When this is on, as it was last night, it is one of the best values of the 1996 vintage. Cedar, graphite, red and blue fruits and just a little rustic green note which I love. Drinking so well now, wish I had more of this.
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Winefield's dinner: Surprisingly fresh even though slightly fading fruit. Oak still prominent. Solid Bordeaux from a transition period between the classic and Parker-eras.
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Bought three bottles in perfect conditions for around 33 CHF apiece on ricardo.ch based on a discussion on JR's forum. I can confirm that this is an excellent mature bordeaux punching well above its weight. Truly delightful. We had it with food but it could also be had on its own.
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Classic styled Bdx in its prime. Maybe a few years over the top but still very enjoyable. Tertiary notes of wet leaves, tobacco and pencil shavings on the nose. On the palate the fruit has gone but there are very nice tertiary aromas. All in all a very pleasing and fresh QPR-wine!
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This wine has a lovely astringent bite that melts into a slightly sweet and long aftertaste. This wine still has a way to go before being a point. I feel it is consistently undermarked because of its pedigree. It’s definitely a sleeper! Jancis Robinson gave it 17.5/20 in 2011 and said of it: “I have chosen to illustrate this [article] with the label of Ch Lafon-Rochet 1996 because it seems to me to be the best-value wine in the following collection of 50 tasting notes.”
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After having a few bottles recently, I have deduced this needs at least six hours of decanting. It then becomes absolutely magical. Fabulous wine! Fully mature and will go on for another 5 years or so.
This is a really nice mature St. Estephe with a nose dominated by mature plum, dark cherry, leather and tobacco. Quite a nice layered nose that integrates cedar, cigar box, and a bit of coffee grounds.
The palate has a svelte entry, but broadens with waves of plum, cherry fruit leather, Maduro tobacco and dried herb. Structure remains firm, but just the front to back linear build on the palate is great.
Finish is complete (more than in many vintages) and exceeds expectations.
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A recent purchase from retail. 4 bottles at $75 each. These bottles must have been stored well as they all had good fill levels for a 27 year old wine. Opening opening, the colour seemed somewhat NOT brown! Did not seem that old at all. Maybe 15 years… Realised it needed some air and I decanted for 5 hours and it really opened up. Gorgeous stuff! Nothing too extravagant, just a well made aged Médoc. These particular bottles could go on for another ten yers at least. Definitely worth the money. Lovely stuff!
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Leather, cigar box, mushroom, barnyard; rich, silky, almost chocolatey; not much fruit, but not decrepit; good presence and length; very good place in development and quite enjoyable After 1 Hour: Barnyard scents have somewhat faded; notes of mature black fruit emerging; on palate it is similar, but richer yet still and more layered; engaging and very good
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Nose: medium intense aromas of cranberries, blackberries, sweet cigar smoke, and violet
Palate: medium(+) bodied, medium acid, medium/medium(+) balance, velvety and slightly thin texture, medium tannins, medium complexity, dry. Medium/medium(-) flavors of brambly blackberry with notes of smoke and flowery perfume. Medium/medium(+) length plush dark red fruit finish
Nice aged brambly aromas and flavors with a fairly extended finish. I would agree, like others have said, that there could be some light TCA taint leading to diminished fruit. But overall still enjoyable!
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Greatest Hits of the 1980s and 1990s Bordeaux (Hawksmoor Guildhall): Inscrutably deep red. Notes of blueberry, but also a slight stemminess, some green elements that I noticed straight away. I was not sure about this, but eventually a concesus around the table - the wine has a problem. On my own or at home I reckon I would have drunk this, as there was nothing seriously wrong with it, and I felt it was actually better on the palate albeit that you could also taste some bitterness - fleeting yet persisent. However with so much ridiculously good wine on the table it was a straightforward decision to bin it and move on to the lovely Leoville-Barton 1996 instead. I would likely have scored this high 80s, it really wasn't that bad at all.
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Greatest Hits of the 1980s & 1990s Bordeaux (Hawksmoor Guildhall, London, UK): This is one of those is it, isn’t it corked wines where the dividing line between marginal TCA and cabernet cool fruitedness is very fine. After some umming and ahhing this sadly falls in to the persistent 1/10 TCA category. A shame, as the nose has a capsicum, dark fruited quality underneath. Less TCA noticeable on the palate and not undrinkable but rightly tipped away.
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Coravin fun - Lafon Rochet (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Brambles, blackcurrant, sweet spice, leather, slightly baked earth, smells a little riper than the 90 & 95 today. Juicy acidity this is also slightly riper on the palate as well, black hued, fruit is backed by a little liquorice, tannins are still quite tight and drying. Okay.
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Delicious Bordeaux in a nice early to mid mature spot. Especially on the attack and especially in its first 30 minutes, still showing plenty of deep, savory red fruit; mid through finish darker, with smooth and even roasted and darker cocoa notes. Integrated. Balanced. Perhaps simple, but so solid and so good.
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Opened and let it breathe in the bottle 30mins before dinner and had it throughout a two hour dinner.
Immediate thing you notice is how much intensity and strength is still there. The nose has ripe red fruit and cherries and on palate it is smoothened with age with fine concentrated tannins. The sweetness rounding up the finish would make you think there is significant amount of merlot in this.
This probably can store for at least another five years but drinking really nicely already.
55% Cab Sauv, 40% Merlot and 5% Cab Franc
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This needed 20-30 min to open on the palate. Shows moderate but still densely colored. Classic graphite marker on the nose in spades. Dried cherry and rose petal/potpourri. Medium weight up front with still stout tannin backing it up. Seems to fade out a bit towards the finish getting washed out and ill defined. Classic Cab cassis, tobacco and cedar. Ample acidity. A lovely wine in its range. The structure would argue that this has a good deal of life left. The bit of muddlement towards the finish makes me think there is some ripeness here that might make that ill advised. Certainly in it's window. Held up perfectly overnight under a Repour.
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We opened this after finishing a 1996 Ch. Palmer, and while we probably should have drunk them the other way round, we truly enjoyed this bottle. Way more fruit left than the Palmer, but also some tobacco and some licorice. Preferences around the table followed standard Margaux v. St. Estephe lines as both wines are pretty classic exemplars of appellation. All in all a delightful wine.
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From magnum. Decanted for 3 hours. Wonderful nose. Cedar and cigar box with some forest floor. Very smooth. Loads of black fruit, a hint of eucalyptus and licorice. Very long finish. Last glass better than the first. Served with veal, mushroom and artichoke stew. Great pairing. Still has some time left but isn’t going to get any better than this!
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Tasty wine. Notes of black fruit, blackberry, currants, earth. Delicious with the dry-aged and strip steaks. Not as good with the lamb chops. Drink now.
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needed much air to open up. classic bdx. enjoyed it thoroughly. in the later stages of its drinking window but not going to be over the hill anytime soon i reckon
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Pulled from 13C cellar and let sit for 72 hours. Popped & poured. Brick reddish color typical of an aged wine. Blackcurrant, slighted muted black fruits, medium tannins up front. Started to open up about an hour later, more balanced, good complexity, good fruit, kirsch, long-ish finish, tannins nicely integrated. Still excellent structure after 25 years, this wine can last a decade more but drinking really well right now. Wine continued to evolve throughout the 3 hours to the last drop, Best wine I've had all year.
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Coravin fun - Lafon Rochet (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Aromas of bramble, blackcurrant, a little plum and cream back this, quite clean and fruit driven after the 1995, cedar, spiced. Medium plus intensity acidity, brambly with blackcurrant and plums which wrestles with the grainy, chalky tannins drying grip, both persist long. Yum.
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PnP Dried black fruit, tobacco, wet earth and woody aromas. Silky and fully integrated. The tannins are soft but tighten toward the finish. Acidity is low to medium, totally in check to allow the fruit to shine. This is a wonderful wine that is likely in its prime. I don’t see much upside as it’s totally in the zone right now. It will last longer but I’d drink over the next 5+ years.
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nose of cedar and fruit when opened this faded initially then came back stronger after a few hours light on the tongue and full flavored dark fruit cedar, tobacco
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From Coravin. Perfumed ,earth, leather, blackcurrant tends to Cassis, biscuit, very slight black tea, a little meaty note. Medium plus intensity acidity, medium plus chalky tannins are gritty and drying. Flavours of black tea, leather, blackcurrant. Time for me.
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Chef Michel Roux Jr & Lafon-Rochet (Basile Tesseron) Wine Dinner - Roux at Parliament Square. Limited notes. Smokey, ripe blackcurrant and dark berries, some aromatics and earth with a firm integrated tannic core. A touch of green pepper/herb typical of this property. Long, complex and full in the finish. Fully mature but should hold up at this level up to 30 years from vintage based on this (presumably) directly sourced bottle.
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Purchased upon release. Opened and decanted for 30 minutes. Dark red color with very little bricking. Beautiful nose of earth and cherry. Palate follows the nose in profile. This is drinking very well right now. Certainly punching above it's pedigree. If this bottle is representative, well stored versions have 10+ years of good drinking ahead of them. Very nice.
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Out of the gate, this was tannic and hard, but obviously fully mature, barnyard and leather on the nose, with plum and cassis on the palate. After sharing with 5 others, I corked up the bottle with a small amount remaining, took it home and poured it out an hour later. I then found an extraordinary unmistakable scent of pure, fragrant Cuban cigar box, probably the purest expression I've ever found in a wine. That alone was worth a couple extra points! This wine definitely needed time to warm and breathe, as I first popped and poured it at cellar temp.
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Classic and perfectly at the right spot; manura; rubber and cedar; sweet structured blackberry with perfect tannin support; long elegant harmonious finish.
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Refined and quite aristocratic on the nose with some subtle and charming secondaries, enjoyable if not stunning on the palate. If anything, still comes across as a bit young - enjoyable now, but could mellow out in a good way potentially with a few more years, but if so I do wonder how the fruit will hold up.
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Mixed Wines at Martina (Martina, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color. PNP, drank a glass over an hour. Nice, tighter and more youthful. Firm tannins, gravel, dense, good minerality, graphite, earthy, soil, dark and dense black fruiits with a little scorched earth. Drinking well, but still has upside and benefits from significant air. 91+ to 92pts.
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Drank this along side the more fully reallized '85 Beychevelle and in that context this felt and tasted pretty youthful. Like many 96 this is just in the front end of its prime drinking window. I really enjoyed it none the less. Structured red and dark fruit, lead pencil, leather, tobacco leaf and mineral show up on the nose and palate both to a varying degree. I'd be happy to own one or two of these if I se them pop up at a fair price from a reputable source. 92+/93pts- right now with some upside after another 3-10yrs plus. I have to say this with food thisd was gorgeous and perfect with the flank steak. I have to say, absent the side by side '85 Beychevelle, this would feel more resolved and complete stand alone.
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Good drinking claret. Possibly near the end of its drinking window, but still good fruit, balance. Just lacks the intensity of the best of the vintage. ***
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Darkish red, not much paling of edge. Medium+ bq w cedar, tobacco, oak, stone dust. Medium+ body, nice tannins and still fresh acidity dominates, touch of pepper, fruit coming in at the end. Long, intense aftertaste, if not complex. Will last five more years . A pleasant surprise, good OPR.
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Decanted and served immediately, this opened up fully after one hour. Surprisingly youthful color; some dark fruits but mostly lead pencil, slight oak; smooth, beautifully integrated, nice tannins still present, medium mouthfeel, slight pleasing astringency. Slight drying on the finish. Elegant. Very good QPR.
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Coravin fun - Bordeaux dozen; 7/13/2018-7/19/2018 (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Brambles, blackcurrant, toast, roasted meat, a little leather, cedar, sweet spice. In the mouth it's juicy and fleshy, similar fruit with a little leathery plum joining. Talc textured, integrated tannins. Medium plus length. Nice.
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Tannins have softened. Food pairing should be designed to cut this wine. Some secondary characteristics are present and this is what has me excited for its potential. There is an austere character (Where will it go?). There is nothing unpleasant about this wine. Drink now with red meats (mild game flavors) and some integrated fat. A Louisiana chicken and sausage gumbo with a dark roux would be perfect. I would argue evolution could go either way. Why not hold on to a few bottles and see? There is more age potential.
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Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind: Tasted blind. Meaty black fruit with firm structure. Needs more time/ air but there is certainly good concentration and depth here. 88 point potential, even if not close to that good right now, today.
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Mature bordeaux - savoury and some black fruits. Very easy to drink - not the most complex but far better than I expected. No rush on any other bottles - but further development will be a gradual decline I suspect. I think LR is possibly one of the best values in Bordeaux?
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Stored in a cold cellar since release. Perfect condition. Excellent fruit, medium bodied, good balance and length. Just lacked concentration and depth. Textbook introduction to mature claret. Still young and should age well. Just as it should be! Unlikely to improve?
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Gorgeous mature claret with a gravelly savouriness and fruit of pure silk. Surprisingly youthful with an attractive bounce in the mid palate and plenty of fine, but firm, tannins. Quite a life ahead of it.
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1996 horizontal Bordeaux tasting (Singapore): Garnet, not very expressive on the nose, some bell peppers, dark fruit, a touch of wood spices. Medium - tannins, clipped finish. 88
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Very developed on the nose. Pencil, tobacco box and a bit of game. Elegant on the palate still with a bit of fruit with a lot of tobacco flavours. Drink this now to capture the elegance.
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55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
A(ccuracy)=2: Medium garnet with only slightly amber edge; mealy nose with hint of sawdust. B(alance) =2: Acid and tannin outlasting fruit; but sustaining vibrancy. C(omplexity)=2: Remnants of dark fruits and ripeness, high tone acidity. D(epth) =1: Medium length and finish.
WineTally Score [2,2,2,1]=7/10
Unless this bottle was a bit off, the wine did not evolve as well as predicted by experts.
[https://www.facebook.com/WineTally/]
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Still a lovely, mature claret with cigarbox, leather, earth, but this has started to decline as the fruit and aromatic intensity fade. I've had this many times from the same case (I'm down to 2 bottles), and in retrospect this peaked around 2011. It has slid a bit more since my note in 2014. Drink.
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Surprenant ! Du peps, de la tension, un Bordeaux accompli, cèdre, cassis poivronnant (��), st Estephe dans sa rigueur, classique, mais épanoui. Belle structure fraîche, concentration acidulée, un beau 96!
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Just absolutely lovely. Nose of spice and leather, it conjures up a fall day. Deep black fruit followed by spices, leather, tabacco, with just a hint of eucalyptus on the finish. The finish is long. The texture is silky and lush. Everything you want from a mature Bordeaux. This wine is the reason you have patience and cellar a wine for 20 years.
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A private dinner at a friend's (London, UK): Lovely definition - exactly what you would expect 1996 Lafon-Rochet to be like. Earthy depth from the clay in the soil, richness and warmth from the Merlot in the blend, freshness from the bright 1996-acidity, savoury and energetic, very good length. I like it better than I did in 2012.
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Just a little fuller and broader across the palate than the delicious bottle I drank in January this year. Probably the best bottle of my small, recently acquired stash. No reason not to drink this now.
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This displayed a bouquet full of earthy, truffle tones, dried cherry and sweet spice. It was soft on the palate, with dark red fruits, a hint of tart berry, herbs and minerals. Brisk and engaging acidity added a freshness, leading to a long finish of tart blackberry, dried cherry fruit, hints of herbs and minerals.
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Medium to full bodied, nice lively character with lots of earth, tobacco and leather. shows some nice sweet currant and savoury herbal cherry notes. Smooth and well balanced but beginning to tire. Think this needs to be drunk up. Still very tasty with a lot of character.
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Ian Springett's St. Estephe Off-line (RSJ Restaurant, Southwark): Deep garnet core. Lovely lightly gravelly mineral nose, cool blackcurrant fruit. Medium bodied, firm but very fine tannins, attractive savoury dark fruits, mineral notes, very good length finish. Excellent and drinking quite well ****
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St Estephe @ RSJ (RSJ, London): Similarly mineral with a slightly dusty nose. Quite dense, rounded with lovely ripe fruit. Line and elegant shape here. Lovely and very classic. Far more balanced and poised than the 95. ****
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Really nice bottle at the perfect age. Wonderful balance of both aromas and structure. On the nose immediate blackberry, green pepper, and baking spices. On the palate, more earthy and leathery in combination with the subtle fruit still remaining. Acids and tannins well resolved. Great accompaniment to our beef burgundy. As expected, plenty of sediment, so decant or pour carefully.
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A nicely mature bottle with initial notes of green pepper on the nose, though with time tobacco, leather and black currant come to the fore and the palate is a delicious mouthful of fruit, acidity and beautifully resolved tannin. It might be missing a bit of weight on the palate but otherwise it is altogether lovely and at peak drinking.
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Restrained notes of black cherry and tobacco. Dark in color with diminished black cherry, more tobacco, forest floor, mushroom and cedar tasted, quite a range. Nice sharp acid on the palate as well with a slight dryness towards the end.
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Full body. More youthful than my last bottle. Bottle variation? The dark fruit flavors still come through. Secondary flavors of tobacco and cedar emerging nicely. Still has time, but drinking well now. Decant for sediment.
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Three years since my last bottle. This saw about four to five hours of air. People at the table liked this, but to me it was disappointing. Blackberry and some funk to the palate, but lacking in richness and lacking in depth. Expected something stronger and more cerebral. Canton Lounge.
Update: no degradation overnight. This seems to have filled in on the midpalate and now has a nice, more weighty mouthfeel. Preferred this more on day 2.
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Classic cedar blackcurrant nose. Still youthful with restrained berry fruit. Very stoney. A lot of tart tannin on finish and not sure if there is sufficient fruit to support long term development. Average 3/5
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Medium ruby color. A bit shy on the nose, with cherry, blackberry, tobacco, and mushroom. Medium-bodied, light on the attack. Finish a bit short, with some tartness. Silky tannins. Drink now.
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Even better than the '95, this is less meaty and cleaner with more focus. Seems to be in a very good place and quite ready for another decade of development. No worries at all about using up the case. Beautiful claret.
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Fully mature, with an attractive, tobacco, cedar chest, spice and cherry tobacco nose. Medium bodied, and better on the palate than with its stern character, this is ready for prime time consumption and will probably be at its best over the next 3-5 years.
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Domaine End of Year Party (Chicago, IL): A very austere Bordeaux, with a nose that doesn't show much at all. The palate is mostly leather -- this has definitely dried out, and there's a prominent medicinal quality to it too.
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This seems ready to drink to me. Tobacco, dark fruit, herbs, dry. Well integrated. Dark core. Pretty classic Bordeaux. Nothing spectacular, but a really good, well made wine in its drinking window. Good to drink now and for 10+ years. B
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Drunk this wonderful wine last night with roasted lamb and potatoes. Accompanied and complemented the meal beautifully, with flavors of crushed berries, espresso, barely noticeable minerality and very mellow well rounded tannins. This wine is still dark ruby in color and drinking at a wonderful level right now. Will it improve? Who knows... delicious here.
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My Birthday Dinner (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Very opaque in colour with pronounced purple on the rim. Nose is nice and strong, quite austere, low on fruit. Palate is super: sharp blackberries, nice immediate resonance and good heady length. This displays a middleweight but classic St. Estephe muscularity. Dry finish. Needs more time, like so many of the 1996 vintage.
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Terrific savory bouquet, mature and complexity filled with scents of smoke, tobacco, beef jus, plums, merlot, and something wonderfully fresh without being overtly minty. Alas, the palate is less impressive, sporting a strong attack with good fleshly fruit, but followed by some dilution and a so-so and slightly acrid finish. The tannins are resolved, giving this a rounded mouthfeel, but also suggesting it is time to drink these sooner than later. Still, very good, a mid-tier Left Banker with lovely claret character. 91pts.
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Sleek and feminine. Mid weight but with dense concentration. Classical Bordeaux cedar but also showing some dark fruit on the nose and palate. This wine is entering is entering it's drinking window but is in no danger of fading.
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DSC tries out Nuvo (Nuvo, Marina Square, Singapore): A solid, unspectacular left-bank Bordeaux, but quite pleasaurable - exactly what you would expect from a house of this level on a good vintage. The nose was very classic, with sweet cassis and red berry aromas wed to tea leaves, tobacco and a touch of oak. I thought the palate was quite good. Again, it had familiar tones of cassis and blackberries, spice and tobacco, with a touch of menthol at the finish. Good fruit, good acidity, well-structured if just a touch of drying on the tannins. Very pleasant, if just a bit nondescript. It should last quite a long time yet in the bottle, but I am not sure it will improve much. It is certainly decent drinking now, especially with the beef we had. Pretty nice - this was my favourite wine of the day.
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A brief decant didn't do this beauty justice, but it cried out to be ordered at a steakhouse in NY and did not disappoint. Deep purple in color, with an unstoppable bouquet that was unmistakably Bordeaux. The wine is youthful in terms of robust fruit but exhibits secondary notes of cedar, cigar and forest floor. The big, grippy tannins are pretty well integrated at this point. No rush from what I can tell.
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This wine was tough as nails in its youth, but has now grown up and will only become more interesting from here. It is already exhibiting plenty of secondary notes of forest floor, decay, tobacco, cigar box, gravel, cinders and iron- and iodine-scented minerals. On the palate it is not silky smooth but dense, expansive, chewy with plenty of residual tannic grip. But the tannins are less intrusive now and this is an altogether a very satisfying package.
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Fruit has receded somewhat, but what's left is a luscious, rich, leather-and-spice mouthful which builds into a beautiful mid-palate without sourness, and a lingering finish. Great polish on this wine.
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Medium garnet color. Damp earth, musty with a very slight hint of floral on the nose. This opened a bit tight but over 2 hours began to reveal much more fruit than I expected from a 17 year old St. Estephe. Medium bodied, some light fruit, cherry, cassis and plum on the palate. Also revealed some minerality, vanilla and a bit of oak. Nicely balanced with modest tannins and layered flavors. Really pleasant surprise. Drank with Rick and Linda at Angeli's Italian Bistro in celebration of Beth's and my birthdays. Rick graciously provided a 1996 Robert Craig Mt. Veeder Cabernet for an interesting 17 year old comparison.
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Begins with black currant, in line with past bottles, somewhat lean. But it doesn't take long for this to flesh out and show more substantial material, more weight in the mouth, the black fruit now taking a turn to cherry cordial, along with some wood spice. This is lacking in power and length, but for it's purchase price, and its reliability over the years, and it's honesty, this is the scrappy dog that charms you as much as the purebred. Update: This is great on night two. Kept in the original opened .750 (rather than transferring to a .375 and sealed), and thus plenty of exposure to oxygen, but no degradation at all. This seems even darker, with more precise black currant, notes of pencil lead, and great clarity and more focus, with no notes of oxidation. It also seems that the tannins have emerged with air, suggesting that there is still structure here. Nice showing tonight.
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sleeper Sleeper SLEEPER! i've had this near a dozen times now- aside from a corked bottle, it just gets better and better for $30-40 per bottle it's a bargain too. not much on the nose but the fruit is black and red with a little nectarine thrown in; big mid palate and sweet unctous tannins- this has a long finish and many years ahead of it; entering an adolescent phase- a very complete wine that shows how nice left bank '96s are performing... a baby LLC!!
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Brown ruby. Classic Medoc rich earthy mushroom nose. Very layered. Basile Tesseron (son of owner and now wine maker) says there is a hint of mint on nose. Oak. Vanilla. Both on the nose and palate. Soft tannins. Perfectly balanced. This is a point!
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Decanted 1 hour. Opaque black-red color. Intense, searing, but not effusive nose of hot iron, blood, red clay, wet stones, cassis, and cedar. Ripe and complete on the palate with ripe, but rustic, tannins and good acidity. To my palate this is quintessential St. Estephe. It's more rustic than Calon or Montrose but the balance is good, the ripeness is ideal, and the fragrance is classic. Bought as a future and stored in my cellar since release.
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Edgemont Guys Come to Westport and We Drink Chablis: Here we have smooth, cool black currant on the palate, which contrasted remarkably with the red cherries in the Altesino Brunello served alongside this wine. Mature but not old, this is very fine on the sides, smaller in frame than in its youth. A wine that should be contemplated while sitting down at a table and focusing, and not along with other wines that may tend to outshine this more elegant, less overt wine. I think this wine has lost something, not just in terms of bulk or size; it’s heading into its elder years a little weaker and lacking. Reminds me of Ron Paul, probably a nice enough guy to have as your neighbor, but a little weak and you want to spend your time with someone more impressive.
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Nice, but not showing in the outstanding range tonight. Typical aromas of cassis, leather and tobacco, but a bit on the simple side without much to show for in terms of secondary aromatics. The palate was balanced and firm, but lacking a bit on the fruit side. The finish was rather short and somewhat boring. It may show better with extended aeration in bottle, which was not possible this time.
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BeAutoful exotic nose uppers, Indian spice , black spice plums and lots of Barnyard. Delicious plum fruits and leather and horse hide. Excellent with breathing.
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I've been enamored with the 1996 vintage of this chateau for a long time. But more for what I hoped it could be than it actually was. The wine itself has been always highly aromatic, but either a bit too stern or dry to really get poetic about... No longer. The Lafon Rochet 1996 has arrived, sooner than the biggest stars of the 1996 vintage.
For starters, a drop-dead gorgeous bouquet, filled with the scents that first made you fall in love with Bordeaux... mature aromas of sweet cedar, smokey campfires, weathered cigarboxes, sun-dried blackcurrants, licorice-infused iodine... just a bouquet to admire and adore. The palate, while no more than medium-bodied modest, has at last revealed its inner sweetness, giving charm to its silky smooth texture and a refleshingly high acidity. The tannins are still mouthcoating and firm on the finish, but they are no longer ironesque and dominant. Not the last word in complexity or depth, but drinking at point tonight. I recall trying this wine in 2003, shortly after I joined BWE, and it was hard as nails but full of promise. Today, it's sails are unfurled. Bravo.
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Previously had this wine a few times back in 2006 and enjoyed it quite a lot. Now, 5 years later, it seems to be even better. Very little sign of age in the color but the nose definitely shows the funky earthiness that I love in aged wines from St. Estephe. Very smooth and rustic on the palate with a good mix of dark fruits and earth. Only a slight influence from the tannins towards the finish. Lots of sediment so it gets a little muddy when you are at the end of the bottle.
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Julian S-M's 1996 Bordeaux (Hawksmoor, London): Smokey, tobacco, mineral. Showing well with bright, fresh acidity. Lacks the weight and mid-palate depth/richness of the Lynch Bages, but it's very decent. Top ***
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Drank over two nights with and without food. Deep maroon color, with lots of sediment. Nose is fully open for business: Full-bodied with great personality of cedar, musk and currants. Palate is showing a little age. Fairly rustic, but well-balanced tannins. Finish shows some age and is a little fragmented. Paired nicely with steak and garlic mashed spuds.
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Decanted one hour. Still young looking, dark ruby robe and rim still quite purple. Closed, very little on the nose other than some straightforward berry fruit. Quite green and minerally on the palate but still with some youthful fruit, not particularly complex. Good body and balance with soft tannins on the finish. It was very good (86-89) but not particularly special, however I suspect that given a few more years it will be more interesting.
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Decanted for an hour or two, this showed smooth black currant on the palate, with graphite, smoke and subtle truffle notes. The palate is smooth, the mouthfeel silky, yet the wine is slightly lean; could use more body. The palate is almost fully resolved, the tannins soft, but the wine lacked complexity. This is a good, enjoyable wine, but not an exceptional wine. With Dave and Merry, grilled lamb, at home on a snowy night.
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My last bottle of a case I bought 11 years ago and had opened the rest of bottles prematurely. This wine was outstanding. A perfectly open bordeaux with a typical nose of pencil-shavings, blackcurrent and sweet tobacco notes. Dark crimson wine, it did not exhibit many signs of bricking and only slight orange hues at the rim. The palate was velvety and smooth, and yet this wine, improved slightly in the glass over 1 hour. Long finish with tobacco accents. Good acidity. This is so pleasant to drink now and it may slightly improve over the next 3 years or so but it finally came out of its shell into being a very approachable bordeaux that is just hitting it's stride.
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A little lean but great and very classic aromas. Decanted for a few hora which helped flesh put the fruit a bit. This is about half mature and should have some upside but will never be great. Nice structured style though.
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In a good place right now with gravel, oak, spice, cherry and blueberries. The palate and finish impresses with the classic gravel quality and overall the wine is balanced. Drink now.
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At home. Lovely drink. Dark with great legs. Gorgeous intensely perfumed bouquet. Round and sleek in the mouth with just the right "grip"; amazing drink at 14 years of age, full of dark fruits. Is a bit tough and tannic, reflecting it's terrior nicely. 5-12-16-7: 90/100
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drank at a private french kitchen on wife bday dinner. decanted for an hour and drank over the next 2. smell of plums and berrys with hints of earth notes. taste full and rich and very old style wine. very good and should be at or close to its peak. very please with the wine
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This was a wonderful example of an older Bordeaux. Unbelievably dense plum color with a hearty nose. A little thin on the fruit but opened up over time with constantly changing texture and tastes. Not a spectacular bottle but a great representation of older Bordeaux. Wish I had more.
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BBQ with Big Reds (Judith's House): Deep red color, no bricking. Great nose, floral, perfumed, lush red fruits, cassis, gravel. Palate is well balanced with sweet, soft tannins, and a lengthy finiish. This wine is drinking beautifully right now. A real treat. Group WOTN. 93pts.
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Opened for about an hour (decanter and in glass); Nice dark red color color, lots of earth/grass/moss on the nose, taste is absolutely wonderful- lots of fruit, strawberry, cherry, but still hints of earth/grass, some oak, soft/velvet tannins, great balance, nice moderately-long finish. Paired with lamb steaks marinated in garlic+peppercorn+smoked sea salt with a little olive oil. A wonderful wine!
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Very dark garnet robe; thin disc not showing any real brick. Beautifully concentrated dark fruits, plummy, clay, spicebox. Wonderful St. Estephe nose. Similar palate, a little mineral/tobacco as well. Nicely made; tannic but in fine proportion to the body - if anything, a bit acidic. Good finish.
Excellent expression of St. Estephe. Drinking beautifully now; not a revelation but solid, if not thrilling, on all fronts. Doubt this will improve with age so I'd drink soon. The succulence of the fruit is really a big component of what makes this so good right now.
4/5
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A charming wine. At first, mostly black currant and a palate that is rather finessed and silky. I let it breathe for a few hours, and the midpalate strengthened and the wine grew sweeter. The fruit is vibrant, the tannins soft, the mouthfeel silky; overall, a good example of a middle aged Bordeaux. And while I might fault it for lacking complexity and nuance, the finish is particularly long. Very enjoyable.
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deep purple color, classic nose of graphite, black currant, earthy tones, a bit rustic. medium to full bodied on the palate with finely integrated, soft and velvety tannins. The only thing missing from this wine is a longer finish - its pleasant but a little short. The wine is really drinking nice and will continue for a few more years.
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Initially, the nose seems a bit old and tired, but opens up to show more fruit and hints of sweetness and spice along with a distinctly aged character of subdued cedar and sweat. On the palate, medium in body with a bit of cassis to give it depth. Some fine tannins on the finish, but these are on the wane. This bottle is ready, but could continue to improve for several years.
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Not over the hill but sort if unbalanced. Lots of oak and spice but the fruit is flat. This should be WAY better. I am chalking it up to pre-purchase storage...
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Nice color and nice nose. Seemed a little more advanced than I would have expected. Not much acid or tannins, but nice sweet fruit. Probably should try another bottle soon.
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something not quite right here. Opened with usual earthy tones but the fruit struggled to make any impression on the nose - all about a fairly offputting almost vinegary beef stock character. Took a 3 hour decant for this to even start to dissipate but still a struggle. Palate had typical blackcurrant fruit with chalky tannins and was certainly an easier drink with roast beef. Hoped for more.
A really nice surprise. I made braised beef shank on Saturday night when we had a couple of friends over. I popped this not knowing what to expect, but this was such a delicious wine from the start. Fully mature and drinking at peak, the nose on this wine was heavenly. Tertiary aromas and lovely black currant and red cherry. Cigar box and graphite. Good structure, velvet fruit, lovely acidity, fantastic balance. Shows how much pleasure and value Bordeaux can deliver, especially with the right foods. I bought this for $30 from a fellow wine enthusiast, and the bottler could not have been in better condition.
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Very nice and surprising for the age. Still ruby-like color. Wonderful nose that was still very fruity with notes of earth, graphite and spices. Soft tannins and fresh acidity in the mouth with very long finish.
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Very nice wine, with a very nice future. Wonderful nose, as pointed out, the fruit was in there, but with the earthy tones, some graphite notes where in there, a very pleasant long finish.
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Drank alongside a 1996 Batailley & a 1996 Canon La Gaffelierre, this was my favourit. There was a wonderful nose that was fruity but with earthy undertones. In the mouth there was a real punch of acidity but the tannins had softened out and the fruit came through. A long finish.
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When I took a sip of this immediately after opening was very disappointed. Tasted green, harsh and thin on the fruit. However, it quickly opened up and was a pleasant drinking experience. Typical mid priced, mature Bordeaux. Nice balance, a hint of tannin and good fruit. Not a "wow" wine but eminently drinkable.
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My father's birthday was actually today, even though the party is on Saturday. Tonight we had a little gathering at his house, including his grandkids Jack and Anna assisting with the candles. I uncorked a magnum of 1996 Lafon Rochet that was really in stride, with delicious St. Estephe strawberries and raspberries. It seemed very open, even though I didn't decant at all, just popped and poured. This wine is matching the expectations we had for it in its infancy. After a very awkward adolescence it has emerged into an ecellent classic northern Medoc, very easy to drink now but with structure to age for decades. The fruit is oh so ripe. Beautiful pure deep ruby color. It almost seems like the further north you go in the Medoc that year the better the wines are, relatively speaking. Rating: 92 points.
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Took a while to open up (concerned that it was past its prime when first tasted despite some decanting). Good tanin and acidity, but lacked final balance. Lacked complexity on the nose, but good blackberry and coffee. medium to long intensity on the palate. Good but not great.
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From a 375m. Spicy, perfumed with hints of green on a forward and complicated nose. Classic cab-dominated blend turning the corner from primary to secondary flavors. The nose is ready, the palate is a few years away, maybe more out of a full size bottle. As it is, I subjectively like this wine better than the score would indicate.
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Classic Bdx nose. Cedar, dark fruit, green coffee notes. Sweet fruit. Still young. Sweet fruit, firm tannins. Firm. Very good but needs to open. More soon. After several hours of decanting this too really opened up. Super structure without being backwards. Loads of sweet fruit without being jammy. Light on its feet, richly textured. Superb.
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BWE does Manhattan: a 1996 & 2003 Bordeaux Retrospective: The brightest wine, the Lafon’s best part is its bouquet which is highly expressive cigarbox and leather. Dry and concentrated, the fruit is in hiding. Very good. (1 2nd-place vote, 1 3rd-place vote = 3 pts)
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opened one hour fifteen minutes before pouring. The wine had a heady bouquet and fine deep color and rich flavor with the tobacco notes others have cited. Wish i had more.
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Guess on the date, note written later. Slightly disappointed, was expecting something special but it was closed, taut, stern. Happy weekday drinking but not a special wine. Hopefully a bottle thing, we'll find out when I try the next bottle. 2+/3
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Medium garnet. Nose was all Bordeaux, spices, tobacco, seasoned salt. But taste was a medium-to-thin Bordeaux. Nothing was wrong, just OK to good in the mouth. Drink up.
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Blood red and opaque except at the rim. Initial bretty nose evolved into rather austere and ascetic graphite-predominant nose. Dark and brooding palate dominated by inky tannins. Needs at least 5 more years before revisiting.
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Opened up after 2h of decanting, but still wasn't like the wine I remembered. The nose was appealing, but in the mouth, it felt the subtle aromas I was looking for and the acidity was a little too present. Hoping that the 2 other bottles that I still have will show more character.
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Terroir-istes International - France, Bordeaux 1996 Vintage (Rodwell House): Deep garnet colour going to an orange rim. A penetrating nose filled with ripe blackcurrants, black fruit yoghurt and brambles. A richly textured wine with blackcurrant and blackberry, touch of sea salt and possessing a dense structural frame. The wine is muscular and powerful, and the tannin seems a little foursquare, and firm and adds dryness to the back palate. Impressive more than accommodating, the wine is just a little challenging even a little leathery.
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Very good claret but it symbolises to me why I prefer St Julien and Margaux over St Estephe. Very concentrated dark fruit and liquirice on the nose and palate and a long finish but not the seducing aromas of those other left bank appelations. Just too backward; Like a beautiful woman that does not turn you on. Good to have drunk, but I will not pursue any other bottles.
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My TN on this wine from one year ago (see below) is still a fair reflection of where this wine stands today. A year later, the wine shows good Bordeaux qualities - light cedar nose; red currants and pencil shavings on the palate; soft, thin tannin, but vibrant acidity on the finish. Not a bad Bordeaux, but at this point, twelve years past the vintage, this is a middle-aged wine that fails to really excite. While many '96 Bordeaux are coming alive, this one is just in a state of being pleasing but not exciting, nor deep, nor particularly cerebral. This wine is a good example of B or even C level Bordeaux, whereas A level Bordeaux (and I don't necessarily mean First Growths exclusively) should, at least in theory, be much more alive and complex and thought-provoking. Then again, this was $25-30 and drinks well enough at that pricepoint.
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I agree with Parker on this wine and would even rate a little higher but it is ready to drink today and I don’t think it will have any significant further development.
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No detailed notes. Perfumed leather on the nose, medium fruit with good length of finish. Still seems relatively primary and not yet in its prime. Paled next to the '71 Latour. 90-92 points.
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Based upon the other notes, perhaps my bottle has not been properly cellared. I found it to be a rather ordinary Bordeaux, with some depth, and a little fruit fragrance - nothing spectacular. I let the wine decant for over three hours, but it really didn't open up or blossom into something I could rate above 90 - which is what I was hoping for.
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Decanted 2 hours before drinking, but needed a further hour in the glass before it had opened up fully. On the nose, it is plummy and earthy. Excellent on the palate, with a leathery richness and a dry earthiness. Long in the glass, it just got better and better over the next hour. This really is a superb St Estephe at a sensible price. Will keep a few more years, I think. But you can't afford to rush drinking it, otherwise you will not get the full benefit of its well balanced qualities.
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taste: nice and resolved flavors with cranberry, pencil lead, and soy sauce tones with slight hints of tobbacco
overall: Has the firmness of 96, but this one is ready to go right now and is peaking. Interesting flavor profile and some vegetalness to it. Not the best Lafon-Rochet ever, but a real good one that was gaining more weight and complexity as it got more air
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Vibrant dark still youthful color. Great aging Bordeaux on the nose with hints of prune. Medium full bodied mouth filling integrated tannins which somewhat overwhelm the secondary fruit, but to a pleasant effect. A totally dead center wine of southern Saint-Estèphe terroir: stout and erect like a soldier, you can taste the rocks and gravel. A favorite house wine.
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I've loved this wine from Day One. It has been a little bit controversial with others, who have either loved or hated it. It went through a major hibernation phase for several years. But now it is really blooming beautifully. Last night was its best showing yet. The fruit is just so pure and ripe, with strawberries and raspberries overflowing from the Riedel vinum glass. The color was typically St. Estephe deep ruby/purple, it was really showing so much more of everything on the nose and palate than it did as recently as a year ago. I thought it was stunning last night. Rating: 92 points.
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A bit reductive upon opening, after about 3 hours the nose offers up loads of sweet crushed berries, plum, cedar, eucalyptus and tobacco. The tannins are amazingly svelte. The palate does not quite live up to the nose, but it has nice texture with a clipped finish. Very enjoyable.
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This wine has lost a lot of its baby fat and plumpness over the past three or four years, and comes across much leaner. However, it is not much richer. There is cassis fruit and a bit of cedar, the tannins are softer but still present, the acidity lively. The real question is whether this wine will fill out with additional complexity and make it a more complete, more satisfying wine. Right now, it is a good Bordeaux, seems to be reaching middle age, but it could be richer, more complex, more cerebral. B/B-
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Had this bottle at a BYOB place with 3 friends. They chose this bottle as the bottle of the evening (it was the last bottle served after a Sangiovese, and Pinot Noir). I decanted the bottle earlier in the day for about 3 hours. The wine had a nice deep purple color and was fragrant and delicious. Roasted meats/nuts (I have a tough time telling that apart in the nose). Oodles of black fruit and a pretty decent/long finish. May even be better with a little more cellaring. Nonetheless, with the way darn Bordeaux prices are going these days, I wish (alas) that I had bought more!
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Excellent. Interesting and very bordeaux. Deep colour with lots of garnet and brick hints> Intense and fragrant on the nose, plum and blackcurrant with lots of mature, wood, cedar and brush hints, pretty rustic. Complex and long with plum and currant flavours, dry soft tannins and juicy, firm acidity. Nice, complex and interesting.
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Lafon Rochet and Lafite have a distinctive deep ruby color with a tinge of purple, it's a very beautiful northern Medoc color of nature that I'm not sure I quite see in any other wine from other regions, even from a mile down the road in the Medoc, where the color seems to turn more dense and purple. I hadn't had the 1996 Lafon Rochet in at least a couple years, and it seems to be progressing along nicely. While it it showing considerably more than the last time I had it, the '96 Lafon Rochet still needs more time. It is defined by its raspberry, earthy notes, with a lovely bouquet of cedar. Quite rustic, it matched well with a thick porterhouse. We'll be enjoying this wine for the next twenty years. Rating: 91 points.
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No note taken at the time, but from memory this was very enjoyable. Slightly foursquare. with rich fruit and good structure but lacking that extra little something to make it truly memorable.
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Tasted 1 year ago. Was decanted for 3 hours. Cassis and leather and some oak. More leather and blackberry on a tighly wound acidic backbone. Will this wine ever come out of hiding? Still very tannic. Medium finish.
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I'm a great lover of Bordeaux and I was in heaven drinking this wine. Now 11 years old, it seems to have just reached its peak of maturity and is drinking beautifully. On the nose, there's hints of autumn berries including redcurrants and cinnamon. Then you get to the taste which starts a little subdued, but develops increasingly over a few glasses. Just the right amount of tannin and full enough to let you know it's a great Bordeaux. I savoured the last glass for an hour and as I sipped, I could recall driving the road up from Bordeaux past the great chateaux. Yes, for me, it was that good, I could have been sat in the vineyard! Lovely, and luckily I've got two more bottles. For me, what fine Bordeaux is all about - and at a sensible price too.
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Definitely slipping. While the color was still there, the noe was weak and the palate flabby. Bordering on insipid. Maybe yours are in better shape but drink it up now.
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Decanted 2 hrs. Plumy nose combined with earthy violets, and a very slight green (bell pepper) aroma that worked well enough within the context of the other aromas. At first taste, no mistaking this appellation, St.Estephe to the bone. The cassis and weedy flavors had an austere theme, tannins still surprisingly strong, and showing a spry amount of acidity on the finish. Although, an enjoyable drink, I was left wondering if there is sufficient fruit to outlast the tannins? Time will tell…though it deed seem to round out a bit with extended time in the glass.
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This had a deep red colour with slight bricking at the rims. A typical bordeaux nose redolent of cassis and pain grille and some vanilla. Smooth on the palate, with still vibrant acidity and a lush texture. Very fine oak scents predominant and into its drinking window. Medium bodies and medium to long finisih.
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1995 / 19956 Bordeaux Offline (Alba, London): Either LR 95/96/a.n.other. Deep ruby. Cassis coming thouugh on nose. Higher acidity, more poised on entry. Cassis. Quite long. Guess Lafon Rochet 1996.
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This was a step up in depth of color, with a jeweled ruby. Vanilla was the first thing to hit the nose, but then black cherries, cassis, cola, chocolate, plums, and some bell pepper. Very nice. Full bodied mouthfeel with more plums, lots of dark stone fruits , chocolate again, lots of grip still, a touch of green on the finish that I attribute in retrospect to the Franc. Very nice indeed. 93 pts with time in hand.
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Excellent as always. This is a great value 96 Bordeaux that is in its prime today. The only negative was that it couldn't match the 96 Pichon Longueville we opened at the same time.
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Medium-dark colour; ruddy. Weird nose. Muted, with barnyard/stemmy notes. Medium-full bodied, quite tannic. Green, with not much fruit. Short finish, 15s. Tight and disappointing. Might be better with time. Possibly off?
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Opened this and drank right from the bottle over 2 hours- and it just got better and better in the glass - juicy berries, roasted coffee, medium bodied, nice finish but still very young with sweet tannins- this has to be one of the best QPRs going- purchased a few months ago from premier cru for $30 and a pristine bottle. drinking this was nice and easy- yummy!
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CT Group does 1996 Bordeaux @ Jeff S: Earthy, tannic and a bit closed. Seems to have the prerequestite fruit, but it is hiding. Will be an excellent wine with time.
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1/21/2024 - RED AND BLACK wrote:
Still in a great spot! Perfect cork. This is in the tertiary phase but the positive one. Has more years in it. A classic aged bordeaux
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12/28/2023 - PJRONeill wrote: 93 Points
When this is on, as it was last night, it is one of the best values of the 1996 vintage. Cedar, graphite, red and blue fruits and just a little rustic green note which I love. Drinking so well now, wish I had more of this.
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10/31/2023 - melvinyeowq wrote: 90 Points
Winefield's dinner: Surprisingly fresh even though slightly fading fruit. Oak still prominent. Solid Bordeaux from a transition period between the classic and Parker-eras.
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10/23/2023 - bjlcrucrazy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still drinking well paired with roast leg of lamb
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9/22/2023 - javierbb Likes this wine: 93 Points
Queda 1/2 botella para mañana, veremos si sobrevive
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9/17/2023 - boillatm Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bought three bottles in perfect conditions for around 33 CHF apiece on ricardo.ch based on a discussion on JR's forum.
I can confirm that this is an excellent mature bordeaux punching well above its weight. Truly delightful. We had it with food but it could also be had on its own.
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8/13/2023 - Chrysostomus Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic styled Bdx in its prime. Maybe a few years over the top but still very enjoyable. Tertiary notes of wet leaves, tobacco and pencil shavings on the nose. On the palate the fruit has gone but there are very nice tertiary aromas. All in all a very pleasing and fresh QPR-wine!
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7/28/2023 - jc01 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine has a lovely astringent bite that melts into a slightly sweet and long aftertaste. This wine still has a way to go before being a point. I feel it is consistently undermarked because of its pedigree. It’s definitely a sleeper! Jancis Robinson gave it 17.5/20 in 2011 and said of it: “I have chosen to illustrate this [article] with the label of Ch Lafon-Rochet 1996 because it seems to me to be the best-value wine in the following collection of 50 tasting notes.”
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7/7/2023 - TashNYC wrote: 92 Points
Blackberry, red fruit, mushrooms, earth, herbs. Delicious with the porterhouse and strip steak.
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7/7/2023 - Oliverl1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
After having a few bottles recently, I have deduced this needs at least six hours of decanting. It then becomes absolutely magical. Fabulous wine! Fully mature and will go on for another 5 years or so.
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5/28/2023 - RockinCabs wrote: 92 Points
This is a really nice mature St. Estephe with a nose dominated by mature plum, dark cherry, leather and tobacco. Quite a nice layered nose that integrates cedar, cigar box, and a bit of coffee grounds.
The palate has a svelte entry, but broadens with waves of plum, cherry fruit leather, Maduro tobacco and dried herb. Structure remains firm, but just the front to back linear build on the palate is great.
Finish is complete (more than in many vintages) and exceeds expectations.
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5/5/2023 - Oliverl1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A recent purchase from retail. 4 bottles at $75 each. These bottles must have been stored well as they all had good fill levels for a 27 year old wine. Opening opening, the colour seemed somewhat NOT brown! Did not seem that old at all. Maybe 15 years… Realised it needed some air and I decanted for 5 hours and it really opened up. Gorgeous stuff! Nothing too extravagant, just a well made aged Médoc. These particular bottles could go on for another ten yers at least. Definitely worth the money. Lovely stuff!
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2/26/2023 - wineappreciation wrote: 92 Points
Leather, cigar box, mushroom, barnyard; rich, silky, almost chocolatey; not much fruit, but not decrepit; good presence and length; very good place in development and quite enjoyable
After 1 Hour: Barnyard scents have somewhat faded; notes of mature black fruit emerging; on palate it is similar, but richer yet still and more layered; engaging and very good
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1/15/2023 - TashNYC wrote: 94 Points
Tasty wine with mature fruit. Notes of blackberry, red fruit, earth, herbs, smoke, leather and spicy cigars. Loads of character.
An excellent pairing with the dry-aged steak. Drink now but has time, too.
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12/27/2022 - Dj6544 wrote: 94 Points
Lovely and holding up well. Bit more (mature) fruit than the 1995 so could probably go longer
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12/26/2022 - N777 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark cloudy ruby and slightly orange color
Nose: medium intense aromas of cranberries, blackberries, sweet cigar smoke, and violet
Palate: medium(+) bodied, medium acid, medium/medium(+) balance, velvety and slightly thin texture, medium tannins, medium complexity, dry. Medium/medium(-) flavors of brambly blackberry with notes of smoke and flowery perfume. Medium/medium(+) length plush dark red fruit finish
Nice aged brambly aromas and flavors with a fairly extended finish. I would agree, like others have said, that there could be some light TCA taint leading to diminished fruit. But overall still enjoyable!
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12/5/2022 - oenanthe wrote: flawed
Greatest Hits of the 1980s and 1990s Bordeaux (Hawksmoor Guildhall): Inscrutably deep red. Notes of blueberry, but also a slight stemminess, some green elements that I noticed straight away. I was not sure about this, but eventually a concesus around the table - the wine has a problem. On my own or at home I reckon I would have drunk this, as there was nothing seriously wrong with it, and I felt it was actually better on the palate albeit that you could also taste some bitterness - fleeting yet persisent. However with so much ridiculously good wine on the table it was a straightforward decision to bin it and move on to the lovely Leoville-Barton 1996 instead. I would likely have scored this high 80s, it really wasn't that bad at all.
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12/5/2022 - Vinumming & Ahhing wrote: flawed
Greatest Hits of the 1980s & 1990s Bordeaux (Hawksmoor Guildhall, London, UK): This is one of those is it, isn’t it corked wines where the dividing line between marginal TCA and cabernet cool fruitedness is very fine. After some umming and ahhing this sadly falls in to the persistent 1/10 TCA category. A shame, as the nose has a capsicum, dark fruited quality underneath. Less TCA noticeable on the palate and not undrinkable but rightly tipped away.
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11/21/2022 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Lafon Rochet (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Brambles, blackcurrant, sweet spice, leather, slightly baked earth, smells a little riper than the 90 & 95 today. Juicy acidity this is also slightly riper on the palate as well, black hued, fruit is backed by a little liquorice, tannins are still quite tight and drying. Okay.
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10/30/2022 - Necowine wrote: 90 Points
Delicious Bordeaux in a nice early to mid mature spot. Especially on the attack and especially in its first 30 minutes, still showing plenty of deep, savory red fruit; mid through finish darker, with smooth and even roasted and darker cocoa notes. Integrated. Balanced. Perhaps simple, but so solid and so good.
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9/8/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
1996 Dinner...Top Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux (Park Ridge Country Club): Rich black fruit with good density and lots of fun right now. This wine really outperformed expectations today.
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7/28/2022 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
A beautiful mature Bordeaux, classic mature nose with good complexity, soft sweet tannins, graceful
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7/24/2022 - VinoExplorer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened and let it breathe in the bottle 30mins before dinner and had it throughout a two hour dinner.
Immediate thing you notice is how much intensity and strength is still there. The nose has ripe red fruit and cherries and on palate it is smoothened with age with fine concentrated tannins. The sweetness rounding up the finish would make you think there is significant amount of merlot in this.
This probably can store for at least another five years but drinking really nicely already.
55% Cab Sauv, 40% Merlot and 5% Cab Franc
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1/30/2022 - WetRock wrote:
This needed 20-30 min to open on the palate. Shows moderate but still densely colored. Classic graphite marker on the nose in spades. Dried cherry and rose petal/potpourri. Medium weight up front with still stout tannin backing it up. Seems to fade out a bit towards the finish getting washed out and ill defined. Classic Cab cassis, tobacco and cedar. Ample acidity. A lovely wine in its range. The structure would argue that this has a good deal of life left. The bit of muddlement towards the finish makes me think there is some ripeness here that might make that ill advised. Certainly in it's window. Held up perfectly overnight under a Repour.
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12/24/2021 - gabrowns Likes this wine: 94 Points
We opened this after finishing a 1996 Ch. Palmer, and while we probably should have drunk them the other way round, we truly enjoyed this bottle. Way more fruit left than the Palmer, but also some tobacco and some licorice. Preferences around the table followed standard Margaux v. St. Estephe lines as both wines are pretty classic exemplars of appellation. All in all a delightful wine.
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12/11/2021 - robseconti@aol.com wrote: 92 Points
From magnum. Decanted for 3 hours. Wonderful nose. Cedar and cigar box with some forest floor. Very smooth. Loads of black fruit, a hint of eucalyptus and licorice. Very long finish. Last glass better than the first. Served with veal, mushroom and artichoke stew. Great pairing. Still has some time left but isn’t going to get any better than this!
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12/10/2021 - surfnturf Likes this wine: 94 Points
At its peak.
Long, silky smooth with the fruit just taking a darker, smokier edge.
Classically balanced claret with just the right amount of ripe tomato to measure up against a still noticeable brown sugar oak aroma.
A delight!
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11/26/2021 - TashNYC wrote: 92 Points
Tasty wine. Notes of black fruit, blackberry, currants, earth. Delicious with the dry-aged and strip steaks. Not as good with the lamb chops. Drink now.
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9/17/2021 - ANWW89 Likes this wine: 93 Points
needed much air to open up. classic bdx. enjoyed it thoroughly. in the later stages of its drinking window but not going to be over the hill anytime soon i reckon
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5/15/2021 - Stevey Likes this wine: 96 Points
Pulled from 13C cellar and let sit for 72 hours. Popped & poured. Brick reddish color typical of an aged wine. Blackcurrant, slighted muted black fruits, medium tannins up front. Started to open up about an hour later, more balanced, good complexity, good fruit, kirsch, long-ish finish, tannins nicely integrated. Still excellent structure after 25 years, this wine can last a decade more but drinking really well right now. Wine continued to evolve throughout the 3 hours to the last drop, Best wine I've had all year.
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1/18/2021 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Lafon Rochet (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Aromas of bramble, blackcurrant, a little plum and cream back this, quite clean and fruit driven after the 1995, cedar, spiced. Medium plus intensity acidity, brambly with blackcurrant and plums which wrestles with the grainy, chalky tannins drying grip, both persist long. Yum.
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9/5/2020 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
PnP
Dried black fruit, tobacco, wet earth and woody aromas.
Silky and fully integrated. The tannins are soft but tighten toward the finish. Acidity is low to medium, totally in check to allow the fruit to shine.
This is a wonderful wine that is likely in its prime. I don’t see much upside as it’s totally in the zone right now. It will last longer but I’d drink over the next 5+ years.
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5/28/2020 - jww Likes this wine: 92 Points
nose of cedar and fruit when opened this faded initially
then came back stronger after a few hours
light on the tongue and full flavored dark fruit cedar, tobacco
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3/30/2020 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rubber nose; earthy with blackberry; still tannic; decent finish.
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12/18/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Earthy blackberry; well structured; balanced; elegant finish.
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11/24/2019 - chatters wrote:
From Coravin. Perfumed ,earth, leather, blackcurrant tends to Cassis, biscuit, very slight black tea, a little meaty note. Medium plus intensity acidity, medium plus chalky tannins are gritty and drying. Flavours of black tea, leather, blackcurrant. Time for me.
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10/16/2019 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 91 Points
Chef Michel Roux Jr & Lafon-Rochet (Basile Tesseron) Wine Dinner - Roux at Parliament Square. Limited notes.
Smokey, ripe blackcurrant and dark berries, some aromatics and earth with a firm integrated tannic core. A touch of green pepper/herb typical of this property. Long, complex and full in the finish.
Fully mature but should hold up at this level up to 30 years from vintage based on this (presumably) directly sourced bottle.
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5/21/2019 - Oskiwawa wrote: 93 Points
Purchased upon release. Opened and decanted for 30 minutes. Dark red color with very little bricking. Beautiful nose of earth and cherry. Palate follows the nose in profile. This is drinking very well right now. Certainly punching above it's pedigree. If this bottle is representative, well stored versions have 10+ years of good drinking ahead of them. Very nice.
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5/5/2019 - bethel31 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Opens up and drinks better the next day. Nice nose with a bit licorice. Earth notes and cedar with a bit of sweetness.
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5/3/2019 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 94 Points
Out of the gate, this was tannic and hard, but obviously fully mature, barnyard and leather on the nose, with plum and cassis on the palate.
After sharing with 5 others, I corked up the bottle with a small amount remaining, took it home and poured it out an hour later. I then found an extraordinary unmistakable scent of pure, fragrant Cuban cigar box, probably the purest expression I've ever found in a wine. That alone was worth a couple extra points! This wine definitely needed time to warm and breathe, as I first popped and poured it at cellar temp.
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4/16/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 96 Points
Classic and perfectly at the right spot; manura; rubber and cedar; sweet structured blackberry with perfect tannin support; long elegant harmonious finish.
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3/26/2019 - yinha wrote: 90 Points
Refined and quite aristocratic on the nose with some subtle and charming secondaries, enjoyable if not stunning on the palate. If anything, still comes across as a bit young - enjoyable now, but could mellow out in a good way potentially with a few more years, but if so I do wonder how the fruit will hold up.
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3/22/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Earth with some blackberry and tannin; decent integration; nice finish.
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1/22/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Mixed Wines at Martina (Martina, Mpls): Very dark red/purple color. PNP, drank a glass over an hour. Nice, tighter and more youthful. Firm tannins, gravel, dense, good minerality, graphite, earthy, soil, dark and dense black fruiits with a little scorched earth. Drinking well, but still has upside and benefits from significant air. 91+ to 92pts.
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1/22/2019 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
Drank this along side the more fully reallized '85 Beychevelle and in that context this felt and tasted pretty youthful. Like many 96 this is just in the front end of its prime drinking window. I really enjoyed it none the less. Structured red and dark fruit, lead pencil, leather, tobacco leaf and mineral show up on the nose and palate both to a varying degree. I'd be happy to own one or two of these if I se them pop up at a fair price from a reputable source. 92+/93pts- right now with some upside after another 3-10yrs plus. I have to say this with food thisd was gorgeous and perfect with the flank steak. I have to say, absent the side by side '85 Beychevelle, this would feel more resolved and complete stand alone.
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10/26/2018 - baxter67 wrote: 88 Points
Good drinking claret. Possibly near the end of its drinking window, but still good fruit, balance. Just lacks the intensity of the best of the vintage. ***
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10/7/2018 - Leto South wrote: 90 Points
Darkish red, not much paling of edge. Medium+ bq w cedar, tobacco, oak, stone dust. Medium+ body, nice tannins and still fresh acidity dominates, touch of pepper, fruit coming in at the end. Long, intense aftertaste, if not complex. Will last five more years . A pleasant surprise, good OPR.
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9/15/2018 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted and served immediately, this opened up fully after one hour. Surprisingly youthful color; some dark fruits but mostly lead pencil, slight oak; smooth, beautifully integrated, nice tannins still present, medium mouthfeel, slight pleasing astringency. Slight drying on the finish. Elegant. Very good QPR.
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9/15/2018 - GA Old World Guy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Needs time to open...like two hours. Had next to Pontet Canet 1995 and the Lafon Rochet out paced the PC by the end of the evening.
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7/19/2018 - chatters wrote:
Coravin fun - Bordeaux dozen; 7/13/2018-7/19/2018 (My place, Kent Street): From Coravin. Brambles, blackcurrant, toast, roasted meat, a little leather, cedar, sweet spice. In the mouth it's juicy and fleshy, similar fruit with a little leathery plum joining. Talc textured, integrated tannins. Medium plus length. Nice.
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5/23/2018 - dbenglis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tannins have softened. Food pairing should be designed to cut this wine. Some secondary characteristics are present and this is what has me excited for its potential. There is an austere character (Where will it go?). There is nothing unpleasant about this wine. Drink now with red meats (mild game flavors) and some integrated fat. A Louisiana chicken and sausage gumbo with a dark roux would be perfect. I would argue evolution could go either way. Why not hold on to a few bottles and see? There is more age potential.
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3/20/2018 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Better than the 95; leather with blackberry; textured with earth; good structure; long finish.
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1/21/2018 - GA Old World Guy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine that is really drinking well. Similar to previous notes. Needs a two hour decant though to really show it's stuff.
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12/31/2017 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 89 Points
A bit lactic on the nose, with saddle leather. Tannic, very barnyardy, and leather on the palate.
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12/21/2017 - LT98 wrote: 91 Points
PnP; meaty, silky, plum, violets; mature with good fruit. Can certainly last but will not improve further. A very nice wine.
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12/2/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind: Tasted blind. Meaty black fruit with firm structure. Needs more time/ air but there is certainly good concentration and depth here. 88 point potential, even if not close to that good right now, today.
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12/2/2017 - Nanda wrote:
Saturday Blind Tasting - Bordeaux '03 and Older (Chevalier Fine Wines): Blind. More closed in nose. Palate is dense and pretty tight. Tannic and grippy. Enough fruit to age and match the structure, but this needs time or air.
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11/18/2017 - stephen locke Likes this wine:
Mature bordeaux - savoury and some black fruits.
Very easy to drink - not the most complex but far better than I expected. No rush on any other bottles - but further development will be a gradual decline I suspect. I think LR is possibly one of the best values in Bordeaux?
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11/8/2017 - wbohonnon wrote: 91 Points
Really good after 2+ hours in decanter, no formal notes. Paired excellent with steak and a peppercorn sauce
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10/28/2017 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great mature Bordo
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10/28/2017 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 91 Points
Académie des Cinquante 62nd Annual Dinner (Restaurant In den Gapenden Eter, Leiden, NL): Mature but lively appearance; attractive nose of graphite, cherries and gravel; fresh and lively palate, slender but does not lack stuffing thanks to the considerable Merlot component in the blend; good length.
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10/14/2017 - Zo65 wrote: 84 Points
This bottle was well past prime. No fruit, no tannin. Bummer..
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7/11/2017 - Thoughtful Likes this wine: 91 Points
Stored in a cold cellar since release. Perfect condition. Excellent fruit, medium bodied, good balance and length. Just lacked concentration and depth. Textbook introduction to mature claret. Still young and should age well. Just as it should be! Unlikely to improve?
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7/11/2017 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 93 Points
Gorgeous mature claret with a gravelly savouriness and fruit of pure silk. Surprisingly youthful with an attractive bounce in the mid palate and plenty of fine, but firm, tannins. Quite a life ahead of it.
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7/8/2017 - pavel_p wrote: 88 Points
1996 horizontal Bordeaux tasting (Singapore): Garnet, not very expressive on the nose, some bell peppers, dark fruit, a touch of wood spices. Medium - tannins, clipped finish. 88
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7/7/2017 - W!neNot? Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very developed on the nose. Pencil, tobacco box and a bit of game. Elegant on the palate still with a bit of fruit with a lot of tobacco flavours. Drink this now to capture the elegance.
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5/26/2017 - GA Old World Guy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine full of dark red fruit. Tannins have fully resolved. It is in a beautiful spot right now.
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5/3/2017 - sc03852 wrote:
4 - Deep garnet. Black fruits, blackberry, pepper, black cherry, juicy nose, moist earth, floral. Opens very early. Medium+ body, juicy, earthy, floral, medium acidity, medium+ finish.
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4/28/2017 - WineTally wrote:
55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc
A(ccuracy)=2: Medium garnet with only slightly amber edge; mealy nose with hint of sawdust.
B(alance) =2: Acid and tannin outlasting fruit; but sustaining vibrancy.
C(omplexity)=2: Remnants of dark fruits and ripeness, high tone acidity.
D(epth) =1: Medium length and finish.
WineTally Score [2,2,2,1]=7/10
Unless this bottle was a bit off, the wine did not evolve as well as predicted by experts.
[https://www.facebook.com/WineTally/]
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4/19/2017 - alamoave Likes this wine: 91 Points
From magnum. Tannins have softened considerably, and still plenty of fruit. Decanted for an hour before Easter dinner, which was about right.
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4/13/2017 - blanquito wrote: 89 Points
Still a lovely, mature claret with cigarbox, leather, earth, but this has started to decline as the fruit and aromatic intensity fade. I've had this many times from the same case (I'm down to 2 bottles), and in retrospect this peaked around 2011. It has slid a bit more since my note in 2014. Drink.
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4/2/2017 - jim dixon wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful, drinking great right now but seems like it has a ways to go before declining.
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3/26/2017 - Raage Likes this wine: 91 Points
Surprenant ! Du peps, de la tension, un Bordeaux accompli, cèdre, cassis poivronnant (��), st Estephe dans sa rigueur, classique, mais épanoui. Belle structure fraîche, concentration acidulée, un beau 96!
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3/17/2017 - JS1056 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Just absolutely lovely. Nose of spice and leather, it conjures up a fall day.
Deep black fruit followed by spices, leather, tabacco, with just a hint of eucalyptus on the finish. The finish is long. The texture is silky and lush.
Everything you want from a mature Bordeaux. This wine is the reason you have patience and cellar a wine for 20 years.
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3/8/2017 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 91 Points
Herbal, tannic, horsey, nice with a NY steak.
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2/8/2017 - nstow Likes this wine: 90 Points
4th of 12. Superior to the last bottle. Well balanced, elegant and classic. 4/5
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11/19/2016 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
A private dinner at a friend's (London, UK): Lovely definition - exactly what you would expect 1996 Lafon-Rochet to be like. Earthy depth from the clay in the soil, richness and warmth from the Merlot in the blend, freshness from the bright 1996-acidity, savoury and energetic, very good length. I like it better than I did in 2012.
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10/20/2016 - Cofxc Likes this wine: 91 Points
Plum, lovely florals, violets, mineral. Fine fruit on the palette, minerals.
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9/18/2016 - PJRONeill wrote: 93 Points
Just a little fuller and broader across the palate than the delicious bottle I drank in January this year. Probably the best bottle of my small, recently acquired stash. No reason not to drink this now.
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8/13/2016 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
This displayed a bouquet full of earthy, truffle tones, dried cherry and sweet spice. It was soft on the palate, with dark red fruits, a hint of tart berry, herbs and minerals. Brisk and engaging acidity added a freshness, leading to a long finish of tart blackberry, dried cherry fruit, hints of herbs and minerals.
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7/20/2016 - thebonnydooner wrote: 90 Points
Medium to full bodied, nice lively character with lots of earth, tobacco and leather. shows some nice sweet currant and savoury herbal cherry notes. Smooth and well balanced but beginning to tire. Think this needs to be drunk up. Still very tasty with a lot of character.
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7/19/2016 - vmad wrote: flawed
Knuste i gulvet fra vinskapet. Luktet godt. Dette skjedde selvfølgelig med en av mine dyreste viner. FF#$
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6/24/2016 - PJRONeill wrote: 92 Points
Good as before, in a lovely spot right now.
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5/8/2016 - PJRONeill wrote: flawed
Corked.
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3/21/2016 - Paul D wrote:
Ian Springett's St. Estephe Off-line (RSJ Restaurant, Southwark): Deep garnet core. Lovely lightly gravelly mineral nose, cool blackcurrant fruit. Medium bodied, firm but very fine tannins, attractive savoury dark fruits, mineral notes, very good length finish. Excellent and drinking quite well ****
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3/21/2016 - SimonG wrote: 92 Points
St Estephe @ RSJ (RSJ, London): Similarly mineral with a slightly dusty nose. Quite dense, rounded with lovely ripe fruit. Line and elegant shape here. Lovely and very classic. Far more balanced and poised than the 95. ****
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3/7/2016 - VinCrush Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really nice bottle at the perfect age. Wonderful balance of both aromas and structure. On the nose immediate blackberry, green pepper, and baking spices. On the palate, more earthy and leathery in combination with the subtle fruit still remaining. Acids and tannins well resolved. Great accompaniment to our beef burgundy. As expected, plenty of sediment, so decant or pour carefully.
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2/21/2016 - pilot360 wrote:
I loved the old world nose on this, lots of leather, barnyard , lots of meatiness and depth. This was a joy to drink.
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1/23/2016 - PJRONeill Likes this wine: 92 Points
A nicely mature bottle with initial notes of green pepper on the nose, though with time tobacco, leather and black currant come to the fore and the palate is a delicious mouthful of fruit, acidity and beautifully resolved tannin. It might be missing a bit of weight on the palate but otherwise it is altogether lovely and at peak drinking.
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1/17/2016 - Tom Henriksveen Likes this wine:
A nice and mature claret, maybe the brett is slightly dominating on the nose, so barnyard, leather and black currant on the palate. Good vine.
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1/12/2016 - JustDrinkIt Likes this wine: 89 Points
Restrained notes of black cherry and tobacco. Dark in color with diminished black cherry, more tobacco, forest floor, mushroom and cedar tasted, quite a range. Nice sharp acid on the palate as well with a slight dryness towards the end.
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11/17/2015 - djarcara Likes this wine: 90 Points
Full body. More youthful than my last bottle. Bottle variation? The dark fruit flavors still come through. Secondary flavors of tobacco and cedar emerging nicely. Still has time, but drinking well now. Decant for sediment.
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11/12/2015 - Pknut wrote:
Three years since my last bottle. This saw about four to five hours of air. People at the table liked this, but to me it was disappointing. Blackberry and some funk to the palate, but lacking in richness and lacking in depth. Expected something stronger and more cerebral. Canton Lounge.
Update: no degradation overnight. This seems to have filled in on the midpalate and now has a nice, more weighty mouthfeel. Preferred this more on day 2.
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9/30/2015 - nstow wrote: 82 Points
Classic cedar blackcurrant nose. Still youthful with restrained berry fruit. Very stoney. A lot of tart tannin on finish and not sure if there is sufficient fruit to support long term development. Average 3/5
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7/22/2015 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 89 Points
Medium ruby color. A bit shy on the nose, with cherry, blackberry, tobacco, and mushroom. Medium-bodied, light on the attack. Finish a bit short, with some tartness. Silky tannins. Drink now.
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7/17/2015 - Dj6544 wrote: 94 Points
Even better than the '95, this is less meaty and cleaner with more focus. Seems to be in a very good place and quite ready for another decade of development. No worries at all about using up the case. Beautiful claret.
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5/6/2015 - Paul D wrote:
1996 Bordeaux at RSJ (RSJ, Southwark): Tobaccoey, minerals, black currant fruit, a touch pinched on the finish but overall excellent. ****.
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3/16/2015 - djarcara Likes this wine: 88 Points
Full body. Very nice classic aged Bordeaux. Dark fruit, tobacco, plum, earth with a lot of minerality. Decant. Drink now.
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1/23/2015 - ProfByron Likes this wine: 90 Points
Flavoursome mature Bordeaux. Not particularly fine, but it has a robust, virile style. Drinking very well now.
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1/12/2015 - WineAggregate wrote: 92 Points
A beautiful Bordo. Good fruit, but good tannic bite and a bit of leather and barnyard.
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1/2/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
Fully mature, with an attractive, tobacco, cedar chest, spice and cherry tobacco nose. Medium bodied, and better on the palate than with its stern character, this is ready for prime time consumption and will probably be at its best over the next 3-5 years.
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12/11/2014 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Domaine End of Year Party (Chicago, IL): A very austere Bordeaux, with a nose that doesn't show much at all. The palate is mostly leather -- this has definitely dried out, and there's a prominent medicinal quality to it too.
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11/21/2014 - Hostrup wrote:
Drink up!
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11/18/2014 - khmark7 wrote: 91 Points
More floral and interesting than my previous bottle. Elegant and classic styled Claret.
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11/10/2014 - MRichman wrote:
This seems ready to drink to me. Tobacco, dark fruit, herbs, dry. Well integrated. Dark core. Pretty classic Bordeaux. Nothing spectacular, but a really good, well made wine in its drinking window. Good to drink now and for 10+ years.
B
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11/7/2014 - wallstreet Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good wine. Enjoyed it.
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7/13/2014 - saturnaisland wrote: 92 Points
Best after about 3 hours. Dark fruit flavours integrated with hints of cigar, cedar, graphite. Good tannins and acidity. Nice wine.
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4/21/2014 - George C ATLANTA wrote: 94 Points
Drunk this wonderful wine last night with roasted lamb and potatoes. Accompanied and complemented the meal beautifully, with flavors of crushed berries, espresso, barely noticeable minerality and very mellow well rounded tannins. This wine is still dark ruby in color and drinking at a wonderful level right now. Will it improve? Who knows... delicious here.
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4/19/2014 - GSW wrote: 90 Points
Still a lovely wine and paired well with grilled lamb
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4/5/2014 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 91 Points
My Birthday Dinner (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Very opaque in colour with pronounced purple on the rim. Nose is nice and strong, quite austere, low on fruit. Palate is super: sharp blackberries, nice immediate resonance and good heady length. This displays a middleweight but classic St. Estephe muscularity. Dry finish. Needs more time, like so many of the 1996 vintage.
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3/24/2014 - blanquito wrote: 91 Points
Terrific savory bouquet, mature and complexity filled with scents of smoke, tobacco, beef jus, plums, merlot, and something wonderfully fresh without being overtly minty. Alas, the palate is less impressive, sporting a strong attack with good fleshly fruit, but followed by some dilution and a so-so and slightly acrid finish. The tannins are resolved, giving this a rounded mouthfeel, but also suggesting it is time to drink these sooner than later. Still, very good, a mid-tier Left Banker with lovely claret character. 91pts.
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3/12/2014 - EhrlichDY Likes this wine: 90 Points
Sleek and feminine. Mid weight but with dense concentration. Classical Bordeaux cedar but also showing some dark fruit on the nose and palate. This wine is entering is entering it's drinking window but is in no danger of fading.
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3/4/2014 - Paul S wrote: 91 Points
DSC tries out Nuvo (Nuvo, Marina Square, Singapore): A solid, unspectacular left-bank Bordeaux, but quite pleasaurable - exactly what you would expect from a house of this level on a good vintage. The nose was very classic, with sweet cassis and red berry aromas wed to tea leaves, tobacco and a touch of oak. I thought the palate was quite good. Again, it had familiar tones of cassis and blackberries, spice and tobacco, with a touch of menthol at the finish. Good fruit, good acidity, well-structured if just a touch of drying on the tannins. Very pleasant, if just a bit nondescript. It should last quite a long time yet in the bottle, but I am not sure it will improve much. It is certainly decent drinking now, especially with the beef we had. Pretty nice - this was my favourite wine of the day.
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2/1/2014 - KristianT Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful. Perfectly mature classic Bordeaux. All you can wish for - a great example of why you cellar wine.
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1/11/2014 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 93 Points
A brief decant didn't do this beauty justice, but it cried out to be ordered at a steakhouse in NY and did not disappoint. Deep purple in color, with an unstoppable bouquet that was unmistakably Bordeaux. The wine is youthful in terms of robust fruit but exhibits secondary notes of cedar, cigar and forest floor. The big, grippy tannins are pretty well integrated at this point. No rush from what I can tell.
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1/4/2014 - europat55 wrote: 89 Points
Well integrated tannins. Still plenty of fruit. Feels a bit overpriced at current $55 retail price.
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12/24/2013 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 92 Points
Best of the 3 Bordos. Nice balance, good dark plum and cherry fruit, spicy cedar, very enjoyable with lamb.
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11/24/2013 - Comte Flaneur wrote: 91 Points
This wine was tough as nails in its youth, but has now grown up and will only become more interesting from here. It is already exhibiting plenty of secondary notes of forest floor, decay, tobacco, cigar box, gravel, cinders and iron- and iodine-scented minerals. On the palate it is not silky smooth but dense, expansive, chewy with plenty of residual tannic grip. But the tannins are less intrusive now and this is an altogether a very satisfying package.
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9/5/2013 - cellarid wrote: 91 Points
Great spot now with air
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8/24/2013 - scorrea wrote: 86 Points
Herbal notes with classic Bordeaux nose. Fruit fell off the cliff after 15min. Seems this wine is over the hill.
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6/3/2013 - spillwine wrote: 88 Points
OK sans plus
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5/28/2013 - Wising Likes this wine: 90 Points
Recommend to drink now. Will not improve further.
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4/2/2013 - Baylorwine wrote: 92 Points
Beautiful Bordeaux. Very gracefull and soft. Was overwhelmed by strip steak with blue cheese sauce, but shined on it's own. Even better 2 days later.
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2/16/2013 - WineAggregate Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fruit has receded somewhat, but what's left is a luscious, rich, leather-and-spice mouthful which builds into a beautiful mid-palate without sourness, and a lingering finish. Great polish on this wine.
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1/11/2013 - wconnolly Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium garnet color. Damp earth, musty with a very slight hint of floral on the nose. This opened a bit tight but over 2 hours began to reveal much more fruit than I expected from a 17 year old St. Estephe. Medium bodied, some light fruit, cherry, cassis and plum on the palate. Also revealed some minerality, vanilla and a bit of oak. Nicely balanced with modest tannins and layered flavors. Really pleasant surprise. Drank with Rick and Linda at Angeli's Italian Bistro in celebration of Beth's and my birthdays. Rick graciously provided a 1996 Robert Craig Mt. Veeder Cabernet for an interesting 17 year old comparison.
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12/27/2012 - A3DGIRL wrote:
Drank with Neil and Janet Christmas 2012
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12/26/2012 - jonnyoro wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with July bottle notes- a seriously good wine and a great value to boot - love this wine...
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12/5/2012 - nstow Likes this wine: 86 Points
Still quite youthful primary fruit and some minerality. Good balance medium length 3+/5 (86-89)
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11/24/2012 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 90 Points
Académie des Cinquante Claret / Piedmont Tasting (Restaurant De Hoefslag *, Bosch en Duin, Netherlands): Merlot cherries, hint of clay, good stuffing, good wine.
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11/12/2012 - Pknut wrote:
Begins with black currant, in line with past bottles, somewhat lean. But it doesn't take long for this to flesh out and show more substantial material, more weight in the mouth, the black fruit now taking a turn to cherry cordial, along with some wood spice. This is lacking in power and length, but for it's purchase price, and its reliability over the years, and it's honesty, this is the scrappy dog that charms you as much as the purebred.
Update: This is great on night two. Kept in the original opened .750 (rather than transferring to a .375 and sealed), and thus plenty of exposure to oxygen, but no degradation at all. This seems even darker, with more precise black currant, notes of pencil lead, and great clarity and more focus, with no notes of oxidation. It also seems that the tannins have emerged with air, suggesting that there is still structure here. Nice showing tonight.
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11/1/2012 - jww wrote:
A wine I have enjoyed frequently since 2004 a tannic but very nice wine this bottle was not corked but not as good more tannin than fruit 2 left...
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10/26/2012 - drunkstar wrote: 90 Points
Goats cheesy, funky, claret. Drinking well but still enough tannins to imply life going forward. Surprisingly thick legs and alcoholic heat.
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9/27/2012 - yvesbaeten wrote: 88 Points
Bien mature,tannins fondus ,fruits noirs ?bone longueur
Bu avec steak béarnaise
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9/4/2012 - Mascalese Likes this wine: 92 Points
great mature bordeaux. rich nose of blackcurrant. mellow tannins. good length. bot in Bordeaux in 2000
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7/31/2012 - jonnyoro wrote: 94 Points
sleeper Sleeper SLEEPER! i've had this near a dozen times now- aside from a corked bottle, it just gets better and better for $30-40 per bottle it's a bargain too. not much on the nose but the fruit is black and red with a little nectarine thrown in; big mid palate and sweet unctous tannins- this has a long finish and many years ahead of it; entering an adolescent phase- a very complete wine that shows how nice left bank '96s are performing... a baby LLC!!
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6/19/2012 - Maestro wrote: 90 Points
Better than the previous bottle, with much more generous fruit and more complexity on the nose.
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6/18/2012 - John Tang wrote: 92 Points
Very fruity and very good, a little tannic but tannin softened after 2 hours decanting. Should decant for more time (ie. 3 hours).
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5/25/2012 - Winestein wrote: 93 Points
Brown ruby. Classic Medoc rich earthy mushroom nose. Very layered. Basile Tesseron (son of owner and now wine maker) says there is a hint of mint on nose. Oak. Vanilla. Both on the nose and palate. Soft tannins. Perfectly balanced. This is a point!
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5/4/2012 - MJ_777 wrote: 95 Points
Great wine, perfectly balanced.
Perfect to drink now - 2017 (at least)
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2/19/2012 - tomandlu wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Opaque black-red color. Intense, searing, but not effusive nose of hot iron, blood, red clay, wet stones, cassis, and cedar. Ripe and complete on the palate with ripe, but rustic, tannins and good acidity. To my palate this is quintessential St. Estephe. It's more rustic than Calon or Montrose but the balance is good, the ripeness is ideal, and the fragrance is classic. Bought as a future and stored in my cellar since release.
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2/10/2012 - Pknut wrote:
Edgemont Guys Come to Westport and We Drink Chablis: Here we have smooth, cool black currant on the palate, which contrasted remarkably with the red cherries in the Altesino Brunello served alongside this wine. Mature but not old, this is very fine on the sides, smaller in frame than in its youth. A wine that should be contemplated while sitting down at a table and focusing, and not along with other wines that may tend to outshine this more elegant, less overt wine. I think this wine has lost something, not just in terms of bulk or size; it’s heading into its elder years a little weaker and lacking. Reminds me of Ron Paul, probably a nice enough guy to have as your neighbor, but a little weak and you want to spend your time with someone more impressive.
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1/1/2012 - Maestro wrote: 88 Points
Nice, but not showing in the outstanding range tonight. Typical aromas of cassis, leather and tobacco, but a bit on the simple side without much to show for in terms of secondary aromatics. The palate was balanced and firm, but lacking a bit on the fruit side. The finish was rather short and somewhat boring. It may show better with extended aeration in bottle, which was not possible this time.
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12/30/2011 - ChateauTooting wrote:
Still tight, and young, but good.
Even better if you paid £15 for it. :D
Wouldn't pay more than £30 for it, though.
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12/18/2011 - jonnyoro wrote: flawed
Corked!
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11/18/2011 - Mivvy wrote: 89 Points
Masculine nose full of earth and spice. Full bodied, dark fruit with spice, cinnamon - very interesting. Finishes big, lots of chewy tannin.
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9/30/2011 - Alex H wrote: 88 Points
BeAutoful exotic nose uppers, Indian spice , black spice plums and lots of Barnyard. Delicious plum fruits and leather and horse hide. Excellent with breathing.
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9/7/2011 - Lucasman wrote: 94 Points
Superb!
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9/2/2011 - blanquito wrote: 93 Points
I've been enamored with the 1996 vintage of this chateau for a long time. But more for what I hoped it could be than it actually was. The wine itself has been always highly aromatic, but either a bit too stern or dry to really get poetic about... No longer. The Lafon Rochet 1996 has arrived, sooner than the biggest stars of the 1996 vintage.
For starters, a drop-dead gorgeous bouquet, filled with the scents that first made you fall in love with Bordeaux... mature aromas of sweet cedar, smokey campfires, weathered cigarboxes, sun-dried blackcurrants, licorice-infused iodine... just a bouquet to admire and adore. The palate, while no more than medium-bodied modest, has at last revealed its inner sweetness, giving charm to its silky smooth texture and a refleshingly high acidity. The tannins are still mouthcoating and firm on the finish, but they are no longer ironesque and dominant. Not the last word in complexity or depth, but drinking at point tonight. I recall trying this wine in 2003, shortly after I joined BWE, and it was hard as nails but full of promise. Today, it's sails are unfurled. Bravo.
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8/11/2011 - Rob MacKay wrote: 92 Points
Previously had this wine a few times back in 2006 and enjoyed it quite a lot. Now, 5 years later, it seems to be even better. Very little sign of age in the color but the nose definitely shows the funky earthiness that I love in aged wines from St. Estephe. Very smooth and rustic on the palate with a good mix of dark fruits and earth. Only a slight influence from the tannins towards the finish. Lots of sediment so it gets a little muddy when you are at the end of the bottle.
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7/8/2011 - Wising wrote: 89 Points
Still fresh and a bit tight. Darker cherry-like fruit, nice minerality and structure. "Robust" St Estephe style, no charmer.
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7/3/2011 - khmark7 wrote: 87 Points
Classic, herbal and rather simple. Was expecting more secondary characteristics from a 15 yr Bordeaux.
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5/9/2011 - SimonG wrote:
Julian S-M's 1996 Bordeaux (Hawksmoor, London): Smokey, tobacco, mineral. Showing well with bright, fresh acidity. Lacks the weight and mid-palate depth/richness of the Lynch Bages, but it's very decent. Top ***
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5/9/2011 - oldgrowth45 wrote:
Drank over two nights with and without food. Deep maroon color, with lots of sediment. Nose is fully open for business: Full-bodied with great personality of cedar, musk and currants. Palate is showing a little age. Fairly rustic, but well-balanced tannins. Finish shows some age and is a little fragmented. Paired nicely with steak and garlic mashed spuds.
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4/30/2011 - GSW wrote: 90 Points
Delicious.
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4/9/2011 - nstow wrote: 86 Points
Decanted one hour. Still young looking, dark ruby robe and rim still quite purple. Closed, very little on the nose other than some straightforward berry fruit. Quite green and minerally on the palate but still with some youthful fruit, not particularly complex. Good body and balance with soft tannins on the finish. It was very good (86-89) but not particularly special, however I suspect that given a few more years it will be more interesting.
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3/20/2011 - bcmatthias wrote: 91 Points
Soft and silky. Notes of currant.
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1/31/2011 - Fonsecavo wrote: 92 Points
Somehow this bottle was better than the one we tasted a year ago. I'm not sure if that is because the other bottle was somehow flawed or not.
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1/7/2011 - Pknut wrote:
Decanted for an hour or two, this showed smooth black currant on the palate, with graphite, smoke and subtle truffle notes. The palate is smooth, the mouthfeel silky, yet the wine is slightly lean; could use more body. The palate is almost fully resolved, the tannins soft, but the wine lacked complexity. This is a good, enjoyable wine, but not an exceptional wine. With Dave and Merry, grilled lamb, at home on a snowy night.
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1/1/2011 - mimik wrote: 92 Points
My last bottle of a case I bought 11 years ago and had opened the rest of bottles prematurely. This wine was outstanding. A perfectly open bordeaux with a typical nose of pencil-shavings, blackcurrent and sweet tobacco notes. Dark crimson wine, it did not exhibit many signs of bricking and only slight orange hues at the rim. The palate was velvety and smooth, and yet this wine, improved slightly in the glass over 1 hour. Long finish with tobacco accents. Good acidity. This is so pleasant to drink now and it may slightly improve over the next 3 years or so but it finally came out of its shell into being a very approachable bordeaux that is just hitting it's stride.
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12/26/2010 - cellarid wrote: 88 Points
A little lean but great and very classic aromas. Decanted for a few hora which helped flesh put the fruit a bit. This is about half mature and should have some upside but will never be great. Nice structured style though.
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12/6/2010 - bdelancy wrote: 89 Points
entering prime drinking window; nice secondary aromas and flavors; well balanced and nice finish
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11/25/2010 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
In a good place right now with gravel, oak, spice, cherry and blueberries. The palate and finish impresses with the classic gravel quality and overall the wine is balanced. Drink now.
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11/21/2010 - EMTAME wrote: 89 Points
Good, not great. Needed an hour to open up. Smoky, still mildly tannic, with dark fruit notes.
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11/17/2010 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 90 Points
At home. Lovely drink. Dark with great legs. Gorgeous intensely perfumed bouquet. Round and sleek in the mouth with just the right "grip"; amazing drink at 14 years of age, full of dark fruits. Is a bit tough and tannic, reflecting it's terrior nicely. 5-12-16-7: 90/100
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11/6/2010 - dd wrote:
really drinking beautifully
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9/27/2010 - jman wrote: 91 Points
drank at a private french kitchen on wife bday dinner. decanted for an hour and drank over the next 2. smell of plums and berrys with hints of earth notes. taste full and rich and very old style wine. very good and should be at or close to its peak. very please with the wine
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9/5/2010 - mellison wrote: 91 Points
This was a wonderful example of an older Bordeaux. Unbelievably dense plum color with a hearty nose. A little thin on the fruit but opened up over time with constantly changing texture and tastes. Not a spectacular bottle but a great representation of older Bordeaux. Wish I had more.
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8/22/2010 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
BBQ with Big Reds (Judith's House): Deep red color, no bricking. Great nose, floral, perfumed, lush red fruits, cassis, gravel. Palate is well balanced with sweet, soft tannins, and a lengthy finiish. This wine is drinking beautifully right now. A real treat. Group WOTN. 93pts.
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7/4/2010 - mdkraft99 wrote: 92 Points
Opened for about an hour (decanter and in glass); Nice dark red color color, lots of earth/grass/moss on the nose, taste is absolutely wonderful- lots of fruit, strawberry, cherry, but still hints of earth/grass, some oak, soft/velvet tannins, great balance, nice moderately-long finish. Paired with lamb steaks marinated in garlic+peppercorn+smoked sea salt with a little olive oil. A wonderful wine!
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6/21/2010 - englishman's claret wrote:
Very dark garnet robe; thin disc not showing any real brick. Beautifully concentrated dark fruits, plummy, clay, spicebox. Wonderful St. Estephe nose. Similar palate, a little mineral/tobacco as well. Nicely made; tannic but in fine proportion to the body - if anything, a bit acidic. Good finish.
Excellent expression of St. Estephe. Drinking beautifully now; not a revelation but solid, if not thrilling, on all fronts. Doubt this will improve with age so I'd drink soon. The succulence of the fruit is really a big component of what makes this so good right now.
4/5
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6/4/2010 - Pknut wrote:
A charming wine. At first, mostly black currant and a palate that is rather finessed and silky. I let it breathe for a few hours, and the midpalate strengthened and the wine grew sweeter. The fruit is vibrant, the tannins soft, the mouthfeel silky; overall, a good example of a middle aged Bordeaux. And while I might fault it for lacking complexity and nuance, the finish is particularly long. Very enjoyable.
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6/3/2010 - szang wrote: 93 Points
deep purple color, classic nose of graphite, black currant, earthy tones, a bit rustic. medium to full bodied on the palate with finely integrated, soft and velvety tannins. The only thing missing from this wine is a longer finish - its pleasant but a little short. The wine is really drinking nice and will continue for a few more years.
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5/25/2010 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
Initially, the nose seems a bit old and tired, but opens up to show more fruit and hints of sweetness and spice along with a distinctly aged character of subdued cedar and sweat. On the palate, medium in body with a bit of cassis to give it depth. Some fine tannins on the finish, but these are on the wane. This bottle is ready, but could continue to improve for several years.
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4/30/2010 - milwaukeewino wrote:
Not over the hill but sort if unbalanced.
Lots of oak and spice but the fruit is flat.
This should be WAY better.
I am chalking it up to pre-purchase storage...
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4/22/2010 - bdelancy wrote: 88 Points
Nice color and nice nose. Seemed a little more advanced than I would have expected. Not much acid or tannins, but nice sweet fruit. Probably should try another bottle soon.
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4/18/2010 - mattwoolley wrote: 86 Points
something not quite right here. Opened with usual earthy tones but the fruit struggled to make any impression on the nose - all about a fairly offputting almost vinegary beef stock character. Took a 3 hour decant for this to even start to dissipate but still a struggle. Palate had typical blackcurrant fruit with chalky tannins and was certainly an easier drink with roast beef. Hoped for more.
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4/13/2010 - yotaiwan wrote: 88 Points
closed backward, still hard to appreciate, hopefully it will open up in a few years. no rim at all on the wine.
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2/7/2010 - red stain wrote: 90 Points
Aged well low tannins fruit damped down
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1/30/2010 - steffenpelz wrote:
A really nice surprise. I made braised beef shank on Saturday night when we had a couple of friends over. I popped this not knowing what to expect, but this was such a delicious wine from the start. Fully mature and drinking at peak, the nose on this wine was heavenly. Tertiary aromas and lovely black currant and red cherry. Cigar box and graphite. Good structure, velvet fruit, lovely acidity, fantastic balance. Shows how much pleasure and value Bordeaux can deliver, especially with the right foods. I bought this for $30 from a fellow wine enthusiast, and the bottler could not have been in better condition.
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1/17/2010 - nightfire wrote: 93 Points
Very nice and surprising for the age. Still ruby-like color. Wonderful nose that was still very fruity with notes of earth, graphite and spices. Soft tannins and fresh acidity in the mouth with very long finish.
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1/16/2010 - JCDR wrote: 88 Points
good...not great
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12/30/2009 - MrGando wrote: 92 Points
Very nice wine, with a very nice future. Wonderful nose, as pointed out, the fruit was in there, but with the earthy tones, some graphite notes where in there, a very pleasant long finish.
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12/28/2009 - StephenB wrote: 91 Points
Drank alongside a 1996 Batailley & a 1996 Canon La Gaffelierre, this was my favourit. There was a wonderful nose that was fruity but with earthy undertones. In the mouth there was a real punch of acidity but the tannins had softened out and the fruit came through. A long finish.
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12/26/2009 - mellison wrote: 90 Points
When I took a sip of this immediately after opening was very disappointed. Tasted green, harsh and thin on the fruit. However, it quickly opened up and was a pleasant drinking experience. Typical mid priced, mature Bordeaux. Nice balance, a hint of tannin and good fruit. Not a "wow" wine but eminently drinkable.
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11/26/2009 - king-bing wrote: 90 Points
Bromley Wine Circle does RB 98 and LB 96 (Neil H's house, Sarf Bromley, London): Lovely complex nose that contains some coconut and earth. While the Duhart Milon's refinement put this ahead initially, as the Lafon opens out it just has more to say.
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11/12/2009 - JimHow wrote: 92 Points
My father's birthday was actually today, even though the party is on Saturday. Tonight we had a little gathering at his house, including his grandkids Jack and Anna assisting with the candles. I uncorked a magnum of 1996 Lafon Rochet that was really in stride, with delicious St. Estephe strawberries and raspberries. It seemed very open, even though I didn't decant at all, just popped and poured. This wine is matching the expectations we had for it in its infancy. After a very awkward adolescence it has emerged into an ecellent classic northern Medoc, very easy to drink now but with structure to age for decades. The fruit is oh so ripe. Beautiful pure deep ruby color. It almost seems like the further north you go in the Medoc that year the better the wines are, relatively speaking. Rating: 92 points.
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9/24/2009 - Vitisvinifera wrote: 87 Points
Took a while to open up (concerned that it was past its prime when first tasted despite some decanting). Good tanin and acidity, but lacked final balance. Lacked complexity on the nose, but good blackberry and coffee. medium to long intensity on the palate. Good but not great.
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9/22/2009 - vanpe003 wrote: 91 Points
From a 375m. Spicy, perfumed with hints of green on a forward and complicated nose. Classic cab-dominated blend turning the corner from primary to secondary flavors. The nose is ready, the palate is a few years away, maybe more out of a full size bottle. As it is, I subjectively like this wine better than the score would indicate.
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9/19/2009 - milwaukeewino wrote:
Classic Bdx nose. Cedar, dark fruit, green coffee notes. Sweet fruit.
Still young. Sweet fruit, firm tannins.
Firm. Very good but needs to open. More soon.
After several hours of decanting this too really opened up. Super structure without being backwards.
Loads of sweet fruit without being jammy.
Light on its feet, richly textured.
Superb.
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9/4/2009 - ldorf wrote: 88 Points
Good wine that will never be great, but it is going to be better. Needs a couple of more years to balance.
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7/12/2009 - blanquito wrote: 90 Points
BWE does Manhattan: a 1996 & 2003 Bordeaux Retrospective: The brightest wine, the Lafon’s best part is its bouquet which is highly expressive cigarbox and leather. Dry and concentrated, the fruit is in hiding. Very good. (1 2nd-place vote, 1 3rd-place vote = 3 pts)
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6/29/2009 - brownman6 wrote: 90 Points
opened one hour fifteen minutes before pouring. The wine had a heady bouquet and fine deep color and rich flavor with the tobacco notes others have cited. Wish i had more.
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6/16/2009 - h12 wrote: 86 Points
Guess on the date, note written later. Slightly disappointed, was expecting something special but it was closed, taut, stern. Happy weekday drinking but not a special wine. Hopefully a bottle thing, we'll find out when I try the next bottle. 2+/3
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6/15/2009 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 88 Points
Medium garnet. Nose was all Bordeaux, spices, tobacco, seasoned salt. But taste was a medium-to-thin Bordeaux. Nothing was wrong, just OK to good in the mouth. Drink up.
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6/4/2009 - Goldstone wrote: 88 Points
Blood red and opaque except at the rim. Initial bretty nose evolved into rather austere and ascetic graphite-predominant nose. Dark and brooding palate dominated by inky tannins. Needs at least 5 more years before revisiting.
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5/16/2009 - KeyMaster wrote: 90 Points
Superbe! Aurait pu être caraffé 2 heures avant le repas. Nous avons attendu plus longtemps dans les verres, et nous avons été récompensé!
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3/25/2009 - Peech wrote: 88 Points
drinking reasonably well, with good concentration and a bit of brett in the nose. Slightly spicy finish.
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3/8/2009 - neuchgolfer wrote: 86 Points
Opened up after 2h of decanting, but still wasn't like the wine I remembered. The nose was appealing, but in the mouth, it felt the subtle aromas I was looking for and the acidity was a little too present. Hoping that the 2 other bottles that I still have will show more character.
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2/2/2009 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 88 Points
Terroir-istes International - France, Bordeaux 1996 Vintage (Rodwell House): Deep garnet colour going to an orange rim.
A penetrating nose filled with ripe blackcurrants, black fruit yoghurt and brambles.
A richly textured wine with blackcurrant and blackberry, touch of sea salt and possessing a dense structural frame. The wine is muscular and powerful, and the tannin seems a little foursquare, and firm and adds dryness to the back palate. Impressive more than accommodating, the wine is just a little challenging even a little leathery.
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12/14/2008 - Eckie wrote: 90 Points
Very good claret but it symbolises to me why I prefer St Julien and Margaux over St Estephe. Very concentrated dark fruit and liquirice on the nose and palate and a long finish but not the seducing aromas of those other left bank appelations. Just too backward; Like a beautiful woman that does not turn you on. Good to have drunk, but I will not pursue any other bottles.
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10/28/2008 - Pknut wrote:
My TN on this wine from one year ago (see below) is still a fair reflection of where this wine stands today. A year later, the wine shows good Bordeaux qualities - light cedar nose; red currants and pencil shavings on the palate; soft, thin tannin, but vibrant acidity on the finish. Not a bad Bordeaux, but at this point, twelve years past the vintage, this is a middle-aged wine that fails to really excite. While many '96 Bordeaux are coming alive, this one is just in a state of being pleasing but not exciting, nor deep, nor particularly cerebral. This wine is a good example of B or even C level Bordeaux, whereas A level Bordeaux (and I don't necessarily mean First Growths exclusively) should, at least in theory, be much more alive and complex and thought-provoking. Then again, this was $25-30 and drinks well enough at that pricepoint.
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10/24/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 91 Points
Grand Bordeaux Tasting w/ Jill (Binny's South Loop - Chicago, IL): Binny's South Loop October Bordeaux Wine Tasting.
Dried fruit. Prunes and Dole Raisins.
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9/30/2008 - johnwine wrote: 91 Points
I agree with Parker on this wine and would even rate a little higher but it is ready to drink today and I don’t think it will have any significant further development.
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8/16/2008 - vanpe003 wrote:
No detailed notes. Perfumed leather on the nose, medium fruit with good length of finish. Still seems relatively primary and not yet in its prime. Paled next to the '71 Latour. 90-92 points.
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8/3/2008 - Fonsecavo wrote: 87 Points
Based upon the other notes, perhaps my bottle has not been properly cellared. I found it to be a rather ordinary Bordeaux, with some depth, and a little fruit fragrance - nothing spectacular. I let the wine decant for over three hours, but it really didn't open up or blossom into something I could rate above 90 - which is what I was hoping for.
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7/20/2008 - Keith Cooper wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 2 hours before drinking, but needed a further hour in the glass before it had opened up fully. On the nose, it is plummy and earthy. Excellent on the palate, with a leathery richness and a dry earthiness. Long in the glass, it just got better and better over the next hour. This really is a superb St Estephe at a sensible price. Will keep a few more years, I think. But you can't afford to rush drinking it, otherwise you will not get the full benefit of its well balanced qualities.
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5/16/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 89 Points
bordeaux tasting (Binny's Highland Park): nose: really nice barnyardy nose with pencil lead, cranberry, and soy sauce notes
taste: nice and resolved flavors with cranberry, pencil lead, and soy sauce tones with slight hints of tobbacco
overall: Has the firmness of 96, but this one is ready to go right now and is peaking. Interesting flavor profile and some vegetalness to it. Not the best Lafon-Rochet ever, but a real good one that was gaining more weight and complexity as it got more air
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5/10/2008 - princeton wrote:
Vibrant dark still youthful color. Great aging Bordeaux on the nose with hints of prune. Medium full bodied mouth filling integrated tannins which somewhat overwhelm the secondary fruit, but to a pleasant effect. A totally dead center wine of southern Saint-Estèphe terroir: stout and erect like a soldier, you can taste the rocks and gravel. A favorite house wine.
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2/2/2008 - JimHow wrote: 92 Points
I've loved this wine from Day One. It has been a little bit controversial with others, who have either loved or hated it. It went through a major hibernation phase for several years. But now it is really blooming beautifully. Last night was its best showing yet. The fruit is just so pure and ripe, with strawberries and raspberries overflowing from the Riedel vinum glass. The color was typically St. Estephe deep ruby/purple, it was really showing so much more of everything on the nose and palate than it did as recently as a year ago. I thought it was stunning last night. Rating: 92 points.
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12/21/2007 - KellyW wrote: 91 Points
A bit reductive upon opening, after about 3 hours the nose offers up loads of sweet crushed berries, plum, cedar, eucalyptus and tobacco. The tannins are amazingly svelte. The palate does not quite live up to the nose, but it has nice texture with a clipped finish. Very enjoyable.
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11/16/2007 - jameswm13 wrote: 88 Points
Too young. Wait til 2012 to drink again
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10/7/2007 - Pknut wrote:
This wine has lost a lot of its baby fat and plumpness over the past three or four years, and comes across much leaner. However, it is not much richer. There is cassis fruit and a bit of cedar, the tannins are softer but still present, the acidity lively. The real question is whether this wine will fill out with additional complexity and make it a more complete, more satisfying wine. Right now, it is a good Bordeaux, seems to be reaching middle age, but it could be richer, more complex, more cerebral. B/B-
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10/6/2007 - Claudio161 wrote: 90 Points
Had this bottle at a BYOB place with 3 friends. They chose this bottle as the bottle of the evening (it was the last bottle served after a Sangiovese, and Pinot Noir). I decanted the bottle earlier in the day for about 3 hours. The wine had a nice deep purple color and was fragrant and delicious. Roasted meats/nuts (I have a tough time telling that apart in the nose). Oodles of black fruit and a pretty decent/long finish. May even be better with a little more cellaring. Nonetheless, with the way darn Bordeaux prices are going these days, I wish (alas) that I had bought more!
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9/14/2007 - thebonnydooner wrote: 90 Points
Excellent. Interesting and very bordeaux. Deep colour with lots of garnet and brick hints> Intense and fragrant on the nose, plum and blackcurrant with lots of mature, wood, cedar and brush hints, pretty rustic. Complex and long with plum and currant flavours, dry soft tannins and juicy, firm acidity. Nice, complex and interesting.
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8/3/2007 - dd wrote:
excellent very soft
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7/13/2007 - JimHow wrote: 91 Points
Lafon Rochet and Lafite have a distinctive deep ruby color with a tinge of purple, it's a very beautiful northern Medoc color of nature that I'm not sure I quite see in any other wine from other regions, even from a mile down the road in the Medoc, where the color seems to turn more dense and purple. I hadn't had the 1996 Lafon Rochet in at least a couple years, and it seems to be progressing along nicely. While it it showing considerably more than the last time I had it, the '96 Lafon Rochet still needs more time. It is defined by its raspberry, earthy notes, with a lovely bouquet of cedar. Quite rustic, it matched well with a thick porterhouse. We'll be enjoying this wine for the next twenty years. Rating: 91 points.
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7/8/2007 - gdisanto wrote:
No note taken at the time, but from memory this was very enjoyable. Slightly foursquare. with rich fruit and good structure but lacking that extra little something to make it truly memorable.
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7/4/2007 - cweiss wrote:
Wellfleet. Good solid Bordeaux, probably early in drinking plateau.
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7/3/2007 - mimik wrote: 88 Points
Tasted 1 year ago. Was decanted for 3 hours. Cassis and leather and some oak. More leather and blackberry on a tighly wound acidic backbone. Will this wine ever come out of hiding? Still very tannic. Medium finish.
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6/29/2007 - drunkstar wrote: 89 Points
excellent claret.....non exceptional but exceedingly quaffable
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6/27/2007 - Keith Cooper wrote: 95 Points
I'm a great lover of Bordeaux and I was in heaven drinking this wine. Now 11 years old, it seems to have just reached its peak of maturity and is drinking beautifully. On the nose, there's hints of autumn berries including redcurrants and cinnamon. Then you get to the taste which starts a little subdued, but develops increasingly over a few glasses. Just the right amount of tannin and full enough to let you know it's a great Bordeaux. I savoured the last glass for an hour and as I sipped, I could recall driving the road up from Bordeaux past the great chateaux. Yes, for me, it was that good, I could have been sat in the vineyard! Lovely, and luckily I've got two more bottles. For me, what fine Bordeaux is all about - and at a sensible price too.
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5/7/2007 - espia wrote:
Nice, but not ready to drink yet. Dark, sturdy.
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4/4/2007 - vpoms wrote: 91 Points
Medium body, very light tannins, very smooth. Just a hint of fruit
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2/15/2007 - tendring wrote: 82 Points
Wine Education Service - 10-year old red Bordeaux (Imperial College): Farmyard, somewhat animal, promising.
Drinking reasonably well but not quite integrated, gloopy, smooth, quite long, could improve over the next 10 years.
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1/16/2007 - Topper wrote: 86 Points
Definitely slipping. While the color was still there, the noe was weak and the palate flabby. Bordering on insipid. Maybe yours are in better shape but drink it up now.
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12/31/2006 - vpoms wrote: 87 Points
OK bottle. nothig special, slightly fruity, smoth but a little to tannic
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12/25/2006 - Rob MacKay wrote: 91 Points
Popped our final bottle of this one on Christmas Day. Still holding up well. Many people at the dinner thought this was a $100+ wine.
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11/15/2006 - Dale M wrote: 88 Points
Decanted 2 hrs. Plumy nose combined with earthy violets, and a very slight green (bell pepper) aroma that worked well enough within the context of the other aromas. At first taste, no mistaking this appellation, St.Estephe to the bone. The cassis and weedy flavors had an austere theme, tannins still surprisingly strong, and showing a spry amount of acidity on the finish. Although, an enjoyable drink, I was left wondering if there is sufficient fruit to outlast the tannins? Time will tell…though it deed seem to round out a bit with extended time in the glass.
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11/11/2006 - Grinner wrote: 92 Points
A very nice Bordeaux with cedary oak balanced with black fruit, asian spices, and St Estephe muscle; faded a bit on day 2 to 89 points.
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11/11/2006 - mimik wrote: 90 Points
This had a deep red colour with slight bricking at the rims. A typical bordeaux nose redolent of cassis and pain grille and some vanilla. Smooth on the palate, with still vibrant acidity and a lush texture. Very fine oak scents predominant and into its drinking window. Medium bodies and medium to long finisih.
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9/15/2006 - SimonG wrote:
1995 / 19956 Bordeaux Offline (Alba, London): Either LR 95/96/a.n.other. Deep ruby. Cassis coming thouugh on nose. Higher acidity, more poised on entry. Cassis. Quite long. Guess Lafon Rochet 1996.
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8/20/2006 - cct wrote: 93 Points
This was a step up in depth of color, with a jeweled ruby. Vanilla was the first thing to hit the nose, but then black cherries, cassis, cola, chocolate, plums, and some bell pepper. Very nice. Full bodied mouthfeel with more plums, lots of dark stone fruits , chocolate again, lots of grip still, a touch of green on the finish that I attribute in retrospect to the Franc. Very nice indeed. 93 pts with time in hand.
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7/12/2006 - dd wrote:
good wine tannins still there my guess is another 8 years or so . a little light fruit never quite came out like i thought it should
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7/9/2006 - Rob MacKay wrote: 91 Points
Excellent as always. This is a great value 96 Bordeaux that is in its prime today. The only negative was that it couldn't match the 96 Pichon Longueville we opened at the same time.
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6/25/2006 - Cracker Barrel wrote: 90 Points
Drank with Dan & kim at Stone market cafe in park Slope; very good, drinking well, soft to medium tanins
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6/16/2006 - thijsseg wrote: 91 Points
very good;
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6/12/2006 - Susanville43 wrote: 89 Points
Dark, inky color. Good nose. Dark fruit with light tannins on the back end. A very good wine. Drinking nicely right now.
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5/8/2006 - MRichman wrote:
1996 Bordeaux Horizontal: 1996 Horizontal
Dense, farily simple. Some dark flavors, but a little weak.
B/B+
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3/26/2006 - Rob MacKay wrote: 91 Points
Dark and inky in color with complex fruit flavors and smooth and silky on the palette. An excellent bordeaux from 96.
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2/25/2006 - futronic wrote: 84 Points
Medium-dark colour; ruddy. Weird nose. Muted, with barnyard/stemmy notes. Medium-full bodied, quite tannic. Green, with not much fruit. Short finish, 15s. Tight and disappointing. Might be better with time. Possibly off?
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9/10/2005 - jonnyoro wrote:
Opened this and drank right from the bottle over 2 hours- and it just got better and better in the glass - juicy berries, roasted coffee, medium bodied, nice finish but still very young with sweet tannins- this has to be one of the best QPRs going- purchased a few months ago from premier cru for $30 and a pristine bottle. drinking this was nice and easy- yummy!
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8/27/2004 - SPierson wrote:
Split bottle w/ Carey on Poker night; terrific bottle of wine
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1/11/2004 - Henman wrote:
Restrained fruity nose.Soft and silky,not much fruit left.
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10/20/2001 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
An easy afternoon with close friends; Bordeaux, St. Estephe (@ My place): Deep dark purple. Bouquet loaded with cassis. In the mouth fairly supple and round with some sweetness. Long creamy aftertaste. Good wine, but still too young.
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10/17/1999 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
CT Group does 1996 Bordeaux @ Jeff S: Earthy, tannic and a bit closed. Seems to have the prerequestite fruit, but it is hiding. Will be an excellent wine with time.
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12/13/1998 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
Explosive fruit, harsh tannin, but this is a good wine.
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