Fully mature, the still, deep-colored wine is all about its rich, lush texture and layers of dark cherries, licorice, chocolate, and licorice. Drink 2022-2028.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Really showing well now. Overripe, very smooth, the Malo treatment has really softened the wine but without flattening out its flavor profile too much. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tried over 4 successive nights with a Vin-Vac to preserve it. Nights 1-2 very similar and best with small decline on night 3. By night 4 the wheels were clearly falling off. Score based upon nights 1-3. A still chunky tannin wine where the fruit never really shows was seems to be lurking underneath. Not sure what is going on but the Oak, tannins and underbrush dominate too much. I've got one bottle that I'll set aside for another year to see what happens, but although the price point is good I've not found a bottle that could come close to the RP rating.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This took a couple hours to smooth out, although still a long way away from being silky. Tannins still a bit gritty at first and with plenty of backbone after 2 hours. Dense black fruits with some elements of cream, Oak and dried herbs. Hints of wet stone, but this wine still needs time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Upon opening I was overcome by the most corked wine I have ever encountered. Normally TCA gets worse with more air, and just to see how bad this bottle could get I put it outside with only the cork pulled for 45 minutes. Even from a distance of a couple of feet in the open air you could catch the cork taint. I guess this bottle was impressive in its own bad way. I've had a half dozen of these, and none were corked before. Hoping this is a one-off problem.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A dry Merlot with some nice underbrush elements to go with restrained but just ripe blueberry fruit. Some vanilla Oak. Notwithstanding the malo treatment, the tannins still have plenty of backbone.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is really starting to come into its own. After an hour layers slightly sweet blue and black fruits came through the dried herbs and cedar. Very smooth with maybe some more upside yet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Good stuff, started out slowly, bouquet came around, medium bodied with a slightly grainy texture, great fruit, smooth tannins, long finish, nicely balanced, drink up, great structure, 10 years old, wow, would drink again but won’t find it, drank with veal chops.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Delightful nose. Cherry licorice, tobacco, graphite, light floral elements. Ample acidity and gripping tannins that linger. Excellent Right Bank merlot. Easy five more years in the cellar, but no need to wait.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The malo ferm has certainly made this wine prematurely soft and rounded. Not my favorite style, but certainly a very enjoyable wine with good solid fruit from a big year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
For anyone who thinks they don't like merlot, this wine should be their next purchase. It is exquisitely perfumed, fleshy without being unctious and thoroughly satifying. A really exceptional St Emilion that should drink well over the next few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Winebar [3 Whites & 6 Reds] from 07/21/17 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Typically, 100% Merlot from 38 to 45 yr old vines grown in the communes of St Sulpice de Faleyrens & St Laurent des Combes on sandy gravel, deep gravels, & cool ferriferous sub-soils. Fermented in s/s with malolactic & aging on the less (16 mos) in 100% new barrels.
N: CLOSED; some vanilla, spice/smoke with air? Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss LM, body; Rndish entry with almost swtish frt met by some firming, slightly puckerish astringency which pretty much continues (albeit seamlessly) through the LONG, spicy, ult very slightly tangy finish. NEEDS until '20 min, but does it have the frt for the long term? I'M not feelin' it... :( 93 pts WA & 90 WS. [As of mid-June 2018, I doubt this vendor still has any of this @ $44.95.]
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I think I was too early to this wine as it was not as smooth as I had expected and the heat was more present than its 13.5% alcohol content suggested. So I am going to wait a couple of years to try my other bottles. There are worse fates.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Further to my tasting notes of 2014_08_29, This has come together oh so beautifully. Even better compared to last year. The rough, tarry edges have smoothened, even sweetened out. The aromas are even more complex and evolved. Fantastic mid-palate and elegant finish. Love this wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark purple color turning violet/ruby at the rim. The nose is exquisitely perfumed with notes of dark berry fruit, tobacco, leather and incense. The palate is bold, full-bodied and intense, yet ultra-silky in texture. Flavors of currant, graphite, liqueur, plum, fig, and espresso come together in a great blend that's layered, balanced and bright in acidity. This is really attractive, sexy and flamboyant. But for all its preamble (on the nose and even on the massive mid-palate), the finish is a bit short. Drink now with a 30-minute decant until 2024.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Balanced and elegant. Great structure and rounded tannins. Young, it is dominated by aromas and flavors of berries. Hard to stop drinking. It is the first Bordeaux wine from 2009 vintage that I drink, and if the wine is good, imagine the wines of the first echelon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red, medium to full body. Smooth, but earthy. Well made but need time to develop. Vanilla and coffee, not a lot of fruit. A little boring at this point but its early in its life and I think this should develop well. Hold until 2015.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I really liked the 2008 version and this may be even more impressive. A short decant (1/2 hr) brought this to life with fresh, mostly dark red and some small black fruits. It continued to sweeten over the next hr+ . The taste was fresh and inviting with surprising smoothness from the already round tannins. This comes across as a soft modern polished style but with classic notes of cigar tobacco and hints of #2 pencil which shift the style back to more traditional presentation. There is a surprising amount of grip and structure in this wine that will show up many famous bottles from lesser vintages at many multiples of the price. Long exposure to air at this point causes it to shut down & bring out some bitter notes,so don't over decant right now. I think it has the stuffing to improve, in which case, current ratings will prove conservative. Would be appreciated by those that love Bordeaux but have an issue with the pricing of the big names in the 09 vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very tight out of the bottle, this never came together completely, even by day three. There is, nonetheless, a lot to like. Very dark and brooding, with plenty of right bank iron bite. I like my right bank smoother and a bit silkier. In time, this may integrate and be a truly great qpr. I'd serve it as accompaniment to hearty lamb or beef dishes or bold cheeses.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
I love it! In the glass you can see that it is highly extracted. It's 100% merlot, but you wouldn't know it. Wonderful sweet nose. Kind of Napa meets Bordeaux. Maybe a hint of maple syrup.. Superb mouthfeel. Smooth and velvety with a stretched-out finish. I paid less than $30 for this. Tuck it away and try it again in 3 years. This is good for medium term cellaring.
:0)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not bad after 6 hour decanting. I would say medium body not that much flavor profile and at 6 hour very little heat and not that dry but pass that time it comes back acid. Would buy few more to lay and use as party drinks.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
12/25/2022 - dankrems wrote: 91 Points
2.5 hour decant. Classic Bordeaux nose. Earthy, with rich dark berries, tobacco. Very nice. Began to fade at the 4-5 hour mark. A nice wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/22/2022 - dankrems wrote: 88 Points
A bit tannic still. Some fruit and leather and oak but nothing special.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/7/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 91 Points
Fully mature, the still, deep-colored wine is all about its rich, lush texture and layers of dark cherries, licorice, chocolate, and licorice. Drink 2022-2028.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/23/2022 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really showing well now. Overripe, very smooth, the Malo treatment has really softened the wine but without flattening out its flavor profile too much. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/21/2021 - mxpbuy wrote: 89 Points
Tried over 4 successive nights with a Vin-Vac to preserve it. Nights 1-2 very similar and best with small decline on night 3. By night 4 the wheels were clearly falling off. Score based upon nights 1-3. A still chunky tannin wine where the fruit never really shows was seems to be lurking underneath. Not sure what is going on but the Oak, tannins and underbrush dominate too much. I've got one bottle that I'll set aside for another year to see what happens, but although the price point is good I've not found a bottle that could come close to the RP rating.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/17/2020 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 90 Points
This took a couple hours to smooth out, although still a long way away from being silky. Tannins still a bit gritty at first and with plenty of backbone after 2 hours. Dense black fruits with some elements of cream, Oak and dried herbs. Hints of wet stone, but this wine still needs time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2020 - pkatz Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pleasant.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/22/2020 - mxpbuy wrote: flawed
Upon opening I was overcome by the most corked wine I have ever encountered. Normally TCA gets worse with more air, and just to see how bad this bottle could get I put it outside with only the cork pulled for 45 minutes. Even from a distance of a couple of feet in the open air you could catch the cork taint. I guess this bottle was impressive in its own bad way. I've had a half dozen of these, and none were corked before. Hoping this is a one-off problem.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/28/2020 - STEVEN@WINECELLARCLUB.COM wrote: 88 Points
TOO MUCH WOOD. OVERPOWERS FRUIT.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/30/2020 - Shugs_Claret Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark plums and cherries with a touch earthiness to the nose. Dark cherries on the palate with lively acidity. Nice.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/11/2020 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
A dry Merlot with some nice underbrush elements to go with restrained but just ripe blueberry fruit. Some vanilla Oak. Notwithstanding the malo treatment, the tannins still have plenty of backbone.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/11/2019 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
This wine is really starting to come into its own. After an hour layers slightly sweet blue and black fruits came through the dried herbs and cedar. Very smooth with maybe some more upside yet.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2019 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
After 30 minutes the fruit started to come around. Soft, elegant Merlot with some nice blue fruit, sweet Oak, some herbs.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/2/2019 - mwneil Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good stuff, started out slowly, bouquet came around, medium bodied with a slightly grainy texture, great fruit, smooth tannins, long finish, nicely balanced, drink up, great structure, 10 years old, wow, would drink again but won’t find it, drank with veal chops.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/13/2019 - Ron Van Holland Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delightful nose. Cherry licorice, tobacco, graphite, light floral elements. Ample acidity and gripping tannins that linger. Excellent Right Bank merlot. Easy five more years in the cellar, but no need to wait.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2018 - Arvidien wrote: 87 Points
Très bien.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/7/2018 - wabi47 wrote: 89 Points
very good plum and black cherry, pencil lead. a bit heavy right now as the fruit still winning out over acidity
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/6/2017 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 89 Points
The malo ferm has certainly made this wine prematurely soft and rounded. Not my favorite style, but certainly a very enjoyable wine with good solid fruit from a big year.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/3/2017 - Ranjack Likes this wine: 92 Points
For anyone who thinks they don't like merlot, this wine should be their next purchase. It is exquisitely perfumed, fleshy without being unctious and thoroughly satifying. A really exceptional St Emilion that should drink well over the next few years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2017 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [3 Whites & 6 Reds] from 07/21/17 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Typically, 100% Merlot from 38 to 45 yr old vines grown in the communes of St Sulpice de Faleyrens & St Laurent des Combes on sandy gravel, deep gravels, & cool ferriferous sub-soils. Fermented in s/s with malolactic & aging on the less (16 mos) in 100% new barrels.
N: CLOSED; some vanilla, spice/smoke with air? Intensity lurking?
P: Med, poss LM, body; Rndish entry with almost swtish frt met by some firming, slightly puckerish astringency which pretty much continues (albeit seamlessly) through the LONG, spicy, ult very slightly tangy finish. NEEDS until '20 min, but does it have the frt for the long term? I'M not feelin' it... :( 93 pts WA & 90 WS. [As of mid-June 2018, I doubt this vendor still has any of this @ $44.95.]
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2015 - Good Stuff Likes this wine: 88 Points
I think I was too early to this wine as it was not as smooth as I had expected and the heat was more present than its 13.5% alcohol content suggested. So I am going to wait a couple of years to try my other bottles. There are worse fates.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/5/2015 - Arvidien wrote: 87 Points
Très bien.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/27/2015 - patsox wrote: 89 Points
Quite smooth, flavorful and enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/3/2015 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Further to my tasting notes of 2014_08_29, This has come together oh so beautifully. Even better compared to last year. The rough, tarry edges have smoothened, even sweetened out. The aromas are even more complex and evolved. Fantastic mid-palate and elegant finish. Love this wine!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2014 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple color turning violet/ruby at the rim. The nose is exquisitely perfumed with notes of dark berry fruit, tobacco, leather and incense. The palate is bold, full-bodied and intense, yet ultra-silky in texture. Flavors of currant, graphite, liqueur, plum, fig, and espresso come together in a great blend that's layered, balanced and bright in acidity. This is really attractive, sexy and flamboyant. But for all its preamble (on the nose and even on the massive mid-palate), the finish is a bit short. Drink now with a 30-minute decant until 2024.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/9/2014 - LFCHALA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Balanced and elegant. Great structure and rounded tannins. Young, it is dominated by aromas and flavors of berries. Hard to stop drinking. It is the first Bordeaux wine from 2009 vintage that I drink, and if the wine is good, imagine the wines of the first echelon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2013 - DravlaH Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark red, medium to full body. Smooth, but earthy. Well made but need time to develop. Vanilla and coffee, not a lot of fruit. A little boring at this point but its early in its life and I think this should develop well. Hold until 2015.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/14/2013 - bon vivant wrote: 91 Points
I really liked the 2008 version and this may be even more impressive. A short decant (1/2 hr) brought this to life with fresh, mostly dark red and some small black fruits. It continued to sweeten over the next hr+ . The taste was fresh and inviting with surprising smoothness from the already round tannins. This comes across as a soft modern polished style but with classic notes of cigar tobacco and hints of #2 pencil which shift the style back to more traditional presentation. There is a surprising amount of grip and structure in this wine that will show up many famous bottles from lesser vintages at many multiples of the price. Long exposure to air at this point causes it to shut down & bring out some bitter notes,so don't over decant right now. I think it has the stuffing to improve, in which case, current ratings will prove conservative. Would be appreciated by those that love Bordeaux but have an issue with the pricing of the big names in the 09 vintage.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/1/2013 - mattdathan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Strong tannins, but full fruit and long finish - needs more time to settle in the bottle. Suggest it's left to mature another 12 - 18 months at least.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/22/2012 - maxfischer Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very tight out of the bottle, this never came together completely, even by day three. There is, nonetheless, a lot to like. Very dark and brooding, with plenty of right bank iron bite. I like my right bank smoother and a bit silkier. In time, this may integrate and be a truly great qpr. I'd serve it as accompaniment to hearty lamb or beef dishes or bold cheeses.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2012 - TheDarkPrince Likes this wine: 91 Points
Another 2009 Bordeaux gem.
I love it! In the glass you can see that it is highly extracted. It's 100% merlot, but you wouldn't know it. Wonderful sweet nose. Kind of Napa meets Bordeaux. Maybe a hint of maple syrup.. Superb mouthfeel. Smooth and velvety with a stretched-out finish. I paid less than $30 for this. Tuck it away and try it again in 3 years. This is good for medium term cellaring.
:0)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/1/2012 - aquaman wrote: 90 Points
Not bad after 6 hour decanting. I would say medium body not that much flavor profile and at 6 hour very little heat and not that dry but pass that time it comes back acid. Would buy few more to lay and use as party drinks.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/22/2012 - teenaging wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for about 90 minutes, this softened quite a bit, and proved a well balanced, complex, delicious food friendly (beef) wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2012 - ekenneth wrote: 90 Points
Yummy, right-bank wine porn. This is big, lush and delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment