soft and well integrated. Smooth in the mouth and pleasant to drink but no wow factor and this bottle definitely in the drinking window. Unlikely this particular bottle would have improved at all with more age.
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Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Awesome on all fronts. Got the last few drops of the bottle from a tasting the evening before. Extremely elegant extracted and overall delicious. See previous tasting notes for more descriptors. Virtually identical in my mind. Maybe a tad less cream on the finish.
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Four Cali CAbs over three days; 9/10/2009-9/13/2009: A wine to make one think California can compete with the greatest wines in the world. This wine is blue and black fruited with an incredible nimble balance and firm but sweet, with a nobility that begs, no commands respect and reverence! There was chalky, mineral drivern blue and black fruit beginning that gave way to a finish to die for and a smooth, but firm and balanced ending that makes me want to order cases.
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Heady red cherry flavors; some charred notes. Really ripe front, showing some alcohol, but a disconnect with the midpalate, which actually shows some more raw, hard character. Young. Pushes the envelope more than '90s Les Pavots, but enjoyable nonetheless.
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Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): By far my favorite wine of the day...one of the best bottles I've ever experienced. Flawless from start to finish. The color is a gorgeous velvet medium light purple. The nose is in a word amazing. Showing wonderfully fragrant super ripe cherries, raspberries, gobs of CREME DE CASSIS, rose petals, light mocha, the aromas beckon your attention with each whiff. A secondary wave of graphite, vanilla and oak coats my palate. It is a monumental blend that is powerful, yet feminine with a finish that shows as much finesse as any world class wine. A rich creamy mouth feel shows flavors of marachino cherries, milk chocolate, loads of creamy red flowers, and red bell peppers with a slight rusty nail play on the back end. I am immediately in love with the Les Pavots bottling. If you want to truly treat yourself to something wonderful, this just might be an option.
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Wow. My tasting chart was full to the brim with descriptors for this wine. The nose had creme de cassis, vanilla, herbes de provence, smoked meats and some ephemeral white flower (gardenia?). Massive but incredibly precise in the mouth: could literally pick out the Cab Sav, Cab Franc and Merlot. Franc comes first with green bell pepper and other funky woodsy elements, almost bark-like. Dominated then by creme de cassis, tobacco and caramel. Underneath broods anise, graphite, black pepper, and clove. Perfect chalky tannins graduate into a beautiful chocolate and vanilla finish that lasts. What a treat!
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i stopped buying this wine in the 02 vintage because i never liked anything i tried dating back to the 96 vintage. so, i was happy to try this as it continues to garner big review numbers from the critics, and the bulletin board geeks. i guess i made the right choice for me. hot, alcoholic, overextracted, spoofilated, whatever. i'll spare you the (low) number.
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Still way too young with serious tannins. After about 5-6 hrs of airtime, opened up beautifully. Dark fruits, some secondary flavors, cedar. Excellent, but not sure its a 95 pounter, but will see in 2 yrs when next btl is opened.
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1/26/2024 - Purple Tooth wrote: 93 Points
A winery direct bottle with perfect provenance since release. My good drinking friends know what I think of California wines that sell themselves as Bordeaux and every time we come across a bottle like this, I get to say, I told you so. While there are a few exceptions and surprises out there, I say, embrace yourself and just be you. This is far from a Bordeaux, yet its a delicious left bank inspired wine with a much higher dose of Cabernet Franc, which could make the argument that this is a right banked left banker. However, those green tobacco notes never came through the 15.1% ABV wine. This is clearly in its sunset years, judging by the lackluster appearance and If I had more of this, I would drink it soon. I have never been impressed with this producer and if I owned this (which thankfully I dont), I would drink them in their incredible youthful, playful stage (within the first 7-10 years). Its clearly resolved, harmonious, and delicious, but If you sold one of these, you could probably buy 3 better bottles of wine. This was totally outclassed by a 2007 Favia right next to it. Maybe it's because the Favia was embracing its placement in the world, and just shining as itself. Thanks to my friend for opening this bottle for us. DRINK
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1/18/2024 - cjoetucker@aol.com Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dark ruby color, with dark cherries, graphite, and plum on the nose, with secondary notes of green pepper and forest floor. Ripe cherries, blackberries, cassis, chocolate, spice, and figs flow smoothly across the palate to a long, mouth coating finish.
I poured from the bottle and it opened immediately.
This wine has aged really well, and is still drinking beautifully, even though it is past its drinking window. Rich, ripe, full and round, this is lush and opulent. I am running out of adjectives to describe this, but you get the picture. Delicious!
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9/5/2023 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 94 Points
Consistent with earlier tastings. Tasted at our Pour Boys end of summer wine dinner.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2023/09/pour-boys-end-of-summer-23-wine-dinner.html
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12/17/2022 - Edclr Likes this wine: 95 Points
Beautiful bottle, right in its prime for a mag. Didn’t take long to open, lots of cab franc and merlot. Tannins we’re very soft, long finish.
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12/14/2022 - tcarter Likes this wine: 94 Points
As always, love this wine. I always think of this being one of the most "old world" tasting CA cabs... but drinking side by side with a lot of aged BDX, I could definitely tell its contemporary Cali roots. But excellent! Drank from magnum.
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10/20/2022 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
purple red color just starting to show some age at the rim, pure buttery nose, cassis, ripe blackberry, on the palate opulent forward fruit, berry and cherry, a hint of chocolate and light chalk notes throughout, fine length with chalk notes heightened on the tail end, relaxed and elegant, this is in a great place, while it fared well in a grand tasting tonight this is a wine I would love to just slowly sip for several hours while relaxing or savor over a multi-course dinner.
****+, ready to go with time in hand
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9/1/2022 - kevinpatrick Likes this wine:
Cork Vault Bottle Share 9.1.22 (Charlotte, NC): Decanted and tasted after two hours. Was served this blind and able to call the wine off the nose alone, having recently had the ‘97 Les Pavots. Ruby colored, Rich new world nose of decidedly Bordeaux varietals. Smooth on the mouthfeel this is a richly integrated wine of red cherries and black fruits still quite concentrated. Needs more time or air to unpack those delicious flavors. So while this was a truly tasty wine it lacked the complexity I am confident it can show in a few years time. Any critique is personal preference really. Anyone who wants to enjoy a high quality fruit forward Bordeaux blend would be well-served by this wine at any juncture.
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8/22/2022 - bsumoba Likes this wine: 94 Points
Celebrated wife's 40th with a 17 year old classic Napa bottle in Charter House in Monterey, CA. Drinking at its peak now or maybe on the slight descend. The tannins have fully integrated and the primary flavor notes have transitioned into notes of graphite, iron bar, dried prunes, and mushrooms. Not your typical modern day Napa bottling as this was showing more like a Bordeaux. This drank nicely with a 14 oz New York strip with garlic mash potatoes and sauteed mushrooms. Drink Now!
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8/16/2022 - Acohen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark rich currant, plum with cedar, leather and great finish
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6/23/2022 - NY Wino Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted and drank over 2 hours. Deep purple color, excellent nose of dark and red fruit and cedar. Wine has excellent fruit, smooth tannins and delicious long finish. Drinking beautifully.
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5/24/2022 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Similar to prior notes after a 2 hour double decant; outstanding & ready to drink
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3/12/2022 - Casanovadineri Likes this wine: 95 Points
Outstanding! Tannins have fully resolved and straight from the bottle was outstanding, no need to decant. Definitely drink now or very soon!
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12/31/2021 - aerosol Likes this wine: 94 Points
Got a glass here now. The cork came out in pieces but the wine is still good. After being open for an hour, the nose is light cherry and hint of floral . The palate is fruit forward with black cherry, cassis , sweet black tea, vanilla and a little oak. The tannins are fully resolved . This wine was stored at 50F so I am thinking it might be at the end of the storage phase and should be drank now based on my experience and those below ; just saying . Happy New Year
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12/24/2021 - dalegreenley wrote:
Wind looked ok. Cork disintegrated. Wine never really opened and seemed past it. Sigh.
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12/23/2021 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Similar to prior notes after a 2 hour double decant; outstanding & ready to drink, no rush
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10/7/2021 - Michael Weilheimer wrote: 97 Points
Fantastic
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6/25/2021 - zimmy07 wrote: flawed
Phil in Town; 6/25/2021-6/26/2021 (Matts House): Corked!
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6/6/2021 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ruby colored, medium full bodied, smooth and harmonious layers of black berry, black raspberry and currant fruits with notes of tobacco, mocha and hints of anise and graphite on a soft silky tannin laced lingering finish.
From the Reserve List at the Del Ray Beach Wine Room
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2021/06/pour-boy-wine-dinner-at-del-ray-beach.html
Consistent with earlier tasting.
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4/27/2021 - shaferguy91 wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine.
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1/2/2021 - brettay wrote: 94 Points
Still very youthful but at a beautiful stage. There is a nice melange of black currant, black cherry, spicy cedar, anise, leather, and cocoa powder. Very balanced between the juicy fruits and other elements. Smooth, balanced, deep, and layered. Textbook California Cabernet.
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12/15/2020 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Similar to prior notes after a 2 hour double decant; outstanding & ready to drink
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11/14/2020 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Similar to prior notes after a 2 hour double decant; outstanding & ready to drink, no rush
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11/12/2020 - paujokal Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking wonderfully. Exquisite.
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10/3/2020 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Just about ideal, with at least a couple of years to go. Wonderful balance, good dark red fruit with integrated tannins and some spice.
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6/18/2020 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine: 93 Points
No notes- in its perfect window. Showing the beginning of tiertiary flavors. Drink up and enjoy.
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6/13/2020 - Myman24 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very good and at its peak I would say! Smooth and structured flavors with noticeable spice both on nose and palate!
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4/10/2020 - Dale M wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 1 hr. Aging nicely, lots of tell tale cedar and dark plummy flavors, plenty of tension, mature, but no rush either.
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4/5/2020 - NY Wino Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark ruby color, the nose really explodes from the glass with dark, rich fruit and spice, the wine is medium/full bodied with mouthcoating fruit, lots of dark fruit and spice, some tannins still evident but great long and delicious finish. Drinking beautifully now.
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2/14/2020 - Stan wrote:
great
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2/4/2020 - sdr Likes this wine: 91 Points
I Guess I Just Don’t Get It (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida): The black color is suitably dramatic. Intense with blackberry and current. Slight tannins give it some structure. I don’t mind drinking this.
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1/17/2020 - Fink75 Likes this wine: 97 Points
One of my favorite vintages of Les Pavots. Silky, massive mouth, and loaded with fruit. Still drinking youthfully but definitely in its window. Bummed this is my last bottle of the vintage.
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11/16/2019 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 93 Points
Medium bodied California Cab blend. Silky smooth red fruits. Fine tannins on the finish. Mature, probably as good as this is going to get. Nice tonight.
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10/19/2019 - Odedis.Wine.reviews Likes this wine: 97 Points
Dark ruby in color with a short brick rim.
Gorgeous nose of blueberries, cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, spices, chocolates, smoke, eucalyptus, black pepper, tobacco, herbs, leather, wet leaves, earth, vegetables and graphite.
Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs. Smooth and elegant.
Dry on the palate with blueberries, plums, cherries, figs, licorice, wood, vanilla, sweet cherries, graphite, spices, earth, wet leaves, herbs, light vegetables and black pepper.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.
What a great surprise. This Bordeaux blend is drinking so beautifully right now. Well balanced and very complex. Gentle with lots of fruits and earth notes.
This 14 year old from Knights Valley needs a couple of hours to open up properly and really show up. Delicious.
Robert Parker 95 points. Wine Spectator 95 points.
A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 2% Petit verdot.
I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.
15.1% alcohol by volume.
97 points.
$200.
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9/28/2019 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Similar to prior bottle, great wine; drink or hold
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5/18/2019 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 97 Points
From memory after a 2 hr double decant; outstanding (best bottle yet!) & entering its prime drinking window, no rush
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12/2/2018 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 98 Points
Opened, decanted, this was smooth, deep, complex, and not really different from my note when it was Opened via Coravin and aired for one hour. Excellent juice!
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12/1/2018 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 99 Points
Blackberry, graphite, so round with some great can franc on the nose. A stunner for sure.
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11/30/2018 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 98 Points
Tasted blind. PNP. Terrific fruit forward nose, graphite, spice, this has great concentration of beautiful complex fruit flavors, blueberry cobbler, still has excellent tannic structure and dark fruit finish.
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11/30/2018 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 99 Points
God that’s good. Nose is amazing. Dark dark fruit. Graphite central. Blueberry mountain fruit. Super floral. Violet? Smitten
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9/12/2018 - dstein12 wrote: 94 Points
Time to drink.
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9/7/2018 - Edwind wrote: 92 Points
Opened well but faded quickly.
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5/30/2018 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Similar to prior notes; another great bottle!
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5/17/2018 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very nice but probably not worth what I paid for it. There is an herbal finish that I don’t personally love, almost medicinal. I see other people on CellarTracker describing the finish as having notes of licorice, which I didn’t come up with on my own, but after reading their notes I would definitely agree...
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4/1/2018 - MJTed Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for one hour at Bird Dog.
This was right in the drinking zone tonight - the best bottle of Les Pavots I’ve had. Full bodied, and big with cassis, blue fruit and vanilla upfront. Silky tannins but still enough structure to explode in the mouth with a long, intense finish of licorice, mint and a touch of herbs. Will go for many more years but why wait?
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3/17/2018 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
So much for waiting a year or 2 (almost 2 mos!), decanted for a couple of hrs then back in the bottle, deep ruby, black cherry & raspberry with a touch of licorice, med. tannins, long finish; delicious, drink or hold (picked up another 6 bottles), another great bottle (definitely California)!
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2/1/2018 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Amazing new world Bordeaux blend with silky, smooth tannins, expressive blackberry fruit that has an array of secondary flavors such as mocha, dark chocolate, tobacco, tea leaf and cassis. Wonderfully layered with a finish that goes on and on. This is a world class wine that is drinking very well right now.
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1/20/2018 - tcosgriff wrote: 84 Points
Purple color with a bouquet and flavor dominated by barbecue notes with some underlying muted cassis. Bottle clearly past its prime and no need for further comment.
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1/20/2018 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Similar to prior notes; delicious, drink or preferably hold
Continued to improve throughout the evening; will wait another year or 2 before my next one
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12/23/2017 - davidspieker wrote: 90 Points
Dark inky color and quite viscus. Minimal cellar aromas. Rich dark raspberry and blueberry flavors with some tar and cranberry on a very lengthy finish. Time to drink.
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12/3/2017 - ledocq Likes this wine:
Needed two hours to open up, then all that they say.
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11/15/2017 - deetz Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank from magnum at end of harvest celebration dinner. Line-up (all magnum format): 1996 Mailly Grand Cru Champagne Millesime, 2009 PYCM Meursault Les Perrieres, 2007 Le Clos du Caillou Chateaneuf-du-Pape Reserve, 2005 Peter Michael Les Pavots, 2004 Cheval Blanc, and 1989 Cos d’Estournel.
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11/12/2017 - Mneumeier wrote: 95 Points
Drinking great.
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10/12/2017 - NJwineguy wrote: 92 Points
nice- pretty tight
mild tannins
good fruit
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10/8/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Chicago Wine Flock...Krengels compare New vs Old World (Casa Krengel - Bannockburn IL): Tasted double blind. A baffling wine I could barely enjoy. ultra ripe with so much chocolate, vanilla and cassis that it came across rather manipulated, which I don't think is the Peter Michael aspiration.
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9/2/2017 - tomoem Likes this wine: 95 Points
An enormous wine for a Napa Cabernet. I really thought that given the level of tannins that this may have been opened to soon. An hour into the tasting the wine began to hum. Blackberry, cassis and some background graphite. Long finish and very well balanced.
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7/1/2017 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted for an hr then back in the bottle, dark ruby, mainly dark cherry with some blackberry & a touch of pepper & vanilla, mod. tannins, long finish; delicious, drink or hold (no rush)
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4/1/2017 - woofy Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine becomes a wow after 30 minutes. Just fantastic. Don't delay in drinking this. It's just heavenly.
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11/29/2016 - michael47 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Still young out of magnum at 11 years. Popped and poured and was lovely and luscious from the first sip to the last - though after an hour it really blossomed. Layers of dark fruit, toast, herbs, with a nice core of acids and smooth tanins. Expect this will be tasting even better in a few years.
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10/12/2016 - Deepdrop Likes this wine: 93 Points
Solid. Coravin. Came around after two hours. Plenty of life left in this bottle. I would anticipate further improvement.
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6/6/2016 - tomoem Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bling tasted. Notes included an up front blackberry jam with a background flavor of prune. An enormous wine of proportions which I can only suggest border on a well produced syrah or grenache wine. I really thought that given the level of tannins, (which BTW were abundantly evident), that this may have been a that style of wine or perhaps a zinfandel. When I saw that it was a PM Les Pavots I was not surprised. Sure it was a blend and yes it was big. The tannins should keep this humming for a decade or more.
DO NOT OPEN THIS WINE YET !!! You are doing yourself a dis-service. It has the Horsepower to hold and improve and it is likley to do so.
Overall and given the 1 hour in which I held, swilrled and tasted this glass it got better. I noticed the bell pepper in it, as well as a complex array of blue & black fruits.
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3/26/2016 - jsmorris707 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Double decanted, then so'd for an hr, garnet with no brick, soft dark fruit with a touch of well integrated tobacco & oak, soft tannins, long finish; delicious, but still a little young for my taste although everyone else disagreed, drink or hold
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1/10/2016 - phellstrand Likes this wine: 93 Points
The wine has developed nicely and still has plenty of fruit, in fact quite jammy. Didn't really need much time in the air and a good time to drink now, while it may still have a few more years of holding steady.
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1/5/2016 - capacious Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bordering between youth and second phase, little if any bricking, still dark purple, a lush, slightly sweet, almost soft wine, sipped together with cheese and then chocolate. Is that a diet? Not sure where it's going, not sure there is enough structure to carry this a while
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12/4/2015 - Winedog1 wrote: flawed
Problem with the cork. Very unfortunate.
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11/24/2015 - Scottlmatthews Likes this wine: 97 Points
The third and last bottle we had of this wine, every one outstanding...over the past four years.
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10/25/2015 - Mark H. LeQuire wrote: 98 Points
This could be the best bottle of wine I have ever enjoyed. No flaws. No sediment. Dark ruby garnet color. No sediment. Perfect florals and fruits.
Enjoyed alone. No food pairing. Wish I had a case of this. No tannin or acid. Medium alcohol. Long, long finish. This is an exceptional and astonishing wine. So ready to drink, and, so much bottle life left in this jewel. Drink up and enjoy a testimony to what wine is all about.
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7/5/2015 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wow! Well balaced and powerful. Long finish. Made Caymus Special Selection taste somewhat ordinary!!
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5/15/2015 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Not sure what WS was thinking with a 97 score, but Tanzer is right on. The wine while still having a few gritty tannins on first opening and somewhat chunky ones after a couple hours also had some prune elements that took this wine down a point for me. Notwithstanding that, there overripe and nearly jammy black and blue fruits in waves with some nice vanilla Oak and hints of green peppers to keep this wine plenty interesting.
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4/16/2015 - kenv Likes this wine: 92 Points
WCC 2005 California Cabernet Blind (Home of Chef Andy Plummer, East Greenbush, NY): [Double-decanted at 5:30pm.] Red fruit nose. Thick and silky up front, but really tannic in the mouth. I hope it will soften over time. 92-94 Group #2 WOTN.
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3/14/2015 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 95 Points
South Charlotte Wine Lovers - California Bordeaux Blends (Bob and Anita's Place on Lake Wylie): Just a classy wine. Cherry on the nose with some butter popcorn and olive noted. Red and dark fruits on the tongue with a rich, smooth creaminess and silky long finish. The finish makes this wine. Rating one point better than my last bottle. Drank alongside Ridge MB (97), Pahlmeyer (05) and Quintessa (05). My WOTN by a slight margin over the Ridge Monte Bello.
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12/6/2014 - zazoo wrote: 97 Points
Wonderful, Wonderful
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10/14/2014 - CV Griz Fan wrote: 96 Points
I can't say it better than Parker. It is lush and opulent. Suffice it to say, this Cabernet blend is one of the few that is worth the price of admission. It exceeded my expectations. Great effort IMO.
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9/16/2014 - REWindsor wrote: 93 Points
Spice box. Forest floor dark fruits and cassis. Huge extract with long complex finish. Very full nice Cali meritage.
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7/30/2014 - Grenik wrote: 92 Points
Red fruits on the nose and palate. Good supporting flavors of pepper and earthy spices. Very bright and fruit forward, tightly wound and lacking grace that will probably develop with age. Still, a lot of integrated flavors. Will likely improve with age.
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5/31/2014 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark ruby colored, elegant and polished, full bodied with full complex concentrated layers of blackberry, black raspberry and blackcurrant with tones of black tea, cigar box and hint of dark mocha and cedar on a silky smooth finish.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2014/06/otbn-2014.html
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5/30/2014 - Sharmajd wrote: 95 Points
This is drinking beautifully well tight now. In perfect balance between all of the elements, with great complexity and a nice long finish with delicious acidity.
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5/30/2014 - Sharmajd wrote: 95 Points
This is drinking beautifully well right now. Perfectly balanced, though you can feel the tannins, they are velvety. Great balance between the fruit and balance, yet it's complex and has a long finish.
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5/29/2014 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Solid 9.3, but bad value at 1.0
The entire group enjoyed the 2005 L'Esprit des Pavots just as much and at 1/3rd the price it's a no-brainer choice. This is a good wine, but not for the price. Nice tannic grip and a good balance between the fruit and structural elements.
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5/23/2014 - TonyKolish wrote: 95 Points
Can't get much better. Coffee, red roses, chocolate on the nose. Great balance and elegance. Loved it.
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3/16/2014 - Asmiller wrote: 88 Points
Not impressed at this price, plenty of better less expensive wines. Second bottle we have had in 2 weeks (2004), and both times cork has broken, although this 2005 was better. Big, almost jammy ( think rombauer zin). Have more bottles so will try again and hope for better result.
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2/15/2014 - winejnky wrote: 94 Points
Smoke and blackberry nose; peppery with menthol, gunpowder, black currant, blueberry and boysenberry flavors; plush, lush and smooth. Interestingly, three hours after opening it is closing up a bit and showing more tannins. Clearly still lots of life, but very good today.
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2/14/2014 - TastesGoodToMe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Such an elegant wine. Great depth and balance with long finish. Cork broke in half, but wine in tact (no seepage).
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2/13/2014 - Ronfeldman wrote: 96 Points
Perfect right now!!
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1/6/2014 - sjdoc Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wonderful wine. Well structured, full bodied wine. Dark fruit with long even tannins. A great representation for morlet at Peter Michael
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10/20/2013 - paulrc56 wrote: 97 Points
Wonderful!
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9/2/2013 - gmat5497 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Had the "wow" factor. Full and rich. Great, long finish
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8/14/2013 - Brownvino Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes and drank over the next 90 minutes. Dark with a great nose and long after taste. Accompanied the fiet mignon we all had excellently. Everyone thought it was a great bottle.
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6/1/2013 - tp096255 Likes this wine: 94 Points
---
COLOR: Deep garnet with medium garnet rim
NOTE: Nose is deep black plum liqueur (the kind the French use when serving a Champagne cocktail), toasted almond (that's new for a cab!), cherry pipe tobacco. Mouth is rich cassis & red raspberry liqueur, 60% dark chocolate bar, hints of ash. Finish is ripe/rich red fruits, tinge of heat, but great concentration of fruit buttressed by the cocoa/espresso combo that intermingles with it. Nice juice, approaching Schrader quality. Just a bit too plum/prune-oriented.
DECANT: 1-4 hours
GLASS USED: Bordeaux
TASTE: 9.4-
OTHER:
COST: 155
VALUE: 5.0
PREVIOUSLY TASTED:
TRY AGAIN: now - 2018
PAIRING:
Inquiries can be addressed to troypeterson@usa.net
---
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4/8/2013 - S R U D I N wrote: 95 Points
Truly beautiful wine, floral notes as well as rich soil and ripe berries. A pleasure to drink.
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1/1/2013 - drycab wrote:
Popped and poured from Mag. Nice but that's about it.
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11/25/2012 - JeffW wrote: 95 Points
This is incredible wine....
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8/11/2012 - StephenDavis Likes this wine: 95 Points
It was fantastic and much better than the 2006 we had that night. Wonderfully balanced. Drinking well now.
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2/23/2012 - NY Wino wrote: 95 Points
Double decanted and drank after 2 1/2 hours. Dark ruby/purple color, delicious nose of fruit, oak and spice. The wine is drinking beautifully with excellent fruit, cedar, cocoa and a long delicious finish.
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2/13/2012 - AGee wrote: 94 Points
Atypical California style. Thick. Big and round expression of chocolate, expresso, and cassis. Just like Parker said. Score! Love it when I describe it like the pros. This wine will last forever.
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12/10/2011 - bbakove wrote: 95 Points
We enjoyed the heck out of this wine with braised short ribs I marinated in a Rancho Sisquoc Cab mixture. This is a superior wine that displays it's strength subtly through a masterful crafting. This vintage is fairly fruit driven, yet the structure and complexity creates a depth that is marvelous. There are plenty of reviews describing the sensations of this wine so I'll forgo the same. Les Pavots rocks the house, plain & simple. Drink now to 2018.
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10/9/2011 - JOsgood wrote:
Tight on the nose. Lots of cinnamon and tannins on the palate. Mellowed a bit with air. Nicely balanced, classy wine.
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9/22/2011 - St Paul wrote: 94 Points
This is a lovely wine with sweet fruit and fudge in the mouth. Maybe a bit alcoholic on the nose. Dry fruit. Warm and lovely.
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6/6/2011 - Lutz wrote:
- Garnet color with medium forming legs. It's in total harmony with a full body. Satin-Like texture with a long finish - Amazing Bordeaux style red, ripe, full, now at it's best, takes 30 minutes in the glass to open up, a superstar
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6/3/2011 - svbmark wrote: 97 Points
My favorite wine of the evening against 2 other powerhouses. Was a really inviting wine, but not pretentious at all.
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4/27/2011 - St Paul wrote: 95 Points
A lovely wine. Very elegant and fime with a great structure and complex length. I would never have had this down as a californian wine in a blind tasting. Absolutely perfect to a porterhouse steak at SW in Las Vegas.
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4/8/2011 - gutt22 wrote:
Dark red-purple color. Youthful nose shows a fair bit of oak at this stage, but also spicy, earthy, and graphite notes that stand up to the ripe, rich fruit. In the mouth, stuffed with rich black fruit, spice, earth, and herb notes, with prominent acidity and a quite tannic finish. Needs more time to fully integrate, but this is quite good indeed. A-
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3/2/2011 - buenospot wrote: 95 Points
So refined. Smooth.
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2/3/2011 - knlowery wrote: 95 Points
superb wine. big complex nose big on the palette and long finish
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12/12/2010 - dstein12 wrote: 95 Points
No formal notes, but this was really good. Had it at Per Se for lunch; started to really open up after an hour in the decanter, and eventually the air helped everything come together very nicely. Needs more time in the bottle to reach its potential.
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11/26/2010 - Matt Scott wrote: 96 Points
Decanted, using a funnel, for two hours. See previous notes. The nose has changed slightly to: loamy current, blackberry, crumbled rock, sage and cream soda. It's been about seven months since I last had this and it really is THAT good. Please do a serious decant and let her breathe. If not, the '05 Les Pavots will remind you of woodshop.
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9/8/2010 - Double D wrote: 93 Points
Needs lot more time, pretty drying on the palate and lots of sediment already...leave the rest until 2014.
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9/5/2010 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 95 Points
Three hour decant. Developing nicely. Really smooth Bordeaux blend that sits somewhere in the middle of the Cali ripeness and extraction scale. Les Pavots has definitely become one of our go to wines year after year.
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9/1/2010 - herberto wrote: 86 Points
Geez, I don't get it. This tastes more like wood than wine to me. Big concentration, and you can tell there is Cabernet lurking in their somewhere, but the overwhelming impression is bitter oak. This may resolve itself in time, but I generally find that the combination of major ripeness and awkward oak does not resolve itself. I drank this wine alongside a 2006 Kathryn Hall, which is not what I consider a great wine, but was oh so much more enjoyable than this one (and a third the price). Everybody at the table agreed.
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7/10/2010 - psmith wrote:
Dark fruits. Extracted with flashy styling. Cassis and characteristic cabernet notes. Firm tannins. Nice wine.
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5/8/2010 - Matt Scott wrote: 96 Points
Decanted three times over two hours. Garnet with an almost black core. Impacted amounts of loamy currant, raspberry, black tea, sage, candied fruit, and red soil. Luscious and refined. The tannins are juicy with velvet. What length; one minute+. There's almost a hint of truffle at the end. There's a lot of "wow" factor to this wine. This is my kind of Cali-Bordeaux. Quite ready now, however, this could age. 15.1% alcohol and no heat. This does not seem like Bordeaux, which really shows the strength of Les Pavots and how well a wine just outside of Napa can really be. There is evident terroir to this regal wine. Drink now - 2020.
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4/25/2010 - Edwind wrote: 85 Points
First time I have been disappointed in a bottle of PM Les Pavots. The wine did not hold its fruit and was flat.
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4/13/2010 - Pieper wrote:
Sean's birthday
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4/10/2010 - EBoyer wrote: 91 Points
Too young
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2/20/2010 - Phin wrote: 97 Points
Decanted all afternoon. Super rich black fruits. Waves and layers of flavor with a long finish. One of the best Pavots ever for me.
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1/17/2010 - psmith wrote:
From magnum. Young, black fruits and graphite notes. Ripe, bold, big wine, but certainly kept in check with medium grain, abundant tannins. Very promising.
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12/24/2009 - Lrucker wrote: 98 Points
Wow. very smooth, with a lingering aromatic finish. Drinking well righnow.
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12/22/2009 - BenRoberts wrote: 92 Points
Keep this one on the shelf!! I can't wait to see what this wine will do in about 5-10 years but now is not the time to experiment with it. It did show all the makings of a beautiful wine but only time will tell.
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12/14/2009 - Oxenham wrote: 94 Points
This is massive and concentrated with luxurious blueberry, black raspberry and licorice flavors. Deep and intoxicating with very ripe sweet tannins, and a touch of alcohol. Finishes with power and persistence. Very enjoyable now but likely to improve with additional near term cellaring.
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11/4/2009 - mellison wrote: 93 Points
Black current and black cherry flavors. Fruit forward but not jammy. Tannins soft and well integrated. Smooth in the mouth and pleasant to drink but no wow factor and this bottle definitely in the drinking window. Unlikely this particular bottle would have improved at all with more age.
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10/17/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 96 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): Awesome on all fronts. Got the last few drops of the bottle from a tasting the evening before.
Extremely elegant extracted and overall delicious.
See previous tasting notes for more descriptors. Virtually identical in my mind.
Maybe a tad less cream on the finish.
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9/13/2009 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 97 Points
Four Cali CAbs over three days; 9/10/2009-9/13/2009: A wine to make one think California can compete with the greatest wines in the world. This wine is blue and black fruited with an incredible nimble balance and firm but sweet, with a nobility that begs, no commands respect and reverence! There was chalky, mineral drivern blue and black fruit beginning that gave way to a finish to die for and a smooth, but firm and balanced ending that makes me want to order cases.
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8/29/2009 - psmith wrote:
Heady red cherry flavors; some charred notes. Really ripe front, showing some alcohol, but a disconnect with the midpalate, which actually shows some more raw, hard character. Young. Pushes the envelope more than '90s Les Pavots, but enjoyable nonetheless.
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8/29/2009 - beezer6 wrote: 97 Points
Saturday Tasting Group (Knightsbridge Wine Shop (Northbrook, IL)): By far my favorite wine of the day...one of the best bottles I've ever experienced.
Flawless from start to finish. The color is a gorgeous velvet medium light purple.
The nose is in a word amazing. Showing wonderfully fragrant super ripe cherries, raspberries, gobs of CREME DE CASSIS, rose petals, light mocha, the aromas beckon your attention with each whiff.
A secondary wave of graphite, vanilla and oak coats my palate.
It is a monumental blend that is powerful, yet feminine with a finish that shows as much finesse as any world class wine.
A rich creamy mouth feel shows flavors of marachino cherries, milk chocolate, loads of creamy red flowers, and red bell peppers with a slight rusty nail play on the back end. I am immediately in love with the Les Pavots bottling.
If you want to truly treat yourself to something wonderful, this just might be an option.
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6/25/2009 - Bradford wrote: 95 Points
Wow. My tasting chart was full to the brim with descriptors for this wine. The nose had creme de cassis, vanilla, herbes de provence, smoked meats and some ephemeral white flower (gardenia?). Massive but incredibly precise in the mouth: could literally pick out the Cab Sav, Cab Franc and Merlot. Franc comes first with green bell pepper and other funky woodsy elements, almost bark-like. Dominated then by creme de cassis, tobacco and caramel. Underneath broods anise, graphite, black pepper, and clove. Perfect chalky tannins graduate into a beautiful chocolate and vanilla finish that lasts. What a treat!
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6/17/2009 - vadon wrote: 93 Points
Deep ripe fruit flavors - blueberry and blackberry. Graphite and vanilla. Nice tannins and structure. Too ripe for my taste, but a very solid wine.
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5/24/2009 - wpd wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 45 min. Deep purple color. Fruit forward, but balanced. Had this after a 98 Ornellia-should have gone the other way around.
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4/29/2009 - LPskeleton wrote: 94 Points
consumed at trade tasting, no note taken
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3/15/2009 - fosara wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine with a great long finish. decanted, opened up nicely
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2/12/2009 - mrabkin wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful wine; very long finish
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12/7/2008 - bigdogflow wrote: 94 Points
Incredible wine!!! Beautiful, dark color. Nice nose and taste of dark fruit and a wonderfully long finish.
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12/6/2008 - jeff nowak wrote:
i stopped buying this wine in the 02 vintage because i never liked anything i tried dating back to the 96 vintage. so, i was happy to try this as it continues to garner big review numbers from the critics, and the bulletin board geeks. i guess i made the right choice for me. hot, alcoholic, overextracted, spoofilated, whatever. i'll spare you the (low) number.
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11/27/2008 - JOsgood wrote: 91 Points
Not much nose. Tight and needed time to open up. Compared to two first growths this was clearly outclassed. Good stuff but not exceptional.
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10/17/2008 - burningstarIV wrote: 93 Points
50+4+13+18+8=93
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6/22/2008 - agbailey wrote: 93 Points
Still way too young with serious tannins. After about 5-6 hrs of airtime, opened up beautifully. Dark fruits, some secondary flavors, cedar. Excellent, but not sure its a 95 pounter, but will see in 2 yrs when next btl is opened.
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3/20/2008 - LPskeleton wrote: 93 Points
high toned red fruits, floral with an oaky caramel. Gorgeous and intense, deep and extracted......LONG. Nice wine.
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