Another delicious bottle of this, my last one... Savory, graphite, terrific green tobacco scents, dry impact, some leatheriness, cedar, sour cherry. Light, bright and long. Fully mature, happy trails old friend.
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This is lovely. Old-school, this sort of wine should be an object lesson for wine makers on how light-bodied wines make for beguiling aromatics, and if possessing good acidity like this 2000 TSB, plently of life without lots of extract. That all said, this is also the kind of wine Bordeaux sceptics would hate given its herby bouquet of basil-thyme-mint and semi-austere earthiness. I love it, could be my favorite $10 bottle of wine out there. Ths cru bourgeois is in a good place right now, with the herby notes starting to show some claret cedar. The palate has a surprisingly full texture, some good sweetness, but overall this is all about red berries and brightness, with a hint of sour orange and a distinctive finishing note of olive oil. Make no mistake, this wine is on the lighter and leaner end of the fruit spectrum, and is the better for it. There's still plenty of tannin on the finish, but this is probably at peak.
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Since the 1990 vintage, a go-to petit chateau for me in strong vintages. The 2000 is very nice, with a lovely red-fruited perfume that's a clear expression of old-school claret. Nothing OTT or spoofed here, just a well-made wine (very clean, no brett as in some older vintages) from an excellent vintage. Like the Poujeaux, the palate is mostly about elegance and balance with food-friendly acidity, and perhaps a bit more stuffing would improve the wine, but at $12 for a classy claret, who's bitchin'? My favorite of the quartet by a hair over Potensac. Parker once called this a poor man's Grand Puy Lacoste, and I have to agree. Drinking well now.
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Lite red mixed with sediment. Strongly perfumed red fruits and black pepper on the nose. Red fruit centric. Mild sweetness. Vanilla. Reminds me of a more rustic version of a ducru-beaucaillou. Finish fades a bit quickly and is bitter. A bit strong on the acids with nice tannins.
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Per a suggestion, I'm dipping into my stash of 2000 TSB. It's been 3 years since I last tried this wine, and it's coming along nicely. Still stemmy with notes of iron and smoke, it's also starting to show some age. It has a crazy nose (in a good way) of black tea, creosote, smoke, ash, and cinder. The palate is lean and light-bodied (lighter than the 1996), but filled with crisp acids and classic claret flavors of cassis and lead pencil that beg for red meat. There's not much tannin anymore, so I say drink 'em if ya got 'em. Solid B/B+ with a steak. If you like Bordeaux, one of the best $10 wines in the world.
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Brick red colour , bouquet not enticing , a bit funky but rather sludgy. Slight caramel note on the palate which is odd , not much fruit unexceptional if inoffensive red wine - just a very strange wine altogether . Possibly flawed
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Yep, still working for me. Tannins more or less embedded, nice open nose, a layer of fruit, a bit of spice. Body has worked up a little but nothing too grand. Enjoyed this one over a couple of night, the second night was by far the poorer.
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Quite a simple cru bourgeois, not a blockbuster but one designed for subtler flavours. Deep garnet with bricking round the rim. Initially the nose was quite tight with a hint of cedar, after 2 hours decanting more cassis aroma appeared. On the palate the wine was quite light bodied with more cassis and cedar, carried by smooth tannins and refreshing acidity. Enjoyable but nothing special.
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Another bash at (just under) a tenner's worth of claret. For some reason my expectations were quite low but this was a pleasant surprise. Open from the off, blackish fruits giving way to more mineral layers underneath. Still a bit of tannin in there giving it a bit of backbone and a tight finish. Dryish, still a bit "clacky" at the end. Not at all bad.
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NB From mag. Decanted for 2 hours before serving with chicken casserole. A pleasant surprise! Very nice, cedar/lead pencil and dark fruits nose and palate. Medium bodied and refreshing.
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A more than adequate little everyday Bordeaux, with juicy red and black fruit flavors, touch of mineral and cigar box spice. Good acidity holds it together and makes it food friendly.
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A lighter than expected colour. Slightly woody and vegetal/rubbish tip nose. On the palate it's not got much depth and the acidity is fairly prominent, but it's smooth and has an unusual spicy bite to the finish. Fine, but no great shakes. Second night the wine has settled down and the stink has gone, buit so has the spicy bite. Better with food, but rather dull in the final analysis.
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Translucent ruby; currant, smoke, tobacco in a light to medium-bodied frame. Acidity is rather high, somewhat hard in texture. Sweeter fruit comes out after a while... but by then the nose has disappeared into the night...
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Medium ruby, with weakness at fringe. Upon pouring showed a 'vinegary' nose, a bit of a worry. Hint of olive too - strange so far. Quickly develops a ripe, regional nose which is dominated by fresh tobacco. Then some oak emerges, but this gives way to very ripe merlot. The tobacco notes return, though. I like the minimal wood. The palate was a little tight/acidic at first. It then developed the ripeness of the vintage and showed good definition and purity. A little chewy still, but this is coming along well. Quite lovely, ripe, everyday left-bank Bordeaux. Very good.
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2/24/2023 - phynes wrote: 87 Points
Enjoyed a bottle over dinner. Very smooth and easy to drink although the fruit has faded and it would be viewed by most as over the hill.
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3/3/2016 - blanquito wrote:
Another delicious bottle of this, my last one... Savory, graphite, terrific green tobacco scents, dry impact, some leatheriness, cedar, sour cherry. Light, bright and long. Fully mature, happy trails old friend.
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4/29/2013 - blanquito wrote: 90 Points
This is lovely. Old-school, this sort of wine should be an object lesson for wine makers on how light-bodied wines make for beguiling aromatics, and if possessing good acidity like this 2000 TSB, plently of life without lots of extract. That all said, this is also the kind of wine Bordeaux sceptics would hate given its herby bouquet of basil-thyme-mint and semi-austere earthiness. I love it, could be my favorite $10 bottle of wine out there. Ths cru bourgeois is in a good place right now, with the herby notes starting to show some claret cedar. The palate has a surprisingly full texture, some good sweetness, but overall this is all about red berries and brightness, with a hint of sour orange and a distinctive finishing note of olive oil. Make no mistake, this wine is on the lighter and leaner end of the fruit spectrum, and is the better for it. There's still plenty of tannin on the finish, but this is probably at peak.
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4/14/2012 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 92 Points
i have to revise my last years rating. this is lovely and for 5 euros simply fantastc. my last one
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10/21/2011 - blanquito wrote: 89 Points
Since the 1990 vintage, a go-to petit chateau for me in strong vintages. The 2000 is very nice, with a lovely red-fruited perfume that's a clear expression of old-school claret. Nothing OTT or spoofed here, just a well-made wine (very clean, no brett as in some older vintages) from an excellent vintage. Like the Poujeaux, the palate is mostly about elegance and balance with food-friendly acidity, and perhaps a bit more stuffing would improve the wine, but at $12 for a classy claret, who's bitchin'? My favorite of the quartet by a hair over Potensac. Parker once called this a poor man's Grand Puy Lacoste, and I have to agree. Drinking well now.
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5/11/2011 - bobbylion wrote: 85 Points
smell is more like 90. but the taste is overcooked jam. oh well, i think i paid 5 euros for it.
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12/5/2010 - TexasBob wrote: 90 Points
Lite red mixed with sediment. Strongly perfumed red fruits and black pepper on the nose. Red fruit centric. Mild sweetness. Vanilla. Reminds me of a more rustic version of a ducru-beaucaillou. Finish fades a bit quickly and is bitter. A bit strong on the acids with nice tannins.
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4/20/2010 - blanquito wrote:
Per a suggestion, I'm dipping into my stash of 2000 TSB. It's been 3 years since I last tried this wine, and it's coming along nicely. Still stemmy with notes of iron and smoke, it's also starting to show some age. It has a crazy nose (in a good way) of black tea, creosote, smoke, ash, and cinder. The palate is lean and light-bodied (lighter than the 1996), but filled with crisp acids and classic claret flavors of cassis and lead pencil that beg for red meat. There's not much tannin anymore, so I say drink 'em if ya got 'em. Solid B/B+ with a steak. If you like Bordeaux, one of the best $10 wines in the world.
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4/10/2010 - Ardross wrote: 65 Points
Sludgey and fruitless a shockingly poor wine for the vintage.
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12/25/2009 - rjsmall wrote:
Had for Christmas lunch. Mature, slight browness on the rim. Vegital nose. Nice.
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10/25/2009 - stueys wrote: 84 Points
Not shabby at all given the price, well integrated, nice fruit, benefits from about an hour's worth of air
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9/19/2009 - Ardross wrote: 77 Points
Brick red colour , bouquet not enticing , a bit funky but rather sludgy. Slight caramel note on the palate which is odd , not much fruit unexceptional if inoffensive red wine - just a very strange wine altogether . Possibly flawed
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3/25/2009 - mark_m_owen wrote: 86 Points
Yep, still working for me. Tannins more or less embedded, nice open nose, a layer of fruit, a bit of spice. Body has worked up a little but nothing too grand. Enjoyed this one over a couple of night, the second night was by far the poorer.
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1/24/2009 - Biggsy wrote: 86 Points
Quite a simple cru bourgeois, not a blockbuster but one designed for subtler flavours. Deep garnet with bricking round the rim. Initially the nose was quite tight with a hint of cedar, after 2 hours decanting more cassis aroma appeared. On the palate the wine was quite light bodied with more cassis and cedar, carried by smooth tannins and refreshing acidity. Enjoyable but nothing special.
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9/30/2008 - mark_m_owen wrote: 86 Points
Another bash at (just under) a tenner's worth of claret. For some reason my expectations were quite low but this was a pleasant surprise. Open from the off, blackish fruits giving way to more mineral layers underneath. Still a bit of tannin in there giving it a bit of backbone and a tight finish. Dryish, still a bit "clacky" at the end. Not at all bad.
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4/19/2008 - DAN BAILEY wrote: 88 Points
NB From mag. Decanted for 2 hours before serving with chicken casserole. A pleasant surprise! Very nice, cedar/lead pencil and dark fruits nose and palate. Medium bodied and refreshing.
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4/12/2008 - rjsmall wrote:
Drank at BBQ.
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3/24/2008 - rjsmall wrote:
Had with beef for lunch. Good match - earthy, slight tannins.
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3/20/2008 - rjsmall wrote:
Medium body. Light tannis. A touch of oak. Way too quaffable!
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2/12/2008 - IlonaN wrote: 86 Points
A more than adequate little everyday Bordeaux, with juicy red and black fruit flavors, touch of mineral and cigar box spice. Good acidity holds it together and makes it food friendly.
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12/9/2006 - king-bing wrote: 84 Points
A lighter than expected colour. Slightly woody and vegetal/rubbish tip nose. On the palate it's not got much depth and the acidity is fairly prominent, but it's smooth and has an unusual spicy bite to the finish. Fine, but no great shakes. Second night the wine has settled down and the stink has gone, buit so has the spicy bite. Better with food, but rather dull in the final analysis.
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6/11/2006 - djdawid wrote: 89 Points
Drinking perfectly now, nice peppery bite.
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6/3/2006 - bknysak wrote: 85 Points
Translucent ruby; currant, smoke, tobacco in a light to medium-bodied frame. Acidity is rather high, somewhat hard in texture. Sweeter fruit comes out after a while... but by then the nose has disappeared into the night...
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3/3/2006 - Ingmars wrote:
Medium ruby, with weakness at fringe. Upon pouring showed a 'vinegary' nose, a bit of a worry. Hint of olive too - strange so far. Quickly develops a ripe, regional nose which is dominated by fresh tobacco. Then some oak emerges, but this gives way to very ripe merlot. The tobacco notes return, though. I like the minimal wood. The palate was a little tight/acidic at first. It then developed the ripeness of the vintage and showed good definition and purity. A little chewy still, but this is coming along well. Quite lovely, ripe, everyday left-bank Bordeaux. Very good.
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