Decanted 45 mins, put back on the bottle and off to dinner in Santa Monica. Aroma exploded in a good way. Flavor typical lovely Bdx. Lots of tobacco, leather and mostly olive tapanade. Lovely. Great balance in super flavor. However, after an hour it started to fall apart. More tannins crept in and the fruit subsided, became somewhat course. Seemed it was not exactly ideal storage, bought this a year ago.
In perfect shape I'd say would be a great wine. This bottle was so until it wasn't! Great QPR that beats any new world cab by 1,000,000%
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A robust, chewy mouthful of crème de cassis backed up by tobacco, cigar box, smoke, licorice, and herbs. Concentrated, firm, full-bodied, and drinking beautifully, this is exactly what classic Pauillac should deliver from start to it’s currant, mint and tobacco packed finish. 20 minutes of decanting and it was ready to go. Drink from 2024–2040.
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Served in my wine course. Cedar, light berried fragrant complex nose. Pleasing medium weight transitions nicely to a still firm finish. Wine of the night for me.
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Amazing development from the last bottle in 2020. Beautiful aromas of smoke that follow through on the palette with sweet notes of dark berries, tangy cherry, and licorice on a lingering finish. It’s like a peacock’s tail. A brilliant wine. Drink now - 2030, but do drink now, with a properly seared steak. 🥩 🍷 Cheers!
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An evening of fine wine and food (Black Salt Restaurant, Washington D.C.): Some initial brett aromatics (slight bandaid) blew off with time in glass to reveal a rather broad palate with that gorgeous cedar and graphite that one expects from top flight Pauillac like GPL. Although one senses an initial medium-bodied palate, the powerful tannins make it more full bodied with time in glass, with balancing acidity that makes the wine exciting. Lovely expression of plum and cassis fruit, medium finish. 13% alcohol. A very good match for the wood grilled ribeye steak that came with mushrooms, au gratin potatoes and haricots verts in a foie gras sauce.
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Leather and charr dominate the palate , smooth but too flat , very little backbone, fruit has sailed on this one. A fine wine, and always fun drinking something this old and nice. Good.
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The tannins have melted away, the fruit is still there. Wonderful noise of forest floor and truffles. Amber edge. Smooth and delicious. No hint of stewing fruit. This is the first bottle of our final case (of 5 cases purchased en primeur) so we have witnessed this wine evolve. It’s been utterly delicious for the last 15 years, just in different ways. Am looking forward to seeing how it continues to change over the next decade.
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Overshadowed by a 97 La Lagune and an 85 Gruaud Larose during a tasting but this was still a treat. Sweet blackcurrant, elegant, beautifully balanced and in a great drinking window.
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Following up a 1999 Jean-Michel Gaunoux Meursault 1er Cru is no easy task, but if any bottle was up to it, it was this great vintage from Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Still young in its profile, the wine took about half an hour / an hour to get going, but once it did, a nose dominated by earthiness and tobacco lured us in. The palate, though, was where the complexity shone as an upfront of dark cherries and blackcurrants quickly became more rustic as the mid-palate introduced notes of truffle, spices, herbs and hints of leather. The finish saw a renaissance of fruit as notes of plum rang through over a lingering end. This isn't at its peak yet, but is close and will prove to be one of the stars of 1996.
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Superlative expression of the 1996 vintage, ageing effortlessly. While absolutely at its plateau of full maturity, the vibrancy of the fruit is intense and fresh. Very meaty and dense personality, with very ripe Cabernet fruit. This is all leather, dark growth and ripe blackcurrants, and does not show graphite notes, relying more on its density with transparency for its expression.
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Agree with the green notes early on but also in agreement the wine opens up to so much after an hour of air. Lotta truffley earthiness with a very rich tobacco nose. Flowers and graphite enter little later. A beautiful cassis flavor with medium plus acid. The finish goes on forever with nice mellow cedar. Love the modest alcohol level at 13%.
Better yet, on day 2, balance of all of the above was near perfect. Plenty of life left.
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The mix of dark fruit and bell pepper on the nose is beguiling. The palate is the quintessential GPL that I love. It has plenty of dark fruit, tobacco, and cedar. This vintage has finally gotten to where it is an impressive wine, and this bottle, the 1995, and 1982 are my top wines of this Chateau. I don’t believe it is at risk of decline anytime soon. When first opened, it was spikey with acidity sticking out. Air helped smooth it. This is my third bottle over the past 2 decades, and by far, it is the best.
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Bought on auction recently. Dark fruit, leafy black currant, dark cherry, plum, bell pepper, cedar, leather, tobacco, spice notes, graphite, and gravelly minerality, with good acidity and very good length. The wine seemed a little rustic and underripe at first, but the tannin softened and the greenness mostly subsided with aeration, and the wine found its balance after about an hour in the decanter. By day two, the wine was balanced and smooth. A classic, very slightly underripe Pauillac. I would drink now, with an hour of aeration.
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Beautiful wine. An Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove. Elegant black cherry fruit with slight sweetness. Excellent structure. Not yet at its peak. Latour like
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Stood up for weeks but surprisingly little sediment. Ruby, slight bricking, but overall less than expected given its age; aromatic, classic nose with capsicum, forest floor, black fruit, tobacco; palate is medium bodied, medium (13%) alcohol, medium-plus acidity, black fruited, excellent forest floor complexity; finish is medium-long. Clean, classic, complex, superb age to drink now but still seems like it will continue to evolve well. 94
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Wild, woodsy, sappy, green-infused nose, super rustic but at least it’s highly expressive. The palate is tart, lean, stern, dry, bright and sour. Rustic, rough tannins with no elegance. Not sure if this is a representative bottle, but overall this is hard to like.
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Tasted blind next to the 1996 Pichon Baron. The two were quite similar, with the Pichon being slightly bigger and tighter. Tons of cedar and sous bois, tight with red and black fruit and high acidity. Still quite backwards and I would recommend a decant.
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This is in a nice plateau of maturity, with classic Pauillac scents of cedar, cassis and lead pencil. The tannins are resolved but still noticable. No rush on this.
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Nose: Spring florals, cassis, cedar and pencil. Classic Pauillac nose that unwinds and grows its sensual perfume over the evening.
Palate: Needs a good hour of decanting to start showing the elegant and lithe side, but one the pure cassis and pencil notes take center stage and the angular elements fade this gets to be a stunner.
Finish: Perfumed inner mouth with cassis, cedar and pencil. Truly getting towards a special experience here.
Best bottle of this yet, and this has really opened the reality of this being on the level of the 1990 and 1982 in the GPL ranks.
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16/24, excellent cork. Decanted 1/2 hr. Deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Nose is a mix of red and black fruits, lots of cedar, touch of smoke and soil. Medium bodied on the palate, more black fruited, cedar again prominent, smoke and soil notes with some savoury beef notes - this is mid-weight and attractive with very fine tannins, fresh/vibrant acidity and a very good length now quite harmonious finish, with a touch of spice on the tail. Excellent, drinking well but of course no hurry.
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Starting to taste mature. Classic Pauillac nose of cassis and cedar. Similarly fine blackcurrant flavour. Mellowing and a hint of age now showing the rim. Ready now but it will hold for another decade.
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Medium weight, dark with red rim. Dark fruits and spices, earthy fragrance , tar and licorice. Rich and earthy, nicely developed , strong dark fruits, cassis , plum, mulberry leaf, with dark graphite and tar spice. Has good flavour depth , balance and fine grippy tannins. A tasty aged Bordeaux.
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Such a dark horse, this keeps going from strength to strength, and is in its peak drinking window. If tasted blind, I would put this as a decade older. Old leather, plum, and blackcurrant dominate the taste profile, and it is a quintessential top notch mature Bordeaux. A word of warning, this only needs a last minute pop and pour, as it starts to fade in the glass after a couple of hours.
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Simon Beatty Memorial Dinner - Chablis Le Clos (Noizé): My notes show I tried this just a couple of months ago, and believed that to have been a good bottle. Well - this was even better. Just everything you want from a mature claret. Has this got much more to give? Not sure - I don't think it's going to get much better, but this is just great right now. Served as an excellent partner to its grander flightmate.
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Simon Beatty Memorial Dinner - Les Clos table (Noize): Oh boy - smelling this wine was seriously pleasurable. Classical and seeming rather youthful compared to a couple of recent bottles, with graphite, smoke and cassis, the nose was totally intoxicating. The palate didn't quite match up - I would have liked a bit more punch and depth - but its relatively elevated acidity made it an excellent food wine. Certainly not out of place next to the Mouton.
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Really good mature Bordeaux. Surprisingly rich. Wonderful blackberry fruit. Lots of forest floor, fair amount of well used saddle leather. Some Christmas cake, including the spices. Good structure, still quite grippy. Long and complex. Drinking perfectly now but last for decades, though the fruit will slowly recede with the passing years.
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No notes taken. Tasted double blind from a half bottle. This wine showed a nice maturity with tobacco and leafy notes complementing the still powerful dark fruit core. Just some tiny hints of brett completed the picture. Fine frame, good freshness, good balance. To reach an even higher score, this would need more substance, a higher precision and a better concentration. Nevertheless, this was singing and I would order it any day from a restaurant list.
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Beautiful color with aromas of green olive, forest floor, graphite and red cassis. Balanced and refined, with medium body, great texture and maturing but attractive tannins. In its prime but no rush in near term. A great claret
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This was great - 96 left bankers are...well bankers, and I think this was a particularly good bottle. Tough to give really detailed impressions at this stage of play, but thoroughly enjoyed this.
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Gareth's "best of the 80s and 90s" (Hawksmoor Guildhall): Lovely bottle, although not quite as exciting as another a couple of years ago (tough to follow the PLL '89, perhaps). Good depth, classic pencil-lead notes, sensual and fairly full-bodied with some grip on the finish.
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Needs a little bit of decanting. Tertiary aromas on the nose and palate, no fruit to find here. Tannins present, but silky. Lasts very long and has beautiful aromas of leather, mushrooms, coffee. Extremely dry and still tannic on the palate (regarding the age) so there is something lacking...
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Another fine bottle of the GPL evolving very slowly. Youthful but well balanced and wide open. Love it. The ‘96s are now open for business - my ideal age for Pauillac.
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Wow was this good. Dark, graphite nose, inky. Amazingly fruity on the palate, notes of blackcurrant and milk chocolate, but impeccably balanced. Great now and will probably continue to peak for a decade.
Had it at dinner with at my brother's. Really consistent with my earlier note. Such class and distinction, a wonderful wine indeed. Bordeaux will not get much better than this, only more prestigeous and expensive.
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brick red, tinging orange rim. Quite mellow, now with leather, and capsicum, cassis, sandalwood' Palate is softer than i would have expected, but balanced, and impressive. Double decanted 2 hours before serving, and needed as some sediment .
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Beautiful dark raspberry, cassis, tobacco, graphite bell pepper and sage. Serious and stern at the outset, but opened up great. A very nice multi dimensional GPL that is starting peak window now with a lot of room to run.
Decanted 3 hours and the last glass really pulled everything together.
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Consumed during a 100th birthday celebration. Upon opening and tasting, it seemed to be a much younger wine. It evolved nicely over the next two hours. Very popular with experienced bordeaux drinkers, several of the first timers found it overwhelming at first but cane back towards the end. Very happy with the longevity of this vintage and I look forward to trying my first 2000 GPL later this year.
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Lovely GPL in the right spot. A bit shy on the nose at first, but with air showing nice flavours of dark cassis fruit, cigar box and forest ground. Follows up nicely in the mouth with layers of dry fruit, mushroom, pine and scorched earth. A beautiful freshness is still present, and the complexity in the finish is amazing. While the wine might lack a bit of richness in the fruit to be outstanding, it is still a very classy and beautiful effort to enjoy now or within the next 10 years. Very nice indeed!
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It's difficult to believe that this is a 1996 left bank Bordeaux, and a Grand Puy Lacoste to boot. It is so forward and at its absolute peak, and if tasted blind you could be forgiven for assuming it was a decade older or more. It is deep with aromas of old leather, blackcurrant and plum. The tannin is sweet, and secondary and tertiary notes are present, and everything has an impeccable balance with a velvety mouthfeel offset with a subtle hit of tannin to remind you what you are drinking. Only a lightness end palate and on the finish prevents another point or two. In terms of longevity I seriously would think about drinking this up over the next 5 years considering how unusually advanced it is for its age. 94+
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Medium garnet in color. Beautiful nose of dark fruit, leather, ash, cigar box, graphite. Dry, medium bodied, velvety tannins, good structure and delineation. Balanced, well integrated. Long finish. At peak of maturity for me. WOTN for most at the table. No reason to wait any longer on this. Tasted blind. Guessed correctly.
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I got 5 bottles of this wine as a spontaneous pickup at some physical shop in the early 2000's. The shop had them on offer, being the last bottles or something. I paid very little for it, perhaps some 35 Swiss Francs p.b.
Finally had a bottle of it in 2022 and what an awesome stunner! I knew the property had a high reputation but it was a wowser nonetheless. Still wonderfully firm and youthful, complex bouquet and taste, yet light/lifted and fresh. A very classy and refined Pauillac, probably archtypical. I'd say "racy" is another attribute that applies. I cannot imagine it was any better at a younger age. An absolute delight!
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Double decanted 2 hours before dinner; another spectacular showing! Deep garnet with some bricking. Classic, mature GPL bouquet, with scents of dried plums, cassis, earth, leather, and black truffle. Medium bodied, ripe and almost fully resolved tannins, with great balance and delineation. Long and savory finish. What a wine!
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10th of 24, opened 90 minutes then decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, less dumb than last bottle in April 18 but still needs more time to develop secondaries, fine cool cassis drive so typical in GPL and so absent in my recent odd bottle of 03, considerable upside and life in this top vintage. F+ (18).
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Tasted after 1996 Leoville Las Cases. Dark fruit on the nose, quite creamy, notes of pencil shavings, tobacco, spices. Tannins have softened, but are still providing good grip, great fruit and acidity. Not as complex or powerful than the LLC, but very harmonious and elegant. Lovely bottle! 92-94
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A beautiful bottle. Color showed almost no signs of aging. The nose was incredible, with lots of earthy and olive tones. The taste was very nice, but honestly a bit of let down given the amazing nose. Overall, drinking great now, but certainly has years ahead of it as well. (Drank at The Modern in NYC).
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Evolving ever slowly, but gorgeous. Red fruit, bell pepper, tobacco on the nose and a taut fruity palate, perfectly balanced. Enjoyable Pauillac that is well emerged into youthful maturity.
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The mint and fresher fruit nose faded quickly after opening. Cedar, brambles, leather and slight tart red berries persists. Mouth coating tannins are well integrated but not entirely well balanced.
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Spot-on aromatics: currants, cedar shavings, forest floor, some saddle leather and touch of barnyard. The palate underwhelmed, sadly, however. The fruit was subdued, and there was a bitterness on the finish I could not get past. I am all for austere, gracious Pauillacs, just don't think this one ever managed to ring the bell.
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Happy New Year!!! Bordeaux to start the night!!! Deep Ruby colour. Thought it would have more patina…nose of Candied cherry, raspberry, old dried cigar box shavings, dry leather. Palate has balanced subtle tannins and acidity. Pronounced Dark cherry, plum, mushroom, wet Holiday leather, long raspberry and cigar smoke finish. Quality “ Pronounced “ Happy New Year 🥂 4.4
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This was a picture-book, classic Bordeaux! Intoxicating nose of cedar box, brambles and some fine-grained tannins. On the palate dusty tannins on the foreground giving way to mouth-filling and multi-facetted impressions. A pleasure to smell and to taste! Wonderful finish, too! Maybe the impressions on the palate were not quite as strong as with the first two bottles which would point to some declining.. Still: a wonderful wine; full marks!
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Woah was the first thing I said when I opened this. Great aromatics. Cedar right off the bat, cigar box, mint and green bell pepper. I could have my nose in here for days. You can just smell that this is a wine that is structured around terroir. There’s still some fruit here it’s dried out, but still there. Blackberries, dates and figs. On the palate it’s much of the same and extremely well balanced. The acidity gets you and then the tannins take it away filling your mouth so elegantly. I don’t have a long list of wines to compare to this…but this takes the cake.
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Double decanted two hours before service; from a pristine OWC. Deep garnet with no bricking; youthful appearance. Extroverted bouquet, with complex and heavenly scents of dried plums, star anise, roasted herbs, cigar box, and crushed stones; hints of black truffle and briar patch. Medium bodied, velvety texture, incredible depth and expansiveness on the mid-palate, with laser focus on the long and heady finish. In a sweet spot for my tastes, but I believe this will continue to evolve and improve.
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Charleston VI; 11/3/2021-11/7/2021 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): This wine surprised me a bit. Not a producer we've spent a lot of time with in Bordeaux. It was very fresh and bright and drinking quite nicely in that classic old Bordeaux style. A hint of green and certainly more earthy in style.
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At 25 clicks, the1996 Bordeaux wines are definitely in bottle health mode. This one, from a cold cellar, in pristine condition, with perfect fill, and a perfect label. The wine is totally Pauillac, with that distinct green, herbaceous peppercorn from a serious Cabernet, made with a serious intention. Totally new appearance in the glass, the wine looked 8 to 10 years old. This speaks more of my memories of 1996 in character. Lean, classic, elegant, light in fruit, and heavy in sophistication. The 96 wines always seemed to drift off key in mid palate and seemed to self correct during the nice long dry finish. While the flavors would barely push this wine into 93 territory for me, the long, dry, throbbing finish and linger tells me this baby needs allot more time and is about 10 years away from its best days. What a different bottle of wine! Drink the ugly bottles and dont touch the ones with excellent fill.
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No detailed notes. Decanted about 1 hour and consumed over the following 2 hours or so. The nose was classic - cedar, tobacco, clay, and cassis. On the palate the wine was pure silk. All it lacked was additional depth and complexity to make it truly great.
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Essence of old - school Paulliac. Pencil shavings, cassis, lifted mineral notes, a whiff of smoke. In the mouth, perfectly balanced, in stunning full maturity, iron ore finish. This is extraordinary wine that is deep, dark, and serious. Vibrant acids, very tannic, classic Paulliac. Not a new oak - vanilla wine, more an intense fruit, rust, and smoke style, that is expressive of place, and totally true to its terroir. Huge rusty finish that frames the gorgeous fruit. Full maturity, but bottles in this condition will age for a couple of decades.
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Absolutely a pointe now. Classic Bordeaux structure, moderate everything, perhaps slightly lacking in weight of fruit. There is leather and blackberries. Long and complex. Drink now beginning to fade and I don't this this has the structure to age beneficially from here.
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Enjoyable wine. Tend to agree is at peak right now. One hour decant prior to pour. Fully integrated with pleasant, but slightly understated flavor notes. Nonetheless, even understated, it's a good day when one can pop the cork on an aged left bank bottle. 93
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The wine indeed is starting to thin out. The tannins are darkening, and the end of the day is near. It is crepuscule du soir. And only those who wish to live in the twilight world will enjoy it = absolutely wonderfully nuanced nose of dark fruit and subtle wood, quite prefumed. And a wonderful balance between the two: no edges.
This is a fully mature wine. The palate is light, but once again everything blends together.
I have one more bottle remaining, and I will hang on to it for another year, just to see what happens. Decadence has a history.
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Well, I can't compete with notes below. This is a wonderfully elegant wine. Probably not as big as I was expecting, but with a prefumed nose and great balance of dark flavours in the mouth.
I am, however, struggling to find something more profound than this to say.
It has just too much soft tannin and ths is holding this wine back. I think that this tannin is residual, in other words, I think it will be around for a while, and to lose this tannin will mean losing the fruit (and this is in my experience the downside of left-bank Bordeaux). To put it in plain English, by the time the tannins have gone, so will have the fruit.
So, I would drink this wine now. It tastes that it might go on forever, but it will not. Nevetheless, what a great wine.
Double decanted two hours before dinner. Deep garnet core with no bricking. Extroverted bouquet, offering up heady notes of dried plums, cassis, dried blackberry, black truffle, star anise, bramble, cigar box, and earth. Medium bodied, with a velvety texture that is to die for, great balance and depth, impressive focus and grip, with a long and savory finish. Marvelous, and although drinking perfectly at present, there is still upside! Must buy more…
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Opened, but not decanted for 1-2 hours before drinking at the Kindler house in Montauk. Interesting that the last time I had this wine was appx 5 yrs ago with the Kindlers at CKH. Notes are consistent btw. Nose is pure left bank Bordeaux: A plethora of leather, black currant, cedar, & tobacco aromas. The wine is beginning to show its age with some bricking in the glass. Light to medium body, tannings are fairly well-resolved, and still silky smooth. This is a sexy, flavorful wine, still showing plenty of black fruit but also with evident notes of saddle leather, graphite, cedar spice, earthy forest floor and some lead pencil shavings. The fruit and acidity level are nicely balanced, excellent complexity and depth, with great length. A fine wine and wonderful example of an aged LB Bdx. Still has some time ahead of it as well, but showing wonderfully at present. Wish I had some more but I fear this is my last bottle....:(
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Wow. Classic Paulliac, aged Bdx. Cigarbox, pencil lead, cassis, fruit sweetness still present, but with interesting savory notes from the aging. Excellent nose. Wonderful purity and precision. Long finish. Left bank Bdx 1996 drinking so well now. Pity last bottle.
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Classic refined claret nose. On the palate blackberries, slightly sappy, with a nice bite of acidity and resolving tannins on the finish. This feels like it is just starting its drinking window and will last another 10 years at least - probably at its peak around 2026 at a guess. Looks more full bodied than it tastes. No feeling of over extraction - nicely balanced. Bought en primeur and stored with The Wine Society (UK).
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Promising powerful and dense nose, the palate is concentrated and full, filled with blackberries, dark cassis tones, cigar, minerality, cedar flauvors. Pronounced tannins which, however, do not override the wine since the fruit component is persistent and powerful enough to make this seamless from front palate to rear. This finishes long and offers a lot complexity. Still youthful and not fully resolved. Quite enjoyable now but a Gargantuan beast of a wine which is more about future promise. An excellent showing which probably rivals left banks of (even) higher pedigree. I will hold on to my remaining two bottles for several years and at this point turn to "lesser" vintages such as the 1997.
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Last tasted 14 months ago, this has become consistent in its delivery. In common with some 1996 left bank wines it is unusually forward for the estate, and could be mistaken for being a decade older, and now is firmly in its prime drinking window. Blackcurrant, plum, and old leather dominate the nose and palate with robust sweetened tannin making it very easy to drink. I still stand by my previous reservation re the finish which is lengthy and well balanced but leaves an over tannic aftertaste. It is a perfect example of a wonderful old school left bank Bordeaux in a perfect spot. An hour in the decanter is perfectly sufficient to enjoy this at its best. 94+
5 years ago I found a bottle intellectually interesting but way too structured to call it enjoyable. This has now changed and the wine like many other left bank 96s seems in it's early plateau of maturity. Very correct Pauillac typicity and good ripeness of fruit make this another classic from GPL. Not at the heights of 82 and 90 vintage here but probably (just) pipping the millennial version? Now-2050
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Deep red with some browning at edge. Lovely cedar nose, great depth. Full on the palate with plenty of fruit & soft tannins. Good length. Drinking well at present but would still keep
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Double decanted 2 hours before dinner. Youthful purple core, turning to medium garnet at the rim. A confident and extroverted bouquet, offering up notes of casssis, plums, bramble, gravel, cut flowers; hints of truffle and Asian spices. Almost exotic on the nose for Grand Puy Lacoste! Just as impressive on the palate, with a velvety texture, great depth, concentration and balance; long, complex, and focused finish. At 25 years of age, the 1996 GPL is approaching maturity, and I think it may give the ‘90 a run for its money!
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Beautiful nose of cedar, dark black and red fruit, and typical Paulliac graphite. Fairly masculine, slightly earthy but strong core makes me think this is in the earliest days of a long drinking window. Beat out the 1996 Ducru tonight
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Deep ruby with age-appropriate bricking; aromatic, lovely blend of black fruits with cedar, tobacco, some graphite; palate has fully integrated medium tannins, medium-plus acidity, black fruit but also great bell pepper, slight earth, some pencil lead; finish is medium-plus length. A superb Pauillac at early maturity but still seems like it will develop and grow for another decade. This is picture-perfect Pauillac. 94
Classic Pauillac aromas of cigar box, graphite and cassis, quite a classical mouthful too, although more blackberry than blackcurrant, with a very enjoyable red berry streak midpalate. Quite rich, but in a restrained way, light to medium bodied, elegant (verging perhaps on thin), but with one major problem - the rugged finish. There's a rather unpleasant astringent side to the finish, leaving a bitter taste, which rather spoils the rest, so for me a very good wine but not a great one. I opened this wondering whether to buy any more - at the current price here (75/80€), I won't. There are other vintages offering the same pleasure at half the price. If you have loads of 96 already, no worries - this will keep for many years.
A lovely bottle of the 1996 Grand Puy Lacoste. This is wide open and texturally so easy to drink, but it’s showing only secondary development still at age 24. The profile is quite leafy, but eschews any bell pepper, and the body is at most medium. This bottle was in the low 90’s point-wise, and I think we can (finally) say this is what it is. Maybe some more age brings out a bit more depth (doubtful) or complexity (probable) that makes this a little better. But even as is, a delicious and friendly and true Medoc that I thoroughly enjoyed over 2 days.
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First time with this wine. I love 96 wines and this speaks Bordeaux on every level with surprising heft for a 96. If blind, might think this is a 1990, but the nose is so intense and intoxicatingly Bordeaux (decaying leaves, graphite, and clay) that it makes me think this may be a Pauillac of first growth quality from an 80's vintage. Long lasting finish that punctuated all the sniffing delights floating in the glass, with satisfying sweetness and grip to keep things clean and fresh. Im satisfied and will drink another one tonight! YOLO DrinK
Last of my two bottles purchased second hand off Craigslist from a passive garage cellar in San Francisco in 2006. My last bottle was consumed in December of 2018. Another great showing for this wine that paired well with rack of pork. Mushrooms on the nose, really intoxicating. I think this is drinking well right now with minimal decant.
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Bright, ruby colour. Intensely savoury nose - tobacco, meat, leather. After a couple of hours in the decanter it got a little funky (some brett?). Given the pronounced nose, it is surprisingly medium-bodied, with only medium length on the finish. It’s nice but no wow factor.
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Warm, soft and mature with strong fruit, tobacco, dried herbs. Not stellar, but a very nice BDX in a great fully mature place. Resolved tannins and enough acid and structure to keep it together. Long finish. Very good. Drink now and over the next 8-10 years.
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Continues to improve and impress. Classic Pauillac in a fullish sense. Beautiful mature ruby. Cassis and pencil shavings. Tobacco and smoke. Medium weight yet fills the palate. Layered. At peak. Fantastic. (94)
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elegant, classic pauillac claret. tobacco, saddle leather, raspberry and cherry on the nose; lots of red fruit with good acidity and freshness in the mouthful; good length on finish with fairly soft tannins. had this over dinner with two other couples - everyone was happy with this!
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Stored at WCC in Irvine. Opened about 4PM. Medium body, dry. Flavor and nose of currents and dark fruit that intensified for 1.5 hours then faded. Became drier with time, then musty.
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Mmm, delicious. Sweet black currant, licorice, cedar and mint. With air a faint hint of barnyard became apparent. Juicy, vibrant, medium-bodied, a little firm; a whisper of tannins noticeable only through the slightly drying finish. Neal Martin called this wine "austere;" I bet he wouldn't have used that term if he had tried my bottle. I've always liked this wine: a classic expression of Bordeaux. A peak experience for my tastes, although it will probably be good a decade from now, just in a different way.
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We had a flawed first bottle from a case (brett) that I reviewed in August. Tried a second bottle in September with filet mignon on the grill. (Also zucchini “carpaccio“ with onion, pine nuts, dressed with oil and lemon juice and parmesan; and potato salad.) Cork absolutely pristine—looked new except for purple stain extending 1/8th inch up. Looks young, pale red with slight garnet around the edges. Classic Pauillac nose of cedar, lead pencil, and earth. Great legs, completely coating the glass. Decanted 90 minutes. Classic on the palate as well, with a nice balance of fruit, tannin, and earthy notes of the terroir. No barnyard/brett—see my previous note. Went well with filet mignon. Besides the “classic” aspect, there was one other way in which this wine stood out. That was the extent to which it evolved over the course of around 4 hours in the decanter. By the end of the evening it was softer, rounder, but coating the mouth with fruit and soft tannins perfectly balanced. It was a different wine, losing some of its fresher, acidic notes but emphasizing the power and the balance of its fruit and tannins. Not sure which I preferred. Instead, I would recommend experiencing both if possible.
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Classic expression of Bordeaux. Ripe red fruit, smooth, medium bodied, medium finish. Cassis, Bordeaux perfume and barnyard in the nose, well integrated tannins that will likely hold up for a few more years. Good bye old friend.
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With sirloin steak, rare, from the grill. First of a case acquired as a future and kept in dedicated storage. Cork intact. Red, no bricking. Looks young. Unfortunately, prominent barnyard notes—possibly brett! No improvement, and possibly more noticeable, after 3-hour decant. There was improvement, however, over the course of another 3 hours. By that time the bottle/decanter had been open for 6 hours. I left some over to try again tomorrow. For now, my plan is to try again soon with same 3 hour decant to check if this varies from bottle to bottle. If the flaw seems fairly consistent then I would experiment with an 8-hour decant.
Decanter sealed and kept in refrigerator overnight. Taken out from frig and unsealed 2 hours before dinner (wine, baguette, & cheese board). Still not happy—that flaw is bothersome, obscures the wine making it impossible to evaluate. Need to try again.
Absolutely lovely and perfect - such a smooth drink - it has held up very well. Nice dark red - enjoyed with a Tomahawk and was just an all round delightful time.
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The fill was into the neck and cork was pristine; PnP and consumed over course of two hours with dinner. Deep garnet with some bricking at the rim. Extroverted and complex bouquet, with notes of cedar cassis, dried plums, black truffle, roasted fennel, briar patch and hints of earth and crushed stones. Medium bodied, velvety texture, good depth and grip, with a long and savory finish. The 96 GPL never fails to deliver the goods!
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Superb. Needed a hour or two to breathe then came to life in the glass. Textbook Pauillac, a few edges and some bottles varying slightly but I would say one of my all time favourites for Q/P and ultimate enjoyment. What a Chateau.
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Generously poured (blind) by our host for a Chabli tasting at the end of the evening. Still very deep ruby colour with only hints of amber at the rim. Classic nose of aged, west side Bdx - blackberries, tobacco, barnyard, and warm earth. After some time in the glass a streak of unripe tones (green pepper) sneaks through. Medium to full bodied, nice and sweet fruit (blackberries and blackcurrant), but mostly dominated by quite dry tannins. The sweet fruit emerges again in the finish, together with tones of tobacco. Long. A very good wine at the height of the drinking curve, a bit rustic (tannins are somewhat "edgy"), and some hints of underripe tones. It is still a privilege to drink and enjoy wines more that 20 years old.
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Everything it should be, and it's hard to ask for better than that. The classic "know-it-at-a-sniff"nose of dark earth, minerals, aging leather and black currant. A bit of graphite. The mouth feel is superb, still present, softening tannin and soft acidity. The finish is good but starting to fade a bit. An exceptional experience.
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Schafk) 70CS,M) Hat aufgemacht und zugelegt! Ein schönes Erlebnis. Herrlich ausgewogen und balanciert, von allem etwas, in der Tat „ein kleiner Latour“ (Gabriel), mittlerer Körper, feine Frucht, wirkt fast frisch(!), schönes Finish. Großer Wein! Offensichtlich erst jetzt am Höhepunkt, mindestens für weitere 10 Jahre. (-2030) Nachtrag: gerade WW-Ranking von 2015 entdeckt: schon damals rangierte der GPL unter den Top 10, gleichauf mit den Medoc-Stars, und vor den großen StEm/Pom-Stars wie Petrus, Ausone, Cheval Blanc etc.
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Bloody good reminder of the charms of Bordeaux. 60% leather, 40% blackberry. Really concentrated, but not rich at all. Smells and feels really mature, but retains just enough structure. Don't think this bottle would have benefited from any more time, but the wine continued to improve in the decanter and the final glass was the best. Even more appealing when accompanying venison with Port jus.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; popped, poured and consumed over the course of two hours with dinner. Deep garnet, with hints of blood red at the rim. An ethereal and extroverted bouquet, proudly offering up scents of dried plums, tobacco, black truffle, and earth; hints of star anise and leather. Medium bodied, with a heavenly texture - velvety and pure - with great depth, layers of flavor, beautifully balanced, with a savory finish that goes on and on. I can only hope the ‘05 GPL develops this well!
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Showing some maturity. Some amber at the rim. Light cassis nose and softening mature cassis flavour. Decent but seemed a bit lacking in concentration and length. Ready to drink.
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I decided to try this after being a bit underwhelmed by the 2005 last night. Medium ruby color with some brown trim. Faint tertiary aromas like leather and tobacco with minimal black fruit present. Medium body. Tannin is present but not dominant. Leather and tobacco flavors show through. Interesting to compare with last night's 2005. Both are considered good vintages but the additional age on the 1996 led to a much better experience. I have another bottle of the 2005 that I will be sure to hold back for a while.
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Dyp mørk, noe utviklet farge med murstens kant. Deilig pauillac med duft av modne solbær, sigarkasse, blyantspiss og eksotisk trevirke. Fløyelsmyk og nesten fløteaktig konsistens, stor konsentrasjon, dyp og veldig flott frukt, tydelig solbærpreg med innslag av eksotiske kryddertoner og er lite hint av sort pepper. Finslepen tanninstruktur og en herlig, lett spicy ettersmak med mørke frukt-og bærtoner. Nydelig match til pannestekt lam ytrefilet med stekte kantareller og rotgrønnsaksgrateng.
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Decanted 3 hours from cellar. Mature wine with reddish mahogany colour, brown bricking. Bouquet of cassis and undergrowth On palate medium bodied with very smooth integrated tannins. Voluptuous cassis and pencil shavings and leather coat the tongue with a long finish. A great pleasure to drink. Needs decanting as lots of fine sediment in the bottle.
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Stored properly since purchase, decanted for 30 min and consumed over 2 hours. Incredible nose of earth, currant, blackberry, toffee, caramel, vanilla and a hint of smoke. Medium-bodied, tannins in a nice place with a finish lasting 30 seconds. The nose is highly reminiscent of the (for me) immortal 1996 Pichon Lalande - the nose alone makes this an incredible experience. Have yet to encounter a (cab heavy) 1996 Pauillac that disappointed. Drinking wonderfully now.
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1996 Bordeaux (Piccolino, Liverpool Street Stn, London): Blackcurrant with a redder fruited element. Very open and giving. Comely even. Pomegranates! Maybe a bit soft in a a Rubenesque way, but really just lovely and lush. My wine of the night for fun and current drink ability, but possibly not in terms of absolute classic quality. It’s a lot of fun. ****
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A little too light bodied. No tannin structure left. It might be close to its final development. Leather, forest berries, moist soil. Easy drinking, but will probably not develop much more.
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The 1996 GPL sports a moreish, pencil-focused nose and though it’s full of currant, saline, and olive tapenade, it’s still tight. It’s easy to like the fresh, fruity palate with its cedary présence accented by a bit of savory gourmandise and dark chocolate. Finished well. 93+
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Very similar to DJ Hammond's note. Though I don't feel any particular need to rush my remaining bottles. Old school claret and very satisfying. Could possibly argue for a higher score.
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Fully mature, this is at its peak, and only needs an hour in the decanter. Some left bank 1996s have shut down recently, but this is not one of them. It is a classic example of old school Bordeaux, and could be mistaken for a wine a decade older. Blackcurrant, leather, and earth dominate the nose and palate with good balance and depth with a finish 30 seconds plus. The tannin although resolved, is over sharp and bitter particularly on the finish, and prevents the wine being one of the great Grand Puy Lacostes. As stated previously, I could not guarantee the longevity of the wine and will keep a watching brief on its lifespan.
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Deep dark blue fruit with power and the finesse that time in the bottle brings to Bordeaux. very well integrated and drinking great. Decanted for 2 hours but perhaps would have benefited from a 5-8 hour decant. Lovely wine. All the right elements are represented but the harmony slightly off hence the 93 versus a 94-95. Beautiful wine.
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This is a picture-book Claret of the old style: Dark red color with a big "black" center. No signs of bricking yet. Cedar and ripe black fruit on the nose, rose petals and mature tannins; rich, intense and intoxicating. On the palate complex, harmonious and beguiling, well balanced with fully integrated tannins. A class above the chateau Montus tasted last week. This wine provides ample hedonistic pleasure and is probably at or close to its apex.
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Moved up one notch compared to previous note. Opened 3 hours in advance and put in decanter before serving. That did the trick. Excellent Wine in the Old School Bordeaux style at or close to it’s peak. I think.
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From magnum, both bottles showed tremendously! A deep garnet core, with just a hint of bricking at the rim. Notes of blackberry, cassis, black truffle and briar patch; with airing, scents of cigar box emerged. Medium-bodied, with a round and velvety texture, great depth, layers of flavor, excellent delineation and grip on the long finish. Tasted a bit younger from magnum, but the 1996 Grand Puy Lacoste continues to be an amazing experience, for intellectuals and hedonists alike!
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Rated the following day, but a memorable wine - everything vintage left bank should be. Medium ruby with tawny notes. Muscular but refined nose, dark currents, old earth, slight gamey funk. Rich mouthfeel with a medium finish, beautifully resolved tannins. Doesn't get much better than this.
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An excellent showing. Not much fruit left, though still a solid band of dark fruit, some bit of black cherry as well. Mostly the aged Bordeaux earthiness and leather on the nose with a bit of menthol, then in the mouth it's earth an tobacco along with black fruit - more blackberry and black cherry than anything else. Impressive - definitely in the drinking window but not declining.
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Enjoyed at La Folie in San Francisco. Decanted two hours. Eucalyptus and dusty cherries dominate the nose. Got more intense over time. Classic Pauillac profile with cassis, pencil lead, and green pepper. Still some tannic bite at the back so this will continue to evolve for a good long while but the fruit may thin-out first. It will be a fine line. No need to wait, though, as it has entered its drinking window. Great, as expected, with A5 Wagyu beef.
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Deep ruby red. 13% ABV. Aromas of leather, sweet pipe tobacco, cassis, violets and mint leap out of the glass. On the palate, there is a medium to full body, dark fruits, iron, earth and refreshing acidity. There is still considerable tannin in the seemingly endless finish, but this very impressive, classically styled Pauillac is now in its early drinking window. The scary thing is that perfectly stored bottles like this one will probably improve for at least a few years, and will drink well for a long time thereafter. 96.
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As previously noted, this drinks like it was a decade older, and is already fully mature. The nose has a beautiful opulence of blackcurrant and red cherry with a background of old leather. Compared to a year ago it is a little sharper on the palate, but has good balance and depth. This is probably down to bottle variance but I will keep a watching brief in case there are any signs of early decline. The finish has always been a little clipped, but this is a highly enjoyable wine, and very unusual for the estate in maturing at such a relatively young age. An hour in the decanter is sufficient. 93+
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Great and delicate nose that just might promise a wee bit more than the taste can live up to. Total impression is 92-93 points with further development potential still.
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Lovely. Needs an hour or two in the decanter to show its full colours. With that, a slightly smoky beautifully balanced wine emerges, long and pleasantly tannic, a real success. Many more years to go. Surprising that there has been no price movement for this wine in the last 4 years.
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Even at 22 years of age, this needs either another 5 years in the cellar, or 2 hours in the decanter before the cassis, cedar chest, burnt wood, cherry and tobacco notes emerge. The wine is full bodied, concentrated, masculine and a bit stern. There is also there is a muscular, refined quality ti the tannins that is hard to miss. This is a super example, of a textbook Pauillac wine. With luck, I will hold on to my last few bottles for another decade or so. I would not be surprised to see this drinking well at 40 years of age.
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Last tasted 10 years ago. This wine is drinking even better now. There is an interesting paradox here. Precise, balanced but on the one hand quite austere, yet the fruit is almost lush. It will be interesting to see how it develops in the next 5 years, whether the austerity resolves, or if it is in decline. Maybe best to drink the last two bottles now! ****
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Absolutely tremendous showing for this wine. Essence of Paulliac - stunning lead pencil, refined and mineral black currant, fine-grained (although not Mouton fine-grained) tannins. Certainly into full- maturity, but the acid and tannic structure are sure to keep this wine at its present plateau for many years to come. I may be underestimating this. Brilliant, classic left bank.
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750ml; Double decanted about 2 hrs prior; Clear intense purple; Clean and pronounced nose of black cherry, funky composted earth/barnyard, spices. Palate of funky black cherry, soy sauce, mushroom, hints of white pepper. Tasted blind and I was way off on this wine. I could have guessed In the Rocks Syrah. Nice funky showing if you like that kind of thing. Drink now lest it get too funky.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of dinner. Purple-ruby core, turning to ruby at the rim. Outgoing and complex bouquet, with notes of cassis, white truffle, and bramble, with hints of roasted herbs and cigar box. Medium-bodied, with a velvety texture, incredible depth and expansiveness, good delineation and grip on the long finish. Another great bottle of the '96 GPL!
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zH m Schusterm) 23J alter Wein! Er lebt und bestätigt den tollen Jahrgang. Schönes dichtes Ziegelrot, ein wenig granatklar am Rand. Verhaltene Nase. Am Gaumen diese typisch leicht dominante „herbe“ Säure gereifter „alter“ Weine, die nach Frucht und Extrakt sucht und gerade noch ausreichend auch bekommt - oft nur in Verbindung mit dem Essen. Typischer Bordaux aus der 2.Reihe (5ieme), dem die autonome feine Süße der ganz Großen aus diesem Jahrgang fehlt, der aber absolut überzeugt. Eindrucksvoller Wein, am besten zum Essen. 1 Std lüften. Hält sicher noch 5 Jahre auf dem Niveau (-2024).
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I’ve had nothing but stellar examples of the ‘96 GPL over the last ten years, having consumed almost two cases of this wine. A classic Bordeaux from a ripe vintage, this wine is drinking perfectly at present, but should easily hold onto its greatness for another 10-15 years. We had this bottle with lunch at Marea
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Simply wonderful. An eye-popping nose gave way to a soft supple pallet. This is drinking so well now, but it is not hard to imagine in continuing to evolve and improve (?!?) for another 5+ years. Thrilled to have drunk this now, but we will hold our other two bottles for a few more years.
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One of my top wines of the year. Purchased second hand off Craigslist from a passive garage cellar in San Francisco in 2006, so not sure what to expect. Amazing showing for this wine that paired well with rack of venison. I could see this holding to improving for another 5 - 10, but really drinking well now with minimal decant.
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The fills were into the neck and the corks were sound; very little variation between the 3 bottles. A purple-ruby core, turning to ruby at the rim; just a hint of garnet. Extroverted and outgoing bouquet, offering up classic and mature Pauillac scents of cedary cassis, black truffle and plums, with hints of cigar box and briar patch. Medium bodied, with a silky texture, great concentration and depth of flavor, good grip, and excellent delineation on the long finish. For my tastes, the '96 GPL is drinking perfectly at present.
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opened and decanted for one hour. Drank over the next three.
Color is youthful for the age with limited sign of bricking. Nose shows graphite and dark berries. Tannins present but well integrated. Palate has dark cherry, herbs and pencil lead. Long finish. Really enjoyable bottle of wine that is in a great spot right now and should stay there for at least 10 years. If opening over the next few years, I would decant for a least one hour.
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Tasted blind. Many in the group felt it was right bank due to the herbal / green quality suggesting it was Cabernet Franc dominant. However, I believe this is a pure expression of Pauillac and the 1996 vintage where Cabernet Sauvignon was the dominant grape in this vintage. It is showing great now, but it has many more years to go. Drink or hold.
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Fabulous. Opened for an hour and then decanted. By hour 3 it really blossomed. Earth, saddle leather, cassis. Nose of mushrooms, black cherries and leather. Should continue to drink well and maybe improve through 2023.
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; slow ox for two hours prior to service. A dark ruby core, with hints of bricking at the rim. Mature and complex bouquet, offering up notes of cassis, dried fennel, cigar box, roasted herbs and black truffle. Medium bodied, with a velvety texture, impressive depth, and good delineation and grip on the long finish.
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It is finally open for business. Having had this many times before, but each time prior it was closed and uninteresting. However, patience and time in bottle has been rewarded. Classic expression of Pauillac goodness with liquid cassis and blackberries, black licorice, cedar, tobacco, and a touch of green pepper. Incredible nose, great fruit concentration and minerality, with a persistently long finish. It has everything I love about Pauillac and the 1996 vintage. I will now have a hard time keeping my hands off the other bottles.
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This wine has evolved over the past six years with some bricking and a deep crimson-red colour. The nose is classic with blackcurrant, cedar, liquorice and touch of smoke and dark chocolate. The palate is mid weight with lovely spherical fruit and a nice line of fine tannin and minerality leading into very persistent finish. Overall a lovely classic Bordeaux.
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I haven't had this wine in a few years, and it hasn't budged. Mature but on the young side, it has a textbook Bordeaux left bank nose of perfumed currants that you simply cannot miss. On the palate, it is light but firm, with a neat structure that screams classic. I'm not sure it's one for the ages, but if I can refrain from opening my other bottles, they will be enjoyable 10 years from now.
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This bottle seemed much more advanced than previous examples, with significant bricking at the rim. Notes of dried black fruits, cigar box, pencil shavings. Medium bodied, round texture, soft tannins, and good delineation on the long finish.
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As previously noted, it is firmly in its prime drinking window, and is drinking beautifully. The nose is intense and opulent with blackcurrent, black cherry, and earth and graphite; you could almost mistake it for a mature ripe Pomerol. The tannin is smooth and the wine has evolved with subdued fruit and with layers of depth and complexity. The finish is perfectly balanced if a little short. A wonderful wine that you could imagine was 15 years older, but with a structure to stay here for some years. It is not quite at the potential level of the 1982, 1990, and 1995, but is highly recommended.
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One of the most disappointing experiences this year. Maybe I was expecting too much. Or maybe this bottle was flawed? Initial nose was amazing and full of blackcurrents, but seemed to oxidise extremely quick. Then became quite sweet and icky. I'm keen to try once more given the broad range of positive reviews.
95. 3 hr decant. Bought this in 2000. Classic Bordeaux. Nose of graphite, clay, tobacco and blackcherry. Fabulous mid palate, cherry cobbler, blackcherry -layers of complexity. Long finish, well worth the wait.
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Absolutely stunning. Great length, energy and verve. Notes of red and blue berries, leather, spices and mineral. Years in front of it but drinking very well today. 94+
9th of 24, decanted 90 minutes, perfect cork and level, little advanced from Jan 17 bottle, usual pure cassis fruit driven, classy if a little dumb, everything where it should be, hard to say when it will start singing again, a long haul GPL. F+ (18).
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Bordeaux night at Table, Donkey and Stick (Chicago, IL): Again, this is a very classic Bordeaux nose, with its dark fruit and cedar. There's a pretty prominent spot of green here as well, but it's certainly not out of place in a proper Bordeaux. There is a nice perfume to the nose here as well, and I think that's probably the best quality of this wine. However, the palate doesn't seem to be as open as the nose, and the tannins are a bit ornery right now. Black and chewy, this needs more time.
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Decanted one hour No maturity on colour. Classic fine grained Pauillac nose .Still needs time to full open. Palate unfurled over time some black fruit cedar good structure and depth. Classic
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Erketypisk pauillac med modne solbær, sigarkasse, blyantspiss, fuktig skogbunn og eksotisk trevirke på duft. Akkurat passe moden smak med veldig flott frukt, tydelig solbærpreg og crème de cassis, et snev av eucalyptus og et søtlig preg som ligger et sted mellom lakris og kanelstang. Middels dyp, saftig og med god konsentrasjon, finslepne tanniner og en fantastisk deilig, lett spicy ettersmak med mørke frukt-og bærtoner. Perfekt følge til tørrmørnet entrecôte og vårens første grønne franske asparges.
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What a wine!Bought for pennies and this jar of blue and blackberry jam has such character and finesse. The fruit is surrounded by the desired characteristics you want from a 20 year+ old wine- earth from the characteristic Pauillac soil, pure and varied minerals that give variety, distinction, and specificity to the taste. A bit of sweet pea flower and violet, this is a layered treat, mouth-filling rich with many textures. For the price I paid, wine-making at its best. A wine to find more of!
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The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; opened and consumed over the course of 4 hours. Purple ruby core turning to ruby at the time. Note of dried blackberry, cassis, briar patch and campfire, with hints of cigar box and hot stones. Medium to full bodied, with the structure still very apparent...seemed 15 years younger than the 1990 GPL that we had two days prior. The tannins are ripe though, with good fruit and the texture is approaching velvety, but not quite. Shows much better with food at present, and was a glorious match with the NY Strip. A full notch below the '90 at this moment, but with many years of life ahead!
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consistent with my previous notes - garnet color with hint of orange - pretty nose with complex old claret smells - nice round mouth with excellent acid-tannin balance, but as per other tasting notes it is on the leaner side of Pauillacs - medium finish - a very nicely developed mature and Pauillac that is drinking beautifully now, but will likely continue to develop for another 3-5 years Show Less
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Drank with the 95 and 97... this was initially my fav but the 95 blossomed in the glass to surpass.. That said, this is a stunningly beautiful classic soft shouldered Bordeaux
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I’m largely with what Blanquitto wrote. The nose was for me indescribable. Flowers, minerals and subtle earth. The palette was slightly thin but for me that was where the mystery and beauty was. There was light fruits and flowers in the mid pallets and it may develope more wieght but it’s in this beautiful mysterious place right now that demands quite attention. Was gaining weight as we finished the bottle several hours later
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Quick take: terrific, classic Pauillac bouquet, nearly fully developed aromatically; palate remains inchoate, leaning lean, some tannins yet to resolve.
The bouquet is very encouraging that this will be an excellent to outstanding wine when at peak. The 96s Left Bankers have always been so expressive on the nose. The GPL palate however, also like many 96s, is more of a question— it lacks the oomph and bottle sweetness to take it to the next level. It can’t match the 80’s equivalents... yet.
Perhaps this will continue to fill out with time. If it does, this will go to 94-95 pts. Last night, it was more like a 92+.
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A deep colour; full and rich on the palate, with dense blackcurrant fruit and a fairly thick texture. Attractively mature, but still lively and with the ingredients for extended keeping. Fine.
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Second bottle in the last few months. The cork pulled like it was almost new. I poured into a ship’s decanter in hopes it would start quick. (Delayed flight gave me a late start) It opened quickly into a profound experience of red berries, cherry, cigar box, loam and exotic spices. I think Jeff Leve (recent note) nailed the description and I would add “loam” or “fresh earth” to his description. Excellent wine and good value.
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With 2 hours of decanting, the full bodied, concentrated wine starts to show. The nose, with its bend of cherry, cassis, cranberry, cigar wrapper, cedar and green pepper struts its stuff. On the palate, the wine serves up soft tannins and a red berry wine with bite, vigor and sweetness with a judicious amount of Pauillac strictness and fresh, peppery, cassis in the finish.
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Lovely classic old style claret. Blackcurrant cordial, leather, good backbone of soft tannins. Excellent long finish. Threatening to lose some fruit so drink up.
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very consistent with my previous note:s garnet color with hint of orange - pretty nose with complex old claret smells - nice round mouth with excellent acid-tannin balance, but as per other tasting notes it is on the leaner side of Pauillacs - medium long finish - a very nicely developed mature and Pauillac that is drinking beautifully now, but will likely continue to develop for another 5 years
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Tasted blind side by side with the '95. Comparatively better, younger, and shows more intensity than the prior year bottling. In a great place now. Opened for 3 hours before tasting and lasted all night.
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Thank you, Peter, for the great advice to try ‘96 Bordeaux. They are in a great place. This is classic Pauillac - black current, tobacco, crushed rock. The fruit has sweetened and the high acid has receded. A real Claret. (93)
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very similar to my recent last note: garnet color with hint of orange - pretty nose with old complex claret smells, but somewhat restrained - nice round mouth with excellent acid-tannin balance, but I agree with some other tasting notes that it is on the leaner side of Pauillacs - medium long finish - a nicely developed mature and Pauillac that is drinking beautifully now, but will likely continue to devlop for 5-10 years
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surprise of the night! side by side with the l'aventure 2009. this was elegant, but still plenty of fruit, terrific weight and excellent balance. a classic claret that is not over the hill and def at its peak today. tobacco nose, nice finish.
Beautiful traditional Bordeaux. Fully mature. Light in color with moderate bricking. The nose wafts cigar box, farmyard, cherries, cassis, gravel, and hints of vegetation. The palate is lean, with elevated acid and a slight tannic grip still remaining. The finish is medium plus replaying the cigar box notes. A wine for those who appreciate old school Bordeaux.
Bordeaux 1996 (semi blind) with a friend (Amsterdam): Two bottles (blind tasting) on the same evening. One showed signs of brett and quite coarse on the palate. The other bottle was singing; complex, powerful, dark fruits, kirsch liquor and well-integrated tannin in the finish. Iron, dust, licorice and fruit-basket in the nose. Lucky we brought the same bottle! GPL 1996 is only just starting to open up I would think based on this bottle.
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13/24. Vg cork. Decanted 1/2 hr. Served at about 15-16C Deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Nose is clean, initially showing red fruit but becoming darker as it warms, cedar, nicely perfumed. Medium bodied, attractive dark fruit on initial entry, minerally undertow, cool fruit, fine tannins, just a touch of tobacco, fresh acidity, very good length finish with an attractive freshness not unusual in this excellent vintage. Lovely, drinking well.
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Recently purchased, bottle was in excellent shape with no discernible ullage. Decanted for about 2 hours. Color was quite nice classic garnet with some slight orange at the rim. On the nose, it was mostly dust, stone tobacco. On the palate the fruit was there in the midpate but fading. I picked up plum and diluted blueberries (like when it rains too much during picking season). This is a very good wine but not my style. For me, the earth and stone somewhat overpowers the fruit and its a bit too direct.
Still very fresh, nice acidity and fruit, showing some nice tertiary character tobacco and leather and still seems to have a long life ahead in this drinking window. Not overpowering or as full bodied as some modern day bordeaux, just very well integrated, delicate in the right ways, and a lovely perfume on the nose. Drank from a double magnum
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My last bottle from a disappointing case where 4 bottles did not show well. Happy to report that at least this last one was very good and another small step up coming from a 03 Lagrange and an excellent 04 Tour Haut Brion. Seems fully mature now with deep dark fruit and leather and tobacco notes. No need to wait any longer
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garnet color with hint of orange - pretty nose with old complex claret smells, but somewhat restrained - nice full round mouth with excellent acid-tannin balance - medium long finish - a nicely developed mature Pauillac that is drinking beautifully now - doubt much further improvement, but no hurry to drink this wine
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Great Pauillac, open and ready to go from the initial pop. Fantastic aromatics of flint, spice, and leather. Mostly mature fruit, but quite fresh and lively. Palate is a bit narrow giving this a stately, regal appeal. Long finish. Really good bdx, probably in it's peak/plateau.
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1996 horizontal Bordeaux tasting (Singapore): A fairly dark garnet, sweeter nose than the others, something slightly artificial though, soft and round palate, definitively richer fruit here. Does not strike me as a typical Pauillac today and remember this better. Medium finish. 91
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My third bottle, only the first was mature, second and third way too young. Opaque colour, strong cassis nose. If you like mature Bordeaux, I recommend to wait another 10+ years, unfortunately. But you will be rewarded. Powerful wine, will easily have 20+ years to go. Decanted and drank this bottle over 4 days, left it in the decanter about room temperature of 20°C. Best on day 4 but still far from maturity. Not rated
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Lovely nose of cedar and sweet currants. An elegant wine with good length, black currant, graphite, and herbs. Needs a good decant. Drinking well, but I don't think this is fully mature yet. It's still a bit thin on the palate and there is more coming! 93+
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Surprisingly advanced, the wine is fully mature and drinking like a 35 or 40 year old. Still benefiting from a short decant, it is a classical old Bordeaux. Aromas of blackcurrent and earth meet smooth tannins on the palate and completed with a lingering finish. Far more advanced than many of its compatriots from 1996, there is no reason not to drink this now.
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Perfection, this wine was drinking beautifully after a 30 min decant, and has reached an apogee. Beautiful red currant, cassis, pencil shavings, tobacco, wet earth, gorgeous soil signature. The long finish is supported by perfect acidity and finely-grained tannins, giving the finish a beautiful tension and astringency that I long for. This wine will likely last through 2025 or so. Lovely.
Pauillac at RSJ: Lovely when first poured - cedary, minerally cool fruit. Fell away quite quickly in the glass though and ended up a touch non-descript. Odd and a bit difficult to rate.
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8th of 24, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, again lovely and youthful per my October 16 note, even more backward than Haut Batailley 96 2 days ago but with more to it (as it should be). F+ (18).
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Deep colour no maturity. Full ripe black currant on nose but mineral and cedar behind. This is still very young at 20 . Gorgeous on palate, creamy fruit held up by firm structure. Impeccable balance and length. Delicious to drink now but complexity will grow with time.
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I shared a bottle last summer that showed signs of the beginning of the drinking window. This bottle took 3 hours before showing signs of life. Beautiful nose and medium intensity. I agree, try again in 2021.
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Still a young Pauillac. Powerful and muscular with integrated oak and lovely tannin. It's intense, rich and with a layered body. It's what you expected from a good, though not great, claret.
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1996 Bordeaux Blind: Totally different bouquet than everything else here- quite thin with acrylics and red cherry, sweet espresso. Overripe and a little baked... vanilla and oak here for sure. Far better on the palate, low acid and quite brooding. Savory. Very good palate actually, lead pencil, forest floor, dense red berry and currant fruit... Mouton-esque palate, but that nose just can't be. [Blind]
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Superb showing at lunch, holding its colour very well, beautiful open bouquet, very classic Pauillac on the nose and palate, refined underlying cassis, pretty tannin and length, overall simply beautiful.
7th of 24, decanted 30 minutes, perfect cork and level, my kind of claret - youthful bright garnet, even purple on rim; cassis driven, pure bouquet, some cedar box, classy and precise; medium full, very long, persistent and pure, balanced and grippy, touch of unresolved tannin, last glass the best and gaining complexity, earlier vintages and perhaps the 01 better drinking today, but in 5 years this should compete with the 82 and 90 for the palm. Today F+ (18), potentially VF or better!
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Fully mature this is very typical Pauillac. Very full with musty aromas of dark berry fruits, the presence of big steely tannins. lead to a satisfying finish if somewhat arrested. This is at its drinking peak but will stay here for some time to come.
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A deep colour, fairly mature; quite full, blackcurrant fruit with a little mint, and rather sturdy, with slightly earthy tannin on the finish. This doesn't quite have the elegance I remember from previous bottles, but it is nevertheless very good, and drinking well now, although it will keep.
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Opened to have with a nice grilled rib eye on 49th b-day. Lived up to expectations. Decanted, but pretty expressive upon pouring with complex earthy, leather, tobacco. brush and currant notes on the nose. There is still quite a bit of acidity, but the tannins are soft and smooth. Showed red cherry and blackcurrant fruit, with a long tasty finish. Solid 93 points, but lacks the complexity or depth to be rated higher. Seems to be consistent with most of the notes on the board. Very enjoyable and worth the 16 year wait :).
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Beautiful bouquet with cedar, cigar box , cassis and other dark berries, sweet spices and some pleasant rustic/earthy flavors. On the palate dark forest fruits, beautiful oak and sweet spices, chocolate, mild acidity and soft, round tannin with still a pleasant bite. Really beautiful wine which is completely ready now and – if well stored – can last another 5 – 8+ years as well.
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Fourth bottle from a small case that has disappointed more often than not over the last years, hence always my suspicion of slight heat damage some time ago. This bottle was showing ok with a healthy dark garnet. Surprisingly open knit and soft for a good Pauillac at this age after an hour or so in the decanter. Strangely a touch of Aceton on the nose, dark berries and sweet leather on the palate, fine to medium tannins, does not have the length it should have. Continued improving with more air and last sip was the best but perhaps still not an entirely correct bottle. 91-92
Purchased for 20th anniversary dinner. Fill was past the shoulder and just shy of the neck, cork was in perfect condition.
In the glass deep red with a little bricking at the edges. Lovely nose with cedar, red fruits, leather, tobacco and a touch of spice. Palate delivered what the nose suggested and the finish was long and balanced. IMO this still has room to improve with more time, but absolutely beautiful now.
Jill's impression - meh; too much leather, tobacco, cedar for her tastes, though as the wine opened over dinner she enjoyed it a little more.
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fully integrated 20 year old bordeaux... a bit tired w softer personality at this point but still providing enjoyment. Structure, texture and flavor profile all on the mellower side.
Surprisingly merlot dominant St Emillion Troplong Mondot from same vintage had strong presence of tannins.
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12/24. Decanted 1/2 hour. Medium/deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Nose reticent at first, then cedar, red fruit, touch of leather and spice. Medium/full, cedar red fruit, leather, savoury notes, tannins are soft, fresh acids, very good length harmonious finish. Perhaps not quite the best bottle of this.
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Classic Pauillac, pure cassis with a little mint. A bit of tannin showing as it opened out suggesting it needs more time yet. Lovely now but better, I venture, in 10 years time.
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Deep colour, no development. Very mineral lot of restrained fruit. Still young. Powerful deep very pauillac on palate. Tannins still present but plenty of fruit underneath. Long finish. This is still very young and will develop with further time.
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The 1995 and 1996 GPL were my contribution to a tasting of these two vintages. In my opinion, the 1995 was the stronger wine. This one showed higher acidity and was less lush, but that is not to say this wasn't a lovely wine. There was good fruit on the palate and the nose exhibited some nougat along with dark fruit. There was more balance to the 1995.
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That familiar nose............it really did have the typical aroma of the vineyeard next door :) Unmistakable Pauillac. 3 hour decant and it was sublime. Plenty of life left. It will outlive me.
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no proper notes - very classic and is still frsh and nice. secondary aromas coming in nice, aromas of; red bell pepper, cigarbox, dark plum, kirch, drink now and the next 5 years. oustanding quality, 93p.
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Drank at the Kittle House last nite with the Kindlers. Decanted for an hour or so. Garnet in color, not showing much age. Extremely generous nose of tobacco & earth. Medium bodied, silky smooth tannins, and still lots of black fruit and spice. Decent acidity level and lovely length. Excellent complexity with the wine exuding nuances of tobacco, leather, cedar, & earth--all integrated extremely well with the still-ample fruit level. This is a great wine--though not what I'd consider a masculine wine--and is showing wonderfully right now, and all at the table enjoyed it immensely. Loved it!
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First glass after a hone hour decant - it did not give away much and was tight like a fist, so I decided to give it another 2 hours to air. Second glass with 3 hours of air a little more expressive, some creme de cassis. However, this is still excruciatingly backward, the acidity is really high here and there is no sweetness to the fruit. At 20 years of age this feels like it needs till its 30th bday to be in its prime, but I am worried about the lack of sweetness to the fruit meaning that I fear it will never be a true pleasure to drink this wine, you can rather pad yourself on the shoulder for drinking a glass of strict austere Pauillac that is exceptionally long lived, classic, educational, correct. Almost comes across as 100 pct Cabernet. Hmmm. I count GPL amongst my absolute favorite chateaux, and while this is a great achievement I think it's just not my preferred style. I prefer the 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005 from here. And given the latter 3 are selling for the same or a lower price I would not be a buyer of the 1996. The 92 rating is a reflection of respect for this great wine, not of my personal enjoyment.
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Over lunch. Best Bdx at the table. In great years, GPL really shines. Great nose almost matching the Poyferre with blackberries, graphite, spice, pencil lead. Extremely smooth and silky palate with rich sweet dark fruit, menthol. Great finish and my favorite of the tasting.
Loads of Pauillac character here. Textbook cassis, tobacco and earthy notes, firm but polished tannins and a masculine edge. Still young, give it an hour or two of air, or another 5 years to continue to soften and develop.
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Nose: Blackberry, Truffle, Cigar wrapper, graphite and cassis. Intense on hte nose and at moments the truffle note was tremendous. Palate: After 3-hours decanting this really showed well with a silky feel, dark berries, sweet tobacco and graphite. Finish: Long and gorgeous with floral, earth and dark fruit notes.
Just coming into maturity, and has 15+ years of further development. Points to gain in the next few years with more complexity and elegance.
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Served blind. Very classic aromas of graphite, dark fruit, earth, and florals. The florals really jumped out to me and I think that's what had me thinking Margaux in addition to Pauillac. Lovely structure, great depth and balance right now. A great showing, with lots of life left.
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Brief decant with little sediment. Clear Ruby in appearance. Initial nose of farmyard and leather. Beneath, layers of dry dusty potpourri, dried cranberry, blueberry with very ripe cassis notes. By no means jammy though. Flavors of black current and beef bouillon with a long finish. Mouth watering acid and a touch of tannin left on the palate. Very good quality.
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Decanted for about three hours; surprisingly little deposit and - for my taste - relatively short cork. As I poured the winter into the decanter an incredibly rich and beguiling smell of dark fruit and lead pencil arose. I could smell the wine without holding a glass to my nose! This had never happened to me before; absolutely incredible! When actually sniffing and tasting the wine it blew me off my feet. Wonderfully rich, yet so nuanced, smooth and silky. I think this wine is at the top of it's game now. It was WOTN and left the 1989 Daumas Gassac drunk alongside way behind! Left Bank Bordeaux at it's best! Will drink the remaining two bottles within the next couple of years...
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As with previous notes...this didn't do anything until after the second hour of decanting. The first 110 minutes left nothing on the nose. At the 120th minute it began to reveal itself. Typical Pauillac notes. Nose had hints of leather, black currant, and tobacco. Very well balanced with low acidity and soft tannins. Still have half a bottle to go before this one is finished.
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Solid bottle drunk with 96 brethren P Baron and P Canet and thought this perhaps best of night but didn't get to spend that much time with it....good full profile and some hint of aging...very pretty
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Decanted and followed for several hours. Darker garnet color with lightened edges. Things did not get going until about hour 3, when the nose became a blast of cedar, pine forest, earth, tobacco, red currant, and a touch of green leaf. The palate at that point revealed overt layers of feral red plum, black currant, leather, tobacco, and earth. Acidity was low to moderate, and tannins were smooth and massaging. Long finish evoking waves of autumnal red fruit laced with earth echoing to a quiet end. If this showing was any indication, this terrific wine has many years to go and lots to offer.
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A sexy wine, drinking now. On the nose, cedar, vanilla, black fruits, sweet spice, lead pencil. On the palate, a quintessential, balanced, perfumed Pauillac with sweet fruit, a long finish and a very lovely overall experience. Decant and drink now.
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Love this. Fabulous classic bordeaux nose. Some herbaceousness in the background, but in all the best ways. Mint, eucalyptus, great menthol pairing with the rich plum fruit. cleansing. 93 - 94
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We have had this wine quite a few times over the last 6 years (Rated recently 94 in Jan 2015) but this was a little bit less impressive, a lot more barnyard, dusty feel. A good well matured wine but we are thinking bottle variation here. Felt like a 91-92 and not as impressive as before.
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Very classic and typical. Great structure and I'd say approaching maturity but I'll wait for a bit more complexity. There's enough tanning and acidic structure to go much longer. A beautifully classic example.
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A very promising showing of the wine with a spectacular Pauillac bouquet of lead pencil, brooding cassis, and damp earth. While the nose is incredible, the wine is still a brute on the palate. Monster tannins showcase grippy red fruits (dark cherry, underripe strawberry, rhubarb) while secondary earthy tones and some minerality attempt to slip through. Interestingly, new oak was not a problem, agreeable toast with no vanilla or bourbon. This bottle showed like a less refined, immature cousin of a 1996 Latour tasted a week ago. Definitely approachable for some drinkers, this GPL is huge and powerful and has a good deal of settling down to do for others. Will certainly be waiting a while, or for colder weather, to pour another one of these. Worth picking up and laying down.
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Nose of blackberry, dark fruit, cedar. Well integrated and beautifully balanced, mellow old fashioned claret. Rated 97 in 08, 94 in '10 and then a lean bottle rated 90 in '12. Drink up.
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G-P-L Vertical (82',90',96',98',00',03',05') Evening: The third place finisher for me, after the 90' and the 82'. Obviously less mature than the the 82' and the 90', with a solid nose of graphite, dark fruit and a little on the dusty side. The key difference between this and its older brethren was found in the palate, where the complexity and nuance have not completely developed yet but clearly will be coming with several years more cellar time.
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Deep color that holds well to the rim. Lovely nose that has plum fruit, oak spice and pencil lead. Certainly beginning to show warmth and maturity. Not as austere as previous bottles. The palate is showing the same thing: just beginning to show mature notes. The acidity is noticeable and leads to a slightly dry finish. This needs to mellow for the wine to ever be really great. I am doubtful. That said, this is a masculine, classic Bordeaux that I like a lot - especially with food. Will last a long time - 20+ years at least. (90+?)
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Garnet, Nose a mellow mix of tertiary flavors, nothing out of place, just not enough of there there. Taste morrored the nose with some licorice, black fruits, seasoned salt.
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Maturing nicely, and more quickly than I expected six months ago. Deep clear colour, no watering. Some tears. Cherries and loganberries on the nose, giving quite a condensed feel. Not sweet, but fruit and acidity are now in harmony. Good with a plain steak. Not quite singing yet with full gusto, but starting to make good music. I think it is leaving behind the awkwardness of its transition from primary to secondary flavours. Quite a contrast with the rain-affected 1998 which will go no further, whereas this appears to have more to give.
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Classic Pauillac fragrance, tannins rounded and mostly integrated, and just perfect with a medium-rare steak. As lovely as this was, I didn't see the structure for exceptionally long aging here. It's really in the zone right now.
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ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. I think this may have been slow-oxed prior to serving but not sure. Dark red to rim. Full-bodied, bigger than the 1995 right bankers we had that night, it took a while to open up but when it did it gave the '95 Angelus and L'Evangile a run for their money as WOTN. Destined for more complexity and even greater days ahead, try again in 5+ years. Outstanding.
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Perfectly mature with modest sediment, this dark ruby wine has a nose of dark fruit mixed with blackberries., leading to an amazing palate-cloaking tasting and long finish. If a date, this was the 1994 Playboy centerfold who hurries dinner along so you can adjourn to her place so she can get her physical fix from 11 until 6am.
Fantastic and highly recommended if you love mature claret
Consistent notes. A sexy wine, drinking now. On the nose, cedar, vanilla, black fruits, sweet spice, lead pencil. On the palate, a quintessential, balanced, perfumed Pauillac with sweet fruit, a long finish and a very lovely overall experience. Decant and drink now.
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Some nice wines over the last two nights; 5/13/2015-5/14/2015: Allowed to breathe for 8 hours and then decanted prior to serving. I think this was about the right amount of air at this point. drinking very well. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, slight funk, slight dust, slight spice, but all in a seamless complex package. On the palate, still plenty of fruit, medium tannins, lots of layered complexity. Great balance. Obviously plenty of time left, but this was a delicious bottle.
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Exquisite nose of pencil, smoke, and flint, with currants and oak spice nuances mixed in. Palate was clean with red fruits and fine acidity with the background filled with still youthful but polished tannin. Lengthy finish with cedar spice, sandalwood and cassis. Very good Pauillac, drink or hold though this will evolve, it's quite good now.
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1996 Bordeaux at RSJ (RSJ, Southwark): A touch closed. Medicinal. Brooding dark fruit, but not really coming out to play. Note of beef. Medium full bodied, quite tannic, touch of spice. Not showing particularly well. NR
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Deep ruby color with some bricking on edges leads to a nose currant, Asian spice and bell pepper. Medium body contains currant, cherry, black berry and mint. Long finish hi lights the wine. My only complaint is a slightly green aspect of wine. Best after 3 hours in decanter.
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Bottle breathed for the entire afternoon, but a couple hours of decanting would have been better. Deep ruby, nose still a bit shy, but the bouquet has ample amount of goodies, dark fruits, spice, rich cigar aroma, wet earth, wood and leather. The rich, round texture is a treat, filling you palate with velvety weight and finely grained tannins. Both the richness and freshness of the 96 GPL speaks volume about this fantastic wine. No hurry on it, it seems to have only just entered its prime drinking window.
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Although I tasted this wine earlier this month, a new note again. Both wines were tasted fully blind (Not even knowing it was French) and from different sources. Tonight’s bottle: A quite mature bouquet with cassis, cedar and graphite. On the palate also mature with still some cassis, chocolate and coffee. Good acidity and slightly drying tannin in the finish. A mature and refined wine. Although this is a great and beautiful wine, the 1985 we tasted alongside is just a tad better and more balanced.
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Birthday party for Mrs L (Wine Vault, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong): Dark, rich and smoky nose of cassis, cedar, pencil shavings -- classic Pauillac. Open and rounded on the palate, the tannins are nicely integrated into the sweet and robust black fruit, giving the wine a friendly and approachable style that surprises me for a 1996 vintage. There is a juicy complexity in the finish, which is respectably long. Compared to my last encounter eight years ago, this wine seems to have blossomed. I look forward to enjoying my remaining bottles over the next several years.
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A sexy wine, drinking now. On the nose, cedar, vanilla, black fruits, sweet spice, lead pencil. On the palate, a quintessential, balanced, perfumed Pauillac with sweet fruit, a long finish and a very lovely overall experience. Missing a little in the mid-palate. Decant and drink now.
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Drank off a wine list, notes from memory. I enjoyed this a bit less than others have here. There was a faint but detectable note of game I found on the bouquet that I did not appreciate - a whiff of chicken coop. Palate was heavy and dense with a very strong oak component that still needs to soften, and the final was marred by a volatile acidity component I also found off putting. In between all of the above shortcomings, it was delightful - a rich tapestry of dark fruit. I'd say this would show better at 25+ years of age - there is a great deal of stuffing and the oak and tannins still must soften. Not sure if the barnyard I was getting was a flaw and this was a bad bottle but from the looks of the other notes here I'd say that had to be a possibility. NR.
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UWS (@ JB): Beautiful, exclusive and mature bouquet with still cassis and other dark forest fruits, cedar and some pleasant barnyard and oak. Same on the palate, some toast, chocolate, beautiful acidity and soft tannin with still a good bite. Great wine and fully mature now. It will stay on this level for another 4 – 5+ years or so, but to be honest; imho the drinking window in CT until 2027 as it is now is maybe a bit too optimistic.
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yet another difficult bottle which was quite backward. Had the wine several times at 94pts level but this one was just not showing well. I will wait a year or so before i pop the cork on the next one.
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With 2 hours in the decanter, the nose reminds me of walking into a high end cigar shop shortly after someone spilled a bottle of cassis on the floor. Full bodied, classy tannins and sporting a long, cassis filled finish, this structured, masculine wine remained at this high level for at least another 3 hours. It would have continued to hold, but by then, every drop was consumed. 1996 is a sublime vintage for Pauillac and there is no other wine available with this much quality at such a low price in market.
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A private dinner (at home): Fully mature, lovely Pauillac, balanced and beautiful, complete and really nice but without the "je ne sais quoi", without the extra dimension that this wine had 5-10 years ago. Drinking well now and I think I will consume my remaining bottles sooner rather than later.
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2 hour decant-still a little bit tannic ; it showed as well if not better 24 hours later. Fragrant nose ,great palate but slightly short on the finish - that said a delicious 1996!
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Still in high spirits and very classic and simply beautiful. We decanted for 30 minutes, useful but the wine was open from the word go. Dark fruits, light pepper, leather, light floral touch. Well secondary on the palate but still quite alive and fresh and the tannin is still there albeit on the silky side. Once again a pretty solid performance from this wine. 93-94
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From Imperial, brought by a friend to a New Years dinner party. Dark ruby, still very primary color as well. Discrete nose of cedar, dark fruit, a touch of forest and earth. On the palate medium bodied with mature tannins that have softened well. A bit shy on the fruit like so many 1996. This was still young, could have matured a bit more in this large format. Astonishing how slow and well this wine matured in this 6L bottle. 93+
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Tasted at a Five Decades of Grand-Puy Lacoste tasting with Richard Brazier in September 2014. Classic Pauillac nose, tremendous length, no rough edges and complexity emerging. Much liked on the night, for me it needs another 5 years before approaching its best. Will be excellent, possibly outstanding in time.
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Rich colour, not a pronounced nose, mellow and easy on the palate. Very straightforward to drink, but still quite primary I think. Not as sweet and beguiling as it has been. A wine in transition. There is more to come, and we will leave it alone for a year or two.
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Ruby red with some slight bricking at the edges. The nose is a treat, which continued to evolve over the 3 hour decant. Bold dark fruits, leather, cigarbox, and hints of barnyard, bell pepper, and soy sauce. This was just bursting with fruit. Silky mouthfeel and full-bodied. Soft, round tannins and a nice acidic backbone. Medium finish. This wine seems like it is just entering its prime drinking window, and would guess 10-15 years left. Compared to the '96 Pontet-Canet and Pichon Baron, this wine seems to have more longevity and structure.
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A good colour, with no sign of age; on the palate, this has lively, ripe, spicy fruit, with good acidity giving it structure. It perhaps lacks a little richness, but is still vigorous and should keep well.
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With great relief finally a good bottle of the 96 Grand Puy Lacoste after having 3 flawed bottles from the same OWC and fearing heat damage for all remaining. Poured into decanter and drank over several hours but this is great upon pulling the cork. A beautiful, deep Bordeaux nose with the typical barnyard and animal notes embedded in dark fruit and some cedar. On the palate again the typical lead pencil giving this Pauillac its noble appearance. For me however also a touch too much cedar, or perhaps a touch too little fruit concentration. Perhaps a longer decant would have helped. Excellent - 93
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5 Decades of Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): In the last 5 years we have come across this wine 3 times and we went from a 90 in 2009 to 93 in 2012 to 95 today. Clearly this wine is evolving nicely. Quite dark in colour still, open, classic nose, light floral at times, quite a lot of dark fruits. Lively wine, still on the young side and full of promise. Classic, pure and happy to have afew bottles of this. Still young but very very good and WOTN for both us and the group.95
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What's with the High Holidays? Drank post Yom Kippur fast and 4 hour decant and very good that night and even better 2 nights later after cork back in and to fridge Classic Bdx with a tad sour night 1 but solid fruit and tannin almost resolved Pencil and cedar and cassis but much broader and softer night 2 and wonderful even with tomato based vegetable slow simmer pasta So good I just finished the bottle
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From the wine list, O&C, London. Decanted for one hour. Dark ruby color. Cassis, menthol, and graphite on the nose. Black fruit and graphite on the palate. A bit drying on the finish. Rich, polished, and long. Paired beautifully with roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.
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Tasted in an open tasting at a birthday party of a good friend. I recall it as a great Cab at the beginning of its maturity. Was definitely a great wine at the beginning of its maturity...
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Birthday Celebration 2014 (Extra Space): Popped and poured. Should really have put this one in the decanter. I shall refrain from rating this one. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with initial aromas of green bell peppers, cedar, blackcurrant leaf. Gradually opened up to blackcurrant, menthol and tobacco later on. Developing. On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium alcohol, chewy medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavor intensity, with flavours of blackcurrant, blackberry, cedar, menthol mint, graphite, tobacco. A glimpse of cassis emerged towards the end of the bottle. Medium+ finish. Looking back, yes we finished this guy too fast. On a night with Vega Sicilia Unico, Penfolds Grange, Chateau Pavies etc, not enough attention had been paid to this GPL.
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deep colour, backward initially then deep black fruit and cedar. Still primary. very classy correct palate, lots of fruit behind fine structure. Cool elegant finish. At start of drinking window and will improve
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This bottle was really singing and firing on all cylinders. Medium rather than full bodied it is dominated by gorgeous, cool Cabernet fruit, a superb mouth feel, exquisite balance and a deliciously lingering finish.
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Consistent with other recent notes. Purple colour, with some garnet/browning at the edges. Three hour decant. Thick, rich, concentrated wine. Classic Pauillac perfume of cedar, lead pencil, cigar box, tobacco, cassis, black fruits. The aroma is so seductive. On the palate, the wine has beautiful balance, good fruit (could be a little more fruit forward), lovely acidity and soft tannins, with good structure and an amazingly long finish. Give it lots of air, and drink now or in the next 15 years.
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As far as taste goes, I simply agree with everything Jeff Leve says below. A suggestion to those of you about to taste this excellent wine: decant for 3 hours. I had mine open for 2, and it was very good, but after about an hour in the glass, something so profound happened that all three of us noticed it -- it blossomed, and it kept getting better. Good show, and really a good experience.
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Decanted for about four hours and it helped a lot. Blackberry and prunes with mineral notes and wood. Full mid palate and long balanced finish. Lacked some elegance.
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Dark and clear in color. The nose showed leather, tobacco and berry notes. Good structure and precisely made wine, with niche red berry flavors. Overall for a GPL 1996 I was missing the power and length. Either this was a poor bottle or the wine moves into a difficult phase. Maybe a decant would have jump started this sleeping beauty. I rated the same wine twice with 94 pts just a few months earlier. So likely not a representative bottle. Drink now
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Textbook Pauillac here. If you're seeking a wine packed with cigar box, cedar wood, tobacco, forest floor and cassis, this is the real deal. Decanted 3 hours before serving, and tasted over the next 3 hours, every sniff and sip was a treat. Great texture, freshness and ripe fruits from start to finish with a hint of cigar and dark chocolate along with cassis in the finsh. Drink now, or wait another decade for even more complexity.
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Drank at Davy's Quite mature notes of earth, forest floor and a background of dark fruits. Amazing the bottle variation. Smooth complex palate but the length is slightly short.
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If you are looking for a wine to discover the perfume of cassis, one sniff of this beauty will teach you everything you need to know about cassis. Toss in smoke, tobacco, cigar box and cedar and know you know what text book Pauillac is all about. Powerful, full bodied, concentrated and deep, what this lacks in elegance, it more than makes up it in style and substance. Still young, this is starting to show a lot of its essence and character. Decanted for 2-3 hours, this was a treat.
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Decanted for about 90 minutes. Garnet-purple color. Nose of tobacco, leather, cedar, plum, and a whiff of green pepper in a nuanced array. Poised and a bit austere on the palate, showing cassis, red and black currant, moca, and leathery notes. Lower acidity and smoothed tannins. Lovely, sustained finish with echoes of red fruit, earth, and tobacco. Classic Pauillac profile with many years left.
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Forward nose of blackberry and raspberry and hint of blueberry with complexity of moss, mineral notes. Fine tannins that soften over two hours in a decanter. Full mid palate and long balanced finish. Everything you would expect from this wine and maybe a little more.
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Tasted blind: Clear but surprisingly thin garnet in color. Initially a very leather dominated nose which turned into pleasant red berries, Coke and fine leather notes after around two hours. The wine is long, has power and has smooth tannins. Now at the beginning of its drinking window. Decant for an hour or two. Great GPL!
Sang the typical Pauillac melody upon opening at Antoine's--drank like a marvelous middle-aged cru classe, smelling of manure and tasting of leather & casssis, giving all that one would expect and then some. However, the little remaining wine had faded significantly in 24 hours. Glad I have one left, but wondering if I shouldn't go ahead with it pretty soon. Will look for a good opportunity.
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Decanted half an hour. No formal note but that was really on song, with lovely cedary black fruit, hints of meat and leather, tannins now quite civilised, deep and long with attractive fresh acidity. Excellent.
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Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (Porter Creek, Mpls, MN): Very dark purple-red color. Short decant, I believe about 30-45 minutes. Drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. Another really nice nose with funk, earth, dark fruits, cassis, blackberry, pencil lead, licorice, and oak. The palate had full body, earthy, loamy, black fruits, pencil lead, structured and more masculine, dusty, licorice, and oak, medium plus finish.
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Very deep colour; refined blackcurrant and vanilla nose; good depth of flavour, with classic Pauillac character of cigar box and spice. A fine, rich and elegant wine.
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This is very disappointing. I bought this when released and have kept it perfect ever since. When 1996s are off they all seem to taste like this. It has a mix of some pretty claret nose and taste profiles intermixed with some astringent and funky/Bretty aspects. It is overall drinkable but just a little blah and ever so slightly off-putting. Julie actually liked it more than I.
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Cherry cassis, very lush entry, some new oak still, sweet ripe fruits, dense on the mid palate with lead pencil and graphite. Tannins not quite resolved but already a delicious drop of Pauillac from a brilliant and under-rated producer. Now and over the next 20 years. It will be fascinating to see how this evolves next to the 1995 over the next few years. They are pretty neck-and-neck but maybe the 1995 has that extra mineral and tensile dimension?
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This was much better than I had expected. Also better than both Lynch Bages and Pontet Canet 1996, which I have drunk a case of. This is bigger and younger in its fruit. The nose is sweet and deep, less blackcurrant/cedar tree/thyme and more plum/blackberries (even if only 20% merlot in the blend). Very chewy and full, but very good balance. Very very nice mature Bordeaux, which is just at the beginning of its plateau. I suspect it will stay there for many years, due to all the fruit and sweetness left in this wine.
After breathing in the open bottle for an hour or so, very intense aromas of dark cherries, molten caramel, violet bouquets, and woody smokiness; surprisingly more intense than anticipated for a 17 yo wine; the palate, complex yet still quite smooth; dark berries and cherries, dried licorice, sweet chocolate, and some sandalwood; the finish, very long, with most of the elements from the palate plus some pleasant tannins; overall, very delicious and perfumed, and very Pauillac with lots of power and weight to go on and on for many years in the future; 94-95 points at this stage; will likely improve further with more cellar time.
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Looks like I had this a year to the day from my last sample. Still performs very well. Core of red fruit, and great nose of flint and a little smoke. Has lots of life left and could still use a few years.
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My Birthaday Party: Family, Friends, Food and Wine !!! (My home): No notes taken. I recall it as a massive, youthful but highly elegant wine. Lots of dark berries with nice chocolate flavors. This wine is now at the beginning of its drinking window. Makes a lot of fun. Great GPL and a top-value Pauillac. Drink - 2035.
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Pristine bottle, from the same case as the two previous ones. Correct colour; very evolved flavour profile, cedary and a bit gritty, hinting at nuttiness, seems a bit tired, quite tannic and without the stellar fruit that is one of the hallmarks of this outstanding wine; decent length only. After the two rather splendid specimens in 2009 and 2011, this is a bit of a nasty surprise. I assume (trust, hope) that this is due to bottle difference.
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Took 7 bottles to the Donnersmark dinner at the Burgoyne. Very good, but still a little unknit in the latter stages. No longer primary, but not firing on all its secondary cylinders as yet. More time required.
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I had to chill this a little as it was too warm at first. Still on the young side but a classic, cassis dominated Pauillac. Should be superb in 5-10 years though enjoyable now.
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Decanted one hour and this showed lovely Paulliac secondary notes of cedar, graphite, and tobacco. Followed through with a smooth texture, tannins mostly integrated, and nice, lightly sweet-fruited finish. Ready to go now but has goods to hold a few years longer as well.
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Deep dark-red to violet. Lighter edges, but overall very dense and vital. First impressions of Sacher Cake!? Sweetness and aromas of Soft Cheese. Fruit in Rum comes with aromas of fermented, ripe and dark Berries and Plums. Cedar and secondary characteristics of Leaves and Earth. Traces of Eucalypt, fresh Herbs and Vanilla. Multi-layered and intriguing nose. Fruit forward with flavors of Fruit in Rum, ripe Cherries and dark Berries. A little watery with lacking density. Finishes medium-long with Peppery Spiciness. Nice, but unfortunately weak and one-dimensional on the palate.
A very elegant and solid wine with fully integrated tannins and hardly any remaining acidity. Still nice and easy to drink, this wine is declining and should be drunk very soon! More details at cellartv.wordpress.com
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HK Children's Skin Foundation 2nd Annual Charity Dinner & Auction (Chez Patrick Restaurant, 2/F, Garden East, 222 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong): No detailed notes because of the cameraderie, conversation and hectic bidding on our table......... this was a fantastic wine in perfect condition and that was surprisingly more open and seductive than other 1996 Pauillacs I have drank. Very classic Pauillac cedar, cassis and pencil lead with a gorgeous set of round curves, weight and poise. Beautiful both to enjoy on the nose and on the palate with the Charolais Beef Fillet. I'd love to re-visit this as a single wine in a smaller dinner setting....I may well have underscored it but, for me, the Henri Boillot Bones Mares 2001 was a bit more seductive on the night.
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Double decanted at home one hour before leaving for restaurant (Daveed's). Clear in appearance, med ruby at the core, with a beautiful tawny rim Nose is in good condition, now fully developed, showing med intensity aromas of moist soil, mushroom, cassis fruit, tobacco, pencil shavings. The palate is dry, med body and med alcohol (12% abv listed, remember those days?), with med intensity flavors of wet soil, tobacco leaf, pencil shavings, cassis fruit, showing gorgeous complexity and layering of mature tertiary flavors. The tannins are now on the mild+/med side of things, almost fully resolved into this wine, showing off ample med level of acidity, and a med+ length finish of cassis fruit, mushroom, smoke, and soil. This is a high quality wine that is now at what I would consider to be a peak of maturity, based on my tasting tonite. I would imagine that although this wine may not further improve with bottle age, it will continue to drink at this pinnacle for another 5 or so years. It was so delicious tonite, I will consume my final bottle within another 2 years.
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Open about 2 hrs before drinking. Classic Paulliac with currants and pencil lead. Wonderful acidity and mouthfeel, long finish. Color still youthfull but starting to lighten up a little bit. This one has a long life ahead of it.
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Excellent, mature, concentrated claret, with intense blackcurrant fruit and a slightly gamey/roast coffee element. This is full of flavour and style. Very fine.
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Un nez suave, envoûtant, de cèdre, d'épices douces, de fumée et de cassis noir. La bouche a la droiture de Pauillac, mais aussi un bon volume, dans un style dense et élégant. Le plaisir immense d'un beau Bordeaux à maturité. Superbe! 92 pts
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1982-1990-1996 Bordeaux evening (my home): deep garnet colour heavy intense aroma of pepper, slight earthiness, ripe black currant, blackberries, pencil lead, cedar, hints of chewy red fruit; thick and dense on the palate while still quite structured. firm tannin, full bodied, dense black fruits, nice cedar, hint vegetal flavours towards the end, good complexity; medium-long finish with a hint of bitterness. excellent and still young, though enjoyable now. can live at least a decade ahead.
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Liked this one very much. Still drinking very young. Nice voluptuous texture on the palate. Classic notes of pencil shavings and graphite. Nice long finish.
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Deepish red, little development, classicly attractive nose, blackcurrant still very primary, med full, lovely balance and persistence, nice acidic lift to quality fruit, ready but will improve over many years. At least fine plus (18/20).
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3rd bottle from a small case bought a few years ago and which must had been slightly heat damaged in earlier years. 1.5h decant. Not the most expressive nose but still one of quality Bordeaux/Pauillac, dark fruit, some barnyard and perhaps even a tocuh lead pencil. Then however a lack of fruit on the palate, resulting in a austere, dark style of Bordeaux, more like a 93/94 St. Estephe/St. Julien than any of the 96 Pauillac I have had. Not really bad and works quite well together with a meal, still a pity
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A wine to drink and enjoy. Opens up after an hour. Blackberry, bueberry, black currant. Intense, powerful, balanced, round. Would be interesting to drink with 1986 Pichon Lalande to see which one is better. Great value wine.
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mature Bordeaux wine evening (Wine-Bar, Nahalat Binyamin, TLV): deep garnet colour heavy intense aroma of pepper, slight earthiness, ripe black currant, blackberries, pencil lead, cedar, hints of chewy red fruit; thick and dense on the palate while still quite structured. firm tannin, full bodied, dense black fruits, nice cedar, hint vegetal flavours towards the end, good complexity; medium-long finish with a hint of bitterness. excellent and still young, though enjoyable now. can live at least a decade ahead. Great enjoyment!
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Still seems very young. There was agreat aroma of ripe black of blackberries, black currant. The colour when poured was deep. Initial taste was full of young tannin at first and over time keeps changing. Good finish. The wine can be aged much longer and it would be interesting to pick this out in 2-3 years time.
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Dense crimson, purple color. Nose classic blackcurrant, cedar, licorice and touch of smoke and dark chocolate. Palate a little closed initially - decanted only 30mins : gradually opened but always a little stern. For the true believers ! Great wine needing more cellar time and plenty of decanter time.
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- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of hay/straw and wet wool, wet dog. It's in total harmony and has flavours of mushroom, dusty and moldy with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a medium finish - Loved this wine. Will continue to purchase many vintages of this chateau going forward. Tasted earthy, totally different than Napa fruit bombs. Wonderful expression of barnyard aromas continuously resonate above the glass rim.
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1996 Red Bordeaux (Medoc) , with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): Wow. This has developed quite a bit since we last had it a couple of years back. Beautiful, open nose, rich, full of fruit aromatics and a touch of oak. Quite dense wine a lighter version of the 1990 monster. Lush ripe fruit, singing nose, vibrant , good acidity just a marvellous wine full of potential. 93+
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Pop and pour; intense aroma of ripe black currant as soon as the cork was pulled. Deep garnet color; intense aroma of blackberries, black currant, pencil lead, cedar, hints of chewy red fruit; palate is still quite structured with young tannin at first, full bodied, dense black fruits that fill the midpalate, some cedar, hint vegetal at the mid to end, overall changing and complex; finish is medium-long with just a hint of bitterness. Excellent and still young, though enjoyable now. This wine has at least a decade of evolution ahead. 94-95 2 hours air: nose has picked up a lovely bell pepper aroma, slight earthiness; palate continues to be young with a hint of bitterness, some green. I think if this slight bitterness integrates over time, this wine could improve substantially. It has great flavors and aromas, but is every so slightly out of balance with this bitterness. Palate has initial structure/tannin but is silky smooth by the finish. 3 hours air: yes! The bitterness has started to resolve. Excellent, complex, nose > palate but both excellent. Lovely young pauillac. 95+
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Popped and poured. Beautiful nose of medium-plus intensity with notes of cassis, lead pencil, blackberries and cedar. Medium acidity and medium fine-grained tannin, complex, good length and starting to hit its stride. The 11 months since my last bottle have worked wonders.
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Decanted 3 hours. Mature nose, typical Bodeaux Cab pencil lead, tobacco, and smoke mixed with creamy cassis. Closed palate, good acidity but little underlying fruit, especially in mid and late palate, thinning out to a washy, borderline astringent finish. Overall not bad, but an underwhelming performance. This bottle was more evolved on the nose, but very young on the palate. Probably needs a 12-hour decant--even though this particular bottle seemed to decline during the brief 3-4 hours spent in the decanter--or, better, several more years.
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Just outstanding. Followed over 2 nights. I love the green pepper notes. Significant tannins though fine and integrated. I would suspect this wine will last another 10 years but delicious now.
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Slight brownish-crimson color, still quite dark. Great nose of mostly red fruits, nice floral component with cigar box. Licorice and cassis on the palate, quite narrow on the palate and focused, with fine prominent but polished tannins. Moderate length with mocha, flint, cedar spice. Compared to the '95 last week this has finer grained tannins, more closed, and a more focused palate. Drinking well, but could still use another 5yrs.
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Dark garnet in color. No bricking. Aromas of perfume and damask roses. Tannins are still front and center, but it drinks like liquid velvet with flavors of anise, spicy ripe tannin, plums, tangy cherries, with good acidity. Well balanced. Tightens up after 90 minutes. This has a lot of promise. It will be a complex and exceptional wine deserving a higher rating. It needs another 5 years in the cellar minimum. Try again in 2017.
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Out of magnum. I'm pretty enamored by the 96 vintage of bordeaux. It was one of the first vintages I ever had and it really stuck to me. This wine was no exception. Lots of fresh blue fruit pouring out of the glass on the nose with a touch of leather. On the palate there was a sweet concentration of dusty strawberry and graphite enveloped by a firm tannic structure. Still a bit brutish on the palate right now but it'll resolve with time. Since I'm not typically a bordeaux drinker, I don't have the adjectives in my head to describe this wine properly, but it was really good and I enjoyed it a lot.
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Birthday dinner with the family : decanted for 90 minutes prior to serving. Deep dense crimson colour. Striking nose of blackcurrant, cassis, liquorice and cedar. Touches of dark chocolate and violets. Palate deeply flavored and long with fine and long tannins. Beautifully elegant and balanced. approaching a long plateau of maturity after a long dormant phase. Delicious classic Cabernet based wine.
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Decanted 1/2 an hour. No formal note. Lovely, developed claret nose with blackcurrant, strawberries, notes of leather, earth and minerals. Medium/full bodied on the palate, tannins have softened nicely, leathery blackcurrant and strawberry fruit, notes of earth and mineral, fresh acidity on the long, savoury finish. Excellent.
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Starting to drink well. Still quite primary and with plenty of life ahead. Tannins are relatively soft but there's good fruit content and structure to build complexity over time in the bottle. Medium body, very elegant. Fresh medium+ finish.
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Grand-Puy-Lacoste Vertical (Home): Drank as part of a Grand-Puy-Lacoste vertical that included the 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2005. Decanted about 30 minutes. Color is starting to brick. Seems in its drinking window now--very inviting and open nose with lots of secondary smells and flavors. Cedar or cigar box, tobacco, earthiness on the nose. Flavors of graphite, anise, mushrooms and nicely integrated fruits. Displays a great sense of place. Still some life left. To me this was the best drinking wine for tonight, although the potential of the 2005 may be better.
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From 375. Mature disc. Stony, oaky nose opening up with air, putting on some great blackberry, blackcurrant and ganache notes. Pure. Really nice and, happily, far more Pauillac-like than the 01 tasted recently. A similarly delicious palate, plump and a little spicy. Very enjoyable and drinking well now from 375 with a couple hours of air, but I'd probably hold off on this from 750 for a few years yet. Will age beautifully, I think.
4+
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La Commanderie de Bordeaux à Vancouver - Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste Vertical (Bistro Pastis): Decanted 45min prior to serving. Medium to deep red. This started off somewhat shy on the nose not giving up too much so I focused on the 89 and 90 and when I came back to this 20-30min later it had opened up quite a bit with aromas of leather, cassis, blackberries and a gravel/crushed rock note that was very nice but also unique to this vintage. In the mouth this was young and tannic with lots of structure but ample fruit to match. Lots of power here and masculine in style. This was surprisingly enjoyable to drink given how youthful it was showing and has the potential to be outstanding, just needs 5+ years. Excellent. 91+
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Nose: The French genie in the bottle wafts from the bottle as soon as the cork is pulled, along with some smoke and lead pencil, holding red and blue fruits and leather in her hands and dosed with cherry liquer. Over time, the nose becomes more subdued but still with all of the components in place.
Taste: Concentrated plums and lead pencil. The tannins, although still present, have begun to soften since my last bottle two years ago and secondary flavors are starting to emerge but notable acidity provides lift and an element of weightlessness.
Overall: A really nice bottle which is starting to show secondary development. This is why it is so fun to follow a case of wine over its lifetime. The requisite components are all playing musical chairs and have changed form and position since my last bottle with the tannins moving to the background, fruit to the fore and acidity playing a larger role.
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Beginning to show sign of aging on the rim. Forward nose of dark red berries with mineral complexity, but still quite primary. Great balance on the palate. Ripe tannins are well integrated. Time to drink if you like them fruity. This one is heading in secondary flavours which is not bad.
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New Year's Eve at A's home: Slightly better second bottle from case than the one last week however still not entirely convincing. The wood on both nose and palate seeemed more subtle this time but it is still there and for me somewhat irritating. The palate is generously creamy but seems a bit simple at this point in time. Medium finish. Perhaps really needs several more years in bottle
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Very enjoyable. Did not get to decant properly - plastic jug 30 minutes before - but enjoyable nonetheless :-) Stong cassis notes with plenty of tannin still, but this mellowed with a little time in the glass. Looking forward to the other bottle.
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Probably a bad bottle - seemed a bit corked immediately upon opening, 3h decant. Dark fruit and some oak on the nose, fairly muted on the palate except again some fairly prominent oak appearing towards the end, still some tannins
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Awesome magnum. Just lovely, with graphite and cassis on the nose, black fruits on attack, dense mid-palate and a nice long finish. Amazing balance, and while tannins are still a bit youthful, this is evolving into something pretty special.
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS #064; Bordeaux; Pauillac (By RvD): Beautiful bouquet in which ripe dark forest fruits are dominating, beautiful oak, cedar etc. Black cherries and some eucalyptus as well. Very juicy start, touch of sweetness, cassis, blackberry and blueberry. Beautifully round and creamy tannin that still has a pleasant bite. Beautiful now and a future of at least 5+ years.
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We drank this after a 3 hour decant. As expected classic Pauillac. Blackcurrant and black currants on the nose. Youthful but like other 96s very approachable. Dense cassis flavours. Five years away from any real secondary development but a lovely drink now all the same.
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CdBaH 81st (RDG): Tasted with the Pichon Lalande 1996. Like the Pichon Lalande, it's great to finally see this wine turn the corner. I've had this wine two or three times over the last three years, and its core had each time been cloaked with tannin. But no more. This wine is still young, but open for business. More evolved than the Pichon Lalande, the GPL had an earthy, almost funky, nose. Not a pure expression of Cabernet like the Pichon Lalande. But delicious nonetheless. Great depth, and a long finish. Maybe the 1996s are finally opening up?
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Not quite 12 months on from my last bottle, there is a slight shift towards approachability here but even after three hours in a decanter its still in need of plenty of time. Vanilla, cedar, plums and strawberry on the nose, but also with time an iodine-like slight harshness. Similarly on the palate, this started out quite generous, almost creamy in the mouth but with time it became a little more surly and the tannins came to the fore. This gets a slightly better review because of its initial approachability - it teases you with what it might become - but overall there's not much to distinguish it from the bottle last December. Its all about potential. And patience.
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Acker Merrall 1996 Left Bank Bordeaux Dinner (Balsan - Chicago IL): Despite being open a few hours and decanted, this also didn't show well. Perhaps an off bottle, more likely awkward and in need of more sleep in the cellar. A bit or ripe fruit coming through on the palate but not the spice I'd expect. Not much of anything on the palate, very lean and austere, with a finish that bordered on bitter.
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Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste (The Ledbury, London): Youthful, intense, blackcurrant, vanilla, notes of blood and meat. Deep, rich and full on the palate, long finish with some unresolved tannin. A little backward in comparison to other recent bottles, but excellent. ****(*)
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The fill was well into the neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of 2 hours. A very youthful appearance, with no signs of age. An outgoing and complex bouquet, offering up notes of cedary black fruits, roasted herbs, tree bark, and a hint of truffle. Medium-to full bodied, with a silky texture, impressive grip, ripe tannins, impressive depth, and a long and well delineated finish.
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Dense, ripe, very toasted dark oak aromas and flavours. Ripe dark plums and currants with leathery oak accents. This is a fuller and more concentrated wine than the 1995 and is not yet mature (unlike the 1995) and whilst enjoyable, I imagine the wine will improve with time in the cellar. A brooding wine that displays a heavier tannic structure with an opulence of fruit and generosity of oak handling. After three hours in the decanter the wine's acid becomes apparent - still primary and with a concentrated yet lean streak - this wine needs at least 5 years to enter early maturity. The wine shares a slight smelly farmyard quality with the 95.The mark is based on potential. Excellent, but very very different to the 1995 which is a point at the moment (but will age). Very tannic. 92+.
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From a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot, this still tannic and youthful Pauillac delivered scents of tobacco, cassis,gravel, smoke, spice and forest floor. Concentrated, powerful and still tannic, this large scaled, broad shouldered, Bordeaux wine needs at least another 5-7 years before it softens and comes together.
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GPL vertical with '96 Pauillacs (Scenic Loop Cafe, San Antonio, TX)): Double decanted for about an hr until it became aromatic, then returned to bottle about 2hrs before drinking. This came across as much more elegant and feminine compared to the PB. Nose was quite open, floral, cedar, Asian spices, and cherry. Palate with fine polished tannins and fine acidity. Plenty of red fruits. Lengthy finish with cigar box, touch of leather, and coffee. Came across as quite youthful, but strong complexity and length. Should continue to improve, though enjoyable now.
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this is a beautiful Bordeaux that is still on the very young side- a bit of olive and black tea (?- i don't know what else to call it) on the nose; dusty, cherry, big tannins that are sweet and a long finish- not yet totally integrated but full bodied and very promising- decanted for an hour and we drank it over the next 2 or so...(still have some in the glass)- i'm a fan of this wine now but its best years are ahead of it.
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Very nice wine! This wine is perfect as it is now, but I think it can go another year or two. Very well balanced and a typical bordeaux. Good fruit and few tannins make for a nice long finish.
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2nd Technical tasting course #3 (Wine Road Tel-Aviv): (blind tasting) dark cloudy red with some brown wet earth & mildew aromas med round body, chocolate flavors, black forest fruit flavors, good bitterness & harmony, silky tannin, balanced long & pleasant after taste.
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8/24. Deep ruby core, narrow pale garnet rim. Nose shows blackcurrant fruit, some strawberry, hints of blood and pencil lead. palate is medium/full bodied, showing blackcurrant fruit, notes of blood and meat, tannins now almost fully integrated, well balanced good length slightly minerally finish. Perhaps without quite the intensity or purity of some of previous bottles, but still excellent and within its drinking window.
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This is drinking really well now. I have drunk two bottles from the same case in 2008 and 2009 which were still too tannic and young so I left it fora couple of years and was surprised to see how much it had come round. Got the lead pencil that you get from lafite, typical pauillac.
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Very classic nose and palate. A little unyielding, and the tannins and acid are still noticeable. Fruit not prominent, and no sweetness. Better with food at this stage. But I think it will come into its own again quite soon -- earlier bottles have been sweeter and more harmonious. Probably in another awkward phase just now. After 24 hours under argon: it remains a little sullen, acid & tannins stubbornly predominant, slightly stinky palate, but the promise is still all there. I am not at all despondent about the future prospects for this wine, but right now it is not very generous.
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A very deep colour; attractive blackcurrant fruit on the nose, with an old vine creaminess and some oak. Quite full, round and very long on the palate. Good structure. Very stylish, with many dimensions of flavour. This is probably one of the best 1996s we have had.
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Four stars. Deep purple red colour. Powerful blackberry flavour with well integrated tannins. very long finish. drinking well now but still in its youth. I'll be interested to see how it evolves over the next few years.
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Garnet. Nose of dried herbs and 'asian' spices. Taste has dried herbs and a pinch of seasoned salt. All tertiary flavors, I do not think aging will help much.
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No formal note but continues to impress. Nicely developed now with plentiful, but integrated tannins, attractive developed flavours - red and black berry fruit, cedar, minerals and a touch of bloody meat. Deep, long and well balanced.
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Still largely closed for business, hints of what it is likely to become (which is very good, IMO) but not revealing much of itself now. Needs to be left alone for three to five years. Basics are there, as reported by other tasters below. But not ready.
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Bordeaux and a sweet Chenin with the Last Tuesday of the Month Supper Club. (Bill's): This one is still pretty closed up and not showing much development. There’s some nice black fruit, herb and graphite, but there’s still formidable structure and it’s a bit one dimensional at this stage. Good raw materials, though. B+ now with Solid A- potential.
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Needs 2 hours decant. At first, nose of barnyard, leather and smoke. Blew off after half hour. Tannins mellowed out some over 2 hours. Would have preferred longer decant, at least 4 hrs. Voluptuous, smooth and alive. Bouquet was open, and flavors of cedar, dark berries, currants and forest floor. A lot more forest and funk in this bottle than the last one opened in April. Color brick red, dark. Well structured, still tight and drank wonderfully. Finish full of flavor and long. Stunning texture and taste and glad that I still have one more bottle. (doris, still too much tannin)
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First bottle from a case. First sights of amber at the rim of the glass but really still quite a youthful colour. A very typical Pauillac. Cassis nose and cassis flavour - youthful but approachable but still quite a few years before it develops any secondary characteristics. One dimensional but good depth of flavour. 1996 like 1986 before it are very blackcurrant dominated wine but the younger vintage has more ripe tannins and is approachable at around 14 years rather than 24 years.
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This was a big and chewy wine and is still incredibly young. Some what muted nose but the wine has lots of stuffing. Firm but sweetening tannins. A good dose cedar hebind the black cherry on the palate.
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Popped for the Jewish new year and spent about an hour in the decanter before dinner.....color starting to fade and bricking on the edges, modest sediment don't recall the nose...should have paired well with grilled lamb chops, but the wine just sort of sat there, not bad but not singing either....tannin resolved and easy to drink...recorked and opened the next night and drunk with a tomato/garlic/basil pasta...should not have been great and it was terrific, just came out swinging and everything you would want in reasonalby aged Bdx....beats me why it worked, but wonderful and the wife and I battled over getting what was left in the bottle
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Cork slipped out a bit too easy on this one but it turned out to be a false alarm. Color was thinning and bricking. Beautiful wine with subtle sweetness and saddle bag/leather notes. Classic Pauillac. Pretty good stuff right now.
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Deep ruby core, narrow pale garnet rim. Deep cassis fruited nose, touch of bloody meat. Gravelly minerals. Medium full on the palate, tannins now mostly resolved, jut a trace of fine tannin on mid-palate and finish. Intense, ripe cassis fruit on the initial attack, notes of bloody meat as on the nose, some cigar box, fresh acidity carries a very good length slightly minerally finish. Lovely and beginning to drink really well.
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From half bottle. These 1996 Medocs are very aromatic. I recall the '96 Lynch rivalling the '89 on the nose. This '96 GPL was more tannic than the surprisingly accessible '96 Leoville Barton I had last week. Both have lots of tasty ripe black fruit. If I had to pick one over the other at this stage of development, I'd give 92 points to the '96 GPL and 92+ to the Leoville Barton. The GPL was just a touch more mouth-puckering. The '95 GPL is clearly better overall than the '96, although the '96 bouquet is better. Both delicious though. Is the '96 GPL the last of the great classic-styled GPLs?
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Dark ruby, this looks like a 5 year old wine. Cedar, cassis, earth, lead pencil and blackberry notes make up the perfume. This young Bordeaux is packed with thick layers of juicy, ripe Cabernet fruit that fills your mouth. Full bodied and intense, this beefy wine finishes with a blast of chewy, dark fruits. While not elegant in style, this classic Pauillac is still young and will additional complexities for decades.
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deep garnet. Nose was a Pauillac, but of lesser quality. there was even a hint of VA. Taste was thin and acidic. Bought at release and kept in an active cellar, I couldn't find a flaw that I could name, but it was likely there, I believe.
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Served a few bottlesat a dinner party with friends. Opened the bottles a 3 hours before and decanted them before serving. Drinks well now but will keep for a few more years. 24 hours later tried the last bottle opened. Even better now. Very nice.
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Decanted for 4 hours. At first, nose of barnyard, leather and smoke. Blew off after half hour. Tannins mellowed out over the 4 hours. Voluptuous, smooth and alive. Bouquet was open, and flavors of cedar, dark berries, currants and forest floor. Color brick red, dark. Well structured, still tight and drank wonderfully. Finish full of flavor and long. Stunning texture and taste and glad that I still have one more bottle. (Doris - Floral, 90) (Elena and Ray - cheeses)
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Wednesday Night Blind - April 2010 (Peter Pratt's Inn): Blind Wine #3 - Instantly recognized as Bordeaux, I say left bank, maybe 1990. Well structured, obviously had time on it, but had much time to evolve, not a lot of fruit, forest floor, cigar smoke, grilled meat and blood, some spice. Was better later in the evening.
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No formal note. This bottle complex and quite developed with tobacco and bloody meat along with the pure cassis fruit. Deep and now quite soft on the mid-palate, and really drinking really well.
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Chaine Dinner, 1862 at The Union League, all 9 bottles came from my cellar, and had fills into the neck. Opened about 2 hours before serving. Still has a youthful appearance; no bricking or signs of age. Really benefitted from airing, as the bouquet was quite extoverted this evening, displaying notes of cassis, black truffles and anise. Medium-bodied, with a velvety texture, great concentration, stunning balance, and a long, complex finish. Just approaching maturity, but it should last for another 20 years!
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Double decanted 8hrs ahead. Alluring nose of plum skin, stewed cherry, saddle leather, pencil shavings and farmyard. Concentrated but nimble, with forceful red fruits, slate, licorice and building tannin. The finish is fresh and lively, with moderate tannin and a mushroom note. A youthful, classic Pauillac that is still 5-7 years from its peak window.
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Off the charts! A youthful appearance; still purple-ruby at the rim. Classic bouquet, offering notes of cassis, barnyard, roasted herbs and truffle. Medium-bodied, with a round mid-palate, good concentration, lovely balance, and incredible purity. Will continue to evolve and improve for years!
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This was a real treat. Decanted for two hours. Nose of cedar, light tar, nourished leather, and lingering smoke. A concert of red berries in the mouth with a long finish. Acidity and tannins in harmony. Drinking very very well now but will certainly keep for medium term.
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5 hrs decanted; sweet tar cedar blackberry nose; earthy, blackberry, lead pencil; concentrated structure with sweet tannins and long finish with some nice acidity; still developing.
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Dark violet. Nice Bdx aromatics, with a big dose of herbal notes...in a good way, not green. The wine was decanted for a couple hours and serverd with grilled steaks. Still a bit stern, but is probably at the front edge of it's drinking window. Great components, complete wine, just needs two more years, or six hours of air.
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Bordeaux 95 vs 96 with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): Side by side 95vs96 @ Handfors's Tasting with Richard Brazier. Most people at the tasting , incl Richard, really liked the 95 and 96 GPL. I found them nothing special and had no favorite between them. Very classic style. Closed and tannic. Not for me Especially the 96 is super backward and austere, woudl even call it harsh. It def needs like all classic style 96s it some more time... 10yrs min
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of cedar, dried herbs, leather, black berries, black cherries and a hint of smoke. Flavors of bright red berries and a bit of Bing cherry. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink over the short to medium term.
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This wine is very slowly coming into a very nice place. It is a classic Pauillac, the way they used to make 'em. We decanted it and started drinking and watched it build very slowly over the course of three hours. It is at the very beginning of a long plateau. Still very youthful, but starting to show off its big ripe 1996 tannins, a black fruited beauty. It was really getting into full gear by the last sips, so about four hours of decanting prior to drinking would probably be of benefit. Lots of cassis and cedar, big, bold and mouth-filling, this is the way I like my Pauillacs.
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True garnet all the way through – youthful looking. Classic GPL nose of cassis and plum fruit – full, fat an rich – a plump ’96. Opened 8 hours in advance, there was still some tannin evident that really showed itself by the end of the evening. Needs a few more years (2012?). Excellent potential. (92+)
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This is drinking very well now, with a very smooth, almost creamy texture and complex, well rounded fruit. Excellent balance and length. A fine bottle.
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At Wijn Antiquariaat (blind tasting) GPL vertical with 1975, 1985, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 2003. Opened 2 hours before tasting. The most difficult bottle to access in this tasting. Very powerful, heavy wine. Nice fruit and classic style Bordeaux. Lots of tannins. Nose quite closed. Drink from 2015.
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Pristine bottle; double-decanted about 30 minute prior to dinner. A dark purple core, turning to red at the rim. The bouquet is lovely, with notes of cassis, briar patch, and a hint of black truffle and cigar box; still quite primary at this point, but I am sure the aromatic complexity will come with additional bottle age. Medium-bodied, with nice grip, great velvet on the mid-palate, good concentration, and a long finish. This is a classic claret, and the style is very much to my liking!
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Decanted about one hour and then poured back in botlle for restaurant drinking. Definitely ready to drink, relatively soft tanins, nice deep ruby color, good, but not great fruit, very Pauillac.
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Plenty of depth and extract; the fruit seems to be showing some maturity, with a slightly cooked element and a touch of bitterness. While this is an enjoyable wine, it is not as good as we remember it from a previous occasion.
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Another comfort bordeaux. IMHO, GPL has always been underrated. A classic Pauillac boquet, offering scents of cedary black fruits, leather, pencil lead, and cut grassr. Medium bodied in the mouth with plenty of tannin and a well-focused finish. Just entering its drinking window. Wish I have bought loads when it was sub $100.
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Still very bright dark red; almost no sign of aging on the rim. Forward nose of dark red berries, forest floor and stone cobbles. Great balance on the palate, ripe tannins are still notable. Wine kept improving in the glass with time. Still a youngster, but already enjoyable.
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Absolutely classic Pauillac. Lots of sediment. Ruby/purple color. Loads of ripe, ripe black fruit. Lengthy finish. Powerful cedary bouquet. Only one problem: It requires another ten years. Still a baby, at age thirteen. Delicious now, will be considerably better in a decade and beyond.
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Bouteille achetée à l’encan, ce qui implique une certaine appréhension à l’ouverture….Or, cette bouteille s’est avérée superbe. Un magnifique Pauillac, droit, élégant, long et complexe, avec les notes typées de cèdre, de crayon, de sous-bois…un magnifique vin, montrant beaucoup de classe et qui entame son plateau de maturité. 92 pts
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Decanted 1 1/2 hours. Deep ruby core, pale ruby rim. Ripe pure cassis fruit to the fore on the nose, with cedar and some meaty complexity. Intense and perfumed. Intense, savoury cassis fruit and cedar on the palate, classic and structured with lovely pure fruit and integrated tannins, long fresh finish. Very drinkable now, this still has a long way to go.
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Really wonderful wine, perfectly balanced with a deep richness that can only be compared to a French fruit tart, complete with rich custard notes and toasty crust.
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Purple core, turning to ruby at the edge. A classic Pauillac boquet, offering up scents of cedary black fruits, saddle leather, venison loin, and forest floor. Medium bodied in the mouth, with excellent concentration, fine grip, and a well-focused finish. This should continue to improve for many years.
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Everything that fine claret should be, with depth, complexity and elegance; typical Pauillac nuances (cedar/cigar box); reasonably mature but with plenty of life. Very fine.
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Good wine, but disappointing at the price point... even if I over-paid. Soft with moderate-light fruit. Sweet and light tannins. Low acid. Opens more at the 4-hour mark. I'm just not getting 92-94 pts out of this. Did not hold up to the steak, mushrooms and polenta.
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Fantastic showing - great fruit, with cassis and black fruits; earthy complexity on the mid-palate; and a refined finish. Are the '96 left banks finally hitting their stride?
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Ruby red in color. Characteristic Bordeaux mustiness on the nose. Slightest bit of of pepper and menthol, although the finish is inconsistent--sometimes mouth coating and sometimes too light or thin. I had this wine at a Sotheby's auction and loved it but tonight (or then) it isn't the same bottle...
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Deep ruby colour colour and classic Pauillac nose. Decanted for 2 hours then had with Christmas lunch. Silky smooth - everything perfectly balanced. Perhaps not as much length as expected but very elegant and polished - very classy. As we got to the end of the bottle we noticed more meaty notes. Excellent!
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this wine is in a nice place...drank after uncorking for 1 hour and then a 1 hour decant...great bordeaux spice nose, resolved tannins, and sweet fruit with plenty of secondary notes, including a slightly herbal, perhaps barnyardy quality that actually works
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Smooth no tannins, supple, garnet in color, earthy, wood smells/tastes, tasted/smelled fruity at first but that has all but gone away, long silky finish, elegant very nice, a neophyte but still from what I've learned I'd say this wine is ready to drink now
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Trip to Boston; 6/4/2008-6/9/2008: cassis, touch lactic, black berries, ripe, good middle, very drinkable - food wine. but stil true bdx - with a button-down shirt but perhaps no tie. well balanced if a bit structured.
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Saturday Dinner in Boston: Deep ruby color. Lactic nose with bright elements of cracked pepper, black currant and pencil lead, a not unwelcome touch of barnyard as well. Good acidity on the palate, medium bodied with a fine, austere profile.
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Irish Wine Board Pauillac Tasting (Irish Wine Board): From a Pauillac tasting at the Irish Wine Board. Only a quick sketchy note taken at the time. Circa €100-120 per bottle. Intense red and black fruits on the nose, with meaty, beefy notes also. Excellent on the palate: very well integrated, yet the fruit is still ripe and not drying out. Still on the way up. Excellent.
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Decanted 1 1/2 hrs. Deep ruby core, pale ruby rim. Classy pure cassis fruit on nose, starting to show some nice complexity with plenty of spice and earth, good intensity. Same pure cassis fruit on the initial attack, has the sleekness, purity and lovely fresh acidity I'm beginning to associate with this vintage, there is also some earthy, minerally complexity and just a hint of leaf before a very long, savoury if still slightly firm finish. This has really come on in the last couple of years and now appears to be entering its drinking window. Excellent.
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Tasted April 29, 2008 at an offline. Opened and served immediately. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of balsalmic, licorice, chocolate and dark fruits. Flavors of currants, dark berries and cherries. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink or hold.
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Deep colour, bouquet of cedar & cassis just beginning to have some complexity. Still firm on the palate but starting to drink if you like your claret fresh & robust. Tannins still evident. This will mature further for several years.
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A complex nose of meaty plum, roasted black cherry, soy, graphite, a little bell pepper and a touch of sweaty horse saddle. The palate has great energy with cherry, plum, damp rock and brambly underbrush. Still quite fresh and acidic on the finish, which shows an excellent core of fruit and graphite. Just entering prime drinking. Another 4-6 years will bring out its best.
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Opened and consumed without decanting over the course of 4 hours - the 96 GPL has dark fruit flavors with notes of cassis, cedar, mineral (iron) and earth with a firm tannic spine. Full bodied with a juicy mid-palate with a medium length finish with lingering dark berry flavors. Balanced, and while young, enjoyable.
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We didn't decant this wine, but it developed nicely over the hour or so it took to consume. I had this last in 2002 and it's clear this wine is starting to come around nicely. There's still lots of tannins, but the fruit balances it nicely. The 96 GPL is developing an excellent Pauillac nose, and possesses a medium-full mid palate and a lengthy finish. Seems to have a long life ahead of it.
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Didn't decant and this wine definitely required some air as the tannin was noticeable up front. After an hour or two was much better, though it still seemed to lack a bit of acid. Plenty of fruit on this one and I nice finish.
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"Audozed" por 10 horas antes e depois decantado por 1 hora. Aromas finos, de intensidade moderada mas ótima profundidade, com notas minerais, de frutos negros e herbáceas. Elegante, sedoso e equilibrado em boca, mostrando média acidez e taninos numerosos, macios mas bastante presentes. Agradável e aparentando pouca evolução, deve ganhar complexidade à medida em que surgirem os aromas terciários. 91+pts. E.
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"Audozed" por 10 horas e decantado por mais 1 hora. Ruby escuro sem sinais de evolução. Intenso e complexo bouquet de ervas, minerais, cedro e frutos escuros. Corpo sedoso e macio. Especiarias,cassis, tabaco e cedro na boca, com taninos ainda muito presentes, numerosos e firmes, boa acidez e bastante equilibrio. Percebe-se o vinho ainda fechado e com ótimo potêncial. Final longo. Excelente. 91+ Jantar no Içi com amigos muito espciais e queridos.
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Tasted August 17, 2007 at a SWILL offline. Opened and served immediately. Light garnet to garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of thistle, florals and mixed fruits. Flavors of black berries, cherries and plum. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink with a short decant or hold.
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1996 Bordeaux Horizontal (Custom House): Surprise of the evening! Nice big nose of black fruit and graphite. Lovely black fruit. Rich and in perfect balance. Likely drinking at or near it's peak now. 93+ pts.
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Fantastic bottle! Great concentration, medium bodied. Decanted for an hour still a little tight but overall a phenomenal bottle of wine. Lots of dark fruit and a bit of pepper and tobacco. Can drink now but will def benefit from another 5 years.
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SFWS tasting of 1996 Vintgae Wines; Deep red colour; lovely developing complex bouquet; a big wine on the palate, very profound, huge body & well structured with a voluptuous finish. A great wine which will keep for another 20 years ? A treat ahead.
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light bodied, notes of meat, berries and over time, some wood surfaced. good acidity and was a knockout match for mushroom stroganoff. short on the finish and didn't have the complexity I expected. needs more time to come together. day 2 - blossemed into a beautiful wine, fruit layered over meaty notes and filled out nicely on the finish.
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1995 / 19956 Bordeaux Offline (Alba, London): Either 1995 or 1996 GPL. A slightly more garet colour. Quite lean. Elegant. Slightly sweaty betty. Some slight acetone on palate. More reductive with time. Yes, but so what? Guessed 1995
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Deep ruby core, narrow/medium pale ruby rim. Very intense nose with some initial development. Meaty with underlying cassis fruit and spice. On the palate this has bright, medium +/crisp acidity and medium + firm, dense tannins. There is plenty of depth to provide balance with brooding cassis fruit, plum and spice and just a hint of cedar. There are savoury notes on a good length finish, with evident firm tannins. This really is quite a long way from being ready, but is well balanced and certainly should improve. Right now 88, but could well be into the low 90's with more time. Won't be touching another for at least 3 years!
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Very young and closed. Dark, dense red color. Lean and austere on the palate. Showing some dark fruit and metal/steel notes, but not much else. There's good suffing and balance here, but this just needs time. I wouldn't touch another bottle for at least 5 years - maybe 10.
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First time with this wine. Black as night as expected. Classic Paulliac profile, cedar, blackcurrants, some soy and earth, this wine actually moved in reverse-Initially it had a rounder mouthfeel but shut down more with air. I'd say let this wine alone for 5 or so more years. It still has pretty high acidity and although not austere, not where it needs to be either.
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Very dark red color with a little bit of development on the rim. A healthy amount of sediment in the bottle. Decanted for 4 hours. At first the nose was rather shy but it openend up progressively to display sweet cassis, ripe plums, smoke, spice box, and a hint of lead pencil. In the mouth, a medium to full-bodied wine with perfectly integrated acidity and wonderful sweetness. The tannins appear rather late, but still need some time to integrate. Nevertheless, this is a wine with a fine-grained tannic structure, where the tannins spread out over the entire palate. I really love it when the wine conveys the impression of elegance combined with considerable flavor intensity. This is why I love Bordeaux! While drinking relatively well for such a big wine at this age, the wine kept improving as the evening progressed, thus demonstrating that few years of patience are necessary to show its the full potential. Drink 2008 to 2020
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The 1996 was in contrast a lot more forward than we expected. It did have a long time in the decanter and ther was some marvellous cheese with it but still...It was how i thought the 1990 was going to taste, big, ripe and rich, but tannic and unyielding, its all there in perfect balance. Its still a baby in evolutionary terms but it was certainly revelling in its baby fat and was quite delicious.
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Given RP’s recent tasting of this wine, I had expected more. Quite enjoyable, however, with dark fruit and lead pencil on the nose and sweet ripe fruit on the mouth. Seems slightly less complex than the Montrose.
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CT Group does 1996 Bordeaux @ Jeff S: Light nose, but excellent concentration. All the elements are there, but the tannins seem to be hiding things form coming out. Excellent mouthfeel, and a nice, chewy finish.
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4/26/2024 - Mkotik Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent puillac with all the typical characteristics. But a bit more merlot would have helped it round the edges a little.
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4/21/2024 - essenceofreal wrote:
Decanted 45 mins, put back on the bottle and off to dinner in Santa Monica. Aroma exploded in a good way. Flavor typical lovely Bdx. Lots of tobacco, leather and mostly olive tapanade. Lovely. Great balance in super flavor. However, after an hour it started to fall apart. More tannins crept in and the fruit subsided, became somewhat course. Seemed it was not exactly ideal storage, bought this a year ago.
In perfect shape I'd say would be a great wine. This bottle was so until it wasn't! Great QPR that beats any new world cab by 1,000,000%
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2/18/2024 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
A robust, chewy mouthful of crème de cassis backed up by tobacco, cigar box, smoke, licorice, and herbs. Concentrated, firm, full-bodied, and drinking beautifully, this is exactly what classic Pauillac should deliver from start to it’s currant, mint and tobacco packed finish. 20 minutes of decanting and it was ready to go. Drink from 2024–2040.
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2/16/2024 - juffer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Served in my wine course. Cedar, light berried fragrant complex nose. Pleasing medium weight transitions nicely to a still firm finish. Wine of the night for me.
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1/23/2024 - Lipsman wrote: 97 Points
Amazing development from the last bottle in 2020. Beautiful aromas of smoke that follow through on the palette with sweet notes of dark berries, tangy cherry, and licorice on a lingering finish. It’s like a peacock’s tail. A brilliant wine. Drink now - 2030, but do drink now, with a properly seared steak. 🥩 🍷 Cheers!
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1/16/2024 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 94 Points
An evening of fine wine and food (Black Salt Restaurant, Washington D.C.): Some initial brett aromatics (slight bandaid) blew off with time in glass to reveal a rather broad palate with that gorgeous cedar and graphite that one expects from top flight Pauillac like GPL. Although one senses an initial medium-bodied palate, the powerful tannins make it more full bodied with time in glass, with balancing acidity that makes the wine exciting. Lovely expression of plum and cassis fruit, medium finish. 13% alcohol. A very good match for the wood grilled ribeye steak that came with mushrooms, au gratin potatoes and haricots verts in a foie gras sauce.
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1/14/2024 - jsebiri wrote:
Leather and charr dominate the palate , smooth but too flat , very little backbone, fruit has sailed on this one. A fine wine, and always fun drinking something this old and nice. Good.
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1/7/2024 - Barks wrote: 94 Points
The tannins have melted away, the fruit is still there. Wonderful noise of forest floor and truffles. Amber edge. Smooth and delicious. No hint of stewing fruit. This is the first bottle of our final case (of 5 cases purchased en primeur) so we have witnessed this wine evolve. It’s been utterly delicious for the last 15 years, just in different ways. Am looking forward to seeing how it continues to change over the next decade.
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12/26/2023 - s******n Likes this wine: 92 Points
2 Stunden vor dem Probieren geöffnet.
Noch überhaupt keine Altersnoten.
Toller gereifter B wie er sein sollte.
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11/24/2023 - Ianjaig Likes this wine: 93 Points
Overshadowed by a 97 La Lagune and an 85 Gruaud Larose during a tasting but this was still a treat. Sweet blackcurrant, elegant, beautifully balanced and in a great drinking window.
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11/9/2023 - ankitmehra Likes this wine: 93 Points
Following up a 1999 Jean-Michel Gaunoux Meursault 1er Cru is no easy task, but if any bottle was up to it, it was this great vintage from Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Still young in its profile, the wine took about half an hour / an hour to get going, but once it did, a nose dominated by earthiness and tobacco lured us in. The palate, though, was where the complexity shone as an upfront of dark cherries and blackcurrants quickly became more rustic as the mid-palate introduced notes of truffle, spices, herbs and hints of leather. The finish saw a renaissance of fruit as notes of plum rang through over a lingering end. This isn't at its peak yet, but is close and will prove to be one of the stars of 1996.
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10/25/2023 - Marc wrote: 96 Points
Superlative expression of the 1996 vintage, ageing effortlessly. While absolutely at its plateau of full maturity, the vibrancy of the fruit is intense and fresh. Very meaty and dense personality, with very ripe Cabernet fruit. This is all leather, dark growth and ripe blackcurrants, and does not show graphite notes, relying more on its density with transparency for its expression.
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10/12/2023 - Stufonhead Likes this wine: 96 Points
Agree with the green notes early on but also in agreement the wine opens up to so much after an hour of air. Lotta truffley earthiness with a very rich tobacco nose. Flowers and graphite enter little later. A beautiful cassis flavor with medium plus acid. The finish goes on forever with nice mellow cedar. Love the modest alcohol level at 13%.
Better yet, on day 2, balance of all of the above was near perfect. Plenty of life left.
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10/8/2023 - Diane (LI) wrote:
The mix of dark fruit and bell pepper on the nose is beguiling. The palate is the quintessential GPL that I love. It has plenty of dark fruit, tobacco, and cedar. This vintage has finally gotten to where it is an impressive wine, and this bottle, the 1995, and 1982 are my top wines of this Chateau. I don’t believe it is at risk of decline anytime soon. When first opened, it was spikey with acidity sticking out. Air helped smooth it. This is my third bottle over the past 2 decades, and by far, it is the best.
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8/29/2023 - PSPatrick wrote: 90 Points
Bought on auction recently. Dark fruit, leafy black currant, dark cherry, plum, bell pepper, cedar, leather, tobacco, spice notes, graphite, and gravelly minerality, with good acidity and very good length. The wine seemed a little rustic and underripe at first, but the tannin softened and the greenness mostly subsided with aeration, and the wine found its balance after about an hour in the decanter. By day two, the wine was balanced and smooth. A classic, very slightly underripe Pauillac. I would drink now, with an hour of aeration.
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8/2/2023 - Amerique wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful wine. An Iron Fist in a Velvet Glove. Elegant black cherry fruit with slight sweetness. Excellent structure. Not yet at its peak. Latour like
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5/22/2023 - aagrawal wrote: 94 Points
Stood up for weeks but surprisingly little sediment. Ruby, slight bricking, but overall less than expected given its age; aromatic, classic nose with capsicum, forest floor, black fruit, tobacco; palate is medium bodied, medium (13%) alcohol, medium-plus acidity, black fruited, excellent forest floor complexity; finish is medium-long. Clean, classic, complex, superb age to drink now but still seems like it will continue to evolve well. 94
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5/18/2023 - blanquito wrote: 87 Points
Wild, woodsy, sappy, green-infused nose, super rustic but at least it’s highly expressive. The palate is tart, lean, stern, dry, bright and sour. Rustic, rough tannins with no elegance. Not sure if this is a representative bottle, but overall this is hard to like.
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5/18/2023 - up4wine wrote: 96 Points
amazing wine. Has a hint of "green"; in a good way. Really ready for hearty beef dishes.
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5/8/2023 - Rani Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted blind next to the 1996 Pichon Baron. The two were quite similar, with the Pichon being slightly bigger and tighter. Tons of cedar and sous bois, tight with red and black fruit and high acidity. Still quite backwards and I would recommend a decant.
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5/6/2023 - micheal0811 Likes this wine: 94 Points
An absolute delight showing all the desirable notes of maturity expected out of Pauillac with a hints of florals that of Margaux.
Stunning!
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5/6/2023 - mdefreitas wrote: 92 Points
This is in a nice plateau of maturity, with classic Pauillac scents of cedar, cassis and lead pencil. The tannins are resolved but still noticable. No rush on this.
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4/26/2023 - RockinCabs wrote: 95 Points
Nose: Spring florals, cassis, cedar and pencil. Classic Pauillac nose that unwinds and grows its sensual perfume over the evening.
Palate: Needs a good hour of decanting to start showing the elegant and lithe side, but one the pure cassis and pencil notes take center stage and the angular elements fade this gets to be a stunner.
Finish: Perfumed inner mouth with cassis, cedar and pencil. Truly getting towards a special experience here.
Best bottle of this yet, and this has really opened the reality of this being on the level of the 1990 and 1982 in the GPL ranks.
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4/14/2023 - Paul D wrote: 93 Points
16/24, excellent cork. Decanted 1/2 hr.
Deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Nose is a mix of red and black fruits, lots of cedar, touch of smoke and soil. Medium bodied on the palate, more black fruited, cedar again prominent, smoke and soil notes with some savoury beef notes - this is mid-weight and attractive with very fine tannins, fresh/vibrant acidity and a very good length now quite harmonious finish, with a touch of spice on the tail. Excellent, drinking well but of course no hurry.
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4/12/2023 - Eric Wright Likes this wine: 90 Points
Typical GPL profile, but disappointing relative to other recent '96s.
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4/10/2023 - kevin h wrote: 92 Points
Starting to taste mature. Classic Pauillac nose of cassis and cedar. Similarly fine blackcurrant flavour. Mellowing and a hint of age now showing the rim. Ready now but it will hold for another decade.
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4/7/2023 - Vini Ciclismo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium weight, dark with red rim.
Dark fruits and spices, earthy fragrance , tar and licorice.
Rich and earthy, nicely developed , strong dark fruits, cassis , plum, mulberry leaf, with dark graphite and tar spice. Has good flavour depth , balance and fine grippy tannins. A tasty aged Bordeaux.
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4/3/2023 - djhammond Likes this wine: 95 Points
Such a dark horse, this keeps going from strength to strength, and is in its peak drinking window. If tasted blind, I would put this as a decade older. Old leather, plum, and blackcurrant dominate the taste profile, and it is a quintessential top notch mature Bordeaux. A word of warning, this only needs a last minute pop and pour, as it starts to fade in the glass after a couple of hours.
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3/11/2023 - 911henrik wrote: 95 Points
Brilliant. Just like good Paulliac should be.
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2/22/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Simon Beatty Memorial Dinner - Chablis Le Clos (Noizé): My notes show I tried this just a couple of months ago, and believed that to have been a good bottle. Well - this was even better. Just everything you want from a mature claret. Has this got much more to give? Not sure - I don't think it's going to get much better, but this is just great right now. Served as an excellent partner to its grander flightmate.
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2/21/2023 - NickA Likes this wine: 94 Points
Simon Beatty Memorial Dinner - Les Clos table (Noize): Oh boy - smelling this wine was seriously pleasurable. Classical and seeming rather youthful compared to a couple of recent bottles, with graphite, smoke and cassis, the nose was totally intoxicating. The palate didn't quite match up - I would have liked a bit more punch and depth - but its relatively elevated acidity made it an excellent food wine. Certainly not out of place next to the Mouton.
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2/8/2023 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really good mature Bordeaux. Surprisingly rich. Wonderful blackberry fruit. Lots of forest floor, fair amount of well used saddle leather. Some Christmas cake, including the spices. Good structure, still quite grippy. Long and complex. Drinking perfectly now but last for decades, though the fruit will slowly recede with the passing years.
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1/22/2023 - Cailles wrote: 93 Points
No notes taken. Tasted double blind from a half bottle. This wine showed a nice maturity with tobacco and leafy notes complementing the still powerful dark fruit core. Just some tiny hints of brett completed the picture. Fine frame, good freshness, good balance. To reach an even higher score, this would need more substance, a higher precision and a better concentration. Nevertheless, this was singing and I would order it any day from a restaurant list.
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12/29/2022 - mchern02 wrote: 94 Points
2 hour decant
Beautiful color with aromas of green olive, forest floor, graphite and red cassis. Balanced and refined, with medium body, great texture and maturing but attractive tannins. In its prime but no rush in near term. A great claret
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12/20/2022 - lozatron Likes this wine:
This was great - 96 left bankers are...well bankers, and I think this was a particularly good bottle. Tough to give really detailed impressions at this stage of play, but thoroughly enjoyed this.
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12/19/2022 - NickA Likes this wine: 93 Points
Gareth's "best of the 80s and 90s" (Hawksmoor Guildhall): Lovely bottle, although not quite as exciting as another a couple of years ago (tough to follow the PLL '89, perhaps). Good depth, classic pencil-lead notes, sensual and fairly full-bodied with some grip on the finish.
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12/19/2022 - Paul D wrote: 92 Points
Gareth's Bordeaux Dinner - Hawksmoor Guildhall - Best of 80s and 90s (Hawksmoor, Guildhall, London): This was an excellent bottle, lovely dark-fruited, cedary nose with a touch of beef, spice. Medium bodied, cedary dark fruit, firm but fine tannins with great line, dark, cedary slightly smoky fruit, vibrant cids, very good length finish. Excellent, drinking well.
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12/9/2022 - 911henrik wrote: 93 Points
Classic!
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11/8/2022 - chatters wrote:
Cellartracker in the flesh with Pjaines (Paul), Porkandsalmon (Richard) and Vintomas (Tomas) (Various venues, London): Very slight menthol, black hued fruits, cedar, slight cigar box, a little chalky minerality, earthy and a little leather. Medium plus intensity acidity, tight tannins are persistent and long and deeply pleasing, dark hued fruits and a little touch of fruit tea. Nice.
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11/6/2022 - Chrysostomus Likes this wine: 92 Points
Needs a little bit of decanting. Tertiary aromas on the nose and palate, no fruit to find here. Tannins present, but silky. Lasts very long and has beautiful aromas of leather, mushrooms, coffee. Extremely dry and still tannic on the palate (regarding the age) so there is something lacking...
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11/3/2022 - Richard P Howden wrote: 93 Points
Another fine bottle of the GPL evolving very slowly. Youthful but well balanced and wide open. Love it. The ‘96s are now open for business - my ideal age for Pauillac.
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10/17/2022 - Rani Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow was this good. Dark, graphite nose, inky. Amazingly fruity on the palate, notes of blackcurrant and milk chocolate, but impeccably balanced. Great now and will probably continue to peak for a decade.
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10/15/2022 - Member 592 Likes this wine:
Had it at dinner with at my brother's. Really consistent with my earlier note. Such class and distinction, a wonderful wine indeed. Bordeaux will not get much better than this, only more prestigeous and expensive.
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10/7/2022 - wineguru57@yahoo.com.au wrote: 92 Points
brick red, tinging orange rim. Quite mellow, now with leather, and capsicum, cassis, sandalwood' Palate is softer than i would have expected, but balanced, and impressive. Double decanted 2 hours before serving, and needed as some sediment .
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9/30/2022 - 911henrik wrote: 94 Points
Really nice with mature leather, pencil etc. A little soft tannins so would drink in the next couple of years. Lovely wine with a steak
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9/9/2022 - RockinCabs wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful dark raspberry, cassis, tobacco, graphite bell pepper and sage. Serious and stern at the outset, but opened up great. A very nice multi dimensional GPL that is starting peak window now with a lot of room to run.
Decanted 3 hours and the last glass really pulled everything together.
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7/25/2022 - DanielAVTL wrote: flawed
Badly Corked :(
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7/23/2022 - madmaxcmd wrote: 93 Points
Consumed during a 100th birthday celebration. Upon opening and tasting, it seemed to be a much younger wine. It evolved nicely over the next two hours. Very popular with experienced bordeaux drinkers, several of the first timers found it overwhelming at first but cane back towards the end. Very happy with the longevity of this vintage and I look forward to trying my first 2000 GPL later this year.
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6/17/2022 - Larre Likes this wine: 95 Points
Lovely GPL in the right spot. A bit shy on the nose at first, but with air showing nice flavours of dark cassis fruit, cigar box and forest ground. Follows up nicely in the mouth with layers of dry fruit, mushroom, pine and scorched earth. A beautiful freshness is still present, and the complexity in the finish is amazing. While the wine might lack a bit of richness in the fruit to be outstanding, it is still a very classy and beautiful effort to enjoy now or within the next 10 years. Very nice indeed!
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5/12/2022 - djhammond Likes this wine: 94 Points
It's difficult to believe that this is a 1996 left bank Bordeaux, and a Grand Puy Lacoste to boot. It is so forward and at its absolute peak, and if tasted blind you could be forgiven for assuming it was a decade older or more. It is deep with aromas of old leather, blackcurrant and plum. The tannin is sweet, and secondary and tertiary notes are present, and everything has an impeccable balance with a velvety mouthfeel offset with a subtle hit of tannin to remind you what you are drinking. Only a lightness end palate and on the finish prevents another point or two. In terms of longevity I seriously would think about drinking this up over the next 5 years considering how unusually advanced it is for its age. 94+
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5/9/2022 - vanpe003 wrote: 94 Points
I agree with all aspects of the previous poster's notes. This is at peak, and drinking wonderfully.
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5/1/2022 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium garnet in color. Beautiful nose of dark fruit, leather, ash, cigar box, graphite. Dry, medium bodied, velvety tannins, good structure and delineation. Balanced, well integrated. Long finish. At peak of maturity for me. WOTN for most at the table. No reason to wait any longer on this.
Tasted blind. Guessed correctly.
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4/14/2022 - Member 592 Likes this wine:
I got 5 bottles of this wine as a spontaneous pickup at some physical shop in the early 2000's. The shop had them on offer, being the last bottles or something. I paid very little for it, perhaps some 35 Swiss Francs p.b.
Finally had a bottle of it in 2022 and what an awesome stunner! I knew the property had a high reputation but it was a wowser nonetheless. Still wonderfully firm and youthful, complex bouquet and taste, yet light/lifted and fresh. A very classy and refined Pauillac, probably archtypical. I'd say "racy" is another attribute that applies. I cannot imagine it was any better at a younger age. An absolute delight!
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4/7/2022 - MRichman wrote:
Drinking great. A real treat. Slightly faded fruit, good fully resolved tannic structure. Tobacco, leather. Good stuff!
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3/10/2022 - tbabes wrote: 96 Points
Double decanted 2 hours before dinner; another spectacular showing! Deep garnet with some bricking. Classic, mature GPL bouquet, with scents of dried plums, cassis, earth, leather, and black truffle. Medium bodied, ripe and almost fully resolved tannins, with great balance and delineation. Long and savory finish. What a wine!
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3/4/2022 - liber Likes this wine: 94 Points
10th of 24, opened 90 minutes then decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, less dumb than last bottle in April 18 but still needs more time to develop secondaries, fine cool cassis drive so typical in GPL and so absent in my recent odd bottle of 03, considerable upside and life in this top vintage. F+ (18).
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2/28/2022 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Tasted after 1996 Leoville Las Cases. Dark fruit on the nose, quite creamy, notes of pencil shavings, tobacco, spices. Tannins have softened, but are still providing good grip, great fruit and acidity. Not as complex or powerful than the LLC, but very harmonious and elegant. Lovely bottle! 92-94
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2/12/2022 - MaineMark Likes this wine: 95 Points
A beautiful bottle. Color showed almost no signs of aging. The nose was incredible, with lots of earthy and olive tones. The taste was very nice, but honestly a bit of let down given the amazing nose. Overall, drinking great now, but certainly has years ahead of it as well. (Drank at The Modern in NYC).
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1/29/2022 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 93 Points
Evolving ever slowly, but gorgeous. Red fruit, bell pepper, tobacco on the nose and a taut fruity palate, perfectly balanced. Enjoyable Pauillac that is well emerged into youthful maturity.
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1/17/2022 - Magnus W wrote: 91 Points
The mint and fresher fruit nose faded quickly after opening. Cedar, brambles, leather and slight tart red berries persists. Mouth coating tannins are well integrated but not entirely well balanced.
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1/8/2022 - 911henrik wrote: 94 Points
Unbelievably fresh for a 25 year old. Good fruit and well balanced. Brilliant timing but will also last another decade before fading I reckon.
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1/1/2022 - JonnyG wrote: 90 Points
Spot-on aromatics: currants, cedar shavings, forest floor, some saddle leather and touch of barnyard. The palate underwhelmed, sadly, however. The fruit was subdued, and there was a bitterness on the finish I could not get past. I am all for austere, gracious Pauillacs, just don't think this one ever managed to ring the bell.
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12/31/2021 - Chris Thiessen Likes this wine: 96 Points
Happy New Year!!! Bordeaux to start the night!!!
Deep Ruby colour. Thought it would have more patina…nose of Candied cherry, raspberry, old dried cigar box shavings, dry leather.
Palate has balanced subtle tannins and acidity. Pronounced Dark cherry, plum, mushroom, wet Holiday leather, long raspberry and cigar smoke finish.
Quality “ Pronounced “
Happy New Year 🥂
4.4
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12/24/2021 - ERoss wrote: flawed
Corked, badly so
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12/12/2021 - Bandreas wrote:
This was a picture-book, classic Bordeaux!
Intoxicating nose of cedar box, brambles and some fine-grained tannins.
On the palate dusty tannins on the foreground giving way to mouth-filling and multi-facetted impressions.
A pleasure to smell and to taste! Wonderful finish, too!
Maybe the impressions on the palate were not quite as strong as with the first two bottles which would point to some declining..
Still: a wonderful wine; full marks!
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11/20/2021 - diffwine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Woah was the first thing I said when I opened this. Great aromatics. Cedar right off the bat, cigar box, mint and green bell pepper. I could have my nose in here for days. You can just smell that this is a wine that is structured around terroir. There’s still some fruit here it’s dried out, but still there. Blackberries, dates and figs.
On the palate it’s much of the same and extremely well balanced. The acidity gets you and then the tannins take it away filling your mouth so elegantly. I don’t have a long list of wines to compare to this…but this takes the cake.
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11/18/2021 - S1 Likes this wine:
Really dry green tannins with light red fruits. Tasty.
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11/7/2021 - tbabes wrote: 96 Points
Double decanted two hours before service; from a pristine OWC. Deep garnet with no bricking; youthful appearance. Extroverted bouquet, with complex and heavenly scents of dried plums, star anise, roasted herbs, cigar box, and crushed stones; hints of black truffle and briar patch. Medium bodied, velvety texture, incredible depth and expansiveness on the mid-palate, with laser focus on the long and heady finish. In a sweet spot for my tastes, but I believe this will continue to evolve and improve.
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11/5/2021 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Charleston VI; 11/3/2021-11/7/2021 (Charleston, SC (various locations)): This wine surprised me a bit. Not a producer we've spent a lot of time with in Bordeaux. It was very fresh and bright and drinking quite nicely in that classic old Bordeaux style. A hint of green and certainly more earthy in style.
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10/20/2021 - Purple Tooth wrote: 94 Points
At 25 clicks, the1996 Bordeaux wines are definitely in bottle health mode. This one, from a cold cellar, in pristine condition, with perfect fill, and a perfect label. The wine is totally Pauillac, with that distinct green, herbaceous peppercorn from a serious Cabernet, made with a serious intention. Totally new appearance in the glass, the wine looked 8 to 10 years old. This speaks more of my memories of 1996 in character. Lean, classic, elegant, light in fruit, and heavy in sophistication. The 96 wines always seemed to drift off key in mid palate and seemed to self correct during the nice long dry finish. While the flavors would barely push this wine into 93 territory for me, the long, dry, throbbing finish and linger tells me this baby needs allot more time and is about 10 years away from its best days. What a different bottle of wine! Drink the ugly bottles and dont touch the ones with excellent fill.
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10/8/2021 - Vinterest Angus Likes this wine: 96 Points
Wonderful every time. Still at peak for a few years yet.
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9/1/2021 - tomandlu wrote: 92 Points
No detailed notes. Decanted about 1 hour and consumed over the following 2 hours or so. The nose was classic - cedar, tobacco, clay, and cassis. On the palate the wine was pure silk. All it lacked was additional depth and complexity to make it truly great.
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8/31/2021 - Marc wrote: 96 Points
Essence of old - school Paulliac. Pencil shavings, cassis, lifted mineral notes, a whiff of smoke. In the mouth, perfectly balanced, in stunning full maturity, iron ore finish. This is extraordinary wine that is deep, dark, and serious. Vibrant acids, very tannic, classic Paulliac. Not a new oak - vanilla wine, more an intense fruit, rust, and smoke style, that is expressive of place, and totally true to its terroir. Huge rusty finish that frames the gorgeous fruit. Full maturity, but bottles in this condition will age for a couple of decades.
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8/30/2021 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Absolutely a pointe now. Classic Bordeaux structure, moderate everything, perhaps slightly lacking in weight of fruit. There is leather and blackberries. Long and complex. Drink now beginning to fade and I don't this this has the structure to age beneficially from here.
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8/15/2021 - davergny Likes this wine: 94 Points
Quite good. This is finally ready to drink. Nice cedar berry and light tobacco notes. Long and harmonious.
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8/14/2021 - AWBryce wrote:
lead pencil, cassis,dark fruit. well balanced and good structure, but great mouthfeel. long and complex finish. drinking well now but no rush
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8/8/2021 - gsomers Likes this wine: 93 Points
Enjoyable wine. Tend to agree is at peak right now. One hour decant prior to pour. Fully integrated with pleasant, but slightly understated flavor notes. Nonetheless, even understated, it's a good day when one can pop the cork on an aged left bank bottle. 93
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7/30/2021 - vide Likes this wine: 93 Points
The wine indeed is starting to thin out. The tannins are darkening, and the end of the day is near. It is crepuscule du soir. And only those who wish to live in the twilight world will enjoy it = absolutely wonderfully nuanced nose of dark fruit and subtle wood, quite prefumed. And a wonderful balance between the two: no edges.
This is a fully mature wine. The palate is light, but once again everything blends together.
I have one more bottle remaining, and I will hang on to it for another year, just to see what happens. Decadence has a history.
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7/16/2021 - vide Likes this wine: 93 Points
Well, I can't compete with notes below. This is a wonderfully elegant wine. Probably not as big as I was expecting, but with a prefumed nose and great balance of dark flavours in the mouth.
I am, however, struggling to find something more profound than this to say.
It has just too much soft tannin and ths is holding this wine back. I think that this tannin is residual, in other words, I think it will be around for a while, and to lose this tannin will mean losing the fruit (and this is in my experience the downside of left-bank Bordeaux). To put it in plain English, by the time the tannins have gone, so will have the fruit.
So, I would drink this wine now. It tastes that it might go on forever, but it will not. Nevetheless, what a great wine.
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7/11/2021 - tbabes wrote: 98 Points
Double decanted two hours before dinner. Deep garnet core with no bricking. Extroverted bouquet, offering up heady notes of dried plums, cassis, dried blackberry, black truffle, star anise, bramble, cigar box, and earth. Medium bodied, with a velvety texture that is to die for, great balance and depth, impressive focus and grip, with a long and savory finish. Marvelous, and although drinking perfectly at present, there is still upside! Must buy more…
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7/7/2021 - cephomer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened, but not decanted for 1-2 hours before drinking at the Kindler house in Montauk. Interesting that the last time I had this wine was appx 5 yrs ago with the Kindlers at CKH. Notes are consistent btw. Nose is pure left bank Bordeaux: A plethora of leather, black currant, cedar, & tobacco aromas. The wine is beginning to show its age with some bricking in the glass. Light to medium body, tannings are fairly well-resolved, and still silky smooth. This is a sexy, flavorful wine, still showing plenty of black fruit but also with evident notes of saddle leather, graphite, cedar spice, earthy forest floor and some lead pencil shavings. The fruit and acidity level are nicely balanced, excellent complexity and depth, with great length. A fine wine and wonderful example of an aged LB Bdx. Still has some time ahead of it as well, but showing wonderfully at present. Wish I had some more but I fear this is my last bottle....:(
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7/4/2021 - matlee89 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Wow. Classic Paulliac, aged Bdx. Cigarbox, pencil lead, cassis, fruit sweetness still present, but with interesting savory notes from the aging. Excellent nose. Wonderful purity and precision. Long finish. Left bank Bdx 1996 drinking so well now. Pity last bottle.
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6/16/2021 - jc01 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic refined claret nose. On the palate blackberries, slightly sappy, with a nice bite of acidity and resolving tannins on the finish. This feels like it is just starting its drinking window and will last another 10 years at least - probably at its peak around 2026 at a guess. Looks more full bodied than it tastes. No feeling of over extraction - nicely balanced. Bought en primeur and stored with The Wine Society (UK).
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6/7/2021 - RayOB wrote: 92 Points
Drank at 67
So fresh and alive with a full fruit nose. Very different to my previous bottles
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4/23/2021 - Lype Likes this wine:
Promising powerful and dense nose, the palate is concentrated and full, filled with blackberries, dark cassis tones, cigar, minerality, cedar flauvors. Pronounced tannins which, however, do not override the wine since the fruit component is persistent and powerful enough to make this seamless from front palate to rear. This finishes long and offers a lot complexity. Still youthful and not fully resolved. Quite enjoyable now but a Gargantuan beast of a wine which is more about future promise. An excellent showing which probably rivals left banks of (even) higher pedigree. I will hold on to my remaining two bottles for several years and at this point turn to "lesser" vintages such as the 1997.
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3/28/2021 - merlotsmile wrote:
knickarp
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3/26/2021 - djhammond Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last tasted 14 months ago, this has become consistent in its delivery. In common with some 1996 left bank wines it is unusually forward for the estate, and could be mistaken for being a decade older, and now is firmly in its prime drinking window. Blackcurrant, plum, and old leather dominate the nose and palate with robust sweetened tannin making it very easy to drink. I still stand by my previous reservation re the finish which is lengthy and well balanced but leaves an over tannic aftertaste. It is a perfect example of a wonderful old school left bank Bordeaux in a perfect spot. An hour in the decanter is perfectly sufficient to enjoy this at its best. 94+
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3/22/2021 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 93 Points
5 years ago I found a bottle intellectually interesting but way too structured to call it enjoyable. This has now changed and the wine like many other left bank 96s seems in it's early plateau of maturity. Very correct Pauillac typicity and good ripeness of fruit make this another classic from GPL. Not at the heights of 82 and 90 vintage here but probably (just) pipping the millennial version? Now-2050
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3/14/2021 - gout wrote: 93 Points
Deep red with some browning at edge. Lovely cedar nose, great depth. Full on the palate with plenty of fruit & soft tannins. Good length. Drinking well at present but would still keep
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3/13/2021 - tbabes wrote: 97 Points
Double decanted 2 hours before dinner. Youthful purple core, turning to medium garnet at the rim. A confident and extroverted bouquet, offering up notes of casssis, plums, bramble, gravel, cut flowers; hints of truffle and Asian spices. Almost exotic on the nose for Grand Puy Lacoste! Just as impressive on the palate, with a velvety texture, great depth, concentration and balance; long, complex, and focused finish. At 25 years of age, the 1996 GPL is approaching maturity, and I think it may give the ‘90 a run for its money!
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2/20/2021 - Nmilau Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfect drinking zone, lots of bright acidity and cigar box backbone. Exactly what you want from a Bordeaux
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2/19/2021 - mchern02 wrote: 94 Points
2 hour decant
Beautiful nose of cedar, dark black and red fruit, and typical Paulliac graphite. Fairly masculine, slightly earthy but strong core makes me think this is in the earliest days of a long drinking window. Beat out the 1996 Ducru tonight
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2/4/2021 - aagrawal wrote: 94 Points
Deep ruby with age-appropriate bricking; aromatic, lovely blend of black fruits with cedar, tobacco, some graphite; palate has fully integrated medium tannins, medium-plus acidity, black fruit but also great bell pepper, slight earth, some pencil lead; finish is medium-plus length. A superb Pauillac at early maturity but still seems like it will develop and grow for another decade. This is picture-perfect Pauillac. 94
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1/17/2021 - Julian Marshall Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic Pauillac aromas of cigar box, graphite and cassis, quite a classical mouthful too, although more blackberry than blackcurrant, with a very enjoyable red berry streak midpalate. Quite rich, but in a restrained way, light to medium bodied, elegant (verging perhaps on thin), but with one major problem - the rugged finish. There's a rather unpleasant astringent side to the finish, leaving a bitter taste, which rather spoils the rest, so for me a very good wine but not a great one.
I opened this wondering whether to buy any more - at the current price here (75/80€), I won't. There are other vintages offering the same pleasure at half the price.
If you have loads of 96 already, no worries - this will keep for many years.
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1/2/2021 - blanquito wrote:
A lovely bottle of the 1996 Grand Puy Lacoste. This is wide open and texturally so easy to drink, but it’s showing only secondary development still at age 24. The profile is quite leafy, but eschews any bell pepper, and the body is at most medium. This bottle was in the low 90’s point-wise, and I think we can (finally) say this is what it is. Maybe some more age brings out a bit more depth (doubtful) or complexity (probable) that makes this a little better. But even as is, a delicious and friendly and true Medoc that I thoroughly enjoyed over 2 days.
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1/2/2021 - Purple Tooth wrote: 95 Points
First time with this wine. I love 96 wines and this speaks Bordeaux on every level with surprising heft for a 96. If blind, might think this is a 1990, but the nose is so intense and intoxicatingly Bordeaux (decaying leaves, graphite, and clay) that it makes me think this may be a Pauillac of first growth quality from an 80's vintage. Long lasting finish that punctuated all the sniffing delights floating in the glass, with satisfying sweetness and grip to keep things clean and fresh. Im satisfied and will drink another one tonight! YOLO
DrinK
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1/2/2021 - MikeCW wrote: 94 Points
Last of my two bottles purchased second hand off Craigslist from a passive garage cellar in San Francisco in 2006. My last bottle was consumed in December of 2018. Another great showing for this wine that paired well with rack of pork. Mushrooms on the nose, really intoxicating. I think this is drinking well right now with minimal decant.
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12/25/2020 - mrgarreth wrote: 87 Points
Bright, ruby colour. Intensely savoury nose - tobacco, meat, leather. After a couple of hours in the decanter it got a little funky (some brett?). Given the pronounced nose, it is surprisingly medium-bodied, with only medium length on the finish. It’s nice but no wow factor.
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12/24/2020 - MRichman wrote:
Warm, soft and mature with strong fruit, tobacco, dried herbs. Not stellar, but a very nice BDX in a great fully mature place. Resolved tannins and enough acid and structure to keep it together. Long finish. Very good. Drink now and over the next 8-10 years.
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12/4/2020 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
Continues to improve and impress. Classic Pauillac in a fullish sense. Beautiful mature ruby. Cassis and pencil shavings. Tobacco and smoke. Medium weight yet fills the palate. Layered. At peak. Fantastic. (94)
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11/1/2020 - winelover1808 Likes this wine: 93 Points
elegant, classic pauillac claret. tobacco, saddle leather, raspberry and cherry on the nose; lots of red fruit with good acidity and freshness in the mouthful; good length on finish with fairly soft tannins. had this over dinner with two other couples - everyone was happy with this!
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10/18/2020 - chull wrote: 92 Points
Stored at WCC in Irvine. Opened about 4PM. Medium body, dry. Flavor and nose of currents and dark fruit that intensified for 1.5 hours then faded. Became drier with time, then musty.
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10/14/2020 - ChrisR Likes this wine:
Mmm, delicious. Sweet black currant, licorice, cedar and mint. With air a faint hint of barnyard became apparent. Juicy, vibrant, medium-bodied, a little firm; a whisper of tannins noticeable only through the slightly drying finish. Neal Martin called this wine "austere;" I bet he wouldn't have used that term if he had tried my bottle. I've always liked this wine: a classic expression of Bordeaux. A peak experience for my tastes, although it will probably be good a decade from now, just in a different way.
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10/11/2020 - Percival Likes this wine: 92 Points
We had a flawed first bottle from a case (brett) that I reviewed in August. Tried a second bottle in September with filet mignon on the grill. (Also zucchini “carpaccio“ with onion, pine nuts, dressed with oil and lemon juice and parmesan; and potato salad.) Cork absolutely pristine—looked new except for purple stain extending 1/8th inch up. Looks young, pale red with slight garnet around the edges. Classic Pauillac nose of cedar, lead pencil, and earth. Great legs, completely coating the glass. Decanted 90 minutes. Classic on the palate as well, with a nice balance of fruit, tannin, and earthy notes of the terroir. No barnyard/brett—see my previous note. Went well with filet mignon. Besides the “classic” aspect, there was one other way in which this wine stood out. That was the extent to which it evolved over the course of around 4 hours in the decanter. By the end of the evening it was softer, rounder, but coating the mouth with fruit and soft tannins perfectly balanced. It was a different wine, losing some of its fresher, acidic notes but emphasizing the power and the balance of its fruit and tannins. Not sure which I preferred. Instead, I would recommend experiencing both if possible.
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10/5/2020 - Dave Canada wrote:
Drinking well....no need to wait.
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9/14/2020 - Vinterest Angus Likes this wine: 95 Points
Superb
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9/9/2020 - Space Nine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Classic expression of Bordeaux. Ripe red fruit, smooth, medium bodied, medium finish. Cassis, Bordeaux perfume and barnyard in the nose, well integrated tannins that will likely hold up for a few more years. Good bye old friend.
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8/16/2020 - Percival wrote: flawed
With sirloin steak, rare, from the grill. First of a case acquired as a future and kept in dedicated storage. Cork intact. Red, no bricking. Looks young. Unfortunately, prominent barnyard notes—possibly brett! No improvement, and possibly more noticeable, after 3-hour decant. There was improvement, however, over the course of another 3 hours. By that time the bottle/decanter had been open for 6 hours. I left some over to try again tomorrow. For now, my plan is to try again soon with same 3 hour decant to check if this varies from bottle to bottle. If the flaw seems fairly consistent then I would experiment with an 8-hour decant.
Decanter sealed and kept in refrigerator overnight. Taken out from frig and unsealed 2 hours before dinner (wine, baguette, & cheese board). Still not happy—that flaw is bothersome, obscures the wine making it impossible to evaluate. Need to try again.
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8/16/2020 - melvinyeowq Likes this wine:
Drinking at peak now, very good structure but just a bit overextracted for my taste.
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8/5/2020 - Lipsman wrote: 94 Points
Nice barnyard aroma. Smoky cherries, deeply saturated blackberries, juicy acidity with nice balance. A tasty glass of Bordeaux showing intriguing complexity.
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8/1/2020 - roljui Likes this wine: 95 Points
Absolutely lovely and perfect - such a smooth drink - it has held up very well. Nice dark red - enjoyed with a Tomahawk and was just an all round delightful time.
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6/28/2020 - tbabes wrote: 96 Points
The fill was into the neck and cork was pristine; PnP and consumed over course of two hours with dinner. Deep garnet with some bricking at the rim. Extroverted and complex bouquet, with notes of cedar cassis, dried plums, black truffle, roasted fennel, briar patch and hints of earth and crushed stones. Medium bodied, velvety texture, good depth and grip, with a long and savory finish. The 96 GPL never fails to deliver the goods!
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6/22/2020 - Vinterest Angus Likes this wine: 94 Points
Superb. Needed a hour or two to breathe then came to life in the glass. Textbook Pauillac, a few edges and some bottles varying slightly but I would say one of my all time favourites for Q/P and ultimate enjoyment. What a Chateau.
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6/7/2020 - dagij Likes this wine: 89 Points
Generously poured (blind) by our host for a Chabli tasting at the end of the evening. Still very deep ruby colour with only hints of amber at the rim. Classic nose of aged, west side Bdx - blackberries, tobacco, barnyard, and warm earth. After some time in the glass a streak of unripe tones (green pepper) sneaks through. Medium to full bodied, nice and sweet fruit (blackberries and blackcurrant), but mostly dominated by quite dry tannins. The sweet fruit emerges again in the finish, together with tones of tobacco. Long. A very good wine at the height of the drinking curve, a bit rustic (tannins are somewhat "edgy"), and some hints of underripe tones. It is still a privilege to drink and enjoy wines more that 20 years old.
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5/25/2020 - randyjc wrote: 93 Points
Everything it should be, and it's hard to ask for better than that. The classic "know-it-at-a-sniff"nose of dark earth, minerals, aging leather and black currant. A bit of graphite. The mouth feel is superb, still present, softening tannin and soft acidity. The finish is good but starting to fade a bit. An exceptional experience.
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5/16/2020 - Axelpeter wrote: 95 Points
Schafk) 70CS,M) Hat aufgemacht und zugelegt! Ein schönes Erlebnis. Herrlich ausgewogen und balanciert, von allem etwas, in der Tat „ein kleiner Latour“ (Gabriel), mittlerer Körper, feine Frucht, wirkt fast frisch(!), schönes Finish. Großer Wein! Offensichtlich erst jetzt am Höhepunkt, mindestens für weitere 10 Jahre. (-2030)
Nachtrag: gerade WW-Ranking von 2015 entdeckt: schon damals rangierte der GPL unter den Top 10, gleichauf mit den Medoc-Stars, und vor den großen StEm/Pom-Stars wie Petrus, Ausone, Cheval Blanc etc.
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5/16/2020 - NickA Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bloody good reminder of the charms of Bordeaux. 60% leather, 40% blackberry. Really concentrated, but not rich at all. Smells and feels really mature, but retains just enough structure. Don't think this bottle would have benefited from any more time, but the wine continued to improve in the decanter and the final glass was the best. Even more appealing when accompanying venison with Port jus.
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4/27/2020 - tbabes wrote: 97 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; popped, poured and consumed over the course of two hours with dinner. Deep garnet, with hints of blood red at the rim. An ethereal and extroverted bouquet, proudly offering up scents of dried plums, tobacco, black truffle, and earth; hints of star anise and leather. Medium bodied, with a heavenly texture - velvety and pure - with great depth, layers of flavor, beautifully balanced, with a savory finish that goes on and on. I can only hope the ‘05 GPL develops this well!
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4/27/2020 - kevin h wrote: 91 Points
Showing some maturity. Some amber at the rim. Light cassis nose and softening mature cassis flavour. Decent but seemed a bit lacking in concentration and length. Ready to drink.
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4/5/2020 - AdamHitchcock Likes this wine: 89 Points
I decided to try this after being a bit underwhelmed by the 2005 last night. Medium ruby color with some brown trim. Faint tertiary aromas like leather and tobacco with minimal black fruit present. Medium body. Tannin is present but not dominant. Leather and tobacco flavors show through. Interesting to compare with last night's 2005. Both are considered good vintages but the additional age on the 1996 led to a much better experience. I have another bottle of the 2005 that I will be sure to hold back for a while.
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4/4/2020 - GuWin wrote: 94 Points
Dyp mørk, noe utviklet farge med murstens kant. Deilig pauillac med duft av modne solbær, sigarkasse, blyantspiss og eksotisk trevirke. Fløyelsmyk og nesten fløteaktig konsistens, stor konsentrasjon, dyp og veldig flott frukt, tydelig solbærpreg med innslag av eksotiske kryddertoner og er lite hint av sort pepper. Finslepen tanninstruktur og en herlig, lett spicy ettersmak med mørke frukt-og bærtoner. Nydelig match til pannestekt lam ytrefilet med stekte kantareller og rotgrønnsaksgrateng.
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4/4/2020 - batstongue Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 3 hours from cellar. Mature wine with reddish mahogany colour, brown bricking. Bouquet of cassis and undergrowth On palate medium bodied with very smooth integrated tannins. Voluptuous cassis and pencil shavings and leather coat the tongue with a long finish. A great pleasure to drink. Needs decanting as lots of fine sediment in the bottle.
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3/19/2020 - Vino_Veritas Likes this wine: 96 Points
Stored properly since purchase, decanted for 30 min and consumed over 2 hours. Incredible nose of earth, currant, blackberry, toffee, caramel, vanilla and a hint of smoke. Medium-bodied, tannins in a nice place with a finish lasting 30 seconds. The nose is highly reminiscent of the (for me) immortal 1996 Pichon Lalande - the nose alone makes this an incredible experience. Have yet to encounter a (cab heavy) 1996 Pauillac that disappointed. Drinking wonderfully now.
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3/5/2020 - Melli wrote: 95 Points
Showed very well in line up with the First Growths
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2/20/2020 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
1996 Bordeaux (Piccolino, Liverpool Street Stn, London): Blackcurrant with a redder fruited element. Very open and giving. Comely even. Pomegranates! Maybe a bit soft in a a Rubenesque way, but really just lovely and lush. My wine of the night for fun and current drink ability, but possibly not in terms of absolute classic quality. It’s a lot of fun. ****
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1/24/2020 - Anesbaba Likes this wine: 90 Points
A little too light bodied. No tannin structure left. It might be close to its final development.
Leather, forest berries, moist soil. Easy drinking, but will probably not develop much more.
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1/10/2020 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points
The 1996 GPL sports a moreish, pencil-focused nose and though it’s full of currant, saline, and olive tapenade, it’s still tight. It’s easy to like the fresh, fruity palate with its cedary présence accented by a bit of savory gourmandise and dark chocolate. Finished well. 93+
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1/9/2020 - PeterFrancis Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very similar to DJ Hammond's note. Though I don't feel any particular need to rush my remaining bottles. Old school claret and very satisfying. Could possibly argue for a higher score.
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1/9/2020 - djhammond Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fully mature, this is at its peak, and only needs an hour in the decanter. Some left bank 1996s have shut down recently, but this is not one of them. It is a classic example of old school Bordeaux, and could be mistaken for a wine a decade older. Blackcurrant, leather, and earth dominate the nose and palate with good balance and depth with a finish 30 seconds plus. The tannin although resolved, is over sharp and bitter particularly on the finish, and prevents the wine being one of the great Grand Puy Lacostes. As stated previously, I could not guarantee the longevity of the wine and will keep a watching brief on its lifespan.
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12/31/2019 - VINNICK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep dark blue fruit with power and the finesse that time in the bottle brings to Bordeaux. very well integrated and drinking great. Decanted for 2 hours but perhaps would have benefited from a 5-8 hour decant. Lovely wine. All the right elements are represented but the harmony slightly off hence the 93 versus a 94-95. Beautiful wine.
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12/26/2019 - Traxx wrote: flawed
Corked... sadness
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11/30/2019 - Renatod Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ótimo yy
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11/24/2019 - Bandreas wrote:
This is a picture-book Claret of the old style:
Dark red color with a big "black" center. No signs of bricking yet.
Cedar and ripe black fruit on the nose, rose petals and mature tannins; rich, intense and intoxicating.
On the palate complex, harmonious and beguiling, well balanced with fully integrated tannins.
A class above the chateau Montus tasted last week. This wine provides ample hedonistic pleasure and is probably at or close to its apex.
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11/24/2019 - Honeyburst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Moved up one notch compared to previous note. Opened 3 hours in advance and put in decanter before serving. That did the trick. Excellent Wine in the Old School Bordeaux style at or close to it’s peak. I think.
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10/27/2019 - Traxx wrote:
A touch of brett took some of the enjoyment from this bottle.
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10/9/2019 - Mr T wrote:
very nice aged Bordeaux. Give it lots of air and a good decant. Really nice.
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10/7/2019 - jsebiri wrote:
A very secondary Bordeaux, the fruit has faded quite a bit, very strong bones maybe a few hours of air would help next time.
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9/20/2019 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 92 Points
good spot here
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9/16/2019 - tbabes wrote: 96 Points
From magnum, both bottles showed tremendously! A deep garnet core, with just a hint of bricking at the rim. Notes of blackberry, cassis, black truffle and briar patch; with airing, scents of cigar box emerged. Medium-bodied, with a round and velvety texture, great depth, layers of flavor, excellent delineation and grip on the long finish. Tasted a bit younger from magnum, but the 1996 Grand Puy Lacoste continues to be an amazing experience, for intellectuals and hedonists alike!
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8/5/2019 - the shrub wrote: 95 Points
Drink with JB after an excellent day during staycation 2019
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7/28/2019 - rob.boothe Likes this wine: 95 Points
Rated the following day, but a memorable wine - everything vintage left bank should be. Medium ruby with tawny notes. Muscular but refined nose, dark currents, old earth, slight gamey funk. Rich mouthfeel with a medium finish, beautifully resolved tannins. Doesn't get much better than this.
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7/12/2019 - ccn wrote: 92 Points
(Magnum) Open and singing, really at peak!
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7/4/2019 - Mjladha Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent. Coffee, chocolate, balanced tannins
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5/14/2019 - randyjc wrote: 93 Points
An excellent showing. Not much fruit left, though still a solid band of dark fruit, some bit of black cherry as well. Mostly the aged Bordeaux earthiness and leather on the nose with a bit of menthol, then in the mouth it's earth an tobacco along with black fruit - more blackberry and black cherry than anything else. Impressive - definitely in the drinking window but not declining.
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5/12/2019 - drmarclevine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Enjoyed at La Folie in San Francisco. Decanted two hours. Eucalyptus and dusty cherries dominate the nose. Got more intense over time. Classic Pauillac profile with cassis, pencil lead, and green pepper. Still some tannic bite at the back so this will continue to evolve for a good long while but the fruit may thin-out first. It will be a fine line. No need to wait, though, as it has entered its drinking window. Great, as expected, with A5 Wagyu beef.
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5/3/2019 - J o e wrote: 96 Points
Deep ruby red. 13% ABV. Aromas of leather, sweet pipe tobacco, cassis, violets and mint leap out of the glass. On the palate, there is a medium to full body, dark fruits, iron, earth and refreshing acidity. There is still considerable tannin in the seemingly endless finish, but this very impressive, classically styled Pauillac is now in its early drinking window. The scary thing is that perfectly stored bottles like this one will probably improve for at least a few years, and will drink well for a long time thereafter. 96.
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4/21/2019 - Frank Schneider wrote: 93 Points
Again too rustic compared to the great bottles i had years ago. Dumb phase ??? Wait
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4/17/2019 - djhammond Likes this wine: 93 Points
As previously noted, this drinks like it was a decade older, and is already fully mature. The nose has a beautiful opulence of blackcurrant and red cherry with a background of old leather. Compared to a year ago it is a little sharper on the palate, but has good balance and depth. This is probably down to bottle variance but I will keep a watching brief in case there are any signs of early decline. The finish has always been a little clipped, but this is a highly enjoyable wine, and very unusual for the estate in maturing at such a relatively young age. An hour in the decanter is sufficient. 93+
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4/8/2019 - Honeyburst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great and delicate nose that just might promise a wee bit more than the taste can live up to. Total impression is 92-93 points with further development potential still.
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3/28/2019 - Remony wrote: 93 Points
Lovely. Needs an hour or two in the decanter to show its full colours. With that, a slightly smoky beautifully balanced wine emerges, long and pleasantly tannic, a real success. Many more years to go. Surprising that there has been no price movement for this wine in the last 4 years.
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3/19/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Even at 22 years of age, this needs either another 5 years in the cellar, or 2 hours in the decanter before the cassis, cedar chest, burnt wood, cherry and tobacco notes emerge. The wine is full bodied, concentrated, masculine and a bit stern. There is also there is a muscular, refined quality ti the tannins that is hard to miss. This is a super example, of a textbook Pauillac wine. With luck, I will hold on to my last few bottles for another decade or so. I would not be surprised to see this drinking well at 40 years of age.
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3/15/2019 - Mjladha Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent. Exceeded my expectations. Had it all - plum, chocolate, black currant, etc. beautiful.
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3/14/2019 - baxter67 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Last tasted 10 years ago. This wine is drinking even better now. There is an interesting paradox here. Precise, balanced but on the one hand quite austere, yet the fruit is almost lush. It will be interesting to see how it develops in the next 5 years, whether the austerity resolves, or if it is in decline. Maybe best to drink the last two bottles now! ****
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3/8/2019 - Marc wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely tremendous showing for this wine. Essence of Paulliac - stunning lead pencil, refined and mineral black currant, fine-grained (although not Mouton fine-grained) tannins. Certainly into full- maturity, but the acid and tannic structure are sure to keep this wine at its present plateau for many years to come. I may be underestimating this. Brilliant, classic left bank.
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2/19/2019 - BornToRhone Likes this wine: 93 Points
750ml; Double decanted about 2 hrs prior; Clear intense purple; Clean and pronounced nose of black cherry, funky composted earth/barnyard, spices. Palate of funky black cherry, soy sauce, mushroom, hints of white pepper. Tasted blind and I was way off on this wine. I could have guessed In the Rocks Syrah.
Nice funky showing if you like that kind of thing. Drink now lest it get too funky.
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2/8/2019 - tbabes wrote: 96 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of dinner. Purple-ruby core, turning to ruby at the rim. Outgoing and complex bouquet, with notes of cassis, white truffle, and bramble, with hints of roasted herbs and cigar box. Medium-bodied, with a velvety texture, incredible depth and expansiveness, good delineation and grip on the long finish. Another great bottle of the '96 GPL!
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2/5/2019 - Axelpeter wrote: 91 Points
zH m Schusterm) 23J alter Wein! Er lebt und bestätigt den tollen Jahrgang. Schönes dichtes Ziegelrot, ein wenig granatklar am Rand. Verhaltene Nase. Am Gaumen diese typisch leicht dominante „herbe“ Säure gereifter „alter“ Weine, die nach Frucht und Extrakt sucht und gerade noch ausreichend auch bekommt - oft nur in Verbindung mit dem Essen. Typischer Bordaux aus der 2.Reihe (5ieme), dem die autonome feine Süße der ganz Großen aus diesem Jahrgang fehlt, der aber absolut überzeugt. Eindrucksvoller Wein, am besten zum Essen. 1 Std lüften. Hält sicher noch 5 Jahre auf dem Niveau (-2024).
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1/21/2019 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Jason's Guys Night - Bring Something You've Never Had Before (Jason's House): Consistent with previous note. Decanted 1 hr, this wine has a killer nose of dirt, leather, tobacco, barnyard, and red fruit. The palate is austere and a bit clipped. Seems young.
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1/17/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Guys Night Out: Bring Something You've Never Had (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Very dark red/purple color. Decanted about an hour. Earthy, tight, dense and youthful, black fruits, gravel, wood, a bit terse and firm. Others liked this more. Needs time and air.
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12/25/2018 - SimonS wrote: 95 Points
Magnificent claret, just entering drinking window. Give it a decent decant.
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12/20/2018 - tbabes wrote: 96 Points
I’ve had nothing but stellar examples of the ‘96 GPL over the last ten years, having consumed almost two cases of this wine. A classic Bordeaux from a ripe vintage, this wine is drinking perfectly at present, but should easily hold onto its greatness for another 10-15 years. We had this bottle with lunch at Marea
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12/16/2018 - MaineMark Likes this wine: 95 Points
Simply wonderful. An eye-popping nose gave way to a soft supple pallet. This is drinking so well now, but it is not hard to imagine in continuing to evolve and improve (?!?) for another 5+ years. Thrilled to have drunk this now, but we will hold our other two bottles for a few more years.
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12/15/2018 - MikeCW wrote: 96 Points
One of my top wines of the year. Purchased second hand off Craigslist from a passive garage cellar in San Francisco in 2006, so not sure what to expect. Amazing showing for this wine that paired well with rack of venison. I could see this holding to improving for another 5 - 10, but really drinking well now with minimal decant.
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11/22/2018 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
The fills were into the neck and the corks were sound; very little variation between the 3 bottles. A purple-ruby core, turning to ruby at the rim; just a hint of garnet. Extroverted and outgoing bouquet, offering up classic and mature Pauillac scents of cedary cassis, black truffle and plums, with hints of cigar box and briar patch. Medium bodied, with a silky texture, great concentration and depth of flavor, good grip, and excellent delineation on the long finish. For my tastes, the '96 GPL is drinking perfectly at present.
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11/22/2018 - Tea Mage Likes this wine: 95 Points
Best wine I've ever had. Earthy and minerally but deep fruits of course. Amazing. Thanks Bob Maddox.
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11/11/2018 - Oskiwawa wrote: 94 Points
opened and decanted for one hour. Drank over the next three.
Color is youthful for the age with limited sign of bricking. Nose shows graphite and dark berries. Tannins present but well integrated. Palate has dark cherry, herbs and pencil lead. Long finish. Really enjoyable bottle of wine that is in a great spot right now and should stay there for at least 10 years. If opening over the next few years, I would decant for a least one hour.
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11/9/2018 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted blind. Many in the group felt it was right bank due to the herbal / green quality suggesting it was Cabernet Franc dominant. However, I believe this is a pure expression of Pauillac and the 1996 vintage where Cabernet Sauvignon was the dominant grape in this vintage. It is showing great now, but it has many more years to go. Drink or hold.
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11/4/2018 - plitton wrote: 93 Points
Fabulous. Opened for an hour and then decanted. By hour 3 it really blossomed. Earth, saddle leather, cassis. Nose of mushrooms, black cherries and leather. Should continue to drink well and maybe improve through 2023.
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11/3/2018 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; slow ox for two hours prior to service. A dark ruby core, with hints of bricking at the rim. Mature and complex bouquet, offering up notes of cassis, dried fennel, cigar box, roasted herbs and black truffle. Medium bodied, with a velvety texture, impressive depth, and good delineation and grip on the long finish.
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10/27/2018 - MRichman wrote:
Wonderful. Drinking great with no signs of fading. Excellent.
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10/17/2018 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
It is finally open for business. Having had this many times before, but each time prior it was closed and uninteresting. However, patience and time in bottle has been rewarded. Classic expression of Pauillac goodness with liquid cassis and blackberries, black licorice, cedar, tobacco, and a touch of green pepper. Incredible nose, great fruit concentration and minerality, with a persistently long finish. It has everything I love about Pauillac and the 1996 vintage. I will now have a hard time keeping my hands off the other bottles.
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9/28/2018 - drjb Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine has evolved over the past six years with some bricking and a deep crimson-red colour. The nose is classic with blackcurrant, cedar, liquorice and touch of smoke and dark chocolate. The palate is mid weight with lovely spherical fruit and a nice line of fine tannin and minerality leading into very persistent finish. Overall a lovely classic Bordeaux.
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9/16/2018 - ilee Likes this wine: 94 Points
I haven't had this wine in a few years, and it hasn't budged. Mature but on the young side, it has a textbook Bordeaux left bank nose of perfumed currants that you simply cannot miss. On the palate, it is light but firm, with a neat structure that screams classic. I'm not sure it's one for the ages, but if I can refrain from opening my other bottles, they will be enjoyable 10 years from now.
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9/9/2018 - Frank Schneider wrote: 93 Points
This was a very young bottle. Wasnt really singing. Closed. Rustic. But promising. 93 +
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8/27/2018 - tbabes wrote: 93 Points
This bottle seemed much more advanced than previous examples, with significant bricking at the rim. Notes of dried black fruits, cigar box, pencil shavings. Medium bodied, round texture, soft tannins, and good delineation on the long finish.
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8/8/2018 - djhammond Likes this wine: 94 Points
As previously noted, it is firmly in its prime drinking window, and is drinking beautifully. The nose is intense and opulent with blackcurrent, black cherry, and earth and graphite; you could almost mistake it for a mature ripe Pomerol. The tannin is smooth and the wine has evolved with subdued fruit and with layers of depth and complexity. The finish is perfectly balanced if a little short. A wonderful wine that you could imagine was 15 years older, but with a structure to stay here for some years. It is not quite at the potential level of the 1982, 1990, and 1995, but is highly recommended.
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8/4/2018 - _water.into.wine_ Does not like this wine: 89 Points
One of the most disappointing experiences this year. Maybe I was expecting too much. Or maybe this bottle was flawed? Initial nose was amazing and full of blackcurrents, but seemed to oxidise extremely quick. Then became quite sweet and icky. I'm keen to try once more given the broad range of positive reviews.
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8/4/2018 - Arcturus wrote: 95 Points
95. 3 hr decant. Bought this in 2000. Classic Bordeaux. Nose of graphite, clay, tobacco and blackcherry. Fabulous mid palate, cherry cobbler, blackcherry -layers of complexity. Long finish, well worth the wait.
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7/26/2018 - rougevin wrote: 91 Points
Lion d'Or. From the 147 Bin. Good, typical, cedar, coffee, structure, slightly less intense than the last few bottles.
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7/9/2018 - BradE wrote:
Relatively tight, and still needs time.
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6/23/2018 - Gen NY wrote: 92 Points
Another great eclxperience. I can’t add much to the prior note. This is singing now. Will be hard to stay away from the rest if these.
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6/16/2018 - Paul D wrote: flawed
Corked
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6/12/2018 - Vaughanwallace wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for an hour. Brilliant Bordeaux blend. Rich Cabernet in balance. Drinking beautifully.
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6/7/2018 - Dogshaus Likes this wine:
Absolutely stunning. Great length, energy and verve. Notes of red and blue berries, leather, spices and mineral. Years in front of it but drinking very well today. 94+
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5/24/2018 - Kingdoberman wrote: 94 Points
Right in it's prime, decanted and let stand for about 1.5 hours. great mid pallet and superb finish
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5/10/2018 - Frank Schneider wrote: 95 Points
Great Paulliac with all the forest floor and earthy stuff. Needed air. This will improve with more time. Eeally good !!!!
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4/27/2018 - liber Likes this wine: 94 Points
9th of 24, decanted 90 minutes, perfect cork and level, little advanced from Jan 17 bottle, usual pure cassis fruit driven, classy if a little dumb, everything where it should be, hard to say when it will start singing again, a long haul GPL. F+ (18).
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4/9/2018 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Bordeaux night at Table, Donkey and Stick (Chicago, IL): Again, this is a very classic Bordeaux nose, with its dark fruit and cedar. There's a pretty prominent spot of green here as well, but it's certainly not out of place in a proper Bordeaux. There is a nice perfume to the nose here as well, and I think that's probably the best quality of this wine. However, the palate doesn't seem to be as open as the nose, and the tannins are a bit ornery right now. Black and chewy, this needs more time.
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4/1/2018 - redders Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted one hour No maturity on colour. Classic fine grained Pauillac nose .Still needs time to full open. Palate unfurled over time some black fruit cedar good structure and depth. Classic
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3/24/2018 - GuWin wrote: 94 Points
Erketypisk pauillac med modne solbær, sigarkasse, blyantspiss, fuktig skogbunn og eksotisk trevirke på duft. Akkurat passe moden smak med veldig flott frukt, tydelig solbærpreg og crème de cassis, et snev av eucalyptus og et søtlig preg som ligger et sted mellom lakris og kanelstang. Middels dyp, saftig og med god konsentrasjon, finslepne tanniner og en fantastisk deilig, lett spicy ettersmak med mørke frukt-og bærtoner. Perfekt følge til tørrmørnet entrecôte og vårens første grønne franske asparges.
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3/24/2018 - gsquireh Likes this wine: 96 Points
What a wine!Bought for pennies and this jar of blue and blackberry jam has such character and finesse. The fruit is surrounded by the desired characteristics you want from a 20 year+ old wine- earth from the characteristic Pauillac soil, pure and varied minerals that give variety, distinction, and specificity to the taste. A bit of sweet pea flower and violet, this is a layered treat, mouth-filling rich with many textures. For the price I paid, wine-making at its best. A wine to find more of!
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3/19/2018 - tbabes wrote: 93 Points
The fill was into the neck and the cork was pristine; opened and consumed over the course of 4 hours. Purple ruby core turning to ruby at the time. Note of dried blackberry, cassis, briar patch and campfire, with hints of cigar box and hot stones. Medium to full bodied, with the structure still very apparent...seemed 15 years younger than the 1990 GPL that we had two days prior. The tannins are ripe though, with good fruit and the texture is approaching velvety, but not quite. Shows much better with food at present, and was a glorious match with the NY Strip. A full notch below the '90 at this moment, but with many years of life ahead!
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3/5/2018 - Verb Likes this wine: 92 Points
consistent with my previous notes - garnet color with hint of orange - pretty nose with complex old claret smells - nice round mouth with excellent acid-tannin balance, but as per other tasting notes it is on the leaner side of Pauillacs - medium finish - a very nicely developed mature and Pauillac that is drinking beautifully now, but will likely continue to develop for another 3-5 years
Show Less
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3/3/2018 - Radboy wrote: 94 Points
In a sweet spot right now.
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2/20/2018 - Ricky99 wrote: 93 Points
Drank with the 95 and 97... this was initially my fav but the 95 blossomed in the glass to surpass.. That said, this is a stunningly beautiful classic soft shouldered Bordeaux
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2/19/2018 - jetrexpro Likes this wine: 93 Points
I’m largely with what Blanquitto wrote. The nose was for me indescribable. Flowers, minerals and subtle earth. The palette was slightly thin but for me that was where the mystery and beauty was. There was light fruits and flowers in the mid pallets and it may develope more wieght but it’s in this beautiful mysterious place right now that demands quite attention. Was gaining weight as we finished the bottle several hours later
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2/3/2018 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
Quick take: terrific, classic Pauillac bouquet, nearly fully developed aromatically; palate remains inchoate, leaning lean, some tannins yet to resolve.
The bouquet is very encouraging that this will be an excellent to outstanding wine when at peak. The 96s Left Bankers have always been so expressive on the nose. The GPL palate however, also like many 96s, is more of a question— it lacks the oomph and bottle sweetness to take it to the next level. It can’t match the 80’s equivalents... yet.
Perhaps this will continue to fill out with time. If it does, this will go to 94-95 pts. Last night, it was more like a 92+.
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1/13/2018 - La Grappe wrote: 91 Points
A deep colour; full and rich on the palate, with dense blackcurrant fruit and a fairly thick texture. Attractively mature, but still lively and with the ingredients for extended keeping. Fine.
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1/12/2018 - Gen NY Likes this wine: 92 Points
Second bottle in the last few months. The cork pulled like it was almost new. I poured into a ship’s decanter in hopes it would start quick. (Delayed flight gave me a late start) It opened quickly into a profound experience of red berries, cherry, cigar box, loam and exotic spices. I think Jeff Leve (recent note) nailed the description and I would add “loam” or “fresh earth” to his description. Excellent wine and good value.
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1/9/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
With 2 hours of decanting, the full bodied, concentrated wine starts to show. The nose, with its bend of cherry, cassis, cranberry, cigar wrapper, cedar and green pepper struts its stuff. On the palate, the wine serves up soft tannins and a red berry wine with bite, vigor and sweetness with a judicious amount of Pauillac strictness and fresh, peppery, cassis in the finish.
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1/6/2018 - wineforth Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely classic old style claret. Blackcurrant cordial, leather, good backbone of soft tannins. Excellent long finish. Threatening to lose some fruit so drink up.
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1/4/2018 - Verb Likes this wine: 94 Points
very consistent with my previous note:s garnet color with hint of orange - pretty nose with complex old claret smells - nice round mouth with excellent acid-tannin balance, but as per other tasting notes it is on the leaner side of Pauillacs - medium long finish - a very nicely developed mature and Pauillac that is drinking beautifully now, but will likely continue to develop for another 5 years
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1/3/2018 - BordeauxBoy wrote: 94 Points
Tasted blind side by side with the '95. Comparatively better, younger, and shows more intensity than the prior year bottling. In a great place now. Opened for 3 hours before tasting and lasted all night.
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1/3/2018 - dbkitc wrote: 93 Points
Thank you, Peter, for the great advice to try ‘96 Bordeaux. They are in a great place. This is classic Pauillac - black current, tobacco, crushed rock. The fruit has sweetened and the high acid has receded. A real Claret. (93)
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12/25/2017 - aquaman wrote: 91 Points
Decanter at restaurant. It was going up against 04 Lynch bags. Winner 04.
The wine tasted thin. N smell OK but didn't get a strong smell of it.
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12/25/2017 - Frank Schneider wrote: 94 Points
This is Pauillac !!!!! Lovely ! Forest , leather and long finish. Not the super silky thing but really good.
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11/27/2017 - Verb Likes this wine: 93 Points
very similar to my recent last note: garnet color with hint of orange - pretty nose with old complex claret smells, but somewhat restrained - nice round mouth with excellent acid-tannin balance, but I agree with some other tasting notes that it is on the leaner side of Pauillacs - medium long finish - a nicely developed mature and Pauillac that is drinking beautifully now, but will likely continue to devlop for 5-10 years
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11/26/2017 - winelover1808 wrote: 93 Points
surprise of the night! side by side with the l'aventure 2009. this was elegant, but still plenty of fruit, terrific weight and excellent balance. a classic claret that is not over the hill and def at its peak today. tobacco nose, nice finish.
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11/5/2017 - AWBryce Likes this wine:
Cola, dark fruits, some oak. Firm tannin, long finish. Will be better with another 5 years in the bottle.
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11/4/2017 - Wine Canuck wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful traditional Bordeaux. Fully mature. Light in color with moderate bricking. The nose wafts cigar box, farmyard, cherries, cassis, gravel, and hints of vegetation. The palate is lean, with elevated acid and a slight tannic grip still remaining. The finish is medium plus replaying the cigar box notes. A wine for those who appreciate old school Bordeaux.
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11/1/2017 - Ary Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bordeaux 1996 (semi blind) with a friend (Amsterdam): Two bottles (blind tasting) on the same evening. One showed signs of brett and quite coarse on the palate. The other bottle was singing; complex, powerful, dark fruits, kirsch liquor and well-integrated tannin in the finish. Iron, dust, licorice and fruit-basket in the nose. Lucky we brought the same bottle! GPL 1996 is only just starting to open up I would think based on this bottle.
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10/31/2017 - champussi Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ein toller Bordeaux der alten Schule am Beginn einer längeren Genussphase! Wenn noch etwas Süße dazu kommt gibt es mehr Punkte!! 93+P
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10/29/2017 - Paul D Likes this wine: 93 Points
13/24. Vg cork. Decanted 1/2 hr. Served at about 15-16C
Deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Nose is clean, initially showing red fruit but becoming darker as it warms, cedar, nicely perfumed. Medium bodied, attractive dark fruit on initial entry, minerally undertow, cool fruit, fine tannins, just a touch of tobacco, fresh acidity, very good length finish with an attractive freshness not unusual in this excellent vintage. Lovely, drinking well.
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10/24/2017 - brianakrin wrote: 93 Points
Great nose, rich, pencil lead, minerally,, crisp mineral finish. Better 2nd day
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9/10/2017 - Gen NY wrote: 89 Points
Recently purchased, bottle was in excellent shape with no discernible ullage. Decanted for about 2 hours. Color was quite nice classic garnet with some slight orange at the rim. On the nose, it was mostly dust, stone tobacco. On the palate the fruit was there in the midpate but fading. I picked up plum and diluted blueberries (like when it rains too much during picking season). This is a very good wine but not my style. For me, the earth and stone somewhat overpowers the fruit and its a bit too direct.
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9/4/2017 - leecon wrote:
Still very fresh, nice acidity and fruit, showing some nice tertiary character tobacco and leather and still seems to have a long life ahead in this drinking window. Not overpowering or as full bodied as some modern day bordeaux, just very well integrated, delicate in the right ways, and a lovely perfume on the nose. Drank from a double magnum
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8/9/2017 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 93 Points
My last bottle from a disappointing case where 4 bottles did not show well. Happy to report that at least this last one was very good and another small step up coming from a 03 Lagrange and an excellent 04 Tour Haut Brion. Seems fully mature now with deep dark fruit and leather and tobacco notes. No need to wait any longer
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8/4/2017 - Verb Likes this wine:
garnet color with hint of orange - pretty nose with old complex claret smells, but somewhat restrained - nice full round mouth with excellent acid-tannin balance - medium long finish - a nicely developed mature Pauillac that is drinking beautifully now - doubt much further improvement, but no hurry to drink this wine
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7/25/2017 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great Pauillac, open and ready to go from the initial pop. Fantastic aromatics of flint, spice, and leather. Mostly mature fruit, but quite fresh and lively. Palate is a bit narrow giving this a stately, regal appeal. Long finish. Really good bdx, probably in it's peak/plateau.
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7/8/2017 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 91 Points
1996 horizontal Bordeaux tasting (Singapore): A fairly dark garnet, sweeter nose than the others, something slightly artificial though, soft and round palate, definitively richer fruit here. Does not strike me as a typical Pauillac today and remember this better. Medium finish. 91
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6/12/2017 - Paui wrote:
My third bottle, only the first was mature, second and third way too young. Opaque colour, strong cassis nose. If you like mature Bordeaux, I recommend to wait another 10+ years, unfortunately. But you will be rewarded. Powerful wine, will easily have 20+ years to go. Decanted and drank this bottle over 4 days, left it in the decanter about room temperature of 20°C. Best on day 4 but still far from maturity. Not rated
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6/11/2017 - Radboy wrote: 96 Points
This is a beautiful wine that improved as the night went on. This offers everything that I enjoy in an old Bordeaux.
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5/30/2017 - davergny Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely nose of cedar and sweet currants. An elegant wine with good length, black currant, graphite, and herbs. Needs a good decant. Drinking well, but I don't think this is fully mature yet. It's still a bit thin on the palate and there is more coming! 93+
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5/23/2017 - djhammond Likes this wine: 94 Points
Surprisingly advanced, the wine is fully mature and drinking like a 35 or 40 year old. Still benefiting from a short decant, it is a classical old Bordeaux. Aromas of blackcurrent and earth meet smooth tannins on the palate and completed with a lingering finish. Far more advanced than many of its compatriots from 1996, there is no reason not to drink this now.
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4/30/2017 - drrobvino wrote: 95 Points
Perfection, this wine was drinking beautifully after a 30 min decant, and has reached an apogee.
Beautiful red currant, cassis, pencil shavings, tobacco, wet earth, gorgeous soil signature.
The long finish is supported by perfect acidity and finely-grained tannins, giving the finish a beautiful tension and astringency that I long for.
This wine will likely last through 2025 or so. Lovely.
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4/27/2017 - la turque wrote: 96 Points
With two hours in the decanter, this wine was singing. Classic Pauillac, in a really good place now.
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4/21/2017 - ledocq Likes this wine: 94 Points
Open from the first sniff. Brilliant. Complex. Deep. The taste matches the aroma. Classical. Correct. In good maturity.
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3/27/2017 - Burgnick wrote: 92 Points
Musky nose with black currant, pencil shaving, mushroom and green pepper. Palate has a sweet black fruit with softened tannins. Very balanced. 92-93
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3/23/2017 - Lipsman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great nose and saturated flavors, musky roses, smooth tannins, meaty flavors. Long on the palate. Mature, but can still improve. Drink now - 2022.
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2/8/2017 - Paul D wrote:
Pauillac at RSJ: Lovely when first poured - cedary, minerally cool fruit. Fell away quite quickly in the glass though and ended up a touch non-descript. Odd and a bit difficult to rate.
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1/24/2017 - liber Likes this wine: 94 Points
8th of 24, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, again lovely and youthful per my October 16 note, even more backward than Haut Batailley 96 2 days ago but with more to it (as it should be). F+ (18).
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1/23/2017 - redders Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep colour no maturity. Full ripe black currant on nose but mineral and cedar behind. This is still very young at 20 . Gorgeous on palate, creamy fruit held up by firm structure. Impeccable balance and length. Delicious to drink now but complexity will grow with time.
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12/31/2016 - curtr Likes this wine: 92 Points
I shared a bottle last summer that showed signs of the beginning of the drinking window. This bottle took 3 hours before showing signs of life. Beautiful nose and medium intensity. I agree, try again in 2021.
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11/26/2016 - burgburgburg wrote: 90 Points
Still a young Pauillac. Powerful and muscular with integrated oak and lovely tannin. It's intense, rich and with a layered body. It's what you expected from a good, though not great, claret.
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10/25/2016 - The Vines That Bind wrote: 92 Points
1996 Bordeaux Blind: Totally different bouquet than everything else here- quite thin with acrylics and red cherry, sweet espresso. Overripe and a little baked... vanilla and oak here for sure. Far better on the palate, low acid and quite brooding. Savory. Very good palate actually, lead pencil, forest floor, dense red berry and currant fruit... Mouton-esque palate, but that nose just can't be. [Blind]
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10/22/2016 - petec-s Likes this wine: 95 Points
Superb showing at lunch, holding its colour very well, beautiful open bouquet, very classic Pauillac on the nose and palate, refined underlying cassis, pretty tannin and length, overall simply beautiful.
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10/16/2016 - liber Likes this wine: 94 Points
7th of 24, decanted 30 minutes, perfect cork and level, my kind of claret - youthful bright garnet, even purple on rim; cassis driven, pure bouquet, some cedar box, classy and precise; medium full, very long, persistent and pure, balanced and grippy, touch of unresolved tannin, last glass the best and gaining complexity, earlier vintages and perhaps the 01 better drinking today, but in 5 years this should compete with the 82 and 90 for the palm. Today F+ (18), potentially VF or better!
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9/7/2016 - djhammond Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fully mature this is very typical Pauillac. Very full with musty aromas of dark berry fruits, the presence of big steely tannins. lead to a satisfying finish if somewhat arrested. This is at its drinking peak but will stay here for some time to come.
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7/30/2016 - La Grappe wrote: 91 Points
A deep colour, fairly mature; quite full, blackcurrant fruit with a little mint, and rather sturdy, with slightly earthy tannin on the finish. This doesn't quite have the elegance I remember from previous bottles, but it is nevertheless very good, and drinking well now, although it will keep.
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7/19/2016 - thebonnydooner wrote: 93 Points
Opened to have with a nice grilled rib eye on 49th b-day. Lived up to expectations. Decanted, but pretty expressive upon pouring with complex earthy, leather, tobacco. brush and currant notes on the nose. There is still quite a bit of acidity, but the tannins are soft and smooth. Showed red cherry and blackcurrant fruit, with a long tasty finish. Solid 93 points, but lacks the complexity or depth to be rated higher. Seems to be consistent with most of the notes on the board. Very enjoyable and worth the 16 year wait :).
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7/9/2016 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful bouquet with cedar, cigar box , cassis and other dark berries, sweet spices and some pleasant rustic/earthy flavors. On the palate dark forest fruits, beautiful oak and sweet spices, chocolate, mild acidity and soft, round tannin with still a pleasant bite. Really beautiful wine which is completely ready now and – if well stored – can last another 5 – 8+ years as well.
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6/26/2016 - pavel_p wrote: 91 Points
Fourth bottle from a small case that has disappointed more often than not over the last years, hence always my suspicion of slight heat damage some time ago. This bottle was showing ok with a healthy dark garnet. Surprisingly open knit and soft for a good Pauillac at this age after an hour or so in the decanter. Strangely a touch of Aceton on the nose, dark berries and sweet leather on the palate, fine to medium tannins, does not have the length it should have. Continued improving with more air and last sip was the best but perhaps still not an entirely correct bottle. 91-92
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6/1/2016 - Robwild wrote: 94 Points
Earthy nose Soft, subtle, well balanced.
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5/31/2016 - slulkin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Purchased for 20th anniversary dinner. Fill was past the shoulder and just shy of the neck, cork was in perfect condition.
In the glass deep red with a little bricking at the edges. Lovely nose with cedar, red fruits, leather, tobacco and a touch of spice. Palate delivered what the nose suggested and the finish was long and balanced. IMO this still has room to improve with more time, but absolutely beautiful now.
Jill's impression - meh; too much leather, tobacco, cedar for her tastes, though as the wine opened over dinner she enjoyed it a little more.
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5/30/2016 - JBVino wrote:
fully integrated 20 year old bordeaux... a bit tired w softer personality at this point but still providing enjoyment. Structure, texture and flavor profile all on the mellower side.
Surprisingly merlot dominant St Emillion Troplong Mondot from same vintage had strong presence of tannins.
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5/8/2016 - Paul D Likes this wine: 90 Points
12/24. Decanted 1/2 hour. Medium/deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Nose reticent at first, then cedar, red fruit, touch of leather and spice. Medium/full, cedar red fruit, leather, savoury notes, tannins are soft, fresh acids, very good length harmonious finish. Perhaps not quite the best bottle of this.
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5/1/2016 - kevin h wrote: 92 Points
Classic Pauillac, pure cassis with a little mint. A bit of tannin showing as it opened out suggesting it needs more time yet. Lovely now but better, I venture, in 10 years time.
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4/29/2016 - Lipsman Likes this wine: 94 Points
Verging on greatness. Great nose, dark flavors of cherries, smoke and tobacco. Balanced with acidity and length. Bricking at the edge. Time to enjoy.
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4/10/2016 - redders Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep colour, no development. Very mineral lot of restrained fruit. Still young. Powerful deep very pauillac on palate. Tannins still present but plenty of fruit underneath. Long finish. This is still very young and will develop with further time.
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4/8/2016 - Diane (LI) wrote:
The 1995 and 1996 GPL were my contribution to a tasting of these two vintages. In my opinion, the 1995 was the stronger wine. This one showed higher acidity and was less lush, but that is not to say this wasn't a lovely wine. There was good fruit on the palate and the nose exhibited some nougat along with dark fruit. There was more balance to the 1995.
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4/3/2016 - Dehrmann Likes this wine: 92 Points
Started off flat...took an hour to open...bold...long...paullac
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3/24/2016 - Rupert wrote:
Sharp, medicinal nose, confirmed on the palate, but I love the earthy vigour here.
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3/23/2016 - wallstreet Likes this wine: 94 Points
That familiar nose............it really did have the typical aroma of the vineyeard next door :) Unmistakable Pauillac. 3 hour decant and it was sublime. Plenty of life left. It will outlive me.
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3/20/2016 - Ebrim wrote: 93 Points
no proper notes - very classic and is still frsh and nice. secondary aromas coming in nice, aromas of; red bell pepper, cigarbox, dark plum, kirch, drink now and the next 5 years. oustanding quality, 93p.
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3/20/2016 - cephomer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank at the Kittle House last nite with the Kindlers. Decanted for an hour or so. Garnet in color, not showing much age. Extremely generous nose of tobacco & earth. Medium bodied, silky smooth tannins, and still lots of black fruit and spice. Decent acidity level and lovely length. Excellent complexity with the wine exuding nuances of tobacco, leather, cedar, & earth--all integrated extremely well with the still-ample fruit level. This is a great wine--though not what I'd consider a masculine wine--and is showing wonderfully right now, and all at the table enjoyed it immensely. Loved it!
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3/18/2016 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 92 Points
First glass after a hone hour decant - it did not give away much and was tight like a fist, so I decided to give it another 2 hours to air. Second glass with 3 hours of air a little more expressive, some creme de cassis. However, this is still excruciatingly backward, the acidity is really high here and there is no sweetness to the fruit. At 20 years of age this feels like it needs till its 30th bday to be in its prime, but I am worried about the lack of sweetness to the fruit meaning that I fear it will never be a true pleasure to drink this wine, you can rather pad yourself on the shoulder for drinking a glass of strict austere Pauillac that is exceptionally long lived, classic, educational, correct. Almost comes across as 100 pct Cabernet. Hmmm. I count GPL amongst my absolute favorite chateaux, and while this is a great achievement I think it's just not my preferred style. I prefer the 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005 from here. And given the latter 3 are selling for the same or a lower price I would not be a buyer of the 1996. The 92 rating is a reflection of respect for this great wine, not of my personal enjoyment.
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3/3/2016 - macker100 wrote: 94 Points
Over lunch. Best Bdx at the table. In great years, GPL really shines. Great nose almost matching the Poyferre with blackberries, graphite, spice, pencil lead. Extremely smooth and silky palate with rich sweet dark fruit, menthol. Great finish and my favorite of the tasting.
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1/27/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Loads of Pauillac character here. Textbook cassis, tobacco and earthy notes, firm but polished tannins and a masculine edge. Still young, give it an hour or two of air, or another 5 years to continue to soften and develop.
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1/17/2016 - RockinCabs wrote: 93 Points
Nose: Blackberry, Truffle, Cigar wrapper, graphite and cassis. Intense on hte nose and at moments the truffle note was tremendous. Palate: After 3-hours decanting this really showed well with a silky feel, dark berries, sweet tobacco and graphite. Finish: Long and gorgeous with floral, earth and dark fruit notes.
Just coming into maturity, and has 15+ years of further development. Points to gain in the next few years with more complexity and elegance.
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1/6/2016 - tooch wrote: 94 Points
Served blind. Very classic aromas of graphite, dark fruit, earth, and florals. The florals really jumped out to me and I think that's what had me thinking Margaux in addition to Pauillac. Lovely structure, great depth and balance right now. A great showing, with lots of life left.
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12/29/2015 - jpaul1 wrote:
Brief decant with little sediment. Clear Ruby in appearance. Initial nose of farmyard and leather. Beneath, layers of dry dusty potpourri, dried cranberry, blueberry with very ripe cassis notes. By no means jammy though. Flavors of black current and beef bouillon with a long finish. Mouth watering acid and a touch of tannin left on the palate. Very good quality.
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12/26/2015 - Bandreas wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for about three hours; surprisingly little deposit and - for my taste - relatively short cork.
As I poured the winter into the decanter an incredibly rich and beguiling smell of dark fruit and lead pencil arose. I could smell the wine without holding a glass to my nose! This had never happened to me before; absolutely incredible!
When actually sniffing and tasting the wine it blew me off my feet. Wonderfully rich, yet so nuanced, smooth and silky.
I think this wine is at the top of it's game now. It was WOTN and left the 1989 Daumas Gassac drunk alongside way behind!
Left Bank Bordeaux at it's best!
Will drink the remaining two bottles within the next couple of years...
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12/26/2015 - Ricky99 wrote: 92 Points
Classic Paulliac... lead pencil.. still plenty of tannin... soft dark fruits.... nice length
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11/24/2015 - GA Old World Guy Likes this wine: 93 Points
As with previous notes...this didn't do anything until after the second hour of decanting. The first 110 minutes left nothing on the nose. At the 120th minute it began to reveal itself. Typical Pauillac notes. Nose had hints of leather, black currant, and tobacco. Very well balanced with low acidity and soft tannins. Still have half a bottle to go before this one is finished.
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11/23/2015 - Mr T wrote:
Solid bottle drunk with 96 brethren P Baron and P Canet and thought this perhaps best of night but didn't get to spend that much time with it....good full profile and some hint of aging...very pretty
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11/15/2015 - DougLee wrote: 93 Points
Decanted and followed for several hours. Darker garnet color with lightened edges. Things did not get going until about hour 3, when the nose became a blast of cedar, pine forest, earth, tobacco, red currant, and a touch of green leaf. The palate at that point revealed overt layers of feral red plum, black currant, leather, tobacco, and earth. Acidity was low to moderate, and tannins were smooth and massaging. Long finish evoking waves of autumnal red fruit laced with earth echoing to a quiet end. If this showing was any indication, this terrific wine has many years to go and lots to offer.
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11/8/2015 - la turque wrote: 94 Points
A sexy wine, drinking now. On the nose, cedar, vanilla, black fruits, sweet spice, lead pencil. On the palate, a quintessential, balanced, perfumed Pauillac with sweet fruit, a long finish and a very lovely overall experience. Decant and drink now.
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10/23/2015 - wineordeath Likes this wine: 93 Points
Love this. Fabulous classic bordeaux nose. Some herbaceousness in the background, but in all the best ways. Mint, eucalyptus, great menthol pairing with the rich plum fruit. cleansing. 93 - 94
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9/28/2015 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
We have had this wine quite a few times over the last 6 years (Rated recently 94 in Jan 2015) but this was a little bit less impressive, a lot more barnyard, dusty feel. A good well matured wine but we are thinking bottle variation here. Felt like a 91-92 and not as impressive as before.
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9/25/2015 - cellarid wrote: 93 Points
Very classic and typical. Great structure and I'd say approaching maturity but I'll wait for a bit more complexity. There's enough tanning and acidic structure to go much longer. A beautifully classic example.
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9/22/2015 - The Vines That Bind Likes this wine: 92 Points
A very promising showing of the wine with a spectacular Pauillac bouquet of lead pencil, brooding cassis, and damp earth. While the nose is incredible, the wine is still a brute on the palate. Monster tannins showcase grippy red fruits (dark cherry, underripe strawberry, rhubarb) while secondary earthy tones and some minerality attempt to slip through. Interestingly, new oak was not a problem, agreeable toast with no vanilla or bourbon. This bottle showed like a less refined, immature cousin of a 1996 Latour tasted a week ago. Definitely approachable for some drinkers, this GPL is huge and powerful and has a good deal of settling down to do for others. Will certainly be waiting a while, or for colder weather, to pour another one of these. Worth picking up and laying down.
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9/22/2015 - senex wrote: 92 Points
Not as good as previous bottles-rounded and balanced yes but a little thin.
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9/19/2015 - wineforth Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of blackberry, dark fruit, cedar. Well integrated and beautifully balanced, mellow old fashioned claret. Rated 97 in 08, 94 in '10 and then a lean bottle rated 90 in '12. Drink up.
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9/14/2015 - quaffnov Likes this wine: 93 Points
G-P-L Vertical (82',90',96',98',00',03',05') Evening: The third place finisher for me, after the 90' and the 82'. Obviously less mature than the the 82' and the 90', with a solid nose of graphite, dark fruit and a little on the dusty side. The key difference between this and its older brethren was found in the palate, where the complexity and nuance have not completely developed yet but clearly will be coming with several years more cellar time.
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9/8/2015 - dbkitc wrote: 90 Points
Deep color that holds well to the rim. Lovely nose that has plum fruit, oak spice and pencil lead. Certainly beginning to show warmth and maturity. Not as austere as previous bottles. The palate is showing the same thing: just beginning to show mature notes. The acidity is noticeable and leads to a slightly dry finish. This needs to mellow for the wine to ever be really great. I am doubtful. That said, this is a masculine, classic Bordeaux that I like a lot - especially with food. Will last a long time - 20+ years at least. (90+?)
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9/4/2015 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice Bordeaux.l.lblind it reminded me more of a St. Julien than Pauillac
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8/31/2015 - MRichman wrote:
Wonderful. In a great place. Young-mid mature. Good deep purple fruit, lively with good structure and soft but strong fruit. Excellent.
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7/25/2015 - Harry Cantrell Likes this wine: 89 Points
Garnet, Nose a mellow mix of tertiary flavors, nothing out of place, just not enough of there there. Taste morrored the nose with some licorice, black fruits, seasoned salt.
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6/22/2015 - Remony wrote: 93 Points
Maturing nicely, and more quickly than I expected six months ago. Deep clear colour, no watering. Some tears. Cherries and loganberries on the nose, giving quite a condensed feel. Not sweet, but fruit and acidity are now in harmony. Good with a plain steak. Not quite singing yet with full gusto, but starting to make good music. I think it is leaving behind the awkwardness of its transition from primary to secondary flavours. Quite a contrast with the rain-affected 1998 which will go no further, whereas this appears to have more to give.
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6/12/2015 - Billigan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Classic Pauillac fragrance, tannins rounded and mostly integrated, and just perfect with a medium-rare steak. As lovely as this was, I didn't see the structure for exceptionally long aging here. It's really in the zone right now.
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6/6/2015 - dbg wrote:
ATL offline at Cooks and Soldiers. I think this may have been slow-oxed prior to serving but not sure. Dark red to rim. Full-bodied, bigger than the 1995 right bankers we had that night, it took a while to open up but when it did it gave the '95 Angelus and L'Evangile a run for their money as WOTN. Destined for more complexity and even greater days ahead, try again in 5+ years. Outstanding.
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6/1/2015 - dharrison93 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Perfectly mature with modest sediment, this dark ruby wine has a nose of dark fruit mixed with blackberries., leading to an amazing palate-cloaking tasting and long finish.
If a date, this was the 1994 Playboy centerfold who hurries dinner along so you can adjourn to her place so she can get her physical fix from 11 until 6am.
Fantastic and highly recommended if you love mature claret
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5/24/2015 - la turque wrote: 93 Points
Consistent notes. A sexy wine, drinking now. On the nose, cedar, vanilla, black fruits, sweet spice, lead pencil. On the palate, a quintessential, balanced, perfumed Pauillac with sweet fruit, a long finish and a very lovely overall experience. Decant and drink now.
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5/14/2015 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Some nice wines over the last two nights; 5/13/2015-5/14/2015: Allowed to breathe for 8 hours and then decanted prior to serving. I think this was about the right amount of air at this point. drinking very well. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, slight funk, slight dust, slight spice, but all in a seamless complex package. On the palate, still plenty of fruit, medium tannins, lots of layered complexity. Great balance. Obviously plenty of time left, but this was a delicious bottle.
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5/8/2015 - Nutty08 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Exquisite nose of pencil, smoke, and flint, with currants and oak spice nuances mixed in. Palate was clean with red fruits and fine acidity with the background filled with still youthful but polished tannin. Lengthy finish with cedar spice, sandalwood and cassis. Very good Pauillac, drink or hold though this will evolve, it's quite good now.
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5/7/2015 - Sinegal Estate Likes this wine: 92 Points
Showing quite well. Lots of red currant holding up the darker fruits, minerality, but oxidized quickly. Drink now IMHO
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5/6/2015 - Paul D wrote:
1996 Bordeaux at RSJ (RSJ, Southwark): A touch closed. Medicinal. Brooding dark fruit, but not really coming out to play. Note of beef. Medium full bodied, quite tannic, touch of spice. Not showing particularly well. NR
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5/3/2015 - flashvictor Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep ruby color with some bricking on edges leads to a nose currant, Asian spice and bell pepper. Medium body contains currant, cherry, black berry and mint. Long finish hi lights the wine. My only complaint is a slightly green aspect of wine. Best after 3 hours in decanter.
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5/1/2015 - Cheungtp Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bottle breathed for the entire afternoon, but a couple hours of decanting would have been better.
Deep ruby, nose still a bit shy, but the bouquet has ample amount of goodies, dark fruits, spice, rich cigar aroma, wet earth, wood and leather. The rich, round texture is a treat, filling you palate with velvety weight and finely grained tannins. Both the richness and freshness of the 96 GPL speaks volume about this fantastic wine. No hurry on it, it seems to have only just entered its prime drinking window.
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4/25/2015 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Although I tasted this wine earlier this month, a new note again. Both wines were tasted fully blind (Not even knowing it was French) and from different sources. Tonight’s bottle: A quite mature bouquet with cassis, cedar and graphite. On the palate also mature with still some cassis, chocolate and coffee. Good acidity and slightly drying tannin in the finish. A mature and refined wine. Although this is a great and beautiful wine, the 1985 we tasted alongside is just a tad better and more balanced.
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4/25/2015 - ilee Likes this wine: 94 Points
Birthday party for Mrs L (Wine Vault, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong): Dark, rich and smoky nose of cassis, cedar, pencil shavings -- classic Pauillac. Open and rounded on the palate, the tannins are nicely integrated into the sweet and robust black fruit, giving the wine a friendly and approachable style that surprises me for a 1996 vintage. There is a juicy complexity in the finish, which is respectably long. Compared to my last encounter eight years ago, this wine seems to have blossomed. I look forward to enjoying my remaining bottles over the next several years.
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4/21/2015 - la turque wrote: 92 Points
A sexy wine, drinking now. On the nose, cedar, vanilla, black fruits, sweet spice, lead pencil. On the palate, a quintessential, balanced, perfumed Pauillac with sweet fruit, a long finish and a very lovely overall experience. Missing a little in the mid-palate. Decant and drink now.
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4/12/2015 - David Meddings wrote:
Drank off a wine list, notes from memory. I enjoyed this a bit less than others have here. There was a faint but detectable note of game I found on the bouquet that I did not appreciate - a whiff of chicken coop. Palate was heavy and dense with a very strong oak component that still needs to soften, and the final was marred by a volatile acidity component I also found off putting. In between all of the above shortcomings, it was delightful - a rich tapestry of dark fruit. I'd say this would show better at 25+ years of age - there is a great deal of stuffing and the oak and tannins still must soften. Not sure if the barnyard I was getting was a flaw and this was a bad bottle but from the looks of the other notes here I'd say that had to be a possibility. NR.
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4/9/2015 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
UWS (@ JB): Beautiful, exclusive and mature bouquet with still cassis and other dark forest fruits, cedar and some pleasant barnyard and oak. Same on the palate, some toast, chocolate, beautiful acidity and soft tannin with still a good bite. Great wine and fully mature now. It will stay on this level for another 4 – 5+ years or so, but to be honest; imho the drinking window in CT until 2027 as it is now is maybe a bit too optimistic.
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4/5/2015 - kevin h wrote: 92 Points
Lovely cassis dominated wine as ever. Drinking well but still shows a bit of tannin. Early maturity abd still some way to go.
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3/25/2015 - la turque wrote: 93 Points
Beginning to fade. Give this a good decant and drink up.
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3/8/2015 - Wine_lvr wrote: 91 Points
yet another difficult bottle which was quite backward. Had the wine several times at 94pts level but this one was just not showing well. I will wait a year or so before i pop the cork on the next one.
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3/8/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
With 2 hours in the decanter, the nose reminds me of walking into a high end cigar shop shortly after someone spilled a bottle of cassis on the floor. Full bodied, classy tannins and sporting a long, cassis filled finish, this structured, masculine wine remained at this high level for at least another 3 hours. It would have continued to hold, but by then, every drop was consumed. 1996 is a sublime vintage for Pauillac and there is no other wine available with this much quality at such a low price in market.
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3/5/2015 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 91 Points
A private dinner (at home): Fully mature, lovely Pauillac, balanced and beautiful, complete and really nice but without the "je ne sais quoi", without the extra dimension that this wine had 5-10 years ago. Drinking well now and I think I will consume my remaining bottles sooner rather than later.
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2/19/2015 - Pearls_b4Swine Likes this wine: 90 Points
a good showing. Not much fruit left, and very little in the way of tannins. But still satisfying. Savory and complex.
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2/5/2015 - senex Likes this wine: 94 Points
2 hour decant-still a little bit tannic ; it showed as well if not better 24 hours later. Fragrant nose ,great palate but slightly short on the finish - that said a delicious 1996!
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1/7/2015 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
Still in high spirits and very classic and simply beautiful. We decanted for 30 minutes, useful but the wine was open from the word go.
Dark fruits, light pepper, leather, light floral touch. Well secondary on the palate but still quite alive and fresh and the tannin is still there albeit on the silky side. Once again a pretty solid performance from this wine. 93-94
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12/31/2014 - Collector1855 wrote: 93 Points
From Imperial, brought by a friend to a New Years dinner party. Dark ruby, still very primary color as well. Discrete nose of cedar, dark fruit, a touch of forest and earth. On the palate medium bodied with mature tannins that have softened well. A bit shy on the fruit like so many 1996. This was still young, could have matured a bit more in this large format. Astonishing how slow and well this wine matured in this 6L bottle. 93+
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12/24/2014 - finewinebuff57 wrote: 91 Points
Tasted at a Five Decades of Grand-Puy Lacoste tasting with Richard Brazier in September 2014. Classic Pauillac nose, tremendous length, no rough edges and complexity emerging. Much liked on the night, for me it needs another 5 years before approaching its best. Will be excellent, possibly outstanding in time.
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12/22/2014 - Remony wrote: 93 Points
Rich colour, not a pronounced nose, mellow and easy on the palate. Very straightforward to drink, but still quite primary I think. Not as sweet and beguiling as it has been. A wine in transition. There is more to come, and we will leave it alone for a year or two.
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12/21/2014 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 94 Points
Ruby red with some slight bricking at the edges. The nose is a treat, which continued to evolve over the 3 hour decant. Bold dark fruits, leather, cigarbox, and hints of barnyard, bell pepper, and soy sauce. This was just bursting with fruit. Silky mouthfeel and full-bodied. Soft, round tannins and a nice acidic backbone. Medium finish. This wine seems like it is just entering its prime drinking window, and would guess 10-15 years left. Compared to the '96 Pontet-Canet and Pichon Baron, this wine seems to have more longevity and structure.
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12/13/2014 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 92 Points
A good colour, with no sign of age; on the palate, this has lively, ripe, spicy fruit, with good acidity giving it structure. It perhaps lacks a little richness, but is still vigorous and should keep well.
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12/6/2014 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 93 Points
With great relief finally a good bottle of the 96 Grand Puy Lacoste after having 3 flawed bottles from the same OWC and fearing heat damage for all remaining. Poured into decanter and drank over several hours but this is great upon pulling the cork. A beautiful, deep Bordeaux nose with the typical barnyard and animal notes embedded in dark fruit and some cedar. On the palate again the typical lead pencil giving this Pauillac its noble appearance. For me however also a touch too much cedar, or perhaps a touch too little fruit concentration. Perhaps a longer decant would have helped. Excellent - 93
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10/9/2014 - Papies wrote: 95 Points
5 Decades of Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste, with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): In the last 5 years we have come across this wine 3 times and we went from a 90 in 2009 to 93 in 2012 to 95 today. Clearly this wine is evolving nicely. Quite dark in colour still, open, classic nose, light floral at times, quite a lot of dark fruits. Lively wine, still on the young side and full of promise. Classic, pure and happy to have afew bottles of this. Still young but very very good and WOTN for both us and the group.95
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10/6/2014 - Mr T wrote:
What's with the High Holidays? Drank post Yom Kippur fast and 4 hour decant and very good that night and even better 2 nights later after cork back in and to fridge
Classic Bdx with a tad sour night 1 but solid fruit and tannin almost resolved
Pencil and cedar and cassis but much broader and softer night 2 and wonderful even with tomato based vegetable slow simmer pasta
So good I just finished the bottle
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9/22/2014 - M.Batard wrote: 93 Points
From the wine list, O&C, London. Decanted for one hour. Dark ruby color. Cassis, menthol, and graphite on the nose. Black fruit and graphite on the palate. A bit drying on the finish. Rich, polished, and long. Paired beautifully with roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.
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9/13/2014 - PC73 wrote: 89 Points
Still very tight. Needs a long time in the decanter.
Bit austere. Bit dry with lots of tannins.
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9/8/2014 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted in an open tasting at a birthday party of a good friend. I recall it as a great Cab at the beginning of its maturity. Was definitely a great wine at the beginning of its maturity...
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7/24/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 90 Points
Light rubber and blackberry nose; soft and rather flabby; some blackberry; decent finish.
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7/14/2014 - Derek Darth Taster wrote:
Birthday Celebration 2014 (Extra Space): Popped and poured. Should really have put this one in the decanter. I shall refrain from rating this one.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with initial aromas of green bell peppers, cedar, blackcurrant leaf. Gradually opened up to blackcurrant, menthol and tobacco later on. Developing.
On the palate, dry, medium+ acidity, medium alcohol, chewy medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavor intensity, with flavours of blackcurrant, blackberry, cedar, menthol mint, graphite, tobacco. A glimpse of cassis emerged towards the end of the bottle. Medium+ finish.
Looking back, yes we finished this guy too fast. On a night with Vega Sicilia Unico, Penfolds Grange, Chateau Pavies etc, not enough attention had been paid to this GPL.
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6/29/2014 - redders wrote: 91 Points
deep colour, backward initially then deep black fruit and cedar. Still primary. very classy correct palate, lots of fruit behind fine structure. Cool elegant finish. At start of drinking window and will improve
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6/28/2014 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 96 Points
This bottle was really singing and firing on all cylinders. Medium rather than full bodied it is dominated by gorgeous, cool Cabernet fruit, a superb mouth feel, exquisite balance and a deliciously lingering finish.
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6/15/2014 - la turque wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with other recent notes. Purple colour, with some garnet/browning at the edges. Three hour decant. Thick, rich, concentrated wine. Classic Pauillac perfume of cedar, lead pencil, cigar box, tobacco, cassis, black fruits. The aroma is so seductive. On the palate, the wine has beautiful balance, good fruit (could be a little more fruit forward), lovely acidity and soft tannins, with good structure and an amazingly long finish. Give it lots of air, and drink now or in the next 15 years.
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6/15/2014 - ledocq Likes this wine: 94 Points
As far as taste goes, I simply agree with everything Jeff Leve says below. A suggestion to those of you about to taste this excellent wine: decant for 3 hours. I had mine open for 2, and it was very good, but after about an hour in the glass, something so profound happened that all three of us noticed it -- it blossomed, and it kept getting better. Good show, and really a good experience.
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6/14/2014 - Milos wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about four hours and it helped a lot. Blackberry and prunes with mineral notes and wood. Full mid palate and long balanced finish. Lacked some elegance.
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6/9/2014 - moany rhoney wrote: 90 Points
Big fruited with cedar and tobocco notes. Mouth filling, just a little understated for a higher mark.
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6/8/2014 - gbbwino wrote: 94 Points
Jeff Leve hit the nail on the head with his last post...great wine!
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5/18/2014 - Wine_lvr wrote: 91 Points
Dark and clear in color. The nose showed leather, tobacco and berry notes. Good structure and precisely made wine, with niche red berry flavors. Overall for a GPL 1996 I was missing the power and length. Either this was a poor bottle or the wine moves into a difficult phase. Maybe a decant would have jump started this sleeping beauty. I rated the same wine twice with 94 pts just a few months earlier. So likely not a representative bottle. Drink now
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4/26/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Textbook Pauillac here. If you're seeking a wine packed with cigar box, cedar wood, tobacco, forest floor and cassis, this is the real deal. Decanted 3 hours before serving, and tasted over the next 3 hours, every sniff and sip was a treat. Great texture, freshness and ripe fruits from start to finish with a hint of cigar and dark chocolate along with cassis in the finsh. Drink now, or wait another decade for even more complexity.
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3/24/2014 - RayOB wrote: 91 Points
Drank at Davy's
Quite mature notes of earth, forest floor and a background of dark fruits. Amazing the bottle variation. Smooth complex palate but the length is slightly short.
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2/9/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
If you are looking for a wine to discover the perfume of cassis, one sniff of this beauty will teach you everything you need to know about cassis. Toss in smoke, tobacco, cigar box and cedar and know you know what text book Pauillac is all about. Powerful, full bodied, concentrated and deep, what this lacks in elegance, it more than makes up it in style and substance. Still young, this is starting to show a lot of its essence and character. Decanted for 2-3 hours, this was a treat.
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1/26/2014 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about 90 minutes. Garnet-purple color. Nose of tobacco, leather, cedar, plum, and a whiff of green pepper in a nuanced array. Poised and a bit austere on the palate, showing cassis, red and black currant, moca, and leathery notes. Lower acidity and smoothed tannins. Lovely, sustained finish with echoes of red fruit, earth, and tobacco. Classic Pauillac profile with many years left.
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1/25/2014 - Milos Likes this wine: 93 Points
Forward nose of blackberry and raspberry and hint of blueberry with complexity of moss, mineral notes. Fine tannins that soften over two hours in a decanter. Full mid palate and long balanced finish. Everything you would expect from this wine and maybe a little more.
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1/14/2014 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted blind: Clear but surprisingly thin garnet in color. Initially a very leather dominated nose which turned into pleasant red berries, Coke and fine leather notes after around two hours. The wine is long, has power and has smooth tannins. Now at the beginning of its drinking window. Decant for an hour or two. Great GPL!
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12/28/2013 - isdblm@lsu.edu Likes this wine:
Sang the typical Pauillac melody upon opening at Antoine's--drank like a marvelous middle-aged cru classe, smelling of manure and tasting of leather & casssis, giving all that one would expect and then some. However, the little remaining wine had faded significantly in 24 hours. Glad I have one left, but wondering if I shouldn't go ahead with it pretty soon. Will look for a good opportunity.
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12/25/2013 - Paul D wrote:
Decanted half an hour. No formal note but that was really on song, with lovely cedary black fruit, hints of meat and leather, tannins now quite civilised, deep and long with attractive fresh acidity. Excellent.
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12/22/2013 - jsebiri wrote:
nice wine , 1/2 hour of air was beneficial ,excellent , enjoyed
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12/22/2013 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
A quick decant, this wine has a killer nose of dirt, leather, tobacco, barnyard, and red fruit. The palate is austere and a bit clipped.
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12/21/2013 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Annual Tasting Group Holiday Party (Porter Creek, Mpls, MN): Very dark purple-red color. Short decant, I believe about 30-45 minutes. Drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. Another really nice nose with funk, earth, dark fruits, cassis, blackberry, pencil lead, licorice, and oak. The palate had full body, earthy, loamy, black fruits, pencil lead, structured and more masculine, dusty, licorice, and oak, medium plus finish.
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11/30/2013 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very deep colour; refined blackcurrant and vanilla nose; good depth of flavour, with classic Pauillac character of cigar box and spice. A fine, rich and elegant wine.
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11/28/2013 - paulst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Leather and dirt nose; textured, blackberry some licorice and tannic and young.
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11/15/2013 - Charlie Carnes Does not like this wine: 81 Points
This is very disappointing. I bought this when released and have kept it perfect ever since. When 1996s are off they all seem to taste like this. It has a mix of some pretty claret nose and taste profiles intermixed with some astringent and funky/Bretty aspects. It is overall drinkable but just a little blah and ever so slightly off-putting. Julie actually liked it more than I.
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11/10/2013 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 92 Points
Cherry cassis, very lush entry, some new oak still, sweet ripe fruits, dense on the mid palate with lead pencil and graphite. Tannins not quite resolved but already a delicious drop of Pauillac from a brilliant and under-rated producer. Now and over the next 20 years. It will be fascinating to see how this evolves next to the 1995 over the next few years. They are pretty neck-and-neck but maybe the 1995 has that extra mineral and tensile dimension?
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11/6/2013 - UTPK wrote:
This was much better than I had expected. Also better than both Lynch Bages and Pontet Canet 1996, which I have drunk a case of. This is bigger and younger in its fruit. The nose is sweet and deep, less blackcurrant/cedar tree/thyme and more plum/blackberries (even if only 20% merlot in the blend). Very chewy and full, but very good balance. Very very nice mature Bordeaux, which is just at the beginning of its plateau. I suspect it will stay there for many years, due to all the fruit and sweetness left in this wine.
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10/2/2013 - MRichman wrote:
Maturing nicely. Still young.
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9/28/2013 - CWang wrote: 94 Points
After breathing in the open bottle for an hour or so, very intense aromas of dark cherries, molten caramel, violet bouquets, and woody smokiness; surprisingly more intense than anticipated for a 17 yo wine; the palate, complex yet still quite smooth; dark berries and cherries, dried licorice, sweet chocolate, and some sandalwood; the finish, very long, with most of the elements from the palate plus some pleasant tannins; overall, very delicious and perfumed, and very Pauillac with lots of power and weight to go on and on for many years in the future; 94-95 points at this stage; will likely improve further with more cellar time.
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9/21/2013 - Nutty08 Likes this wine:
Looks like I had this a year to the day from my last sample. Still performs very well. Core of red fruit, and great nose of flint and a little smoke. Has lots of life left and could still use a few years.
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8/19/2013 - Wine_lvr Likes this wine: 94 Points
My Birthaday Party: Family, Friends, Food and Wine !!! (My home): No notes taken. I recall it as a massive, youthful but highly elegant wine. Lots of dark berries with nice chocolate flavors. This wine is now at the beginning of its drinking window. Makes a lot of fun. Great GPL and a top-value Pauillac. Drink - 2035.
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8/14/2013 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 89 Points
Pristine bottle, from the same case as the two previous ones. Correct colour; very evolved flavour profile, cedary and a bit gritty, hinting at nuttiness, seems a bit tired, quite tannic and without the stellar fruit that is one of the hallmarks of this outstanding wine; decent length only. After the two rather splendid specimens in 2009 and 2011, this is a bit of a nasty surprise. I assume (trust, hope) that this is due to bottle difference.
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8/13/2013 - Remony wrote: 91 Points
Took 7 bottles to the Donnersmark dinner at the Burgoyne. Very good, but still a little unknit in the latter stages. No longer primary, but not firing on all its secondary cylinders as yet. More time required.
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7/29/2013 - kevin h wrote: 92 Points
I had to chill this a little as it was too warm at first. Still on the young side but a classic, cassis dominated Pauillac. Should be superb in 5-10 years though enjoyable now.
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6/13/2013 - Billigan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted one hour and this showed lovely Paulliac secondary notes of cedar, graphite, and tobacco. Followed through with a smooth texture, tannins mostly integrated, and nice, lightly sweet-fruited finish. Ready to go now but has goods to hold a few years longer as well.
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6/11/2013 - WineCellarTV wrote: 88 Points
Deep dark-red to violet. Lighter edges, but overall very dense and vital.
First impressions of Sacher Cake!? Sweetness and aromas of Soft Cheese.
Fruit in Rum comes with aromas of fermented, ripe and dark Berries and Plums. Cedar and secondary characteristics of Leaves and Earth.
Traces of Eucalypt, fresh Herbs and Vanilla.
Multi-layered and intriguing nose.
Fruit forward with flavors of Fruit in Rum, ripe Cherries and dark Berries.
A little watery with lacking density. Finishes medium-long with Peppery Spiciness. Nice, but unfortunately weak and one-dimensional on the palate.
A very elegant and solid wine with fully integrated tannins and hardly any remaining acidity. Still nice and easy to drink, this wine is declining and should be drunk very soon!
More details at cellartv.wordpress.com
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6/6/2013 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 92 Points
HK Children's Skin Foundation 2nd Annual Charity Dinner & Auction (Chez Patrick Restaurant, 2/F, Garden East, 222 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong): No detailed notes because of the cameraderie, conversation and hectic bidding on our table......... this was a fantastic wine in perfect condition and that was surprisingly more open and seductive than other 1996 Pauillacs I have drank. Very classic Pauillac cedar, cassis and pencil lead with a gorgeous set of round curves, weight and poise. Beautiful both to enjoy on the nose and on the palate with the Charolais Beef Fillet. I'd love to re-visit this as a single wine in a smaller dinner setting....I may well have underscored it but, for me, the Henri Boillot Bones Mares 2001 was a bit more seductive on the night.
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5/18/2013 - drrobvino wrote: 94 Points
Double decanted at home one hour before leaving for restaurant (Daveed's).
Clear in appearance, med ruby at the core, with a beautiful tawny rim
Nose is in good condition, now fully developed, showing med intensity aromas of moist soil, mushroom, cassis fruit, tobacco, pencil shavings.
The palate is dry, med body and med alcohol (12% abv listed, remember those days?), with med intensity flavors of wet soil, tobacco leaf, pencil shavings, cassis fruit, showing gorgeous complexity and layering of mature tertiary flavors. The tannins are now on the mild+/med side of things, almost fully resolved into this wine, showing off ample med level of acidity, and a med+ length finish of cassis fruit, mushroom, smoke, and soil.
This is a high quality wine that is now at what I would consider to be a peak of maturity, based on my tasting tonite. I would imagine that although this wine may not further improve with bottle age, it will continue to drink at this pinnacle for another 5 or so years. It was so delicious tonite, I will consume my final bottle within another 2 years.
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4/27/2013 - matro wrote: 93 Points
Open about 2 hrs before drinking. Classic Paulliac with currants and pencil lead. Wonderful acidity and mouthfeel, long finish. Color still youthfull but starting to lighten up a little bit. This one has a long life ahead of it.
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4/14/2013 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent, mature, concentrated claret, with intense blackcurrant fruit and a slightly gamey/roast coffee element. This is full of flavour and style. Very fine.
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3/29/2013 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Un nez suave, envoûtant, de cèdre, d'épices douces, de fumée et de cassis noir. La bouche a la droiture de Pauillac, mais aussi un bon volume, dans un style dense et élégant. Le plaisir immense d'un beau Bordeaux à maturité. Superbe! 92 pts
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3/12/2013 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
1982-1990-1996 Bordeaux evening (my home): deep garnet colour
heavy intense aroma of pepper, slight earthiness, ripe black currant, blackberries, pencil lead, cedar, hints of chewy red fruit;
thick and dense on the palate while still quite structured.
firm tannin, full bodied, dense black fruits, nice cedar, hint vegetal flavours towards the end, good complexity;
medium-long finish with a hint of bitterness.
excellent and still young, though enjoyable now. can live at least a decade ahead.
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3/12/2013 - JOsgood wrote:
Liked this one very much. Still drinking very young. Nice voluptuous texture on the palate. Classic notes of pencil shavings and graphite. Nice long finish.
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2/24/2013 - liber Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deepish red, little development, classicly attractive nose, blackcurrant still very primary, med full, lovely balance and persistence, nice acidic lift to quality fruit, ready but will improve over many years. At least fine plus (18/20).
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2/24/2013 - pavel_p wrote: flawed
3rd bottle from a small case bought a few years ago and which must had been slightly heat damaged in earlier years. 1.5h decant. Not the most expressive nose but still one of quality Bordeaux/Pauillac, dark fruit, some barnyard and perhaps even a tocuh lead pencil. Then however a lack of fruit on the palate, resulting in a austere, dark style of Bordeaux, more like a 93/94 St. Estephe/St. Julien than any of the 96 Pauillac I have had. Not really bad and works quite well together with a meal, still a pity
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2/9/2013 - Paui Likes this wine: 95 Points
A wine to drink and enjoy. Opens up after an hour. Blackberry, bueberry, black currant. Intense, powerful, balanced, round. Would be interesting to drink with 1986 Pichon Lalande to see which one is better. Great value wine.
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2/1/2013 - FamilyLarsson wrote: 93 Points
En riktigt bra Bordeaux. Fortfarande lite ungt men en hyfsat mogen doft av läder, tobak, cigarrlåda och torkad frukt. Fin balans och lång eftersmak
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1/24/2013 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
mature Bordeaux wine evening (Wine-Bar, Nahalat Binyamin, TLV): deep garnet colour
heavy intense aroma of pepper, slight earthiness, ripe black currant, blackberries, pencil lead, cedar, hints of chewy red fruit;
thick and dense on the palate while still quite structured.
firm tannin, full bodied, dense black fruits, nice cedar, hint vegetal flavours towards the end, good complexity;
medium-long finish with a hint of bitterness.
excellent and still young, though enjoyable now. can live at least a decade ahead. Great enjoyment!
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12/13/2012 - dicehk Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still seems very young. There was agreat aroma of ripe black of blackberries, black currant. The colour when poured was deep. Initial taste was full of young tannin at first and over time keeps changing. Good finish. The wine can be aged much longer and it would be interesting to pick this out in 2-3 years time.
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12/5/2012 - drjb Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dense crimson, purple color. Nose classic blackcurrant, cedar, licorice and touch of smoke and dark chocolate. Palate a little closed initially - decanted only 30mins : gradually opened but always a little stern. For the true believers ! Great wine needing more cellar time and plenty of decanter time.
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11/1/2012 - tmako3 wrote: 94 Points
- Garnet color with medium forming legs and aromas of hay/straw and wet wool, wet dog. It's in total harmony and has flavours of mushroom, dusty and moldy with a medium/full body. Satin-Like texture with a medium finish - Loved this wine. Will continue to purchase many vintages of this chateau going forward. Tasted earthy, totally different than Napa fruit bombs. Wonderful expression of barnyard aromas continuously resonate above the glass rim.
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10/23/2012 - Hawk94 wrote: 91 Points
Good nose, very earthy, tannins a bit coarse compared to 05 Lynch Bages, good, but not great.
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10/16/2012 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
1996 Red Bordeaux (Medoc) , with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): Wow. This has developed quite a bit since we last had it a couple of years back. Beautiful, open nose, rich, full of fruit aromatics and a touch of oak. Quite dense wine a lighter version of the 1990 monster. Lush ripe fruit, singing nose, vibrant , good acidity just a marvellous wine full of potential. 93+
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10/13/2012 - gout wrote: 92 Points
Still firm but lovely with food. Tannis are begining to smooth out & this wine will last for several more years.
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10/12/2012 - aagrawal wrote: 95 Points
Pop and pour; intense aroma of ripe black currant as soon as the cork was pulled. Deep garnet color; intense aroma of blackberries, black currant, pencil lead, cedar, hints of chewy red fruit; palate is still quite structured with young tannin at first, full bodied, dense black fruits that fill the midpalate, some cedar, hint vegetal at the mid to end, overall changing and complex; finish is medium-long with just a hint of bitterness. Excellent and still young, though enjoyable now. This wine has at least a decade of evolution ahead. 94-95
2 hours air: nose has picked up a lovely bell pepper aroma, slight earthiness; palate continues to be young with a hint of bitterness, some green. I think if this slight bitterness integrates over time, this wine could improve substantially. It has great flavors and aromas, but is every so slightly out of balance with this bitterness. Palate has initial structure/tannin but is silky smooth by the finish.
3 hours air: yes! The bitterness has started to resolve. Excellent, complex, nose > palate but both excellent. Lovely young pauillac. 95+
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10/6/2012 - PJRONeill wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Beautiful nose of medium-plus intensity with notes of cassis, lead pencil, blackberries and cedar. Medium acidity and medium fine-grained tannin, complex, good length and starting to hit its stride. The 11 months since my last bottle have worked wonders.
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10/5/2012 - Giggs wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Mature nose, typical Bodeaux Cab pencil lead, tobacco, and smoke mixed with creamy cassis. Closed palate, good acidity but little underlying fruit, especially in mid and late palate, thinning out to a washy, borderline astringent finish. Overall not bad, but an underwhelming performance. This bottle was more evolved on the nose, but very young on the palate. Probably needs a 12-hour decant--even though this particular bottle seemed to decline during the brief 3-4 hours spent in the decanter--or, better, several more years.
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9/22/2012 - texaswinelover wrote: 93 Points
Just outstanding. Followed over 2 nights. I love the green pepper notes. Significant tannins though fine and integrated. I would suspect this wine will last another 10 years but delicious now.
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9/21/2012 - Nutty08 wrote: 93 Points
Slight brownish-crimson color, still quite dark. Great nose of mostly red fruits, nice floral component with cigar box. Licorice and cassis on the palate, quite narrow on the palate and focused, with fine prominent but polished tannins. Moderate length with mocha, flint, cedar spice. Compared to the '95 last week this has finer grained tannins, more closed, and a more focused palate. Drinking well, but could still use another 5yrs.
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9/14/2012 - sooper65 wrote: 97 Points
Utterly brilliant Pauillac - they drank the lot!
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9/12/2012 - Lipsman wrote: 94 Points
Dark garnet in color. No bricking. Aromas of perfume and damask roses. Tannins are still front and center, but it drinks like liquid velvet with flavors of anise, spicy ripe tannin, plums, tangy cherries, with good acidity. Well balanced. Tightens up after 90 minutes. This has a lot of promise. It will be a complex and exceptional wine deserving a higher rating. It needs another 5 years in the cellar minimum. Try again in 2017.
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8/25/2012 - clayfu wrote:
Out of magnum. I'm pretty enamored by the 96 vintage of bordeaux. It was one of the first vintages I ever had and it really stuck to me. This wine was no exception. Lots of fresh blue fruit pouring out of the glass on the nose with a touch of leather. On the palate there was a sweet concentration of dusty strawberry and graphite enveloped by a firm tannic structure. Still a bit brutish on the palate right now but it'll resolve with time. Since I'm not typically a bordeaux drinker, I don't have the adjectives in my head to describe this wine properly, but it was really good and I enjoyed it a lot.
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8/24/2012 - drjb wrote: 95 Points
Birthday dinner with the family : decanted for 90 minutes prior to serving. Deep dense crimson colour. Striking nose of blackcurrant, cassis, liquorice and cedar. Touches of dark chocolate and violets. Palate deeply flavored and long with fine and long tannins. Beautifully elegant and balanced. approaching a long plateau of maturity after a long dormant phase. Delicious classic Cabernet based wine.
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7/20/2012 - Paul D wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 1/2 an hour. No formal note. Lovely, developed claret nose with blackcurrant, strawberries, notes of leather, earth and minerals. Medium/full bodied on the palate, tannins have softened nicely, leathery blackcurrant and strawberry fruit, notes of earth and mineral, fresh acidity on the long, savoury finish. Excellent.
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5/29/2012 - jonnyoro wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with the others
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5/16/2012 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is now fully ready. Ripe and full, with creamy fruit and some savoury notes; stylish and long. An excellent claret which is drinking well now.
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5/14/2012 - Lombardi wrote: 92 Points
Starting to drink well. Still quite primary and with plenty of life ahead. Tannins are relatively soft but there's good fruit content and structure to build complexity over time in the bottle. Medium body, very elegant. Fresh medium+ finish.
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4/21/2012 - djdaqm wrote: 93 Points
Grand-Puy-Lacoste Vertical (Home): Drank as part of a Grand-Puy-Lacoste vertical that included the 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2005. Decanted about 30 minutes. Color is starting to brick. Seems in its drinking window now--very inviting and open nose with lots of secondary smells and flavors. Cedar or cigar box, tobacco, earthiness on the nose. Flavors of graphite, anise, mushrooms and nicely integrated fruits. Displays a great sense of place. Still some life left. To me this was the best drinking wine for tonight, although the potential of the 2005 may be better.
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4/1/2012 - dbg wrote:
Dark red to rim. Forward nose of cassis, earth, leather. Medium-full body, good fruit, beginning complexity, great balance, nice finish, outstanding.
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3/27/2012 - Marcyrillo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Confraria - Napa vs Bordeaux: Aromas evoluidos, estabulo, otima acidez e longa persistencia. Vinho da noite!
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3/5/2012 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
From 375. Mature disc. Stony, oaky nose opening up with air, putting on some great blackberry, blackcurrant and ganache notes. Pure. Really nice and, happily, far more Pauillac-like than the 01 tasted recently. A similarly delicious palate, plump and a little spicy. Very enjoyable and drinking well now from 375 with a couple hours of air, but I'd probably hold off on this from 750 for a few years yet. Will age beautifully, I think.
4+
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2/16/2012 - godx wrote: 91 Points
La Commanderie de Bordeaux à Vancouver - Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste Vertical (Bistro Pastis): Decanted 45min prior to serving. Medium to deep red. This started off somewhat shy on the nose not giving up too much so I focused on the 89 and 90 and when I came back to this 20-30min later it had opened up quite a bit with aromas of leather, cassis, blackberries and a gravel/crushed rock note that was very nice but also unique to this vintage. In the mouth this was young and tannic with lots of structure but ample fruit to match. Lots of power here and masculine in style. This was surprisingly enjoyable to drink given how youthful it was showing and has the potential to be outstanding, just needs 5+ years. Excellent. 91+
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1/22/2012 - Chris Forno wrote: 91 Points
Nose: The French genie in the bottle wafts from the bottle as soon as the cork is pulled, along with some smoke and lead pencil, holding red and blue fruits and leather in her hands and dosed with cherry liquer. Over time, the nose becomes more subdued but still with all of the components in place.
Taste: Concentrated plums and lead pencil. The tannins, although still present, have begun to soften since my last bottle two years ago and secondary flavors are starting to emerge but notable acidity provides lift and an element of weightlessness.
Overall: A really nice bottle which is starting to show secondary development. This is why it is so fun to follow a case of wine over its lifetime. The requisite components are all playing musical chairs and have changed form and position since my last bottle with the tannins moving to the background, fruit to the fore and acidity playing a larger role.
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1/7/2012 - Milos wrote: 92 Points
Beginning to show sign of aging on the rim. Forward nose of dark red berries with mineral complexity, but still quite primary. Great balance on the palate. Ripe tannins are well integrated. Time to drink if you like them fruity. This one is heading in secondary flavours which is not bad.
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1/2/2012 - DonalOB wrote: 94 Points
Enjoyed even more than the last. Decanted properly this time.
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12/31/2011 - pavel_p wrote: 91 Points
New Year's Eve at A's home: Slightly better second bottle from case than the one last week however still not entirely convincing. The wood on both nose and palate seeemed more subtle this time but it is still there and for me somewhat irritating. The palate is generously creamy but seems a bit simple at this point in time. Medium finish. Perhaps really needs several more years in bottle
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12/25/2011 - DonalOB Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very enjoyable. Did not get to decant properly - plastic jug 30 minutes before - but enjoyable nonetheless :-) Stong cassis notes with plenty of tannin still, but this mellowed with a little time in the glass.
Looking forward to the other bottle.
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12/24/2011 - pavel_p wrote: 89 Points
Probably a bad bottle - seemed a bit corked immediately upon opening, 3h decant. Dark fruit and some oak on the nose, fairly muted on the palate except again some fairly prominent oak appearing towards the end, still some tannins
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12/20/2011 - BeavisCC wrote: 96 Points
Awesome magnum. Just lovely, with graphite and cassis on the nose, black fruits on attack, dense mid-palate and a nice long finish. Amazing balance, and while tannins are still a bit youthful, this is evolving into something pretty special.
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12/15/2011 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 93 Points
A private lunch (The Members' Restaurant of the House of Representatives, The Hague): Not decanted. A beautifully mature, classic and stylish wine, cedar and blackberry, perfect balance and weight, lovely length. A beauty, quintessential Pauillac. Drink now - 2026.
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12/14/2011 - Zweder Likes this wine: 92 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #064; Bordeaux; Pauillac (By RvD): Beautiful bouquet in which ripe dark forest fruits are dominating, beautiful oak, cedar etc. Black cherries and some eucalyptus as well. Very juicy start, touch of sweetness, cassis, blackberry and blueberry. Beautifully round and creamy tannin that still has a pleasant bite. Beautiful now and a future of at least 5+ years.
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12/5/2011 - kevin h wrote: 92 Points
We drank this after a 3 hour decant. As expected classic Pauillac. Blackcurrant and black currants on the nose. Youthful but like other 96s very approachable. Dense cassis flavours. Five years away from any real secondary development but a lovely drink now all the same.
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11/22/2011 - THA wrote: 93 Points
CdBaH 81st (RDG): Tasted with the Pichon Lalande 1996. Like the Pichon Lalande, it's great to finally see this wine turn the corner. I've had this wine two or three times over the last three years, and its core had each time been cloaked with tannin. But no more. This wine is still young, but open for business. More evolved than the Pichon Lalande, the GPL had an earthy, almost funky, nose. Not a pure expression of Cabernet like the Pichon Lalande. But delicious nonetheless. Great depth, and a long finish. Maybe the 1996s are finally opening up?
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11/5/2011 - pmravens wrote: 94 Points
Tasted blind with bordeaux, super tuscans and cali cabs. Great nose, complexity and balance.
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10/29/2011 - PJRONeill wrote: 92 Points
Not quite 12 months on from my last bottle, there is a slight shift towards approachability here but even after three hours in a decanter its still in need of plenty of time. Vanilla, cedar, plums and strawberry on the nose, but also with time an iodine-like slight harshness. Similarly on the palate, this started out quite generous, almost creamy in the mouth but with time it became a little more surly and the tannins came to the fore. This gets a slightly better review because of its initial approachability - it teases you with what it might become - but overall there's not much to distinguish it from the bottle last December. Its all about potential. And patience.
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10/18/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Acker Merrall 1996 Left Bank Bordeaux Dinner (Balsan - Chicago IL): Despite being open a few hours and decanted, this also didn't show well. Perhaps an off bottle, more likely awkward and in need of more sleep in the cellar. A bit or ripe fruit coming through on the palate but not the spice I'd expect. Not much of anything on the palate, very lean and austere, with a finish that bordered on bitter.
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9/5/2011 - Paul D wrote:
Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste (The Ledbury, London): Youthful, intense, blackcurrant, vanilla, notes of blood and meat. Deep, rich and full on the palate, long finish with some unresolved tannin. A little backward in comparison to other recent bottles, but excellent. ****(*)
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7/30/2011 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
The fill was well into the neck and the cork was sound; popped, poured and consumed over the course of 2 hours. A very youthful appearance, with no signs of age. An outgoing and complex bouquet, offering up notes of cedary black fruits, roasted herbs, tree bark, and a hint of truffle. Medium-to full bodied, with a silky texture, impressive grip, ripe tannins, impressive depth, and a long and well delineated finish.
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7/25/2011 - Marc wrote: 92 Points
Dense, ripe, very toasted dark oak aromas and flavours. Ripe dark plums and currants with leathery oak accents. This is a fuller and more concentrated wine than the 1995 and is not yet mature (unlike the 1995) and whilst enjoyable, I imagine the wine will improve with time in the cellar. A brooding wine that displays a heavier tannic structure with an opulence of fruit and generosity of oak handling. After three hours in the decanter the wine's acid becomes apparent - still primary and with a concentrated yet lean streak - this wine needs at least 5 years to enter early maturity. The wine shares a slight smelly farmyard quality with the 95.The mark is based on potential. Excellent, but very very different to the 1995 which is a point at the moment (but will age). Very tannic. 92+.
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7/23/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
From a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot, this still tannic and youthful Pauillac delivered scents of tobacco, cassis,gravel, smoke, spice and forest floor. Concentrated, powerful and still tannic, this large scaled, broad shouldered, Bordeaux wine needs at least another 5-7 years before it softens and comes together.
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7/23/2011 - Nutty08 wrote: 93 Points
GPL vertical with '96 Pauillacs (Scenic Loop Cafe, San Antonio, TX)): Double decanted for about an hr until it became aromatic, then returned to bottle about 2hrs before drinking. This came across as much more elegant and feminine compared to the PB. Nose was quite open, floral, cedar, Asian spices, and cherry. Palate with fine polished tannins and fine acidity. Plenty of red fruits. Lengthy finish with cigar box, touch of leather, and coffee. Came across as quite youthful, but strong complexity and length. Should continue to improve, though enjoyable now.
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7/14/2011 - jonnyoro wrote: 95 Points
this is a beautiful Bordeaux that is still on the very young side- a bit of olive and black tea (?- i don't know what else to call it) on the nose; dusty, cherry, big tannins that are sweet and a long finish- not yet totally integrated but full bodied and very promising- decanted for an hour and we drank it over the next 2 or so...(still have some in the glass)- i'm a fan of this wine now but its best years are ahead of it.
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7/12/2011 - sreisgolf wrote: 93 Points
Very nice wine! This wine is perfect as it is now, but I think it can go another year or two. Very well balanced and a typical bordeaux. Good fruit and few tannins make for a nice long finish.
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7/3/2011 - Yagil Likes this wine: 92 Points
2nd Technical tasting course #3 (Wine Road Tel-Aviv): (blind tasting)
dark cloudy red with some brown
wet earth & mildew aromas
med round body, chocolate flavors, black forest fruit flavors, good bitterness & harmony, silky tannin, balanced long & pleasant after taste.
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6/19/2011 - Paul D wrote: 91 Points
8/24. Deep ruby core, narrow pale garnet rim. Nose shows blackcurrant fruit, some strawberry, hints of blood and pencil lead. palate is medium/full bodied, showing blackcurrant fruit, notes of blood and meat, tannins now almost fully integrated, well balanced good length slightly minerally finish. Perhaps without quite the intensity or purity of some of previous bottles, but still excellent and within its drinking window.
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6/12/2011 - Whistler wrote: 93 Points
This is drinking really well now. I have drunk two bottles from the same case in 2008 and 2009 which were still too tannic and young so I left it fora couple of years and was surprised to see how much it had come round. Got the lead pencil that you get from lafite, typical pauillac.
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6/2/2011 - Dingo wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. A little closed at first, but opened up nicely with time. Plenty of fruit. Still loads of time left in this.
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5/30/2011 - Remony wrote: 92 Points
Very classic nose and palate. A little unyielding, and the tannins and acid are still noticeable. Fruit not prominent, and no sweetness. Better with food at this stage. But I think it will come into its own again quite soon -- earlier bottles have been sweeter and more harmonious. Probably in another awkward phase just now.
After 24 hours under argon: it remains a little sullen, acid & tannins stubbornly predominant, slightly stinky palate, but the promise is still all there. I am not at all despondent about the future prospects for this wine, but right now it is not very generous.
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4/10/2011 - La Grappe wrote: 94 Points
A very deep colour; attractive blackcurrant fruit on the nose, with an old vine creaminess and some oak. Quite full, round and very long on the palate. Good structure. Very stylish, with many dimensions of flavour. This is probably one of the best 1996s we have had.
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4/6/2011 - GerryP wrote:
Four stars. Deep purple red colour. Powerful blackberry flavour with well integrated tannins. very long finish. drinking well now but still in its youth. I'll be interested to see how it evolves over the next few years.
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4/3/2011 - Pearls_b4Swine wrote: 92 Points
Decent bordeaux; still a bit tight.
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2/28/2011 - MRichman wrote:
1996 Bordeaux Horizontal (Harry's, NYC): Rich, sweet, round. Some coffee tannins but tame. Drinking well. A little short.
B+
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2/1/2011 - redders wrote: 93 Points
Very classy but very young.
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1/30/2011 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 88 Points
Garnet. Nose of dried herbs and 'asian' spices. Taste has dried herbs and a pinch of seasoned salt. All tertiary flavors, I do not think aging will help much.
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1/29/2011 - rdsboca wrote: 93 Points
Elegant, light on its feet. Great red cherry, cassis and a smokey cedar/oak underbelly that brought it all together. Still young but in a great place.
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1/21/2011 - Paul D wrote: 93 Points
No formal note but continues to impress. Nicely developed now with plentiful, but integrated tannins, attractive developed flavours - red and black berry fruit, cedar, minerals and a touch of bloody meat. Deep, long and well balanced.
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12/19/2010 - PJRONeill wrote: 91 Points
Still largely closed for business, hints of what it is likely to become (which is very good, IMO) but not revealing much of itself now. Needs to be left alone for three to five years. Basics are there, as reported by other tasters below. But not ready.
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11/30/2010 - BradKNYC wrote:
Bordeaux and a sweet Chenin with the Last Tuesday of the Month Supper Club. (Bill's): This one is still pretty closed up and not showing much development. There’s some nice black fruit, herb and graphite, but there’s still formidable structure and it’s a bit one dimensional at this stage. Good raw materials, though. B+ now with Solid A- potential.
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11/17/2010 - cliffkol wrote: 92 Points
Needs 2 hours decant. At first, nose of barnyard, leather and smoke. Blew off after half hour. Tannins mellowed out some over 2 hours. Would have preferred longer decant, at least 4 hrs. Voluptuous, smooth and alive. Bouquet was open, and flavors of cedar, dark berries, currants and forest floor. A lot more forest and funk in this bottle than the last one opened in April. Color brick red, dark. Well structured, still tight and drank wonderfully. Finish full of flavor and long. Stunning texture and taste and glad that I still have one more bottle. (doris, still too much tannin)
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11/14/2010 - cubswinws wrote: 92 Points
Dark, black fruits. Still youthful but a bit more mellow than my last bottle. Suspect this will
hit its plateau in 4-5 years.
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11/7/2010 - kevin h wrote: 92 Points
First bottle from a case. First sights of amber at the rim of the glass but really still quite a youthful colour. A very typical Pauillac. Cassis nose and cassis flavour - youthful but approachable but still quite a few years before it develops any secondary characteristics. One dimensional but good depth of flavour. 1996 like 1986 before it are very blackcurrant dominated wine but the younger vintage has more ripe tannins and is approachable at around 14 years rather than 24 years.
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9/12/2010 - rdsboca wrote: 94 Points
This was a big and chewy wine and is still incredibly young. Some what muted nose but the wine has lots of stuffing. Firm but sweetening tannins. A good dose cedar hebind the black cherry on the palate.
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9/11/2010 - bonustime7 wrote: 89 Points
Drank with a gang in Collingwood.... decanted 30 minutes. Closed down a bit... Earth, spice. Amber rim
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9/10/2010 - Mr T wrote:
Popped for the Jewish new year and spent about an hour in the decanter before dinner.....color starting to fade and bricking on the edges, modest sediment don't recall the nose...should have paired well with grilled lamb chops, but the wine just sort of sat there, not bad but not singing either....tannin resolved and easy to drink...recorked and opened the next night and drunk with a tomato/garlic/basil pasta...should not have been great and it was terrific, just came out swinging and everything you would want in reasonalby aged Bdx....beats me why it worked, but wonderful and the wife and I battled over getting what was left in the bottle
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9/9/2010 - Niagara wrote: 94 Points
Great stuff.
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8/30/2010 - pikemasterflash wrote: 93 Points
Cork slipped out a bit too easy on this one but it turned out to be a false alarm. Color was thinning and bricking. Beautiful wine with subtle sweetness and saddle bag/leather notes. Classic Pauillac. Pretty good stuff right now.
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8/25/2010 - TheBusiness724 wrote: 93 Points
Yet again, I second Paul D's note below.
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7/19/2010 - skorstad@mac.com wrote: 94 Points
Classical pauillac, well balanced, starting to drink well. Peaks in 10 years and drink for 20+
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7/16/2010 - Paul D wrote: 93 Points
Deep ruby core, narrow pale garnet rim. Deep cassis fruited nose, touch of bloody meat. Gravelly minerals. Medium full on the palate, tannins now mostly resolved, jut a trace of fine tannin on mid-palate and finish. Intense, ripe cassis fruit on the initial attack, notes of bloody meat as on the nose, some cigar box, fresh acidity carries a very good length slightly minerally finish. Lovely and beginning to drink really well.
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6/18/2010 - JimHow wrote: 92 Points
From half bottle.
These 1996 Medocs are very aromatic.
I recall the '96 Lynch rivalling the '89 on the nose.
This '96 GPL was more tannic than the surprisingly accessible '96 Leoville Barton I had last week.
Both have lots of tasty ripe black fruit.
If I had to pick one over the other at this stage of development, I'd give 92 points to the '96 GPL and 92+ to the Leoville Barton.
The GPL was just a touch more mouth-puckering.
The '95 GPL is clearly better overall than the '96, although the '96 bouquet is better. Both delicious though.
Is the '96 GPL the last of the great classic-styled GPLs?
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6/7/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Dark ruby, this looks like a 5 year old wine. Cedar, cassis, earth, lead pencil and blackberry notes make up the perfume. This young Bordeaux is packed with thick layers of juicy, ripe Cabernet fruit that fills your mouth. Full bodied and intense, this beefy wine finishes with a blast of chewy, dark fruits. While not elegant in style, this classic Pauillac is still young and will additional complexities for decades.
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5/27/2010 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 86 Points
deep garnet. Nose was a Pauillac, but of lesser quality. there was even a hint of VA. Taste was thin and acidic. Bought at release and kept in an active cellar, I couldn't find a flaw that I could name, but it was likely there, I believe.
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4/17/2010 - rahimi wrote: 93 Points
Served a few bottlesat a dinner party with friends. Opened the bottles a 3 hours before and decanted them before serving. Drinks well now but will keep for a few more years. 24 hours later tried the last bottle opened. Even better now. Very nice.
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4/9/2010 - cliffkol wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 4 hours. At first, nose of barnyard, leather and smoke. Blew off after half hour. Tannins mellowed out over the 4 hours. Voluptuous, smooth and alive. Bouquet was open, and flavors of cedar, dark berries, currants and forest floor. Color brick red, dark. Well structured, still tight and drank wonderfully. Finish full of flavor and long. Stunning texture and taste and glad that I still have one more bottle. (Doris - Floral, 90) (Elena and Ray - cheeses)
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4/7/2010 - Vinomarcus wrote: 89 Points
Wednesday Night Blind - April 2010 (Peter Pratt's Inn): Blind Wine #3 - Instantly recognized as Bordeaux, I say left bank, maybe 1990. Well structured, obviously had time on it, but had much time to evolve, not a lot of fruit, forest floor, cigar smoke, grilled meat and blood, some spice. Was better later in the evening.
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3/27/2010 - Paul D wrote: 93 Points
No formal note. This bottle complex and quite developed with tobacco and bloody meat along with the pure cassis fruit. Deep and now quite soft on the mid-palate, and really drinking really well.
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3/26/2010 - moutondoc wrote: 93 Points
cigar and spice on nose, 20 second finish, w/ classic Pauillac flavor. really enjoyed.
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3/10/2010 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Chaine Dinner, 1862 at The Union League, all 9 bottles came from my cellar, and had fills into the neck. Opened about 2 hours before serving. Still has a youthful appearance; no bricking or signs of age. Really benefitted from airing, as the bouquet was quite extoverted this evening, displaying notes of cassis, black truffles and anise. Medium-bodied, with a velvety texture, great concentration, stunning balance, and a long, complex finish. Just approaching maturity, but it should last for another 20 years!
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2/22/2010 - pgordon62 wrote: 93 Points
Double decanted 8hrs ahead. Alluring nose of plum skin, stewed cherry, saddle leather, pencil shavings and farmyard. Concentrated but nimble, with forceful red fruits, slate, licorice and building tannin. The finish is fresh and lively, with moderate tannin and a mushroom note. A youthful, classic Pauillac that is still 5-7 years from its peak window.
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2/18/2010 - tbabes wrote: 96 Points
Off the charts! A youthful appearance; still purple-ruby at the rim. Classic bouquet, offering notes of cassis, barnyard, roasted herbs and truffle. Medium-bodied, with a round mid-palate, good concentration, lovely balance, and incredible purity. Will continue to evolve and improve for years!
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1/29/2010 - 1855 wrote: 94 Points
This was a real treat. Decanted for two hours. Nose of cedar, light tar, nourished leather, and lingering smoke. A concert of red berries in the mouth with a long finish. Acidity and tannins in harmony. Drinking very very well now but will certainly keep for medium term.
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1/28/2010 - Employee500 wrote: 92 Points
Really, really nice. Sweet fruit, dark blackberry and cassis, classic pauillac with pencil lead, cedar.
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1/4/2010 - paulst wrote: 95 Points
5 hrs decanted; sweet tar cedar blackberry nose; earthy, blackberry, lead pencil; concentrated structure with sweet tannins and long finish with some nice acidity; still developing.
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12/25/2009 - Blade wrote: 92 Points
beautiful nose after the barnyard blew off - nicely balanced
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12/16/2009 - Ibetian wrote: 92 Points
No detailed notes, a terrific Pauillac drinking very well now but plenty of life ahead.
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12/13/2009 - cfe wrote:
Dark violet. Nice Bdx aromatics, with a big dose of herbal notes...in a good way, not green. The wine was decanted for a couple hours and serverd with grilled steaks. Still a bit stern, but is probably at the front edge of it's drinking window. Great components, complete wine, just needs two more years, or six hours of air.
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12/13/2009 - nvitols wrote: 92 Points
Wonder full noise of cedar and stone fruit. Full bodied classic cherry and aged dry mild herbs. Needs another 5years at least.
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12/4/2009 - Colima74 wrote: 92 Points
Very expressive and still showing youth. Balanced with plenty of fruit, this is not close to reaching full maturing. Perfectly integrated.
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11/19/2009 - Papies wrote: 90 Points
Bordeaux 95 vs 96 with Richard Brazier (Handford Wines, London): Side by side 95vs96 @ Handfors's Tasting with Richard Brazier.
Most people at the tasting , incl Richard, really liked the 95 and 96 GPL. I found them nothing special and had no favorite between them. Very classic style. Closed and tannic. Not for me
Especially the 96 is super backward and austere, woudl even call it harsh. It def needs like all classic style 96s it some more time... 10yrs min
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11/12/2009 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
mattach visit Dallas (Suze in Dallas, TX): WIML90
Tasted November 12, 2009 at an offline.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of cedar, dried herbs, leather, black berries, black cherries and a hint of smoke. Flavors of bright red berries and a bit of Bing cherry. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink over the short to medium term.
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11/11/2009 - JimHow wrote: 92 Points
This wine is very slowly coming into a very nice place. It is a classic Pauillac, the way they used to make 'em. We decanted it and started drinking and watched it build very slowly over the course of three hours. It is at the very beginning of a long plateau. Still very youthful, but starting to show off its big ripe 1996 tannins, a black fruited beauty. It was really getting into full gear by the last sips, so about four hours of decanting prior to drinking would probably be of benefit. Lots of cassis and cedar, big, bold and mouth-filling, this is the way I like my Pauillacs.
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9/28/2009 - dbkitc wrote: 92 Points
True garnet all the way through – youthful looking. Classic GPL nose of cassis and plum fruit – full, fat an rich – a plump ’96. Opened 8 hours in advance, there was still some tannin evident that really showed itself by the end of the evening. Needs a few more years (2012?). Excellent potential. (92+)
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9/25/2009 - La Grappe wrote: 94 Points
This is drinking very well now, with a very smooth, almost creamy texture and complex, well rounded fruit. Excellent balance and length. A fine bottle.
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9/11/2009 - Ary wrote: 94 Points
At Wijn Antiquariaat (blind tasting) GPL vertical with 1975, 1985, 1992, 1995, 1996 and 2003. Opened 2 hours before tasting. The most difficult bottle to access in this tasting. Very powerful, heavy wine. Nice fruit and classic style Bordeaux. Lots of tannins. Nose quite closed. Drink from 2015.
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8/30/2009 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Pristine bottle; double-decanted about 30 minute prior to dinner. A dark purple core, turning to red at the rim. The bouquet is lovely, with notes of cassis, briar patch, and a hint of black truffle and cigar box; still quite primary at this point, but I am sure the aromatic complexity will come with additional bottle age. Medium-bodied, with nice grip, great velvet on the mid-palate, good concentration, and a long finish. This is a classic claret, and the style is very much to my liking!
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8/25/2009 - MRichman wrote:
Drinking well but will improve and will be drinking well for years and years.
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8/19/2009 - Cracker Barrel wrote: 92 Points
Decanted about one hour and then poured back in botlle for restaurant drinking. Definitely ready to drink, relatively soft tanins, nice deep ruby color, good, but not great fruit, very Pauillac.
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7/29/2009 - La Grappe wrote: 89 Points
Plenty of depth and extract; the fruit seems to be showing some maturity, with a slightly cooked element and a touch of bitterness. While this is an enjoyable wine, it is not as good as we remember it from a previous occasion.
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5/25/2009 - windgod wrote: 89 Points
Another comfort bordeaux. IMHO, GPL has always been underrated. A classic Pauillac boquet, offering scents of cedary black fruits, leather, pencil lead, and cut grassr. Medium bodied in the mouth with plenty of tannin and a well-focused finish. Just entering its drinking window. Wish I have bought loads when it was sub $100.
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5/15/2009 - Milos wrote: 93 Points
Still very bright dark red; almost no sign of aging on the rim. Forward nose of dark red berries, forest floor and stone cobbles. Great balance on the palate, ripe tannins are still notable. Wine kept improving in the glass with time. Still a youngster, but already enjoyable.
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4/13/2009 - JimHow wrote: 92 Points
Absolutely classic Pauillac. Lots of sediment. Ruby/purple color. Loads of ripe, ripe black fruit. Lengthy finish. Powerful cedary bouquet. Only one problem: It requires another ten years. Still a baby, at age thirteen. Delicious now, will be considerably better in a decade and beyond.
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4/7/2009 - d'Artagnan wrote: 91 Points
Un excellent Pauillac à maturité, d’une belle profondeur, superbe à table. À boire tranquillement au cours des trois prochaines années.
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3/14/2009 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Bouteille achetée à l’encan, ce qui implique une certaine appréhension à l’ouverture….Or, cette bouteille s’est avérée superbe. Un magnifique Pauillac, droit, élégant, long et complexe, avec les notes typées de cèdre, de crayon, de sous-bois…un magnifique vin, montrant beaucoup de classe et qui entame son plateau de maturité. 92 pts
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3/8/2009 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 94 Points
Fabulous radiant fruit, not tough or difficult at all, just an essence of Pauillac.
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3/6/2009 - Paul D wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 1/2 hours. Deep ruby core, pale ruby rim. Ripe pure cassis fruit to the fore on the nose, with cedar and some meaty complexity. Intense and perfumed. Intense, savoury cassis fruit and cedar on the palate, classic and structured with lovely pure fruit and integrated tannins, long fresh finish. Very drinkable now, this still has a long way to go.
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2/11/2009 - Niagara wrote: 96 Points
Really wonderful wine, perfectly balanced with a deep richness that can only be compared to a French fruit tart, complete with rich custard notes and toasty crust.
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1/25/2009 - tbabes wrote: 95 Points
Purple core, turning to ruby at the edge. A classic Pauillac boquet, offering up scents of cedary black fruits, saddle leather, venison loin, and forest floor. Medium bodied in the mouth, with excellent concentration, fine grip, and a well-focused finish. This should continue to improve for many years.
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1/22/2009 - br wrote:
leathery, earthy and old woody (pleasant) aromas. nice texture and shape in the mouth. good solid finish.
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1/21/2009 - La Grappe wrote: 93 Points
Everything that fine claret should be, with depth, complexity and elegance; typical Pauillac nuances (cedar/cigar box); reasonably mature but with plenty of life. Very fine.
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1/14/2009 - ParkHill wrote: 89 Points
Good wine, but disappointing at the price point... even if I over-paid. Soft with moderate-light fruit. Sweet and light tannins. Low acid. Opens more at the 4-hour mark. I'm just not getting 92-94 pts out of this. Did not hold up to the steak, mushrooms and polenta.
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1/11/2009 - BeavisCC wrote: 96 Points
Fantastic showing - great fruit, with cassis and black fruits; earthy complexity on the mid-palate; and a refined finish. Are the '96 left banks finally hitting their stride?
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1/3/2009 - pikemasterflash wrote: 90 Points
Ruby red in color. Characteristic Bordeaux mustiness on the nose. Slightest bit of of pepper and menthol, although the finish is inconsistent--sometimes mouth coating and sometimes too light or thin. I had this wine at a Sotheby's auction and loved it but tonight (or then) it isn't the same bottle...
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12/25/2008 - richard.stevens wrote: 93 Points
Deep ruby colour colour and classic Pauillac nose. Decanted for 2 hours then had with Christmas lunch. Silky smooth - everything perfectly balanced. Perhaps not as much length as expected but very elegant and polished - very classy. As we got to the end of the bottle we noticed more meaty notes. Excellent!
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12/22/2008 - mmasterson wrote: 93 Points
this wine is in a nice place...drank after uncorking for 1 hour and then a 1 hour decant...great bordeaux spice nose, resolved tannins, and sweet fruit with plenty of secondary notes, including a slightly herbal, perhaps barnyardy quality that actually works
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11/19/2008 - Ricky99 wrote: 94 Points
Just an absolute beauty... balanced tannins, classic bordeaux nose.... wow
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6/29/2008 - dvf64 wrote: 90 Points
Smooth no tannins, supple, garnet in color, earthy, wood smells/tastes, tasted/smelled fruity at first but that has all but gone away, long silky finish, elegant very nice, a neophyte but still from what I've learned I'd say this wine is ready to drink now
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6/8/2008 - Mlermontov wrote: 91 Points
Trip to Boston; 6/4/2008-6/9/2008: cassis, touch lactic, black berries, ripe, good middle, very drinkable - food wine. but stil true bdx - with a button-down shirt but perhaps no tie. well balanced if a bit structured.
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6/7/2008 - dougsmith wrote: 91 Points
Saturday Dinner in Boston: Deep ruby color. Lactic nose with bright elements of cracked pepper, black currant and pencil lead, a not unwelcome touch of barnyard as well. Good acidity on the palate, medium bodied with a fine, austere profile.
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5/9/2008 - Eating is Cheating wrote:
Irish Wine Board Pauillac Tasting (Irish Wine Board): From a Pauillac tasting at the Irish Wine Board. Only a quick sketchy note taken at the time. Circa €100-120 per bottle. Intense red and black fruits on the nose, with meaty, beefy notes also. Excellent on the palate: very well integrated, yet the fruit is still ripe and not drying out. Still on the way up. Excellent.
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5/9/2008 - Paul D wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 1/2 hrs. Deep ruby core, pale ruby rim. Classy pure cassis fruit on nose, starting to show some nice complexity with plenty of spice and earth, good intensity. Same pure cassis fruit on the initial attack, has the sleekness, purity and lovely fresh acidity I'm beginning to associate with this vintage, there is also some earthy, minerally complexity and just a hint of leaf before a very long, savoury if still slightly firm finish. This has really come on in the last couple of years and now appears to be entering its drinking window. Excellent.
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5/8/2008 - G&A wrote: 92 Points
Ripe fruit, meaty, leathery, full bodied. Very powerful on the nose.
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4/29/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
french16 does Dallas! (Suze in Dallas, TX): WIML91
Tasted April 29, 2008 at an offline. Opened and served immediately. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of balsalmic, licorice, chocolate and dark fruits. Flavors of currants, dark berries and cherries. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink or hold.
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3/30/2008 - gout wrote: 93 Points
Deep colour, bouquet of cedar & cassis just beginning to have some complexity. Still firm on the palate but starting to drink if you like your claret fresh & robust. Tannins still evident. This will mature further for several years.
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2/15/2008 - pgordon62 wrote: 93 Points
A complex nose of meaty plum, roasted black cherry, soy, graphite, a little bell pepper and a touch of sweaty horse saddle. The palate has great energy with cherry, plum, damp rock and brambly underbrush. Still quite fresh and acidic on the finish, which shows an excellent core of fruit and graphite. Just entering prime drinking. Another 4-6 years will bring out its best.
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1/5/2008 - jaimetown wrote: 90 Points
Opened and consumed without decanting over the course of 4 hours - the 96 GPL has dark fruit flavors with notes of cassis, cedar, mineral (iron) and earth with a firm tannic spine. Full bodied with a juicy mid-palate with a medium length finish with lingering dark berry flavors. Balanced, and while young, enjoyable.
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12/29/2007 - Melli wrote: 94 Points
Couldn't have been more impressed with this '96 effort from Pauillac. Tannins evident...but tame. Very "Pauliiac" nose with decent QPR finish
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12/24/2007 - mikecase00 wrote: 92 Points
We didn't decant this wine, but it developed nicely over the hour or so it took to consume. I had this last in 2002 and it's clear this wine is starting to come around nicely. There's still lots of tannins, but the fruit balances it nicely. The 96 GPL is developing an excellent Pauillac nose, and possesses a medium-full mid palate and a lengthy finish. Seems to have a long life ahead of it.
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12/10/2007 - MikeK wrote: 92 Points
Didn't decant and this wine definitely required some air as the tannin was noticeable up front. After an hour or two was much better, though it still seemed to lack a bit of acid. Plenty of fruit on this one and I nice finish.
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11/4/2007 - Mr T wrote: 92 Points
Really rich, almost new world hint of ripeness and very very dark. many years to go
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10/5/2007 - Fielding wrote: 94 Points
Still a bit hot, but lots of dark fruits on the front, with cigar box notes. This should continue to get better for many years.
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9/20/2007 - Vinho wrote: 91 Points
"Audozed" por 10 horas antes e depois decantado por 1 hora. Aromas finos, de intensidade moderada mas ótima profundidade, com notas minerais, de frutos negros e herbáceas. Elegante, sedoso e equilibrado em boca, mostrando média acidez e taninos numerosos, macios mas bastante presentes. Agradável e aparentando pouca evolução, deve ganhar complexidade à medida em que surgirem os aromas terciários. 91+pts. E.
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9/20/2007 - losvinhos wrote: 91 Points
"Audozed" por 10 horas e decantado por mais 1 hora. Ruby escuro sem sinais de evolução. Intenso e complexo bouquet de ervas, minerais, cedro e frutos escuros. Corpo sedoso e macio. Especiarias,cassis, tabaco e cedro na boca, com taninos ainda muito presentes, numerosos e firmes, boa acidez e bastante equilibrio. Percebe-se o vinho ainda fechado e com ótimo potêncial. Final longo. Excelente. 91+
Jantar no Içi com amigos muito espciais e queridos.
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8/17/2007 - wineismylife wrote: 90 Points
WIML90,WS93,WS92
Tasted August 17, 2007 at a SWILL offline. Opened and served immediately. Light garnet to garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of thistle, florals and mixed fruits. Flavors of black berries, cherries and plum. Medium acidity, tannins and body. Drink with a short decant or hold.
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8/17/2007 - win wrote: 90 Points
SWILL tasting. Minimal notes.
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7/18/2007 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
1996 Bordeaux Horizontal (Custom House): Surprise of the evening! Nice big nose of black fruit and graphite. Lovely black fruit. Rich and in perfect balance. Likely drinking at or near it's peak now. 93+ pts.
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7/18/2007 - Nanda wrote:
1996 Bordeaux Horizontal (Custom House - Chicago, IL): Reticent nose has some red fruit and herbs. Structure dominates this wine holding back what appear to be pure red fruits. Backward and not giving.
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6/1/2007 - jolson wrote: 93 Points
2nd bottle of 8 and very consistent with the first, nose explodes out of the glass. So much potential here but hard to keep my hands off of them.
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4/7/2007 - Cracker Barrel wrote: 93 Points
very good, drinking wll. still plenty of time
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4/4/2007 - jolson wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic bottle! Great concentration, medium bodied. Decanted for an hour still a little tight but overall a phenomenal bottle of wine. Lots of dark fruit and a bit of pepper and tobacco. Can drink now but will def benefit from another 5 years.
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3/21/2007 - plhew wrote: 94 Points
Exceptional nose. Great Bordeaux
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1/16/2007 - gout wrote: 92 Points
SFWS tasting of 1996 Vintgae Wines;
Deep red colour; lovely developing complex bouquet; a big wine on the palate, very profound, huge body & well structured with a voluptuous finish. A great wine which will keep for another 20 years ? A treat ahead.
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1/12/2007 - br wrote:
light bodied, notes of meat, berries and over time, some wood surfaced. good acidity and was a knockout match for mushroom stroganoff. short on the finish and didn't have the complexity I expected. needs more time to come together. day 2 - blossemed into a beautiful wine, fruit layered over meaty notes and filled out nicely on the finish.
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12/21/2006 - vintage61 wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful translucent cherry color to the rim. Dark red fruit flavors with no sign of tannins. This bottle was ready at last. Unfortunately my last.
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12/20/2006 - Melli wrote: 92 Points
Solid Bordeaux but I concur with previous posts that wine is tight and would benefit from additional aging
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9/24/2006 - EBoyer wrote: 91 Points
Very good, but not great. Decanted for an hour or so. Still a little tight maybe.
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9/15/2006 - SimonG wrote:
1995 / 19956 Bordeaux Offline (Alba, London): Either 1995 or 1996 GPL. A slightly more garet colour. Quite lean. Elegant. Slightly sweaty betty. Some slight acetone on palate. More reductive with time. Yes, but so what? Guessed 1995
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5/8/2006 - MRichman wrote:
1996 Bordeaux Horizontal: Wonderful concentration. Pure, sweet, silky. Tar. Complex. Excellent QPR. Also more ready to drink than expected.
A-
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4/18/2006 - Sav wrote: 89 Points
Worth trying again
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3/24/2006 - Paul D wrote: 90 Points
Deep ruby core, narrow/medium pale ruby rim. Very intense nose with some initial development. Meaty with underlying cassis fruit and spice. On the palate this has bright, medium +/crisp acidity and medium + firm, dense tannins. There is plenty of depth to provide balance with brooding cassis fruit, plum and spice and just a hint of cedar. There are savoury notes on a good length finish, with evident firm tannins.
This really is quite a long way from being ready, but is well balanced and certainly should improve. Right now 88, but could well be into the low 90's with more time. Won't be touching another for at least 3 years!
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1/30/2006 - Diane (LI) wrote:
Brought to AOC Bedford for 1996 Bordeaux offline. Showed nicely with its tobacco and ash nose. Turned a little tart on the finish.
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1/24/2006 - Spencer wrote: 91 Points
Very young and closed. Dark, dense red color. Lean and austere on the palate. Showing some dark fruit and metal/steel notes, but not much else. There's good suffing and balance here, but this just needs time. I wouldn't touch another bottle for at least 5 years - maybe 10.
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12/2/2005 - MichaelB wrote: 90 Points
First time with this wine. Black as night as expected. Classic Paulliac profile, cedar, blackcurrants, some soy and earth, this wine actually moved in reverse-Initially it had a rounder mouthfeel but shut down more with air. I'd say let this wine alone for 5 or so more years. It still has pretty high acidity and although not austere, not where it needs to be either.
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2/15/2005 - MRichman wrote:
Grand Puy Lacoste Vertical (Inside, NYC): Deep, dark fruit. Very concentrated. Iron. Structured.
A-
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12/19/2004 - micha_e wrote: 94 Points
Very dark red color with a little bit of development on the rim. A healthy amount of sediment in the bottle. Decanted for 4 hours. At first the nose was rather shy but it openend up progressively to display sweet cassis, ripe plums, smoke, spice box, and a hint of lead pencil. In the mouth, a medium to full-bodied wine with perfectly integrated acidity and wonderful sweetness. The tannins appear rather late, but still need some time to integrate. Nevertheless, this is a wine with a fine-grained tannic structure, where the tannins spread out over the entire palate. I really love it when the wine conveys the impression of elegance combined with considerable flavor intensity. This is why I love Bordeaux! While drinking relatively well for such a big wine at this age, the wine kept improving as the evening progressed, thus demonstrating that few years of patience are necessary to show its the full potential. Drink 2008 to 2020
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12/13/2004 - Golfer wrote:
Promising, but certainly not ready. Still tightly wound and relatively unyielding after a couple of hours decanting. Forget for a few years.
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7/20/2004 - The Wine Bum wrote:
The 1996 was in contrast a lot more forward than we expected. It did have a long time in the decanter and ther was some marvellous cheese with it but still...It was how i thought the 1990 was going to taste, big, ripe and rich, but tannic and unyielding, its all there in perfect balance. Its still a baby in evolutionary terms but it was certainly revelling in its baby fat and was quite delicious.
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10/25/2003 - CSteefel wrote: 91 Points
Given RP’s recent tasting of this wine, I had expected more. Quite enjoyable, however, with dark fruit and lead pencil on the nose and sweet ripe fruit on the mouth. Seems slightly less complex than the Montrose.
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10/17/1999 - mdefreitas wrote: 93 Points
CT Group does 1996 Bordeaux @ Jeff S: Light nose, but excellent concentration. All the elements are there, but the tannins seem to be hiding things form coming out. Excellent mouthfeel, and a nice, chewy finish.
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