6/19/2023 - sirpat00 wrote:

Part of a small Bordeaux 2018 5-years on tasting. The wines were partially served single-blind. Main observations: 1/ the vintage pairs concentration and ripeness with weightless and elegant structures. 2/ tannins are generally finely grained and well-integrated. 3/ Extraction levels managed well with only 1 instance of heat and no overripe fruit. 4/ Best bottles were Canon and Pichon Longueville.

Tasting note:
Decanted 2h. Fresh from the bottle this appeared to be singing. But after the decant this came across rather restrained and closed, an unexpected anis and menthol touch. Earthy bases but very subtle The palate was stern with a long finish and grippy tannin. In the end something didn‘t tie up here and the group was wondering if this was a bad bottle. Had a second bottle blind which was better, but still far from greatness.

12/7/2023 - steveiiiiii Likes this wine:

All bottles from Chateau.

Figeac 2016 - 95+
Beautiful nose of blueberries, cedar, and violets. After 30 mins in glass some green notes. Elegant, bright, and pure fruit with amazing acidity that gives a nice drive through mid and back palate with a very long aftertaste. Of course, this is early, but it shows great potential. This grew for every minute over the 1 hr I had it in glass and by the end it was very drinkable, although I would hold it for at least another 10 years.

Figeac 2015 - 93+
Just a little less of everything compared to the 2016, but a great wine. I'd say the 2015 is a little more extracted and blind I would've said it was from a warmer vintage than 16 without knowing if that is true or not.

Figeac 2010 - 91
Not decanted, which probably was not in its favor, and opened later than the younger bottles. At least 10 years from peak. Quite muted compared to 15 and 16 but some tertiary aromas of truffles and cigars showing. Tannins still have a real bite. I would guess this was just the wrong night for this bottle.

Figeac 2000 NR
I don't know, this was volatile and had a lot of pyrazine/very green notes. Others liked it though, so it was probably a bottle thing. Of course it had some mature bdx-charm but this is not what I'm looking for in an aged bottle.

Petit Figeac 2019 - 91
Attacking, blue/black fruits, plums, bell peppers, dry tannins, and some bitterness (from oak?) in the end. Not my preferred style, but quite straight-forward and drinking.

3/6/2023 - jmoon Likes this wine:

Absolutely beautiful dark fruit, perfect balance, earthy journey and as a consequence a very lit up internal dialogue amazed by it all and trying to make sense of the universe and it’s powers to create such as this. So magic.

8/5/2023 - Skotto wrote:

Dark fruit and a touch of petrol, the nice petrol that touches your nose with a guilty satisfaction. Decanter ~1hr with a decent amount of sediment. This bottle typified decent, rich Bordeaux.

1/22/2023 - AlanM68 Likes this wine:

[edited] In beautiful shape right now but still plenty of life ahead of it. Decanted this 1L bottle 2 hours ahead of time. I may be biased as I can’t recall a bad wine from La Spinetta, and this one stays true to that. Don’t rush if you have only one, but if you have a few, trying one now won’t be a let down.

(Thank you to the commenter below … I appreciate your appreciation)

4/8/2023 - Ianjaig Likes this wine:

Cork completely crumbled upon opening which had me worried, but I needn't have as this was quite beautiful. First glass was all cigar box, red currants, milk chocolate with a finish that lasted several minutes or more. Decanted the rest of the bottle and this became fuller bodied, tannic, and yet so elegant and wonderfully balanced. This is an old school, classic that still has plenty of time on its side, but which is drinking wonderfully now. Pure joy. (12.5% alcohol).

11/3/2023 - Nutty08 Likes this wine:

Low neck fill. Moldy cork but wine sound. Mild bricking with deep color. Splash decanted. Awesome 34yo bdx that’s just a hair behind some prior bottles. Explosive pipe tobacco and mink aromas mixed with black fruits. Rather suave palate with integrated tannins. Black currant notes with sweet tobacco notes and a mix of mint. Lengthy finish. Just fantastic. After 2hrs in the decanter developed a thinness to the mid palate, less intensity and nose faded a bit so might be right at its apogee. One of my favorite Lalande’s.

5/5/2023 - JimHow wrote:

2010 Fleur Cardinale: This is a very unexciting wine. The good: The color is a rich deep ruby, quite beautiful. The nose is modest but pleasant. The bad: This is flabby, boring, un-thrilling. No acidity. Hard to imagine how anyone would think this will improve with another five or ten years of aging. Yuck. This is nothing like the crazy 16% Tropling Mondot that Jacques and Jill brought to my house a couple summers ago, which was crazy and alcoholic, but certainly not flabby, it was racy and voluptuous, over the top. This Fleur Cardinale was certainly not sensuous or sexy. It was droopy, flabby, a relic of a Parkerized era that is hopefully behind us. An alcoholic, Parkerized mess. Australian-like. Rating: 87 points.

JimHow
www.bordeauxwineenthusiasts.com

10/30/2023 - jmoon Likes this wine:

Nothing like the bottle I loved in 2020. Now the fruit has retreated and quite generic red and black fruits. Hopefully comes right.

2/14/2023 - d.f.c Likes this wine:

We drank this after a bottle of Leflaive Bienvenues-Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru, and accidentally before the DRC St, Vivant. The truth was that this Solaia far surpassed the ones after it. It was full bodied, well strucured, well balanced and fully aromatic. The St. Vivant afterwards was weak. The Masseto later was fine, but lacks the structure. Then the Sassicaia, considered the best of the Super Tusca, still didn't stand up to this Solaia. Then we tried another Masseto, and again, it didn't come close to it.

6/6/2021 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine:

Tremendous Vaucrains. This is not one of the Gouges wines I buy every year but it would appear the style transition from the austere and metallic Barolo-tannin wine it used to be is now complete. This needs some CO2 shaken out but then is plush and brimming with succulent black-cherry fruit which polishes the tannins down to fine powder. It's even sweeter and more harmonious the next day. All told, it's close to grand cru level in its richness and in how seamlessly it's put together - though longtime Gouges buyers have to be at least a little perplexed by a Vaucrains so easy and open-knit.

7/28/2019 - vide wrote:

The wine began after two hours of decanting as a no more than light, rather acidic wine, with a pleasant if unlifted nose of dark cherry. Some mouthfeel, but the texture was overall rather thin. Not unpleasant, but lacking body or texture. My initial score was 89. After three hours, it is starting to acquire, through oxidisation, more depth and personality, if a slightly gloomy one. Final score: 90.

8/30/2023 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine:

Huge fennel seed, burnt orange rind nose initially, becoming plum. The cedar is there with gravel, and liquorice. Just an amazingly pungent and complex nose! More red berry in the mouth with a long minty herbal finish - rich but very fresh. Not heavy, very perfumes and outstanding. Such outstanding smooth tannins too. High acidity - amazing wine with food. Best ever Baron, easily. 98pts

9/13/2023 - jmoon Likes this wine:

Was lovely, drunk alongside other wines so the rating is unfairly in that context. Fresh and delicious, good to go now from pop and pour.

9/30/2022 - djhammond Likes this wine:

This is definitely heading in the right direction, but is ready for early enjoyment with extended decanting. The potential for an upper 90s rating is there and I am now going to hold off for another 2 or 3 years to allow development. It is a wonderfully rich decadent Pomerol and of course hated by the anti Parker Taliban. The nose is already heady with chocolate and ripe red berry fruits. The palate is still in development and a little light. The finish is lengthy and showing exceptional depth, but likewise still in development. A post script that this just kept improving in the glass over the night and really bodes well for the future. 95+

5/27/2023 - Grinner wrote:

Brought to The Essential in Birmingham. Cork broke, but nice recovery by staff, then decanted. HEADLINES: "An '05 Bordeaux has Integrated!"
My last bottle almost 12 years ago:

6/19/2011 rated 93 points: Still very dark, it has cassis, blackberry, plum, earth and some tobacco notes riding on serious tannins. A big wine that still need a couple years to reach plateau/integrate. Definitely a theme with the '05's I've opened in the past year --> WAIT! (8030 views)

Similar notes on the palate with a little more earth and mocha. Structure is still there but is finally handing over the reins. Now-2035.

7/12/2023 - englishman's claret wrote:

The 2010 Pontet Canet is a wine that’s both dramatic and classical, youngish but with great tension, Laocoon-like, full of dense, cool, intense fruit with the structure and acid to match. The cassis, blackberry, pencil, coal, and mineral notes are classic Pauillac and they linger and linger…

5/14/2023 - mckillop Likes this wine:

Very nice. Not as big as historical vintages (probably harvested early due to the fires). Feels like a bdx!

8/25/2023 - Chrysostomus Likes this wine:

Thanks to the member's tasting notes here on CT! I followed the suggestions and decanted the wine 5-6 hours in advance. At opening the nose was very shy! After the recommended time of 5-6 hours and swirling this beauty in the glass, there were pure and fresh aromas of black currant, plum, white and black pepper, cardamon, flowers, herbs, tobacco and pencil shavings - WOW! No barnyard! The mid+ palate was full of the same aromas. The fruit is not kicking at you, still in the background. But the best of this Montrose out of a hot year is its unbelievable freshness and its structure. No warmth, no heat! A fresh understatement wine with an unbelievable tannin structure that's like a silk cloth on the palate that stays there for more than 60 sec. What a length! This is not the loudest, heaviest left bank Bdx, but one of the most refined, fresh, complex and longest that I've had so far.
I think there's enough structure for the next decades...
If there would be a little bit more fruit, more "flesh" and pressure, it would be nearly perfect.
I understand, why some of the tasters wrote, that it was closed and showing not too much: I think it needs time, especially to integrate its smooth, but challenging tannins. And: it is a very "silent" wine! You have to take your time to develop and conquer this beauty!

3/11/2023 - sdr Likes this wine:

There is undeniable matière here and nicely ripe meaty Syrah. Somehow though the pieces do not add up to greatness. How much you can remember a wine the next day is a barometer of its quality and I am struggling to recall this one.

6/29/2022 - csimm wrote:

An obvious youngster, but with the heralded 2010 vintage backing an already top-notch first growth classification, the 2010 Lafite was destined to offer an A-lister performance. On the first pop of the cork, this presented as unsurprisingly straight and level, but ultra-refined in a way that makes you feel like your palate is a complete moron. Its execution is a twelve-year-old in a tuxedo with a perfectly cut jib who is one of those child genius virtuoso Russian violinist types who is so stuffed with discipline and exceptional brainiac-talent endowment-ness that even making eye contact with him makes you instantly feel like you’ve wasted your complete life, what with your squandered college party days that eventually led to your current place in the world as a two-time divorced dad still clinging to your assistant supervisor position at your parent’s travel agency (You studied to be a court stenographer but that fell through because it was too stressful for you). Black cherry, currant, cedar, and some pebbly notes are placed ever so correctly in fitting formation so that each flavor is exactly 3.14159 cadence sensor units from the next. It’s like watching Jeopardy! and not knowing any of the answers, or rather, question-answers. So, basically, like watching Jeopardy!...

In the decanter it goes in hopes it gets even more smarter-er than you and makes you feel even worse about yourself. Self: Why do you drink wine? Me: So it can shame me and make me feel stupid. Self: You’re an idiot. Me: Yes, exactly.

Whereas the first sips are like trying to drink a perfectly built robot, but one of the coolest and most famous robots around – think HAL 9000, “This mission is too important Dave” – but after a few hours in the decanter, this starts kicking out an ED-209 vibe (though less dumb, but equally as driven), and then further morphs into Ex Machina’s Ava (let’s see how you sci-fi geeks fare on those references, eh?!). Sans analogies and rando references, I’ll simply say the first hour or so mainly reminds you, 1.) it’s too young, and 2.) it’s better than you. From hour-two on, it reminds you, 1.) I’m about ready to solve the meaning of life while running a marathon in the Tibetan Changtang, and 2.) I’m better than you…still. The refinement is off-the-chain hypnotizing, as is the exactitude in which the flavors configure and effect their influence on the palate. And be not concerned, this is not just an academic exercise here; it’s a class you actually enjoy taking with the best teacher you’ve ever had. There is a spirit that makes the experience here uplifting as well as scholarly. The balance of tension, acidity, core fruit and accompanying flavorings, composed concentration, and gently engulfing finish all total up to a wine that imparts astute acumen as well as charming consumption (AKA: drink more of me not just because I’m special, but because I taste mega outstanding – like in a classical and composed way, not like in your Uncle on Thanksgiving way).

Hold this for another 5-7+ years minimum and be rewarded with additional depth and complexity. This sample was an enormously generous offering from the renowned LiteItOnFire. A definite treat to try this wine and an absolute quality reference standard for those wanting to be both humbled and learned by a wine of this caliber. 97-98+ points, with the potential to skirt triple digits when we get WiFi on Venus.

4/5/2019 - jmoon Likes this wine:

Didn’t hit previous heights despite solid decant. Prob jaded palette .

12/8/2022 - eschaefer Likes this wine:

You’ll laugh (or cry) but I had a bottle to share with friends at lunch on December 8, and it fell out of the car onto the ground and broke. I was heart broken and it was the second bottle of the same wine that suffered a similar fate at the same restaurant in the same parking lot!!! Needless to say I won’t be going there anymore ! I will say this, as I was standing above the puddle of wine, it smelled FABULOUS! Black Cherry, black currant and tobacco. I could actually smell it outside, spilled on concrete. Talk about great aromatics!! Too bad we couldn’t drink it but it smelled very good ! Highest recommendation :-)

5/6/2023 - COWineLover wrote:

I have two 6 bottle OWC’s, and ordered two single bottles to test drive during the lengthy aging ahead. Decanted for two hours before the first sip. I acknowledge longer time in the decanter would have been preferred, but weekend activities took longer than expected. It will be interesting to compare half the bottle which is expected to be consumed with dry rub ribs on day 2.

Served with grilled lamb sirloin. The cork is stained like pen ink. As expected this is aromatically dense, with smoked wood predominant, clove, mint, black raspberry, anise, and iron. Gripping tannins with energetic acidity on the attack give notice this has a long way to go before settling down. The chewiness of the tannin worked well with the fattiness of the lamb. The tannic grip on the attack is accompanied by a bolt of iron, anise, and chalkiness in the mid-palate. As this moves toward the finish there is a faint note of iodine that coats unripened blackberries before turning back toward the anise and smoke on the chewy lengthy finish. The first glass was bold and heavily influenced (but not objectionably so) by the oak. Good material here. Not a fruit driven experience - first glass is all about the tannin, acid, and earth influenced character.

At the 4+ hour mark I poured a second glass. I would say the additional two hours has not evolved from my first glass. On the palate the fruit that shows up is decidedly black, but remains behind the wall of anise, smoke, and iron/chalky minerality. I really appreciate the acidic lift that strikes a great balance with the tannin. Day 1 - Score 94. Update to follow after recorking and storing overnight.

Day 2 - Strikingly similar to day 1 with a tannin influenced tasting experience with a touch of additional dryness. Retains the chewy character on the palate with the iron and iodine notes predominant. Aromatically this retains a pronounced anise and smoked wood.

Overall impressions are this has good material, but fruit had a cameo appearance with this bottle and nothing more. Having tracked this with decanting and multiple glasses at different intervals, this bottle offered a classic Bordeaux (and Barton) tasting that I would never confuse with a New World wine. Holding until 2030+.

4/12/2023 - edjBoca Likes this wine:

Painfully young. This took days to get the fruit to show...Huge tanin It does drink well and balanced after a lot of oxidation. I froze the wine in between my efforts. Cooler fruit. A beautiful wine to enjoy in 5-10 years.

5/12/2023 - jmoon Likes this wine:

First of six bottles. Absolutely brilliant after a two hour decant, served to accompany lamb chops. Velvety plush luxurious deep ripe and delicious.

11/3/2022 - LiteItOnFire Likes this wine:

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia is arguably one of the two most well known/famous SuperTuscan wines (other Sassicaia) delivering excellence in the glass. Instead of posting general information on the winery, how much I love the wine and the visit earlier this year- I prefer to highlight perhaps a lesser known mission that is near and dear to my heart- oh and the wine ROCKS in 2019 (tasting note towards the end).

Ornellaia Vendemmia d’Artista celebrates the unique character of each new vintage of Ornellaia. Every year contemporary artist creates a work of art and a series of limited edition labels drawing inspiration from the single word chosen by the Winemaker to describe the character of the new vintage. The artwork is then embodied on alternate bottlings – one the typical wine bottle label with the other showcasing the artistry- which like Chateau Mouton are something to behold in person. Touring the estate and witnessing these works of art come to life is simply fascinating.

Further and what may be the most rewarding aspect of owning and enjoying this wine (newly devoted consumer with this 2019 vintage) is their commitment to the seeing impaired.
As part of their mission, Ornellaia donates proceeds of their wine sales to the seeing impaired via the “Mind's Eye program, which was established by the Guggenheim's Education Department, helps blind and low-vision persons to experiment with art through using all the senses. The program boosts creative impressions, emotional connections and memories, whose perception lasts over time. As in art, the appreciation of fine wines requires the involvement of all the sense”s- and this charitable endeavor works to support the same for everyone.

2019 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia or Simply Ornellaia. Each year they encapsulate a word to best represent the vintage, this year is it “il vigore” strength and power however the new house style is more around refinement/elegance which as you reflect on this wine it comes together nicely. Having had the opportunity to taste this wine now on four separate occasions, I am confident with time this will be an absolute stunner- this vintage upped the cabernet creating a 60/30 split rounded out with petit Verdot and Cab Franc- funny as I learn toward exceptional Merlot vs Cabernet and would have guessed a higher merlot percentage in this cuvee. First experience was BTG in Bolgheri- (a few times), then at Ornellaia and now at @anhelorestaurant in downtown Phoenix. This wine is jam packed with deep dark ripe fruit, medium acidity, great tannic structure and full concentration of fruit with plenty of mineral streaks to keep everything in-check and interesting. HOLD for 5 years but if you are looking for a shot of excitement pull a coravin for a taste now and let the coravin hole slow ox for periodic check-ins. I would also be very curious how this performs with a 12-24 hour decant (less if smaller volume). Lots of upside

6/24/2022 - jmoon Does not like this wine:

Not sure whats happening here, but it was so sweet it was pretty much undrinkable with food, and lacked both structure and complexity, yet it was under screw cap so not faulty. Love their chardonnays though!

7/10/2022 - csimm wrote:

A lot of high scores here, so I of course had to open one of these to see what all the fuss was about. Upon the first pull of the cork, you might as well have just poured this down the drain and called it a night. This was giving nothing at all except an uber linear red berry note and fruit-stifling booze and acid. No mid-palate; no texture; no concentration; barely any flavor. Superficial and pretty ticked off (that wine, that is, not me - though I suppose that could apply to me as well).

After a few hours of air, the hints of what this wine might become in the future start to unfold. The flavors become blacker and darker. Unripe red and black raspberry, cassis, red and black currant, black licorice, spice, dried flowers?, and (unfortunately) that lingering vanilla alcohol flavor that all but kills it for me most of the time when it elbows its way into any wine's profile. Alas, there is promise here, but it'll take some time. Purity of fruit is on-point, as is freshness and persistence. Texture and polish improved some with air, but the reigns remained pretty tight and kept the bit slammed to the back of the jaw most of the time. Opening another one of these inside of 7+ years just seems foolish really. I am fairly confident it'll come around, but this bottle doesn't have me racing to Wine-Searcher to empty the wallet on more.

A 92-95+? point spread here; maybe more, maybe less depending on which path it decides to take. It'll have to dig deep to get into the upper end of my scale (but I'll rate it at the higher 95 mark here in CT just to give it the benefit of the doubt - and I'm hoping Day 2 gives me more confidence in its proper evolutionary path). Hopefully, like many of its peers, this Belair-Monange will make a complete transformation and call me a liar to my face at some point. And yes, I understand I opened this too early, etc, etc, etc, but there is often academic value in seeing where a wine can go at this early stage as well. For now, it is in a crossed-arms 'whatever' teenager locked in his room kind of mode.

I much prefer the 2015 and 2016 versions and where I suspect they are headed. Hopefully this 2018 gets his stuff together and becomes a better mentee to his older brothers.

DAY 2: 1/3 of the bottle remaining; repurposed into a smaller bottle and gassed for the second day. Let's see if it gives up any of the goods. If so, I'll let ya'll know...

3/16/2023 - jmoon Likes this wine:

Perfect bottle still vibrant and perfectly balanced. A wonderful wine at its epoch, approaching sunset. Opened up after 30 min but no decant needed.

9/9/2022 - englishman's claret wrote:

This was served from atrocious glassware so I’ll refrain from scoring it, but I found a pleasant impression of mixed berries, plum, and graphite, albeit without the classic Margaux floral notes which so often elevate this chateau above its peers. Roundish, pleasant palate, though the abbreviated finish speaks to the difficulty of the vintage.

12/12/2020 - jmoon Likes this wine:

A check in after 5 years. Last tasted was old school brisk graphite.
Finally now she’s opening up, very enjoyable, but still early days. Cassis, mineral, red and black fruits, some wet rock. Very good with the right food, needs it. Didn’t decant and was fresh and enjoyable. Opened nicely after 30 min but after an hour began to shut down so consider not decanting.
Certainly another 5 years min till peak, and still a 20 year career in front.

2/10/2023 - jmoon wrote:

Rated for potential. For enjoyment now, 91…. It was a tough ride. Three hour decant, this bruiser was tannic black stuffed with intensity that was like drinking road tar and meat and a fistful of dark fruits, washed down with some road gravel. No doubt will be incredible in 5-10+ years, but now… no point unless you’re a sadist.

12/5/2022 - Collector1855 wrote:

Salon Focofi Paris walkabout and dinner, so no detailed tasting notes. From DMG. Better than the Masseto next to it. More balanced, lighter, lovely spice box.

10/27/2022 - csimm wrote:

Both ripe and tight, with an uber-linear execution that needed every bit of O2 that the decanter it was in could offer. Quality is certainly high, but this is an animal that will require some patience before it can blossom into its fullest potential. More on the purple berry spectrum, with a deeper-pitched profile than I would normally associate with this region. There is a lurking lusciousness here, but the frame is so grippy, there is little room for the fruit to flex in its given state. Dusty and linear, finishing clipped and furry. Excellent tension and pulsating energy. Revisit in 2030+.

9/27/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote:

Far too young, but in the name of science it is impossible not to see the future here. The nose, with its grilled meat, herbs, tobacco leaf, smoke, cocoa, flowers, blackberries, plums, currants, and spice might be what you initially notice, but it is all of those layers of palate-coating, black and dark red fruits that steal the show. Concentrated, refined, elegant lifted, long and complex, every sniff and sip is a turn-on. The purity in the fruit and the silky tannins provide an opulent, lush, seamless finish that is close to the 60-second mark. This is a future legendary vintage for Chave that you need to own, if you are a fan of their wine, and have the income. Drink from 2030-2060.

10/9/2022 - cshouston Likes this wine:

Bought a case, plus one extra bottle to try right away. Brane has always been a sentimental favorite because it was the 2005 that opened my eyes to a world beyond restaurant bottles and supermarket fare. Each vintage keeps getting better and better!

Consumed over three days.
Day one: PnP; some initial booziness that blows off quickly. Sweet, perfumed nose of violets, cherry compote, tobacco, and pencil shavings. Medium weight and silky, fine tannins. This bottle has excellent acidity and begs for food (paired this evening with veal ossobucco alla Milanese). Lots of luscious red fruit on the palate, and a fantastically lengthy finish. Wow! Definitely drinkable right now if one was so inclined, but the wine did shut down on us after a few hours.
Day two: The wine is giving me darker fruit and cinnamon aromas. It is very lean and silky, but the flavors are quite muted tonight.
Day three: My final glass still has a lot of ripe, dark fruit aroma, like stewed plums with a streak of sweetness tucked away for me to seek out. A hint of menthol presented itself as well. The oak is not well integrated at the moment and fairly dominant over other flavors, but the acid has mellowed and balanced out well. What really gets me is how supple and soft the mouthfeel is. This is truly a sexy wine. I believe this wine is a bargain at the asking price.

I cannot wait to revisit this one over the next twenty years.

6/16/2022 - JVSA wrote:

First time tasting Tignanello, but i had the pleasure of enjoying a bottle of '98 Solaia a couple of months back. Though they are hardly comparable, i must say this style of wine is much different from what they did back then.

PnP
Intense dried cherries, vanilla, cassis and spruce. After a while the Cabernet part was much more dominant with grilled pepper and anis.
Palate is very fruit forward with cherries, blackberries and blueberries. Ultrafine tannins.
After about 90 minutes in the glass, the wine fell completely off a cliff, with alcohol starting to show massively on the nose.

Overall a very ripe style of wine, much more than i expected after tasting the Solaia. It's not that it's bad, but for this name and price tag, i would expect a more serious approach to the structure of the wine. In the end it makes me want to mark this a terrible QPR deal.

9/3/2022 - jmoon Likes this wine:

A bit flat and tired now. Tertiary old school boardeax characters emerging but lacking the fruit to support.

6/4/2022 - Matjet Likes this wine:

Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 2018:
I compared the 2018 to the 2016 last week over several days and found the comparision so fascinating, I did it again. My note for last week's comparison can be read in the Pichon Lalande 2016 review page. This is a repeat comparison of two new bottles of the 2018 vs the 2016 just one week later over a period of seventy two hours.
Texturally, in the mouth, both the 2018 and the 2016 feel like high end luxury products; silky smooth, velvety rich with a very long mildly saline finish. Maybe the 2016 is slightly silkier, but that's splitting hairs, they are neck and neck in texture character. Both have great structure, freshness and energy. The similarities end there.
The 2018 is more masculine, more muscular compared to the gorgeous, opulent, feminine 2016. Both have great aromatics immediately evident upon opening the bottles. In both cases the bouquet improved over twenty four hours and held up for seventy two hours. Aromatically the 2018 opens with blackberries, lots and lots of blackberries front and center. But it is not a soloist, it is like a great piano concerto, with blackberries playing the major role supported by the rest of the orchestra; cassis, cherries, anise, exotic spices, plums, leather, chocolate, coffee, cinnamon, vanilla, tobacco in the background. The blackberry concerto theme persisted throughout the three days of tasting both on the nose and palate. While the 2018's major aromatic blackberry component is bold and up front, the 2016's components are not so easy to discern. The 2016 resembles a symphony where each aromatic element plays a precise and equal role to form beautiful, elegant perfume. Aromatically, it is a perfectly balanced blend composed of roses, lilacs, oriental lilies, crushed dried flowers, sandlewood, ocean breeze, exotic spices, cherries, cassis, chocolate, mint, coffee, cedar, strawberry twizzlers. It is easily recognized as gorgeous floral perfume, but requires some thought and time to understand what is there because it is so incredibly well balanced. The 2016's amazing perfume is an accomplishment that can be achieved by using only top quality perfectly ripened grapes. Both wines are great and very complex but reveal their complexities in different ways. The 2016 is horizontal, it has tremendous breadth. The 2018 is vertical where the blackberry soars above all other players, grabs our attention and shouts, “Here I Am!” Neither wine has shut down. This bottle of 2018 seemed to open up a bit quicker than the first bottle consumed last week. The 2016 performed the same as the prior bottle. Although both wines can be enjoyed now, they will improve with age. The 2018 in particular needs time to settle down. There are no significant tertiary notes yet other than very subtle hints of what's to come buried deep in the background. It is impossible to determine if these wines will soon shut down. At this time they are both open for business for those who wish to explore their current virtues.
2018=98++
2016=100

8/7/2022 - csimm wrote:

Alluringly smooth and polished for such a young wine, the 2018 L'Eglise-Clinet shows purple and red berry fruit on the initial pull of the cork, primary and linear as one might expect, with a finish that already has an "expensive" glide but sans full-on smoke show or poppin' vibrancy at the moment. Energy here is solid, but it isn't in the kaboom realm the way one might expect. It's a modern housing with a classical intensity.

After a few hours in the decanter, the purple elements begin to take hold, deepening their posture and offering a core that is more complete and layered. The final sips were the best (after 5 hours in the decanter - and it could've used 5 more of course). This has rock n' roll excitement (though it'll never be a heyday White Zombie concert) as well as classical enticement. Metalhead devil horns do not exists here, and I'm sure for most puritans reading this, that's a good thing. But for me, I could've used one extra tick up on the mosh pit meter.

This will certainly evolve for the next 15+ years and should be left alone for a minimum of 6-7 years in my paltry opinion. I'm not worried here one bit and I quite enjoyed this wine. There were sparks indeed, but it wasn't a full fireworks show...yet? 95-97+ points.

And for those of you who instantly have the, "How can you judge this kind of wine so young you idiot?!" thing going on... I hear you. But getting an early read on these young BDXs has certainly helped garner some information that, like trying any fledgling wine, brings about a trajectory read that may not be solid math, but is not without mapping some accurate coordinates as to where a wine might land eventually (not that they ever "land" anywhere or anytime what with the constant meandering of expressions of these creatures take on at any given time). Considering price, I'm still trying to decide here if I $300 enjoyed this, which sounds ominous I suppose, but I'm sure someone will stumble across this note a decade from now and figure out a way to rub it in my face how this is a 100 point wine now (in 2032) and I should've gotten my WSET level 35 before I opened my mouth. Maybe I'll be in a convalescent home with an opioid-fiending orderly stealing my South African Krugerrand collection by then and I won't care. Something to look forward to...

6/6/2022 - englishman's claret wrote:

The 05 Lascombes still needs to integrate its oak a bit, but beyond the oak-derived aromas there’s a pretty, succulent boysenberry nose with subtle violet. The fruit and flowers are amplified on the palate, flowing through to a fragrant finish. The tannins are still quite grippy. It’s nice to see Lascombes doing well, even if they aren’t quite competing with the likes of Brane Cantenac.

Drinking from 2025-2030, on account of the need for the oak to integrate and the tannin to mellow.

90-92 points

8/8/2022 - BROpus One Likes this wine:

This might be the best bottle of Margaux I've had and it's got another 20-30 years in it. An intoxicating nose, tannins resolved and velvety finish. For me, this is a much better wine than the 1996 and goes neck and neck with the 1982 and 1983.

8/9/2022 - Dibbs wrote:

Needs a lot of air. 1.5hrs in the decanter but only after about an hour in the glass to fully reveal itself. The pedigree is there but this felt like a classic BDX; nothing to write home about or any flaw that I could pick out. Didn't really speak to me but solid wine nonetheless.

2/6/2022 - jmoon Likes this wine:

Fabulous juicy fruit from the get go.
Came alive with perfect balance of dark fruit, terroir and decandent Pomerol essence after about an hour. Glorious at two hour, manage the temp though, sings at 18 degrees c.
A bit hot at 3 hour mark, back in the fridge. shows how 3-5 years will help for better integration. Surely a 100 candidate in 2025?? onwards.

10/13/2021 - djhammond Likes this wine:

One of the breakthrough estates from the 2009 vintage, this is already starting to deliver a sensuous Pomerol experience. Lauded by RP on release this undoubtedly has a few years of further development ahead of it, but it is already highly enjoyable now with extended time in the decanter, (this had 6 hours). The nose is powerful and deeply aromatic with blackberry and cherry and background floral wafts. It is silky and decadent on the palate with a good tannic counter balance, and a finish pushing 30 seconds. This will only get better and is great value for money and I would strongly recommend it.

6/15/2022 - Topper wrote:

If one is going to drink this young, it might as well be now. Could shut down more in the future. Great structure and intensity. Very intense in the mouth but mellowed over the course of dinner. Try again in ten yrs

6/11/2022 - alexbhurst1678 wrote:

Drank in London with Charlie for his 46th at Oswald's. Gave it a violent decanting. Great nose, warm aromas and a wonderful pungency out of the gate. The wine only got better throughout the meal. We drank it over two hours. Still a bit young, but tons of potential there. Smooth, with a fantastic finish.

6/22/2022 - jmoon Likes this wine:

Very enjoyable, plush but not overripe, silky, but very obvious and primary, so given its potential greatness not worth opening one now unless like me you just had to know.

5/21/2022 - jmoon wrote:

Rated as a drink now. Potential 92-93.
Not enjoyable tonight, open 3+ hours, tight, somewhat acidic, fruit hidden behind graphite… nothing like the other flamboyant 2018s I’ve enjoyed young. Resist the temptation and holllllld