The cork came out in pieces but the fill was good. It’s medium garnet in color with marked bricking showing its age. The nose is unbelievable;intense, eucalyptus, cigar box, faint but insisting cassis and red berries. A true symphony of aromas. Medium body, very soft silky, great intensity and balance of flavours throughout. Everything is ready and in harmony. Very soft endless harmonious length. Punching well above its weight. Excellent.
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Opened this bottle and started out with promise. Nice full flavor to go with the beef roast. As the evening progressed, sadly, I was totally underwhelmed. Not much fruit, not much structure, acidic and tannic. Went to add this review, and saw the folks that were waxing over the wine. Maybe I just don't get it, but for a 35 year old grand cru, not drinking well enough for me. ADDED: saved 6 oz for the next day. Better, I'd give it a 90, but still the wine overall was a disappointment.
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This is very classic Bordeaux that is showing really youthful. Touch of green, fruits are really bright and out there, with just the right amount of tertiary development. Very correct stuff. Shocking that this is 89, looks no more than 15.
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Boxing day at Caroline's: Brought this as an extra to compare with the two bigger ‘89 guns and it showed very well again. Similar impressions to before, most youthful out of trio with a formidable structure.
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Was at left bank Bordeaux, but really couldn’t narrow it down further. Was the 86 better, maybe so. But this is a great buy for the price. As usual, Melvin showcasing his skills at finding value.
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Birthday dinner with good wine friends: Brought this as a value comparison to the LMHB and it put up a valiant fight. At the start many commented that they couldn’t distinguish the two, some suggested that they could even be the same producer. But over time, its masculine nature with sturdier tannins showed compared to the silky nature of LMHB. Fruit was still very vibrant, most guessed it to be from the mid-90s. My favourite underdog that always punches above its weight.
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Perfect fill and cork. This is so comfortable, like the proverbial old pair of slippers, comfortable to drink, pair with food, in its own skin. Resolved, aromatic, sotto voce, balanced. There are enticing glimpses of something deeper, more complex, but ultimately this wine can’t really sustain a flashier gear and it isn’t really interested in trying to. Better than a luncheon claret still but fully mature and fading a little each day into something evermore ethereal. 90-91 pts.
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Medium to full body. Aroma was amazing, rich of currant fruit, some soil tone, scent of sweetened soy sauce in a elegant way. Tannin had been smoothed. Palate was rich, silky and classy, aftertaste was long and complex, still very much alive. Keep evolving during about 3 hours of tasting. Drinking beautifully. Love it.
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Hamilton Blind Group: [Blind to others, but not to me] This pours medium to light tawny with medium bricking. the nose is mature and complex showing iron, mushroom, tobacco, dried red cherry, dried black currant, cedar mulch, and celery seed. The palate is silky and resolved with the dried red cherry fruit of the nose on entry turning to medium minus tannin, medium plus acid, and a lovely finish showing celery seed, dried red currant, sweet cedar, and tobacco. Really enjoyable wine and style. I was interested to hear the discourse from the experienced tasters who wondered if this might be burgundy due to the light color, red fruit, and elegant and silky palate. The clear tobacco and celery seed notes are what I think ultimately led some back correctly to Bordeaux. I've always loved this vintage of this wine.
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Gorgeous wine bright in color. Complex nose and flavors with long pleasant finish . Tannins long resolved. Beautiful mouth-feel. Sad that I only have one more bottle . Might last another 3-5 years .
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Wines Before / At / After a Passover Seder (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Popped-and-poured. Musty to start, this seemed dirty for 10 minutes but quickly cleaned up and turned it another great 1989. Black plum and berries with leather and braised meat spice. Not powerful but lots here. This continued to taste as good an hour later, and should hold well for many years to come.
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Wine evening (Restaurant Krietsch, Schwäbisch Gmünd): Popped and poured. Unfiltered, deep garnet-tawny color. Classic ripe BDX nose, tobacco, leather, barn. Only 12,5% abv. Mellow tannin, medium+ acidity. Fine red fruit, espresso, tobacco, some barn. Good balance and texture, long, etheral finish. Full peak. 92-93
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34th of 36, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, little changed from bottle noted in 2019, particularly attractive, if not particularly nuanced, plummy mid palate, plateau but no sign of decline, no rush. Surprisingly F (17.5).
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From memory. This was a perfect bottle with bottom neck fill and a clean cork with only the bottom few mm soaked. Pnp. The wine was round and balanced but lacked any sort of depth and aromatics I was hoping for given the stellar reputation of the 89 Cantemerle. Perhaps an off bottle but a recent 82 Cantemerle was more convincing
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Splash decant. Drank a couple glasses over 2 hours. Classic and elegant with tobacco and cedar. To me, this is the definition of aged claret. The wine is so lifting, it's easy to take sip after sip. I could wish for some more punch or complexity, the wine is just resolved that no flavors really stand out.
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Opened one hour before, cork was soaked through. Deep dark red with a bit of brown on the edge. Black fruit, tobacco, turned earth, medium lenght aftertaste. Started getting a bit tired after 2 hours.
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Grace and elegance and class--a charming aristocrat, a dancer. Blueberry, black plums, tobacco, spices, minerals, leather, with earthy notes and a touch of smoke. With time in the glass, cedar and minerals and spices become more prominent. Honeydew melon (!) and cedar in the long and gorgeous aftertaste. Just beautiful, a wine to love. Needs some care in the choice of food to serve with it--it could easily be overpowered--a simple roast chicken or such would be ideal. Should continue to be a delight for at least seven years, and probably much longer.
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Seems to be at peak. The cork was mostly soaked through, though it came out in one piece, and the wine did not seem to be negatively affected at all. The color was sound; deep purple core with a magenta rim. Not a hint of browning or bricking. The wine looked very young....
Though the nose was through and through mature Bordeaux. Graphite, cedar, and turned soil dominated the nose. Years ago, I spent a summer sharing a room in an 18th century farm house surrounded by tobacco fields dotted by barns drying tobacco leaves, and the smell of this wine has an element of those fields at the end of a hot late August day; pungent green tobacco mixed with the aromas of rich sweet dried herbals. What a memory!
The wine is mature on the palate with earthy and herbaceous flavors. Very little fruit- what remains is dark. There is a hint of green grass-y pyrizines in the background that I rather enjoy. Is that a touch of black pepper I taste? Smoke? Syrah-esque meatiness? Complex, lovely secondary/tertiary flavors and aromas. Long beautiful finish. Soft, gentle, round. Drink this now, you won't be sorry.
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Pop and pour, followed a couple glasses over 3 hours. This wine had a lot of iodine and beef blood in it. The nose was cerebral with violets, meats, earth and gravel. The palate was slightly bitter and a shadow of the nose. The nose was really nice.
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This was very good, and I wonder if it’s going to decline from here, so I would say to drink up. I had this at a “1980s” Bordeaux dinner. Three bottles: this, plus a 1989 St Emilion and a 1981 St Emilion. Interesting that all three bottles were 12.5% alcohol by volume. These days, is that even a thing any more? Can you even find a red wine today with under 13% abv? The bottle of white that we started the evening with (2018 coteaux champenois) was stronger than these reds at 13% abv! Times have changed.
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firing on all cylinders tonight. Impressive balance with the fruit still quite fresh along with all the tertiary notes one hopes for in aged left bank. Definitely still life in the tank but this all one can hope for right now. drink and enjoy! you will be happy you opened this
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Classic aged Bordeaux. Notes of damp earth, red fruit and sous bois on the nose, with old leather and tobacco on the palate. I really enjoyed this, but at the same time wonder if this bottle might have shown slightly better five years ago.
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Classy, elegant and well-balanced, showing great at age 30+. Ruby red with some orange, no browning. Plums, cassis, forest berries, some cedar and herbs. Lovely and a steal for $ 25 when I bought it in 1992.
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I can’t overstate my love for the Cordier stable in the 1980s and this reinforces that passion. From a 375 ml bottle in a Gabriel Glas Gold, savory leather and a streak of mint play off brooding dark currant to deliver fine depth. It initially seemed a little dilute, but 30 minutes of air brought out the fine tannin and acidic structure it needed to frame the flavors. While fine on its own, it really took off when paired with a prime ribeye. A terrific final red for this challenging year.
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I love this wine but it must be decanted and breathe for at least 3 hours before it begins to mellow. Smooth as silk and full of rich dark berry, with tones of anis, leather, pencil shavings and raspberry chocolate.
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Slow O'd 4 hours. There was some anise and alcohol initially that had me considered. A good 30 minutes of glass time smoothed the wine out amazingly. Classic and elegant with tobacco and cedar. To me, this is the definition of aged claret. The wine is so lifting, it's easy to take sip after sip. I could wish for some more punch or complexity, the wine is just resolved that no flavors really stand out.
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Five years after my last bottle. Fully mature and still singing with no signs of decline anytime soon in this well stored bottle (level in neck). Even better after a few hours of air. More rustic and less elegant than the 1989 Pichon Comtesse drank alongside, but still very pleasant.
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Long, lively and fully mature bordeaux wine. Had lots of pleasure drinking this wine over night. Everything balanced and in place. Tobacco,.chocolate and plum. This wine is down peak but still very enjoyable. Drinkers drink up !
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Drinking very nicely right now. On the nose its still dark fruit and savory and on the palate a balanced melange of dark fruit, savory, unami and acids all playing very nicely together. Entire family loved it and paired well with the sous vide/grill finished leg of lamb. Bottle didn't make it out of dinner....
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Into neck fill. Solid cork but for last 1/2 inch. Modest bricking and no orange/brown color. Teaspoon of sediment. One of our best recent bottles. Plenty of ripe black, red and blue fruits. Some dried herbs, sweet Oak, touches of tobacco and graphite/minerals.
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Medium ruby brick colored with light sediment in the bottle. Flavors of black cherry and tobacco. Tannins have clearly softened with age. All and all a really enjoyable bordeaux with age.
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Holding up very well, showing no signs of browning around the rim. Brick red in the center. On the nose and palate it was all dark fruits, forest floor, mushroom, cedar spice and a hint of savory. Balanced. Long finish. Very nice.
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Lo Hei at Yan + late night at M&M's (Yan, National Gallery, Singapore): Lovely - a nice way to end the evening after a series of Burgundies. The nose was lovely, with a nice matured melange of cassis, tobaccos and capsicum, all patted down with a bit of loamy earth. The palate was beautifully resolved, with soft velvety tannins and bright acidity framing round flavours of cassis and dark berries touched with savoury bits of orange peel, earth and pencil lead, with another lovely curl of tobacco smoke drifting into a satisfyingly fresh finish. Not the most complex nor powerful, but this was such a delicious charmer. Lovely, and at peak now.
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From magnum, it is in an outstanding place right now. It took a couple of hours after decanting for the fruit to fill in, but once it did it offered what I want in an aged Bordeaux, with plenty of cassis to complement leathery and earthy tertiary character and a bit of meatiness, and enough tannin and acid to hold it altogether. A great example of the brilliance of the Cordier stable in the 1980s.
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Beautiful wine. Lovely full ruby, just tending to garnet at the rim. Nose is classic pencil lead and tobacco. So smooth and harmonious with a lovely freshness to the long finish. ****
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This bottle was acquired upon release and cellared properly. I was pleasantly surprised by this wine as I have had bad luck with other bottles of various vintages from Cantemerle. The cork was in place but broke up upon removal. There was only a minor amount of fine sediment in the bottle. it was given an thorough decanting. It was definitely mature but very drinkable. It was fun and enjoyable to drink a 30 year old Bordeaux from a great vintage.
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2-hour decant. Drinking great. Mature Bordeaux with nice balance of fruit and earthy notes. Silky, almost heady on the palate and finish. Great match with grilled hanger steak.
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A lovely find. 1.5 hour decant and it did not change for hours after. Black and red fruits dominate. Near silky. Elegant ruby color. Very little sediment. Some Oak, sage, and hint of graphite.
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33rd of 36, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, still improving, complex plummy fruit, hint of earth, spice and tobacco, not as pure as the best but attractive and better than feared, no rush but hard to see scope for further improvement. F (17.5).
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Po’s 89 Bordeaux @ Trompette (La Trompette, London): Quite dark and rich initially. Not potty, but there’s a nod towards ripeness. Drier and more traditional on the palate. Rounded, quite dark fruited, lightening to mid red fruit. Opens up nicely and shows more typically with air. A good mix of ripeness and freshness. Initially I think this is Beychevelle, but with air it is more typically Cantemerle. Lovely. ****
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Mostly Older WTDS at Tillia (Tilia, Mpls): Dark red color; no bricking. PNP, drank a glass over an hour. Well there ya go. This was flat out brilliant. Best of the '89 I've had by a goood margin and they're all been quite good. Just a beautiful nose on this; really perfumed, mint, lots of fine leather, dried earth, violet, red fruited. This just builds and build in the glass, quite exhilarating I'd say. Medium full bodied, drinking with such maturity, yet age defying in other ways with its brightness and depth. Very pretty red fruits, floral, so giving , just a pristine bottle. Don't see how this can get better, but in my opinion it has the fruit and depth to go another 10 years.
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Lovely showing. Medium body, dark ruby color. Really opened up after decanting and showed a classic pencil, tobacco, earthy profile. Fruit is still very present. Very good wine from a great vintage.
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Nice bottle...drinking very nicely with about an hour slo-ox. Excellent nose with earthy and dark fruit notes. Nice medium bodied palate and decent finish. Solid mature Bordeaux.
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Out of 375mL. Exactly what a mature claret should be. Cassis and red berry fruit, showing lots of merlot character, plus lots of pencial shavings, cedar, mint, and savory meatiness. Plenty of fruit left on the palate with good weight, the tannins have turned silky and resolved to the point where there's just enough structure left to hold it together but no hard edges remaining.
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This was an unexpected treat. Purchased bottle at auction. Fill was great. Cork was almost too pristine leading me to believe that the bottle was stored standing up for at least most of its life. Based on first taste, didn't decant as I didn't think it would benefit the wine. Let the bottle sit (with two small glass poured) for a half hour open on the counter.
Wine was delicious. Expressive nose of flowers and graphite. In the mouth (early in the night) the tannins had almost disappeared, the acidity was there and the wine had an almost ethereal weight on the palate. Got a bit of a soy sauce note that was pleasing. Fruit was definitely in the background. Finish was lovely and demure.
An hour later, this was a completely different wine. Tannins mysteriously reappeared and asserted themselves. Fruit came to the surface in a lovely way as the wine gained a sweetness that paired beautifully with the acid.
Last glass tasted like a young wine. First glass tasted fully mature. Pretty much the exact opposite of the evolution I expected over two hours for such an old wine.
Great experience sipping this one. Wish I had more.
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Garnet color, cedar, rose tea, and with some "good" funk developing with some air. Moderate tannins, somewhat high acidity, and medium weight. Classical, St Julien / Pauillac in style. This is at the latter half of its drinking window, but still excellent.
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33rd of 36, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, previous notes since 99 VG or better - garnet, lightening rim; attractive cassis driven nose, hint of tobacco and surprisingly earth; medium, quite long and persistent, silky if not particularly concentrated, ash and smoke on back palate, no rush. F (17.5).
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Wine Wednesday (Kevin and Vicki's house): Splash decant. I loved this wine, partly because I love older classic Bordeaux and partly because this was the first red wine served after a whole bunch of Champagne, Rose and whites. Classic and elegant with tobacco and cedar. Admittedly, it fell off after about an hour, perhaps because a splash decant may be too much for this. I wasn't entirely sure I was going to serve this. It would be better to slow o it for a longer period of time instead of decanting.
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The Return of the Wednesday Wine Lunch (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Dark red color. Slow-O for 30 minutes and splash decanted. A lovely older Cantemerle. This has a smoky nose with crushed flowers, and tobacco essence with more subtle dark red fruits. The palate isn't quite to the level of the nose, but still offers a tobacco laden core with dark cherry and currants on top of a some funk on a medium body with pleasant tannins.
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Farewell to Phil: Cherry, licorice, smoke and cedar with blackcurrants. Really good brightness on the palate with good fruit coming through. Holding up really well, this has great length and balance.
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Asian Food (Irene's): Double decant. Drank a small glass over about 45 minutes. Very well integrated, but not that complex. There is a lot of earth, smoke and scorched earth.
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Asian Dinner with Mostly Riesling and Chenin (Irene's House, St. Paul): Dark red color. Splash double decant; drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. Distinct green olive nose initially that dissipates and folds in with the smoky, dried red fruits, bacon fat, and earth. The palate is earthy, tart cherry, olive, pencil lead, medium bodied and resolved tannins. This was drinking like a classically aged claret should - very lovely and enjoyable in perfect shape. 91+pts.
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Very tight cork, than came out intact with slow coaxing. Quite a bit of bottle stink which blew off over the next 30minutes leaving a lovely slightly subtle mature, elegant Bordeaux. This is why we cellar wine. Lovely
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This was really awesome. Light bodied and a bit soft, but lovely aromatics with a bit of tobacco and leafy herbs. Subtle and nuanced and fully mature. Such a good bdx. A.
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Almost 30 years old. Classic and of course remarkable for this Chateau. Cedar, sigarbox. Superbe palate. Everything has come together. Good finish, great wine.
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Engaging bouquet of graphite, spiced cherries, wintergreen-mint, and autumnal scents. Smooth and gentle now, with a tangy palate with a bit of smoke, a touch of sour, a hint of savory, even a whiff of roast, it dances from nuance to nuance. Shows decent power and excellent persistence. Definitely on the red-fruited, higher acid end of things, at least as far as Bordeaux goes. A subtle but important bit of sweetness appears with some air and shows much better with food. I really dig this -- a touch more fruit and complexity would take this to another level, but still so good as is. Ready and fully mature. 92-93 pts.
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Lovely aromatics. Wine is bright, shiny, semi-opaque ruby red with very slight rim variation of raspberry pink. Medium+ tears slow and thick. Aromatics are clean powerful fresh tilled earth with evolving complexity, subtle floral notes of violets. Structurally off-dry with a huge mouth feel medium+body with intense flavors, slightly spicy med- soft tannin, medium- acid, medium alcohol. Moderate complexity with a short finish. Delightful.
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From magnum. Slightly bretty but still offers some dried fruit and tobacco. A bit of acid pokes out but otherwise this is great. Drinking well now and should go for another 5+ years easily before it starts to decline.
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Spectacular wine with iodine, minerals, cedar, pencil lead, rich fruitcake, luxurious Cuban cigar (unsmoked), porcini mushrooms, truffle, spice box and forest floor, with a refreshing saline streak. This punches so far above its weight. This particular bottle did not quite have the persistence/length on the palate of previous bottles, but other than that this is a thrilling and mature bottle of claret from an unheralded estate.
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With well-stored bottles Cantemerle 1989 is still truly amazing, continuing to impress (especially in blind-tastings) time-and-time again. In the nose notes of Cohiba cigar, some (Pessac) dust, medicine chest, wet leaves, chocolate and coffee-beans. The elegant palate is medium bodied and fairly complex (although less than the nose). Light stewed fruit and iron notes. 93p for today but please note that this wine is in its graceful last phase.
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SLDS March 2017 (Rocket): Raspberry, blackcurrant, cedar and some smoky herbs - feels like there is great fruit still shining through. The palate is holding up beautifully with acidity that lifts and focuses the wine across really good length. In great condition!
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91+. Very pleasant, but maybe not quite as good as the previous bottle. This wine has aged nicely, although not likely to improve from here. No rush though, in a great spot.
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Absolute classic Cantemerle. Stunning nose, almost sweet forest fruit, love tertiary aroma's and great texture. With €95,- on the winelist a steal if you compare with other '89 Grands crus classes.
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Stunning nose of forestfloor, mushroom and espresso. Decanted for a couple of hours. Juicy, midweight wine. Mature, Earthy tones, coffee and bitter chocolate and a hint of dark fruit. Wine keeps evolving in the glass. Drink up, this Will not improve anymore.
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The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes short. The wine has low acidity.
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Classic aromas of black currant, charred wood and hot asphalt. Medium bodied and on the decline. Expertly stored with a fantastic ullage. Palate still has some black currant, but not a lot else. This should be drunk soon, but is still a good representation of mature Bordeaux. 87
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Really good mature Bordeaux. Into neck fill, perfect cork. Definitely needs air, came into its own after about 90 minutes. Beautiful color, nose and length. Great QPR, acquired at auction.
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A nice (Gooooooood juice) mature wine that has aged beautifully. Cork in perfect condition and very little (none) browning on the rim. It was medium to light weight with a lithe spirit. This bottle was well preserved with a creamy texture on the palate that finished with a long linger.
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Very deep garnet, minimal rim. Nose is deep, spicy, dark fruited, touch of Christmas Cake. Medium/full bodied, layered black fruits, spice, soft tannins, touch of savour, balanced acidity carries a long, spicy finish. Excellent, certainly drinking but absolutely no hurry. ****1/2
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Cantmerle @ RSJ (RSJ, London): Still a deep ruby. Rich on the nose. Quite plush. Lovely weight and density. Rich, nuanced, ripe but not overdone. A freshness on the finish. ****1/2
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Lovely young and fresh nose of green herbs, smoke, pencil shavings. Also some tertiary aromas of leather and forest floor. People guessed 2000 (!) Perfect balance with sweet fruit, soft tannins and adequate acidity. Long succulent finish. No great wines, only great bottles!
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Love this wine, shows a lot like the 82 Cantemerle in profile but with more grip, less overt fruitiness and more earthy, savory notes, drinking at point but will go for another 10-15 year easily. Some smooth and effortless, a great vintage. 93-94 pts.
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Notes of tobacco, cedar, forest floor. On the palate its savory, balanced, spice and almost sweet fruit undertones that mellow and round out the finish. Drinking very nicely right now!
It's interesting to read all the other recent reviews. There is growing disparity of description as bottle variation is becoming more pronounced.
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Inviting nose of complexity and elegance with black berries, florals, some green tea and oak. More harmonious and alive on the palate than the Haut-Bages Liberal, but still past its prime. Good finish with little smokiness and herbal spiciness. Still a very charming wine.
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This 26 year Cantemerle still sings. No signs of decline yet. Fully mature. Beautiful nose of red and black fruit, still the same dusty Graves-like tones that I noticed a few years ago. Tobacco, cedar, touch of toast, meat, bacon. Medium body, good acidity, medium length finish. This exceptional Cantemerle stands out from its league because of its beautiful balance and elegance. No hurry for well stored bottles.
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Sweet, resolved, red zinger, cranberry and bing cherry bouquet. Quite bright acidity, savory with some leather, maybe a hint of roast... lovely smooth texture, good tangy finish with a lingering loamy note. Has a bit more mid-palate stuffing than usual for the house. This is delicious, mature, semi-complex with just enough fruit to hang with the bumptious acidity.
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Medium garnet color, lightening of edges. Had a nose indicative of mature Bordeaux, with lots of leather, tobacco, and old library books. Fruit is perhaps fading a bit, with the tertiary elements showing through. Smooth on the palate, but seems reserved. Tannins mostly resolved. Medium length finish. While still drinking well, this is probably on its descent.
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Bordeaux Left Bank (semi blind) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): Seems to become monolithic and hard, missing the elegance of earlier bottles. But tough competition from other wines at the table. In the nose ripe fruits, cake, mint and pebbles. Medium to full palate with nice balance, fruits and iron notes. Time to finish your bottles within the coming years I would say.
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Medium red, pale edge. Medium intensity Merlot nose: plum and cherry, olives, pipe tobacco, cow's milk, touch of leather, bay leaf. On arrival, low and much fine tannin, low-medium acidity. Structurally easy to drink and open, but rather more primary in the mouth than typical of this house. There's still a lot young fruit and oak. with the leather and herbs. A mid-neck fill, perfect long cork; shipping, handling and storage of this baby was impeccable. Price tag: $23.99 (LA Wine). Bottle #2 of two.
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Remarkably youthful for its age (like us!). Smooth yet complex. Threw some sediment at bottom of bottle. Color was still bright. Did not need to be decanted. Drank over two nights. Good both nights.
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Regular dinner group (@ EM): Rustic bouquet with barnyard and autumn impressions. Same on the palate. Some red fruits, chocolate, rust, good acidity and bitterness. Very mature, but still very ok as well. The drinking window in CT says 2040….. pfff I wouldn't hold my breath…. It is probably aceto balsamico by then… Drink now or soon is probably the best thing to do.
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This was primo. Cork intact but wet half way up. Aromas mostly secondary at this point, and on palate this is a mouthful of polished med weight delicious Bordeaux. I think that this has the stuffing to keep going awhile but so good now.
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Everything you want from a mature left bank Bordeaux. Darb berries, leather, tobacco, some forest floor. Great balance. Nice QPR. Looking to stock up on this one.
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A wine that some say may have passed its peak, I say not!!! This was a fabulous bottle of bordeaux. Fully matured but not over the hill, great silky and smooth taste, great nose, and everything else you could ask for!!!
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Cantemerle & Lagune Vertical; 6/28/2014-6/30/2014 (Dale's): Deep, mature, classic claret bouquet with spices, cranberries, cigarbox. Perfectly balanced with a steak, plenty of pitch-perfect fruit to go with ample brightness and a silky texture. Mature yet vigorous. My WOTN.
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Cantemerle/La Lagune vertical (Dobbs Ferry): This is in such a great place. Really graceful with a silken texture, and an amazing fragrance combining mature leathery and smoky notes with spice, cedar, and a core of fruit that's still quite fresh and vibrant. The tannin's mostly resolved, and most of the structure here comes from the acidity, which makes this feel really lively and refreshing on the palate.
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Decanted 45 mins before dinner. Ruby red just turning to amber at the rim. Muted nose of dark fruit and tobacco. Same thing on the palate, with spice box secondary notes. Short but nice finish. Fully mature bdx that is on its downslope; drink up.
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Starting to fade. Still fairly balanced after it was given time to blow the funk off and open a little, but savory and pencil, cedar, mushroom and spice starting to wobble a bit. Light finish. This wine may last for a while yet but its not going to get any better.
Bad bottle? I can't find anything close to the flavors or aromatics that the reviewers that immediately preceded this with much much higher scores seemed to report. My bottle was fine (my wife liked it much more than me in fact) but seemed to lack clarity and depth and was just dull and flat. YMMV with older bottles and mine certainly did!
According to CT there are over 800 bottles in folk's cellars. I don't know guys - I'm down to my last 3 or 4 and I'm not going to wait around much longer to finish them off. Good luck to you.
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Pomegranate on the color. On the nose, Cedar, blackcurrant, tobacco and some earth tones. On the palate silky smoth tannins some raspberry, chocolate, chalk and some red fruit. Medium+ finish Needed the time in the glas. When tried it first I was really disapointed. It changed when it had some air. Worth waiting for.
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Dense ruby. Lovely restrained claret nose, cedar, blackcurrant and a little graphite. Sweet fruit on the attack. Some density through the mid-palate. Classic and elegant with a cool restraint. Lovely. ****
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Left Bank Bordeaux from the 1980-s (semi blind) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): Dark little black fruits, raisins, earth, underwood and truffle tones in the nose. Thick and powerful palate, good substance but some stringent tannins in the finish. Not the best bottle I had but still surprisingly good and going strong.
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- Garnet color and aromas of smokey, raspberry and tobacco. It's balanced and has flavours of raspberry and chocolate with a medium body. Satin-Like texture with a long finish - Hints of tobacco and leather. Smoky flavours with the red fruit. Very soft on the palate and subtle tannins.
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clean maroon appearance, nose shows fresh herbs, cedar, mint and lovely red and black berries, excellent fragrance, balanced, clean, elegant, oh yes, this is in a prime drinking window, matured flavors of iron, red berries, earth, game and blackberry, the acid plays an important role here as it carries the flavors, everything you look for in a mature red Bordeaux, decent match with tomato and meat sauce over pasta but the wine was the star of the show tonight, this is a classic Cantemerle, (tasting note 1000!)
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For me, a rare experience with an aged Bordeaux; decanted for sediment, was somewhat surprised by the lack of any. This wine was beautiful and sublime, balanced and smooth. An inviting ruby red in the glass, very aromatic - cherry, wood, spice and mineral all together; a wonderful texture in the mouth and on the tongue; tannins are rounded and integrated. A delicious experience with a beautifully mature wine. 4+13+18+8=93
Une merveille dès l'ouverture. Plein de fougue, de jeunesse, d'acidité plaisante et raffinée. Du fruit, du corps, de la tenue, des saveurs de soie qui subjuguent le palais (cèdre, framboise, cassis, tabac, vanille, etc.) et le conduisent (nous conduisent) à une jouissance indéniable. Il est loin d'être passé même s'il ne faut sans doute pas trop l'aérer non plus.
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Wonderful aromas of fruit and cedar and spices when opened. Full flavored and light on the toungue drank beautifully when opened and grew in complexity over an hour.
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1989 Bordeaux (Meinweinkeller.ch): I absolutely ahve to agee with 'le fouloir' - This is a wonderful mature Bordeaux. It was complex beyond its original price...
It's so creamy and round loads of fruit very sweet and with perfectly stored bottles i give this wine another 40 (!) years potential.
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This is a wonderful mature Bordeaux. It was complex beyond its original price would have suggested and could have passed easily for a classified chateau. It might not get any better but I'll bet that, if cellared properly, it will continue to taste and smell this good for a number of years to come.
It's interesting that Parker rated this 91 and WS rated it 95. I found it to be quite subtle and elegant vs. big and burley, not overbearing. lovely stuff, almost sweet.
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It's a celebration, bitches. (Dave gets a new job) (Dave's House): Decanted quickly for sediment and served immediately. Beautifully mature Bordeaux nose, showing black currants, cassis, cigar, leather, cedar, earth, light mint, mushroom, coffee and chocolate. On the palate, currants, leather, minerals and tobacco, showing good intensity, but maintaining a bit of finesse and elegance. Fully integrated tannin, with just enough acidity to keep this lively still. If I had any more bottles of this, I would drink them over the next year, as this appears to be at absolute peak, or maybe even in slight decline.
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AML supplied this bottle and it might have been just a hair more youthful than the last one. Coffee, dark chocolate, mature and complex. Cassis, blackberry fruit. Palate is resolved and has good acidity. Mushroom note emerged with time.
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Popped, decanted and poured. Very nice red color, and classic bordeaux nose/flavor profile of bright and even vibrant red fruits, some cedar. Tannins resolved and the wine is fully drinkable. Tasted after several wonderful 80s and 70s clarets at a party last evening, and brought no shame on itself. From the host's cellar.
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Great aged Bordeaux nose, this vintage is in a really nice place right now. Leather, funk, earth, it's all here. Finish is a bit clipped however. 93 point nose, 90 point palate. This will hold a few years, but it is a 'drink up' wine.
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Very enjoyable mature Bordeaux. I agree with others who observed that it passes for a more highly classified chateau. I also agree that the finish was a little abrupt, but, all in all, impressive and tasted quite a bit more expensive than it actually was.
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My impressions mirrored those of dmitri below. Lovely, old cedary Bordeaux. The abrupt finish was a little disappointing, but otherwise, this had all the qualities of good mature Bordeaux that's punching above its weight. Drink up soon.
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Properly aged wine that reached its plateau and now deserves its medium price tag despite its relatively humble origin. For anyone who misses a bouquet of well matured Bordeaux, enjoys looking at rusty rim and then savors fulfilling and mellow sip, this wine is a great treat. Agree with many reviewers that it can easily pass for much more expensive Bordeaux brethren of similar vintage. The only feature that betrays this wine true self is an aftertaste that has as much length as any generic american cab. After enjoying all it offers, not to have a lingering forever going aftertaste is just a pity. Still, immensely enjoyable and definitely recommended.
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Hints of aging evident on rim - garnet turning to brick. Lovely smokey, cedary nose. Tannins nicely softened, mature claret that can only go down from here.
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Mid ruby to garnet at the rim. Lovely claret nose, all cedar and cigarbox. Still a core of sweet fruit, a soft dryness and good acidity. The fruit profile is slightly slimmer than the previous bottle and it's a little less bright. very nice indeed though and properly satisfying claret. ****
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This bottle was great. It was not decanted but we let it open in the bottle over a slow dinner.This wine had a lot of structure combined with mature dark fruit, currents, and earth. The color was still quite dark. This wine may have several good years left.
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What a pity that Cantemerle never really reached the level of this 1989 since, although the 2009 seems promising. This a fully mature, elegant, classic Bordeaux that could easily pass for a more prestigious grand cru. Still very much alive, with cassis and other red fruit in the nose, even including a rare strawberry flavour. Smoky, almost dusty Margaux/Graves style. Round, soft, velvety on the palate, with licorice, tabaco and some mint. Exceptional quality for the price and if kept as well as this bottle, still drinking very well for quite a few years. Maybe we should drink the 2009 and the 1989 alongside in ten years time....
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Mature Left Bank Bordeaux (semi blind) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): Such an exceptional Cantemerle that always surprises everyone when tasted (semi) blind. Dark colour. Sweet tones as tabac and chocolate in the nose, some barnyard as well. Excellent classic and elegant Bordeaux on the palate. Some tannins in the after taste. Still drinking well, no need to hurry.
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Beautiful smooth, sweet tannins with a rich cassis profile. Ample oak that brought a great structure to the fruit. A bi of loam and clay at the back end.
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Leather with green capsicums and tobacco leaves . Just how I remember this chateau to be typically. Some veggie essence perfume . Nicely smooth textured , quite menthol and a bit short.
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WWW Rotterdam. Fully mature and excellent claret. I think everyone in the wineworld agrees this is the best vintage ever for Cantemerle and I can see why. This was my last bottle of a lot of 4, and luckily the best one. Though the fruit has stepped aside, the nose is mesmerizing with iron, leather, blood ad earth. Perfect balance and surprising lenght. A great experience for everyone at the table to enjoy a wine 21 years old.
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Monthly Tasting Group LTB 2010-02; Some Bordeaux including a small Cantemerle vertical (by JvD): I did not remember my previous bottle, but this was in fact a very nice surprise. Not anything like the Gamay experience as mentioned in my previous note, but there was good coffee and some tobacco; both in a positive way. On the palate soft and ripe red fruits, but also dark and heavy aromas. Completely soft tannin and a silky medium long finish. If you have any bottles left, this is the time to drink the wine. It will not improve, but it will not be dead in 2 years either.
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We drank this without decanting. The wine had a nice aroma and was in good shape. The taste was of a mature wine with with a lot of dark fruit and currants. There was a good balance of the fruit and tannins. We were very happy with this.
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Dinner with friends (My place): Dark red color with a slightly orange hue. Classical Bordeaux nose with delicate, yet intense aromas of blackcurrant, tomato, forest floor, tobacco plant, green pepper and iron. On the palate there are layered nuances of cool blackcurrant, leaves, bush, tobacco and green pepper, but the really stunning part is that it remains juicy and inviting all along. Greatly structured and perfect acidity balance. Super length and the overall inviting, yet complex personality make this a great over-achiever.
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Great nose with loads of pine, sewer and some roasted coffee. Dark plump plum fruit and some latrinary notes. The palate still indicates a quite young wine and the dark plum/blackberry fruit still seems a little closed. Compact and almost "heavy" style. Great flavours of roasted coffee, dirt and black pepper with some iron in the long and impressive aftertaste. Menthol on the mid-palate. There is even some asphalt coming through with additional air and the structure of the wine is very big and potent. What an amazing wine and still with a very good potential...
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VTS fill. Consistent with prior notes. This bottle had the lowest fill and most saturated cork. Some balsamic notes on top of the fruit and earth. Excellent.
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With aromas of blackberry, currant, and oak, and with floral scents. Medium bodied. Soft and light on the palate. It’s at the end of its life. Nice, but not very interesting. A luncheon claret. The 83 is a better wine.
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A real beauty. Lots of plums, berries, cedar and some lead pencil. Has reached full maturity. Seductive with soft tannins and 30 sec. plus finish. A real overachiever given that the price was less than 20 $ (future pice) in 1990.
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Mature and pleasant Bordeaux. In the bouquet something which reminds of Gamay fruitiness. Besides that there are the typical Bordeaux scents. In the mouth a soft, mature and tasteful wine (See my 2007 note and, reading that, this bottle is still very much alive, so it will probably stay on a pleasant drinking level for several years.)
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IWFSC 742nd Dinner (Primehouse Chicago IL): This wine has power. Great deep color in the glass. Great nose and very full on the palate. Great compliment to the food course. I liked this a lot.
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This could probably use more time. Upon opening it really did well- mature bdx, but 3 nights later (it's been refrigerated the whole time) it's really singing! Tobacco, ,horsey, and forest floor on the nose with just a hint of oak. Really velvety in the mouth this is a lovely round wine with soft tannins and spry acidity. The finish lasts a while, but is probably the weak point of this wine as I detect a very minor bitter note. Overall this is a beauty, I wish I had another to revisit in 3-5 more years.
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nose: nice perfumed and mature nose filled with leather, cassis, dark cherries, pencil lead, violets, and bits of tobacco. very well balanced and very expressive right from the get go right out of the bottle and lots of fun to smell
taste: fine grained tannins with tones of cranberries, tea leaves, leather, pencil lead, some tobacco, along with bits of dark cherries and violets. Fully mature and really ready to go
overall: a nice mature bordeaux. This won't get any better and is drinking perfectly right now. Very polished and perfumed on the nose with a great medium feel on the palate with lovely texture and a nice violet finish
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Aromas f straw and sugarplum with a little bit of barnyard aromas. Very light and mellow on the palate. Well integrated tannins let the remaining subtle flavors shine though. Wonderful finish about 30 seconds in length. Decanted 1 hour in bottle. Bordeaux tasting with John V.
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Finally drank a good bottle of wine with my neighbour Guido! Decanted for 1 hour which does not seem like a necessity as the wine has softened. The wine is almost modest but the fruit is still there and is very harmoniously integrated with the last tannins. Earth, tea, tobacco and lead pencil notes. This was the third Cantemerle out of four and they all have been excellent. I do think though it is time to finish the last one as well. Very enjoyable!
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very good i thought , many secondary flavors and smells.....some mustiness someone said but i thought i wouold drink again for sure .....smoke , small leather , and pencil...92-93
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Clear, medium intensity ruby. Clean aromas of red plum, cassis, earth, brush, cedar and pencil. Medium acidity, medium tannin, medium body. Flavors of cassis, flowers, smoke, cedar. Long finish. Drinking wonderfully right now.
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Just a hint of brett, leather, white pepper, loads of violet floral notes, licorice and beautiful blackberry fruit - like a great homemade blackberry jam as it is cooking. Nice nuanced and textured palate with fully resolved but still youthful tannins, great purity of fruit and a consistency of texture, not overly lush, not overly thin - just perfect. Outstanding! This is in its sweet spot right now - drink em if you 've got em!
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Wow, a stunning showing. Honeyed fruit on the nose; Beautifully ripe, sweet fruit; bright and fresh, lovely balance. Good length. A lovely drink. By far the best bottle of Cantemerle I've had (cf 71, 83, 85, 88, previous bottle of 89, 90, 92, 96) and performing well above its classification in this vintage. ****1/2
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Tanglenet graciously brought this bottle to dinner with us at Bin 36 when he was in town recently. Garent color, clearing toward the rim. Initially a bit of a funk, followed by notes of cedar, plum, leather and violets. The tannins have integrated beautifully in this wine, with plush cedary red fruit flavors, along with red currants, blackberries and violets. As it sat open, the leather and floral notes dominated, with plum and blackberry flavors on the palate. Served alongside the 1989 Duhart and Meyney. This was my favorite of the three, as it straddled the line between the elegance of the Duhart and the more wild/rustic Meyney. Thanks Tanglenet! 93+.
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At an 1989 offline with Allred and Amy. Served with 1989 Duhart Milon and 1989 Meyney. I did not take very good notes as the enjoyment of the company keep me from scribbling. Funk on the nose which blew off revealing forest and cedar; later notes of caramel, black licorice and smoke. Had more fruit than the other wines and drank somewhat smoother, but lacked "oomph" for me. Good.
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Decanted 1 hour. Nose deep brick red with virtually no fading. Complex, refined nose of cedar, tea, cassis. Medium bodied with good fruit, resolved tannin. Moderate finish. A nice bottle of mature Bordeaux with no obvious flaws, just no real wow factor. Drank for my 41st birthday.
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Excellent, everything you would want in a bottle of Bordeaux in a balanced way. Not too heavy, good nose, elegant body and decent after-taste. Balance is the key word, not power.
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Bottom of neck level on this bottle. Ruby red, hardly showing any signs of its age. After about an hour in the decanter, some slight barnyard and green aromas blew off, revealing cassis, smoke, cedar, tobacco, and orange peel. Very smooth on the palatte. Slightly drying tannins, with a great mouth feel. Long finish of cassis plum, mushrooms and crushed berries. This wine continues to impress. Great balance.
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Second bottle from an OWC recently opened for the first time. Nice color wih a nose of black fruit. Well balanced and textured with very soft tannins and ripe fruit. The finish seemed to last for a good minute. This was delicious and is really drinking well right now.
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In a word, "sublime". Five bottles consumed with good friends in a joint celebration. Decanted two hours before dinner, the wine was still crimson, its nose a breathtaking concoction of red berries, and, on the palate, it swam, swirled, lingered and lingered. We each smiled as we sniffed and smiled still wider and fell silent in appreciation, as we each enjoyed what was (and will remain for a considerable period ) an absolutely tremendous wine. Slightly dusty on the tongue (this may have been due to a degree of abandon on my part when decanting), the overall impression was of a beautifully structured, impeccably balanced and timelessly elegant wine. The wine was accompanied by braised Welsh lamb with a pear and shallot compote, and the two went together, as if divined for the purpose. What was always going to be a delightful evening, was rendered, by this Cantemerle, a spectacular and quite unforgettable one. There were 12 of us around the table, I should add, in case the consumption of 5 bottles should appear sybaritically extravagant.
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Graciously provided by grossie at our recent off-line at Kiki's Bistro. Showing the most funk of any of the wines we tried, I think it suffered from lack of decanting (we made a snap decision to pop + pour it in the middle of the meal - it was originally brought as a back-up wine). Showing lots of earth, but polished texture and blackberry-currant fruit. Seems like it needs a little more time to soften up a tad. Drink after 2009.
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Drank with Wine + Art, Otis, and Chris. I think this showed well, although was clearly younger than the other bdx at this offline. This wine had a very solid core of fruit with oak that showed but mellowed with time, some spice component. and a little horsey. This wine drank well in '05, but I can't help but think this will be better in 5 years.
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Last bottle of this vintage. Nice ruby-purple color just slightly brown on edges. Blackberries, cigar box, wet earth, cassis, gooseberry. This Chateau has always been one of my favorities - great QpR, not much hype, but always delivers.
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Passive cellar since release. Still pretty youthful color, some fine sediment apparent. Immediate herbaceous nose, some mushroom, some violet scents but hard to find under the herbs. Equally herbaceous on the palate, damp hay, this showing was a disappointment, it was really nice in its youth. Yet it did improve and had a nice mouthfeel. Hmmm, I have two bottles left.Not bad but I had hoped for more.
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This is a quick note in passing but this is an outstanding wine. Really beautiful, complex...way beyond what I associate with Cantemerle...a lovely Bordeaux.
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Had hogere verwachtingen. Wijn was niet gehhel in balans: wat te sterke zuren en paprika. Lichte kleuring aan de rand van het glas, verder nog mooie rode kleur. Geur: tabak, cassis. Smaak: cassis, kersen,wat tabak.
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Typical Cordier funk aromas with blackberry, currant, oak & floral notes. Light/medium bodied ends with red and black fruit. Not very interesting. A luncheon claret.
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Decanted for 7 hours. Ruby red. Smoky, leathery nose, bell pepper. Amazing body, very concentrated, cassis, plums, cherries. Tannins are very smooth. This wine is very elegant and balanced. Amazing 40+ seconds finish. Definetely mature now, and will be on its peak for 5-10 years more. Didn't expect actually this wine to be so interesting.
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The cork was perfect. The bottle had been standing for about a day, and there was lots of sediment, mostly collected neatly in a clump at the bottom. I decanted for about an hour, and this note is about 2 hours later.
Ruby red with mild bricking at the edges. The nose is great smoky cedar, creosote, a little bell pepper that tends towards anise, and a bit of chocolate. Medium body with charm and finesse, it has evolved nicely over the last two hours, tasting of plums, cassis, and definitely cedar. The tannins are soft, and the acidity is moderate, perhaps slightly out of balance with the tannin and fruit. 91pts.
Drink these now or over the next 5+ years. I have 2 more, time will tell when I will get to them.
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Red ruby with sl brick. Beautiful nose with floral and tobacco features. Great balance with good midpalate and exc. ripe fruit. Soft tannins, long finish.Great now
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Good ruby to brick red colour; slightly sewery on the nose with hints of forest fruits and evolved aromas. Good palatte of crunchy fruit and moderate tannins, nicely balanced. Quite a crunchy chewy mouthfull with velvety edges. Very nice indeed, but needs a few more years yet. Drunk immediately after a 1971 Cantemerle.
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4/21/2024 - Guido L. wrote: 93 Points
Great, mature Bordeaux. Red berries, cigar box, silky tannins. Similar expression as the previous bottles. Will keep this level for 3+ years.
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2/3/2024 - Chekib m. Likes this wine: 94 Points
The cork came out in pieces but the fill was good.
It’s medium garnet in color with marked bricking showing its age.
The nose is unbelievable;intense, eucalyptus, cigar box, faint but insisting cassis and red berries. A true symphony of aromas.
Medium body, very soft silky, great intensity and balance of flavours throughout. Everything is ready and in harmony. Very soft endless harmonious length. Punching well above its weight. Excellent.
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12/31/2023 - Stumptown Steve wrote: 88 Points
Opened this bottle and started out with promise. Nice full flavor to go with the beef roast. As the evening progressed, sadly, I was totally underwhelmed. Not much fruit, not much structure, acidic and tannic. Went to add this review, and saw the folks that were waxing over the wine. Maybe I just don't get it, but for a 35 year old grand cru, not drinking well enough for me.
ADDED: saved 6 oz for the next day. Better, I'd give it a 90, but still the wine overall was a disappointment.
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12/28/2023 - wineton.mee wrote: 92 Points
This is very classic Bordeaux that is showing really youthful. Touch of green, fruits are really bright and out there, with just the right amount of tertiary development. Very correct stuff. Shocking that this is 89, looks no more than 15.
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12/26/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 92 Points
Boxing day at Caroline's: Brought this as an extra to compare with the two bigger ‘89 guns and it showed very well again. Similar impressions to before, most youthful out of trio with a formidable structure.
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12/16/2023 - Scott Burg wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic. Spice. Drinking well. Very happy with this bottle.
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10/7/2023 - Dibbs Likes this wine: 92 Points
Was at left bank Bordeaux, but really couldn’t narrow it down further. Was the 86 better, maybe so. But this is a great buy for the price. As usual, Melvin showcasing his skills at finding value.
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10/6/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 92 Points
Birthday dinner with good wine friends: Brought this as a value comparison to the LMHB and it put up a valiant fight. At the start many commented that they couldn’t distinguish the two, some suggested that they could even be the same producer. But over time, its masculine nature with sturdier tannins showed compared to the silky nature of LMHB. Fruit was still very vibrant, most guessed it to be from the mid-90s. My favourite underdog that always punches above its weight.
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9/2/2023 - blanquito wrote:
Perfect fill and cork. This is so comfortable, like the proverbial old pair of slippers, comfortable to drink, pair with food, in its own skin. Resolved, aromatic, sotto voce, balanced. There are enticing glimpses of something deeper, more complex, but ultimately this wine can’t really sustain a flashier gear and it isn’t really interested in trying to. Better than a luncheon claret still but fully mature and fading a little each day into something evermore ethereal. 90-91 pts.
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8/7/2023 - Puerh&Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium to full body. Aroma was amazing, rich of currant fruit, some soil tone, scent of sweetened soy sauce in a elegant way. Tannin had been smoothed. Palate was rich, silky and classy, aftertaste was long and complex, still very much alive. Keep evolving during about 3 hours of tasting. Drinking beautifully. Love it.
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6/19/2023 - Wine Canuck wrote: 93 Points
Hamilton Blind Group: [Blind to others, but not to me] This pours medium to light tawny with medium bricking. the nose is mature and complex showing iron, mushroom, tobacco, dried red cherry, dried black currant, cedar mulch, and celery seed. The palate is silky and resolved with the dried red cherry fruit of the nose on entry turning to medium minus tannin, medium plus acid, and a lovely finish showing celery seed, dried red currant, sweet cedar, and tobacco. Really enjoyable wine and style. I was interested to hear the discourse from the experienced tasters who wondered if this might be burgundy due to the light color, red fruit, and elegant and silky palate. The clear tobacco and celery seed notes are what I think ultimately led some back correctly to Bordeaux. I've always loved this vintage of this wine.
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5/25/2023 - mowtod Likes this wine: 93 Points
Gorgeous wine bright in color. Complex nose and flavors with long pleasant finish . Tannins long resolved. Beautiful mouth-feel. Sad that I only have one more bottle . Might last another 3-5 years .
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4/5/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Wines Before / At / After a Passover Seder (The Krengels - Bannockburn IL): Popped-and-poured. Musty to start, this seemed dirty for 10 minutes but quickly cleaned up and turned it another great 1989. Black plum and berries with leather and braised meat spice. Not powerful but lots here. This continued to taste as good an hour later, and should hold well for many years to come.
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12/2/2022 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine evening (Restaurant Krietsch, Schwäbisch Gmünd): Popped and poured. Unfiltered, deep garnet-tawny color. Classic ripe BDX nose, tobacco, leather, barn.
Only 12,5% abv. Mellow tannin, medium+ acidity. Fine red fruit, espresso, tobacco, some barn. Good balance and texture, long, etheral finish. Full peak. 92-93
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10/29/2022 - liber Likes this wine: 92 Points
34th of 36, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, little changed from bottle noted in 2019, particularly attractive, if not particularly nuanced, plummy mid palate, plateau but no sign of decline, no rush. Surprisingly F (17.5).
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10/13/2022 - pavel_p wrote: 89 Points
From memory. This was a perfect bottle with bottom neck fill and a clean cork with only the bottom few mm soaked. Pnp. The wine was round and balanced but lacked any sort of depth and aromatics I was hoping for given the stellar reputation of the 89 Cantemerle. Perhaps an off bottle but a recent 82 Cantemerle was more convincing
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7/27/2022 - Lemmy-W wrote: 94 Points
Drinking really nice now.
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6/3/2022 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
A couple old bordeaux's (Joe's house): Consistent with previous notes.
Splash decant. Drank a couple glasses over 2 hours. Classic and elegant with tobacco and cedar. To me, this is the definition of aged claret. The wine is so lifting, it's easy to take sip after sip. I could wish for some more punch or complexity, the wine is just resolved that no flavors really stand out.
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5/24/2022 - mowtod wrote:
Gifted to Willis and Pat Sherrer
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4/15/2022 - Quinn05 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened one hour before, cork was soaked through. Deep dark red with a bit of brown on the edge. Black fruit, tobacco, turned earth, medium lenght aftertaste. Started getting a bit tired after 2 hours.
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12/23/2021 - Guido L. wrote: 93 Points
The wine is in a top drinking window. 2 hours of decant recommended.
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11/6/2021 - SpenceP wrote: 94 Points
Grace and elegance and class--a charming aristocrat, a dancer. Blueberry, black plums, tobacco, spices, minerals, leather, with earthy notes and a touch of smoke. With time in the glass, cedar and minerals and spices become more prominent. Honeydew melon (!) and cedar in the long and gorgeous aftertaste. Just beautiful, a wine to love. Needs some care in the choice of food to serve with it--it could easily be overpowered--a simple roast chicken or such would be ideal. Should continue to be a delight for at least seven years, and probably much longer.
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9/30/2021 - NoahCap wrote:
Seems to be at peak. The cork was mostly soaked through, though it came out in one piece, and the wine did not seem to be negatively affected at all. The color was sound; deep purple core with a magenta rim. Not a hint of browning or bricking. The wine looked very young....
Though the nose was through and through mature Bordeaux. Graphite, cedar, and turned soil dominated the nose. Years ago, I spent a summer sharing a room in an 18th century farm house surrounded by tobacco fields dotted by barns drying tobacco leaves, and the smell of this wine has an element of those fields at the end of a hot late August day; pungent green tobacco mixed with the aromas of rich sweet dried herbals. What a memory!
The wine is mature on the palate with earthy and herbaceous flavors. Very little fruit- what remains is dark. There is a hint of green grass-y pyrizines in the background that I rather enjoy. Is that a touch of black pepper I taste? Smoke? Syrah-esque meatiness? Complex, lovely secondary/tertiary flavors and aromas. Long beautiful finish. Soft, gentle, round. Drink this now, you won't be sorry.
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9/18/2021 - charlesryder Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quite nice. Lovely nose of red fruit, tobacco, leather, earth. Not complex but very enjoyable.
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6/13/2021 - galewskj wrote: 91 Points
Pop and pour, followed a couple glasses over 3 hours. This wine had a lot of iodine and beef blood in it. The nose was cerebral with violets, meats, earth and gravel. The palate was slightly bitter and a shadow of the nose. The nose was really nice.
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5/29/2021 - ID Likes this wine:
This was very good, and I wonder if it’s going to decline from here, so I would say to drink up. I had this at a “1980s” Bordeaux dinner. Three bottles: this, plus a 1989 St Emilion and a 1981 St Emilion. Interesting that all three bottles were 12.5% alcohol by volume. These days, is that even a thing any more? Can you even find a red wine today with under 13% abv? The bottle of white that we started the evening with (2018 coteaux champenois) was stronger than these reds at 13% abv! Times have changed.
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5/12/2021 - tunaguy Likes this wine:
firing on all cylinders tonight. Impressive balance with the fruit still quite fresh along with all the tertiary notes one hopes for in aged left bank. Definitely still life in the tank but this all one can hope for right now. drink and enjoy! you will be happy you opened this
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4/9/2021 - JCGuthrie wrote: 91 Points
Classic aged Bordeaux. Notes of damp earth, red fruit and sous bois on the nose, with old leather and tobacco on the palate. I really enjoyed this, but at the same time wonder if this bottle might have shown slightly better five years ago.
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4/5/2021 - k H i L o Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sans déconner ! Pfiouuuuu !
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3/1/2021 - winesnout wrote: 92 Points
Classy, elegant and well-balanced, showing great at age 30+. Ruby red with some orange, no browning. Plums, cassis, forest berries, some cedar and herbs. Lovely and a steal for $ 25 when I bought it in 1992.
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12/31/2020 - MikeATL Likes this wine: 92 Points
I can’t overstate my love for the Cordier stable in the 1980s and this reinforces that passion. From a 375 ml bottle in a Gabriel Glas Gold, savory leather and a streak of mint play off brooding dark currant to deliver fine depth. It initially seemed a little dilute, but 30 minutes of air brought out the fine tannin and acidic structure it needed to frame the flavors. While fine on its own, it really took off when paired with a prime ribeye. A terrific final red for this challenging year.
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12/12/2020 - paulmanwaring Likes this wine: 92 Points
I love this wine but it must be decanted and breathe for at least 3 hours before it begins to mellow. Smooth as silk and full of rich dark berry, with tones of anis, leather, pencil shavings and raspberry chocolate.
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11/12/2020 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Slow O'd 4 hours. There was some anise and alcohol initially that had me considered. A good 30 minutes of glass time smoothed the wine out amazingly. Classic and elegant with tobacco and cedar. To me, this is the definition of aged claret. The wine is so lifting, it's easy to take sip after sip. I could wish for some more punch or complexity, the wine is just resolved that no flavors really stand out.
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10/17/2020 - svdheijden wrote: 92 Points
Five years after my last bottle. Fully mature and still singing with no signs of decline anytime soon in this well stored bottle (level in neck). Even better after a few hours of air. More rustic and less elegant than the 1989 Pichon Comtesse drank alongside, but still very pleasant.
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8/21/2020 - Misterobit Likes this wine:
Long, lively and fully mature bordeaux wine. Had lots of pleasure drinking this wine over night. Everything balanced and in place. Tobacco,.chocolate and plum. This wine is down peak but still very enjoyable. Drinkers drink up !
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5/26/2020 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fully mature, starting its decline phase. Very nice wine, probably should have been drunk 5 or 10 years ago
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5/15/2020 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 91 Points
9th CB Wine Night - CT 91 up!: notes to come. This is almost off its drinking window so open up soon.
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4/19/2020 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 91 Points
Drinking very nicely right now. On the nose its still dark fruit and savory and on the palate a balanced melange of dark fruit, savory, unami and acids all playing very nicely together. Entire family loved it and paired well with the sous vide/grill finished leg of lamb. Bottle didn't make it out of dinner....
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3/7/2020 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Into neck fill. Solid cork but for last 1/2 inch. Modest bricking and no orange/brown color. Teaspoon of sediment. One of our best recent bottles. Plenty of ripe black, red and blue fruits. Some dried herbs, sweet Oak, touches of tobacco and graphite/minerals.
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3/7/2020 - AdamHitchcock Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium ruby brick colored with light sediment in the bottle. Flavors of black cherry and tobacco. Tannins have clearly softened with age. All and all a really enjoyable bordeaux with age.
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2/26/2020 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 90 Points
Holding up very well, showing no signs of browning around the rim. Brick red in the center. On the nose and palate it was all dark fruits, forest floor, mushroom, cedar spice and a hint of savory. Balanced. Long finish. Very nice.
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2/1/2020 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Lo Hei at Yan + late night at M&M's (Yan, National Gallery, Singapore): Lovely - a nice way to end the evening after a series of Burgundies. The nose was lovely, with a nice matured melange of cassis, tobaccos and capsicum, all patted down with a bit of loamy earth. The palate was beautifully resolved, with soft velvety tannins and bright acidity framing round flavours of cassis and dark berries touched with savoury bits of orange peel, earth and pencil lead, with another lovely curl of tobacco smoke drifting into a satisfyingly fresh finish. Not the most complex nor powerful, but this was such a delicious charmer. Lovely, and at peak now.
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1/27/2020 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Meritage with Friends: Classic and elegant with tobacco and cedar. To me, this is the definition of aged claret.
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12/31/2019 - MikeATL Likes this wine: 93 Points
From magnum, it is in an outstanding place right now. It took a couple of hours after decanting for the fruit to fill in, but once it did it offered what I want in an aged Bordeaux, with plenty of cassis to complement leathery and earthy tertiary character and a bit of meatiness, and enough tannin and acid to hold it altogether. A great example of the brilliance of the Cordier stable in the 1980s.
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12/27/2019 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful wine. Lovely full ruby, just tending to garnet at the rim. Nose is classic pencil lead and tobacco. So smooth and harmonious with a lovely freshness to the long finish. ****
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10/18/2019 - Redteeth wrote:
This bottle was acquired upon release and cellared properly. I was pleasantly surprised by this wine as I have had bad luck with other bottles of various vintages from Cantemerle. The cork was in place but broke up upon removal. There was only a minor amount of fine sediment in the bottle. it was given an thorough decanting. It was definitely mature but very drinkable. It was fun and enjoyable to drink a 30 year old Bordeaux from a great vintage.
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10/18/2019 - nittanyjack Likes this wine:
2-hour decant. Drinking great. Mature Bordeaux with nice balance of fruit and earthy notes. Silky, almost heady on the palate and finish. Great match with grilled hanger steak.
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10/4/2019 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 90 Points
well aged Bordeaux....lacks a long finally but a pleasure to drink
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9/28/2019 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
A lovely find. 1.5 hour decant and it did not change for hours after. Black and red fruits dominate. Near silky. Elegant ruby color. Very little sediment. Some Oak, sage, and hint of graphite.
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8/11/2019 - liber Likes this wine: 92 Points
33rd of 36, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, still improving, complex plummy fruit, hint of earth, spice and tobacco, not as pure as the best but attractive and better than feared, no rush but hard to see scope for further improvement. F (17.5).
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5/29/2019 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
Po’s 89 Bordeaux @ Trompette (La Trompette, London): Quite dark and rich initially. Not potty, but there’s a nod towards ripeness. Drier and more traditional on the palate. Rounded, quite dark fruited, lightening to mid red fruit. Opens up nicely and shows more typically with air. A good mix of ripeness and freshness. Initially I think this is Beychevelle, but with air it is more typically Cantemerle. Lovely. ****
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5/23/2019 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Luis doesn't show up for his own tasting (Tilia): Classic and elegant with tobacco and cedar. To me, this is the definition of aged claret.
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5/23/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Mostly Older WTDS at Tillia (Tilia, Mpls): Dark red color; no bricking. PNP, drank a glass over an hour. Well there ya go. This was flat out brilliant. Best of the '89 I've had by a goood margin and they're all been quite good. Just a beautiful nose on this; really perfumed, mint, lots of fine leather, dried earth, violet, red fruited. This just builds and build in the glass, quite exhilarating I'd say. Medium full bodied, drinking with such maturity, yet age defying in other ways with its brightness and depth. Very pretty red fruits, floral, so giving , just a pristine bottle. Don't see how this can get better, but in my opinion it has the fruit and depth to go another 10 years.
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4/13/2019 - SteelerFan wrote: 92 Points
Lovely showing. Medium body, dark ruby color. Really opened up after decanting and showed a classic pencil, tobacco, earthy profile. Fruit is still very present. Very good wine from a great vintage.
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3/1/2019 - Litt12 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Almost at 30yrs and going strong! Pop n Pour, classic framework, black fruits, pencil lead, leather, still very fresh and shows pure fruit. Excellent
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2/17/2019 - Wijnwaard3 wrote: 91 Points
Super hoe stevig en fruitig de wijn is ondanks zijn jaren.
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1/30/2019 - k H i L o Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ouverte 5h avant. Super ! Très soyeux.
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1/1/2019 - k H i L o Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bien qu'il soit âgé, ouvrir à l'avance. Très masculin.
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12/21/2018 - Richard P Howden Likes this wine: 91 Points
Initially a lot of red fruit on the nose that faded to leather and smoke. Cassis, leather earthy palate. Fun to drink.
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11/21/2018 - nittanyjack Likes this wine:
Nice bottle...drinking very nicely with about an hour slo-ox. Excellent nose with earthy and dark fruit notes. Nice medium bodied palate and decent finish. Solid mature Bordeaux.
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10/24/2018 - coremill wrote: 91 Points
Out of 375mL. Exactly what a mature claret should be. Cassis and red berry fruit, showing lots of merlot character, plus lots of pencial shavings, cedar, mint, and savory meatiness. Plenty of fruit left on the palate with good weight, the tannins have turned silky and resolved to the point where there's just enough structure left to hold it together but no hard edges remaining.
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10/16/2018 - aaronfullen Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was an unexpected treat. Purchased bottle at auction. Fill was great. Cork was almost too pristine leading me to believe that the bottle was stored standing up for at least most of its life. Based on first taste, didn't decant as I didn't think it would benefit the wine. Let the bottle sit (with two small glass poured) for a half hour open on the counter.
Wine was delicious. Expressive nose of flowers and graphite. In the mouth (early in the night) the tannins had almost disappeared, the acidity was there and the wine had an almost ethereal weight on the palate. Got a bit of a soy sauce note that was pleasing. Fruit was definitely in the background. Finish was lovely and demure.
An hour later, this was a completely different wine. Tannins mysteriously reappeared and asserted themselves. Fruit came to the surface in a lovely way as the wine gained a sweetness that paired beautifully with the acid.
Last glass tasted like a young wine. First glass tasted fully mature. Pretty much the exact opposite of the evolution I expected over two hours for such an old wine.
Great experience sipping this one. Wish I had more.
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9/11/2018 - galewskj wrote: 91 Points
Steve makes Brisket; 9/9/2018-9/11/2018 (Steve and Jennie's): Pop and pour. This is kind of stunning for what it is. A classy elegant and completely resolved claret. Better than the last one? Maybe.
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9/6/2018 - Paul D wrote: 89 Points
1989 Bordeaux at Piccolino (Piccolino, Exchange Square, London): Red and black berry fruit, a touch lactic. Composed on the palate, soft tannins, spicy red fruit, good length harmonious finish.
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9/6/2018 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
1989 Bordeaux @ Piccolino (Piccolino, Liverpool Street Stn, London): Lighter-fruited, redder nose. Quite bright. Nicely red fruited. Quite silky. Puts on a little weight and sweetness with air. Lovely. ****
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6/17/2018 - bordeaux_bro Likes this wine: 93 Points
Garnet color, cedar, rose tea, and with some "good" funk developing with some air. Moderate tannins, somewhat high acidity, and medium weight. Classical, St Julien / Pauillac in style. This is at the latter half of its drinking window, but still excellent.
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6/9/2018 - liber Likes this wine: 91 Points
33rd of 36, decanted an hour, perfect cork and level, previous notes since 99 VG or better - garnet, lightening rim; attractive cassis driven nose, hint of tobacco and surprisingly earth; medium, quite long and persistent, silky if not particularly concentrated, ash and smoke on back palate, no rush. F (17.5).
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6/6/2018 - galewskj wrote: 91 Points
Wine Wednesday (Kevin and Vicki's house): Splash decant. I loved this wine, partly because I love older classic Bordeaux and partly because this was the first red wine served after a whole bunch of Champagne, Rose and whites. Classic and elegant with tobacco and cedar. Admittedly, it fell off after about an hour, perhaps because a splash decant may be too much for this. I wasn't entirely sure I was going to serve this. It would be better to slow o it for a longer period of time instead of decanting.
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6/6/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
The Return of the Wednesday Wine Lunch (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Dark red color. Slow-O for 30 minutes and splash decanted. A lovely older Cantemerle. This has a smoky nose with crushed flowers, and tobacco essence with more subtle dark red fruits. The palate isn't quite to the level of the nose, but still offers a tobacco laden core with dark cherry and currants on top of a some funk on a medium body with pleasant tannins.
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6/6/2018 - Mattshank wrote: 91 Points
Nose: Stargazer Lilly with subtle floral qualities. Palate: While light bodied this has great class with the Lilly showing and assorted minerals.
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3/23/2018 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
Farewell to Phil: Cherry, licorice, smoke and cedar with blackcurrants. Really good brightness on the palate with good fruit coming through. Holding up really well, this has great length and balance.
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3/1/2018 - galewskj wrote: 90 Points
Asian Food (Irene's): Double decant. Drank a small glass over about 45 minutes. Very well integrated, but not that complex. There is a lot of earth, smoke and scorched earth.
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2/24/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Asian Dinner with Mostly Riesling and Chenin (Irene's House, St. Paul): Dark red color. Splash double decant; drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. Distinct green olive nose initially that dissipates and folds in with the smoky, dried red fruits, bacon fat, and earth. The palate is earthy, tart cherry, olive, pencil lead, medium bodied and resolved tannins. This was drinking like a classically aged claret should - very lovely and enjoyable in perfect shape. 91+pts.
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2/6/2018 - cos65 Likes this wine:
Very tight cork, than came out intact with slow coaxing. Quite a bit of bottle stink which blew off over the next 30minutes leaving a lovely slightly subtle mature, elegant Bordeaux.
This is why we cellar wine. Lovely
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2/5/2018 - Nutty08 wrote:
This was really awesome. Light bodied and a bit soft, but lovely aromatics with a bit of tobacco and leafy herbs. Subtle and nuanced and fully mature. Such a good bdx. A.
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11/14/2017 - Kriz wrote: 91 Points
Almost 30 years old. Classic and of course remarkable for this Chateau. Cedar, sigarbox. Superbe palate. Everything has come together. Good finish, great wine.
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9/19/2017 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
Engaging bouquet of graphite, spiced cherries, wintergreen-mint, and autumnal scents. Smooth and gentle now, with a tangy palate with a bit of smoke, a touch of sour, a hint of savory, even a whiff of roast, it dances from nuance to nuance. Shows decent power and excellent persistence. Definitely on the red-fruited, higher acid end of things, at least as far as Bordeaux goes. A subtle but important bit of sweetness appears with some air and shows much better with food. I really dig this -- a touch more fruit and complexity would take this to another level, but still so good as is. Ready and fully mature. 92-93 pts.
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8/18/2017 - Bacchus&Ceres Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lovely aromatics. Wine is bright, shiny, semi-opaque ruby red with very slight rim variation of raspberry pink. Medium+ tears slow and thick. Aromatics are clean powerful fresh tilled earth with evolving complexity, subtle floral notes of violets. Structurally off-dry with a huge mouth feel medium+body with intense flavors, slightly spicy med- soft tannin, medium- acid, medium alcohol. Moderate complexity with a short finish. Delightful.
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6/11/2017 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Layered; earth; sweet fruit; nice finish.
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4/16/2017 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
From magnum.
Slightly bretty but still offers some dried fruit and tobacco.
A bit of acid pokes out but otherwise this is great.
Drinking well now and should go for another 5+ years easily before it starts to decline.
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4/13/2017 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 94 Points
Spectacular wine with iodine, minerals, cedar, pencil lead, rich fruitcake, luxurious Cuban cigar (unsmoked), porcini mushrooms, truffle, spice box and forest floor, with a refreshing saline streak. This punches so far above its weight. This particular bottle did not quite have the persistence/length on the palate of previous bottles, but other than that this is a thrilling and mature bottle of claret from an unheralded estate.
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4/9/2017 - felixp wrote: 89 Points
pleasant wine, dominated by cigar box and earth. Tertiary flavours of leather and dusty soil. Nice wine, but this bottle was not Earth-shattering.
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3/16/2017 - Ary Likes this wine: 93 Points
With well-stored bottles Cantemerle 1989 is still truly amazing, continuing to impress (especially in blind-tastings) time-and-time again. In the nose notes of Cohiba cigar, some (Pessac) dust, medicine chest, wet leaves, chocolate and coffee-beans. The elegant palate is medium bodied and fairly complex (although less than the nose). Light stewed fruit and iron notes. 93p for today but please note that this wine is in its graceful last phase.
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3/15/2017 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
SLDS March 2017 (Rocket): Raspberry, blackcurrant, cedar and some smoky herbs - feels like there is great fruit still shining through. The palate is holding up beautifully with acidity that lifts and focuses the wine across really good length. In great condition!
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3/4/2017 - 49RockVino wrote: 91 Points
91+. Very pleasant, but maybe not quite as good as the previous bottle. This wine has aged nicely, although not likely to improve from here. No rush though, in a great spot.
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3/4/2017 - JWdeSommelier Likes this wine: 93 Points
Absolute classic Cantemerle. Stunning nose, almost sweet forest fruit, love tertiary aroma's and great texture. With €95,- on the winelist a steal if you compare with other '89 Grands crus classes.
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1/28/2017 - danckie Likes this wine: 91 Points
Stunning nose of forestfloor, mushroom and espresso. Decanted for a couple of hours. Juicy, midweight wine. Mature, Earthy tones, coffee and bitter chocolate and a hint of dark fruit. Wine keeps evolving in the glass. Drink up, this Will not improve anymore.
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1/20/2017 - prsnrs Likes this wine: 88 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. The body is medium. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes short. The wine has low acidity.
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11/30/2016 - WineGuyX wrote: 87 Points
Classic aromas of black currant, charred wood and hot asphalt. Medium bodied and on the decline. Expertly stored with a fantastic ullage. Palate still has some black currant, but not a lot else. This should be drunk soon, but is still a good representation of mature Bordeaux. 87
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11/9/2016 - Redteeth wrote:
Still good and very enjoyable if you like mature Bordeaux.
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11/4/2016 - 49RockVino wrote: 93 Points
Really good mature Bordeaux. Into neck fill, perfect cork. Definitely needs air, came into its own after about 90 minutes. Beautiful color, nose and length. Great QPR, acquired at auction.
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8/20/2016 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
Sweet with great structure; supple but nice balance; chocolate, earth and cedar; good length.
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7/27/2016 - UTPK wrote:
Same as before, last bottle. Served me well.
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7/13/2016 - paulst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Earth; blackberry-cedar; light structure; decent balance; decent finish.
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7/11/2016 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 91 Points
A nice (Gooooooood juice) mature wine that has aged beautifully. Cork in perfect condition and very little (none) browning on the rim. It was medium to light weight with a lithe spirit. This bottle was well preserved with a creamy texture on the palate that finished with a long linger.
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6/28/2016 - Paul D Likes this wine:
Very deep garnet, minimal rim. Nose is deep, spicy, dark fruited, touch of Christmas Cake. Medium/full bodied, layered black fruits, spice, soft tannins, touch of savour, balanced acidity carries a long, spicy finish. Excellent, certainly drinking but absolutely no hurry. ****1/2
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6/28/2016 - SimonG wrote: 94 Points
Cantmerle @ RSJ (RSJ, London): Still a deep ruby. Rich on the nose. Quite plush. Lovely weight and density. Rich, nuanced, ripe but not overdone. A freshness on the finish. ****1/2
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5/30/2016 - UTPK wrote:
Lovely young and fresh nose of green herbs, smoke, pencil shavings. Also some tertiary aromas of leather and forest floor. People guessed 2000 (!) Perfect balance with sweet fruit, soft tannins and adequate acidity. Long succulent finish. No great wines, only great bottles!
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5/9/2016 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Leoville Las Cases Tasting and Dinner (Knightsbridge - Northbrook IL): Popped and poured. Pleasant, slightly simple fruit with spice hints and slightly more interesting, rounded textures. Good now.
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5/4/2016 - theeagle03 wrote: 94 Points
Great wine, incredibly deep nose. Long legs, cherries, plums, cigar box
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4/8/2016 - MPB54 wrote:
Still drinking nicely.
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4/2/2016 - blanquito wrote: 93 Points
Love this wine, shows a lot like the 82 Cantemerle in profile but with more grip, less overt fruitiness and more earthy, savory notes, drinking at point but will go for another 10-15 year easily. Some smooth and effortless, a great vintage. 93-94 pts.
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12/14/2015 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 91 Points
Notes of tobacco, cedar, forest floor. On the palate its savory, balanced, spice and almost sweet fruit undertones that mellow and round out the finish. Drinking very nicely right now!
It's interesting to read all the other recent reviews. There is growing disparity of description as bottle variation is becoming more pronounced.
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10/19/2015 - WineCellarTV wrote: 89 Points
Inviting nose of complexity and elegance with black berries, florals, some green tea and oak. More harmonious and alive on the palate than the Haut-Bages Liberal, but still past its prime. Good finish with little smokiness and herbal spiciness. Still a very charming wine.
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10/4/2015 - svdheijden wrote: 92 Points
This 26 year Cantemerle still sings. No signs of decline yet. Fully mature. Beautiful nose of red and black fruit, still the same dusty Graves-like tones that I noticed a few years ago. Tobacco, cedar, touch of toast, meat, bacon. Medium body, good acidity, medium length finish. This exceptional Cantemerle stands out from its league because of its beautiful balance and elegance. No hurry for well stored bottles.
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10/2/2015 - blanquito wrote: 93 Points
Sweet, resolved, red zinger, cranberry and bing cherry bouquet. Quite bright acidity, savory with some leather, maybe a hint of roast... lovely smooth texture, good tangy finish with a lingering loamy note. Has a bit more mid-palate stuffing than usual for the house. This is delicious, mature, semi-complex with just enough fruit to hang with the bumptious acidity.
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7/12/2015 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 90 Points
Medium garnet color, lightening of edges. Had a nose indicative of mature Bordeaux, with lots of leather, tobacco, and old library books. Fruit is perhaps fading a bit, with the tertiary elements showing through. Smooth on the palate, but seems reserved. Tannins mostly resolved. Medium length finish. While still drinking well, this is probably on its descent.
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6/13/2015 - burgburgburg wrote: flawed
The bottle was in-neck. Cabernet based nose with an extreme weak palate. Seems some problems with this bottle. NR
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4/25/2015 - Ary wrote: 90 Points
Bordeaux Left Bank (semi blind) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): Seems to become monolithic and hard, missing the elegance of earlier bottles. But tough competition from other wines at the table. In the nose ripe fruits, cake, mint and pebbles. Medium to full palate with nice balance, fruits and iron notes. Time to finish your bottles within the coming years I would say.
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3/16/2015 - Hodby wrote: 91 Points
Medium red, pale edge. Medium intensity Merlot nose: plum and cherry, olives, pipe tobacco, cow's milk, touch of leather, bay leaf. On arrival, low and much fine tannin, low-medium acidity. Structurally easy to drink and open, but rather more primary in the mouth than typical of this house. There's still a lot young fruit and oak. with the leather and herbs. A mid-neck fill, perfect long cork; shipping, handling and storage of this baby was impeccable. Price tag: $23.99 (LA Wine). Bottle #2 of two.
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1/24/2015 - mjdixon Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent haut medoc
Maybe i just like 1989
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1/17/2015 - VoVo wrote: 94 Points
Remarkably youthful for its age (like us!). Smooth yet complex. Threw some sediment at bottom of bottle. Color was still bright. Did not need to be decanted. Drank over two nights. Good both nights.
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10/11/2014 - Zweder wrote:
Regular dinner group (@ EM): Rustic bouquet with barnyard and autumn impressions. Same on the palate. Some red fruits, chocolate, rust, good acidity and bitterness. Very mature, but still very ok as well. The drinking window in CT says 2040….. pfff I wouldn't hold my breath…. It is probably aceto balsamico by then… Drink now or soon is probably the best thing to do.
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9/7/2014 - chcook Likes this wine:
This was primo. Cork intact but wet half way up. Aromas mostly secondary at this point, and on palate this is a mouthful of polished med weight delicious Bordeaux. I think that this has the stuffing to keep going awhile but so good now.
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9/2/2014 - Leoville_2012 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Everything you want from a mature left bank Bordeaux. Darb berries, leather, tobacco, some forest floor. Great balance. Nice QPR. Looking to stock up on this one.
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8/31/2014 - johnbhamrick wrote: 95 Points
A wine that some say may have passed its peak, I say not!!! This was a fabulous bottle of bordeaux. Fully matured but not over the hill, great silky and smooth taste, great nose, and everything else you could ask for!!!
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6/28/2014 - blanquito wrote: 93 Points
Cantemerle & Lagune Vertical; 6/28/2014-6/30/2014 (Dale's): Deep, mature, classic claret bouquet with spices, cranberries, cigarbox. Perfectly balanced with a steak, plenty of pitch-perfect fruit to go with ample brightness and a silky texture. Mature yet vigorous. My WOTN.
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6/28/2014 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Cantemerle/La Lagune vertical (Dobbs Ferry): This is in such a great place. Really graceful with a silken texture, and an amazing fragrance combining mature leathery and smoky notes with spice, cedar, and a core of fruit that's still quite fresh and vibrant. The tannin's mostly resolved, and most of the structure here comes from the acidity, which makes this feel really lively and refreshing on the palate.
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6/27/2014 - Sixchips600 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great bottle. Had with the 2000 and this was superior.
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6/22/2014 - stoneb wrote: 87 Points
Decanted 45 mins before dinner. Ruby red just turning to amber at the rim. Muted nose of dark fruit and tobacco. Same thing on the palate, with spice box secondary notes. Short but nice finish. Fully mature bdx that is on its downslope; drink up.
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5/28/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cedar, rubber and leather nose; sweet integrated tannins; smooth blackberry; long textured finish with some hints of coffee and mocha.
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4/28/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Earthy blackberry; mature and integrated; short length.
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3/28/2014 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light blackberry-tar nose; near perfect balance; beautiful texture; fully integrated tannins; lightly supple; earthy-blackberry; soft sweet tannins; lingering soft finish; soft balanced and mature; outstanding.
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2/16/2014 - UpfromtheCellar wrote: 87 Points
Starting to fade. Still fairly balanced after it was given time to blow the funk off and open a little, but savory and pencil, cedar, mushroom and spice starting to wobble a bit. Light finish. This wine may last for a while yet but its not going to get any better.
Bad bottle? I can't find anything close to the flavors or aromatics that the reviewers that immediately preceded this with much much higher scores seemed to report. My bottle was fine (my wife liked it much more than me in fact) but seemed to lack clarity and depth and was just dull and flat. YMMV with older bottles and mine certainly did!
According to CT there are over 800 bottles in folk's cellars. I don't know guys - I'm down to my last 3 or 4 and I'm not going to wait around much longer to finish them off. Good luck to you.
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12/31/2013 - Patrik H Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pomegranate on the color.
On the nose, Cedar, blackcurrant, tobacco and some earth tones.
On the palate silky smoth tannins some raspberry, chocolate, chalk and some red fruit.
Medium+ finish
Needed the time in the glas. When tried it first I was really disapointed. It changed when it had some air. Worth waiting for.
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12/5/2013 - asgerG wrote: 94 Points
PnD. Brick red, orange rim, 5. Delicious mature spicy blackcurrant dominated complex bouquet. Harmonious palate, intense fruit, elegant finish. Drink now or wait. Surprisingly fine Cantemerle, thanks Ole.
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11/23/2013 - SimonG wrote: 92 Points
Dense ruby. Lovely restrained claret nose, cedar, blackcurrant and a little graphite. Sweet fruit on the attack. Some density through the mid-palate. Classic and elegant with a cool restraint. Lovely. ****
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6/8/2013 - Ary wrote: 90 Points
Left Bank Bordeaux from the 1980-s (semi blind) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): Dark little black fruits, raisins, earth, underwood and truffle tones in the nose. Thick and powerful palate, good substance but some stringent tannins in the finish. Not the best bottle I had but still surprisingly good and going strong.
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6/6/2013 - meqoubal36 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Toujours une merveille.
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5/6/2013 - Brayblaggs wrote:
- Garnet color and aromas of smokey, raspberry and tobacco. It's balanced and has flavours of raspberry and chocolate with a medium body. Satin-Like texture with a long finish - Hints of tobacco and leather. Smoky flavours with the red fruit. Very soft on the palate and subtle tannins.
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5/5/2013 - whits Likes this wine: 94 Points
clean maroon appearance, nose shows fresh herbs, cedar, mint and lovely red and black berries, excellent fragrance, balanced, clean, elegant, oh yes, this is in a prime drinking window, matured flavors of iron, red berries, earth, game and blackberry, the acid plays an important role here as it carries the flavors, everything you look for in a mature red Bordeaux, decent match with tomato and meat sauce over pasta but the wine was the star of the show tonight, this is a classic Cantemerle, (tasting note 1000!)
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4/28/2013 - Nuromri Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cellared since release. Deep ruby to rim. Good body, ample fruit, acidity. Long, focused, delicious.
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4/21/2013 - jrockman Likes this wine: 93 Points
For me, a rare experience with an aged Bordeaux; decanted for sediment, was somewhat surprised by the lack of any. This wine was beautiful and sublime, balanced and smooth. An inviting ruby red in the glass, very aromatic - cherry, wood, spice and mineral all together; a wonderful texture in the mouth and on the tongue; tannins are rounded and integrated. A delicious experience with a beautifully mature wine. 4+13+18+8=93
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4/20/2013 - meqoubal36 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Une merveille dès l'ouverture. Plein de fougue, de jeunesse, d'acidité plaisante et raffinée. Du fruit, du corps, de la tenue, des saveurs de soie qui subjuguent le palais (cèdre, framboise, cassis, tabac, vanille, etc.) et le conduisent (nous conduisent) à une jouissance indéniable. Il est loin d'être passé même s'il ne faut sans doute pas trop l'aérer non plus.
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3/8/2013 - Mackmoo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still rather tannic. To an extent that the fruits are subdued on the palate. But a pleasant experience overall.
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1/6/2013 - jww Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful aromas of fruit and cedar and spices when opened. Full flavored and light on the toungue drank beautifully when opened and grew in complexity over an hour.
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12/6/2012 - G_H Likes this wine: 93 Points
1989 Bordeaux (Meinweinkeller.ch): I absolutely ahve to agee with 'le fouloir' - This is a wonderful mature Bordeaux. It was complex beyond its original price...
It's so creamy and round loads of fruit very sweet and with perfectly stored bottles i give this wine another 40 (!) years potential.
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12/4/2012 - le fouloir Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is a wonderful mature Bordeaux. It was complex beyond its original price would have suggested and could have passed easily for a classified chateau. It might not get any better but I'll bet that, if cellared properly, it will continue to taste and smell this good for a number of years to come.
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10/10/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
Brown Bag Wine Dinner at Two Chefs - Double Blind; 10/9/2012-10/10/2012 (TWO CHEFS, MIAMI, FL): - Garnet color with medium forming legs. It's balanced with a medium/full body. Polished texture with a medium finish - Jerry's wine.
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7/24/2012 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
It's interesting that Parker rated this 91 and WS rated it 95. I found it to be quite subtle and elegant vs. big and burley, not overbearing. lovely stuff, almost sweet.
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5/1/2012 - alittle wrote: 92 Points
It's a celebration, bitches. (Dave gets a new job) (Dave's House): Decanted quickly for sediment and served immediately. Beautifully mature Bordeaux nose, showing black currants, cassis, cigar, leather, cedar, earth, light mint, mushroom, coffee and chocolate. On the palate, currants, leather, minerals and tobacco, showing good intensity, but maintaining a bit of finesse and elegance. Fully integrated tannin, with just enough acidity to keep this lively still. If I had any more bottles of this, I would drink them over the next year, as this appears to be at absolute peak, or maybe even in slight decline.
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4/30/2012 - Wine Canuck wrote: 92 Points
AML supplied this bottle and it might have been just a hair more youthful than the last one. Coffee, dark chocolate, mature and complex. Cassis, blackberry fruit. Palate is resolved and has good acidity. Mushroom note emerged with time.
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4/29/2012 - jklaw7 wrote: 91 Points
Popped, decanted and poured. Very nice red color, and classic bordeaux nose/flavor profile of bright and even vibrant red fruits, some cedar. Tannins resolved and the wine is fully drinkable. Tasted after several wonderful 80s and 70s clarets at a party last evening, and brought no shame on itself. From the host's cellar.
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3/23/2012 - Wine Canuck wrote: 92 Points
Great aged Bordeaux nose, this vintage is in a really nice place right now. Leather, funk, earth, it's all here. Finish is a bit clipped however. 93 point nose, 90 point palate. This will hold a few years, but it is a 'drink up' wine.
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3/16/2012 - le fouloir wrote: 92 Points
Very enjoyable mature Bordeaux. I agree with others who observed that it passes for a more highly classified chateau. I also agree that the finish was a little abrupt, but, all in all, impressive and tasted quite a bit more expensive than it actually was.
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3/10/2012 - Billigan wrote: 90 Points
My impressions mirrored those of dmitri below. Lovely, old cedary Bordeaux. The abrupt finish was a little disappointing, but otherwise, this had all the qualities of good mature Bordeaux that's punching above its weight. Drink up soon.
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3/2/2012 - andtheodor wrote:
Minty toothpaste, bay leaf, pruny and sweetly caramel, with beef and tomato. Stewy, weird, ugh.
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12/15/2011 - dmitri wrote: 90 Points
Properly aged wine that reached its plateau and now deserves its medium price tag despite its relatively humble origin. For anyone who misses a bouquet of well matured Bordeaux, enjoys looking at rusty rim and then savors fulfilling and mellow sip, this wine is a great treat. Agree with many reviewers that it can easily pass for much more expensive Bordeaux brethren of similar vintage. The only feature that betrays this wine true self is an aftertaste that has as much length as any generic american cab. After enjoying all it offers, not to have a lingering forever going aftertaste is just a pity. Still, immensely enjoyable and definitely recommended.
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10/9/2011 - Tad GW wrote: 92 Points
50+5+12+17+8=92
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9/6/2011 - MPB54 wrote: 92 Points
Nice out of the bottle and held up over 1 1/2 hrs of drinking. No hurry to finish off this case.
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8/8/2011 - MPB54 wrote: 85 Points
Still some life left--opened up very quickly but lasted for several hours.
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7/30/2011 - Merkus wrote: 80 Points
Good
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7/9/2011 - jmcmchi wrote: 91 Points
Hints of aging evident on rim - garnet turning to brick. Lovely smokey, cedary nose. Tannins nicely softened, mature claret that can only go down from here.
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6/22/2011 - SimonG wrote:
Mid ruby to garnet at the rim. Lovely claret nose, all cedar and cigarbox. Still a core of sweet fruit, a soft dryness and good acidity. The fruit profile is slightly slimmer than the previous bottle and it's a little less bright. very nice indeed though and properly satisfying claret. ****
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6/17/2011 - Redteeth wrote:
This bottle was great. It was not decanted but we let it open in the bottle over a slow dinner.This wine had a lot of structure combined with mature dark fruit, currents, and earth. The color was still quite dark. This wine may have several good years left.
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6/15/2011 - svdheijden wrote: 91 Points
What a pity that Cantemerle never really reached the level of this 1989 since, although the 2009 seems promising. This a fully mature, elegant, classic Bordeaux that could easily pass for a more prestigious grand cru. Still very much alive, with cassis and other red fruit in the nose, even including a rare strawberry flavour. Smoky, almost dusty Margaux/Graves style. Round, soft, velvety on the palate, with licorice, tabaco and some mint. Exceptional quality for the price and if kept as well as this bottle, still drinking very well for quite a few years. Maybe we should drink the 2009 and the 1989 alongside in ten years time....
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5/27/2011 - Ary Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mature Left Bank Bordeaux (semi blind) (Amsterdam Wijn Antiquariaat): Such an exceptional Cantemerle that always surprises everyone when tasted (semi) blind. Dark colour. Sweet tones as tabac and chocolate in the nose, some barnyard as well. Excellent classic and elegant Bordeaux on the palate. Some tannins in the after taste. Still drinking well, no need to hurry.
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4/28/2011 - brianakrin wrote: 92 Points
Beautifully smooth, sweet tannins with a rich cassis profile. Drinking well, Did not decant, just let it evolve in the glass
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2/2/2011 - nytiger wrote: 86 Points
showing it's age
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11/5/2010 - rdsboca wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful smooth, sweet tannins with a rich cassis profile. Ample oak that brought a great structure to the fruit. A bi of loam and clay at the back end.
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7/17/2010 - Bob in NC wrote: 91 Points
Very smooth and balance; really drinking well.
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5/16/2010 - Alex H wrote: 85 Points
Leather with green capsicums and tobacco leaves . Just how I remember this chateau to be typically. Some veggie essence perfume . Nicely smooth textured , quite menthol and a bit short.
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4/2/2010 - canan wrote:
Pretty consistens with precious note. Needed to be decanted for about 3 hours before really opening up! Drinking perfectly now.
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3/14/2010 - rralls wrote: 93 Points
Another favorite from the night.
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2/14/2010 - Rubinstein wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely wonderfull. Perfect bottle. Great balance. Cassis, Ion and smoke. Loved it. 94+
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2/6/2010 - Eckie wrote: 93 Points
WWW Rotterdam. Fully mature and excellent claret. I think everyone in the wineworld agrees this is the best vintage ever for Cantemerle and I can see why. This was my last bottle of a lot of 4, and luckily the best one. Though the fruit has stepped aside, the nose is mesmerizing with iron, leather, blood ad earth. Perfect balance and surprising lenght. A great experience for everyone at the table to enjoy a wine 21 years old.
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1/28/2010 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
Monthly Tasting Group LTB 2010-02; Some Bordeaux including a small Cantemerle vertical (by JvD): I did not remember my previous bottle, but this was in fact a very nice surprise. Not anything like the Gamay experience as mentioned in my previous note, but there was good coffee and some tobacco; both in a positive way. On the palate soft and ripe red fruits, but also dark and heavy aromas. Completely soft tannin and a silky medium long finish. If you have any bottles left, this is the time to drink the wine. It will not improve, but it will not be dead in 2 years either.
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1/21/2010 - Redteeth wrote:
We drank this without decanting. The wine had a nice aroma and was in good shape. The taste was of a mature wine with with a lot of dark fruit and currants. There was a good balance of the fruit and tannins. We were very happy with this.
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1/17/2010 - VinoPat wrote: flawed
Oxidized completely on opening. Drained it.
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12/28/2009 - Terkel wrote: 94 Points
Dinner with friends (My place): Dark red color with a slightly orange hue. Classical Bordeaux nose with delicate, yet intense aromas of blackcurrant, tomato, forest floor, tobacco plant, green pepper and iron. On the palate there are layered nuances of cool blackcurrant, leaves, bush, tobacco and green pepper, but the really stunning part is that it remains juicy and inviting all along. Greatly structured and perfect acidity balance. Super length and the overall inviting, yet complex personality make this a great over-achiever.
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12/28/2009 - canan wrote:
Great nose with loads of pine, sewer and some roasted coffee. Dark plump plum fruit and some latrinary notes.
The palate still indicates a quite young wine and the dark plum/blackberry fruit still seems a little closed. Compact and almost "heavy" style. Great flavours of roasted coffee, dirt and black pepper with some iron in the long and impressive aftertaste. Menthol on the mid-palate. There is even some asphalt coming through with additional air and the structure of the wine is very big and potent.
What an amazing wine and still with a very good potential...
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9/20/2009 - spotfin wrote: 91 Points
Fully mature, starting to dry out a little, very nice,
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6/26/2009 - incident wrote: 93 Points
VTS fill. Consistent with prior notes. This bottle had the lowest fill and most saturated cork. Some balsamic notes on top of the fruit and earth. Excellent.
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6/20/2009 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
With aromas of blackberry, currant, and oak, and with floral scents. Medium bodied. Soft and light on the palate. It’s at the end of its life. Nice, but not very interesting. A luncheon claret. The 83 is a better wine.
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6/10/2009 - jlgnml wrote: 94 Points
Les Degustateurs Ladies Night (University Club of Chicago): Sits close to Margaux on the wrong side of the road. Great color and flavor, bountiful on the palate, lots of flavor at the end. Not too heavy. Maturing nicely.
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4/26/2009 - winesnout wrote: 93 Points
A real beauty. Lots of plums, berries, cedar and some lead pencil. Has reached full maturity. Seductive with soft tannins and 30 sec. plus finish. A real overachiever given that the price was less than 20 $ (future pice) in 1990.
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3/21/2009 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
Mature and pleasant Bordeaux. In the bouquet something which reminds of Gamay fruitiness. Besides that there are the typical Bordeaux scents. In the mouth a soft, mature and tasteful wine (See my 2007 note and, reading that, this bottle is still very much alive, so it will probably stay on a pleasant drinking level for several years.)
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2/10/2009 - jlgnml wrote: 94 Points
IWFSC 742nd Dinner (Primehouse Chicago IL): This wine has power. Great deep color in the glass. Great nose and very full on the palate. Great compliment to the food course. I liked this a lot.
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1/28/2009 - grossie wrote: 93 Points
This could probably use more time. Upon opening it really did well- mature bdx, but 3 nights later (it's been refrigerated the whole time) it's really singing! Tobacco, ,horsey, and forest floor on the nose with just a hint of oak. Really velvety in the mouth this is a lovely round wine with soft tannins and spry acidity. The finish lasts a while, but is probably the weak point of this wine as I detect a very minor bitter note. Overall this is a beauty, I wish I had another to revisit in 3-5 more years.
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1/16/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 91 Points
nose: nice perfumed and mature nose filled with leather, cassis, dark cherries, pencil lead, violets, and bits of tobacco. very well balanced and very expressive right from the get go right out of the bottle and lots of fun to smell
taste: fine grained tannins with tones of cranberries, tea leaves, leather, pencil lead, some tobacco, along with bits of dark cherries and violets. Fully mature and really ready to go
overall: a nice mature bordeaux. This won't get any better and is drinking perfectly right now. Very polished and perfumed on the nose with a great medium feel on the palate with lovely texture and a nice violet finish
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12/31/2008 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
A solid mature bordeaux with plenty of life left in it. Never going to be really profound. 91-92 pts.
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12/10/2008 - mnh wrote:
Fading, but opened up a bit after an hour
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11/27/2008 - tendring wrote: 89 Points
A complex nose, liquorice, treacle, eucalyptus, figs, raisins.
Nice in the nouth, oak, fruity, a bit vegetal, good balance, quite long.
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8/16/2008 - dv002i wrote: 93 Points
Aromas f straw and sugarplum with a little bit of barnyard aromas. Very light and mellow on the palate. Well integrated tannins let the remaining subtle flavors shine though. Wonderful finish about 30 seconds in length. Decanted 1 hour in bottle. Bordeaux tasting with John V.
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8/15/2008 - nytiger wrote: 92 Points
a nice bottle fine nose, color, flovors and long finish
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7/15/2008 - Eckie wrote: 91 Points
Finally drank a good bottle of wine with my neighbour Guido! Decanted for 1 hour which does not seem like a necessity as the wine has softened. The wine is almost modest but the fruit is still there and is very harmoniously integrated with the last tannins. Earth, tea, tobacco and lead pencil notes. This was the third Cantemerle out of four and they all have been excellent. I do think though it is time to finish the last one as well. Very enjoyable!
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6/7/2008 - spotfin wrote: 91 Points
Mature, smooth, balanced, drinking very well.
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5/26/2008 - jsebiri wrote:
very good i thought , many secondary flavors and smells.....some mustiness someone said but i thought i wouold drink again for sure .....smoke , small leather , and pencil...92-93
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5/18/2008 - winecat9 wrote: 86 Points
Time to drink. Fading fast.
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3/31/2008 - incident wrote: 93 Points
Clear, medium intensity ruby. Clean aromas of red plum, cassis, earth, brush, cedar and pencil. Medium acidity, medium tannin, medium body. Flavors of cassis, flowers, smoke, cedar. Long finish. Drinking wonderfully right now.
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3/23/2008 - jreis wrote:
Just a hint of brett, leather, white pepper, loads of violet floral notes, licorice and beautiful blackberry fruit - like a great homemade blackberry jam as it is cooking. Nice nuanced and textured palate with fully resolved but still youthful tannins, great purity of fruit and a consistency of texture, not overly lush, not overly thin - just perfect. Outstanding! This is in its sweet spot right now - drink em if you 've got em!
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11/26/2007 - spotfin wrote: 91 Points
very good mature claret, no danger of decline, but probably won't improve either.
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11/16/2007 - SimonG wrote:
Wow, a stunning showing. Honeyed fruit on the nose; Beautifully ripe, sweet fruit; bright and fresh, lovely balance. Good length. A lovely drink. By far the best bottle of Cantemerle I've had (cf 71, 83, 85, 88, previous bottle of 89, 90, 92, 96) and performing well above its classification in this vintage. ****1/2
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7/29/2007 - AllRed wrote: 93 Points
Tanglenet graciously brought this bottle to dinner with us at Bin 36 when he was in town recently. Garent color, clearing toward the rim. Initially a bit of a funk, followed by notes of cedar, plum, leather and violets. The tannins have integrated beautifully in this wine, with plush cedary red fruit flavors, along with red currants, blackberries and violets. As it sat open, the leather and floral notes dominated, with plum and blackberry flavors on the palate. Served alongside the 1989 Duhart and Meyney. This was my favorite of the three, as it straddled the line between the elegance of the Duhart and the more wild/rustic Meyney. Thanks Tanglenet! 93+.
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7/29/2007 - tanglenet wrote:
At an 1989 offline with Allred and Amy. Served with 1989 Duhart Milon and 1989 Meyney. I did not take very good notes as the enjoyment of the company keep me from scribbling. Funk on the nose which blew off revealing forest and cedar; later notes of caramel, black licorice and smoke. Had more fruit than the other wines and drank somewhat smoother, but lacked "oomph" for me. Good.
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4/14/2007 - tomandlu wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Nose deep brick red with virtually no fading. Complex, refined nose of cedar, tea, cassis. Medium bodied with good fruit, resolved tannin. Moderate finish. A nice bottle of mature Bordeaux with no obvious flaws, just no real wow factor. Drank for my 41st birthday.
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3/3/2007 - roelof.ligtmans@gmail.com wrote: 91 Points
Excellent, everything you would want in a bottle of Bordeaux in a balanced way. Not too heavy, good nose, elegant body and decent after-taste. Balance is the key word, not power.
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2/10/2007 - incident wrote: 93 Points
Bottom of neck level on this bottle. Ruby red, hardly showing any signs of its age. After about an hour in the decanter, some slight barnyard and green aromas blew off, revealing cassis, smoke, cedar, tobacco, and orange peel. Very smooth on the palatte. Slightly drying tannins, with a great mouth feel. Long finish of cassis plum, mushrooms and crushed berries. This wine continues to impress. Great balance.
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1/27/2007 - Zweder wrote: 88 Points
An easy afternoon with close friends. 2007-01: Bordeaux: Left bank. (@ PdV): Red fruit, little barnyard, cherries, black currant, juicy. This wine is in the phase where the fruit is making place for tertiary aromas, so some might think it is getting too old now.
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10/15/2006 - bsaun wrote: 92 Points
Second bottle from an OWC recently opened for the first time. Nice color wih a nose of black fruit. Well balanced and textured with very soft tannins and ripe fruit. The finish seemed to last for a good minute. This was delicious and is really drinking well right now.
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8/15/2006 - The Kid wrote:
In a word, "sublime". Five bottles consumed with good friends in a joint celebration. Decanted two hours before dinner, the wine was still crimson, its nose a breathtaking concoction of red berries, and, on the palate, it swam, swirled, lingered and lingered. We each smiled as we sniffed and smiled still wider and fell silent in appreciation, as we each enjoyed what was (and will remain for a considerable period ) an absolutely tremendous wine. Slightly dusty on the tongue (this may have been due to a degree of abandon on my part when decanting), the overall impression was of a beautifully structured, impeccably balanced and timelessly elegant wine. The wine was accompanied by braised Welsh lamb with a pear and shallot compote, and the two went together, as if divined for the purpose. What was always going to be a delightful evening, was rendered, by this Cantemerle, a spectacular and quite unforgettable one. There were 12 of us around the table, I should add, in case the consumption of 5 bottles should appear sybaritically extravagant.
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7/6/2006 - otisabdul wrote: 90 Points
Graciously provided by grossie at our recent off-line at Kiki's Bistro. Showing the most funk of any of the wines we tried, I think it suffered from lack of decanting (we made a snap decision to pop + pour it in the middle of the meal - it was originally brought as a back-up wine). Showing lots of earth, but polished texture and blackberry-currant fruit. Seems like it needs a little more time to soften up a tad. Drink after 2009.
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7/6/2006 - grossie wrote: 91 Points
Drank with Wine + Art, Otis, and Chris. I think this showed well, although was clearly younger than the other bdx at this offline. This wine had a very solid core of fruit with oak that showed but mellowed with time, some spice component. and a little horsey. This wine drank well in '05, but I can't help but think this will be better in 5 years.
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2/26/2006 - archer752000 wrote: 92 Points
Last bottle of this vintage. Nice ruby-purple color just slightly brown on edges. Blackberries, cigar box, wet earth, cassis, gooseberry.
This Chateau has always been one of my favorities - great QpR, not much hype, but always delivers.
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7/10/2005 - MichaelB wrote: 87 Points
Passive cellar since release. Still pretty youthful color, some fine sediment apparent. Immediate herbaceous nose, some mushroom, some violet scents but hard to find under the herbs. Equally herbaceous on the palate, damp hay, this showing was a disappointment, it was really nice in its youth. Yet it did improve and had a nice mouthfeel. Hmmm, I have two bottles left.Not bad but I had hoped for more.
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6/1/2005 - Brad L wrote:
This is a quick note in passing but this is an outstanding wine. Really beautiful, complex...way beyond what I associate with Cantemerle...a lovely Bordeaux.
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3/6/2005 - the flying dutchman wrote: 88 Points
Had hogere verwachtingen. Wijn was niet gehhel in balans: wat te sterke zuren en paprika.
Lichte kleuring aan de rand van het glas, verder nog mooie rode kleur. Geur: tabak, cassis. Smaak: cassis, kersen,wat tabak.
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10/5/2004 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
Typical Cordier funk aromas with blackberry, currant, oak & floral notes. Light/medium bodied ends with red and black fruit. Not very interesting. A luncheon claret.
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9/6/2004 - archer752000 wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 7 hours.
Ruby red.
Smoky, leathery nose, bell pepper.
Amazing body, very concentrated, cassis, plums, cherries.
Tannins are very smooth. This wine is very elegant and balanced.
Amazing 40+ seconds finish.
Definetely mature now, and will be on its peak for 5-10 years more.
Didn't expect actually this wine to be so interesting.
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8/29/2004 - grossie wrote: 91 Points
The cork was perfect. The bottle had been standing for about a day, and there was lots of sediment, mostly collected neatly in a clump at the bottom. I decanted for about an hour, and this note is about 2 hours later.
Ruby red with mild bricking at the edges. The nose is great smoky cedar, creosote, a little bell pepper that tends towards anise, and a bit of chocolate. Medium body with charm and finesse, it has evolved nicely over the last two hours, tasting of plums, cassis, and definitely cedar. The tannins are soft, and the acidity is moderate, perhaps slightly out of balance with the tannin and fruit. 91pts.
Drink these now or over the next 5+ years. I have 2 more, time will tell when I will get to them.
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5/28/2003 - mnh wrote:
Red ruby with sl brick. Beautiful nose with floral and tobacco features. Great balance with good midpalate and exc. ripe fruit. Soft tannins, long finish.Great now
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11/11/2001 - mnh wrote:
Deep ruby with sl brick. Mature black fruit with nice tannins and acidity.
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12/21/2000 - SimonG wrote: 90 Points
Good ruby to brick red colour; slightly sewery on the nose with hints of forest fruits and evolved aromas. Good palatte of crunchy fruit and moderate tannins, nicely balanced. Quite a crunchy chewy mouthfull with velvety edges. Very nice indeed, but needs a few more years yet. Drunk immediately after a 1971 Cantemerle.
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4/1/1994 - mnh wrote:
lovely, merlot dominates
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1/16/1992 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 88 Points
1989 Bordeaux Vintage (Prima, Walnut Creek, Ca.): Solid cab nose, big, rich, fruity mouthful, good amount of soft tannins, very supple, viscous, long finish.
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1/11/1992 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 85 Points
At Singer & Foy survey of '89 Bordeaux. Good dark ruby color. Good nose. Flavor is even better. Excellent. 5-9-15-6: 85/100.
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1/10/1992 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 88 Points
Open black bery nose, same on the palate, medium/big body, rich fruit, lots of soft tannins on the finish, drinkable now but better in 5 years.
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