2010 Château de Ricaud

Community Tasting Notes (14) Avg Score: 90.2 points

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  1/29/2023 - Ingmars wrote:

  This was the last bottle from the many purchased and, as I predicted, this didn't provide the pleasure which the very many other bottles did in their capacities as cellar defenders from December 2013 till February 2022. Since then, they have not been as nice. This last one stood out particularly as having drifted far enough away from its place of belonging that I would call it un-Bordeaux-like. Still a lot of colour, but the fruit is less dense and it shouts MERLOT when it should have said merleaux in deference to its origin.
  
  I know I didn't like this wine in the 2009 vintage at all and the 2012 didn't give the same level of satisfaction as the 2010. Although I haven't tried any other vintages under this label, I have a gut feeling that the winemaker for this humble label got the formula spot-on for the 2010 crop. But the enjoyable drinking window for this wine is now closed for all time. This last bottle was only quite good, but I depart with a happy memory of this wine serving me well for eight years.

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  10/28/2022 - Ingmars wrote:

  I had a bottle a couple of days ago which was surprisingly lacklustre, so I withdrew the penultimate bottle of what has been one of our very reliable house reds since December 2013 from the cellar. Looking back at my notes, including those made privately, I can see that this never managed a rating which was better than very good. Yet, in the context of the appellation, the price paid and the close to nine years of trustworthy and satisfying drinking the nearly ten cases purchased while it was a current release, I can't complain that it didn't make it into very good plus territory. I can't recall expecting it to. So the bottle a few days ago did give concern, though no note was recorded.
  
  The current bottle has a broad ruby core with a small brick-red fringe. I continue to be impressed by the durability of the DIAM 3 cork used here. As with my last note, the merlot is unmistakable on the nose, though it's not at all initially weedy. However, I'm not getting anything like minerals or a sense of cherry liqueur. Perhaps it is best described as a nose that is now more variety-driven than regional, certainly compared to all those previous bottles. There is a tiny bit of wood here and there is the slightest bit of weed at close to two hours, which would make one think about the source of the fruit, but overall, it has to be concluded that the longer the wine stands in the glass, the nose is veering to vulgar.
  
  The palate is better than the nose suggests and builds nicely over time, but again, I am eventually finding the variety is now to the fore ahead of the place from whence it came. Yet, when compared to the very disappointing 2009 version, the natural sweetness almost clinches the deal.
  
  Despite the ample colour, this bottle confirms the wine is on the downward slope. But I like the sweetness which comes from every fresh pour. Yes, I will still call it very good overall, though at times it can hover in that space between this and merely good. No wonder then, about the previous bottle. Drink-up while the going is good to very good.

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  3/25/2022 - atl10trader Likes this wine: 93 Points

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  2/10/2022 - Ingmars wrote:

  Not decanted. Ruby core with a brick-red fringe - the DIAM 3 cork has performed better than expected in keeping the wine intact. Merlot clearly on the nose, which is a bit weedy at first. Then quartz-like minerals and, with air, cocoa and a resemblance to diluted cherry liqueur. It starts small in the mouth, but builds to become a medium-bodied wine that isn't complex in any sense, yet not trying to exceed the limits which the material places on it. Shortish finish, but there's enough sweetness here to make for a very good wine. Probably best to drink remaining bottles over the next couple of years.

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  11/2/2021 - atl10trader Likes this wine: 91 Points

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