5/18/2024 - Happytoro wrote:

Had this during dinner and going off memory. At it's plateau and don't think it will further improve, other than gain additional tertiary notes. It was decently balanced although there were slight acidity that felt out of place. The nose was was not as strong as expected.

5/16/2024 - nywine68 wrote:

Purple color. Nice nose of blackberries and mint. The fruit is jammy and inviting. However, the day I opened it, t was extremely tight and refused to open up. Even after 5 days under Vacuvin and a couple of hours in the glass, it remains closed and tannic. Not clear if this needs another 5-10 years (like an '86) or will need leave this closed state?

5/9/2024 - Motz wrote:

Bold bouquet of blackcurrant, blackberry, pepper garden, mint, hints of juniper, drying tobacco, and mineral ores. Wholly expressive of Saint-Julien. The oak, consistently a touch heavy from this producer, appears to be integrating.

Stylistically reflective of this rugged, understated vintage. Tangy attack, akin to blackcurrant juice. The middle just brings it...in every good way! Wow! Striking tension between expansive rusticity and compact restraint. The middle reveals considerable gritty tannins and the back features them. The finish grips and holds a long while.

A serious wine, with no less than a decade of evolution ahead. The tannin initiated might find checking in on a bottle informative now. All others, recommend waiting at least five years. Likely best round or about 2040, perhaps through 2044. Improvement seems possible...if not likely. 94-95.

4/30/2024 - John McCabe wrote:

My last of these from this vintage. Like so many from '14, I find this a little aloof and impenetrable; some classy red fruit and structure, but still a little stiff and withdrawn.

4/29/2024 - Musigny151 wrote:

Opened Saturday to check progress.

Bloody hell, laddie, this one is tight. A black hole of a wine; nothing escapes. One hour in a decanter and a couple of wisps of something aromaish deigns to make an appearance. Too faint to be recognizable. Another hour, those wisps have coalesced enough to show some fruit and a little spice. This is not fun.

Another hour, and dinner has been on the table for half of it. We have poured the wine into glasses, it is still bad tempered and showing little.

Another hour and the wine has decided not to fight quite as hard. It is still massive, the tannins are hard but not spiky, and now the wine is showing plenty of fruit, spice and licorice. Still I feel there is a lot hidden.

This was all about potential and had little to do with pleasure. I did have a final glass 6 hours in, and it was still not fully open, but far and away the best tasted. I have five bottles left, and it needs ten years plus, probably more.

3/23/2024 - brennan18 wrote:

It took a loooong time for this to open up. Mostly red-fruit driven profile with tobacco, herbs and some minerality. It felt somewhat 'vintage' and I'm not sure that's the right description but seemed like an old wine even though just a 2010. I bought this on a whim from B-21 as it had a good year and the price was very decent for an aged Bordeaux. Admittedly I don't know anything about the producer - maybe I should have done some research first. Wine was good and enjoyable but not my favorite style.

Value: I paid $59.00 and I would say there's plenty of other options at that level I'd prefer

Would I buy again: maybe - it's possible this wine needs still more time to develop

Score: 90 points - good wine

4/21/2024 - barryjkeller@gmail.com wrote:

My dodgy taste buds at mo :(Sour, thin and acidic). I finding this with most wines at present. Not sure whats going on :(

4/21/2024 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:

Poured from a 375ml bottle and decanted for 90 minutes. Consumed over the subsequent two hours. Aeration was rewarded on the nose as it opened up into a lovely lady. Wonderful! The finish was a disappointment as it was tight and lean with grainy tannin. The nose did not match the finish. Very typical of the 2005 vintage. What this tells me is that 2005 is the longest lived vintage of the ‘00 decade.

4/17/2022 - tropa56 Likes this wine:

I wish I didn't open this. Great wine that will be a real treat but needs years or a long decant. I would prefer the years. Opened at Easter dinner when wine was really flowing. Followed a 2012 Ciacci Piccolomini Santa Caterina and 2 bottles of 2006 Sassicaia. Wasn't time to decant. Wine was really reticent showing some intense black fruits, tobacco, flowers, licorice, and gravel. Will be a stunner but honestly, I won't open my other bottle until it's in it's twenties. And even then, I will make sure I can decant if necessary. This would be my advice unless you have enough bottles and are dying to try. This wine is massive and intensely structured.

4/14/2024 - WestfalenGG Likes this wine:

Third bottle from the case and first one I liked. Maybe bottle variation, maybe it just needed the time. Fruity and earthy, medium-bodied. Needs 30 min decant.

4/1/2024 - Neecies Likes this wine:

Decanted for two hours. Dark garnet color. On the nose and palate there are secondary nuances among the dark, ripe/juicy fruits but on the human scale of maturity it has a sense of being unfinished, like a young adult who needs to quit partying and and settle down.

3/8/2024 - Harfouch Does not like this wine:

Deserves a low rating. High tannins. With an off-putting bitter finish.

3/8/2024 - Vinogan(s) wrote:

3 bottles bought, all 3 flawed

3/8/2024 - Philshawsa wrote:

This one does not exist. Trialing app

2/23/2024 - VindependenceDay Likes this wine:

2hrs airing in wine glass. Almost no nose. Some faint tar and blackberry. In the mouth much more interesting- viscous, velvety, layered texture. Not a lot of acid, but there is a noticeable tannic bite. Slight edge of bitterness. But it’s not unpleasant at all. I’m rather enjoying trying to figure out what’s going on with this wine. I have a feeling it will be much bigger with more air. Will try the rest of the bottle tomorrow. 90pts.

Ok second day after Coravin. Folks are right - I should have decanted 3+ hrs on day 1. Much bigger nose, with notes of blackberry, plum, rhubarb jam (?), lavender (?), tar, forest floor. Tannins have receded. It’s lost some of the density and viscosity, but gained freshness and acidity. Tasty! 93 pts.

2/20/2024 - KeithAkers wrote:

This was decanted for about an hour or so before drinking. This pours a lovely, deep ruby color with very little to no browning at the rim. Honestly, given how long LdH normally holds back wines, I was actually a bit shocked at how dark and vibrant this was in the glass. That vibrancy also comes through in a big way on the nose as balanced tones of sour red cherries, raspberries, fresh leather, violets, dill, sweet tobacco, red currants, vanilla bean, fresh herbs, and a touch of savory notes permeate beautifully together already. The Medium bodied feel is silky and balanced with just a touch of VA that adds intrigue along with tart, medium+ acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. There is also a hint of rancio on the back end that works really well too. This is “drinking” in that the structure isn’t overbearing, but this does feel like it can really benefit from a few more years of aging just to let the rough edges smooth out.

2/16/2024 - Piffpaff Does not like this wine:

I apologize to all those, who seem to know more about wine. This was my birthday present. It was not a wow experience, to me 160€ is a lot of money. The wine was a big disappointment like many wines I had above 100€. What disturbs me is the taste of alcohol, the wine is sharp at this state. No balance, no excitement.

2/13/2024 - Stroudcloud Likes this wine:

The other 3 ppl in my tasting group all called this Italian Sangiovese and I can see why, it doesn’t hit you over the head with American oak like you might expect a rioja to. Very well balanced and with great acidity on this vintage.

1/20/2024 - Deegie Likes this wine:

Tasted blind in a Cab showdown. Opened six hours prior to slowly oxygenate. Got mostly ripe red plum and some leather. It’s a bold wine with a punch of both tannin and acid, which I enjoy. It was very good but clearly could use a little time to develop.

1/16/2024 - fcxj wrote:

Quaffable.

12/30/2023 - Stufonhead wrote:

Seems backward at the moment? Upon PnP it seemed devoid of fruit, slight exaggeration but compared to what i was expecting. The nose very tertiary. Then an hour later the fruit is stronger and overall more acidic. 2 hours later it keeps going. But wasn't great. And wasn't thrilled at all. Drank what was left over a few days later after it was sitting corked at room temp, and it was delicious. Hmm. Hope it's not in my head or that the provenance from its source wasn't good - either would be troubling. XD

1/11/2024 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine:

This is an outstanding expression of Sangiovese, and if anything, it (L203) has improved since I last had it 18 months ago. Even at age 15 it needed air to shine. It was served over three nights, on night one with an aeration one hour before dinner, then stored in the original bottle in the refrigerator without gas or vacu-vin. On nights two and three it was poured one hour before dinner without further aeration. It was best on night two.

The wine has complex aromatics, great acidity, integrated tannins, and a long, savory finish. It's succulent, silky, and subtly exotic.

Over at Vinous, Antonio once again got this wine exactly right (93 / 16-30), and this time Ian missed it. And as happens often with Tuscany and Piedmont, there is a big difference between the drinking windows suggested by Antonio (16-30) and Walter Speller at Jancis Robinson (13-18 and 15-20). I cannot understand those short drinking windows at all. For the last bottle I suggested a drinking window to 2035, but I now reign in my exuberance and land at Antonio’s 2030.

This wine shows once again how Fontodi’s CC often outperforms many CC Riservas. They are such a great producer that their wines command a slight premium, so this wine is not among the best QPRs, but for those who are patient it consistently repays the investment.

1/7/2024 - Mark1npt Likes this wine:

Decanted one hour then enjoyed over 2+ more hours through dinner tonight.

Definitely better with more air, #1. Tart, thin, tight and bright red fruit to start. Maybe an 89?

Gains weight, integrates further, smooths out, becomes better balanced in all respects drinking its best at 5 hours of air, tonight. Easy 93 then working its way to a 94.

12/26/2023 - belfast taxman wrote:

Vintage bubbles for Christmas- a really nice wine. Initially it was a tad more acidic than I had expected and citrus was certainly predominant over brioche. However it settled down fairly quickly and there was a nice depth to the wine. VFM? The jury is out.

12/24/2023 - JChan wrote:

Mature but still juicy, medium to full bodied, blackcurrant with smooth finish. Delicious.

12/25/2023 - Francophile1 Likes this wine:

My sixth tasting note on this wine. While it is not the most concentrated claret of Montrose, it is drinking beautifully right now. I have really enjoyed the 2001 and 2004 vintage of Montrose while my 2000, 2003, 2005 bottles mature in the cellar. If I decide to purchase any Bordeaux beyond the 2020 vintage, it will only be lesser vintages so I am not dead before they become drinkable. The 2004 Montrose is a great wine!

12/6/2023 - Collector1855 wrote:

Nose of citrus, fresh, but relatively simple and not with a lot of stuffing. I prefer the sous bois NV.

11/27/2023 - mike410 Does not like this wine:

This is so bitter and acidic that I couldn't finish one glass. I then decanted it for 2 hours with no change. Undrinkable.

11/27/2023 - Purple Tooth wrote:

I spent some time trying this and the Petit Ducru side by side this weekend as openers to an 8 wine lineup of Bordeaux, Washington, and Napa from great great years. This is definitely a different animal than the Petit as it is softer, and more seductive, but still showcasing more of St. Julien's masculine side. Totally impossible to miss the scorched earth bellowing within every glass. The wine gained weight and became even more seductive. This seems to have lower acidity than the Petit and comes across more fruit driven and sweet. A very nice wine and worth grabbing a few more for some fun on the cheap. Drink with 45 minutes+ air.

11/12/2023 - Antoine G wrote:

Still trying to have a value for money feeling about this wine. Decanted for a full day. The wine shows well but fails to impress. Like a decent Cru bourgeois or a powerfull haut medoc from a great vintage, this 5th cru Classé from Pauillac in an average millésime is far from its 100€ purchase Price. I undetstand.great.vintage have high price but average vintage should be at a reasonable price! The cru owners should market their wines differently if they want to survive in this challenging environment

10/27/2023 - Wine Warrior 1 Likes this wine:

Fantastic wine and an unbelievable value. Easily the best wine I have ever had from South Africa.

10/3/2023 - LindsayM Likes this wine:

such a confusing wine, popped and poured
colour pinotesque density ,ruby , crimson on the rim 15/15
Nose intense , herbal initially, but blew off quickly , white pepper spiced plum rhubarb fragrant rose petal violet florals , , charcuterie, and hard cheese aromas , beautiful layering of aromas 29/30
Palate med bodied all those flavours from the nose , multilayered , silky mouthfeel across the palate extra long finish 20+ seconds , apart from the white pepper and floral 42/44
Overall I struggle to pick as shiraz , no chocolate, liquorice but oh such a lovely wine which is what it's all about 10/11

9/19/2023 - Invest wrote:

Nose: Smell like a ripened CH9dP, acidity, raisins.

Palate: Strong dominant 'artificial' acidity, oxidative, toasted wet wood, diffuse artificial cherry fruit, disharmonious.

That can happen in two years, don't like it anymore.

8/13/2023 - Slaz Likes this wine:

(Opened on my son's 10th bday.) Despite decanting for 5 hours, it was still fairly primary in its high acidity, strong tannins, and plenty of somewhat integrated wood. Years away from its peak.

8/3/2023 - Deyue wrote:

Dense purple in color. Aromas of ripe red fruits, hints of sweet spices and wood. In the mouth, juicy yet with medium acidity and pronounced grain. This bottle is powerful and concentrated, not a typical Margaux. Not sure if at its peak, any idea?

7/10/2023 - SWHighlander wrote:

Decanted a magnum for 3 hours. This wine has some mild clearing and magenta notes around the edges of the glass. Good fruit on the nose and front of the palate, but finish is quite tart. This wine as part of a blind tasting of 7 high-end bordeaux blends from Bordeaux and California, ranging from 7-22 years old. The tart finish was not enjoyable to me, one of my least favorites. Maybe it will improve with time. Certainly the professional tasters are all in love with it. Currently I wouldn't drink it if it was free.

6/25/2023 - Southkevin2 Likes this wine:

I agree with the notes about this being too young somehow even at 18 years. This has a bright future, but does not show very well today

6/24/2023 - Bordeaux 2013 Likes this wine:

A good decant is needed.

6/24/2023 - Mr. Montrachet wrote:

Should not have opened. This is a sour mess. Nose is actually quite beguiling and hints of some more pleasure to come with bottle age but the palate is just overblown with acidity and not much more.

6/2/2023 - sirpat00 wrote:

Aroma profile of smoke, pear and bruised apple, mineral notes of rocks and yeast. The palate came in flat with a somewhat bitter off-taste and lacking aromatic complexity. Still decent, but well below the last couple of bottles from the same lot. Bad bottle or bad spot right now?

2/9/2023 - forceberry wrote:

100% Pinot Noir sourced from 18 different parcels. Fully destemmed. Fermented spontaneously, aged for 16 months in used barrels ranging from 2 to 8 years old. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 13% alcohol.

Deep, moderately dark and very youthful blackish-red color with a faint purplish hue. The expressive nose feels youthful, almost primary, yet quite meaty at the same time with rather intense aromas of sweet black raspberries, some earthy tones, a little bit of licorice root, light juicy notes of black cherries and plums, a rustic hint of subtly sauvage character and a touch of autumnal forest. The wine feels very youthful, quite ripe and even somewhat extracted on the palate with a medium body and intense, crunchy flavors of tart lingonberries and brambly black raspberries, some rustic notes of something animale along with nuances of burnt hair, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light licorice root tones, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a savory touch of meaty umami. The overall feel is firm and - despite the obvious sense of ripeness - not sweetly-fruited and plummy as the nose led to expect. The wine retains great sense of freshness, thanks to its bright, high acidity, while the quite gentle and silky medium-minus tannins lend a little bit of firmness to the mouthfeel. The finish is dry, long and crunchy with a little bit of tannic grip and a savory, rather acid-driven aftertaste of tart lingonberries and cranberries, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of gamey meat, light smoky tones, a hint of gravelly minerality and a touch of brambly black raspberry.

A fine, firm and characterful Bourgogne Rouge that does show quite a bit of ripeness - as is expected of a 2019 Burgundy - but still coming across as remarkably fresh, bright and crunchy at the same time, showing very reasonable levels of alc% and good sense of acidic zip. I poured this blind and the guesses ranged from Italian Refoscos to funky Galician reds, but it took people some time to identify Pinot Noir - and even after that getting to Burgundy took some time more! People admitted that this kind of very dark-toned style without much Pinosity didn't make one think of Burgundy at first, but the wine was still within the range of being acceptable for a Burgundy Pinot Noir, once the bottle was revealed. And what's most important: people thought the wine was great - this much everyone agreed before the wine was correctly identified! And I agreed - although I thought the wine was still in a bit awkward phase, coming across as still rather primary and sort of linear and unintegrated at the moment. Nevertheless, this is a terrific drop that is punching way above its weight (for a mere Bourgogne Rouge), but I feel this wine will be even more interesting after another 5-7 years. Simply a superb purchase at 31€.

5/28/2023 - BadOyster wrote:

So I read the hype and was super-jazzed when I found a bottle. I wanted to open it to see if it was my style of wine with the intention of seeking out more, but it just kind of fell flat. A classic Bordeaux, with pretty red and mostly dark fruits, an herbaceousness (perhaps the “mint” that dominates so many notes), and medium length with polished tannins, it was good. But also appropriately priced at the $100/bottle it can be found at. Perhaps it’ll be a beauty at age 20 or 30 as the primary flavors mellow, but not backing up the truck.

3/19/2023 - ubercuvee wrote:

Very subtle on the nose and palate but honestly doesn’t really stand out in any way to justify a “super second” billing

5/12/2023 - jviz wrote:

Same bottle as nutty08- this was tall and “vertical” as AG sometimes calls it. This was served next to the 90 Montrose and it was clear to me that it will follow in the large footsteps of its predecessor. Dark cocoa, blackberry and blackcurrant. Iron ore and a wisp of smoke, this was large scaled and serious, although not as developed or tertiary as the Lynch Bages and LLC of the same vintage. Hold hold hold. Makes me impatient about my 05s

4/24/2023 - csimm wrote:

I dig this wine. This is my second time popping one of these beauties and it just refuses to disappoint. Lively lime and lemon juice notes pop and lock on the palate in a way that can't help but beg for another sip. There is a ton of personality here. I love it... and the price isn't off-the-chain silly compared to others in the industry.

So often, I'll surely enjoy a lovely white Burgundy, but they don't always differentiate themselves in any way that truly grabs one's attention. There is a uniqueness here that I can't necessarily put my finger on. Maybe it is the site (one I know quite little about - except that it is a 'tiny' 5 acre site that is essentially a monopole for Marc Morey).

94+. Drink or hold. Sealed with natural cork, which is the ONLY thing that keeps me from loading up on these monkeys. Good stuff!

4/22/2023 - Barolo Freak Likes this wine:

I decanted and strained my Leoville Barton, and then I let it sit for four hours. The color was nothing spectacular, and the nose was muted. I sipped it over a two day period and I can't say that I was very impressed. This wine is still an infant and will need many more years to blossom. 88 for now, but it could go higher in another decade.

4/8/2023 - Andice wrote:

Very enjoyable. The pinots added fragrance and body to the chard, nicely balanced as I tend to find blanc de blancs too sharp and zesty

4/1/2023 - Barolo Freak Likes this wine:

My first time tasting a Leoville Poyferre and I am not very impressed. I decanted and strained my wine, and then I let it sit for five hours. The 2016 Leoville Poyferre has a beautiful color and a spectacular nose. I sipped my wine over a four day period and I did not sense any improvement. This is a typical St Julien wine, and yes I have tasted many. The flavor is muted, and it has dusty tannin's. There seems to be fruit hiding in there but it could many years before it emerges. I can't say that I am as enthusiastic about this wine as the CT community, and at $125 a bottle there are way better options.

4/1/2023 - ASMB Likes this wine:

Not sure where the negative reviews are coming from. Found this to be really nice. Light in color, decent balance with some alcohol on the finish. This is still young, so I’m sure there’s only updated from here. 93 now but would expect much more over time.

3/31/2023 - WineyTom! wrote:

I’m sorry to say, but i am disappointed. This is a supposed to be an exceptional wine from an exceptional producer of an exceptional vintage. But is simply wasn’t. The wine tasted tired, like a 20+ year old Bordeaux. Fruit has given way to leather, earth and funk (bard yard stink). Length is mediocre. Might be on the decline already. Disappointed.