From magnum. Doubled decanted 5 hours before service. Opaque red with little color loss. Black fruits with a lot of tannins. Many years of great drinking ahead.
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Sadly, this was slightly maderized. I want to leave myself a note so that I can try again because I definitely will. The wine under the damage was full, muscular, and very energetic. Im sure there is something special in the good bottles. Try again!
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The nose shows ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum skin, plum, poached strawberries & and soft mix of purple & blue fruit hues. Dark spice but not overpowering, chocolate fudge/pudding, dry tobacco, leather, sandalwood, some nutmeg & clove, vanillin, crushed limestone, dry river stones, dark, rich earth, soft herbaceous notes, hint of eucalyptus, brambly/dry twig, dry top soil, delicious lead pencil notes, moist volcanic ash, withering; dark, red, blue flowers framed in violets, very good acidity with a well balanced, nice structured & tensioned finish that lasts 90 seconds.
Excellent w/ the Bone in Ribeye.
This has 15-20 years of good drinking life in it.
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Showing really well, and far outperformed the Sociando-Mallet, with a good berry and earthy balance and excellent structure still EWG retrospective tasting dinner at Conrad's
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Very nice classical left bank bordeaux, well developed and balanced by now. Still plenty of fruit left, should hold at this level/maybe slightly improve, if well kept, for another 3-4 years
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Such a perfumed nose, so much so that it outweighed the aromatics of my Monte Bello. Some blue fruit and flowers were evident, cherrys and silky vanila on the palate. But with a little green-ness on the finish, however not as far as vegetal though.
Medium to almost full body even after these two decades, lovely freshness and nicely resolved sweet tannins. Medium to long finish, really impressive for a chateau we visited back in Mar 2022. I had no idea they made wines for such long-keeping, guess the solid vintage helped!
2003 was described as one of an exceptional climatic conditions, starting with a very cold winter. It actually came close to hailing and freezing but didn't. Then a very hot summer with a 30-day heatwave leading to the fruit’s maturity 15 days ahead of normal.
It was this high heat which yielded a magnificently concentrated and rich wine, however with a significant loss in production volumes as well.
Circa 70,000 bottles produced. Blend of 48% Cab Sauv, 32% Merlot, 12% Cab Franc, 8% Petit Verdot. Aged for 18 months in barrels (40% new barrels).
Back in 2014, Robert Parker described this as the sleeper of the vintage. His projection of a drinking window up to 2024 was so right (Once again!), and this aged bottle of two decades shared by LMC at my home far exceeded our expectations.
Bottle 6 of 6, CNY Chor 10 and "Farewell TC" at my home with SKT, DQ, LMC.
31 Jan 2023 My home, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Special mention for this bottle. Bounced around in my bike basket on a cold night in NYC, then popped and poured for an old friend and his mother on a night of remembrance. Held up very well at that point - leather and tobacco mainly for me, some fruit - and I'm told the last glass made an excellent nightcap with cheese a few hours later. Cheers to all!
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Not sure why 2003 gets little love and lots of hate. This was another bottle that showed very nicely and paired beautifully with a NY Steip steak. Dark garnet color with some bricking. The bottle had lots of sediments so I double decanted for about 30 minutes.
Nose is very secondary and tertiary with leather, forest floor,some cherries, some vanilla. Not overly expressive but good. Nice acidity and balance with integrated tannins, cherries, leathery notes, tobacco leaves, then a nice, long ending with spicy and oaky notes that complement very well the rest of the wine.
I Will definitely seek more Kirwan - this definitely punches above its weigh and it’s a beautiful spot now.
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This was the last bottle of the case. There were some bottles that suffered from cork, but the good ones were on this excellent level for more or less 8 years. A fantastic Margaux, very subtle and multilayered with persisting fruit notes (dark cherry and cranberry) as well as more herbal notes like thyme and some basil. Super fine tannins, well integrated. All in balance and style, not overpowering despite the hot year. A great wine with lots years ahead. If not corked of course.
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Wonderful intense tertiary notes on the nose. Earthy, pencil shavings, blackcurrant. Silky smooth (tannins barely noticeable). Long finish. A real treat.
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Decantado un poco más de dos horas. Color rubí muy oscuro con bordes morados. Aroma de intensidad media, profundo y misterioso, fruta negra, madera, y un poco de cuero, tierra negra y una punta de tabaco rubio. La boca es extraordinaria, suave, equilibrada, proporcionada, de aquellas que no buscan protagonismo sino que simplemente acompañan la comida forma discreta. Cuerpo medio, sabores algo misteriosos, hay fruta, hay madera en sus justos límites, un poco de verdor y finaliza con unas notas potentes de tabaco rubio en un largo final. Un vino que responde de forma muy ideal a los parámetros que se esperan de un auténtico Margaux: finura, elegancia , complejidad y un hermoso toque de feminidad
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Wow, what a great pairing with pot roast! This 18 year old Bordeaux was spectacular. Too complex for my inexperienced palate to describe. Color was deep red with a hint of brown meniscus. Nose was inviting, dark berries predominate with a hint of oak. Big palate burst with a moderate amount of tannin persisting, and there were many complex flavors. Long finish of the same. Lovely, wish I had more.
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From magnum from an original case I bought on release and stored in excellent conditions. Double decanted a few hours before service, but I squirted some of that Private Reserve gas in the bottle to prevent over oxidation.
Wow! Just wow. This wine is in an outstanding place right now. The color is an opaque red with little sign of color loss.
The nose is the best part right now. It's pretty explosive of jammy fruits that may have something to do with the really hot summer they experienced in France in 2003.
The palate has great acidity and balanced tannins. There's a lot of black fruit along with some leather and spice. It's extremely easy to drink right now, but it seems like there are many years left in this thing.
Same btl as R&Rler tonight and a very fine example of classic Margaux elegance & finesse! And even in a ripe year this showed precision and restraint. Really impressive and now, on my hunting list.
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A New Beginning (Craig & Nita's Place): Very dark red color. Splash double decanted and drank a glass plus over 90 minutes plus. Well, like I've said all along, this has been drinking just great, and tonight was no exception as everything has just unfurled into a fully realized presentation. Open from the start, but still expanding in the glass, the nose offers lovely tobacco notes with a perfume of purple flowers and pristine cassis, more subtle dark berries, dried spice and a touch of licorice. The palate follows suit with a silky textured and elegant offering of blissful dark berries and cassis, dried forest floor, tobacco, wood spices and leather. Feminine and elegant, nice acid, polished tannins and a long finish bring this full circle. I wish I'd have gotten more of these, as they were too hard to keep in the cellar. Easy drinking now, but plenty of great years to go.
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Delicious Bordeaux that is in a nice place right now. Pulled the cork a few hours before dinner and poured a small amount into a glass to inspect if a decant was needed. Some nice fruit on the nose and fairly open palate moved me to just see how this was going to develop left in the open bottle. Loved it.
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Christmas Eve and Christmas Wines; 12/24/2020-12/25/2020 (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red color, 2mm clear margin. Decanted for 2 hours. Split bottle over 4 hours. Funky nose with violets, cassis, wet leather, pencil, hints of blue fruit. The palate is full bodied, cassis, deep leather, gravel, tart spicy black cherry, hints of scorched earth, round dry tannins and a nicely framed oak spice finish. Very good, plenty of time left.
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Drinking very well right now. Forest floor, leather, and smoke. Fruit is far in the background. Tannins still present and good acidity. Lovely with a navarin of lamb. Long finish.
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One out of two bottles has a cork/bitterness problem, a pity, as the wine when not being affected by this nice. Not very Margaux, quite some weight and clearly the hot year now shining through, with distinctive alcoholic/cognacy tastes on the palate. Good bottles are fine to drink up.
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Well-aged and smooth, and agree with other comments that it may not be getting any better. Metallic, meat-y notes very pronounced to me. Quite purple and dense.
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GrandCuvee - Bordeaux 2003 Horizontal (Praelum Wine Bistro): Straight up green earth, tar and meats. Tannins somewhat soft, but a clear alcohol heat. The red cherries, elderflowers and bit of white smoke shows up later. Finish was fairly long with mostly earth and forest fern
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Drinking very well right now. Not sure there is probably not much time left on this, maybe 3 or 4 years...but I could be wrong on that. I'll likely hold on to a bottle for a while longer.
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Very good, fresh, aging well, but lacking a little character; Does not have the heat of '03, but rather is fairly balanced, a bit understated even, wit soft leather, dried currant, wet soil-under brush, but not effusive. Very good w/grilled NY steak at Bri's. HAlso had '00 Silver Oak.
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We tasted quite a few 2003 Bordeaux today. Compared to the others this wine had more of the slightly over-ripe character common to this vintage generally. However it is still aging well. The tannin is integrating nicely and the fruit is still strong. I am not sure any secondary elements will outshine the pruny character so I would drink it soon, but it would be no shame to keep a couple to see how it might evolve.
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Tannins resolves and showing nice fruit. Not complex but smooth. Only thing that let it down was the finish, not long enough. But drinking lovely right now
Still appears young with a dark opaque color. Ripe is very ripe, almost overly ripe, owing to the vintage. A nose of dark fruits, blackberry, fresh herbs, pepper, truffle, leather, and coffee. Nose is better than the palate at this stage. Tannins still firm and prominent. Medium level acidity on the finish.
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Pronounced and evolved aroma of blackberry jam, cassis , black raspberries and vanilla.
Full bodied with medium plus tannins and still plenty of acidity.
Lots of blackberry and cassis on the palate- the essence of cabernet sauvignon....
The finish is long and very satisfying.
Overall- drinking very well and unlike some other 03's it still seems to have another 5 years +, although not sure it will improve. Very impressive bottle.
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Decanted for three hours; minimal sediment. Nice deep ruby color. Soft nose of red fruit. On the palate, medium-bodied fruit well balanced by acids and still a hint of tannins. Lacks complexity, but is quite pleasant, nonetheless. Medium length finish. Should drink well for several more years. A reasonably good QPR for the $32 I paid en primeur in 2004, but not worth the current $65 auction price.
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My 500th note. Deep, garnet stone color. Decanted three hours. I can smell the perfume as soon as I start to pick up the glass. Silky. Opens with red currants and the mid-palate has a savory, melted black licorice flavor. Full in the mouth. The tannins are mostly resolved, but this will be rock solid for a while. No roasted or stewed flavors. If the finish were longer, I'd score this even higher. 92
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Beautiful purple colour. Leaps out of the glass to the nose; deep, rounded, opulent bouquet. Mouth filling, rounded and layered; cherries, black fruit; elegance and structure. Fantastic length. Some tannins - should have 5-10 years more at least. Can tell it is from a hot year but has kept its Margaux essence. Beautiful.
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Probably my sixth bottle over the last three years and a consistent picture. A nice wine, full of fruit but just very monolithic. Great with food but lacks complexity when drank on its own. Will it open up over the next 5-10 years or just stay at this level before fading away? A question for many 2003's perhaps.....
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Had this alongside the 2005 Kirwan. Very different wines, clearly driven by the vintages. This 2003 was much more advanced than the 2005 and ready to drink now - people commented that there is no way one would think these wines were only 2 vintages apart in age. A pleasing underlying brettiness was there. The tannins were well in check. Not too over the top for a 2003...thankfully! I consider this wine a success for the vintage, and a nice drinker now.
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I agree with other recent notes that this is drinking very nicely at the moment. Quite powerful, but not plump. I didn't manage to place it in Margaux blind though, guessing St. Julien instead. I think this has a rather bright future in terms of staying on a nice drinking plateau, but there's no reason to wait really.
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From half bottle. This is delicious, and a really pleasant surprise for the vintage. There's a faint roasted element to the aromatics, but beneath there's plenty of bright red and dark fruit accented by more savoury earthy elements with surprising acidity for the vintage that keeps it very nicely balanced. Not overly complex, but a very fun drink.
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Several years in the cellar have worked magic on this wine. I have never seen quite this level of transformation. It's still quite ripe, with a bit of a roasted edge, but it now has shed enough fat to expose a structure and allow a subtle earthiness and minerality to enter the picture.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Soft and mellow. Earthy nose with some herbs and dark berries. Easy drinking but came across somewhat tired and lacking verve. I don't think this is going anywhere further. Time to drink up...
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Decanted for an hour. First sip and we were ready to pour down the drain. But... We waited. We continued to decant. Drank a 1999 Pride in the meantime - and then 2 hours later something magical happened. The Kirwan finally revealed its true flavors. The smell was of wet leaves after a fresh spring rain, blending with the taste of deep cherries and pomegranate. Not a prototypical pairing, but went amazingly well with our Santosha Rhodiola & Hawaiin Red Salt chocolate. Not an ordinary wine, and not an ordinary chocolate. Drink this wine, but definitely decant for 3+ hours!!!
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The 2003 Château Kirwan is dark garnet in colour and easily the star of the flight in terms of pleasure and value. A good depth on the nose with a lot of character - fresh nose of clean forest floor, sweet black currents and black forest cake with a dark cherry core. Pretty integrated on the nose which makes it hard to rip apart and explain its nuances individually.
A very soft supple roundness upon entry as the foresty cherries broadens and playfully coats the palate. Tannins are almost velvety and super smooth on the palate. Medium to medium(+) finish with a little back end spice. Undeniable gently woodiness that is well-balanced, providing a charming elegance in the wine. Great stuff.
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Wonderful Margaux nose. Flowery, perfume, softness. Palate was a nice 10 year old Bordeaux. Good balance. Good fruit, no noticable alc and oak. Or...at last all was balanced.
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Licorice, coffee, floral, plum, damp earth and cassis scents pop from the still deeply colored wine. With rich, fat, round textures and a sweet, ripe, licorice, chocolate and jammy plum tinged finish, this fleshy, opulent Margaux wine is already is starting to drink well.
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This bottle was better than the last I reviewed, with richer, supple black and red fruit, but an unpleasant alcoholic outer layer. Continue to believe there's not more to hope for from this.
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Took three bottles to a dinner at Hawksmoor. Lovely plush mouthfeel and a truly voluptuous wine, with blackcurrant and blueberry flavours balanced by savoury mushroom notes. Long, satisfying finish. I would suggest this is at its' peak right now with the tannins softened to cease to be a factor. Poured this straight into a decanter and then into glasses - no need to breathe
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All structure, no fruit. Muted nose, muted palate. Poorly kept bottle, perhaps? I'd be wary of this as neither the wine or the cork showed any signs of obvious fault.
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Clear ruby in color, with aromatics of ripe berries, espresso bean, incense, mushroom, mint and a bit of oak. Medium bodied, gentle, plush mouth feel, filling the palate with flavors of black fruits, forest floor, concentrated plum juice. Tannins are noticeable, but round and nicely integrated. Moderate finish with smoke, red cherry and oak. It's drinking very well right now, nice balance, should improve some more with time.
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Tasted in double-blind fashion (with the bottle kindly provided by D.S.), this opaque garnet, full-bodied wine shows aromas of ripe black fruits, minerals and roasted herbs. It is actually tart on the palate and carries an alcohol listing of 13%, which is somewhat surprising for this hot, ripe vintage. The plentiful tannins are chewy and the flavors mirror the nose. While solid in the middle, the medium-length finish closes with the bite of unresolved tannins. Additional cellaring should be helpful. Drink 1/15-12/25.
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Duftiger, eleganter Wein mit Aromen von Kräutern, Kirschfrucht, Zeder, Tabak; am Gaumen Bitterschokoladen- und Würzaromen, weiche, feine und sanfte Tanninstruktur, langer Abgang; keineswegs alkoholbetont oder zehrend, sondern sehr ausgewogen; schöner Genußwein
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92/93 - delicious drop... Decanted 1 hour before drinking, should have been 2/3. Evident Margaux flavours, heat of '03 vintage apparent. Still a little closed down - discipline required with my remaining 10 bottles!
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This didn't show any excess alcohol, which was a relief. Other than that, it seemed to be in a good spot, with nice fruit/savory flavor balance and mellow tannin. This probably isn't as robust or complex as Kirwan can get, but I was into it.
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Licorice, smoke, coffee, juicy black plums and jam make up the fun perfume. Fleshy, soft and round in texture, the wine ends with a black licorice and blackberry liqueur infused finish. This is drinking well now and should continue to improve for at least another 10-15 more years.
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From magnum. The bottle was opened at 11am, then sealed at 1pm for travel. It was then double decanted at 7pm and served. Dark purple with no sign of color change, as would be expected at this age. The nose is a little muted, but there's the unmistakable scents of a great Bordeaux coming through. The palate is also a touch muted, with black fruits, tobacco and cedar showing. With the handling I did today, it's pleasant to drink now but the wine is still closed down. It needs another five years to put on weight and develop more.
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A great rich nose immediately upon opening. After 1 hour, it was drinking nicely, but with strong tannins. After 3 hours, the tannins had softened only a bit, and the fruit was showing through. I expect this wine to have a long life, and to improve substantially over the next 10 years.
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In some ways a typical 2003 this is still a very young wine. Lots of fruit, alcohol and tannins but a bit monolithic at this stage. I have two cases and this was my third bottle but I may leave the others as I suspect that this will be much better in 5 years time while other 2003's (Talbot, GPL) are more approachable now.
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2003 Bordeaux Double Blind; 5/27/2011-5/29/2011: [Tasted double blind] Green woody nose again with dark fruits that are attractive, chocolate. Sternly structured without much focus, low acid, astringent. While this is clearly the best wine so far, it still has a clumsy, backward composure that is tough to admire.
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2003 Bordeaux Horizontal: Wine #4 (single blind): Sweet, classy nose with new oak, rose water, cassis and no praline. This comes across immediately as much more restrained and balanced. This is the most closed, especially on the palate. I like it. 91-92 pts
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ok, so I haven't even let this decant, I just put it thru Decantus aerator and sipped 5 min later. this is amazing, I can tell you this already. tasted the 2005 vintage about 2 years ago and I thought it was terrible. this is totally different. not tannic at all, very smooth yet full body. please try this.... ;)
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Tasted blind. Big nose - lots of alcohol. Obviously a hot vintage. Silky and polished on the palate, a bit of nail varnish too, along with blackberry and blackcurrant. I thought this was a 2000 left-bank Bordeaux. A technically well-made wine, but failed to excite me.
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Fles een 2-tal uur vooraf geopend. Bij het inschenken gedecanteerd met vinoglobe. Een fantastisch aroma met veel ftuit (zwarte bessen en kersen), cederhout (potloodslijpsel), laurier. Tannines zijn al mooi zacht. Maakt de wijn een stevige, maar tegelijk ook elegante wijn. In de afdronk komt ook chocolade naar voren en de typische vegetative smaak van cab. sauvignon. Heerlijke Bordeaux.
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Nice nose. Sweet vanilla oak with some alluring Margaux perfume. Ripe black fruits. On the palate the tannins and oak were still a tad wild and needed taming. Very ripe, very expressive, and quite typically 2003 vintage. Though this is one of the better ones I have tasted. Not quite ready. A few more years would do it good.
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Vinturi'd and decanted 3 hours. Lovely, lovely perfume, classic Margaux in that regard; classy, classic Left bank palate, not nearly as sticky-icky concentrated as some wines in this vintage (which I liked), but rather elegant. Terrific wine.
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Bordeaux Tasting (Edina Country Club): Aromas of floral, smoked meat, minerals, blackberries and cherry. Drinking really well right now and toasted oak is picked up on the medium, concentrated finish. Very nice wine for the money.
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Bordeaux at the Edina CC (Edina Country Club): Decanted for one hour prior to event and an additional 1.5 hr at the event (total time 2.5 hr). This was actually fairly open on popping, but the tannins really settled down nicely after the decant. Fabulous nose, floral, violets, forest floor, dark berries, smokey, meat, the palate is gorgeous as well with a bit less acidity than some of the nights wines, but a tannic backbone that while round shows the stuffing to age. My WOTN and group WOTN. Very glad i have more of these! 94pts
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Bordeaux Event at Edina CC (Edina Country Club, MN): Kevin decanted this for 2 1/2 hours. Nose: Dust and mineral with characteristic violets, spice, and hints of licorice. Palate: Spice and some faint bacon fat flavors under the wonderfully balanced black fruits. The bacon hints were not showing after more air time. Medium to long finish. Very solid effort and my WOTN.
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Still a lot of oak present in this 7 year old half bottle. Typical '03 profile with ripe fruit. Everything is in perfect balance except the oak. If the oak mellows this could turn into something special. wait 3 years minimum to pop the next one.
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Anita: Med. int nose of cassis, black cherry, blkberry; slight hint of vanilla in nose (bigger in mth); coffe grounds, rich, sikky smooth bod, slight sweet bitter cocoa w/ coffee grounds and touch vanilla; This is a bit overdone--too ripe a vintage, almost hints of Napa in the mth, but elegant, and drying t’s in fin. W/pepper steak filet mignon and sauce. Needs 7 yrs for next try.
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Dark garnet/purple color. A wonderful nose of blackcurrants and some licorice with the typical 03 sweetness. Medium to full-bodied it has a nice velvety texture and good balance. It gets a bit dry on the finish. Very pleasing. Rating: 92
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At the Union de Grand Cru Tasting in Bordeaux. Seeing other notes on this wine brought back probably the strongest memory of this fabulous 7 hour event. I was taking a break outside the hall and began chatting with a young French lady who was having a smoke. Later, I met her again. She was pouring Kirwan. Both the '99 and the '03 vintage were there. the '99 was fabulous. I commented to her that the '03 was entirely different and the most Cali Cab-like Bordeaux I had tasted. She replied that, yes unfortunately, it was being made to "US tastes". She indicated her deep disappointment as well.
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A minty, fresh nose intermingled with cedar and ripe fruit. Although still a bit hard on the tannins, not too much – a good sign because the tannins will melt in bottle. Nicely structured, too, with a good finish.
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Ch. Giscours: Opaque blk scarlet-coffee; bright reflections; spicey, strong nose; hint of swt leather, berries, caramel-toffee; super silky, glycerin, grt a’s; full bod, hige integrated t’s; long fin.***Nice Monster! Should be excellent.
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4/17/2024 - Border Boss Likes this wine:
From magnum. Doubled decanted 5 hours before service. Opaque red with little color loss. Black fruits with a lot of tannins. Many years of great drinking ahead.
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3/25/2024 - Purple Tooth wrote:
Sadly, this was slightly maderized. I want to leave myself a note so that I can try again because I definitely will. The wine under the damage was full, muscular, and very energetic. Im sure there is something special in the good bottles. Try again!
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1/25/2024 - Somm David T Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking nicely but still quite youthful.
The nose shows ripe; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, black plum skin, plum, poached strawberries & and soft mix of purple & blue fruit hues. Dark spice but not overpowering, chocolate fudge/pudding, dry tobacco, leather, sandalwood, some nutmeg & clove, vanillin, crushed limestone, dry river stones, dark, rich earth, soft herbaceous notes, hint of eucalyptus, brambly/dry twig, dry top soil, delicious lead pencil notes, moist volcanic ash, withering; dark, red, blue flowers framed in violets, very good acidity with a well balanced, nice structured & tensioned finish that lasts 90 seconds.
Excellent w/ the Bone in Ribeye.
This has 15-20 years of good drinking life in it.
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1/14/2024 - peternelson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Showing really well, and far outperformed the Sociando-Mallet, with a good berry and earthy balance and excellent structure still EWG retrospective tasting dinner at Conrad's
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11/5/2023 - Max Stephens wrote:
Enjoyable. Lovely nose and balance
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5/28/2023 - Boeselaere Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice classical left bank bordeaux, well developed and balanced by now. Still plenty of fruit left, should hold at this level/maybe slightly improve, if well kept, for another 3-4 years
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2/7/2023 - ameyer430 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still quite youthful. Margaux perfume, plums. A bit of mushroom. Subdued finish.
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1/31/2023 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 91 Points
Such a perfumed nose, so much so that it outweighed the aromatics of my Monte Bello. Some blue fruit and flowers were evident, cherrys and silky vanila on the palate. But with a little green-ness on the finish, however not as far as vegetal though.
Medium to almost full body even after these two decades, lovely freshness and nicely resolved sweet tannins. Medium to long finish, really impressive for a chateau we visited back in Mar 2022. I had no idea they made wines for such long-keeping, guess the solid vintage helped!
2003 was described as one of an exceptional climatic conditions, starting with a very cold winter. It actually came close to hailing and freezing but didn't. Then a very hot summer with a 30-day heatwave leading to the fruit’s maturity 15 days ahead of normal.
It was this high heat which yielded a magnificently concentrated and rich wine, however with a significant loss in production volumes as well.
Circa 70,000 bottles produced. Blend of 48% Cab Sauv, 32% Merlot, 12% Cab Franc, 8% Petit Verdot. Aged for 18 months in barrels (40% new barrels).
Back in 2014, Robert Parker described this as the sleeper of the vintage. His projection of a drinking window up to 2024 was so right (Once again!), and this aged bottle of two decades shared by LMC at my home far exceeded our expectations.
Bottle 6 of 6, CNY Chor 10 and "Farewell TC" at my home with SKT, DQ, LMC.
31 Jan 2023
My home, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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12/14/2022 - mdanyc Likes this wine: 90 Points
Special mention for this bottle. Bounced around in my bike basket on a cold night in NYC, then popped and poured for an old friend and his mother on a night of remembrance. Held up very well at that point - leather and tobacco mainly for me, some fruit - and I'm told the last glass made an excellent nightcap with cheese a few hours later. Cheers to all!
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9/18/2022 - sbfoote wrote: 92 Points
Really outstanding fruit and balance, some secondary notes, everything very well integrated. The velvet robe.
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9/10/2022 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Not sure why 2003 gets little love and lots of hate. This was another bottle that showed very nicely and paired beautifully with a NY Steip steak.
Dark garnet color with some bricking. The bottle had lots of sediments so I double decanted for about 30 minutes.
Nose is very secondary and tertiary with leather, forest floor,some cherries, some vanilla. Not overly expressive but good.
Nice acidity and balance with integrated tannins, cherries, leathery notes, tobacco leaves, then a nice, long ending with spicy and oaky notes that complement very well the rest of the wine.
I Will definitely seek more Kirwan - this definitely punches above its weigh and it’s a beautiful spot now.
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5/15/2022 - Willi Vinotti Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was the last bottle of the case. There were some bottles that suffered from cork, but the good ones were on this excellent level for more or less 8 years. A fantastic Margaux, very subtle and multilayered with persisting fruit notes (dark cherry and cranberry) as well as more herbal notes like thyme and some basil. Super fine tannins, well integrated. All in balance and style, not overpowering despite the hot year. A great wine with lots years ahead. If not corked of course.
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4/1/2022 - Iacomus wrote: 98 Points
Wonderful intense tertiary notes on the nose. Earthy, pencil shavings, blackcurrant. Silky smooth (tannins barely noticeable). Long finish. A real treat.
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3/12/2022 - FEDEVIDAL Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decantado un poco más de dos horas. Color rubí muy oscuro con bordes morados. Aroma de intensidad media, profundo y misterioso, fruta negra, madera, y un poco de cuero, tierra negra y una punta de tabaco rubio. La boca es extraordinaria, suave, equilibrada, proporcionada, de aquellas que no buscan protagonismo sino que simplemente acompañan la comida forma discreta. Cuerpo medio, sabores algo misteriosos, hay fruta, hay madera en sus justos límites, un poco de verdor y finaliza con unas notas potentes de tabaco rubio en un largo final.
Un vino que responde de forma muy ideal a los parámetros que se esperan de un auténtico Margaux: finura, elegancia , complejidad y un hermoso toque de feminidad
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2/16/2022 - pmik Likes this wine: 93 Points
Vinnørd
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10/15/2021 - wehouck Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow, what a great pairing with pot roast! This 18 year old Bordeaux was spectacular. Too complex for my inexperienced palate to describe. Color was deep red with a hint of brown meniscus. Nose was inviting, dark berries predominate with a hint of oak. Big palate burst with a moderate amount of tannin persisting, and there were many complex flavors. Long finish of the same. Lovely, wish I had more.
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6/24/2021 - Border Boss Likes this wine: 94 Points
From magnum from an original case I bought on release and stored in excellent conditions. Double decanted a few hours before service, but I squirted some of that Private Reserve gas in the bottle to prevent over oxidation.
Wow! Just wow. This wine is in an outstanding place right now. The color is an opaque red with little sign of color loss.
The nose is the best part right now. It's pretty explosive of jammy fruits that may have something to do with the really hot summer they experienced in France in 2003.
The palate has great acidity and balanced tannins. There's a lot of black fruit along with some leather and spice. It's extremely easy to drink right now, but it seems like there are many years left in this thing.
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4/29/2021 - pmik Likes this wine: 93 Points
93 Vinnørd
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4/18/2021 - chablis28 wrote: 94 Points
Same btl as R&Rler tonight and a very fine example of classic Margaux elegance & finesse! And even in a ripe year this showed precision and restraint. Really impressive and now, on my hunting list.
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4/18/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
A New Beginning (Craig & Nita's Place): Very dark red color. Splash double decanted and drank a glass plus over 90 minutes plus. Well, like I've said all along, this has been drinking just great, and tonight was no exception as everything has just unfurled into a fully realized presentation. Open from the start, but still expanding in the glass, the nose offers lovely tobacco notes with a perfume of purple flowers and pristine cassis, more subtle dark berries, dried spice and a touch of licorice. The palate follows suit with a silky textured and elegant offering of blissful dark berries and cassis, dried forest floor, tobacco, wood spices and leather. Feminine and elegant, nice acid, polished tannins and a long finish bring this full circle. I wish I'd have gotten more of these, as they were too hard to keep in the cellar. Easy drinking now, but plenty of great years to go.
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4/12/2021 - Wine Poor Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious Bordeaux that is in a nice place right now.
Pulled the cork a few hours before dinner and poured a small amount into a glass to inspect if a decant was needed.
Some nice fruit on the nose and fairly open palate moved me to just see how this was going to develop left in the open bottle.
Loved it.
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2/24/2021 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 93 Points
6th and final bottle of 1/2 a case purchased on release- the lockdown is taking no prisoners on my cellar....
Medium ruby appearance- some lightening at the rim but nothing to suggest we are dealing with a 17 year old or so wine.
Evolved and pronounced aromas of black fruits, cassis, vanilla and spice- textbook cabernet.
Medium bodied with just enough acidity and structure to keep things moving along. The finish is savory and is about medium plus.
Just a delicious food wine that completely refutes the reputation of the vintage as over cooked or flabby.
I would drink up but this will still be drinking fine in a decade if stored properly.
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1/20/2021 - wehouck Likes this wine: 90 Points
I was a bit surprised. I expected more body and residual fruit. But both were quite minimal. Overall still very drinkable, but time to drink it up!
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1/8/2021 - SPLJEG wrote: 90 Points
The wine looks purple colored. The body is medium/full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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12/25/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Christmas Eve and Christmas Wines; 12/24/2020-12/25/2020 (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Very dark red color, 2mm clear margin. Decanted for 2 hours. Split bottle over 4 hours. Funky nose with violets, cassis, wet leather, pencil, hints of blue fruit. The palate is full bodied, cassis, deep leather, gravel, tart spicy black cherry, hints of scorched earth, round dry tannins and a nicely framed oak spice finish. Very good, plenty of time left.
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11/15/2020 - Jonny d Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well right now. Forest floor, leather, and smoke. Fruit is far in the background. Tannins still present and good acidity. Lovely with a navarin of lamb. Long finish.
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7/17/2020 - Willi Vinotti Likes this wine: 90 Points
One out of two bottles has a cork/bitterness problem, a pity, as the wine when not being affected by this nice. Not very Margaux, quite some weight and clearly the hot year now shining through, with distinctive alcoholic/cognacy tastes on the palate. Good bottles are fine to drink up.
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7/3/2020 - mdanyc Likes this wine: 89 Points
Well-aged and smooth, and agree with other comments that it may not be getting any better. Metallic, meat-y notes very pronounced to me. Quite purple and dense.
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5/18/2020 - pmik wrote: 93 Points
Cab tasting with Korsholm
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4/17/2020 - robertek wrote: 91 Points
Don't think it will get better than this.
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9/19/2019 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 94 Points
GrandCuvee - Bordeaux 2003 Horizontal (Praelum Wine Bistro): Straight up green earth, tar and meats. Tannins somewhat soft, but a clear alcohol heat. The red cherries, elderflowers and bit of white smoke shows up later. Finish was fairly long with mostly earth and forest fern
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7/4/2019 - Two Winos Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking very well right now. Not sure there is probably not much time left on this, maybe 3 or 4 years...but I could be wrong on that. I'll likely hold on to a bottle for a while longer.
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12/31/2018 - CLo wrote: 93 Points
Just started to open after a two hour decant.
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11/25/2018 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Very good, fresh, aging well, but lacking a little character; Does not have the heat of '03, but rather is fairly balanced, a bit understated even, wit soft leather, dried currant, wet soil-under brush, but not effusive. Very good w/grilled NY steak at Bri's. HAlso had '00 Silver Oak.
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7/15/2018 - tzelmer wrote: 89 Points
We tasted quite a few 2003 Bordeaux today. Compared to the others this wine had more of the slightly over-ripe character common to this vintage generally. However it is still aging well. The tannin is integrating nicely and the fruit is still strong. I am not sure any secondary elements will outshine the pruny character so I would drink it soon, but it would be no shame to keep a couple to see how it might evolve.
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6/27/2018 - CellarBord Likes this wine: 90 Points
A better showing than a year ago. Nice balance and a bit complex. This is an example from the 2003 vintage that is less fruit forward.
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6/19/2018 - Ivin wrote:
I found this too soft and oaky. Much less structure than usual. Not bad at all, but not what I am looking for in a Left Bank bdx.
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2/14/2018 - RedLorri Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tannins resolves and showing nice fruit. Not complex but smooth. Only thing that let it down was the finish, not long enough. But drinking lovely right now
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9/16/2017 - CellarBord wrote: 89 Points
An enjoyable, fruit forward wine that lacked complexity.
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4/27/2017 - lmbernstein wrote: 91 Points
Solid Margaux. Earthy, leather, boysenberry. Medium finish but lacking the nuance and secondary flavors.
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2/3/2017 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
Very good Bordeaux that was drinking well
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1/1/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 92 Points
Still appears young with a dark opaque color. Ripe is very ripe, almost overly ripe, owing to the vintage. A nose of dark fruits, blackberry, fresh herbs, pepper, truffle, leather, and coffee. Nose is better than the palate at this stage. Tannins still firm and prominent. Medium level acidity on the finish.
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10/22/2016 - Vancouver wrote: 93 Points
Medium ruby appearance.
Pronounced and evolved aroma of blackberry jam, cassis , black raspberries and vanilla.
Full bodied with medium plus tannins and still plenty of acidity.
Lots of blackberry and cassis on the palate- the essence of cabernet sauvignon....
The finish is long and very satisfying.
Overall- drinking very well and unlike some other 03's it still seems to have another 5 years +, although not sure it will improve. Very impressive bottle.
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9/25/2016 - Tavastgatan wrote: 92 Points
Great rentition of the vintage. Not too sweet and adequate acidity. Lots of lovely ripe, dark fruit. Hedonistic.
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9/7/2016 - Cgrant1029 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine was almost perfect, drinking great right now
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5/4/2016 - wculpepper Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted for three hours; minimal sediment. Nice deep ruby color. Soft nose of red fruit. On the palate, medium-bodied fruit well balanced by acids and still a hint of tannins. Lacks complexity, but is quite pleasant, nonetheless. Medium length finish. Should drink well for several more years. A reasonably good QPR for the $32 I paid en primeur in 2004, but not worth the current $65 auction price.
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3/12/2016 - swade wrote: 92 Points
My 500th note. Deep, garnet stone color. Decanted three hours. I can smell the perfume as soon as I start to pick up the glass. Silky. Opens with red currants and the mid-palate has a savory, melted black licorice flavor. Full in the mouth. The tannins are mostly resolved, but this will be rock solid for a while. No roasted or stewed flavors. If the finish were longer, I'd score this even higher. 92
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2/21/2016 - quickben Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking so well - the tannins are smooth and has a beautifully perfumed nose - very classy
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12/25/2015 - bin905 wrote: flawed
Corked. What a shame!
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11/15/2015 - Shoebox Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful purple colour. Leaps out of the glass to the nose; deep, rounded, opulent bouquet. Mouth filling, rounded and layered; cherries, black fruit; elegance and structure. Fantastic length. Some tannins - should have 5-10 years more at least. Can tell it is from a hot year but has kept its Margaux essence. Beautiful.
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6/16/2015 - Vitisvinifera Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderfully complex nose of ripe red berries, red currant, cedar. Full bodied and rich. This vintage matured beautifully.
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5/14/2015 - anhak wrote: 91 Points
Needs food to show its best. Will probably benefit from yet a couple of years in the cellar.
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12/21/2014 - phynes wrote: 90 Points
Probably my sixth bottle over the last three years and a consistent picture. A nice wine, full of fruit but just very monolithic. Great with food but lacks complexity when drank on its own. Will it open up over the next 5-10 years or just stay at this level before fading away? A question for many 2003's perhaps.....
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11/14/2014 - Blair Curtis wrote: 91 Points
Had this alongside the 2005 Kirwan. Very different wines, clearly driven by the vintages. This 2003 was much more advanced than the 2005 and ready to drink now - people commented that there is no way one would think these wines were only 2 vintages apart in age. A pleasing underlying brettiness was there. The tannins were well in check. Not too over the top for a 2003...thankfully! I consider this wine a success for the vintage, and a nice drinker now.
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9/20/2014 - EirikM wrote: 91 Points
I agree with other recent notes that this is drinking very nicely at the moment. Quite powerful, but not plump. I didn't manage to place it in Margaux blind though, guessing St. Julien instead. I think this has a rather bright future in terms of staying on a nice drinking plateau, but there's no reason to wait really.
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9/19/2014 - CTwine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking perfectly now. Great nose and solid red fruit. Very smooth with a nice 30 second + finish.
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9/6/2014 - petenich wrote: 89 Points
Consume now.
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3/7/2014 - salil wrote: 88 Points
From half bottle. This is delicious, and a really pleasant surprise for the vintage. There's a faint roasted element to the aromatics, but beneath there's plenty of bright red and dark fruit accented by more savoury earthy elements with surprising acidity for the vintage that keeps it very nicely balanced. Not overly complex, but a very fun drink.
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3/7/2014 - Rieslingfan Likes this wine: 88 Points
Several years in the cellar have worked magic on this wine. I have never seen quite this level of transformation. It's still quite ripe, with a bit of a roasted edge, but it now has shed enough fat to expose a structure and allow a subtle earthiness and minerality to enter the picture.
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1/2/2014 - sfqwino wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Soft and mellow. Earthy nose with some herbs and dark berries. Easy drinking but came across somewhat tired and lacking verve. I don't think this is going anywhere further. Time to drink up...
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12/13/2013 - MaximusT Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for an hour. First sip and we were ready to pour down the drain. But... We waited. We continued to decant. Drank a 1999 Pride in the meantime - and then 2 hours later something magical happened. The Kirwan finally revealed its true flavors. The smell was of wet leaves after a fresh spring rain, blending with the taste of deep cherries and pomegranate. Not a prototypical pairing, but went amazingly well with our Santosha Rhodiola & Hawaiin Red Salt chocolate. Not an ordinary wine, and not an ordinary chocolate. Drink this wine, but definitely decant for 3+ hours!!!
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11/8/2013 - Average Wine Guy (MH) wrote: 91 Points
Chateau Kirwan Vertical with Mdm. Sophie Schyler Thierry (Les Amis): Decanted 2 hours before pour
The 2003 Château Kirwan is dark garnet in colour and easily the star of the flight in terms of pleasure and value. A good depth on the nose with a lot of character - fresh nose of clean forest floor, sweet black currents and black forest cake with a dark cherry core. Pretty integrated on the nose which makes it hard to rip apart and explain its nuances individually.
A very soft supple roundness upon entry as the foresty cherries broadens and playfully coats the palate. Tannins are almost velvety and super smooth on the palate. Medium to medium(+) finish with a little back end spice. Undeniable gently woodiness that is well-balanced, providing a charming elegance in the wine. Great stuff.
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9/28/2013 - marka wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful Margaux nose. Flowery, perfume, softness. Palate was a nice 10 year old Bordeaux. Good balance. Good fruit, no noticable alc and oak. Or...at last all was balanced.
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9/20/2013 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Licorice, coffee, floral, plum, damp earth and cassis scents pop from the still deeply colored wine. With rich, fat, round textures and a sweet, ripe, licorice, chocolate and jammy plum tinged finish, this fleshy, opulent Margaux wine is already is starting to drink well.
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9/18/2013 - P-M wrote: 89 Points
This bottle was better than the last I reviewed, with richer, supple black and red fruit, but an unpleasant alcoholic outer layer. Continue to believe there's not more to hope for from this.
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9/17/2013 - petergc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Took three bottles to a dinner at Hawksmoor. Lovely plush mouthfeel and a truly voluptuous wine, with blackcurrant and blueberry flavours balanced by savoury mushroom notes. Long, satisfying finish.
I would suggest this is at its' peak right now with the tannins softened to cease to be a factor. Poured this straight into a decanter and then into glasses - no need to breathe
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6/8/2013 - Wine Mothership wrote:
All structure, no fruit. Muted nose, muted palate. Poorly kept bottle, perhaps? I'd be wary of this as neither the wine or the cork showed any signs of obvious fault.
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5/16/2013 - Cheungtp Likes this wine: 92 Points
Clear ruby in color, with aromatics of ripe berries, espresso bean, incense, mushroom, mint and a bit of oak. Medium bodied, gentle, plush mouth feel, filling the palate with flavors of black fruits, forest floor, concentrated plum juice. Tannins are noticeable, but round and nicely integrated. Moderate finish with smoke, red cherry and oak. It's drinking very well right now, nice balance, should improve some more with time.
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1/26/2013 - bin905 wrote: 90 Points
Broad, fruit forward, dark fruit, licorice and chocolate flavors with smooth tannins.
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11/9/2012 - La Cave d'Argent Likes this wine: 87 Points
Tasted in double-blind fashion (with the bottle kindly provided by D.S.), this opaque garnet, full-bodied wine shows aromas of ripe black fruits, minerals and roasted herbs. It is actually tart on the palate and carries an alcohol listing of 13%, which is somewhat surprising for this hot, ripe vintage. The plentiful tannins are chewy and the flavors mirror the nose. While solid in the middle, the medium-length finish closes with the bite of unresolved tannins. Additional cellaring should be helpful. Drink 1/15-12/25.
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10/6/2012 - wurzel68 wrote: 92 Points
Duftiger, eleganter Wein mit Aromen von Kräutern, Kirschfrucht, Zeder, Tabak; am Gaumen Bitterschokoladen- und Würzaromen, weiche, feine und sanfte Tanninstruktur, langer Abgang; keineswegs alkoholbetont oder zehrend, sondern sehr ausgewogen; schöner Genußwein
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9/13/2012 - P-M Likes this wine: 89 Points
was blown away by the richness of flavour a few years ago. Now like many 03s, desiccating but still enjoyable. No long term future IMHO.
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7/4/2012 - greenboystrikesagain wrote:
92/93 - delicious drop... Decanted 1 hour before drinking, should have been 2/3. Evident Margaux flavours, heat of '03 vintage apparent. Still a little closed down - discipline required with my remaining 10 bottles!
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6/2/2012 - rhit wrote:
This didn't show any excess alcohol, which was a relief. Other than that, it seemed to be in a good spot, with nice fruit/savory flavor balance and mellow tannin. This probably isn't as robust or complex as Kirwan can get, but I was into it.
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2/5/2012 - CTwine wrote: 92 Points
Fruit forward red fruit those who like good Calif. Cabs will like this.i
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12/25/2011 - vinocerus wrote:
Pleasant but utterly uninteresting wine.
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12/17/2011 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 91 Points
A private lunch (Restaurant Hof van Cleve ***, Kruishoutem, Belgium): Wonderful fruit and balance, good weight, depth, more 2003 than Margaux, spicy oak, touch of red meat, Rolland did well. Delicioius now - 2015.
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12/7/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Licorice, smoke, coffee, juicy black plums and jam make up the fun perfume. Fleshy, soft and round in texture, the wine ends with a black licorice and blackberry liqueur infused finish. This is drinking well now and should continue to improve for at least another 10-15 more years.
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9/24/2011 - Border Boss wrote: 92 Points
From magnum. The bottle was opened at 11am, then sealed at 1pm for travel. It was then double decanted at 7pm and served. Dark purple with no sign of color change, as would be expected at this age. The nose is a little muted, but there's the unmistakable scents of a great Bordeaux coming through. The palate is also a touch muted, with black fruits, tobacco and cedar showing. With the handling I did today, it's pleasant to drink now but the wine is still closed down. It needs another five years to put on weight and develop more.
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9/23/2011 - t018214 wrote: 92 Points
A great rich nose immediately upon opening. After 1 hour, it was drinking nicely, but with strong tannins. After 3 hours, the tannins had softened only a bit, and the fruit was showing through. I expect this wine to have a long life, and to improve substantially over the next 10 years.
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7/1/2011 - phynes wrote: 90 Points
In some ways a typical 2003 this is still a very young wine. Lots of fruit, alcohol and tannins but a bit monolithic at this stage. I have two cases and this was my third bottle but I may leave the others as I suspect that this will be much better in 5 years time while other 2003's (Talbot, GPL) are more approachable now.
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5/27/2011 - andtheodor wrote:
2003 Bordeaux Double Blind; 5/27/2011-5/29/2011: [Tasted double blind] Green woody nose again with dark fruits that are attractive, chocolate. Sternly structured without much focus, low acid, astringent. While this is clearly the best wine so far, it still has a clumsy, backward composure that is tough to admire.
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5/18/2011 - blanquito wrote: 91 Points
2003 Bordeaux Horizontal: Wine #4 (single blind): Sweet, classy nose with new oak, rose water, cassis and no praline. This comes across immediately as much more restrained and balanced. This is the most closed, especially on the palate. I like it. 91-92 pts
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5/14/2011 - mondino wrote: 95 Points
ok, so I haven't even let this decant, I just put it thru Decantus aerator and sipped 5 min later. this is amazing, I can tell you this already.
tasted the 2005 vintage about 2 years ago and I thought it was terrible. this is totally different. not tannic at all, very smooth yet full body.
please try this.... ;)
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5/13/2011 - MatthijsVisser Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smells like: Cigar box, licorice, cherries, and leather
Tastes like: Blackcurrant, licorice
Silky tannins and good acidity. Long finish.
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4/7/2011 - dd wrote:
great must decant and wait 1hr
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3/28/2011 - Rani wrote: 88 Points
Tasted blind. Big nose - lots of alcohol. Obviously a hot vintage. Silky and polished on the palate, a bit of nail varnish too, along with blackberry and blackcurrant. I thought this was a 2000 left-bank Bordeaux. A technically well-made wine, but failed to excite me.
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3/13/2011 - Antonius wrote: 93 Points
Fles een 2-tal uur vooraf geopend. Bij het inschenken gedecanteerd met vinoglobe. Een fantastisch aroma met veel ftuit (zwarte bessen en kersen), cederhout (potloodslijpsel), laurier. Tannines zijn al mooi zacht. Maakt de wijn een stevige, maar tegelijk ook elegante wijn. In de afdronk komt ook chocolade naar voren en de typische vegetative smaak van cab. sauvignon. Heerlijke Bordeaux.
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2/12/2011 - wolf66 wrote: 91 Points
Tried another one, good but less impressive.
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1/25/2011 - wolf66 wrote: 95 Points
sexy seductive hedonistic, double decanted 5 hours before and improving in the glass.
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1/22/2011 - sfqwino wrote: 90 Points
Nice nose. Sweet vanilla oak with some alluring Margaux perfume. Ripe black fruits. On the palate the tannins and oak were still a tad wild and needed taming. Very ripe, very expressive, and quite typically 2003 vintage. Though this is one of the better ones I have tasted. Not quite ready. A few more years would do it good.
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12/1/2010 - jbeauprez wrote: 93 Points
Vinturi'd and decanted 3 hours. Lovely, lovely perfume, classic Margaux in that regard; classy, classic Left bank palate, not nearly as sticky-icky concentrated as some wines in this vintage (which I liked), but rather elegant. Terrific wine.
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9/1/2010 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux Tasting (Edina Country Club): Aromas of floral, smoked meat, minerals, blackberries and cherry. Drinking really well right now and toasted oak is picked up on the medium, concentrated finish. Very nice wine for the money.
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8/29/2010 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Bordeaux at the Edina CC (Edina Country Club): Decanted for one hour prior to event and an additional 1.5 hr at the event (total time 2.5 hr). This was actually fairly open on popping, but the tannins really settled down nicely after the decant. Fabulous nose, floral, violets, forest floor, dark berries, smokey, meat, the palate is gorgeous as well with a bit less acidity than some of the nights wines, but a tannic backbone that while round shows the stuffing to age. My WOTN and group WOTN. Very glad i have more of these! 94pts
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8/29/2010 - Mattshank wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux Event at Edina CC (Edina Country Club, MN): Kevin decanted this for 2 1/2 hours. Nose: Dust and mineral with characteristic violets, spice, and hints of licorice. Palate: Spice and some faint bacon fat flavors under the wonderfully balanced black fruits. The bacon hints were not showing after more air time. Medium to long finish. Very solid effort and my WOTN.
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8/20/2010 - pmik wrote: 91 Points
Elegant
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4/8/2010 - rschoemehl wrote: 93 Points
Still a lot of oak present in this 7 year old half bottle. Typical '03 profile with ripe fruit. Everything is in perfect balance except the oak. If the oak mellows this could turn into something special. wait 3 years minimum to pop the next one.
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11/2/2009 - Rieslingfan wrote: 70 Points
Overripe, raisined and generally atypical, unenjoyable wine. This had zero structure and even less life on the palate.
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5/12/2009 - Cynthia wrote: 90 Points
Nice nose. But still very tight. Need several years to soften.
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2/28/2009 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Anita: Med. int nose of cassis, black cherry, blkberry; slight hint of vanilla in nose (bigger in mth); coffe grounds, rich, sikky smooth bod, slight sweet bitter cocoa w/ coffee grounds and touch vanilla; This is a bit overdone--too ripe a vintage, almost hints of Napa in the mth, but elegant, and drying t’s in fin. W/pepper steak filet mignon and sauce. Needs 7 yrs for next try.
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10/29/2008 - DUSTOFF wrote: 90 Points
Painfully young Bordeaux. Did not open up for 4 hours and never really showed itself. Tough to evaluate at this point but you can see the potential.
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6/16/2008 - loverboy wrote: 90 Points
2nd time of tasting during past 6 months. Ruby red, medium-full bodied wine, nose of floral, red fruits, cassis. Not pretty ready.
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5/26/2007 - moutondoc wrote: 83 Points
Agree with most of these notes, very disappointing, very short finish and after one day the wine has fallen apart.
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5/20/2007 - Vidmantas M. wrote: 78 Points
Very disappointing this time. Dry with very little fruit, almost cardboard like! Perhaps a bad bottle?
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12/21/2006 - Vidmantas M. wrote: 89 Points
Very forward with excellent bouquet and ripe flavours. Obviously very young but tannins are soft and enhance the flavour. Will be great in 1/2 years
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10/29/2006 - gorm wrote: 92 Points
Dark garnet/purple color. A wonderful nose of blackcurrants and some licorice with the typical 03 sweetness. Medium to full-bodied it has a nice velvety texture and good balance. It gets a bit dry on the finish. Very pleasing. Rating: 92
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5/9/2006 - grapist wrote: 87 Points
At the Union de Grand Cru Tasting in Bordeaux. Seeing other notes on this wine brought back probably the strongest memory of this fabulous 7 hour event. I was taking a break outside the hall and began chatting with a young French lady who was having a smoke. Later, I met her again. She was pouring Kirwan. Both the '99 and the '03 vintage were there. the '99 was fabulous. I commented to her that the '03 was entirely different and the most Cali Cab-like Bordeaux I had tasted. She replied that, yes unfortunately, it was being made to "US tastes". She indicated her deep disappointment as well.
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1/27/2006 - Vino Me wrote: 88 Points
TN: 2003 Red Bordeaux (Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux Tasting); 1/26/2006-1/27/2006 (Drake Hotel, Chicago, Illinois): This was the first time I recall having a wine from this estate. Old world style. The tannins were present but not overpowering. Some saddle leather and kirsh notes. Nothing that exciting but a nice wine. 88-89 points.
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1/23/2006 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 92 Points
A minty, fresh nose intermingled with cedar and ripe fruit. Although still a bit hard on the tannins, not too much – a good sign because the tannins will melt in bottle. Nicely structured, too, with a good finish.
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3/30/2004 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Ch. Giscours: Opaque blk scarlet-coffee; bright reflections; spicey, strong nose; hint of swt leather, berries, caramel-toffee; super silky, glycerin, grt a’s; full bod, hige integrated t’s; long fin.***Nice Monster! Should be excellent.
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