This was pleasantly surprising. Decanted for one hour. Wonderful dark purple color with a hint of the beginning of an orange rim. Fragrant black nose that lasted through the night. Dark black blackberry and raspberry. Good follow.
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A very deep and rich wine showing fully mature now with dark raspberry and boysenberry fruits and a really opulent, velvety texture. There are delicious accents here of smoked dark chocolate, truffles and decadent spices and the finish shows just a bit of tannins left. Delicious but typical of this wine for me in that it shows some alcoholic heat and lacks terroir-specificity especially compared to the Figeac. Comanderie Edwardian dinner 2/29/24.
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I never have enjoyed this wine although most people did. I find it tannic and did not drink it Smthird best wine of a set of 4 right bank wines at Edwardian dinner
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DC Dinners and Tastings; 2/24/2024-2/26/2024 (Washington, DC): Cheese rind, black licorice and fresh green herbs on the nose. Smells a bit funky, and not a lot of fruit. Medium + intensity of aromas, which is not a great thing for this. The palate, however, fares better. It shows flavors of tobacco, chestnuts, over ripe dark plums, over ripe blackberries and brown sugar. The finish is oak-driven, showing more wood and some caramel. Almost reminiscent of Cognac.
Medium + body with medium + acid and medium + tannin. If ratings were only for structure; this wine would recieve 100 points. As far as flavors go, however, you can tell this is well into the second half of its life.
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Robe encore bien opaque malgré les 33 ans au compteur.Bouquet sensationnel de complexité:il offre des senteurs de fruits noirs (cassis,mûre) de fruits rouges (groseille),de café,moka,de feuilles de thé,d'épices douces bref c'est passionnant de constater cette évolution au fur et à mesure de l'aération alors qu'une décantation avant consommation de 1h30 a déjà eu lieu.La bouche confirme: c'est juteux,suave,de l'hédonisme pur et dur.Cet assemblage 50%Cabernet franc 50% merlot donne sa pleine mesure.Magnifique longueur.Bouteille sublime qui confirmait le renouveau du château après des années maigres.Intéressant aussi de comparer 89 à 90 deux grands millésimes à n'en point douter.
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The nose is very complex with both red and black fruit as well as cassis and a touch of licorice. The palate is still powerful with similar notes of fruit and a touch of leather. The tannins are plush and the finish is long.This is a spectacular wine but alas it was my last bottle.
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So I bought a cellar; 11/12/2022-12/31/2030: I had high, but reserved expectations here. Of the wines I opened, this cork was in the worst condition. Fully saturated, and something nasty and black on the top. I don't think there was any wax seal under the foil, but it was something more than mold or seepage. I cleaned that off as best I could, and opened with the durand. Nothing else would have worked...But the nose was good. Very little to no barnyard or funk, and muted red and black fruit. Test pour was nice. Left open for a few hours, then brief decant before serving. This wine was certainly the biggest wine of the night, with a deep red fruit profile, and strong, mouth-drying tannins. It was not the best Bordeaux or Bordeaux-experience I have ever had (that was either a 2000 Cheval Blanc or a 2000 Pavie) but was this was the WOTN for most people. This wine can go longer.
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JD Friday Wine Group Hosting; 2/17/2023-2/18/2023 (City Club - Wine Room): I had high, but reserved expectations here. Of the wines I opened, this cork was in the worst condition. Fully saturated, and something nasty and black on the top. I don't think there was any wax seal under the foil, but it was something more than mold or seepage. I cleaned that off as best I could, and opened with the durand. Nothing else would have worked...But the nose was good. Very little to no barnyard or funk, and muted red and black fruit. Test pour was nice. Left open for a few hours, then brief decant before serving. This wine was certainly the biggest wine of the night, with a deep red fruit profile, and strong, mouth-drying tannins. It was not the best Bordeaux or Bordeaux-experience I have ever had (that was either a 2000 Cheval Blanc or a 2000 Pavie) but was this was the WOTN for most people. This wine can go longer.
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Birthday Celebration (Racquet Club - Chicago IL): Alongside the 1989 vintage. Powerful, ripe, and harmonious, this has always been a beauty, but tonight the 1989 seems to have caught up and even moved out in front.
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Multifaceted nose of cassis, plum, and pine needle. Soft, sexy texture with ripe acidity. As I wrote with my last bottle, the 1990 Angélus perfectly rides the line between hedonistic and elegant. Drink now through 2030+.
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Side-by-side with the 90 Client and 90 Cheval Blanc, this was the standout for its full-throttled, powerful, rich, chewy fruit with lift and energy to match. Outstanding.
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Wonderful nose of violet and dark. Fabulous concentration and perfect balance. Dark fruit, floral notes, coffee and touch of chocolate. Silky texture and long finish.
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48x 1990 (37x Bdx, 6x Napa, 5x others): This is the best bottle Angelus 1990 and the best out of the 28 Angelus vintages I‘ve tried to date, drinking on a 97+ pts level. The highlights are the high complexity paired with a superb balance and finesse. In my book it edged out all right banks in this tasting, having a slight edge over the Beausejour Duffau (96 pts), magnificent Petrus and Lafleur bottles (95 pts) which need a few more years to develop the same tertiary complexity and a touch ahead of the Evangile (95 pts) which has that but overall doesn‘t have the same concentration.
TN: Expressive nose full of leather, tobacco, some hints of brett, herbs and a strong minertality component. Super soft, sharply delineated. Wow. On the palate this is very soft, round with loads of tobacco, leather and some black truffle, a strong dark fruit core with fine red fruit, herbs and minerality. Very complex and highly precise. Melted tannins, good tension, medium+ Acidity, round and soft, creamy texture. Super balance and a long, long tobacco-driven finish with additional notes of herbs, truffles. The complete package. The wine gains concentration, sexiness, complexity with every minute in the glass.
Decanting: Quick double decant roughly 3 hours before the tasting which seemed perfect for this bottle.
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The last time I came across this wine was in 2019 and it made a strong impression on me. Since then, it has stuck in my mind as one of the finest Bordeaux I have ever tasted.
The nose is breathtakingly elegant. When re-reading my notes on 2019, I had written “diffuse nose”. That's not the case here. There is everything from the great classic Bordeaux: tobacco, sweet spices, leather, dark fruit still bright, a touch of exotic wood… I found myself smelling the wine more than drinking it throughout the meal.
The palate is not to be outdone, vibrant, all in subtlety, textured like silk, with a juice that is completely loosened with delicacy. It is so noble and complex on both woody fruits and tobacco. Layered and balanced wine with a smooth acidity to which a few spices are added to finish on a magnificent finish, of a rare texture, on aromas of leather, with melted tannins and a length as refined as it is endless.
A great Bordeaux!
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At its absolute peak of performance, now the wine has shifted to a floral bouquet to get things started with nuances of roses, lilacs, and lilies before you find truffles, dark cocoa, blackberry, licorice and plums. Soft, silky and elegant, the wine feels soft and polished on your palate, before finishing with dark cocoa, plum, and truffle in the endnote. Not decanted, just popped, poured and enjoyed for 2 hours. There is no reason to hold off opening a bottle of this gem if you have any.
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Clearly the wine of the day. First growth level, excellent length and complexity, silky and refined on the palate. Ripe and lush without excess, masterful wine making.
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Close to perfection. Double-decanted 2 hours before tasting. Impressive aristocratic nose of cedar wood, whiffs of eucalyptus, pencil shave, tobacco.Tasted blind we thought the wine was 10/12 years younger. Lovely structure, perfect balance, tension and richness, freshness and intensity, cashmere tanins, aromas of cedar, cassis, truffle, leather, cigar box. Amazing wine, with still a few decades ahead.
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A good example of 90 Angelus, with a brief decant, offering a finely-detailed nose of mixed berries, plum, clove, leather, and potpourri. I love the cool yet concentrated style here; ripeness without heat. The palate is as fresh as the nose is decadent with an herbal, pencil, truffle character that transitions seamlessly into a long finish (when you can finally convince yourself to swallow it, that is).
60% Merlot 40% Cabernet Franc ABV 13.5%
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Tasted blind at dinner with the 1989, which was elegant, but the 1990 was a wow, much deeper, richer more complex, the group clearly preferred the 1990. Both bottles came from the same cellar.
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20 Vintages of Angelus (1988-2015): All wines tasted single blind. A few observations and conclusions: It seems that until more recently, Angelus focused on late picking, big wines with too much extraction. Most pre 2004 wines we tasted did not show well and are drying out or already have. The younger vintages showed better but only time will tell if the 2004 to 2015 vintages will age more gracefully. An experienced Angelus collector mentioned a style shift towards more finesse right after the promotion to Premier Grand Cru Classe A with the 2012 vintage. It would have been great to include more of the recent vintages (we had only 09/10/14/15) to better understand when and to what extent that shift happened. Still, there are some very good wines with the 2010 being the WOTN (rated 96+ pts, the structuredness, freshness and purity of the vintage shines through), narrowly ahead of the 2008 (96pts, these 2008 right banks are singing these days and are incredibly fresh) as well as two wines with 95 pts, the 2005 (slightly closed but lots of complexity and no structural deficits) and the 2015 (showcasing the stylistic shift: there aren’t many 2015s out there that share the light- and airiness and perfect ripeness level and purity with their respective 2010 counterparts).
TN: Medium- expressive nose only with not very precise expression of dark red fruits, herbs and minerality, the fruit is only in the background here, some leather and herbs but not that good. On the palate this is bright and fresh from the start to finish, light and rather airy with fresh red fruit, slightly candied, ripe but not too ripe, minerality and herbs, nice coffee layer, some leather. Good length but and fine tannins and a well integrated acidity. A good wine. Maybe more air, a proper decant would have helped the wine to open up more and show more layers. No structural deficits. 93/94 pts.
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Angélus vertical (Fribourg): Angélus vertical of 20 vintages. Main observations were : 1/ Older vintages before the mid-2000s often suffered from drying tannin and showed a lot of extraction, 2/ Younger vintages quickly benefited from aeration hence decanting advised, 3/ the fruit profile became darker over time 4/ best vintage to drink today: 2004. All wines were directly poured with no prior decant and served in flights of 4.
Tasting note: Ripe, borderline over-extracted fruit, a bit kirsch-like, some leather and earth. Heavy acidity overhang with not much structure left to hold everything together. Feels tired and past its prime. The cork revealed afterwards was completely soaked and the owner did mention he thought immediately this was flawed. That said, the gang voted this wine of the flight and many liked it. I think this was slightly off and I did have a much better bottle once. Also worth noting I got the last pour from the bottle which was loaded with sediment.
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Opened and decanted 6 hours before table service. Served after the Chateau Margaux and this was such a huge bundle of Cab Franc and Merlot, that initially I wondered if we were in California rather than St. Emilion. Crushed black currant on the nose with silky black Chelan cherries and shaved pencil lead on the huge grippy palate, with a finish of deer leather, tartufo nero and cedar. What a hedonistic monster of a wine
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So silky, with lush dark fruits and subtle spices. As good a St. Emillion as I have had the pleasure to taste. This is good to go, but could be held a few more years. Unfortunately this was our last bottle ...
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A Tour de Force 'Best Bottle' Tasting (Republique, Los Angeles): I loved everything about this bottle, youthful and exuberant, with layers of black and blue fruit, both sweet and tart, plus mocha and some herbs. The aggressive tannins suggest that in time the fruit may round out and lengthen, too.
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From an outstanding looking bottle purchased on release, this wine had a red/purple center with oranging rims. The medium+ intensity nose generated plum, blackberry, and mineral notes with a hint of sage and tobacco.
This was attractive when first opened but was at its best after 5+ hours in a decanter. It was ripe and rich but with gorgeously rounded tannin, solid acidity, and very good length.
This wine appears to be part of the way through its drinking window. Additional improvement would only be likely if you like your wines with more mature flavors. However, it should easily last at this level for 10-20 years. An excellent Merlot/Cab Franc experience!
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JR Group of Six Dinner (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind next to the 1990 Château Lynch-Bages, 1990 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, and 1990 Château Beausejour. Still quite fresh and oyouthful, this took a bit of time to open up despite being decanted earlier in the evening. Darker in profile than the previous two wines, displaying black cherries, lead pencil, mossy forest floor, and mushrooms. On the palate this was rounder and riper than the two left bank wines, with a touch of wild stank and plenty of peppery spice. Great silky mouthfeel, this definitely appeared more youthful visually than the other wines yet was still an absolute pleasure to drink at this age. Based on the freshness of this bottle there’s no rush at all on these.
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Wine Night in Charlotte -- Cork Vault Bottle Share Returns! (Charlotte, NC): opened at 7pm and decanted; Nose exploded with amazing aromas during the decant (I was ~2 feet away); sampled shortly thereafter and everything was there but you could smell and taste the youth -- far closer to a 10 year old than a 30 year. We set the wine aside and came back 2 hours later. Upon returning to the wine it was everything you could hope for: amazing opulent Old World nose (leather, tobacco, mushrooms, dark cherries); gentle minerality with rich, deep flavors on the palate (red and dark fruits); Structure, complexity and finesse were all there in top form. Exceedingly long finish. I could have savored ½ glass for an hour while being sated the entire time. The aromas and the flavors rang out from the glass while the finish was still fresh in my memory the following morning. A brilliant showing.
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Decanted. Wine at bottom of neck with good cork. Needed an hour to start to blossom. 31 years in and still youthful with primary fruit. I would say just beginning middle age.
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A beautiful wine. Absolutely classic bordeaux. Lots of black fruits, intertwined with cigar box, leather and tobacco. Still incredibly young for 31 years and perfect example of aged bordeaux. From Patrick
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Our last bottle from a case, still outstanding but has some brown edges and time to drink before it starts to lose some fruit. Immediate powerful aroma of cassis, cedar, herbs more characteristic of Right Bank St. Emilion and Pomerol, rather than the cedar and tobacco of Left Bank Bordeaux. Complex, elegant aromas. Very soft and round on the palate, with flavors to match the aroma, but still plenty of red and black flavors and a very long aftertaste with a hint of anise. One of our favorite Bordeaux, very consistent even in lesser vintages. Purchased on release. Ric
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This bottle was a surprise that a friend brought over to have before dinner. Cork, bottle, label, capsule, all in great shape. Opened with a Durand. Immediate nose of everything you love about a right bank with some years on it. Black currant, cedar, leather, camphor and earth on the nose. Garnet color in the glass. Silky mouthfeel. Very well integrated tannins and great balance. Fruit on the attack - not jammy, but elegant. Red fruit with somewhat of a bright note, then plum. Mid-palate was fantastic and easily accessible flavors predominated - cedar, tobacco, earth and eucalyptus, with the fruit in the background still from the attack. Very nicely balanced. Long finish which was where the profile transitioned to spice. Maybe allspice, cardamom. We decanted for an hour or more and sipped a 2018 Theorem Sauvignon Blanc while we chatted and snacked. Then went back to the Angelus. It was nearly perfect. There wasn't as much spice on the finish, but it was really good. I have to say it was literally one of the best wine experiences I've ever had.
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The palate immediately stands out for extreme youth. We would give him 15 years younger. Its silky texture is magnificent, a velvety touch with enormous substance which gradually develops in the mouth, it is tasty, the volume is really astounding on this wine. The balance is perfect between melted and very noble tannins and an acidity all in filigree which gives a beautiful energy to a whole which is expressed more on the palate than on the nose. It's beautiful, everything is obvious with this wine. And a finish combining intensity and length on spices and tobacco ... Magnificent.
Great bottle, what a beautiful Bordeaux, quite simply.
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During a St.Emilion dinner. Very deep garnet color for a 30 year old wine. The nose is also quite youthful with dark fruit, earthy and woody notes, spices. Ripe and extracted but not overripe, reminds me of a Dunn or Lokoya from Napa Valley, known for ripe, tannic and at times rustic wines. You could see that there was an ambitious team at work, may be too much so. Drink now but this will also keep for another decade. Good, but not as stellar as a bottle I had a few years back. 94+
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Just spectacular. Beautifully round tannins, smooth but some blackberry and truffle. Just perfect. Now I'm just waiting for my next encounter with a '90 Angelus.
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Angelus 238 Tasting. Some bricking. A rich and earthy nose. Leather, cedar, camphor and plum nose. Red and black fruits for the start and then tobacco, leather, spice, currants. This is a beautiful and elegant wine.
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Opened 5 of these at once for a Commanderie event. There are little variations on the common theme or ravishingly gorgeous, cool mixed red, blue, and black berry fruit, truffle, potpourri, ganache, Christmas spice, and nuts - two bottles emphasize the mineral/truffle a bit more, one is a tad less developed but more exuberantly fruity. What a sumptuous, sophisticated personality this has, not just engaging but engrossing, utterly exemplifying the rare marriage of hedonism and elegance. Gorgeous, silky, round in the mouth - do you roll it around or does it roll you around? A triumph. 96-98 points (all neck fills with excellent corks)
NB little need for air - actually seems to clamp down a bit in the decanter
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Fully-developed, this is clearly close to being off the charts. The wine is rich, concentrated, opulent and silky. The lush, ripe, sweet, dark red fruits, truffle and chocolate are accompanied by velvety, cashmere textured tannins. The finish is all about those endless waves of perfectly ripe, pure, fresh, earthy fruits that feel as good as they taste.
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Certainly a ‘wow’ wine! Juicy, ripe and fresh — silky, powerful and elegant. Nice acid, structure suggests this has a long life ahead of it, but drinking beautifully today.
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Delicious, balanced. delightful but showing its age. Edit: Significantly more dynamic, balanced and delicious the second day. I needed to decant it longer. Up to 93.
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Wow. Power and class. Such a balance u can hardly find anyMore. Complex storm in a glass melting u with every sip. U just can’t get enough. I was slightly skeptic since wine is at neck level. Once I opened, never doubted it would be a winner from the first sip. I wish I had more.
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H2H blind with Cheval Blanc 1990 and Montrose 1990. The Angelus was the clear winner. Mindblowing pure energy and fruit. What a wine. The dinner party of 8 agreed this was the star of the 3 wines.
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Tasted double blind. This was a treat to drink and seems to be at its peak but with all the ingredients and stuffing for many more years. Superb weightless structure with good freshness and very good complexity as the highlights but sharpness, delineation are not up there with the very best wines. Nevertheless, this is a great wine and easily 95/96 points.
TN: Expressive nose displaying full-blown aged Bordeaux sexiness with tobacco, along green bell pepper, a strong minerality, dark fruits, minty notes. At first mainly earthy and savoury and with time with more sweetness. It could be sharper, more focused but it is an amazing nose worth 95-97 points. Intense, fresh, round and weightless on the palate with pepper, a strong mineral backbone, lots of herbs, mint, earthy tones with truffles and tobacco, all circling around a sweet red and darker fruit core. Melted tannins, not absolutely weightless but soft and silky, good freshness and medium+ length.
Decanting: Decanted for 30 minutes. Good from the start. No extensive decanting needed.
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Eyes: pretty light, ochre Nose: Olive, Bell Pepper (strong!), Vegetable Mouth: Tobacco, bell pepper again,
Super well integrated and rounded. Soft tanins, blue fruit, strong minerality. Very soft. Changing from lots of minerality towards more herbal and vegetable notes.
Five hours later: very earthy, mushroomy, still green bell pepper, but not as much.
Had it blindly and guessed it to be a Cabarnet Franc 1990 Bordeaux right bank.
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Decanted 30mins to remove the sediment and open this up. Red ocher colored with a nicely aged rim. Initially very earthy, full of mushrooms, old leather and barnyard. But this gave way to eucalyptus and vegetable notes (red pepper) over time. The fruit brought me down a path to garden of mixed forest berries and cherry, but also raspberry, with an initially darker profile becoming lighter with time in the glass. Herbal aromatics of moist tobacco leaves gave away the Cab Franc. Balanced and firmly structured palate with plenty of juicy fruit left. Having had this on the same evening as the Margaux 2009 was revealing in the sense that the Margaux set a benchmark for refinement and elegance that the Angélus just simply could not meet. That said, this nevertheless turned out to be a very strong vintage, as far as I can tell from my limited experience with this Chateau, that is probably at the peak of the its drinking window right now. The 1990 is clearly ahead of 1986 in that age bracket but also beats the 2009 in my view when compared to another outstanding vintage and easily comes in well ahead of 2004.
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Still tasting it the next day as I write the note. Cocoa powder and leather and candied red fruit. Cedar and cigar box on the nose. Really just perfect now without a decant at all. No need to wait.
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Double decanted to serve. The 90 Angelus is absolutely beautiful with a deep nose of sweet cedar, dark currant, graphite and tobacco. Palate was layered and structure with plenty of stuffing. Loved the vibrancy and intensity on the palate. 95-96
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Still nearly perfect and still on its plateau. Garnet, mostly opaque, slight amber edge. Pronounced aroma of sweet cedar, tobacco, dark fruits. Still has plenty of dark fruit flavors, with cedar and French oak overtones. Mild tannin. Very long aftertaste. I've had this since its release; drinks younger than its 30 years. Wouldn't hold it much longer, though. Saved the last glass amount under inert gas until the next night and it hadn't deteriorated. Ric
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When younger, the ‘90 Angelus was bright and marked by its exuberant fruit. But now the torrid vintage conditions have left their mark and it has become slightly stewed and roasted. Sometimes that combination will work in the Graves but not in St. Émilion. There’s depth but the deficiency of freshness is hard to overcome.
If you own this stunner, it is time to pop that cork and dig into all that truffle, cocoa, wet forest and plum liqueur on the nose. As good as that is, the silky elegant, sensuously textured palate presence, with its layers of chocolate-covered plums and dark cherries will seal the deal. This is fully mature. There is no reason to hold-off for further development.
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Sweet and savory, the Merlot shows compared with all the left bank wines in the group. Fully mature, resolved, deep and satisfying. Don’t wait too long, it won’t last forever.
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Best Bottle with Zachy's @FFF (Fritz Frau Frazi Düsseldorf): blind for me WOTN, side by side with LMHB 1990 great nose I guess Right bank but was wrong by the chateau. Vintage 90 or 96 because it is so unbelievable hedonistic. So Fresh, so bx but in a few Points could be California but with few CS. Mind blowing. 99
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Tasted blind. My favourite vintage of Angelus by far. Dark core. Sweet seductive aromatic of roasted herbs, pepper, blue flower, graphite, savouriness and smoke meat. Sweet entry, ripe vintage? This has got the depth, roundness, complexity of a grea Bordeaux, very complete. The inner perfume is incredible and the ever growing depth, complexity and power pairing with the firm, silky tannin that leads to a never ending finish. Impressive, unilateral note to the previous bottles. Classy! In my memory this is the best Angelus.
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Decanter for ~2-hrs prior to serving, this was on-form from the get-go. Glorious nose of dark plums, cedar/sandalwood, tinge of earth/mushrooms soared from the glass, so regal. Served after a pair of '69 Mouton & Margaux, and alongside a '85 Latour, this was perhaps the most "hedonistic" (in a good & controlled manner) amongst the four Bords. Still so very fresh & young, seemingly, on the palate, with guesses tending towards the late '90s and left-bank. Mouth-coating, with a long finish that fanned out all over the palate. Just outstanding, and I believe it'll get even better!
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That cedar/sandalwood note is even more pronounced here than on the La Conseillante, with blackberry fruit in the background.
Seamless on the palate, but not as lively as the first wine. I liked this wine better when it was younger - this has a little less acidity, and as the wine has aged, the ripeness of the fruit has been emphasized.
I don't know how this wine could have been any better! Perfection. Everything about it was superb from the nose, first impression in the mouth, gorgeous mid palate to a long lingering finish. Fortunately all three bottles were consumed at a beautiful dinner with Wine and Food Society friends.
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At my friend Ernie’s home with a group of friends. Drank three bottles from his cellar that had been purchased on release. One wasn’t up to the others, but WOW. Tasting notes are a ditto to the last review.
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Bought upon release in 1993 and has been properly stored thereafter. This is the last bottle of the 1990 L'Angelus in my cellar, and it was consumed on 4/21/2019. The color is still dark with very little amber at the rim. When first opened, the finish was unmistakably cinnamon. Two hours later, that was gone. While the wine has an old-claret nose of black currents and spices, the palate is much younger, as the tannins have not yet resolved and the wine lacks complexity. While the first bottle in my stash, consumed in 1993, was one of the best young Bordeaux wines I've ever tasted, the 1990 L'Angelus has not yet emerged from its sleep. If I had more bottles, I wouldn't open another one for at least 5 more years.
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A magnificent Bordeaux reaching its prime. Decanted two hours before serving and it kept growing. Wonderful nose, balance, structure, mouthfeel. This reminds me of the rewards that come from cellaring well-crafted wines.
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This is what a 100 point wine is all about. Deep ruby with no amber on the edge. Very expressive nose and a beautiful mouthful from start to finish. Tannins resolved but should go another decade.
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This is everything a right bank Bordeaux should be, fully mature and firing on all cylinders. This wine is extremely complex and layered With a very long finish. It evolved constantly in the glass and decanter for 4 hours it was open. This wine has beautiful color with no bricking on the edges. Tannins fully resolved but wine shows no signs of fading. More than likely entering a long drinking plateau. Drinking at first growth level and deserving of its grand cru status, it’s a wine a merlot lover should experience in his lifetime.
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Russk. Justin's Wizards Tasting at The Ritz Key Biscayne. My wine of the flight and one of my wine of the night. We had the 1989 and the 1990 vintage. Both were my favorite and their respective flights, over and above the other Rt Banks of the same vintage.
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Outstanding St. Émilion, surely at its peak. Medium garnet, orange rim verging on brown. The bouquet is obvious and deep with notes of dark plum, cedar, earth and black truffle, almost as if it wanted to be Left Bank. On the palate the Merlot shows. Smooth and softer than the nose suggests. Firm clean finish. Fruit and structure are nicely balanced. Drink now while it’s so good. Delightful and just slightly better than the also excellent ‘90 La Conseillante.
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Gorgeous, aromatic nose of cassis, plum, truffle, and cedar. Soft, sexy texture yet still showing just enough tannic grip to keep things lively. Ripe acidity. The 1990 Angélus perfectly rides the line between hedonistic and elegant. Drink now through 2030.
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A small taste to check on the wine before dinner tonight (about 5 hours from now).
Ripe black & red fruits (blackberry) on the nose, with a tobacco note as well.
Full-bodied, really coats the tongue, lengthy finish. A little deficient in acidity (at least compared to the reds I normally drink), but other than that, drinking very well. A birth year wine for my oldest daughter.
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BUD IS 75! (Abbot Street, Ngaio, Wellington, New Zealand): Beautiful St. Emilion with impeccable equilibrium. Rich and ripe nose of currant, dark plums, cedar and leather - a classic Bordeaux bouquet. The Cab Franc provides outstanding florals - in this case, dried red roses. In the mouth, the balance is superb, with a fine and classy modulated finish. While this might not have been representative of the finest examples of this wine, this bottle was still clearly extraordinary in its marriage of suppleness, ripeness, concentration, and balance. A complete class act.
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Angelus Dinner: The second bottle from the same case, this shows a totally different profile. Here it's the merlot that's emphasized and what a rich, sumptuous nose it shows. Raspberry, plum, ganache, Perigord truffle, cedar. Loads of swagger without losing any poise - this walks a fine line between hedonism and elegance. Round palate. Long finish. Just a delight - here's the real 1990 Angelus! 95-96
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Angelus Dinner: The first of two bottles from the same case and how different they are; the first example shows an elegant, herbal nose emphasizing the cabernet franc over the merlot. Advanced past where one would think the 1990 ought to be. A little more fat on the palate but without the sheer drive that a 90 Angelus might have. See following note...
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Luscious and magnificent still. Deep, fine and textural. Dark to red fruit apparent with earthy mushroom and violets and then a tobacco, tarry/aniseed backdrop. Everything in delightful balance. An elegantly regal and engaging length.
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The truffle, floral, wet earth, cherry, licorice and plummy aromatics are off the hook. But it is the concentration, silky textures, length and complexity that stop the show. This is fully mature. There is no real hurry to open a bottle, but there is not much to be gained from holding on to this beauty either.
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Absolutely gorgeous showing and probably the best Right Bank wine I've ever had. Decanted about 30 minutes and that was plenty, as the nose was beautifully expressive, with ripe black plums, sweet black cherries, graphite, warm soil, and cedar. On the palate, this was just seamless, with a luxurious, satiny texture, tons of ripe fruit, and nice mineral twang on the long, sweet finish. A total stunner that's at peak but could go years longer.
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No doubt about it, this is outstanding St. Émilion at the height of its power. Mature healthy color with some bricking at the rim. Lovely aroma of bright red fruit, cherry and dark plum. Sweet from ripe but not over-ripe fruit. Just slightly low in acidity which makes it even more delicious but it’s not at all flabby or tiring. Fruit driven yet there’s enough structure to keep it interesting.
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Decanted for 90 mins and poured back to the bottle. Nose is beautiful with sweet cassis, smoke, tobacco, herbs , and earth. Palate is very complex but retaining so much elegance and balance. The fruit is ripe but very precise with a long finish. The acidity is pronounced. The fruit is mouth coating. It has a long life ahead but certainly drinking well now. 95+
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IWFSC Dinner #831 (El Ideas): Opened from IWFSC cellar. Majestic wow nose of rich, ripe plum with great bell pepper, cigar and cocoa notes. Epically rich and youthful aromas. The palate follows suit, with beautifully lush and rich fruit that is so lifted and precise. This is incredibly muscular and powerful, yet feminine. Hammer in velvet glove type of wine. This is incredible now, but should only get better over the next 10+ years.
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Insanely good stuff. No brickage and no loss of fruit at all. Quintessential Angelus. Currant, cherries and mushrooms. Mellowed tannins that made this wine drinkable as soon as it was opened.
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Very youhtful appearance with little brick.The nose shows ripe plum and blackberry with subtle hints of leather and blonde tobacco.Excellent depth,pleasant sweetness and well integrated tannins.Smooth,elegant and quite long.The wine is drinking great today,and it should remain at this level for at least another 5-10 years.
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I maintain that this is the best bottling of Angelus I have ever had and a top 5 of all right banks. A kaleidoscope of scents on the nose (licorice, mocha, cassis and mint) lead to the sweet sweet voluptuous fruit all shining through a mature yet energetic disposition. Drunk over 90 minutes, this wine kept on evolving and giving yet not a single sip or whiff disappointed. This is drinking at its absolute best and gives no sign of descent.
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This was a big, brooding, powerful wine that was - for me - still a bit tannic. I believe this wine will evolve into something spectacular - everything is there...depth, length, balance, fruit, power, etc., etc., etc. It was just not fully expressing itself. It was superior to the 2 Clerc Milons (1990 and 2005) and was clearly the WOTN.
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The Judgement of Paris - reloaded: Wow, did this wine well. First it showed the best of what Bordeaux can do in the nose with earth, smoke, meat. Rich palate but with good balance and structure. Fully mature. A fantastic showing against an equally impressive Shafer Hillside select. What a great flight this was.
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This wine was quite interesting, as it changed considerably throughout the evening. At first, I wasn't certain that this was a good representative of the 1990. The nose certainly took awhile to open up, but when it did, it dazzled. The nose showed off a beautiful earthiness that married well with the ripe plum and blackberry. Along with this, there was truffle, eucalyptus, anise, and tobacco. This slightly edged out the 1989 on the palate, with its elegance and incredible length. The finish left you with soft tannins and a fresh acidity that completed a seriously good tasting experience.
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Wow! In its stride, brilliant brilliant brilliant. Complex, precise fruit, precise acidity, enchanting aromatics, impossibly long finish. For our anniversary. What a treat.
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Another excellent bottle of 1990 Angélus. There is just so much density of fruit, freshness, and overall depth to this wine. This is a wine that does require some air, as it is a bit of a slow starter. But after a few hours of air, this wine really pours it on and impresses. The lingering finish with so much fresh acidity keeps you wanting more. Drinking at its peak, where it should remain for awhile.
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Smoky nose with cedar and spicy dark fruits. Sweet palate with lots of fruit. Slightly charred fruit skins. Velvety luxurious mouthfeel. Fair amount of acidity to balance the concentrated fruit. Very long finish, with leather and more smoke.
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At home, with Steak au Poivre Left Bank (Vail). Deep ruby-garnet, slight browning at the edges. Sweet cedar red and black fruit aromas, very pronounced, complex, and elegant. Soft and round flavors, still has plenty of fruit and very little tannin but is still at its peak. No significant tannin. Just as outstanding as the 1990 La Mission Haut Brian from last week, but softer and more elegant style. It did start to lose some fruit after five hours. Ric
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Very well knit at this age. Blackberry flavors with some shiitake mushroom notes and a hint of leather on the finish. Excellent with lamb. Good length and color! Twenty seven years and it has aged superbly.
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Adrian returns to Indiana (Andy's Place): After the first was corked, Andy opened a second bottle of the 1990 Angelus. This was a special bottle. It jumped out of the glass with an amazing freshness. I picked up on dark fruits, sandalwood, and tobacco which came together to make a compelling and complete nose. The palate was quite similar with a long finish and solid acidity. A gorgeous wine.
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Andy generously opened a second '90 Angelus as a replacement for the corked one, and this was spectacular. Powerful and flamboyant with lots of black fruit, spice, cedar, graphite, and tobacco coming together seamlessly on a full bodied frame that's rich but very well balanced, not showing any overt heat or heaviness. Air brings out even more aromatic complexity as sandalwood and other exotic spicy/floral scents emerge around the fruit, and the whole package is really compelling.
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Indianapolis II; 4/21/2017-4/22/2017 (Indianapolis, IN): A second bottle of this was much, much more convincing. The nose on this was simply explosive, with lots of sweet black fruit. The palate is very full-bodied. It's certainly full-throttled with a crazy amount of sweet and powerful fruit, and it's never shy about it. Not much oak showing here -- this is big Bordeaux showing in a great way.
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Wonderful Improptu/ Merged Wine Dinner (The Links Club - New York NY): Lots and lots of ripe black fruit with sweet spice and liqueur hints. Started out slightly one-dimensional, with the rich fruit dominating everything else, but more air brought forth more nuance and complexity. Upside from here.
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Beginning to show its age. But great big nose of cedar, camphor and dark fruit. Tart black cherry, tar, and more of the earth and cedar comes through in the palate, which truly lingers. Showing great right now, although no doubt 10+ years of great drinking ahead. 96/97
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A perfect Bordeaux, perfectly ready! This and La Mission Haut Brian are probably our favorite wines from Bordeaux. Still almost opaque, with just the slightest hint of brown at the edges; very pronounced toasted cedar nose, with dark fruits and plums, elegant and complex. No mistaking that it's French! On the palate, plenty of rich, concentrated, viscous dark fruit and toasty oak, but very smooth and balanced. Tannins have resolved. Aftertaste sweet and long. We have a few more bottles, which should be consumed next 1-2 years. Ric
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This baby is hitting on all cylinders right now. Continues to impress me with its many layers and amazing complexity. Dark ruby color. Aromas and flavors are simply sublime, with plum, cassis, cinnamon, anise, pepper, leather, eucalyptus, and coffee. Lots of finesse on the palate, yet with a solid tannic structure. Extremely long finish, with nicely balancing acidity. Leaves you with a nice freshness on the finish.
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This was my introduction to Bordeaux wine. What an amazing introduction!!!! I will be forever grateful to John & Rita for this wonderful initiation!
To this point I have been pretty much a West Coast wine guy - predominantly California and especially the blends from Paso. Wow! Have my horizons been blown wide open! I have never experienced a wine of such grace and finesse. Everything about this wine was exceptional, yet no one thing was exceptional. It was so seamlessly integrated and balanced. It did not have the big fruits that I have become accustomed to in many CA wines. Instead it had elegant fruits and a clear sense of the earth from which it was produced. Mind Blown! In the most extraordinarily exquisite way!
Slight metallic note on the nose? Ann is usually more sensitive to that than me and she didn't mention it. Compared to the 88 and 89, this was riper and plusher. There is still quite a bit of structure here and perhaps a shade more than the 89. Good, but not as complex or interesting as the 88 or 89. Maybe that will come with more time? I am not sure. Ann and I both preferred the 88 and 89. Thanks to Bob H for sharing these.
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Dark inky purple core color to the rim, no real signs of age. Nose was incredibly expressive dark and blue fruits, herbs and tobacco. Rich palate of blackberry, plums, black olives, violets and faint graphite notes. Long and complex finish. Soft and plush palate from the Merlot content.
This was a truly incredible Bordeaux drinking at full maturity. Shows no signs of fading, perhaps one of this "immortal" Bordeaux wines that ages indefinitely? May get even better in time, perhaps a 100 pt wine at one point, hard to see how it gets better...98+
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Gorgeous nose of bitter chocolate and tobacco. Opulent and rich but accompanied by plenty of acids and tannins. Deep black fruits with notes of dark chocolate and Asian spices. Finishes complex and crisp with potent minerals and spices. The tannins are slightly rustic and harsh which keeps this lovely wine from a higher score at the moment. Brought to Latour, Crystal Springs.
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If you have a bottle of this elixir, pop a cork. It is showing great today. The nose, with its complex aromatics, the palate and all its ripe, silky fruits and the finish which keeps on going makes for a fabulous, hedonistic drinking experience.
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A private dinner (Restaurant Adam, Amsterdam, NL): Tasted blind. Cooler and more mineral than the extremely rich Duffau Lagarosse 1990 that preceded it, feels younger, but it shares the richness and power of the vintage, ripe acidity, firm tannins, refined Cabernet Franc freshness, develops well in the glass, velvety and long finish. Perfect balance, very stylish.
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Great garnet color with nice legs. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. At first it smells like blackberry + leaf, then the cedar, game, mushroom and forest floor complete the bouquet. The taste is as the nose, smooth and full bodied with a long finish. It has taken some time for this wine to reach this level of maturity. now on a plateau to be enjoyed for the next 4 to 8 years.
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1989 vs. 1990 Bordeaux (Vaucluse): 89 vs 90 tasting. The right bank wines had a difficult time standing up to the amazing left bank line-up that preceded them. Therefore the score may be underestimating the wines' stand-alone performance. The 90 had a beautiful nose and great depth of fruit. I preferred the 90 over the 89 again.
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Cepages Bordeaux Tasting (North End Grill; New York City): Drank at Cepages bordeaux tasting alongside a 1990 Figeac. This was my WOTN. Powerful nose of black fruit, cedar, spice and earth exuding from the glass. The wine appears shockingly youthful and vibrant, and smells the same way. Condition: perfect, decanted. Medium bodied, but muscular with plenty of ripe dark fruit, forest floor, spices, chocolate & tobacco. Wonderfully elegant demonstrating extreme complexity and grace. A big & still somewhat tannic wine that is very much hitting its stride right now. Note the tannins are not grippy but rather are chalky and in no way intrude on one's enjoyment of this delightfully charming elixir. A great wine that shows no signs of decline anytime soon. I wish I had some for my cellar!
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Deep red, no sign yet of bricking. Nose of truffle, dark fruit. Concentrated fruit on palate, very fine tannin and perfect and fresh balance of sweetness and acidity. Long and mouth coating, this shall continue to evolve for decades.
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Medium garnet robe. Pronounced vegetal nose with damson plums and full funk of deep loam notes. Dark plum fruit on the palate; medium pls acid, resolved tannin, medium alcohol, well integrated, full bodied, vegetal tastes - cruciferous? garrigue/herb on the long finish. Polarizing wine for the group with some, including me, loving the herb, funk and forest rot on the nose and long herbaceous lingering after taste. Outstanding wine
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This is pure sexy, hedonism at its best. The truffle, black cherry, earth, tobacco, flora, dark chocolate and licorice nose is killer. But that is nothing compared to the silky, opulent textures on the palate. This is a beauty that is really drinking great today.
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Library Tasting with Geoff Kelly - 1990s - in memory of Ken Kirkpatrick (Regional Wines and Spirits, Wellington, New Zealand): Dense and mature hue. Brooding Bordeaux nose - meaty, cedary and still closed. Stunning on the palate! Very tannic and a masterclass of the power, texture and finish great Bordeaux can attain. Incredibly complex, in a modern style, this is great and exotic wine which is still young. Tasted blind, I thought this was the 1990 Petrus, but in fact this was in another league than that fine wine.
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Incredible nose, initially sour cherries, wet forest and wooden stems with a hint of Asian spice. Palette rich and full, dark fruit clean fresh finish. Amazingly beautiful Bordeaux, all the hallmarks. Over time palette and nose unfolded to rich licorich and dark ripe cherries. Peaked at 3-4 hours so don't be afraid of a decent decant. Tremendous
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Pure silk, velvety and sensuality. The truffle, black cherry, tobacco and earthy aromas are in full force. But it's the sweetness and purity of fruit, coupled with the sexy textures that seal the deal. At 25 years of age, this is the perfect time to be opening your bottles.
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Wonderful balanced wine with great tannins and very adequate fruit. Great with a lamb patty, roasted potato, stewed green bean dinner. Also great with chocolate after. After 25 years, this wine has a way to go or drink now!
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Un vin parfait, ça existe ?? Être au paradis et j'aimerais boire que ça. Tu peux pas te tanner, impossible.Une bouteille venant de la vente prestige et patrimoine. Avoir été juste les 3 boys,je crois qu'on aurait braillé de joie. Mon plus beau vin à vie, rien de moins. Au nez , tu le sait tout suite que ce sera incroyable.J'étais certain d'être charmé. En bouche , soyeux,rondeur,finesse,longueur .Du fruits qui roucoule dans ta bouche. La bouteille est partie bien trop rapidement. 98 pts. Il est sur son edge pour encore 10-15 ans sans tracas. Merci la vie!
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Wow, meilleur bordeaux à vie. Chateau mythique dans un millésime mythique parfaitement prêt à boire. Puissance et finesse réuni avec une longueur incroyable. Se devait d'être vu seul avec lui-même. Approche de la perfection. 98 pts.
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Food: French Duration: 3 hours Condition: perfect, decanted. Aroma: forest, red fruits, dark fruits, spices, nuts, chocolate, violet, musky Notes: medium bodied, nose of this wine is very aggresive, jumping out of the glass. So energetic and so charming, this wine is only starting to hit its drinking window. This wine is drinking smoothly, definitely not a feminine wine but somewhat very intriguing. I have to say this is rather sophisticated in terms of aromas. Fantastic wine, complex yet seductive. I think we can keep this for another 15-20 years. Drink now-2035.
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Tough to say what this wine was missing, so I should be giving it 100 points! Two hour decant. Black in colour with some iodine/garnet. A sexy, intoxicating nose of black fruits, exotic spices, cedar. On the palate, an incredible, multi-layered, balanced and complete delicious wine, with full body and an incredibly long finish. Drinking beautifully now, but needs a couple of hours of decanting for the fruit to be at its best.
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Simply spectacular. Pop and pour, and this was absolutely singing. Soaring nose of peat, earth, plum, black cherry, cinnamon, tobacco, and pencil. A nose that only time can produce. The complexity of the palate was mind blowing. Layer after layer of rich black fruit, tobacco, graphite, moist earth, leather, and a long pencil finish. The wine coats every crevice of your mouth, and this particular bottle had completely sorted tannins. A beautiful, clear crimson color, I stared at the glass for quite some time. This stunning 1990 Angelus has convinced me to stay away from my 2000 Angelus stash for at least 5 to 10 years. What a complete winner! Those of you with the 1990...open away, and I hope that your bottles show as well as this one did. 98+ Pts
Tasted next to the 1999 Cheval Blanc. This was noticeably more aged on the nose with earth, leather, forest leaves, cedar wood spice, and tobacco. . The fruit was sweet, dark, and delicious. Also in such balance. Literally impossible to pick which was better between the two. Both singing their separate and distinct signatures.
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1990-themed dinner (The American Club): This started off barnyard(y) just like the Poyferre, pretty much obscuring its pedigree. However, after 15mins in the glass, it started to morph. The funky stink blew off and wow, it started developing milky/vanillin notes, then leather, smoke, earth, chocolates etc. - the whole array of fireworks! On the palate - silky, lush but fresh, with notes of plums, meat, chocolate. So velvety and beautiful. Makes a good James Bond drink! WOTN for most (if not all)...
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Deep garnet with plum, leather and floral nose. Concentrated in mouth yielding plum, bit of tar chocolate, leather and menthol. Acidity level still ample making this still fresh, ripe for drinking and shall keep given the concentration here. Lovely and seductive.
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Had the privilege to drink this beside the 1989 Angelus. And we had some left on day 2 to follow the development. 1990 shows as a riper, warmer year than the 1989. I preferred the 1989 but 1990 showed more complexity on Day 2. Angelus 1990 is a more voluptuous and highly elegant wine with a long sensuous finish with notes of iron. On day 2 the wine showed even more complexity with additional notes of tar, meat and gravy as well as medicine box. This is a great wine.
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Great WINE, still holding back, it is a massive Bordeaux nose of sweet cedar and smoke with violets. CONCENTRATED, the fruit is so perfect and the acids would not give it fully up tonight. Wait 5 more years for prime time. Bottle stored from release in a combo of temp Control and passive.
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Black fruit, crushed flowers, chocolate mocha and a touch of mint. This carried through to the super polished and spherical palate. Very sexy, almost modern. Youthful and mature at the same time. Long finish with wonderful grip.
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Bordal chez PG (100% Bordeaux) (Collex-Bossy (Genève)): Fantastique! Le vin s'est développé tout au long de la dégustation qui a duré 4 heures... et il possède encore de la réserve! Il s'agit d'un vin qui allie la finesse à la complexité, du premier nez à la finale longue de plusieurs secondes. Mon n°3.
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This is so sexy, it deserves an XXX rating. Opulent, sensuous and silky, the wine slips and slide all over your palate with its decadent textures. Complex and concentrated, this is ready for prime time drinking. The wine was produced from a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc.
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PnP by server at Table 6; no decant. Initially, closed tight as expected and displaying deep violet red color. After getting my dining mates to swirl vigorously rather than drink, it opened wonderfully in about 10 minutes. Tarry, truffly, meaty, floral and beautifully fruity on nose and palate. Really complex profiles. Velvety tannins wrap the lush fruit and the acidity balances everything. Matched with a range of foods, especially the lamb shoulder with pea ravioli.
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Perhaps it would be best to write tasting notes from a checklist of qualities. Truffle, black plums, thyme, chocoalte mint and earth in the perfume, check. Rich, fresh, pure and concentrated, check. Silk and cashmere textures in the finish, check. This is probably close to, or at full maturity and it's drinking perfectly. This bottle was popped, poured into a decanter and served. 10-15 minutes all it took to wake up.
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When I opened this it had a strange pyrazine nose. What a disappointment. But wait... what's this? Half an hour into the decant, this exploded! What a rich, voluptuous, sumptuous nose - like a plume coming out of the decanter. Full of plums, chocolate, leather. So rich, but still so fresh. Wow! Doesn't quite follow through on the palate. Fine finish.
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This is as good as it gets. 2 hour decant. Deep/dark red as would be expected. Long finish. Too many flavors coming through to describe them all. Fully evolved, but should last at least 5+ more years. Am changing my back end drink year to reflect that view, as I do not want to risk a bottle beginning to go over the hill. I only have 3 left.
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Opened 2 hours before drinking, and decanted also. Deep red color with no bricking. The nose was awesome on this wine, floral notes with a lot of other things going on. Could smell the glass of wine when it was sitting in front of me on the table. Palate was silky smooth, dark fruit, with a nice long finish. The balance and structure of this wine was awesome. Could go on and on about this wine, but it is easily the top Bdx I have drank this year.
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Wonderful old claret with lots of fruit, terroir, wonderful finish. Great at opening. Went very will with a full flavored lasagne and salad. Good for a few more years I think.
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Excellent. Openend without decanting. Is on the peak of its potential now. My guess is there is no use waiting any longer to drink this gorgeous wine. Already shows some marks of aging.
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At a tasting we put on for our Couples Cru of 17 present, of eight 1990 Bordeaux (Angelus, Figeac, Beausejour Duffau, La Mission Haut-Brion, Leoville Barton, Pichon Baron, Lynch Bages, Montrose). All wines purchased on release and aged in my cellar. This was still dark garnet, mostly opaque. Very open complex aromas with some sweetness from merlot, and toasty French oak. Plenty of fruit and flavor, excellent balance, very long aftertaste. This was tied for second favorite with Lynch Bages, behind Montrose. It seems to be fully mature but should easily hold another five years. Ric
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Keith's 50th Birthday Celebration (Bin 75): 2nd corked mondo bottle of the night! Damn! Having had this before I was extremely disappointed because this could have been a contender.
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From 750: This fine wine is in the early stages of a long plane of maturity. Exuberant nose and fine lingering finish. Gobs of fruit shine through on the palate. Coconut notes that suggest new oak was used. Tannins still not fully integrated, but the ample fruit balances it well. Somewhat new world in style. No hurry to drink up. This could hold for another two decades.
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Decanted and hour. Great nose, with plenty of earth, leather, and old world fruit. Incredibly lush, but in a Bordeaux way, this wine is expansive and really coats the palate. Finish is long and expensive. Great wine that seems to be at its peak with no signs of fading. A
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Bright deep garnet, complex nose of tobacco, raspberry, blueberry, dark chocolate an spice. Silky mouthfeel packed with blueberry, dark cherry fruit, good acidity and velvety finish, long and complex finish. Really spectacular. Texture is really amazing.
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I am almost through my case of this wine purchased on release and the variation in the quality of the bottles has been quite frustrating. When this wine hits, it is one of the great, aged St. Emilion's out there and while several of my bottles have shown beautifully, I've had 2 or 3 with too much Brett and 3 or 4 with a very green, tannic finish that just never softens up. That was clearly the case with this bottle which smelled gorgeous and looked perfect and had all the incredible richness this wine can show with great flavors of cassis, bitter chocolate and black minerals. But the finish just wiped that all away and I just couldn't get past it.
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For me, wine in the glass doesn't get better than this, although there are other perfect wines of different varietals and styles. This was one bottle of a case bought on release twenty years ago, aged in my cellar. Cork was perfect and extracted easily. Extremely aromatic as soon as the cork was pulled; then decanted an hour, put in the bottle and served with dinner at an excellent restaurant with Riedel Bordeaux glasses. Only two of us, so we enjoyed its development over a couple of hours with food. Medium dark, fully mature. Cedar, cassis, hint of anise, wonderful complex aromatics. Medium-full bodied flavors to match, complexity developing on the tongue over 30 seconds, again with cedar, cassis, French oak, great complexity and elegance. Plenty of fruit, but much subtlety and elegance, with very long aftertaste. Fortunately, we still have half of the case left. It may last longer, but as perfect as we think it is, no need to risk its losing some of its luster.
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My one and only bottle. About as perfect a wine as I have ever drunk. Decanted for 2 hrs before. Still deeply coloured - no real bricking. Beautiful nose of black fruits. Mouth filling taste with long, long finish. I would say this could last another 10 years but, for me, perfect now.
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As good a bottle of this wine as I've ever had. It is bursting with big St. Emilion flavors of rich black earth, bold black fruits and a fabulous floral lift. A much bigger wine than the Pichon Baron and Lynch Bages drunk alongside and much more open-knit and there is a slight green note to the tannins that actually adds to the wine and still suggests a long life ahead. Stunning and opulent.
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Clear bright deep garnet color. Aromas of sweet tannins, chocolate, leather, spice box, tobacco, sweet cassis, jamy dark fruit ,sandalwood Plate, warm silky cashmere , long finish , soft sweet & round tannins, jammy dark fruit yet exploding in your mouth , continuously changing and morphing into a bigger and mature fruit cocktail mature yet another 10 + years left. Superb keep some bottles for rainy days
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Still deep in color, the nose explodes with truffles, chocolate, plums, earth, black cherry and licorice aromas. On the palate, this dense, concentrated, cashmere textured elixir grows and expands. Well stored bottles will age for at least another decade and offer decadent tasting experiences for another 2 decades after that! You probably have to go 2005, to find a vintage of Angelus that is at this sublime level of quality!
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Out of double-magnum at chien des rotisseurs dinner at Craft 11/13/12. Delicious St. Emilion with wonderful flavors of violets, black fruits and earthy spices. This wine has real lift with a silky texture and good richness. Finishes complex with notes of minerals and floral spice. REally fine juice for drinking right now.
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Seven Decades of Right Bank Wines (Trondheim, Norway (my house)): Would this live up to its Classe A status? Sweetish nose, spicy, meaty, minerals – very fine nose indeed; in the mouth: bomb strike, alcoholic finish, lots of spices, a slightly bitter finish. Not my cup of tea, but still an impressive wine? Worth its status: Nope. Solid Classe B.
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Birthday Celebration (Perennial Virant - Chicago IL): Lots of big ripe black fruit with some cassis aromas. Same lush black fruit on palate with good spice, hints of green pepper come through near end. Good structure, good balance.
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Bordeaux 1990 plus some extra's (@ VadM): Just limited notes. Smoky and mature bouquet. On the palate round and creamy. Good acidity and tannin which is quite soft. This bottle impresses much less than the ones I drank in 2008 and 2010, so it could be the bottle; I don’t know the history of it.
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This is by far my favorite Bordeaux in my very favorite appellation, St Emilion. I have tasted this wine over many years and many vintages and never disappoints. The wine at this point is still amazingly dark in color & you would be hard pressed to guess this was a 23 year old wine. The nose is typical "barnyard" Bordeaux & the taste a mellow aged wine with still lots of structure & complexity. California Cabernet will never taste like this in my lifetime. This is as good as it gets for my palate & when my wine is consumed I doubt I'll replace it at current ridiculous prices. That's fine, I've been lucky enough to taste ALL of the greatest Chateau of all time & am happy drinking more reasonably priced & equally great wines from around the world.
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Drank at dinner with Heinz and the gang. Among the greatest right bank Bordeaux I have had. Showed little cedar and strawberry fruit when first opened and I thought it may be on the down slide. Three hours in the decanter brought out a forward nose of bright dark red fruit, chocolate, black olives and touch of damp wood. Perfect balance on the palate between the sweet fruit intensity, acidity and fine ripe tannins. Long balanced finish. As much as I enjoyed the last two bottles over the past few years this one was a step above. What a wine!
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Bought as future and this is my last bottle. Had at 1990 tasting and served it third. Very dark. Nice nose. Good finish. It was smooth. I would say it was ready to be drunk. Had with steak and lamb. Different from first two wines. A little roasted coffee could be detected. Everyone enjoyed it.
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Very vegetal, capsicum and a deep dark fruit and cassis nose. Dark plums, dark berries, cassis, earth and still very youthful and firm structured wine. Thick, mascular dark fruitiness, with chiselled tannins and a mouthful finish. probably wait a couple years before my next bottle
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My Birthday Celebration (Kingyo, Marina Square): This was special. Probably my favourite red in the midst of a very strong line-up. In a strange twist of coincidence, we ended up with two blind bottles of Château Angélus on the same flight. However, while this bore striking similarities to its older 1986 brother, it was clearly a league apart in terms of sheer quality. It had a wonderful nose. More clearly right-bank than the older wine here, it was loaded with earth and truffles, and lush aromas of plums, black cherries and cassis, all ringed by a lovely halo of tobacco smoke. Gorgeous stuff. The palate was crazy beautiful as well. This is why I love a good bottle of Angélus - it was plushly rounded, beautifully balanced and wonderfully integrated, with a stunning purity to its black fruited depth showing through flavours of cassis and black plums as the wine. These were then loaded on the midpalate by a lovely waft of sweet spice notes. Masculine in strength and depth, yet ever so feminine in its grace and supple, velvety elegance, the finish matched the rest of the wine stride for stride, filling the back-palate with notes of earth and truffle, cloves and nutmeg, and just that whiff of tobacco to fill in at the edges. Really wonderful stuff. Still clearly on the young side, this may well be better in four or five years down the road, but it is delicious even now. This is a St. Émilion that I could drink over and over again.
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Third bottle for the evening and though the nose was still very charming, this bottle did not click tonight, even a bit tannic, not the silky fel i am used to, food pairing problem perhaps?
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A yellowish browning at the rim. Dark reddish ruby color; characteristics of being mature. I filtered the wine with a fine screen to remove some sediment that I observed to be floating in the wine when initially poured. Fragrant aromas of blackberry, soft/sweet blackcurrant, lots of different spices, graphite, cigar box - highly complex. Same flavors, with the addition of licorice and some quality roasted coffee. Ostentatiously rich and sumptuous are good adjectives for this wine. Seems fully mature to me and a lot better than when last tasted a few years ago, when I rated it 93. A long soft and velvety finish. Pairs very nicely with roasted leg of lamb. Storage has been at 56 degrees from when first available. Score 96-97.
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33rd Austin Wine Salon - Bordeaux (Max's Underground): Very powerful. Super dark, ripe fruit and some nice earth and dried herbs. Unfortunately, the oak masked much of the nuance. Not my favorite wine i this tasting.
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While tonight a 90 Pichon Lallande was more approachable, this one required a little more attention. This is a full throttle, deep and intense and still has a long life of drinkability ahead. The structure here is impressive and surprisingly masculine, as there is a serious tannic back bone to the wine. Considering the age I am not convinced that this will soften but will probably drink at this level for at least another decade. Very good, yet could use a touch of mid palate fruit softness to make it truly excellent.
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Friday after Thanksgiving (FAT) (Palm Beach Gardens FL): Powerful, ripe black fruit with dense spice on nose. Same great black fruit on palate with good oak spice complement. Not really showing any earthy elements yet, this is really both charming and powerful.
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The cork came out OK but not great condition, a bit worried at first but the first sip proved our anxiety was unfounded. After about 1 hour in the bottle, it was sure delivering on all counts and as good as I remebered of the other 2 bottles I had. Towards the end I thought I catch a bit of truffles! Yummy! Thanks to good friends, at current prices, I cannot afford to drink this.
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Amazing how much backbone and fruit this still has. We had this in a vertical with La conseillante and L'Evangile 1990s. Angelus won by a thin margin, but this is splitting hair. Beautiful round and perfect harmony between oak, fruit and the terroir. The fruit was still so present and strong on both the nose and the palate which should give this a few more years to plateau. A monumental wine.
(this was decanted 12 hours prior to serving and the nose was immediately vibrant when the wine made it to our glasses)
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This time the cork was in great condition and came out with no prolem, funny these 2 bottles were from the same batch. The aromatics seem to be even more intense and intoxicating! Wow! Again we finished the bottle way too quickly, well, everyone kept pouring away as it was so good.
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It is with much anticipation when I opened this bottle at lunch in a restaurant, I have been lucky to have sampled all major vintage of this property in the last 2 months from 95 to 2004 and only 90 was missing. It is therefore shocking for me to felt the cork giving way too quickly with the extractor! It went in partly before I was able to extract it, it was soaked half way through but was in decent shape, hope perhaps! It was a tense moment when a small portion was poured and tasted, no funny corked smell! At least we have a bottle of drinkable wine but maybe not kept in the best possible way.
The rest is pretty much what fellow drinkers have posted, I found this bottle to be well balanced, very smooth tannins, and drank well for 2 hours, as usual for a great bottle we finished it too soon! Must have this again and open it 1hour before serving and drink it over 3-4 hours! the score reflects the less than ideal storage, otherwise, at least 2pts higher.
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Still drinking fairly young with lots of acidity and sweet tannins but after about 2 hours in a decanter and combined with a Lobel's steak, it began to open up. Gorgeous dark berry fruit with notes of earth and graphite. Thickly-textured but also has acidic grip that keeps it fresh. Finishes complex and really smooth. Good bottles of this should continue to age beautifully for years.
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Average bottle condition for the age. Soft, lush, full body with a slight amount of oak that compliment the black fruit. Slightly behind the 1990 Troplong Mondot. Very good Angelus that is at its peak.
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Intense aromatics demanding your attention are filled with truffle, licorice, plums, olives, spice, blackberry, tobacco and hints of espresso. Silk and cashmere textured waves of juicy, fennel coated berries caress your palate. The wine ends with lush, ripe, rich plums and cassis. While probably close to fully mature, if its well stored, the wine should offer pleasure for at least another 15-20 more years.
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WOW. I really enjoyed this wine. Had dinner with a colleague at Otto e Mezzo in HK with guest star chef Normand Laprise from Montreal Toque's restaurant. The color was dense red. Big legs suggesting a good level of alcohol. Yet, the nose was superb. Concentrated red fruits. A bit of oak and smoke. So well balanced, no hints of over-acidity or alcohol. Pure juice. The finish was a good minute long - amazing concentration. My colleague said, "there is a lot going on with this wine"... And I agree. I have another bottle but I think I will wait another few years cause I think this wine can go a bit longer.
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Beautiful mature bouquet with toasted oak dark fruits and just a hint of barnyard. On the palate the same impressions as well as some pleasant sweetness. A great and complex wine. At its peak now, but the soft tannin is good enough to keep it a few more years.
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Mature bordeaux nose, perfect balance, quintessential flavors of leather, earth, tobacco, smoke mixed with vibrant and delicious dark fruit. There's a liveliness to this wine that I didn't find in the 89. Lush in the texture, silky smooth medium bodied and transitions seamlessly into the finish. Would've been WOTN if it weren't for the 90 d'Yquem
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Dinner with Herwig Janssen (Blue Duck Tavern): Just like the L'Evangile before it, the Angelus shows super rich fruit but with added complexity and great length. Finishes as strong as it starts.
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Bordeaux and a sweet Chenin with the Last Tuesday of the Month Supper Club. (Bill's): This is a nice contrast with the ’90 Cos because I find both a bit new world, but this wine does it much better. Perhaps my second favorite L’Angelus after the stunning ’89, this wine is always about, rich, decadent, sweet black fruit. It’s opulent, non-apologetic in its decadence and just really fun to drink. There’s definitely some oak influenced spice and chocolate/mocha flavors and aromas, but the wine handles it well. Low acid and puppy friendly, it’s a wine that’ll put a naughty grin on your face and there’s no shame in that. A.
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Medium ruby red, very slight bricking along the edges. The nose is full of cedar and leather, with some cassis and blackberry. On the palate, there's cassis, blackberry, black olive, baking spices, and eucalyptus. Layers of flavor come through as you drink. Really great complexity. Opened up more with a couple of hours of air. Still some grip left, nice balancing acidity. Long, interesting finish. Really impressive.
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Had with Veal Chops and wine was wonderful ver intense nice finish but not as fabulous as last bottle. Might have been inferior glass. Wine is still very dark. Drinking window is still 10 years or more
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Medium bodied with silky tannins and complex aromatics. Chalky dark fruits, black olives, cedar, and a hint of spice. Initially tasted a bit muted, even with a 2 hour decant, however over several more hours this became much more expressive.
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Decanted and served immediately. Incredibly inky dark color. Grilled meats and black fruits on the nose. Lush and chock full of blackberry, chocolate, and an interesting olive tapenade in the midpalate. Long finish with persistence of that olive component. So smooth, rich and balanced. Went great with lamb chops. Plenty of life left. Can drink or hold but I will not touch my remaining stash for a few years.
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Popped, decanted for sediment and enjoyed over 2 hours. What a fabulous wine, the nose rich, inviting, with floral, cedar, tobacco, tarragon and other savory herbs. The balance and structure of this wine is magnificent, just beautifully layered, textured, with tremendous depth and vibrancy that continued to emerge during the evening.
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Still a very good wine but not at all what it was 5 years ago. Still a very good "old Bdx" nose but it is harder on the palate than it used to be. Still quite a lot of tannins but the fatness and sweetness has diminished. Still a great wine but I wish we had drunk the rest earlier. Have 3 bottles left and will probably drink them over the next year.
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Old Ports with Roy Hersh (Zucca, LA, CA): Touch of brett on the nose with cedar and wood. Smells like a basic old Cali Cab. Tight, clean and acidic palate. This showed very simply and plain on the night.
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The wine was showing very well. What stood out was how seamlessly integrated the fruit and the tannins were and the result was something very beguiling, soft, supple and succulent. It did not hold quite the same power as the Latour but the integration of its elements made it stand equal.
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Jay's bottle, which he bought on release and cellared since. Looked great when decanted, like a '90 should, slight barnyard on nose. Not much going on palate for the next 4 hours. Then wakes up (as did I, I took a brief nap during this time). Lot's of cedar and herb on nose, red berry, red licorice spice, plum on palate. Long plum and mushroom finish. Very good balance. Plenty of time on this wine and I think it will get better. Open at 2pm if you want to drink with dinner.
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Tasted at a Grapes for Humanity dinner hosted by G. and A. Suprisingly, not a very deep colour. The nose was very mild with strong smells of berries. Not bad, but not great either.
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Surprisingly tight at 19 years but a great wine in here struggling to get out. Extremely voluptuous and concentrated but not over-extracted. Dark, rich, complex and sexy but give it some time. 94+
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Okay, maybe there is a God after all. He works at Angelus. Goodness me - this is a young little puppy - how can it be young? Seriously this has depth, complexity, class, charm, staying power - long long long long long follow through. Nose - wow - seriously restrained yet complex - dark fruits but tightly coiled without being full on. In the mouth this has amazing depth but dances across the tongue and tickles like a feather - tight and tannic but when I saw tannic not in a mouth puickering way but in a slightly grippy on the teeth way. Oooooh this is nice. This has years ahead of it - it needs another 10 years. This is not full or bruising but caresses the palate with love. Oh man.
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Absolutely great wine. Still lots of fruit here with secondary flavours starting to come on; dark red berries, dark chocolate, touch of wood, forest floor tones. This bottle had a little funk on the nose to start with but it blew off very quickly. On the palate it is full boddied with ripe tannis providing structure. Very balanced. Long finish. Drink now but it should last another dacade.
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Pristine cork. Youthful looking with a deep red color and no bricking. Reticent on the nose initially. Restrained on the palate as well. Good weight and structure but muted flavor on the attack. Very classic in style given the vintage. Definitely more herbal than fruity verifying a high proportion of Cab Franc. Cool and long on the finish. Graphite overlay with a hint of tanned leather. A very nice wine if a bit ungiving and a bit austere. This almost seems a bit shut down at the moment as if entering a new evolutionary phase. I doubt that the fruit will ever really emerge though which is somewhat surprising for this ripe year.
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NSMFOW June '09--Thirtheeth Anniversary Dinner (The Grapevine, Salem, MA): Purple almost opaque. Powerful nose of briary fruit, cassis, pencil shavings, smoke. The palate was a knockout of fruit, minerals, earth, tar with a big tannic finish. This wine was a monster compared to the other BDX tried and yet it was perfectly balanced and even somewhat elegant. Without a doubt, this was one of the best wines I have ever tasted. Tied as WOTN. Bought on release for an amazing $38. Brought by Marc & Heidi.
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Absolutely great from the first sip to the last. Still lots of fruit here with secondary flavours starting to come on; dark red berries, touch of wood, forest floor tones. On the palate it is full boddied with ripe tannis providing structure. Very balanced. Long finish. Drink now to 2020
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Black and red fruit, olives, chocolate and a 5 spice blend make up the aromatics. Great concentration, with silky tannins, However, this bottle was not quite the show stopper other bottles have been. The finish was a tad shorter and the wine showed a little more bright fruits than usual.
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Medium Garnet. I knew this was fantastic upon opening and the smell filled the room. Nose of black fruits, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, all perfectly mixed. Taste was a smooth mix of the same fruits, spices. Finish lasted for minutes. Hands down, best showing I've had from this wine, and of course it was my last one! WOW!
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Wow! This bottle is even better than the one I had earlier this year. The bouquet as well as the taste are so elegant and soft with enough power. Full bodied, long finish. Now at its absolute peak.
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Rock star! Spice, smoke, truffles and licorice covered fruit explode all over the place. The palate enjoys sensuous waves of plush, fat, silky very concentrated Bordeaux fruit. The finish endlessly linergs. While mature, owners of well stored bottles have another 15-20 more years of excitement to look forward to.
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An easy evening with friends: A mixed set of wines. (@ PVa): Enormously inviting, elegant and complex bouquet. Beautiful cassis and soft, well integrated oak. Subtle power. Unbelievable this is 1990. It is still so young. 5 more years is no problem at all.
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Incredibly smooth and complex wine with classic St. Emilion earth flavors with notes of tobacco, chocolate and graphite. Still retains a good spine of acidity and will continue to age well but this is gorgeous, thickly textured (within the contents of ethereal Bordeaux), aged right bank wine for drinking now.
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Bordeaux on the Hudson Part Deux (Peter Pratt's): Not much to not like about this wine. A three dimensional wine with the alluring richness of its vintage. A compelling and exotically fragrant nose of dark fruit, spice, chocolate and smoke. Soft and sexy smooth from start to finish it has a decent structure that frames rather than dominates the fruit. Don't be mistaken, this is a fruit story and the story is long and complex as the fruit spreads out over the palate. A bit more acidity would have brought this pretty close to perfect.
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This was most disappointing bottle of the night. While the nose was beautiful, the wine was extremly tight and unforgiving. I have had this wine before and it was excellent so this was a mystery.
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Decided to start the year off with one of the best wines in my cellar. It did not disappoint. I've enjoyed this wine 3x to date and this was its best showing by far. Right from the open, a gorgeous nose of plummy fruit with loads of graphite, earth, green/herbs, some coffee and smoke. A wine that keeps your nose in the glass. Wonderful texture and palate presence. Balanced. The suprise on this night was how youthful the wine showed. Tannins were still pretty firm. Wonderful wine with lots of life ahead.
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great wine, nice color of purple with no hints of age around the edges . Great nose of dark fruits, minerality, coffee, and wild berries. Great texture to a full bodied mouthfeel. perfect balance of tannins and fruit and an excellent finnish.. In short a great wine. This is the second bottle I have consumed in 2007 and I hope I can show some more discipline because this beauty will get better yet!
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Dinner at Bistro 607 with a large crowd. Dark ruby in color, this bottle was drinking extremely young. Nice Bordeaux nose that includes graphite. Still quite tannic on the finish. I think I'd prefer this with another 5-10 years of age on it to add some complexity but it clearly has good raw materials. 50+12+12+8+8 = 90(+?)
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Uncorked DK tasting: 1989/1990 Bordeaux (Kenneth): Another very dark and youthfully looking bottle. The nose is just great with sweet and intense berries. In the mouth the tannins still feels youthful. In addition to the dark fruit there's coffee, dark chocolate and a peppery spicyness. Good length as well. A great wine with the potential to become even better.
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Wow, what a gorgeous St. Emilion that seems perfectly aged right now. A beautifully fragrant earthy nose with notes of blackberries, chocolate and violets. On the palate its quite fresh with that perfectly elegant, regal and ethereal texture that can only be Bordeaux. Showing flavors of dark chocolate and blackberries, it's medium-bodied with a smooth middle-palate and a finely concentrated finish that just coats the tongue. Still, it holds together well and remains fairly structure and what a perfect wine with Lobels chateaubriand!
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The French Laundry...21 Courses, 11 Wines, Infinite Memories; 7/21/2007-7/22/2007 (The French Laundry (Yountville, Napa Valley, California)): At the French Laundry (in celebration of Amy Emery's 40th birthday) our always-generous friend, Ken Johnson, provided the wine for a mid-dinner course, which was a tomme brulee' with pistachio and big cherry pureed parsley. What better than the Chateau Angelus 1990 as an accompaniment? This wine, deep garnet in color, showed an intense bouquet of crème de cassis, smoke and exotic spices. Full-bodied on the palate and still quite youthful, this Angelus showed low acidity, big sweet tannins and a voluptuous texture. The finish was long but still a bit coarse. My unblinded score was 91+, feeling that the wine still needs more time. I would not re-visit this wine until 2010, anticipating that it should drink well at least until 2025.
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eBob Angelus vs. Leoville Las Cases Vertical (Onesixtyblue): Full red color with some lightening. Medium full smoky red fruit on the nose. Big tight black fruit with firm structure and acidity. Green pepper notes emerged with some time.
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Offline with Jonathan Dinh (Seattle, WA): A really ripe nose that features intriguing notes of herb/green. Soy, tomato leaf, stalk, and smoke. Ahh, yummy, what a palate! A big wine, really ripe, lots of stalk and herbs as well. Total hedonism on this one.
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Dark ruby color with slightly fading edges. Perfumed nose of graphite, bitter chocolate and cedar wood. A beautifully soft-textured wine but with good vibrancy and plenty of time left. Delicious flavors of chocolate, blackberries and sweet St. Emilion earth. Finishes ultra-smooth and a perfect combination with Lobel's center cut filet.
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The perfume explodes from the glass like a volcanic eruption, waking you up and demanding your attention! Layers of decadent, jammy black fruit, olives, spices and herbs make you want to know more about this Bordeaux. Very concentrated with a huge, silk drenched, palate presence, the wine ends with soft velvet tannins and ripe black fruit.
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I had drunk my other bottle two months ago. I would rate that a 97...the best red wine I drank in 2006. I looked forward to drinklng this one, my last bottle, for weeks and was disappointed. It just didn't have the power of the last bottle. Proves that wine is a living thing... I look forward to drinking other vintages of this wine; its so differnet.
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Opened early in the morning - and the nose was on from the getgo. Very dark color, hints of brown on the edge. Graphite, stones, smoke and cedar, move into a very young tasting and feeling wine. The tannins are still present. The palete is dark, brooding left bank, this is such a baby still, with hyper complexity of fruit, acids and forest floor. Great length, I think they still need another 10 years in the cellar, this bottle has only seem one home since release. the wine is too tight, not that sweet and a bit disjointed after 15 hours of air. Yum - future of 96+ or so points, just not now. After 2 days open, the inner core of sweet fruit showed, and the rest of the wine held up admirably. Yup, keep these if you can, it will only get better.
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(at Corks – Baltimore) Tasted blind – I really liked this. In fact, my favorite red of the night. I guessed left bank – oh well. Deep color, great intensity of fruit, lovely cassis. Long finish – a very integrated and complete wine. Drinking beautifully now, but should remain delicious for a number of years to come. (19.5)
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Absolutely stellar! Beautiful nose of earth, graphite, and ripe red fruits. Overwhelming mouth feel with a long, long finish and ever so slight tannins. This wine is at the top of its game, but should show this well for another decade or so.
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The first bottle we opened was heinously corked, but I had to grab another to try again. The second bottle, OMG! Brett, spicecake, plums, and mineral. The palate is oh so insanely ripe yet with huge waves of silky tannins and a long, licorice laden finish. This is just crazy, exotic, hedonistic juice! The longer it's open the more definition is loses, as it's just so fat, young and primary. However, it finishes out with amazing salinity and verve. Truly impressive wine!
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decanted at cellar temperature. dark red. great nose right from the start. big, rich bordeaux. great combo of fruit and earth. still a fair amount of tannin. this one had a bit of a dry finish but might be slightly off as the fill was a bit lower (bottom neck) than others. seems a few years away from peaking. A-
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Deep ruby with slight brick edge. Very complex nose with blackfruits and classic mature bordeaux herbal notes. A lucious wine with well preserved fruit but at its peak complexity. Excellent
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Cellar party for Bayfront Medical Center Foundation. WOW! This wine just rocks. Loads of fruit, totally integrated with smooth, sexy tannins and lots of life left. Decant for at least an hour before consuming. Wait 5 years though for best results.
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Wow. Deep rouge with little evidence of age in the color. Huge nose, which if served blind I would have guessed left bank, cabernet. Sweet Cassis, cocoa, kirsh & expresso on the nose. Similar presence in the mouth, with incredible length and resolving tannins. Finish lasts a long time. This is a great drink right now, but will last for several years to come.
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Superb wines with a superb dinner- Trimbach, Chave, L'Angelus, Montrose, ZH & more. (Applewood): Qualitatively equal to the ’89, but stylistically different, with the vintage’s more roasted black fruit, chocolate and fleshier structure character, though this bottle is showing a lot more structure than other bottles I’ve had. Great depth and hedonistic pleasure here, if not as intellectual as the ’89. Nothing wrong with that, though. Solid A.
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Dark, rich and full bodied. Everything I expected from this producer. Excellent balance and persistent length. Mocha, earth, tar, black cherries and a touch of violets. Just superb. Drinking well now.
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Dark ruby with no hints of browning. A nose of pencil lead, spices and chocolate and slightly hot. On the palate, the wine was deep and thick, slightly tannic on entry with incredible richness. There were strong cedary notes and flavors of leather, earth, deep dark fruit, spices and a very long finish.
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Dinner at Bistro Don Giovanni with Clay, Tamar and Lindsay. This wine just has to be one of my all time faves. Takes about 60 to 90 minutes of decanting right now but boy, when it does it is just sublime. This is a multi dimensional wine that is the essence of what Bordeaux is all about. Loads of fruit, tobacco, pencil lead and a finish that goes for minutes. Buy some and enjoy.
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At its peak and drinking beautifully. The fruit is vibrant, the tannins and acid soft. The wine is full, rich and beautifully balanced. While this has a long life ahead of it, it is drinking beautifully now. What a fantastic mouthful of wine.
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a few posts circulated on this recently praising it, and damn straight, this is just incredible right now. decanted for 4 hours and was absolutely perfect, nuanced complex and showing so much secondary nuance, but with such fresh ripe fruit. cellared since release, just flat out great juice.
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This showed a big ole bunch of Brett right off the bat on the nose but it settled down very well (actually, much less brett showed on the palate). More earthy/mushroomoy than the '90 Lynch or '90 Pichon Baron. Probably my #3 behind those other 2 wines but I will gladly drink this any time.
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Ron Kramer and NYC Gang :) (Le Zie): WOW... the nose is full of grafite and red berries. Palate is velvety, smooth, fully resolved and mature. this wine shows a lot of muscle but together with elegance and balance. this is delicious.
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Decanted 2 ½ hours before tasting. Not blind. Nice looking wine, dense but starting to show maturity on the edge. Nose is exceptional directly from the start. Rich, sweet nose with vanilla, smoke, black olives, Black Currant and some tar. The nose was definitely a 10 out of 10. We all sat and enjoyed it for 10 minutes before even tasting the wine. It was great all evening and did not subside at all. Palate was a bit uneven in my opinion. It hit the mouth with a lively feel, put on weight as it passed through, reaching very good fat, rich mouthfeel, but the finish was a bit thinner with pronounced tannins. Tannins were fairly ripe but the fruit was not quite standing up to the tannins in the end. The others did feel I was too harsh and did not think it was a serious flaw. Aftertaste gets more and more intense, lasting 50 seconds, a bit of Cassis, but lots of smoke, tar, leather and cedar. Great lingering aftertaste. Very good, enjoyable wine now, but I doubt it will get any better. If the fruit holds up, it will get more of the sweet mature Bordeaux flavors, but I would drink them in the next few years just to be certain.
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Wine tasting. Black plum and spice on nose. Highly aromatics with wonderful balance of fruit, spice, floral elements and some emerging mushroom character. Palate started equally well, had moderate power and length.
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From the moment that glass met my nose, it was love! Coffee, chocolate, wet forest notes, olives, spices, wood and black fruit bathed my senses. Extremely packed and stacked with deep, ripe, black fruit. This rich, sensuous, lush wine coats your mouth with fruit. The finish is over 40 seconds. As good as the 90 Angelus is, it will only get better. This is a winner
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Dark red colour. Scents of acetone and fall leaves. Sweet moccha, coffee, and chocolate flavours inter-mingle. I found the wine to be slightly un-structured, but perhaps this was just caused by the somewhat flagrant and flamboyant nature of the wine. Concentrated and multi dimensional. Nice, long finish.
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3/22/2024 - rhyman Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was pleasantly surprising. Decanted for one hour. Wonderful dark purple color with a hint of the beginning of an orange rim.
Fragrant black nose that lasted through the night.
Dark black blackberry and raspberry. Good follow.
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3/1/2024 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
A very deep and rich wine showing fully mature now with dark raspberry and boysenberry fruits and a really opulent, velvety texture. There are delicious accents here of smoked dark chocolate, truffles and decadent spices and the finish shows just a bit of tannins left. Delicious but typical of this wine for me in that it shows some alcoholic heat and lacks terroir-specificity especially compared to the Figeac. Comanderie Edwardian dinner 2/29/24.
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2/29/2024 - ricknat1 wrote: 90 Points
I never have enjoyed this wine although most people did. I find it tannic and did not drink it
Smthird best wine of a set of 4 right bank wines at Edwardian dinner
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2/25/2024 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot Likes this wine: 92 Points
DC Dinners and Tastings; 2/24/2024-2/26/2024 (Washington, DC): Cheese rind, black licorice and fresh green herbs on the nose. Smells a bit funky, and not a lot of fruit. Medium + intensity of aromas, which is not a great thing for this. The palate, however, fares better. It shows flavors of tobacco, chestnuts, over ripe dark plums, over ripe blackberries and brown sugar. The finish is oak-driven, showing more wood and some caramel. Almost reminiscent of Cognac.
Medium + body with medium + acid and medium + tannin. If ratings were only for structure; this wine would recieve 100 points. As far as flavors go, however, you can tell this is well into the second half of its life.
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1/22/2024 - Dionysos55 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Robe encore bien opaque malgré les 33 ans au compteur.Bouquet sensationnel de complexité:il offre des senteurs de fruits noirs (cassis,mûre) de fruits rouges (groseille),de café,moka,de feuilles de thé,d'épices douces bref c'est passionnant de constater cette évolution au fur et à mesure de l'aération alors qu'une décantation avant consommation de 1h30 a déjà eu lieu.La bouche confirme: c'est juteux,suave,de l'hédonisme pur et dur.Cet assemblage 50%Cabernet franc 50% merlot donne sa pleine mesure.Magnifique longueur.Bouteille sublime qui confirmait le renouveau du château après des années maigres.Intéressant aussi de comparer 89 à 90 deux grands millésimes à n'en point douter.
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11/12/2023 - SGoo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened up nicely after an hour. Good vintage
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10/7/2023 - johnh1001 wrote: 96 Points
Two bottles recently. Just stunning
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10/5/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Ripe and mature with very good power and persistence. Much like another bottle from the same source tasted a few months ago.
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10/5/2023 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 98 Points
The nose is very complex with both red and black fruit as well as cassis and a touch of licorice. The palate is still powerful with similar notes of fruit and a touch of leather. The tannins are plush and the finish is long.This is a spectacular wine but alas it was my last bottle.
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8/21/2023 - prccap wrote: 88 Points
A good decade past its prime for me. Primary is completely gone. Nothing left to this but tobacco notes. Very unfortunate
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8/6/2023 - johnh1001 wrote: 95 Points
Another strong showing
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8/5/2023 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Weekend in Michigan with Wine; 8/5/2023-8/6/2023 (Asian Spice House - Buchanan MI): Ripe and powerful, fully mature, completely engaging. Rich and so fun now, no further upside.
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2/18/2023 - Gregmonroe wrote:
So I bought a cellar; 11/12/2022-12/31/2030: I had high, but reserved expectations here. Of the wines I opened, this cork was in the worst condition. Fully saturated, and something nasty and black on the top. I don't think there was any wax seal under the foil, but it was something more than mold or seepage. I cleaned that off as best I could, and opened with the durand. Nothing else would have worked...But the nose was good. Very little to no barnyard or funk, and muted red and black fruit. Test pour was nice. Left open for a few hours, then brief decant before serving. This wine was certainly the biggest wine of the night, with a deep red fruit profile, and strong, mouth-drying tannins. It was not the best Bordeaux or Bordeaux-experience I have ever had (that was either a 2000 Cheval Blanc or a 2000 Pavie) but was this was the WOTN for most people. This wine can go longer.
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2/17/2023 - Gregmonroe wrote:
JD Friday Wine Group Hosting; 2/17/2023-2/18/2023 (City Club - Wine Room): I had high, but reserved expectations here. Of the wines I opened, this cork was in the worst condition. Fully saturated, and something nasty and black on the top. I don't think there was any wax seal under the foil, but it was something more than mold or seepage. I cleaned that off as best I could, and opened with the durand. Nothing else would have worked...But the nose was good. Very little to no barnyard or funk, and muted red and black fruit. Test pour was nice. Left open for a few hours, then brief decant before serving. This wine was certainly the biggest wine of the night, with a deep red fruit profile, and strong, mouth-drying tannins. It was not the best Bordeaux or Bordeaux-experience I have ever had (that was either a 2000 Cheval Blanc or a 2000 Pavie) but was this was the WOTN for most people. This wine can go longer.
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1/1/2023 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 94 Points
From magnum at dinner, medium ruby, currants, cassis, cedar, tobacco, graphite, long finish, elegant wine on a really nice plateau
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12/24/2022 - MariusA Likes this wine: 97 Points
Spectacular
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12/9/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 94 Points
Birthday Celebration (Racquet Club - Chicago IL): Alongside the 1989 vintage. Powerful, ripe, and harmonious, this has always been a beauty, but tonight the 1989 seems to have caught up and even moved out in front.
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11/24/2022 - rlove wrote: 94 Points
Multifaceted nose of cassis, plum, and pine needle. Soft, sexy texture with ripe acidity. As I wrote with my last bottle, the 1990 Angélus perfectly rides the line between hedonistic and elegant. Drink now through 2030+.
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10/3/2022 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 95 Points
In double magnum. The real deal. It is so layered, complex and expressive with plenty of red fruit. Hard not to like.
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7/8/2022 - Grand Amateur wrote: 98 Points
Very broad fruit. Nice acidity. Long and quite complex. Very light signs of age. Very satisfying.
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6/20/2022 - decaturwinedude wrote: 95 Points
A Lost Weekend In NH; 6/16/2022-6/20/2022 (Lake Wentworth): Stunning. Sophisticated. Regal. Integrated. Powerful, but Silky. Lilting. Umami. A joy to drink.
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6/3/2022 - Nanda wrote: 96 Points
Side-by-side with the 90 Client and 90 Cheval Blanc, this was the standout for its full-throttled, powerful, rich, chewy fruit with lift and energy to match. Outstanding.
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5/15/2022 - johnh1001 wrote: 97 Points
I can’t stay away.
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5/7/2022 - johnh1001 wrote: 97 Points
Wonderful nose of violet and dark. Fabulous concentration and perfect balance. Dark fruit, floral notes, coffee and touch of chocolate. Silky texture and long finish.
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4/24/2022 - Cailles wrote: 97 Points
48x 1990 (37x Bdx, 6x Napa, 5x others): This is the best bottle Angelus 1990 and the best out of the 28 Angelus vintages I‘ve tried to date, drinking on a 97+ pts level. The highlights are the high complexity paired with a superb balance and finesse. In my book it edged out all right banks in this tasting, having a slight edge over the Beausejour Duffau (96 pts), magnificent Petrus and Lafleur bottles (95 pts) which need a few more years to develop the same tertiary complexity and a touch ahead of the Evangile (95 pts) which has that but overall doesn‘t have the same concentration.
TN: Expressive nose full of leather, tobacco, some hints of brett, herbs and a strong minertality component. Super soft, sharply delineated. Wow. On the palate this is very soft, round with loads of tobacco, leather and some black truffle, a strong dark fruit core with fine red fruit, herbs and minerality. Very complex and highly precise. Melted tannins, good tension, medium+ Acidity, round and soft, creamy texture. Super balance and a long, long tobacco-driven finish with additional notes of herbs, truffles. The complete package. The wine gains concentration, sexiness, complexity with every minute in the glass.
Decanting: Quick double decant roughly 3 hours before the tasting which seemed perfect for this bottle.
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4/17/2022 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine: 98 Points
The last time I came across this wine was in 2019 and it made a strong impression on me. Since then, it has stuck in my mind as one of the finest Bordeaux I have ever tasted.
The nose is breathtakingly elegant. When re-reading my notes on 2019, I had written “diffuse nose”. That's not the case here. There is everything from the great classic Bordeaux: tobacco, sweet spices, leather, dark fruit still bright, a touch of exotic wood… I found myself smelling the wine more than drinking it throughout the meal.
The palate is not to be outdone, vibrant, all in subtlety, textured like silk, with a juice that is completely loosened with delicacy. It is so noble and complex on both woody fruits and tobacco. Layered and balanced wine with a smooth acidity to which a few spices are added to finish on a magnificent finish, of a rare texture, on aromas of leather, with melted tannins and a length as refined as it is endless.
A great Bordeaux!
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3/15/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
At its absolute peak of performance, now the wine has shifted to a floral bouquet to get things started with nuances of roses, lilacs, and lilies before you find truffles, dark cocoa, blackberry, licorice and plums. Soft, silky and elegant, the wine feels soft and polished on your palate, before finishing with dark cocoa, plum, and truffle in the endnote. Not decanted, just popped, poured and enjoyed for 2 hours. There is no reason to hold off opening a bottle of this gem if you have any.
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3/4/2022 - Harry Cantrell Likes this wine: 97 Points
Garnet. Nose of seasoned salt, dried herbs, hints of black fruits. Taste was mouth filling, dried herbs, cherries,licorice Great.
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2/6/2022 - pclin wrote: 96 Points
Clearly the wine of the day. First growth level, excellent length and complexity, silky and refined on the palate. Ripe and lush without excess, masterful wine making.
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1/10/2022 - Vinum Deorum wrote: 99 Points
Close to perfection. Double-decanted 2 hours before tasting. Impressive aristocratic nose of cedar wood, whiffs of eucalyptus, pencil shave, tobacco.Tasted blind we thought the wine was 10/12 years younger. Lovely structure, perfect balance, tension and richness, freshness and intensity, cashmere tanins, aromas of cedar, cassis, truffle, leather, cigar box. Amazing wine, with still a few decades ahead.
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1/3/2022 - lifebreath wrote: 96 Points
Magnificent! Paired with dry aged ribeye with truffle butter, caramelized Brussels sprout and rosemary mashed potatoes. Sadly, my last two bottles.
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12/18/2021 - englishman's claret wrote: 96 Points
A good example of 90 Angelus, with a brief decant, offering a finely-detailed nose of mixed berries, plum, clove, leather, and potpourri. I love the cool yet concentrated style here; ripeness without heat. The palate is as fresh as the nose is decadent with an herbal, pencil, truffle character that transitions seamlessly into a long finish (when you can finally convince yourself to swallow it, that is).
60% Merlot 40% Cabernet Franc
ABV 13.5%
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12/15/2021 - ShadowIII Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted blind at dinner with the 1989, which was elegant, but the 1990 was a wow, much deeper, richer more complex, the group clearly preferred the 1990. Both bottles came from the same cellar.
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11/28/2021 - Cailles wrote: 94 Points
20 Vintages of Angelus (1988-2015): All wines tasted single blind. A few observations and conclusions: It seems that until more recently, Angelus focused on late picking, big wines with too much extraction. Most pre 2004 wines we tasted did not show well and are drying out or already have. The younger vintages showed better but only time will tell if the 2004 to 2015 vintages will age more gracefully. An experienced Angelus collector mentioned a style shift towards more finesse right after the promotion to Premier Grand Cru Classe A with the 2012 vintage. It would have been great to include more of the recent vintages (we had only 09/10/14/15) to better understand when and to what extent that shift happened. Still, there are some very good wines with the 2010 being the WOTN (rated 96+ pts, the structuredness, freshness and purity of the vintage shines through), narrowly ahead of the 2008 (96pts, these 2008 right banks are singing these days and are incredibly fresh) as well as two wines with 95 pts, the 2005 (slightly closed but lots of complexity and no structural deficits) and the 2015 (showcasing the stylistic shift: there aren’t many 2015s out there that share the light- and airiness and perfect ripeness level and purity with their respective 2010 counterparts).
TN: Medium- expressive nose only with not very precise expression of dark red fruits, herbs and minerality, the fruit is only in the background here, some leather and herbs but not that good. On the palate this is bright and fresh from the start to finish, light and rather airy with fresh red fruit, slightly candied, ripe but not too ripe, minerality and herbs, nice coffee layer, some leather. Good length but and fine tannins and a well integrated acidity. A good wine. Maybe more air, a proper decant would have helped the wine to open up more and show more layers. No structural deficits. 93/94 pts.
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11/22/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 85 Points
Angélus vertical (Fribourg): Angélus vertical of 20 vintages. Main observations were : 1/ Older vintages before the mid-2000s often suffered from drying tannin and showed a lot of extraction, 2/ Younger vintages quickly benefited from aeration hence decanting advised, 3/ the fruit profile became darker over time 4/ best vintage to drink today: 2004. All wines were directly poured with no prior decant and served in flights of 4.
Tasting note:
Ripe, borderline over-extracted fruit, a bit kirsch-like, some leather and earth. Heavy acidity overhang with not much structure left to hold everything together. Feels tired and past its prime. The cork revealed afterwards was completely soaked and the owner did mention he thought immediately this was flawed. That said, the gang voted this wine of the flight and many liked it. I think this was slightly off and I did have a much better bottle once. Also worth noting I got the last pour from the bottle which was loaded with sediment.
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11/7/2021 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 97 Points
Enjoyed a modest pour of a genuinely terrific wine. Full of mushrooms and moist forest floor. Gorgeous.
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11/6/2021 - ricardito Likes this wine: 97 Points
Opened and decanted 6 hours before table service. Served after the Chateau Margaux and this was such a huge bundle of Cab Franc and Merlot, that initially I wondered if we were in California rather than St. Emilion. Crushed black currant on the nose with silky black Chelan cherries and shaved pencil lead on the huge grippy palate, with a finish of deer leather, tartufo nero and cedar. What a hedonistic monster of a wine
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10/27/2021 - Everything Ahead wrote: 94 Points
So silky, with lush dark fruits and subtle spices. As good a St. Emillion as I have had the pleasure to taste. This is good to go, but could be held a few more years. Unfortunately this was our last bottle ...
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10/8/2021 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 96 Points
A Tour de Force 'Best Bottle' Tasting (Republique, Los Angeles): I loved everything about this bottle, youthful and exuberant, with layers of black and blue fruit, both sweet and tart, plus mocha and some herbs. The aggressive tannins suggest that in time the fruit may round out and lengthen, too.
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9/11/2021 - fclarity wrote: 95 Points
From an outstanding looking bottle purchased on release, this wine had a red/purple center with oranging rims. The medium+ intensity nose generated plum, blackberry, and mineral notes with a hint of sage and tobacco.
This was attractive when first opened but was at its best after 5+ hours in a decanter. It was ripe and rich but with gorgeously rounded tannin, solid acidity, and very good length.
This wine appears to be part of the way through its drinking window. Additional improvement would only be likely if you like your wines with more mature flavors. However, it should easily last at this level for 10-20 years. An excellent Merlot/Cab Franc experience!
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7/27/2021 - L9027 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Matured well into later part of its peak. Wonderful vintage bordeaux. Fruity notes are fading away, I would not wait any longer.
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7/12/2021 - MattTM wrote:
JR Group of Six Dinner (Vancouver, BC): Tasted blind next to the 1990 Château Lynch-Bages, 1990 Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, and 1990 Château Beausejour. Still quite fresh and oyouthful, this took a bit of time to open up despite being decanted earlier in the evening. Darker in profile than the previous two wines, displaying black cherries, lead pencil, mossy forest floor, and mushrooms. On the palate this was rounder and riper than the two left bank wines, with a touch of wild stank and plenty of peppery spice. Great silky mouthfeel, this definitely appeared more youthful visually than the other wines yet was still an absolute pleasure to drink at this age. Based on the freshness of this bottle there’s no rush at all on these.
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6/10/2021 - kevinpatrick Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wine Night in Charlotte -- Cork Vault Bottle Share Returns! (Charlotte, NC): opened at 7pm and decanted; Nose exploded with amazing aromas during the decant (I was ~2 feet away); sampled shortly thereafter and everything was there but you could smell and taste the youth -- far closer to a 10 year old than a 30 year. We set the wine aside and came back 2 hours later. Upon returning to the wine it was everything you could hope for: amazing opulent Old World nose (leather, tobacco, mushrooms, dark cherries); gentle minerality with rich, deep flavors on the palate (red and dark fruits); Structure, complexity and finesse were all there in top form. Exceedingly long finish. I could have savored ½ glass for an hour while being sated the entire time. The aromas and the flavors rang out from the glass while the finish was still fresh in my memory the following morning. A brilliant showing.
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5/13/2021 - Mtnmd1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted. Wine at bottom of neck with good cork. Needed an hour to start to blossom. 31 years in and still youthful with primary fruit. I would say just beginning middle age.
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5/4/2021 - _water.into.wine_ Likes this wine: 96 Points
A beautiful wine. Absolutely classic bordeaux. Lots of black fruits, intertwined with cigar box, leather and tobacco. Still incredibly young for 31 years and perfect example of aged bordeaux. From Patrick
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3/25/2021 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 98 Points
Our last bottle from a case, still outstanding but has some brown edges and time to drink before it starts to lose some fruit. Immediate powerful aroma of cassis, cedar, herbs more characteristic of Right Bank St. Emilion and Pomerol, rather than the cedar and tobacco of Left Bank Bordeaux. Complex, elegant aromas. Very soft and round on the palate, with flavors to match the aroma, but still plenty of red and black flavors and a very long aftertaste with a hint of anise. One of our favorite Bordeaux, very consistent even in lesser vintages. Purchased on release.
Ric
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3/7/2021 - Woodway Mike Likes this wine: 98 Points
This bottle was a surprise that a friend brought over to have before dinner. Cork, bottle, label, capsule, all in great shape. Opened with a Durand. Immediate nose of everything you love about a right bank with some years on it. Black currant, cedar, leather, camphor and earth on the nose. Garnet color in the glass. Silky mouthfeel. Very well integrated tannins and great balance. Fruit on the attack - not jammy, but elegant. Red fruit with somewhat of a bright note, then plum. Mid-palate was fantastic and easily accessible flavors predominated - cedar, tobacco, earth and eucalyptus, with the fruit in the background still from the attack. Very nicely balanced. Long finish which was where the profile transitioned to spice. Maybe allspice, cardamom. We decanted for an hour or more and sipped a 2018 Theorem Sauvignon Blanc while we chatted and snacked. Then went back to the Angelus. It was nearly perfect. There wasn't as much spice on the finish, but it was really good. I have to say it was literally one of the best wine experiences I've ever had.
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2/15/2021 - Hubble Shire Farm Likes this wine: 99 Points
Hands down, one of the finest wines I have ever tasted and enjoyed!!! Don't hesitate.... too much enjoyment is lost in analytics
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1/29/2021 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine: 96 Points
A nose between jam and spice but very diffuse.
The palate immediately stands out for extreme youth. We would give him 15 years younger. Its silky texture is magnificent, a velvety touch with enormous substance which gradually develops in the mouth, it is tasty, the volume is really astounding on this wine. The balance is perfect between melted and very noble tannins and an acidity all in filigree which gives a beautiful energy to a whole which is expressed more on the palate than on the nose. It's beautiful, everything is obvious with this wine. And a finish combining intensity and length on spices and tobacco ... Magnificent.
Great bottle, what a beautiful Bordeaux, quite simply.
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1/1/2021 - Kweiss7 wrote:
Definitely past it’s prime but drinkable
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11/23/2020 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
During a St.Emilion dinner. Very deep garnet color for a 30 year old wine. The nose is also quite youthful with dark fruit, earthy and woody notes, spices. Ripe and extracted but not overripe, reminds me of a Dunn or Lokoya from Napa Valley, known for ripe, tannic and at times rustic wines. You could see that there was an ambitious team at work, may be too much so. Drink now but this will also keep for another decade. Good, but not as stellar as a bottle I had a few years back. 94+
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11/21/2020 - MPC61 wrote: 98 Points
Just spectacular. Beautifully round tannins, smooth but some blackberry and truffle. Just perfect. Now I'm just waiting for my next encounter with a '90 Angelus.
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11/21/2020 - PDavisMarble wrote: 97 Points
Angelus 238 Tasting. Some bricking. A rich and earthy nose. Leather, cedar, camphor and plum nose. Red and black fruits for the start and then tobacco, leather, spice, currants. This is a beautiful and elegant wine.
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11/21/2020 - englishman's claret wrote: 98 Points
Opened 5 of these at once for a Commanderie event. There are little variations on the common theme or ravishingly gorgeous, cool mixed red, blue, and black berry fruit, truffle, potpourri, ganache, Christmas spice, and nuts - two bottles emphasize the mineral/truffle a bit more, one is a tad less developed but more exuberantly fruity. What a sumptuous, sophisticated personality this has, not just engaging but engrossing, utterly exemplifying the rare marriage of hedonism and elegance. Gorgeous, silky, round in the mouth - do you roll it around or does it roll you around? A triumph. 96-98 points (all neck fills with excellent corks)
NB little need for air - actually seems to clamp down a bit in the decanter
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10/23/2020 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Fully-developed, this is clearly close to being off the charts. The wine is rich, concentrated, opulent and silky. The lush, ripe, sweet, dark red fruits, truffle and chocolate are accompanied by velvety, cashmere textured tannins. The finish is all about those endless waves of perfectly ripe, pure, fresh, earthy fruits that feel as good as they taste.
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10/10/2020 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 96 Points
Certainly a ‘wow’ wine! Juicy, ripe and fresh — silky, powerful and elegant. Nice acid, structure suggests this has a long life ahead of it, but drinking beautifully today.
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9/30/2020 - PhN Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious, balanced. delightful but showing its age. Edit: Significantly more dynamic, balanced and delicious the second day. I needed to decant it longer. Up to 93.
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8/9/2020 - Solidgold Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow. Power and class. Such a balance u can hardly find anyMore. Complex storm in a glass melting u with every sip. U just can’t get enough. I was slightly skeptic since wine is at neck level. Once I opened, never doubted it would be a winner from the first sip. I wish I had more.
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7/5/2020 - Ltim BE Likes this wine: 98 Points
H2H blind with Cheval Blanc 1990 and Montrose 1990. The Angelus was the clear winner. Mindblowing pure energy and fruit. What a wine. The dinner party of 8 agreed this was the star of the 3 wines.
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5/26/2020 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
Tasted double blind. This was a treat to drink and seems to be at its peak but with all the ingredients and stuffing for many more years. Superb weightless structure with good freshness and very good complexity as the highlights but sharpness, delineation are not up there with the very best wines. Nevertheless, this is a great wine and easily 95/96 points.
TN: Expressive nose displaying full-blown aged Bordeaux sexiness with tobacco, along green bell pepper, a strong minerality, dark fruits, minty notes. At first mainly earthy and savoury and with time with more sweetness. It could be sharper, more focused but it is an amazing nose worth 95-97 points. Intense, fresh, round and weightless on the palate with pepper, a strong mineral backbone, lots of herbs, mint, earthy tones with truffles and tobacco, all circling around a sweet red and darker fruit core. Melted tannins, not absolutely weightless but soft and silky, good freshness and medium+ length.
Decanting: Decanted for 30 minutes. Good from the start. No extensive decanting needed.
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5/9/2020 - LordOfGlencoe Likes this wine: 96 Points
Eyes: pretty light, ochre
Nose: Olive, Bell Pepper (strong!), Vegetable
Mouth: Tobacco, bell pepper again,
Super well integrated and rounded. Soft tanins, blue fruit, strong minerality. Very soft. Changing from lots of minerality towards more herbal and vegetable notes.
Five hours later: very earthy, mushroomy, still green bell pepper, but not as much.
Had it blindly and guessed it to be a Cabarnet Franc 1990 Bordeaux right bank.
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5/8/2020 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decanted 30mins to remove the sediment and open this up. Red ocher colored with a nicely aged rim. Initially very earthy, full of mushrooms, old leather and barnyard. But this gave way to eucalyptus and vegetable notes (red pepper) over time. The fruit brought me down a path to garden of mixed forest berries and cherry, but also raspberry, with an initially darker profile becoming lighter with time in the glass. Herbal aromatics of moist tobacco leaves gave away the Cab Franc. Balanced and firmly structured palate with plenty of juicy fruit left. Having had this on the same evening as the Margaux 2009 was revealing in the sense that the Margaux set a benchmark for refinement and elegance that the Angélus just simply could not meet. That said, this nevertheless turned out to be a very strong vintage, as far as I can tell from my limited experience with this Chateau, that is probably at the peak of the its drinking window right now. The 1990 is clearly ahead of 1986 in that age bracket but also beats the 2009 in my view when compared to another outstanding vintage and easily comes in well ahead of 2004.
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4/16/2020 - cnichelson Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still tasting it the next day as I write the note. Cocoa powder and leather and candied red fruit. Cedar and cigar box on the nose. Really just perfect now without a decant at all. No need to wait.
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1/21/2020 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 95 Points
Double decanted to serve. The 90 Angelus is absolutely beautiful with a deep nose of sweet cedar, dark currant, graphite and tobacco. Palate was layered and structure with plenty of stuffing. Loved the vibrancy and intensity on the palate. 95-96
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1/5/2020 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 98 Points
Still nearly perfect and still on its plateau. Garnet, mostly opaque, slight amber edge. Pronounced aroma of sweet cedar, tobacco, dark fruits. Still has plenty of dark fruit flavors, with cedar and French oak overtones. Mild tannin. Very long aftertaste. I've had this since its release; drinks younger than its 30 years. Wouldn't hold it much longer, though. Saved the last glass amount under inert gas until the next night and it hadn't deteriorated.
Ric
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12/21/2019 - sdr Likes this wine: 90 Points
When younger, the ‘90 Angelus was bright and marked by its exuberant fruit. But now the torrid vintage conditions have left their mark and it has become slightly stewed and roasted. Sometimes that combination will work in the Graves but not in St. Émilion. There’s depth but the deficiency of freshness is hard to overcome.
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12/6/2019 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
If you own this stunner, it is time to pop that cork and dig into all that truffle, cocoa, wet forest and plum liqueur on the nose. As good as that is, the silky elegant, sensuously textured palate presence, with its layers of chocolate-covered plums and dark cherries will seal the deal. This is fully mature. There is no reason to hold-off for further development.
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12/1/2019 - Frank Schneider wrote: 98 Points
Amazing juice ! Reday to go with many years left. Give it a good decant and enjoy a real great wine !
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11/29/2019 - Romol wrote: flawed
Ouch...flawed (corked).
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11/28/2019 - plitton Likes this wine: 98 Points
A remarkable wine. Nose of dried fruit and forest floor, old. Bright palate with layers of complexity. Decant for 1 hour and enjoy over 3.
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11/19/2019 - sdr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sweet and savory, the Merlot shows compared with all the left bank wines in the group. Fully mature, resolved, deep and satisfying. Don’t wait too long, it won’t last forever.
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9/25/2019 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 99 Points
Best Bottle with Zachy's @FFF (Fritz Frau Frazi Düsseldorf): blind
for me WOTN, side by side with LMHB 1990
great nose I guess Right bank but was wrong by the chateau. Vintage 90 or 96 because it is so unbelievable hedonistic. So Fresh, so bx but in a few Points could be California but with few CS. Mind blowing. 99
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9/8/2019 - Sleepy Dave wrote:
Tasted blind. My favourite vintage of Angelus by far. Dark core. Sweet seductive aromatic of roasted herbs, pepper, blue flower, graphite, savouriness and smoke meat. Sweet entry, ripe vintage? This has got the depth, roundness, complexity of a grea Bordeaux, very complete. The inner perfume is incredible and the ever growing depth, complexity and power pairing with the firm, silky tannin that leads to a never ending finish. Impressive, unilateral note to the previous bottles. Classy! In my memory this is the best Angelus.
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9/6/2019 - etyc Likes this wine:
Decanter for ~2-hrs prior to serving, this was on-form from the get-go. Glorious nose of dark plums, cedar/sandalwood, tinge of earth/mushrooms soared from the glass, so regal. Served after a pair of '69 Mouton & Margaux, and alongside a '85 Latour, this was perhaps the most "hedonistic" (in a good & controlled manner) amongst the four Bords. Still so very fresh & young, seemingly, on the palate, with guesses tending towards the late '90s and left-bank. Mouth-coating, with a long finish that fanned out all over the palate. Just outstanding, and I believe it'll get even better!
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7/31/2019 - Ltim BE Likes this wine: 98 Points
Second bottle in one month. Simply spectacular again. Lively complex and sexy.
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7/6/2019 - Ltim BE Likes this wine: 98 Points
H2H with Rougeard Les Poyeux 1990. The Angelus is simply mindblowingly great. Elegance, fruit and massive complexity. A legendary wine.
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7/5/2019 - Bob H wrote:
That cedar/sandalwood note is even more pronounced here than on the La Conseillante, with blackberry fruit in the background.
Seamless on the palate, but not as lively as the first wine. I liked this wine better when it was younger - this has a little less acidity, and as the wine has aged, the ripeness of the fruit has been emphasized.
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4/25/2019 - W&FS Cellar Chair Likes this wine: 99 Points
I don't know how this wine could have been any better! Perfection. Everything about it was superb from the nose, first impression in the mouth, gorgeous mid palate to a long lingering finish. Fortunately all three bottles were consumed at a beautiful dinner with Wine and Food Society friends.
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4/25/2019 - WinoRick wrote: 98 Points
At my friend Ernie’s home with a group of friends. Drank three bottles from his cellar that had been purchased on release. One wasn’t up to the others, but WOW.
Tasting notes are a ditto to the last review.
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4/21/2019 - no oak Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bought upon release in 1993 and has been properly stored thereafter. This is the last bottle of the 1990 L'Angelus in my cellar, and it was consumed on 4/21/2019. The color is still dark with very little amber at the rim. When first opened, the finish was unmistakably cinnamon. Two hours later, that was gone. While the wine has an old-claret nose of black currents and spices, the palate is much younger, as the tannins have not yet resolved and the wine lacks complexity. While the first bottle in my stash, consumed in 1993, was one of the best young Bordeaux wines I've ever tasted, the 1990 L'Angelus has not yet emerged from its sleep. If I had more bottles, I wouldn't open another one for at least 5 more years.
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2/13/2019 - booksmiths wrote: 99 Points
A magnificent Bordeaux reaching its prime.
Decanted two hours before serving and it kept growing.
Wonderful nose, balance, structure, mouthfeel.
This reminds me of the rewards that come from cellaring well-crafted wines.
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12/22/2018 - mnh Likes this wine: 100 Points
This is what a 100 point wine is all about. Deep ruby with no amber on the edge. Very expressive nose and a beautiful mouthful from start to finish. Tannins resolved but should go another decade.
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11/3/2018 - UFGators Likes this wine: 100 Points
This is everything a right bank Bordeaux should be, fully mature and firing on all cylinders. This wine is extremely complex and layered With a very long finish. It evolved constantly in the glass and decanter for 4 hours it was open. This wine has beautiful color with no bricking on the edges. Tannins fully resolved but wine shows no signs of fading. More than likely entering a long drinking plateau. Drinking at first growth level and deserving of its grand cru status, it’s a wine a merlot lover should experience in his lifetime.
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9/26/2018 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
Russk. Justin's Wizards Tasting at The Ritz Key Biscayne. My wine of the flight and one of my wine of the night. We had the 1989 and the 1990 vintage. Both were my favorite and their respective flights, over and above the other Rt Banks of the same vintage.
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7/27/2018 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding St. Émilion, surely at its peak. Medium garnet, orange rim verging on brown. The bouquet is obvious and deep with notes of dark plum, cedar, earth and black truffle, almost as if it wanted to be Left Bank. On the palate the Merlot shows. Smooth and softer than the nose suggests. Firm clean finish. Fruit and structure are nicely balanced. Drink now while it’s so good. Delightful and just slightly better than the also excellent ‘90 La Conseillante.
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7/21/2018 - rlove wrote: 95 Points
Gorgeous, aromatic nose of cassis, plum, truffle, and cedar. Soft, sexy texture yet still showing just enough tannic grip to keep things lively. Ripe acidity. The 1990 Angélus perfectly rides the line between hedonistic and elegant. Drink now through 2030.
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7/7/2018 - Bob H wrote:
A small taste to check on the wine before dinner tonight (about 5 hours from now).
Ripe black & red fruits (blackberry) on the nose, with a tobacco note as well.
Full-bodied, really coats the tongue, lengthy finish. A little deficient in acidity (at least compared to the reds I normally drink), but other than that, drinking very well. A birth year wine for my oldest daughter.
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6/24/2018 - Marc wrote: 96 Points
BUD IS 75! (Abbot Street, Ngaio, Wellington, New Zealand): Beautiful St. Emilion with impeccable equilibrium. Rich and ripe nose of currant, dark plums, cedar and leather - a classic Bordeaux bouquet. The Cab Franc provides outstanding florals - in this case, dried red roses. In the mouth, the balance is superb, with a fine and classy modulated finish. While this might not have been representative of the finest examples of this wine, this bottle was still clearly extraordinary in its marriage of suppleness, ripeness, concentration, and balance. A complete class act.
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4/30/2018 - englishman's claret wrote: 95 Points
Angelus Dinner: The second bottle from the same case, this shows a totally different profile. Here it's the merlot that's emphasized and what a rich, sumptuous nose it shows. Raspberry, plum, ganache, Perigord truffle, cedar. Loads of swagger without losing any poise - this walks a fine line between hedonism and elegance. Round palate. Long finish. Just a delight - here's the real 1990 Angelus! 95-96
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4/30/2018 - englishman's claret wrote: 93 Points
Angelus Dinner: The first of two bottles from the same case and how different they are; the first example shows an elegant, herbal nose emphasizing the cabernet franc over the merlot. Advanced past where one would think the 1990 ought to be. A little more fat on the palate but without the sheer drive that a 90 Angelus might have. See following note...
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4/21/2018 - nwebstar Likes this wine: 96 Points
Luscious and magnificent still. Deep, fine and textural. Dark to red fruit apparent with earthy mushroom and violets and then a tobacco, tarry/aniseed backdrop. Everything in delightful balance. An elegantly regal and engaging length.
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4/1/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
The truffle, floral, wet earth, cherry, licorice and plummy aromatics are off the hook. But it is the concentration, silky textures, length and complexity that stop the show. This is fully mature. There is no real hurry to open a bottle, but there is not much to be gained from holding on to this beauty either.
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3/11/2018 - europat55 wrote: 94 Points
Nose: A-/A Palate: A-
My #6, Group's #7 (60 pts) in a Bordeaux '82/85/89/90 line-up. Tasted blind.
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2/23/2018 - Billigan Likes this wine: 98 Points
Absolutely gorgeous showing and probably the best Right Bank wine I've ever had. Decanted about 30 minutes and that was plenty, as the nose was beautifully expressive, with ripe black plums, sweet black cherries, graphite, warm soil, and cedar. On the palate, this was just seamless, with a luxurious, satiny texture, tons of ripe fruit, and nice mineral twang on the long, sweet finish. A total stunner that's at peak but could go years longer.
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1/27/2018 - sdr Likes this wine: 94 Points
No doubt about it, this is outstanding St. Émilion at the height of its power. Mature healthy color with some bricking at the rim. Lovely aroma of bright red fruit, cherry and dark plum. Sweet from ripe but not over-ripe fruit. Just slightly low in acidity which makes it even more delicious but it’s not at all flabby or tiring. Fruit driven yet there’s enough structure to keep it interesting.
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1/27/2018 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 90 mins and poured back to the bottle. Nose is beautiful with sweet cassis, smoke, tobacco, herbs , and earth. Palate is very complex but retaining so much elegance and balance. The fruit is ripe but very precise with a long finish. The acidity is pronounced. The fruit is mouth coating. It has a long life ahead but certainly drinking well now. 95+
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1/9/2018 - Nanda wrote: 97 Points
IWFSC Dinner #831 (El Ideas): Opened from IWFSC cellar. Majestic wow nose of rich, ripe plum with great bell pepper, cigar and cocoa notes. Epically rich and youthful aromas. The palate follows suit, with beautifully lush and rich fruit that is so lifted and precise. This is incredibly muscular and powerful, yet feminine. Hammer in velvet glove type of wine. This is incredible now, but should only get better over the next 10+ years.
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12/31/2017 - AJCowen wrote: 98 Points
Insanely good stuff. No brickage and no loss of fruit at all. Quintessential Angelus. Currant, cherries and mushrooms. Mellowed tannins that made this wine drinkable as soon as it was opened.
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11/24/2017 - valedeniro wrote: 95 Points
Very youhtful appearance with little brick.The nose shows ripe plum and blackberry with subtle hints of leather and blonde tobacco.Excellent depth,pleasant sweetness and well integrated tannins.Smooth,elegant and quite long.The wine is drinking great today,and it should remain at this level for at least another 5-10 years.
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11/23/2017 - Dehrmann Likes this wine: 95 Points
TG dinner ME +1, CB, PT, kids...
3rd of night...best, vibrant, powerful, still youthful, round, sublime
'88 Yquem
'98 Vogue Musigny VV (opened late)
'89 Jabouet La Chapelle (corked)
'90 Angelus (best of night)
'97 Gaja costa Russi
'90 Pegau Cuvée Réservée
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11/10/2017 - convex Likes this wine: 99 Points
I maintain that this is the best bottling of Angelus I have ever had and a top 5 of all right banks. A kaleidoscope of scents on the nose (licorice, mocha, cassis and mint) lead to the sweet sweet voluptuous fruit all shining through a mature yet energetic disposition. Drunk over 90 minutes, this wine kept on evolving and giving yet not a single sip or whiff disappointed. This is drinking at its absolute best and gives no sign of descent.
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11/4/2017 - Labrador wrote: 92 Points
This was a big, brooding, powerful wine that was - for me - still a bit tannic. I believe this wine will evolve into something spectacular - everything is there...depth, length, balance, fruit, power, etc., etc., etc. It was just not fully expressing itself. It was superior to the 2 Clerc Milons (1990 and 2005) and was clearly the WOTN.
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11/1/2017 - Collector1855 wrote: 98 Points
The Judgement of Paris - reloaded: Wow, did this wine well. First it showed the best of what Bordeaux can do in the nose with earth, smoke, meat. Rich palate but with good balance and structure. Fully mature. A fantastic showing against an equally impressive Shafer Hillside select. What a great flight this was.
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10/3/2017 - G_H wrote: 96 Points
Bordeaux perfection! Amazing richness, sweetness, cherries, cassis, great length
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9/26/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 96 Points
This wine was quite interesting, as it changed considerably throughout the evening. At first, I wasn't certain that this was a good representative of the 1990. The nose certainly took awhile to open up, but when it did, it dazzled. The nose showed off a beautiful earthiness that married well with the ripe plum and blackberry. Along with this, there was truffle, eucalyptus, anise, and tobacco. This slightly edged out the 1989 on the palate, with its elegance and incredible length. The finish left you with soft tannins and a fresh acidity that completed a seriously good tasting experience.
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9/24/2017 - la turque wrote: 100 Points
Wow! In its stride, brilliant brilliant brilliant. Complex, precise fruit, precise acidity, enchanting aromatics, impossibly long finish. For our anniversary. What a treat.
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9/16/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 96 Points
Another excellent bottle of 1990 Angélus. There is just so much density of fruit, freshness, and overall depth to this wine. This is a wine that does require some air, as it is a bit of a slow starter. But after a few hours of air, this wine really pours it on and impresses. The lingering finish with so much fresh acidity keeps you wanting more. Drinking at its peak, where it should remain for awhile.
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9/12/2017 - MaxSiegel Likes this wine: 95 Points
Smoky nose with cedar and spicy dark fruits. Sweet palate with lots of fruit. Slightly charred fruit skins. Velvety luxurious mouthfeel. Fair amount of acidity to balance the concentrated fruit. Very long finish, with leather and more smoke.
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5/31/2017 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 98 Points
At home, with Steak au Poivre Left Bank (Vail). Deep ruby-garnet, slight browning at the edges. Sweet cedar red and black fruit aromas, very pronounced, complex, and elegant. Soft and round flavors, still has plenty of fruit and very little tannin but is still at its peak. No significant tannin. Just as outstanding as the 1990 La Mission Haut Brian from last week, but softer and more elegant style. It did start to lose some fruit after five hours.
Ric
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5/25/2017 - DrZett wrote: 94 Points
Great 1982 vs 1990 Vintage Tasting (Rare-Bordeaux-Weine, Wachtberg (Germany)): In great drinking window now! Beautiful ripeness and a lot of power left in this beauty. Long finish and a nice soft acidity - drink up in the next few years.
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5/20/2017 - LordValentine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very well knit at this age. Blackberry flavors with some shiitake mushroom notes and a hint of leather on the finish. Excellent with lamb. Good length and color! Twenty seven years and it has aged superbly.
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5/17/2017 - Racer117 Likes this wine: 95 Points
A few decades of Chateau Angelus and others (Fig&Olive, Newport Beach, CA, USA): Prominent funky nose with leather and dark fruit; dark berry, cedar, and leather flavors. Sweet tannins and a superb texture makes this a very cohesive wine. Longggggggggg........ finish.
I can't help but think the '09 and '90 are (will be) very similar.
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5/8/2017 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great color, great nose, lovely finish and long.
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4/22/2017 - prof b Likes this wine: 97 Points
Adrian returns to Indiana (Andy's Place): After the first was corked, Andy opened a second bottle of the 1990 Angelus. This was a special bottle. It jumped out of the glass with an amazing freshness. I picked up on dark fruits, sandalwood, and tobacco which came together to make a compelling and complete nose. The palate was quite similar with a long finish and solid acidity. A gorgeous wine.
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4/22/2017 - salil wrote: 96 Points
Andy generously opened a second '90 Angelus as a replacement for the corked one, and this was spectacular. Powerful and flamboyant with lots of black fruit, spice, cedar, graphite, and tobacco coming together seamlessly on a full bodied frame that's rich but very well balanced, not showing any overt heat or heaviness. Air brings out even more aromatic complexity as sandalwood and other exotic spicy/floral scents emerge around the fruit, and the whole package is really compelling.
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4/22/2017 - salil wrote: flawed
First bottle - lightly corked.
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4/22/2017 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
Indianapolis II; 4/21/2017-4/22/2017 (Indianapolis, IN): A second bottle of this was much, much more convincing. The nose on this was simply explosive, with lots of sweet black fruit. The palate is very full-bodied. It's certainly full-throttled with a crazy amount of sweet and powerful fruit, and it's never shy about it. Not much oak showing here -- this is big Bordeaux showing in a great way.
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4/22/2017 - acyso wrote: flawed
Indianapolis II; 4/21/2017-4/22/2017 (Indianapolis, IN): The nose and palate were quite stripped, not showing much fruit and instead showing a bit of woodiness.
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4/6/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful Improptu/ Merged Wine Dinner (The Links Club - New York NY): Lots and lots of ripe black fruit with sweet spice and liqueur hints. Started out slightly one-dimensional, with the rich fruit dominating everything else, but more air brought forth more nuance and complexity. Upside from here.
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2/25/2017 - rcg62 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Beginning to show its age. But great big nose of cedar, camphor and dark fruit. Tart black cherry, tar, and more of the earth and cedar comes through in the palate, which truly lingers. Showing great right now, although no doubt 10+ years of great drinking ahead. 96/97
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2/3/2017 - tinybubbles wrote:
A harsh bottle and not the best showing.
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1/29/2017 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 100 Points
A perfect Bordeaux, perfectly ready! This and La Mission Haut Brian are probably our favorite wines from Bordeaux. Still almost opaque, with just the slightest hint of brown at the edges; very pronounced toasted cedar nose, with dark fruits and plums, elegant and complex. No mistaking that it's French! On the palate, plenty of rich, concentrated, viscous dark fruit and toasty oak, but very smooth and balanced. Tannins have resolved. Aftertaste sweet and long. We have a few more bottles, which should be consumed next 1-2 years.
Ric
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1/17/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 96 Points
This baby is hitting on all cylinders right now. Continues to impress me with its many layers and amazing complexity. Dark ruby color. Aromas and flavors are simply sublime, with plum, cassis, cinnamon, anise, pepper, leather, eucalyptus, and coffee. Lots of finesse on the palate, yet with a solid tannic structure. Extremely long finish, with nicely balancing acidity. Leaves you with a nice freshness on the finish.
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1/13/2017 - JERB Likes this wine: 97 Points
This was my introduction to Bordeaux wine. What an amazing introduction!!!! I will be forever grateful to John & Rita for this wonderful initiation!
To this point I have been pretty much a West Coast wine guy - predominantly California and especially the blends from Paso. Wow! Have my horizons been blown wide open! I have never experienced a wine of such grace and finesse. Everything about this wine was exceptional, yet no one thing was exceptional. It was so seamlessly integrated and balanced. It did not have the big fruits that I have become accustomed to in many CA wines. Instead it had elegant fruits and a clear sense of the earth from which it was produced. Mind Blown! In the most extraordinarily exquisite way!
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1/10/2017 - iwfsc Likes this wine: 96 Points
IWFSC 821 Dinner (Claudia): This is a wait for btl of wine. Ripe fruit, plush, powerful, youthful somit will go on and on.
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12/16/2016 - Frankodk wrote:
Super
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11/13/2016 - Outplaying wrote:
Slight metallic note on the nose? Ann is usually more sensitive to that than me and she didn't mention it. Compared to the 88 and 89, this was riper and plusher. There is still quite a bit of structure here and perhaps a shade more than the 89. Good, but not as complex or interesting as the 88 or 89. Maybe that will come with more time? I am not sure. Ann and I both preferred the 88 and 89. Thanks to Bob H for sharing these.
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11/6/2016 - Pacolito Likes this wine: 99 Points
Wat een geweldige wijn! Werd alleen maar beter gedurende de avond en was fantastisch in combinatie met de parelhoen. Kan zeker nog jaren mee...
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11/3/2016 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
St Emillion First Growths (Chez Bruce, London): Dense. Dense and a touch more savoury. Almost a touch of licorice. Shows well on the palate. Again a denseness but also a dryness. ****
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10/27/2016 - walkerjfw wrote: 98 Points
Hirsch Vineyards Tasting with special guest Jasmine Hirsh...extra wines from Jay's cellar (Jay's House, Martinsville NJ): A generous contribution from Jay's cellar post the CdP. Well stored bottle, a quick splash decant, drank over 30 minutes.
Dark inky purple core color to the rim, no real signs of age. Nose was incredibly expressive dark and blue fruits, herbs and tobacco. Rich palate of blackberry, plums, black olives, violets and faint graphite notes. Long and complex finish. Soft and plush palate from the Merlot content.
This was a truly incredible Bordeaux drinking at full maturity. Shows no signs of fading, perhaps one of this "immortal" Bordeaux wines that ages indefinitely? May get even better in time, perhaps a 100 pt wine at one point, hard to see how it gets better...98+
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10/8/2016 - Dehrmann Likes this wine: 95 Points
beautiful...delicate...round...youthful...dinner with nickel...3 bottles of '90 bordeaux...angelus (95)...leoville poyferre (94)...baron (93)...
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9/30/2016 - ljl Likes this wine: 92 Points
Slight garnett color. Cedar and black cherry nose. Very smooth with lush black cherry flavor.
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8/17/2016 - Old Vino Likes this wine: 96 Points
3 hrs slow ox then 30 min decant. wonderful explosive aromas. on palate: thick viscous rich and complex. very enjoyable.
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7/16/2016 - King Julien wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 2 hours.
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7/2/2016 - dream Likes this wine: 93 Points
Gorgeous nose of bitter chocolate and tobacco. Opulent and rich but accompanied by plenty of acids and tannins. Deep black fruits with notes of dark chocolate and Asian spices. Finishes complex and crisp with potent minerals and spices. The tannins are slightly rustic and harsh which keeps this lovely wine from a higher score at the moment. Brought to Latour, Crystal Springs.
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4/16/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
If you have a bottle of this elixir, pop a cork. It is showing great today. The nose, with its complex aromatics, the palate and all its ripe, silky fruits and the finish which keeps on going makes for a fabulous, hedonistic drinking experience.
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3/27/2016 - convex Likes this wine: 99 Points
Near perfection. This is what a fully developed Right Bank should taste like. Text book. Lovely.
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3/16/2016 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 96 Points
A private dinner (Restaurant Adam, Amsterdam, NL): Tasted blind. Cooler and more mineral than the extremely rich Duffau Lagarosse 1990 that preceded it, feels younger, but it shares the richness and power of the vintage, ripe acidity, firm tannins, refined Cabernet Franc freshness, develops well in the glass, velvety and long finish. Perfect balance, very stylish.
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3/12/2016 - Gfaerie Likes this wine:
Great garnet color with nice legs. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. At first it smells like blackberry + leaf, then the cedar, game, mushroom and forest floor complete the bouquet. The taste is as the nose, smooth and full bodied with a long finish.
It has taken some time for this wine to reach this level of maturity. now on a plateau to be enjoyed for the next 4 to 8 years.
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1/28/2016 - nywine68 Likes this wine: 93 Points
1989 vs. 1990 Bordeaux (Vaucluse): 89 vs 90 tasting. The right bank wines had a difficult time standing up to the amazing left bank line-up that preceded them. Therefore the score may be underestimating the wines' stand-alone performance. The 90 had a beautiful nose and great depth of fruit. I preferred the 90 over the 89 again.
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12/17/2015 - cephomer Likes this wine: 96 Points
Cepages Bordeaux Tasting (North End Grill; New York City): Drank at Cepages bordeaux tasting alongside a 1990 Figeac. This was my WOTN. Powerful nose of black fruit, cedar, spice and earth exuding from the glass. The wine appears shockingly youthful and vibrant, and smells the same way. Condition: perfect, decanted. Medium bodied, but muscular with plenty of ripe dark fruit, forest floor, spices, chocolate & tobacco. Wonderfully elegant demonstrating extreme complexity and grace. A big & still somewhat tannic wine that is very much hitting its stride right now. Note the tannins are not grippy but rather are chalky and in no way intrude on one's enjoyment of this delightfully charming elixir. A great wine that shows no signs of decline anytime soon. I wish I had some for my cellar!
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12/17/2015 - conviction buy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Deep red, no sign yet of bricking. Nose of truffle, dark fruit. Concentrated fruit on palate, very fine tannin and perfect and fresh balance of sweetness and acidity. Long and mouth coating, this shall continue to evolve for decades.
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12/1/2015 - ConnIntChicago Likes this wine:
Medium garnet robe. Pronounced vegetal nose with damson plums and full funk of deep loam notes. Dark plum fruit on the palate; medium pls acid, resolved tannin, medium alcohol, well integrated, full bodied, vegetal tastes - cruciferous? garrigue/herb on the long finish.
Polarizing wine for the group with some, including me, loving the herb, funk and forest rot on the nose and long herbaceous lingering after taste. Outstanding wine
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11/9/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
This is pure sexy, hedonism at its best. The truffle, black cherry, earth, tobacco, flora, dark chocolate and licorice nose is killer. But that is nothing compared to the silky, opulent textures on the palate. This is a beauty that is really drinking great today.
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10/23/2015 - Marc wrote: 98 Points
Library Tasting with Geoff Kelly - 1990s - in memory of Ken Kirkpatrick (Regional Wines and Spirits, Wellington, New Zealand): Dense and mature hue. Brooding Bordeaux nose - meaty, cedary and still closed. Stunning on the palate! Very tannic and a masterclass of the power, texture and finish great Bordeaux can attain. Incredibly complex, in a modern style, this is great and exotic wine which is still young. Tasted blind, I thought this was the 1990 Petrus, but in fact this was in another league than that fine wine.
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10/10/2015 - jmoon Likes this wine: 95 Points
30 min decant... (2 hours ideal.)
Incredible nose, initially sour cherries, wet forest and wooden stems with a hint of Asian spice.
Palette rich and full, dark fruit clean fresh finish. Amazingly beautiful Bordeaux, all the hallmarks.
Over time palette and nose unfolded to rich licorich and dark ripe cherries. Peaked at 3-4 hours so don't be afraid of a decent decant. Tremendous
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10/4/2015 - pkatz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Soft and tasty. Peaking.
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9/3/2015 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Pure silk, velvety and sensuality. The truffle, black cherry, tobacco and earthy aromas are in full force. But it's the sweetness and purity of fruit, coupled with the sexy textures that seal the deal. At 25 years of age, this is the perfect time to be opening your bottles.
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8/18/2015 - ehodin Likes this wine: 97 Points
Delightful and classic
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8/3/2015 - PhN Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful balanced wine with great tannins and very adequate fruit. Great with a lamb patty, roasted potato, stewed green bean dinner. Also great with chocolate after. After 25 years, this wine has a way to go or drink now!
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7/5/2015 - phil the agony wrote: 98 Points
Un vin parfait, ça existe ?? Être au paradis et j'aimerais boire que ça.
Tu peux pas te tanner, impossible.Une bouteille venant de la vente prestige et patrimoine.
Avoir été juste les 3 boys,je crois qu'on aurait braillé de joie.
Mon plus beau vin à vie, rien de moins.
Au nez , tu le sait tout suite que ce sera incroyable.J'étais certain d'être charmé.
En bouche , soyeux,rondeur,finesse,longueur .Du fruits qui roucoule dans ta bouche.
La bouteille est partie bien trop rapidement.
98 pts.
Il est sur son edge pour encore 10-15 ans sans tracas.
Merci la vie!
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7/5/2015 - jarjarbinx99 Likes this wine: 98 Points
Wow, meilleur bordeaux à vie. Chateau mythique dans un millésime mythique parfaitement prêt à boire. Puissance et finesse réuni avec une longueur incroyable. Se devait d'être vu seul avec lui-même. Approche de la perfection. 98 pts.
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5/9/2015 - TWSA wrote: 95 Points
Food: French
Duration: 3 hours
Condition: perfect, decanted.
Aroma: forest, red fruits, dark fruits, spices, nuts, chocolate, violet, musky
Notes: medium bodied, nose of this wine is very aggresive, jumping out of the glass. So energetic and so charming, this wine is only starting to hit its drinking window. This wine is drinking smoothly, definitely not a feminine wine but somewhat very intriguing. I have to say this is rather sophisticated in terms of aromas. Fantastic wine, complex yet seductive. I think we can keep this for another 15-20 years. Drink now-2035.
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4/18/2015 - la turque wrote: 98 Points
Tough to say what this wine was missing, so I should be giving it 100 points! Two hour decant. Black in colour with some iodine/garnet. A sexy, intoxicating nose of black fruits, exotic spices, cedar. On the palate, an incredible, multi-layered, balanced and complete delicious wine, with full body and an incredibly long finish. Drinking beautifully now, but needs a couple of hours of decanting for the fruit to be at its best.
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4/18/2015 - BradE wrote:
From magnum. A good wine, but the finish was incomplete for me. Others loved it, I liked it.
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4/5/2015 - Jamie Manley wrote: 98 Points
Simply spectacular. Pop and pour, and this was absolutely singing. Soaring nose of peat, earth, plum, black cherry, cinnamon, tobacco, and pencil. A nose that only time can produce. The complexity of the palate was mind blowing. Layer after layer of rich black fruit, tobacco, graphite, moist earth, leather, and a long pencil finish. The wine coats every crevice of your mouth, and this particular bottle had completely sorted tannins. A beautiful, clear crimson color, I stared at the glass for quite some time. This stunning 1990 Angelus has convinced me to stay away from my 2000 Angelus stash for at least 5 to 10 years. What a complete winner! Those of you with the 1990...open away, and I hope that your bottles show as well as this one did. 98+ Pts
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4/1/2015 - FYC wrote:
Tasted next to the 1999 Cheval Blanc. This was noticeably more aged on the nose with earth, leather, forest leaves, cedar wood spice, and tobacco. . The fruit was sweet, dark, and delicious. Also in such balance. Literally impossible to pick which was better between the two. Both singing their separate and distinct signatures.
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3/22/2015 - johnh1001 wrote: 97 Points
Same as the last bottle. Just a very sexy and opulent wine.
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2/27/2015 - etyc Likes this wine:
1990-themed dinner (The American Club): This started off barnyard(y) just like the Poyferre, pretty much obscuring its pedigree. However, after 15mins in the glass, it started to morph. The funky stink blew off and wow, it started developing milky/vanillin notes, then leather, smoke, earth, chocolates etc. - the whole array of fireworks! On the palate - silky, lush but fresh, with notes of plums, meat, chocolate. So velvety and beautiful. Makes a good James Bond drink! WOTN for most (if not all)...
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1/26/2015 - conviction buy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep garnet with plum, leather and floral nose. Concentrated in mouth yielding plum, bit of tar chocolate, leather and menthol. Acidity level still ample making this still fresh, ripe for drinking and shall keep given the concentration here. Lovely and seductive.
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1/18/2015 - Ary Likes this wine: 98 Points
Had the privilege to drink this beside the 1989 Angelus. And we had some left on day 2 to follow the development. 1990 shows as a riper, warmer year than the 1989. I preferred the 1989 but 1990 showed more complexity on Day 2. Angelus 1990 is a more voluptuous and highly elegant wine with a long sensuous finish with notes of iron. On day 2 the wine showed even more complexity with additional notes of tar, meat and gravy as well as medicine box. This is a great wine.
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1/1/2015 - beachbum wrote: 97 Points
Great WINE, still holding back, it is a massive Bordeaux nose of sweet cedar and smoke with violets. CONCENTRATED, the fruit is so perfect and the acids would not give it fully up tonight. Wait 5 more years for prime time. Bottle stored from release in a combo of temp Control and passive.
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11/17/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 97 Points
Black fruit, crushed flowers, chocolate mocha and a touch of mint. This carried through to the super polished and spherical palate. Very sexy, almost modern. Youthful and mature at the same time. Long finish with wonderful grip.
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11/15/2014 - Roentgen Ray wrote: flawed
corked,
When the bottle first poured it was umami with some fruit, and then:0/
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10/24/2014 - Ericsson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bordal chez PG (100% Bordeaux) (Collex-Bossy (Genève)): Fantastique! Le vin s'est développé tout au long de la dégustation qui a duré 4 heures... et il possède encore de la réserve!
Il s'agit d'un vin qui allie la finesse à la complexité, du premier nez à la finale longue de plusieurs secondes.
Mon n°3.
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10/24/2014 - LordValentine wrote: 93 Points
Lovely supple leathery tones, still fresh after 24 years, fennel, mushroom notes with balanced tannins. Very nice with lamb.
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8/10/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
This is so sexy, it deserves an XXX rating. Opulent, sensuous and silky, the wine slips and slide all over your palate with its decadent textures. Complex and concentrated, this is ready for prime time drinking. The wine was produced from a blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc.
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6/14/2014 - thomaskeil wrote: 95 Points
PnP by server at Table 6; no decant. Initially, closed tight as expected and displaying deep violet red color. After getting my dining mates to swirl vigorously rather than drink, it opened wonderfully in about 10 minutes. Tarry, truffly, meaty, floral and beautifully fruity on nose and palate. Really complex profiles. Velvety tannins wrap the lush fruit and the acidity balances everything. Matched with a range of foods, especially the lamb shoulder with pea ravioli.
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3/15/2014 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Perhaps it would be best to write tasting notes from a checklist of qualities. Truffle, black plums, thyme, chocoalte mint and earth in the perfume, check. Rich, fresh, pure and concentrated, check. Silk and cashmere textures in the finish, check. This is probably close to, or at full maturity and it's drinking perfectly. This bottle was popped, poured into a decanter and served. 10-15 minutes all it took to wake up.
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12/28/2013 - englishman's claret wrote: 96 Points
When I opened this it had a strange pyrazine nose. What a disappointment. But wait... what's this? Half an hour into the decant, this exploded! What a rich, voluptuous, sumptuous nose - like a plume coming out of the decanter. Full of plums, chocolate, leather. So rich, but still so fresh. Wow! Doesn't quite follow through on the palate. Fine finish.
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12/25/2013 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is as good as it gets. 2 hour decant. Deep/dark red as would be expected. Long finish. Too many flavors coming through to describe them all. Fully evolved, but should last at least 5+ more years. Am changing my back end drink year to reflect that view, as I do not want to risk a bottle beginning to go over the hill. I only have 3 left.
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12/25/2013 - SkeBum Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened 2 hours before drinking, and decanted also. Deep red color with no bricking. The nose was awesome on this wine, floral notes with a lot of other things going on. Could smell the glass of wine when it was sitting in front of me on the table. Palate was silky smooth, dark fruit, with a nice long finish. The balance and structure of this wine was awesome. Could go on and on about this wine, but it is easily the top Bdx I have drank this year.
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12/24/2013 - PhN Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wonderful old claret with lots of fruit, terroir, wonderful finish. Great at opening. Went very will with a full flavored lasagne and salad. Good for a few more years I think.
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11/12/2013 - tbuysse Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent. Openend without decanting. Is on the peak of its potential now. My guess is there is no use waiting any longer to drink this gorgeous wine. Already shows some marks of aging.
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11/9/2013 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 96 Points
At a tasting we put on for our Couples Cru of 17 present, of eight 1990 Bordeaux (Angelus, Figeac, Beausejour Duffau, La Mission Haut-Brion, Leoville Barton, Pichon Baron, Lynch Bages, Montrose). All wines purchased on release and aged in my cellar. This was still dark garnet, mostly opaque. Very open complex aromas with some sweetness from merlot, and toasty French oak. Plenty of fruit and flavor, excellent balance, very long aftertaste. This was tied for second favorite with Lynch Bages, behind Montrose. It seems to be fully mature but should easily hold another five years.
Ric
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9/27/2013 - Rezy13 wrote: flawed
Keith's 50th Birthday Celebration (Bin 75): 2nd corked mondo bottle of the night! Damn! Having had this before I was extremely disappointed because this could have been a contender.
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8/27/2013 - melzar wrote: 94 Points
From 750: This fine wine is in the early stages of a long plane of maturity. Exuberant nose and fine lingering finish. Gobs of fruit shine through on the palate. Coconut notes that suggest new oak was used. Tannins still not fully integrated, but the ample fruit balances it well. Somewhat new world in style. No hurry to drink up. This could hold for another two decades.
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8/11/2013 - MC wrote:
Decanted and hour. Great nose, with plenty of earth, leather, and old world fruit. Incredibly lush, but in a Bordeaux way, this wine is expansive and really coats the palate. Finish is long and expensive. Great wine that seems to be at its peak with no signs of fading. A
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8/4/2013 - Slics Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bright deep garnet, complex nose of tobacco, raspberry, blueberry, dark chocolate an spice. Silky mouthfeel packed with blueberry, dark cherry fruit, good acidity and velvety finish, long and complex finish. Really spectacular. Texture is really amazing.
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8/3/2013 - dream wrote: 88 Points
I am almost through my case of this wine purchased on release and the variation in the quality of the bottles has been quite frustrating. When this wine hits, it is one of the great, aged St. Emilion's out there and while several of my bottles have shown beautifully, I've had 2 or 3 with too much Brett and 3 or 4 with a very green, tannic finish that just never softens up. That was clearly the case with this bottle which smelled gorgeous and looked perfect and had all the incredible richness this wine can show with great flavors of cassis, bitter chocolate and black minerals. But the finish just wiped that all away and I just couldn't get past it.
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4/3/2013 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 100 Points
For me, wine in the glass doesn't get better than this, although there are other perfect wines of different varietals and styles. This was one bottle of a case bought on release twenty years ago, aged in my cellar. Cork was perfect and extracted easily. Extremely aromatic as soon as the cork was pulled; then decanted an hour, put in the bottle and served with dinner at an excellent restaurant with Riedel Bordeaux glasses. Only two of us, so we enjoyed its development over a couple of hours with food. Medium dark, fully mature. Cedar, cassis, hint of anise, wonderful complex aromatics. Medium-full bodied flavors to match, complexity developing on the tongue over 30 seconds, again with cedar, cassis, French oak, great complexity and elegance. Plenty of fruit, but much subtlety and elegance, with very long aftertaste. Fortunately, we still have half of the case left. It may last longer, but as perfect as we think it is, no need to risk its losing some of its luster.
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2/2/2013 - Bromie Likes this wine: 98 Points
Baden's 60th with O'Neill's and Charnley's
My one and only bottle. About as perfect a wine as I have ever drunk. Decanted for 2 hrs before. Still deeply coloured - no real bricking. Beautiful nose of black fruits. Mouth filling taste with long, long finish. I would say this could last another 10 years but, for me, perfect now.
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1/19/2013 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
As good a bottle of this wine as I've ever had. It is bursting with big St. Emilion flavors of rich black earth, bold black fruits and a fabulous floral lift. A much bigger wine than the Pichon Baron and Lynch Bages drunk alongside and much more open-knit and there is a slight green note to the tannins that actually adds to the wine and still suggests a long life ahead. Stunning and opulent.
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1/4/2013 - Insignia98 Likes this wine: 98 Points
perfect now
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1/2/2013 - Veritas 53 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Clear bright deep garnet color.
Aromas of sweet tannins, chocolate, leather, spice box, tobacco, sweet cassis, jamy dark fruit ,sandalwood
Plate, warm silky cashmere , long finish , soft sweet & round tannins, jammy dark fruit yet exploding in your mouth , continuously changing and morphing into a bigger and mature fruit cocktail mature yet another 10 + years left. Superb keep some bottles for rainy days
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12/28/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Still deep in color, the nose explodes with truffles, chocolate, plums, earth, black cherry and licorice aromas. On the palate, this dense, concentrated, cashmere textured elixir grows and expands. Well stored bottles will age for at least another decade and offer decadent tasting experiences for another 2 decades after that! You probably have to go 2005, to find a vintage of Angelus that is at this sublime level of quality!
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12/12/2012 - pablopilot wrote: 98 Points
Wow! Near perfect fruit and texture.
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11/18/2012 - dream wrote: 93 Points
Out of double-magnum at chien des rotisseurs dinner at Craft 11/13/12. Delicious St. Emilion with wonderful flavors of violets, black fruits and earthy spices. This wine has real lift with a silky texture and good richness. Finishes complex with notes of minerals and floral spice. REally fine juice for drinking right now.
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9/7/2012 - -E- wrote:
Østkantsmaking: Dyp rød med purpur kjerne. Tung, søtlig nese, med forførende frukt. Søtlig, tett mørk, heftig og intens i munnen.
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9/7/2012 - LWI wrote: 92 Points
Seven Decades of Right Bank Wines (Trondheim, Norway (my house)): Would this live up to its Classe A status? Sweetish nose, spicy, meaty, minerals – very fine nose indeed; in the mouth: bomb strike, alcoholic finish, lots of spices, a slightly bitter finish. Not my cup of tea, but still an impressive wine? Worth its status: Nope. Solid Classe B.
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8/29/2012 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 95 Points
Double Blind @ Le Provencal; 8/28/2012-8/29/2012 (Le Provencal, Miracle Mile, Coral Gables,FL): - Crimsom color with fast forming legs. It's in total harmony with a medium/full body. Bright texture with a long finish - Al's wine. WOTN for me. Nuanced great wine. While definitely similar to the L'arrossee which followed it, in another league.
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8/2/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Birthday Celebration (Perennial Virant - Chicago IL): Lots of big ripe black fruit with some cassis aromas. Same lush black fruit on palate with good spice, hints of green pepper come through near end. Good structure, good balance.
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7/28/2012 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux 1990 plus some extra's (@ VadM): Just limited notes. Smoky and mature bouquet. On the palate round and creamy. Good acidity and tannin which is quite soft. This bottle impresses much less than the ones I drank in 2008 and 2010, so it could be the bottle; I don’t know the history of it.
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6/9/2012 - WineGuyDelMar Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is by far my favorite Bordeaux in my very favorite appellation, St Emilion. I have tasted this wine over many years and many vintages and never disappoints. The wine at this point is still amazingly dark in color & you would be hard pressed to guess this was a 23 year old wine. The nose is typical "barnyard" Bordeaux & the taste a mellow aged wine with still lots of structure & complexity. California Cabernet will never taste like this in my lifetime. This is as good as it gets for my palate & when my wine is consumed I doubt I'll replace it at current ridiculous prices. That's fine, I've been lucky enough to taste ALL of the greatest Chateau of all time & am happy drinking more reasonably priced & equally great wines from around the world.
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6/2/2012 - Milos wrote: 97 Points
Drank at dinner with Heinz and the gang. Among the greatest right bank Bordeaux I have had. Showed little cedar and strawberry fruit when first opened and I thought it may be on the down slide. Three hours in the decanter brought out a forward nose of bright dark red fruit, chocolate, black olives and touch of damp wood. Perfect balance on the palate between the sweet fruit intensity, acidity and fine ripe tannins. Long balanced finish. As much as I enjoyed the last two bottles over the past few years this one was a step above. What a wine!
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5/4/2012 - Zinlady wrote: 93 Points
Bought as future and this is my last bottle. Had at 1990 tasting and served it third. Very dark. Nice nose. Good finish. It was smooth. I would say it was ready to be drunk. Had with steak and lamb. Different from first two wines. A little roasted coffee could be detected. Everyone enjoyed it.
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4/9/2012 - Alex H wrote: 90 Points
A bit vegetal, leather and some tobacco. Smooth and velvety. Nice truffles, dark fruits and earth. Superb as well. More power and structure
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4/7/2012 - Mingmong wrote: 94 Points
Very vegetal, capsicum and a deep dark fruit and cassis nose. Dark plums, dark berries, cassis, earth and still very youthful and firm structured wine. Thick, mascular dark fruitiness, with chiselled tannins and a mouthful finish. probably wait a couple years before my next bottle
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4/7/2012 - Paul S wrote: 95 Points
My Birthday Celebration (Kingyo, Marina Square): This was special. Probably my favourite red in the midst of a very strong line-up. In a strange twist of coincidence, we ended up with two blind bottles of Château Angélus on the same flight. However, while this bore striking similarities to its older 1986 brother, it was clearly a league apart in terms of sheer quality. It had a wonderful nose. More clearly right-bank than the older wine here, it was loaded with earth and truffles, and lush aromas of plums, black cherries and cassis, all ringed by a lovely halo of tobacco smoke. Gorgeous stuff. The palate was crazy beautiful as well. This is why I love a good bottle of Angélus - it was plushly rounded, beautifully balanced and wonderfully integrated, with a stunning purity to its black fruited depth showing through flavours of cassis and black plums as the wine. These were then loaded on the midpalate by a lovely waft of sweet spice notes. Masculine in strength and depth, yet ever so feminine in its grace and supple, velvety elegance, the finish matched the rest of the wine stride for stride, filling the back-palate with notes of earth and truffle, cloves and nutmeg, and just that whiff of tobacco to fill in at the edges. Really wonderful stuff. Still clearly on the young side, this may well be better in four or five years down the road, but it is delicious even now. This is a St. Émilion that I could drink over and over again.
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3/20/2012 - danielk168 wrote: 90 Points
Third bottle for the evening and though the nose was still very charming, this bottle did not click tonight, even a bit tannic, not the silky fel i am used to, food pairing problem perhaps?
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3/11/2012 - Chainthroer wrote: 96 Points
A yellowish browning at the rim. Dark reddish ruby color; characteristics of being mature. I filtered the wine with a fine screen to remove some sediment that I observed to be floating in the wine when initially poured. Fragrant aromas of blackberry, soft/sweet blackcurrant, lots of different spices, graphite, cigar box - highly complex. Same flavors, with the addition of licorice and some quality roasted coffee. Ostentatiously rich and sumptuous are good adjectives for this wine. Seems fully mature to me and a lot better than when last tasted a few years ago, when I rated it 93. A long soft and velvety finish. Pairs very nicely with roasted leg of lamb. Storage has been at 56 degrees from when first available. Score 96-97.
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3/4/2012 - steffenpelz wrote:
33rd Austin Wine Salon - Bordeaux (Max's Underground): Very powerful. Super dark, ripe fruit and some nice earth and dried herbs. Unfortunately, the oak masked much of the nuance. Not my favorite wine i this tasting.
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12/16/2011 - bon vivant wrote:
While tonight a 90 Pichon Lallande was more approachable, this one required a little more attention. This is a full throttle, deep and intense and still has a long life of drinkability ahead. The structure here is impressive and surprisingly masculine, as there is a serious tannic back bone to the wine. Considering the age I am not convinced that this will soften but will probably drink at this level for at least another decade. Very good, yet could use a touch of mid palate fruit softness to make it truly excellent.
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11/25/2011 - psmith wrote: 92 Points
Friday after Thanksgiving (Palm Beach, FL): Softened plum and tobacco notes. Ripe, cooler fruit profile. Great texture. Nice.
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11/25/2011 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Friday after Thanksgiving (FAT) (Palm Beach Gardens FL): Powerful, ripe black fruit with dense spice on nose. Same great black fruit on palate with good oak spice complement. Not really showing any earthy elements yet, this is really both charming and powerful.
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11/12/2011 - steinersing wrote: 93 Points
best balance of the wines yesterday - perfectly evolved and wonderfully sexy. Less cedar wood than the Gruaud Larose 1990 - more sweetness
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9/30/2011 - ronlite wrote: 98 Points
Sensational
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9/15/2011 - Tad GW wrote: 94 Points
Drinking fabulously well right now.
50+5+13+18+8=94
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9/5/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 93 Points
The cork came out OK but not great condition, a bit worried at first but the first sip proved our anxiety was unfounded. After about 1 hour in the bottle, it was sure delivering on all counts and as good as I remebered of the other 2 bottles I had. Towards the end I thought I catch a bit of truffles! Yummy! Thanks to good friends, at current prices, I cannot afford to drink this.
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9/2/2011 - Chrisw97 wrote: 96 Points
Amazing how much backbone and fruit this still has. We had this in a vertical with La conseillante and L'Evangile 1990s. Angelus won by a thin margin, but this is splitting hair. Beautiful round and perfect harmony between oak, fruit and the terroir. The fruit was still so present and strong on both the nose and the palate which should give this a few more years to plateau. A monumental wine.
(this was decanted 12 hours prior to serving and the nose was immediately vibrant when the wine made it to our glasses)
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7/5/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 95 Points
This time the cork was in great condition and came out with no prolem, funny these 2 bottles were from the same batch. The aromatics seem to be even more intense and intoxicating! Wow! Again we finished the bottle way too quickly, well, everyone kept pouring away as it was so good.
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6/25/2011 - PeterH wrote: 95 Points
Still young. Great today, but before my final bottle, I'd wait another 5 years...
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6/22/2011 - danielk168 wrote: 94 Points
It is with much anticipation when I opened this bottle at lunch in a restaurant, I have been lucky to have sampled all major vintage of this property in the last 2 months from 95 to 2004 and only 90 was missing. It is therefore shocking for me to felt the cork giving way too quickly with the extractor! It went in partly before I was able to extract it, it was soaked half way through but was in decent shape, hope perhaps! It was a tense moment when a small portion was poured and tasted, no funny corked smell! At least we have a bottle of drinkable wine but maybe not kept in the best possible way.
The rest is pretty much what fellow drinkers have posted, I found this bottle to be well balanced, very smooth tannins, and drank well for 2 hours, as usual for a great bottle we finished it too soon! Must have this again and open it 1hour before serving and drink it over 3-4 hours! the score reflects the less than ideal storage, otherwise, at least 2pts higher.
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6/20/2011 - dream wrote: 94 Points
Still drinking fairly young with lots of acidity and sweet tannins but after about 2 hours in a decanter and combined with a Lobel's steak, it began to open up. Gorgeous dark berry fruit with notes of earth and graphite. Thickly-textured but also has acidic grip that keeps it fresh. Finishes complex and really smooth. Good bottles of this should continue to age beautifully for years.
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6/1/2011 - Pre-emptive wrote: 96 Points
Average bottle condition for the age. Soft, lush, full body with a slight amount of oak that compliment the black fruit. Slightly behind the 1990 Troplong Mondot. Very good Angelus that is at its peak.
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4/29/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
Intense aromatics demanding your attention are filled with truffle, licorice, plums, olives, spice, blackberry, tobacco and hints of espresso. Silk and cashmere textured waves of juicy, fennel coated berries caress your palate. The wine ends with lush, ripe, rich plums and cassis. While probably close to fully mature, if its well stored, the wine should offer pleasure for at least another 15-20 more years.
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4/21/2011 - Edclr wrote: flawed
Corked - what a bummer
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4/14/2011 - Alexis A wrote: 95 Points
WOW. I really enjoyed this wine. Had dinner with a colleague at Otto e Mezzo in HK with guest star chef Normand Laprise from Montreal Toque's restaurant. The color was dense red. Big legs suggesting a good level of alcohol. Yet, the nose was superb. Concentrated red fruits. A bit of oak and smoke. So well balanced, no hints of over-acidity or alcohol. Pure juice. The finish was a good minute long - amazing concentration. My colleague said, "there is a lot going on with this wine"... And I agree. I have another bottle but I think I will wait another few years cause I think this wine can go a bit longer.
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1/21/2011 - ronlite wrote: 95 Points
Excellent
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12/18/2010 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
Beautiful mature bouquet with toasted oak dark fruits and just a hint of barnyard. On the palate the same impressions as well as some pleasant sweetness. A great and complex wine. At its peak now, but the soft tannin is good enough to keep it a few more years.
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12/11/2010 - Hazeo wrote: 96 Points
Mature bordeaux nose, perfect balance, quintessential flavors of leather, earth, tobacco, smoke mixed with vibrant and delicious dark fruit. There's a liveliness to this wine that I didn't find in the 89. Lush in the texture, silky smooth medium bodied and transitions seamlessly into the finish. Would've been WOTN if it weren't for the 90 d'Yquem
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12/5/2010 - madeiradog wrote: 96 Points
Dinner with Herwig Janssen (Blue Duck Tavern): Just like the L'Evangile before it, the Angelus shows super rich fruit but with added complexity and great length. Finishes as strong as it starts.
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11/30/2010 - BradKNYC wrote:
Bordeaux and a sweet Chenin with the Last Tuesday of the Month Supper Club. (Bill's): This is a nice contrast with the ’90 Cos because I find both a bit new world, but this wine does it much better. Perhaps my second favorite L’Angelus after the stunning ’89, this wine is always about, rich, decadent, sweet black fruit. It’s opulent, non-apologetic in its decadence and just really fun to drink. There’s definitely some oak influenced spice and chocolate/mocha flavors and aromas, but the wine handles it well. Low acid and puppy friendly, it’s a wine that’ll put a naughty grin on your face and there’s no shame in that. A.
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11/17/2010 - PeterH wrote: 95 Points
Classic aged St. Emilion. Maybe a tiny hint of stemminess, but delicious. Completely ready to drink
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11/10/2010 - JavaMonkey wrote: 94 Points
Medium ruby red, very slight bricking along the edges. The nose is full of cedar and leather, with some cassis and blackberry. On the palate, there's cassis, blackberry, black olive, baking spices, and eucalyptus. Layers of flavor come through as you drink. Really great complexity. Opened up more with a couple of hours of air. Still some grip left, nice balancing acidity. Long, interesting finish. Really impressive.
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10/17/2010 - treaganjr wrote: 96 Points
Wonderful Bordeaux. Drink now.
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10/6/2010 - Zinlady wrote: 92 Points
Had with Veal Chops and wine was wonderful ver intense nice finish but not as fabulous as last bottle. Might have been inferior glass. Wine is still very dark. Drinking window is still 10 years or more
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9/27/2010 - dmalcolm wrote: 95 Points
Medium bodied with silky tannins and complex aromatics. Chalky dark fruits, black olives, cedar, and a hint of spice. Initially tasted a bit muted, even with a 2 hour decant, however over several more hours this became much more expressive.
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9/12/2010 - Peech wrote: 96 Points
most certainly the wine of the evening for most of us. Lovely nose of grass, a little potpourri, a bit smoky and some coffee grinds.
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8/27/2010 - dgerst wrote: 96 Points
Decanted and served immediately. Incredibly inky dark color. Grilled meats and black fruits on the nose. Lush and chock full of blackberry, chocolate, and an interesting olive tapenade in the midpalate. Long finish with persistence of that olive component. So smooth, rich and balanced. Went great with lamb chops. Plenty of life left. Can drink or hold but I will not touch my remaining stash for a few years.
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8/13/2010 - rwgray wrote: 93 Points
Needs 2-3 hours of decanting. Beautiful wine. Classic Bordeau
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7/16/2010 - Mozelrider wrote: 97 Points
great and Unentlich..
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7/15/2010 - blondon wrote:
Popped, decanted for sediment and enjoyed over 2 hours. What a fabulous wine, the nose rich, inviting, with floral, cedar, tobacco, tarragon and other savory herbs. The balance and structure of this wine is magnificent, just beautifully layered, textured, with tremendous depth and vibrancy that continued to emerge during the evening.
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6/17/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 94 Points
Still a very good wine but not at all what it was 5 years ago. Still a very good "old Bdx" nose but it is harder on the palate than it used to be. Still quite a lot of tannins but the fatness and sweetness has diminished. Still a great wine but I wish we had drunk the rest earlier. Have 3 bottles left and will probably drink them over the next year.
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5/20/2010 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 95 Points
1990 Château Angélus (Frankrijk, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol) Kleur: Diep donkerrood, bruinte rand Aroma / bouquet: Heavy stuff, donker fruit, aninaal / stallig, eucalyptus Smaak / Afdronk: Verleidelijke aanzet, een mondvulling die héél even doet denken aan port, enorme complexiteit, superkrachtig, royale tannines, bittertoon, laurierdrop, Algemeen / potentieel: 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 14 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 95/100
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3/5/2010 - WetRock wrote:
Old Ports with Roy Hersh (Zucca, LA, CA): Touch of brett on the nose with cedar and wood. Smells like a basic old Cali Cab. Tight, clean and acidic palate. This showed very simply and plain on the night.
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3/3/2010 - Whistler wrote: 96 Points
HK Crown Cellars pre-auction tasting.
The wine was showing very well. What stood out was how seamlessly integrated the fruit and the tannins were and the result was something very beguiling, soft, supple and succulent. It did not hold quite the same power as the Latour but the integration of its elements made it stand equal.
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11/30/2009 - Peech wrote: 98 Points
forest, pine needle, smoke and brett notes, with a bit of coffee grinds on top of a very ripe and sweet nose. A beautiful wine!
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11/29/2009 - JJL wrote: 95 Points
Jay's bottle, which he bought on release and cellared since. Looked great when decanted, like a '90 should, slight barnyard on nose. Not much going on palate for the next 4 hours. Then wakes up (as did I, I took a brief nap during this time). Lot's of cedar and herb on nose, red berry, red licorice spice, plum on palate. Long plum and mushroom finish. Very good balance. Plenty of time on this wine and I think it will get better. Open at 2pm if you want to drink with dinner.
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11/17/2009 - Rosengoo wrote:
Tasted at a Grapes for Humanity dinner hosted by G. and A. Suprisingly, not a very deep colour. The nose was very mild with strong smells of berries. Not bad, but not great either.
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11/13/2009 - Khamen wrote: 94 Points
Surprisingly tight at 19 years but a great wine in here struggling to get out. Extremely voluptuous and concentrated but not over-extracted. Dark, rich, complex and sexy but give it some time. 94+
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11/11/2009 - pjaines wrote:
Okay, maybe there is a God after all. He works at Angelus. Goodness me - this is a young little puppy - how can it be young? Seriously this has depth, complexity, class, charm, staying power - long long long long long follow through. Nose - wow - seriously restrained yet complex - dark fruits but tightly coiled without being full on. In the mouth this has amazing depth but dances across the tongue and tickles like a feather - tight and tannic but when I saw tannic not in a mouth puickering way but in a slightly grippy on the teeth way. Oooooh this is nice. This has years ahead of it - it needs another 10 years. This is not full or bruising but caresses the palate with love. Oh man.
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9/13/2009 - Milos wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely great wine. Still lots of fruit here with secondary flavours starting to come on; dark red berries, dark chocolate, touch of wood, forest floor tones. This bottle had a little funk on the nose to start with but it blew off very quickly. On the palate it is full boddied with ripe tannis providing structure. Very balanced. Long finish. Drink now but it should last another dacade.
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8/2/2009 - Chateaunewf wrote: 92 Points
Pristine cork. Youthful looking with a deep red color and no bricking. Reticent on the nose initially. Restrained on the palate as well. Good weight and structure but muted flavor on the attack. Very classic in style given the vintage. Definitely more herbal than fruity verifying a high proportion of Cab Franc. Cool and long on the finish. Graphite overlay with a hint of tanned leather. A very nice wine if a bit ungiving and a bit austere. This almost seems a bit shut down at the moment as if entering a new evolutionary phase. I doubt that the fruit will ever really emerge though which is somewhat surprising for this ripe year.
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6/25/2009 - cgrimes wrote: 97 Points
NSMFOW June '09--Thirtheeth Anniversary Dinner (The Grapevine, Salem, MA): Purple almost opaque. Powerful nose of briary fruit, cassis, pencil shavings, smoke. The palate was a knockout of fruit, minerals, earth, tar with a big tannic finish. This wine was a monster compared to the other BDX tried and yet it was perfectly balanced and even somewhat elegant. Without a doubt, this was one of the best wines I have ever tasted. Tied as WOTN. Bought on release for an amazing $38. Brought by Marc & Heidi.
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6/10/2009 - Zinlady wrote: 95 Points
The wine was ready - big - we had with steak and it went so well long finish, great body - tar - dark - sorry I only have one bottle left
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3/3/2009 - la turque wrote: 99 Points
Winos event chez moi on March 3, 2009. Impressive line-up of wines - theme was Bordeaux style wines rated 95 or better by Robert Parker. In order of favourite to least favourite: 1990 Chateau L'Angelus (my rating - 99), 1990 Chateau Montrose (my rating - 98), 1994 Dominus (my rating - 96), 2003 Chateau Leoville Poyferre (my rating - 95), 1995 Chateau Latour (my rating - 93), 1986 Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (my rating - 91).
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2/26/2009 - Milos wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely great from the first sip to the last. Still lots of fruit here with secondary flavours starting to come on; dark red berries, touch of wood, forest floor tones. On the palate it is full boddied with ripe tannis providing structure. Very balanced. Long finish. Drink now to 2020
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2/11/2009 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Black and red fruit, olives, chocolate and a 5 spice blend make up the aromatics. Great concentration, with silky tannins, However, this bottle was not quite the show stopper other bottles have been. The finish was a tad shorter and the wine showed a little more bright fruits than usual.
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12/27/2008 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 99 Points
Medium Garnet. I knew this was fantastic upon opening and the smell filled the room. Nose of black fruits, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, all perfectly mixed. Taste was a smooth mix of the same fruits, spices. Finish lasted for minutes. Hands down, best showing I've had from this wine, and of course it was my last one! WOW!
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9/28/2008 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
Wow! This bottle is even better than the one I had earlier this year. The bouquet as well as the taste are so elegant and soft with enough power. Full bodied, long finish. Now at its absolute peak.
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8/15/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 98 Points
Rock star! Spice, smoke, truffles and licorice covered fruit explode all over the place. The palate enjoys sensuous waves of plush, fat, silky very concentrated Bordeaux fruit. The finish endlessly linergs. While mature, owners of well stored bottles have another 15-20 more years of excitement to look forward to.
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6/6/2008 - Barolo wrote: 96 Points
Beautiful nose. Nice earth, soft with strong scent of St. Emilion. Taste of chocolate, good tannins, soft oak and cedar. Strong black fruit
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5/10/2008 - Zweder wrote: 94 Points
An easy evening with friends: A mixed set of wines. (@ PVa): Enormously inviting, elegant and complex bouquet. Beautiful cassis and soft, well integrated oak. Subtle power. Unbelievable this is 1990. It is still so young. 5 more years is no problem at all.
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2/29/2008 - dream wrote: 95 Points
Incredibly smooth and complex wine with classic St. Emilion earth flavors with notes of tobacco, chocolate and graphite. Still retains a good spine of acidity and will continue to age well but this is gorgeous, thickly textured (within the contents of ethereal Bordeaux), aged right bank wine for drinking now.
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1/27/2008 - bsherwin wrote:
Bordeaux on the Hudson Part Deux (Peter Pratt's): Not much to not like about this wine. A three dimensional wine with the alluring richness of its vintage. A compelling and exotically fragrant nose of dark fruit, spice, chocolate and smoke. Soft and sexy smooth from start to finish it has a decent structure that frames rather than dominates the fruit. Don't be mistaken, this is a fruit story and the story is long and complex as the fruit spreads out over the palate. A bit more acidity would have brought this pretty close to perfect.
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1/8/2008 - SteveHoch wrote: 88 Points
This was most disappointing bottle of the night. While the nose was beautiful, the wine was extremly tight and unforgiving. I have had this wine before and it was excellent so this was a mystery.
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1/2/2008 - CLDWLL wrote: 95 Points
Decided to start the year off with one of the best wines in my cellar. It did not disappoint. I've enjoyed this wine 3x to date and this was its best showing by far. Right from the open, a gorgeous nose of plummy fruit with loads of graphite, earth, green/herbs, some coffee and smoke. A wine that keeps your nose in the glass. Wonderful texture and palate presence. Balanced. The suprise on this night was how youthful the wine showed. Tannins were still pretty firm. Wonderful wine with lots of life ahead.
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12/24/2007 - SteveHoch wrote: 94 Points
great wine, nice color of purple with no hints of age around the edges . Great nose of dark fruits, minerality, coffee, and wild berries. Great texture to a full bodied mouthfeel. perfect balance of tannins and fruit and an excellent finnish.. In short a great wine. This is the second bottle I have consumed in 2007 and I hope I can show some more discipline because this beauty will get better yet!
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12/7/2007 - JeffGMorris wrote: 90 Points
Dinner at Bistro 607 with a large crowd. Dark ruby in color, this bottle was drinking extremely young. Nice Bordeaux nose that includes graphite. Still quite tannic on the finish. I think I'd prefer this with another 5-10 years of age on it to add some complexity but it clearly has good raw materials. 50+12+12+8+8 = 90(+?)
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11/18/2007 - PVTerroir wrote: 95 Points
Graceful and full of youth with lasting dark berries, bitter chocolate and coffee. Sweet earthiness and medium body. Truly beauty.
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11/5/2007 - la turque wrote: 96 Points
Tasted beside the 89 Haut Brion, the 90 Sassicaia and the 91 Dominus. Brilliant. There is really nothing else to say.
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9/28/2007 - gorm wrote: 95 Points
Uncorked DK tasting: 1989/1990 Bordeaux (Kenneth): Another very dark and youthfully looking bottle. The nose is just great with sweet and intense berries. In the mouth the tannins still feels youthful. In addition to the dark fruit there's coffee, dark chocolate and a peppery spicyness. Good length as well. A great wine with the potential to become even better.
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7/24/2007 - dream wrote: 94 Points
Wow, what a gorgeous St. Emilion that seems perfectly aged right now. A beautifully fragrant earthy nose with notes of blackberries, chocolate and violets. On the palate its quite fresh with that perfectly elegant, regal and ethereal texture that can only be Bordeaux. Showing flavors of dark chocolate and blackberries, it's medium-bodied with a smooth middle-palate and a finely concentrated finish that just coats the tongue. Still, it holds together well and remains fairly structure and what a perfect wine with Lobels chateaubriand!
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7/22/2007 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 91 Points
The French Laundry...21 Courses, 11 Wines, Infinite Memories; 7/21/2007-7/22/2007 (The French Laundry (Yountville, Napa Valley, California)): At the French Laundry (in celebration of Amy Emery's 40th birthday) our always-generous friend, Ken Johnson, provided the wine for a mid-dinner course, which was a tomme brulee' with pistachio and big cherry pureed parsley. What better than the Chateau Angelus 1990 as an accompaniment? This wine, deep garnet in color, showed an intense bouquet of crème de cassis, smoke and exotic spices. Full-bodied on the palate and still quite youthful, this Angelus showed low acidity, big sweet tannins and a voluptuous texture. The finish was long but still a bit coarse. My unblinded score was 91+, feeling that the wine still needs more time. I would not re-visit this wine until 2010, anticipating that it should drink well at least until 2025.
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4/12/2007 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
eBob Angelus vs. Leoville Las Cases Vertical (Onesixtyblue): Full red color with some lightening. Medium full smoky red fruit on the nose. Big tight black fruit with firm structure and acidity. Green pepper notes emerged with some time.
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4/10/2007 - Eric wrote: 95 Points
Offline with Jonathan Dinh (Seattle, WA): A really ripe nose that features intriguing notes of herb/green. Soy, tomato leaf, stalk, and smoke. Ahh, yummy, what a palate! A big wine, really ripe, lots of stalk and herbs as well. Total hedonism on this one.
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4/3/2007 - dream wrote: 95 Points
Dark ruby color with slightly fading edges. Perfumed nose of graphite, bitter chocolate and cedar wood. A beautifully soft-textured wine but with good vibrancy and plenty of time left. Delicious flavors of chocolate, blackberries and sweet St. Emilion earth. Finishes ultra-smooth and a perfect combination with Lobel's center cut filet.
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3/8/2007 - la turque wrote: 97 Points
Incredible. Deep, soft, sweet, beautiful balance. At its peak.
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2/5/2007 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
The perfume explodes from the glass like a volcanic eruption, waking you up and demanding your attention! Layers of decadent, jammy black fruit, olives, spices and herbs make you want to know more about this Bordeaux. Very concentrated with a huge, silk drenched, palate presence, the wine ends with soft velvet tannins and ripe black fruit.
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2/1/2007 - winefool wrote: 93 Points
HDH Comparative Bordeaux Tasting 1989 & 1990 (Casino Club): Full deep red color (with some sediment). Medium aroma of red fruit. Big black fruit with huge coffee notes and a long searing finish. Good, but still quite young.
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1/11/2007 - JeffW wrote: 93 Points
I had drunk my other bottle two months ago. I would rate that a 97...the best red wine I drank in 2006. I looked forward to drinklng this one, my last bottle, for weeks and was disappointed. It just didn't have the power of the last bottle. Proves that wine is a living thing... I look forward to drinking other vintages of this wine; its so differnet.
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12/31/2006 - beachbum wrote: 93 Points
Opened early in the morning - and the nose was on from the getgo. Very dark color, hints of brown on the edge. Graphite, stones, smoke and cedar, move into a very young tasting and feeling wine. The tannins are still present. The palete is dark, brooding left bank, this is such a baby still, with hyper complexity of fruit, acids and forest floor. Great length, I think they still need another 10 years in the cellar, this bottle has only seem one home since release. the wine is too tight, not that sweet and a bit disjointed after 15 hours of air. Yum - future of 96+ or so points, just not now. After 2 days open, the inner core of sweet fruit showed, and the rest of the wine held up admirably. Yup, keep these if you can, it will only get better.
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12/30/2006 - dbkitc wrote:
(at Corks – Baltimore) Tasted blind – I really liked this. In fact, my favorite red of the night. I guessed left bank – oh well. Deep color, great intensity of fruit, lovely cassis. Long finish – a very integrated and complete wine. Drinking beautifully now, but should remain delicious for a number of years to come. (19.5)
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11/16/2006 - mattowan wrote: 97 Points
Absolutely stellar! Beautiful nose of earth, graphite, and ripe red fruits. Overwhelming mouth feel with a long, long finish and ever so slight tannins. This wine is at the top of its game, but should show this well for another decade or so.
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9/28/2006 - Eric wrote: 96 Points
The first bottle we opened was heinously corked, but I had to grab another to try again. The second bottle, OMG! Brett, spicecake, plums, and mineral. The palate is oh so insanely ripe yet with huge waves of silky tannins and a long, licorice laden finish. This is just crazy, exotic, hedonistic juice! The longer it's open the more definition is loses, as it's just so fat, young and primary. However, it finishes out with amazing salinity and verve. Truly impressive wine!
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7/4/2006 - MC wrote:
decanted at cellar temperature. dark red. great nose right from the start. big, rich bordeaux. great combo of fruit and earth. still a fair amount of tannin. this one had a bit of a dry finish but might be slightly off as the fill was a bit lower (bottom neck) than others. seems a few years away from peaking. A-
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6/1/2006 - mnh wrote:
Deep ruby with slight brick edge. Very complex nose with blackfruits and classic mature bordeaux herbal notes. A lucious wine with well preserved fruit but at its peak complexity. Excellent
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4/29/2006 - G SQUARED wrote: 96 Points
Cellar party for Bayfront Medical Center Foundation. WOW! This wine just rocks. Loads of fruit, totally integrated with smooth, sexy tannins and lots of life left. Decant for at least an hour before consuming. Wait 5 years though for best results.
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4/8/2006 - dbg wrote:
outstanding
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4/8/2006 - ATBridge wrote: 96 Points
Wow. Deep rouge with little evidence of age in the color. Huge nose, which if served blind I would have guessed left bank, cabernet. Sweet Cassis, cocoa, kirsh & expresso on the nose. Similar presence in the mouth, with incredible length and resolving tannins. Finish lasts a long time. This is a great drink right now, but will last for several years to come.
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4/5/2006 - la turque wrote: 97 Points
What can I say? Incredible. Bordeaux doesn't get much better than this. Sweet and hedonistic, drinking beautifully.
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2/10/2006 - dbkitc wrote:
Intense, full, rich and complex. A lovely bottle. (19)
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1/19/2006 - Eric wrote: 96 Points
St. Émilion (and Pomerol) offline at Kaspar's (Seattle, WA): Some vitamin pill on the nose. This is a sexy wine but perhaps the most linear of the flight.
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12/7/2005 - BradKNYC wrote:
Superb wines with a superb dinner- Trimbach, Chave, L'Angelus, Montrose, ZH & more. (Applewood): Qualitatively equal to the ’89, but stylistically different, with the vintage’s more roasted black fruit, chocolate and fleshier structure character, though this bottle is showing a lot more structure than other bottles I’ve had. Great depth and hedonistic pleasure here, if not as intellectual as the ’89. Nothing wrong with that, though. Solid A.
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10/23/2005 - Dteng wrote: 96 Points
Dark, rich and full bodied. Everything I expected from this producer. Excellent balance and persistent length. Mocha, earth, tar, black cherries and a touch of violets. Just superb. Drinking well now.
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9/10/2005 - cjp911007 wrote: 98 Points
Dark ruby with no hints of browning. A nose of pencil lead, spices and chocolate and
slightly hot. On the palate, the wine was deep and thick, slightly
tannic on entry with incredible richness. There were strong cedary
notes and flavors of leather, earth, deep dark fruit, spices and a very
long finish.
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8/16/2005 - G SQUARED wrote: 95 Points
Dinner at Bistro Don Giovanni with Clay, Tamar and Lindsay. This wine just has to be one of my all time faves. Takes about 60 to 90 minutes of decanting right now but boy, when it does it is just sublime. This is a multi dimensional wine that is the essence of what Bordeaux is all about. Loads of fruit, tobacco, pencil lead and a finish that goes for minutes. Buy some and enjoy.
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7/28/2005 - la turque wrote: 96 Points
At its peak and drinking beautifully. The fruit is vibrant, the tannins and acid soft. The wine is full, rich and beautifully balanced. While this has a long life ahead of it, it is drinking beautifully now. What a fantastic mouthful of wine.
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7/25/2005 - Koods wrote:
a few posts circulated on this recently praising it, and damn straight, this is just incredible right now. decanted for 4 hours and was absolutely perfect, nuanced complex and showing so much secondary nuance, but with such fresh ripe fruit. cellared since release, just flat out great juice.
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6/15/2005 - Jeff Leve wrote: 95 Points
Herbal notes with cherries, figs, plums, licorice and a smoked quality. Very elegant, polished and balanced.
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4/22/2005 - syrahlvr wrote: 92 Points
This showed a big ole bunch of Brett right off the bat on the nose but it settled down very well (actually, much less brett showed on the palate). More earthy/mushroomoy than the '90 Lynch or '90 Pichon Baron. Probably my #3 behind those other 2 wines but I will gladly drink this any time.
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3/27/2005 - Mlermontov wrote: 94 Points
Ron Kramer and NYC Gang :) (Le Zie): WOW... the nose is full of grafite and red berries. Palate is velvety, smooth, fully resolved and mature. this wine shows a lot of muscle but together with elegance and balance. this is delicious.
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10/8/2004 - phenricsson wrote: 97 Points
Decanted 2 ½ hours before tasting. Not blind.
Nice looking wine, dense but starting to show maturity on the edge.
Nose is exceptional directly from the start. Rich, sweet nose with vanilla, smoke, black olives, Black Currant and some tar. The nose was definitely a 10 out of 10. We all sat and enjoyed it for 10 minutes before even tasting the wine. It was great all evening and did not subside at all.
Palate was a bit uneven in my opinion. It hit the mouth with a lively feel, put on weight as it passed through, reaching very good fat, rich mouthfeel, but the finish was a bit thinner with pronounced tannins. Tannins were fairly ripe but the fruit was not quite standing up to the tannins in the end. The others did feel I was too harsh and did not think it was a serious flaw.
Aftertaste gets more and more intense, lasting 50 seconds, a bit of Cassis, but lots of smoke, tar, leather and cedar. Great lingering aftertaste.
Very good, enjoyable wine now, but I doubt it will get any better. If the fruit holds up, it will get more of the sweet mature Bordeaux flavors, but I would drink them in the next few years just to be certain.
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8/28/2004 - dbg wrote:
outstanding! WOTN, great depth, complexity on nose and palate, great
balance, good for another decade
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5/14/2004 - Burgundy Al wrote: 93 Points
Wine tasting. Black plum and spice on nose. Highly aromatics with wonderful balance of fruit, spice, floral elements and some emerging mushroom character. Palate started equally well, had moderate power and length.
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4/25/2004 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
From the moment that glass met my nose, it was love! Coffee, chocolate, wet forest notes, olives, spices, wood and black fruit bathed my senses. Extremely packed and stacked with deep, ripe, black fruit. This rich, sensuous, lush wine coats your mouth with fruit. The finish is over 40 seconds. As good as the 90 Angelus is, it will only get better. This is a winner
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10/12/2003 - Joe Belmaati wrote: 93 Points
Dark red colour. Scents of acetone and fall leaves. Sweet moccha, coffee, and chocolate flavours inter-mingle. I found the wine to be slightly un-structured, but perhaps this was just caused by the somewhat flagrant and flamboyant nature of the wine. Concentrated and multi dimensional. Nice, long finish.
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7/29/2000 - dbg wrote:
outstanding, great nose, palate feel, finish, concentration
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9/26/1999 - mdefreitas wrote:
Pre Auction Wine Tasting w/ Angelus/Palmer/La Mission Haut Brion (NYC): Ripe, fat fruit. Complex and balanced. Nice finish and structural components. Will age nicely.
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4/1/1999 - mnh wrote:
bell pepper nose, great ripe fruit, well structured. Outstanding
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11/1/1993 - mnh wrote:
a blockbuster
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